California

Laci Peterson, son buried privately

The bodies of Laci Peterson and her son, Conner, were buried together in a private ceremony four months after they washed ashore on San Francisco Bay, a family spokeswoman said Saturday.

About 250 relatives and friends attended the 30-minute service Friday at a quiet cemetery in the Central Valley, said Kim Petersen, a spokeswoman for Laci’s family.

Laci Peterson, 27, was eight months pregnant when she disappeared from her Modesto home Christmas Eve.

Her husband, Scott Peterson, 30, remains jailed on charges of murdering his pregnant wife and unborn son. He has pleaded not guilty. Stanislaus County authorities plan to outline their case against him at a Sept. 9 preliminary hearing.

Washington

Green River searchers find human bones

Detectives investigating the Green River killings found human bones Saturday as they searched a wooded area near Snoqualmie.

Detective Kathleen Larson of the King County sheriff’s office said the remains were found off Interstate 90 east of the Snoqualmie Parkway, about 25 miles east of Seattle. The King County medical examiner’s office confirmed that the bones were human, she said.

A total of 49 women are believed to have died at the hands of the Green River Killer in the early 1980s. The case was named after the river in South King County where the first bodies were dumped.

Gary Ridgway, 54, of Auburn, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated first-degree murder in seven of the Green River deaths.

In recent weeks, Green River task force detectives have found bones at sites in Enumclaw and Kent, both in the Seattle area.

Florida

Doctors will pursue malpractice amendment

The Florida Medical Assn. approved a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution Saturday that would cut the amount of money lawyers for victims of medical malpractice get in court settlements.

The proposed amendment is the latest step in an ongoing fight between doctors, who say skyrocketing malpractice liability premiums have been forcing them to limit or close their practices, and trial lawyers.

Under the proposed amendment, patients would receive 70 percent of the first $250,000 awarded, and 90 percent after that. Trial lawyers now get between 30 percent and 40 percent of malpractice awards, the medical association said.

The medical association needs about 600,000 signatures and approval from the Supreme Court to get the proposed amendment on the ballot.