The state Supreme Court will hear arguments in the appeal of Durham novelist Michael Peterson, who is serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson.

Thomas Maher, Peterson's attorney, said the court will hear the appeal Sept. 10.

Maher said the hearing will focus on three issues:

-- the prosecutor's closing arguments at trial, and whether they wrongly influenced the trial;

-- the constitutionality of the introduction of evidence from a police search of his home;

-- whether the trial judge should have allowed jurors to hear about the 1985 death of Elizabeth Ratliff, a family friend in Germany.

Prosecutors said Ratliff's death was similar to the death of Kathleen Peterson.