Drew Peterson's former lead attorney Joel Brodsky took the witness stand this afternoon to be questioned by his former defense team nemesis Steve Greenberg.
The bizarre courtroom drama was part of a hearing on a motion filed by the defense seeking a new trial for Peterson, 59, who was convicted last fall of drowning his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Defense attorneys allege Brodsky's work on the murder trial was flawed and therefore Peterson deserves a new trial.
Testimony on the motion has concluded for the day and is scheduled to resume Wednesday at 10 a.m. Brodsky could be called to the witness stand Wednesday by the prosecution.
Brodsky testified this afternoon that he entered into a yearlong contract with a publicist in 2007 and said he was paid money by ABC television. Brodsky's former legal partner testified this morning that Brodsky often focused on the financial benefit of representing Peterson, and a law professor testified today that Brodsky's contract with a publicity firm violated the professional code of conduct for attorneys.
Brodsky testified that he opened up a trust account for Peterson's case and deposited $10,000 from ABC television for photo and video licensing fees in 2008. In March 2008, he withdrew $10,000 for "attorney's fees."
"Did you ever get anything in writing authorizing the disbursements?" Greenberg asked, referring to the $10,000 payment.
"Oh, that payment?" Brodsky said. "I'm not sure. Maybe, maybe not."
Brodsky this month filed a libel lawsuit against Greenberg and claimed in court documents Greenberg was mentally ill. Greenberg has said Brodsky's decision to put a key witness on the stand late in the murder trial last year led to Peterson's guilty verdict. Some jurors said testimony from the witness convinced them that Peterson was guilty.
This morning, Brodsky's ex-law partner Reem Odeh testified that Brodsky had physically attacked her in the past and tried to intimidate her before she took the witness stand.
Odeh said Brodsky talked to her often about how he thought the Peterson case would benefit himself and the firm.
"On many occasions, especially when we would have our quarrels about financial matters regarding the case," Odeh said.
She also said Brodsky made a comment to her in passing outside the courtroom this morning. Odeh testified that she could not recall Brodsky's exact words but "I perceived that he was trying to intimidate me or threaten me."
She also testified that Brodsky had attacked her when she left his firm in 2010.
"There was an incident where he physically attacked me and the police had to be called," she said. "Just remembering what I had to go through is very, very upsetting."
Outside court, Odeh said she never pressed charges because she wanted to end any contact with Brodsky.
Also outside court, Brodsky said he never spoke with Odeh or threatened her before the hearing this morning and said she lied when she testified that he physically attacked her when she dissolved their partnership in 2010.
Instead, it was he who fired her after she allegedly forged his signature on affidavits, he said.
"This is a very angry person who I found out was forging affidavits," Brodsky said.
Brodsky also showed reporters copies of a disparaging text message sent from Odeh's phone and directed at him.
Odeh denied she forged affidavits when asked about it outside court. She also said the disparaging text was sent from her phone after it was stolen. She said several of the contacts in her stolen phone received disparaging messages and she later apologized to those people, including Brodsky, and explained her phone had been stolen and the messages were not sent by her.
Brodsky takes stand in Peterson hearing
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Brodsky takes stand in Peterson hearing
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