Prosecutors angered the judge several times by broaching subjects previously ruled inadmissible. And as they sought to blunt the credibility of hearsay evidence, the defense ended up prompting their own witness to emphasize that Stacy Peterson was convinced her husband did kill Savio.

Peterson could still win release someday. His lawyers have said they may appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds Illinois’ hearsay law is unconstitutional.

Some legal experts worried about the precedent a conviction at a trial dependent on hearsay would set, saying it could open the floodgates for the admissibility of such evidence in Illinois and elsewhere.

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