Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Coffey Talk: A Bishop's Troubles

Aired June 17, 2003 - 06:08   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: More on Bishop Thomas O'Brien. He's a free man this morning, but his legal woes have begun anew. The Roman Catholic bishop posted a $45,000 bond earlier this morning and was released on bail. He's charged with hitting a pedestrian with his car and leaving him to die in the street.
O'Brien's arrest comes just weeks after he made a deal that spared him from being prosecuted on charges of covering up sexual abuse by priests in his diocese.

In Saturday's hit-and-run case, police seized the bishop's car, which had a damaged front windshield. If found guilty, O'Brien could get anything from probation to nearly four years in prison.

Court documents say O'Brien knew police were looking for him, but the bishop did not contact authorities. Police say O'Brien told them he thought he'd hit a dog or a cat or that someone had thrown a rock at his car.

Time for some "Coffey Talk" right now. Let's continue to talk about the bishop.

Kendall Coffey, our legal analyst, live on the phone from Miami.

Good morning -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: It is likely that Bishop O'Brien will step down from his post now, isn't it?

COFFEY: It seems inevitable. It's amazing that when the accommodation was reached several weeks ago which avoided criminal charges that his resignation was not then required. But I think with the latest developments, it's just a matter of time now.

COSTELLO: Talk about what could happen to him. He claims that he thought he'd hit a dog or a cat, but the victim in this case was 6 feet tall and weighed 235 pounds.

COFFEY: Carol, it's obvious that everyone is presumed innocent, but that is something that the prosecutors are going to not accept. They've already decided to charge him with a fourth-degree felony. And they're going to see this as an extension of past conduct that frankly was always conduct of a cover up with respect to sexual allegations involving priests. From a prosecutor's standpoint, a cover up in a hit-and-run really represents forms of avoiding detection and obstructing justice. So, this is going to be, I think, prosecuted very aggressively.

COSTELLO: Well, that's very interesting. And now, the only reason he doesn't face a vehicular manslaughter charge is because the victim in this case was supposedly jaywalking.

COFFEY: He is not charged with actually causing the accident so far, but they said other charges may be considered. Accident reconstruction experts will be out there. And remember, Carol, if they think he was lying with this dog or cat or rock story, they could also add allegations for some form of false statement or further obstruction.

COSTELLO: Understand. And the other sad part about this story is that pedestrian was hit by two cars. The other driver did not stop to help either. Police...

COFFEY: Yes, it's...

COSTELLO: Oh, go ahead, Kendall.

COFFEY: Well, it's just so painful and frustrating, one of the basic rules of the road, one of the basic rules of life. And for that reason I think the prosecutors are going to be very, very firm in prosecuting anyone that they can arrest for this.

COSTELLO: Just a horrible case. Kendall Coffey live from Miami, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK this morning.

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 June 17, 2003 - 06:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More on Bishop Thomas O'Brien. He's a free man this morning, but his legal woes have begun anew. The Roman Catholic bishop posted a $45,000 bond earlier this morning and was released on bail. He's charged with hitting a pedestrian with his car and leaving him to die in the street.
O'Brien's arrest comes just weeks after he made a deal that spared him from being prosecuted on charges of covering up sexual abuse by priests in his diocese.

In Saturday's hit-and-run case, police seized the bishop's car, which had a damaged front windshield. If found guilty, O'Brien could get anything from probation to nearly four years in prison.

Court documents say O'Brien knew police were looking for him, but the bishop did not contact authorities. Police say O'Brien told them he thought he'd hit a dog or a cat or that someone had thrown a rock at his car.

Time for some "Coffey Talk" right now. Let's continue to talk about the bishop.

Kendall Coffey, our legal analyst, live on the phone from Miami.

Good morning -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: It is likely that Bishop O'Brien will step down from his post now, isn't it?

COFFEY: It seems inevitable. It's amazing that when the accommodation was reached several weeks ago which avoided criminal charges that his resignation was not then required. But I think with the latest developments, it's just a matter of time now.

COSTELLO: Talk about what could happen to him. He claims that he thought he'd hit a dog or a cat, but the victim in this case was 6 feet tall and weighed 235 pounds.

COFFEY: Carol, it's obvious that everyone is presumed innocent, but that is something that the prosecutors are going to not accept. They've already decided to charge him with a fourth-degree felony. And they're going to see this as an extension of past conduct that frankly was always conduct of a cover up with respect to sexual allegations involving priests. From a prosecutor's standpoint, a cover up in a hit-and-run really represents forms of avoiding detection and obstructing justice. So, this is going to be, I think, prosecuted very aggressively.

COSTELLO: Well, that's very interesting. And now, the only reason he doesn't face a vehicular manslaughter charge is because the victim in this case was supposedly jaywalking.

COFFEY: He is not charged with actually causing the accident so far, but they said other charges may be considered. Accident reconstruction experts will be out there. And remember, Carol, if they think he was lying with this dog or cat or rock story, they could also add allegations for some form of false statement or further obstruction.

COSTELLO: Understand. And the other sad part about this story is that pedestrian was hit by two cars. The other driver did not stop to help either. Police...

COFFEY: Yes, it's...

COSTELLO: Oh, go ahead, Kendall.

COFFEY: Well, it's just so painful and frustrating, one of the basic rules of the road, one of the basic rules of life. And for that reason I think the prosecutors are going to be very, very firm in prosecuting anyone that they can arrest for this.

COSTELLO: Just a horrible case. Kendall Coffey live from Miami, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK this morning.

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