Will County Judge Stephen White said he was proceeding under the assumption that the trial would remain in the county, and was trying to protect a jury pool. White later heard arguments on whether Peterson's trial should be moved, and said he'll rule Oct. 2.
After potential jurors entered the courtroom Friday, Peterson, wearing a gray suit, stood and greeted them.
"Good morning, folks. How are you?" he said.
Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in the 2004 death of his third wife Kathleen Savio, whose body was found in a dry bathtub.
Savio's death was originally ruled an accident. But after Peterson was named a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, in October 2007, Savio's body was exhumed. Her death was ruled a homicide after a new autopsy was conducted.
Peterson attorney Reem Odeh said much of the intense publicity surrounding the case has been negative and inflammatory, making it impossible for Peterson to get a fair trial in Will County. She said there also was a chance Peterson arrested or ticketed potential jurors or their family members during his three decades as a police officer.
Prosecutors said there is no reason to move the case, especially since Peterson and his attorneys courted much of the publicity on television and radio shows. But Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow says he'd agree to a venue change if it became clear during jury selection that a fair trial was impossible.
White planned to have 240 people fill out questionnaires Friday. He gave potential jurors a list of 493 people whose names could come up during the trial to see if they knew any them. the judge also instructed the group to avoid media coverage of the case, which has received worldwide attention, and not to look it up on the Internet.
