From Chaotic to Copesetic: Lessons in Media Relations for Courts from People vs. Scott Peterson

Alexander B. Aikman, "From Chaotic to Copesetic: Lessons in Media Relations for Courts from People vs. Scott Peterson," Court Manager 19, no. 4 (Winter 2004-05): 6-21.

This article provides court administrators and law-enforcement media-relations officers a "how to" guide for handling high-profile

court cases. The author describes in detail the procedures developed by the Stanislaus County court executive officer, Mike Tozzi, and the Stanislaus County media-relations manager, Kelly Huston, to handle the extraordinary demands of the media in the Scott Peterson trial. Given the notoriety of the events leading to Scott Peterson's arrest, Huston and Tozzi understood early that they would need to implement strategies to manage the demands of the press. A Web site was created to disseminate information quickly and to make it accessible to all interested media. The Web site was also helpful in making more accurate the information provided to the press and thus limiting circulation of unreliable information or rumors, often rampant in such high-profile cases. In addition, physical logistics, such as availability of parking for media vans and trucks and the location of cameras and other recording equipment in the courthouse, were either planned before trial or handled very quickly when it became apparent that they presented problems. The author notes that the Scott Peterson case did present a number of challenges typical of "notorious" cases, with some not handled as well as others. Overall, however, the successes of key strategies taken to cope with the pressures of the media in this case are instructive for all court personnel who may find themselves in similar situations. JAE