(10/01/08 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Deirdre Peterson, 41, an English teacher at Fortuna Union High School in Fortuna, California has been charged with felony unlawful intercourse with a minor and annoying or molesting a minor.
Peterson is alleged to have had sex with an underage male student during June of this year.
Peterson who came to the attention of authorities around September 18th has been placed on administrative leave by the school system.
Reportedly Dierdre Peterson’s husband is an Algebra teacher at Fortuna Union High School.
10/02/08 – Warrant Issued, Surrender Expected
Reportedly a felony warrant with a bond of $35,000 was issued for Peterson on Wednesday and she has until Thursday afternoon to turn herself in .
10/03/08 – Surrender and Release on Bond
Deirdre Peterson turned herself into the Humboldt County jail just before noon Thursday and posted $35,000 bail.
10/08/08 – Court Appearance
Today Deirdre Peterson made a court appearance and enter not guilty pleas to the charges.
Peterson remains free on $35,000 bond.
According to a report in the “Times-Standard”:
According to court documents, the student, John Doe, first made the allegations against Peterson to one of his classmates, then repeated them to a pastor at Fortuna’s Calvary Christian Center. According to the same documents, Peterson admitted to the pastor that she’d had sex with John Doe, but her husband later said Peterson had been physically, psychologically and emotionally raped.
In an earlier edition the “Times-Standard” had reported that a female friend of Peterson’s reportedly told investigators that Peterson confided in her about the affair, first telling her she’d had sex with a student and asking her to guess which one. After disclosing John Doe’s identity, Peterson reportedly told her friend the sex with him had been “freaking amazing,” the friend told investigators.
11/13/08 – Preliminary Hearing
On Thursday a preliminary hearing was held for Deirdre Peterson.
The hearing featured the testimony of a Fortuna Police Department detective who detailed the evidence for the judge who ruled there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
Peterson is scheduled for arraignment December 2nd.
08/14/09 – Jury Says Hung On 2 Counts, Not Guilty On One Count
The jury in the trial of Deirdre Marie Peterson found her not guilty on a charge of oral copulation with a minor.
The jury was deadlocked at 6 to 6 on the count of unlawful sexual intercourse and was deadlocked 8 to 4 on the charge of molesting or annoying a minor, with the majority voting for guilty.
A new trial on the two remaining charges is set for October 5th.
11/02/09 – Second Trial Underway
The second trial of Deirdre Marie Peterson on charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, and molesting or annoying a minor is set to get underway today with jury selection.
Jurors previously found Peterson not guilty of a charge of oral copulation with a minor after her August trial. The jury could not reach a verdict on two other charges, both of which will be the focus of the retrial. The jury deliberated for about a week before stating they were “hopelessly deadlocked.”
References:
Fortuna teacher’s retrial underway with jury selection (11/02/09)
Jury hung in Peterson case (08/14/09)
Judge hears evidence of sex abuse in Fortuna High School teacher case (11/14/08)
Fortuna High teacher Peterson pleads not guilty (10/08/08)
Peterson surrenders, released on bail (10/03/08)
Fortuna teacher released on bail (10/02/08)
Fortuna teacher expected to turn self in today (10/02/08)
Fortuna High teacher charged (10/01/08)
Accused teacher’s case in DA’s hands (10/01/08)
Teacher placed on leave following accusations (09/30/08)
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