Scott's December 24, 2002 Cell phone activity

 

Steve Jacobson provided the analysis and testimony regarding Scott's cell phone activities on the 24th.  People's 203C shows the times of the calls and the locations of the cell towers that handled them.  The chart demonstrates that Scott was telling the truth about his whereabouts on December 24, 2002.

 

 

 

The Prosecution's intent was to show that Scott's cell phone usage for the morning and early afternoon of the 24th was abnormally low. 

Rick Distaso: This period of time where there is only, from ten, activity on the defendant's phone from ten to two, those are the, that's the only activity in that time period, is that consistent with the rest of the defendant's phone usage?
Steven Jacobson: For weekdays, no.
Rick Distaso: And on weekdays, what type of usage did you typically see in the records or during the wiretap usage on the defendant's phone?
Steven Jacobson: Mr. Peterson was very active on his phones.
Rick Distaso: Kind of throughout the day, during most of the weekdays?
Steven Jacobson: Yes, sir.

Distaso failed to consider that December 24 was a holiday, Christmas Eve, a day off for Scott.  The cell phone records for days off and other holiday periods are very much in line with his cell phone usage on December 24:

From the Fraud records

 

Sat 11/30 Scott made 1 call only, and it was to his Voicemail at 11:16 a.m

Sun 12/01 Scott made 1 call only at 4:52 p.m.  Note there was an incoming call to his voicemail at 4:25 p.m.

Sat 12/7 Scott made 7 calls, the first call was to his voicemail at 10:19 a.m

Sun 12/8 Scott made 2 calls, the first call was to his voicemail at 10:38 a.m

Sat 12/14 Scott made 2 calls, the first call was at 3:23 p.m.

Sun 12/15 Scott made 6 calls, the first call was to his voicemail at 12:11 p.m

Sat 12/21 Scott made 1 call only, and it was to his voicemail at 1:47 p.m.

Sun 12/22 Scott made 3 calls, the first call was to 411 at 8:31 a.m., note that about 4 minutes earlier there was an incoming call at 8:27 a.m. that he didn't answer.

 

From Testimony
Mark Geragos: Okay. Now, I'm going to show you the day before Thanksgiving, and I think, if you'll accept my representation of that, I think that year, 2002, Thanksgiving was the 28th of November.
Steven Jacobson: Yes, sir.
Mark Geragos: There's not a whole lot of activity on either the 26th, which is, what, two days before, or the 27th. There were how many calls on the 27th?
Steven Jacobson: On the 27th there were how many calls? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven calls.
Mark Geragos: Total. That was about the same that you have on the 24th before Laci goes missing?
Steven Jacobson: About that.
Mark Geragos: About seven. And on the 26th how many calls?
Steven Jacobson: No calls.

Conclusion

 

Scott's cell phone activity on the 24th proved he was telling the truth about his whereabouts and was consistent with his cell phone activity on his days off and holidays.  That the State tried to make something sinister about it shows the weakness of its case against Scott.