Peterson must now fight to save his life

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- The jury that convicted Scott Peterson saw a man with two faces: in public, a loving father-to-be with a steady job and stable home, and in private a cheating husband who yearned for bachelorhood and was willing to kill for it.

Convicted Friday of murdering his pregnant wife and her fetus, Peterson must now present a unified image on two fronts -- he must convince jurors that his life is worth sparing while arguing to the courts that he was wrongly convicted.

Some experts said he might have a chance to win an appeal, given the dismissal of two jurors during deliberations. After his sentencing, defense investigators are likely to interview panelists, looking for any signs of misconduct.

"These jurors are about to go under the microscope," said Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson.

Peterson faces life in prison or the death penalty for the first-degree murder of his wife, Laci, and second-degree murder of the fetus.

While the first part of the trial focused on evidence, the penalty phase, beginning Nov. 22, will be laced with raw emotion as rules of evidence that prohibit inflaming jurors are cast aside.

Blockbuster testimony is expected from Laci Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, who will testify about losing a 27-year-old daughter and the grandson she was waiting for.

Learning to survive prison

Peterson is unlikely to take the stand and beg for mercy -- doing that would require him to admit to the murders and throw away any chance of arguing his innocence. Instead, testimony will likely include pleas from his parents to spare his life.

Jury consultant Ed Bronson said Peterson's defense attorney, Mark Geragos, will try to tap any lingering doubt over whether Peterson was a calculated killer. The defense is expected to remind jurors that the 32-year-old former fertilizer salesman has no criminal record or history of violence.

"Are you so sure that you are willing to kill this man?" Bronson said.

The judge said he expects the jury to begin deliberating Peterson's sentence by Nov. 30. The jury then will be sequestered again while deciding Peterson's fate.

Regardless of any appeals, expected motions for a new trial, or the ultimate sentence, Peterson must prepare himself for prison. He remains in county jail until sentencing.

"It will be a hard time for him. Initially, he may be segregated. But life segregation can be difficult," Levenson said. "It's more likely he'll end up in general population. He's going to have to learn how to survive. As far as the inmates are concerned, he's a wife killer and a baby killer."

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Associated Press Writer David Kravets contributed to this story.