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American Morning
Focus of Robert Blake Hearing Turns to Actor's Handyman Co- Defendant
Aired March 11, 2003 - 07:19 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Prosecutors in Los Angeles using e-mail from Robert Blake's co-defendant, trying to prove that the two conspired to murder Blake's wife. A preliminary hearing yet again today determining whether or not there is enough evidence to try Blake and handyman Earl Caldwell in the death of Bonny Lee Bakley going back to May of 2001.
In court yesterday, a detective read a cryptic e-mail from Caldwell to his girlfriend, written just days before Caldwell and Blake were arrested.
Let's talk about it all this morning with Jeffrey Toobin, our legal analyst, to take us through this.
You're going to play Madam Marie (ph) for us this morning...
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: That's it.
HEMMER: ... to read the tarot cards. "I was busy saving someone's life," the e-mail reads. "Things are about to happen in my life that could send me far away."
A pretty good tarot card. How is it reading?
TOOBIN: Well, it's -- I mean, it's interesting. This is the first sign that there could be a split between the two defendants. Earl Caldwell, this is obviously suggesting that he is involved in the murder, and may in fact have initiated or taken part in the murder.
Blake and Caldwell, so far, have been very unified in their defense. Some of this evidence suggests that Blake and Caldwell might turn on each other, making a trial much more complicated and interesting.
HEMMER: What's this thing about planting marijuana on Bonny Lee Bakley? Earl Caldwell, there is an allegation out there that he said that. Where does that take us?
TOOBIN: Well, again, they are trying to do anything to get the baby away from Bonny. They are so -- you know, he obviously, Blake, can't stand her. So one of the claims is that, you know, he would plant marijuana on her, so that the baby would be removed from her. Obviously, the ultimate claim is that they killed her to get the baby.
HEMMER: What is this laundry list, this grocery list of items that Caldwell apparently had gone out to purchase for Robert Blake, said it was just to help out with matters around the house?
TOOBIN: Right.
HEMMER: Has that come to light yet?
TOOBIN: That has not actually come out in the preliminary hearing. The big list that was talked about in the trial yesterday was this book that Caldwell had, which was essentially a how-to guide for how to ambush somebody. It's one of these obscure presses that essentially gives these ingredients, these instructions for how to kill people. That was found in Caldwell's home. Apparently the police said it was well-thumbed.
HEMMER: Well-thumbed.
TOOBIN: Well-thumbed, yes.
HEMMER: Isn't that an interesting tarot card reading?
Have you ever known a preliminary hearing to go this long?
TOOBIN: Never. I mean, this is so ridiculous, frankly. I mean, they could have gotten enough evidence before the judge to get this to move to trial in two days. Most preliminary hearings take a day or two. This is sort of a show-business effort by the D.A.'s office to, you know, convince the public that they have a strong case. But they're exposing their witnesses. They're exposing weaknesses in their case. I don't understand why they're going...
HEMMER: You know what Jack says? Jacks says the only reason this is going out this long is because of television...
TOOBIN: You know...
HEMMER: ... trying to make that impression...
TOOBIN: Well, I mean...
HEMMER: ... across L.A.
TOOBIN: That's -- you know, they are dealing with a potential jury pool, and I think they are making a TV case. But I think, you know, they could be jeopardizing themselves down the road...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: We shall see. Thanks, Jeff. Good to chat to you again.
TOOBIN: All right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Co-Defendant>
Aired March 11, 2003 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Prosecutors in Los Angeles using e-mail from Robert Blake's co-defendant, trying to prove that the two conspired to murder Blake's wife. A preliminary hearing yet again today determining whether or not there is enough evidence to try Blake and handyman Earl Caldwell in the death of Bonny Lee Bakley going back to May of 2001.
In court yesterday, a detective read a cryptic e-mail from Caldwell to his girlfriend, written just days before Caldwell and Blake were arrested.
Let's talk about it all this morning with Jeffrey Toobin, our legal analyst, to take us through this.
You're going to play Madam Marie (ph) for us this morning...
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: That's it.
HEMMER: ... to read the tarot cards. "I was busy saving someone's life," the e-mail reads. "Things are about to happen in my life that could send me far away."
A pretty good tarot card. How is it reading?
TOOBIN: Well, it's -- I mean, it's interesting. This is the first sign that there could be a split between the two defendants. Earl Caldwell, this is obviously suggesting that he is involved in the murder, and may in fact have initiated or taken part in the murder.
Blake and Caldwell, so far, have been very unified in their defense. Some of this evidence suggests that Blake and Caldwell might turn on each other, making a trial much more complicated and interesting.
HEMMER: What's this thing about planting marijuana on Bonny Lee Bakley? Earl Caldwell, there is an allegation out there that he said that. Where does that take us?
TOOBIN: Well, again, they are trying to do anything to get the baby away from Bonny. They are so -- you know, he obviously, Blake, can't stand her. So one of the claims is that, you know, he would plant marijuana on her, so that the baby would be removed from her. Obviously, the ultimate claim is that they killed her to get the baby.
HEMMER: What is this laundry list, this grocery list of items that Caldwell apparently had gone out to purchase for Robert Blake, said it was just to help out with matters around the house?
TOOBIN: Right.
HEMMER: Has that come to light yet?
TOOBIN: That has not actually come out in the preliminary hearing. The big list that was talked about in the trial yesterday was this book that Caldwell had, which was essentially a how-to guide for how to ambush somebody. It's one of these obscure presses that essentially gives these ingredients, these instructions for how to kill people. That was found in Caldwell's home. Apparently the police said it was well-thumbed.
HEMMER: Well-thumbed.
TOOBIN: Well-thumbed, yes.
HEMMER: Isn't that an interesting tarot card reading?
Have you ever known a preliminary hearing to go this long?
TOOBIN: Never. I mean, this is so ridiculous, frankly. I mean, they could have gotten enough evidence before the judge to get this to move to trial in two days. Most preliminary hearings take a day or two. This is sort of a show-business effort by the D.A.'s office to, you know, convince the public that they have a strong case. But they're exposing their witnesses. They're exposing weaknesses in their case. I don't understand why they're going...
HEMMER: You know what Jack says? Jacks says the only reason this is going out this long is because of television...
TOOBIN: You know...
HEMMER: ... trying to make that impression...
TOOBIN: Well, I mean...
HEMMER: ... across L.A.
TOOBIN: That's -- you know, they are dealing with a potential jury pool, and I think they are making a TV case. But I think, you know, they could be jeopardizing themselves down the road...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: We shall see. Thanks, Jeff. Good to chat to you again.
TOOBIN: All right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Co-Defendant>
