Modesto, CA — A wrongful death suit against Scott Peterson is a step closer in going to trial.
A Stanislaus County judge ruled that the suit filed by Sharon Rocha, Laci Peterson´s mother, will begin in April.
Rocha filed the suit in December 2003, nearly a year after her daughter´s disappearance.
Her ex-husband, Dennis Rocha, joined the suit in March, after Peterson was sentenced to death for murdering his wife, Laci, and the fetus she carried.
The Rochas are seeking $25 million.
Peterson has few assets, but the lawyer representing Sharon Rocha says she wants to make sure he doesn´t get to keep any money he shared with his wife.
Meanwhile, Peterson´s criminal conviction will be appealed to the California Supreme Court, an automatic move in death-penalty cases.
