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CNN Live At Daybreak

Talk with WRVA Radio's Jimmy Barrett

Aired October 28, 2002 - 05:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Life is returning to normal in the Washington area since the sniper suspects were arrested. We want to talk about it with Jimmy Barrett at WRVA News Radio 1140 in Richmond.
He joins us now live by phone, as usual.

And Jimmy...

JIMMY BARRETT, WRVA RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

BARRETT: How are you today?

COSTELLO: I was in Washington this weekend and I'm telling you, people were happy.

BARRETT: And tell me you weren't relieved just walking around Washington, D.C. knowing that there wasn't a sniper on the loose.

COSTELLO: I was, and the weather was beautiful and I was telling Chad earlier, I went to this wine store and they were having a sniper sale.

BARRETT: Oh, no.

COSTELLO: They were celebrating the arrest of the snipers by selling wine at a 20 percent discount.

BARRETT: OK, there'll be no whining in Washington, evidently, huh?

COSTELLO: No, not at all.

BARRETT: All right. I've got a little something to hold up for you this morning. Let's see if you can see it. It comes from the office of the attorney general of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was sent over the course of the last couple of days to the Honorable John Ashcroft, attorney general of the United States, Carol. And it specifically requests that the Feds stay out of this and allow either Maryland or Virginia to try this case.

And, of course, if our attorney general has his way, that case will be tried here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

COSTELLO: Jimmy, let me ask you something.

BARRETT: Yes?

COSTELLO: Why is this such a big deal, where these guys are tried first? Doesn't it just matter that they're tried, convicted and put away if they're guilty of these crimes?

BARRETT: Yes, it does. But I think it also depends on whether or not you want the death penalty. And I'll tell you why. Because since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated, there have been 86 cases here in Virginia that have been tried as capital murder cases and where the person responsible for the crime has been executed.

Also, you have a suspect, although we are hearing -- maybe you know some more on this this morning -- some conflicting reports on how old John Lee Malvo is.

COSTELLO: Yes.

BARRETT: Is he 17 or is he older?

COSTELLO: Yes, he might be 18 or 19. We just don't know. We're checking that out.

BARRETT: If it is 18 or 19, then they could go for the death penalty in Maryland. But, again, 86 people since 1976 have been executed here in Virginia. Only three have been executed in Maryland. So I think maybe we have a little more experience with the death penalty here.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, Jimmy, I do understand that. But isn't it likely that even if these guys are charged in Maryland first that they will be charged or will be tried, too, in Virginia?

BARRETT: Well, here's what I wonder about this whole thing, and maybe you're wondering it, as well. We've got the federal government which would consider bringing a case in this. You've got the State of Alabama that's interested in trying these guys. Of course, they can't wait to get their hands on them. You've got the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia. How many years will these trials take in order to come to fruition?

COSTELLO: And how much money for taxpayers?

BARRETT: Well, yes, you're right. And then there's the appeals process here. If the desire here is to have these two bozos executed. How long is that going to take when you've got an appeals process going on in three different states?

COSTELLO: Yes, and you've got to wonder, has any attorney come forward to represent these guys yet?

BARRETT: You know what? I have not heard. But you know there will be. If nothing else, here's the thing. First of all, they deserve -- well, I don't know if they deserve representation, but thank goodness we live in a country where everybody gets their day in court and, yes, they will get representation. And I'm sure there's an attorney out there somewhere who would like the notoriety of being involved in this case. It could really put their careers on the map.

COSTELLO: Yes, you never know.

Jimmy Barrett, thank you.

Interesting as always.

BARRETT: Always a pleasure.

Thanks, Carol.

See you later.

COSTELLO: Bye.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 28, 2002 - 05:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Life is returning to normal in the Washington area since the sniper suspects were arrested. We want to talk about it with Jimmy Barrett at WRVA News Radio 1140 in Richmond.
He joins us now live by phone, as usual.

And Jimmy...

JIMMY BARRETT, WRVA RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

BARRETT: How are you today?

COSTELLO: I was in Washington this weekend and I'm telling you, people were happy.

BARRETT: And tell me you weren't relieved just walking around Washington, D.C. knowing that there wasn't a sniper on the loose.

COSTELLO: I was, and the weather was beautiful and I was telling Chad earlier, I went to this wine store and they were having a sniper sale.

BARRETT: Oh, no.

COSTELLO: They were celebrating the arrest of the snipers by selling wine at a 20 percent discount.

BARRETT: OK, there'll be no whining in Washington, evidently, huh?

COSTELLO: No, not at all.

BARRETT: All right. I've got a little something to hold up for you this morning. Let's see if you can see it. It comes from the office of the attorney general of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was sent over the course of the last couple of days to the Honorable John Ashcroft, attorney general of the United States, Carol. And it specifically requests that the Feds stay out of this and allow either Maryland or Virginia to try this case.

And, of course, if our attorney general has his way, that case will be tried here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

COSTELLO: Jimmy, let me ask you something.

BARRETT: Yes?

COSTELLO: Why is this such a big deal, where these guys are tried first? Doesn't it just matter that they're tried, convicted and put away if they're guilty of these crimes?

BARRETT: Yes, it does. But I think it also depends on whether or not you want the death penalty. And I'll tell you why. Because since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated, there have been 86 cases here in Virginia that have been tried as capital murder cases and where the person responsible for the crime has been executed.

Also, you have a suspect, although we are hearing -- maybe you know some more on this this morning -- some conflicting reports on how old John Lee Malvo is.

COSTELLO: Yes.

BARRETT: Is he 17 or is he older?

COSTELLO: Yes, he might be 18 or 19. We just don't know. We're checking that out.

BARRETT: If it is 18 or 19, then they could go for the death penalty in Maryland. But, again, 86 people since 1976 have been executed here in Virginia. Only three have been executed in Maryland. So I think maybe we have a little more experience with the death penalty here.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, Jimmy, I do understand that. But isn't it likely that even if these guys are charged in Maryland first that they will be charged or will be tried, too, in Virginia?

BARRETT: Well, here's what I wonder about this whole thing, and maybe you're wondering it, as well. We've got the federal government which would consider bringing a case in this. You've got the State of Alabama that's interested in trying these guys. Of course, they can't wait to get their hands on them. You've got the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia. How many years will these trials take in order to come to fruition?

COSTELLO: And how much money for taxpayers?

BARRETT: Well, yes, you're right. And then there's the appeals process here. If the desire here is to have these two bozos executed. How long is that going to take when you've got an appeals process going on in three different states?

COSTELLO: Yes, and you've got to wonder, has any attorney come forward to represent these guys yet?

BARRETT: You know what? I have not heard. But you know there will be. If nothing else, here's the thing. First of all, they deserve -- well, I don't know if they deserve representation, but thank goodness we live in a country where everybody gets their day in court and, yes, they will get representation. And I'm sure there's an attorney out there somewhere who would like the notoriety of being involved in this case. It could really put their careers on the map.

COSTELLO: Yes, you never know.

Jimmy Barrett, thank you.

Interesting as always.

BARRETT: Always a pleasure.

Thanks, Carol.

See you later.

COSTELLO: Bye.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com