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CNN Live At Daybreak
Morning Coffey
Aired October 31, 2002 - 06:17 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: It is time to talk more about the legal tug-of-war over charges against the two suspects, the sniper suspects, that's what I'm talking about.
Want to turn to CNN legal analyst Kendall Coffey.
Good morning -- Kendall.
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So tell -- this tug-of-war over where to try these guys first, it just seems -- well it seems unseemly.
COFFEY: Well it's a virtually unprecedented public feud over prosecution turf and it's gone from chest thumping over who's got the toughest death penalty law to finger pointing with some Maryland authorities contending that the U.S. attorney's office removed John Muhammad from the interrogation in the middle of questioning. That's strongly denied, but it does tell you about the level of tension that this tug-of-war has generated.
COSTELLO: If that happened, Kendall, how unusual would that be?
COFFEY: Well it would be extraordinary, and that's why the federal authorities are most insistent that it didn't happen. And in fact, one of the suggestions is that Muhammad had begun to invoke his right to an attorney, which would, if so, of course require that the questioning be shut off.
COSTELLO: If he was in the middle of a confession, though, I mean I know police have a lot of evidence, how much would a confession matter in this case?
COFFEY: It would still matter enormously because, first of all, there may be unsolved murders, there may be connections to other people. We're hearing every day possible indications and explorations. And also, one of the things that we are all wondering, Carol, is why, why were these terrible crimes done and it may be that only a confession could ever answer that question.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Want to get into the Winona Ryder trial just a little bit. A security guard testified that he saw Winona Ryder using scissors to cut out the security devices on the items that she allegedly stole from Saks Fifth Avenue. I have one question, like if you were going to take that stuff home and use it would you want stuff with big holes in them? COFFEY: I don't think so. And it's become Halloween in Hollywood with the star of movies such as "Bram Stoker's Dracula" being judged by a jury that includes the head of the studio that produced that movie.
What is becoming very clear is that the issue of motive is going to become a big crossfire for both parties. The defense is saying that the security guard said, hey, chance of our lifetime, here's a big celebrity, let's go after her, 15 minutes of fame. The other side is why would somebody who makes millions of dollars in a movie steal $6,000 worth of merchandise from Saks. And by the way, when they charge shoplifting, it's never a discount, they always charge it at full retail.
COSTELLO: OK, Kendall Coffey, thanks for your insight. We appreciate it.
COFFEY: Thank you, Carol.
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 31, 2002 - 06:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is time to talk more about the legal tug-of-war over charges against the two suspects, the sniper suspects, that's what I'm talking about.
Want to turn to CNN legal analyst Kendall Coffey.
Good morning -- Kendall.
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So tell -- this tug-of-war over where to try these guys first, it just seems -- well it seems unseemly.
COFFEY: Well it's a virtually unprecedented public feud over prosecution turf and it's gone from chest thumping over who's got the toughest death penalty law to finger pointing with some Maryland authorities contending that the U.S. attorney's office removed John Muhammad from the interrogation in the middle of questioning. That's strongly denied, but it does tell you about the level of tension that this tug-of-war has generated.
COSTELLO: If that happened, Kendall, how unusual would that be?
COFFEY: Well it would be extraordinary, and that's why the federal authorities are most insistent that it didn't happen. And in fact, one of the suggestions is that Muhammad had begun to invoke his right to an attorney, which would, if so, of course require that the questioning be shut off.
COSTELLO: If he was in the middle of a confession, though, I mean I know police have a lot of evidence, how much would a confession matter in this case?
COFFEY: It would still matter enormously because, first of all, there may be unsolved murders, there may be connections to other people. We're hearing every day possible indications and explorations. And also, one of the things that we are all wondering, Carol, is why, why were these terrible crimes done and it may be that only a confession could ever answer that question.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Want to get into the Winona Ryder trial just a little bit. A security guard testified that he saw Winona Ryder using scissors to cut out the security devices on the items that she allegedly stole from Saks Fifth Avenue. I have one question, like if you were going to take that stuff home and use it would you want stuff with big holes in them? COFFEY: I don't think so. And it's become Halloween in Hollywood with the star of movies such as "Bram Stoker's Dracula" being judged by a jury that includes the head of the studio that produced that movie.
What is becoming very clear is that the issue of motive is going to become a big crossfire for both parties. The defense is saying that the security guard said, hey, chance of our lifetime, here's a big celebrity, let's go after her, 15 minutes of fame. The other side is why would somebody who makes millions of dollars in a movie steal $6,000 worth of merchandise from Saks. And by the way, when they charge shoplifting, it's never a discount, they always charge it at full retail.
COSTELLO: OK, Kendall Coffey, thanks for your insight. We appreciate it.
COFFEY: Thank you, Carol.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
