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Prosecution Expected to Rest Today in Windshield Murder Case

Aired June 24, 2003 - 10:01   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: First, we begin in Texas. Trial resumes this hour in the case of a motorist accused of striking a pedestrian, then racing home, where the victim died a slow, agonizing death while still lodged in the driver's car windshield.
Reporter Katherine Creag of CNN affiliate KDFW is covering the trial and joins us now from Fort Worth.

KATHERINE CREAG, KDFW CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.

I'm watching our monitors right now and the defendant, Chante Mallard, just walked into the courtroom and we should hear testimony any minute now.

Prosecutors will bring up more of their witnesses in this trial.

Yesterday we heard a lot of testimony. Today we should see a whole lot of physical evidence. We have already heard from the prosecution and the defense, agreeing that Chante Mallard was on drugs, drank heavily hours before she hit the homeless man, Gregory Biggs. Hit him with her car.

Prosecutors allege Mallard did nothing to get help for Biggs as he lay, dying lodged in her windshield in her garage, that she wanted to get rid of the body and burn the car.

The defense, though, painted a picture of a hysterical woman, someone who was apologetic to the victim but was persuaded by her then-boyfriend to dump the body. We should hear from that ex- boyfriend later today in testimony.

And also, again, see some physical evidence, including the car.

Joining us live now is legal analyst, Bill Lane. Bill, you have some good connections, to say the least, inside this court building. You saw the car earlier today.

BILL LANE, LEGAL ANALYST: Saw portions of the interior of the car, also saw crime scene officers, forensic experts. I expect this morning is going to take up just mostly be bringing in physical evidence for this jury to give the jury a little flavor, a little idea of what the actual crime scene looked like, that being the inside of the car.

CREAG: And you saw a burned seat?

LANE: Yes. Burned and blood-spattered seat. And the forensic expert is already upstairs, so I expect we'll hear his testimony pretty quickly this morning.

CREAG: Bill Lane, our legal analyst, thanks for joining us.

Certainly, a lot of interesting testimony we should hear from later on this bizarre case.

We're live in Fort Worth. I'm Katherine Creag. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Katherine, included in that testimony, possibly Chante?

CREAG: Possibly. We know that the defense -- her defense attorneys are very intelligent people. It's unsure right now if she will testify.

There is some talk, though, that the prosecution will rest today, which will be very fast. Texas trials are always very rapid. But it's unsure right now if her defense will bring her up.

WHITFIELD: All right, Katherine Creag. Thanks very much.

Of course, if Chante Mallard does take the stand, CNN will be carrying that live. Here's a live picture of the courtroom right now as proceedings get underway.

Defense attorneys for Chante Mallard say it was a drug-fueled accident. Prosecutors say it's a clear case of murder.

CNN's Ed Lavandera was in the court for the opening statements.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KEARNEY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Chante was totally messed up on Ecstasy.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chante Mallard's attorney says it was the cocktails and drugs that made her drive home with a 37-year-old homeless man impaled in her car windshield.

After striking Greg Biggs, Mallard left the man dying in the garage, still stuck half-way in the car. She tried to figure out what to do next. Mallard's attorney says she was more than just a little dazed and confused.

KEARNEY: She's sitting there crying his hysterically and she's telling this body in her car, "I'm sorry, it was an accident. I didn't mean to hit you; I didn't mean to hit you; I didn't mean to hurt you."

LAVANDERA: But prosecutors say Mallard showed her indifference about the accident in the hours after coming home. Medical experts believe Greg Biggs could have survived the crash impact but instead bled to death in the garage.

It wasn't until her boyfriend saw the body a few hours later they realized Biggs had died. CHRISTY JACK, PROSECUTOR: But just to make certain, they poked him with a rake. And you'll hear, ladies and gentlemen, that Chante wanted to burn the car and the body.

LAVANDERA: instead, Mallard's boyfriend and another friend dumped the body in a park. Those two men have already pleaded guilty, and they're expected to testify against Chante Mallard.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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




Case>


Aired June 24, 2003 - 10:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: First, we begin in Texas. Trial resumes this hour in the case of a motorist accused of striking a pedestrian, then racing home, where the victim died a slow, agonizing death while still lodged in the driver's car windshield.
Reporter Katherine Creag of CNN affiliate KDFW is covering the trial and joins us now from Fort Worth.

KATHERINE CREAG, KDFW CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.

I'm watching our monitors right now and the defendant, Chante Mallard, just walked into the courtroom and we should hear testimony any minute now.

Prosecutors will bring up more of their witnesses in this trial.

Yesterday we heard a lot of testimony. Today we should see a whole lot of physical evidence. We have already heard from the prosecution and the defense, agreeing that Chante Mallard was on drugs, drank heavily hours before she hit the homeless man, Gregory Biggs. Hit him with her car.

Prosecutors allege Mallard did nothing to get help for Biggs as he lay, dying lodged in her windshield in her garage, that she wanted to get rid of the body and burn the car.

The defense, though, painted a picture of a hysterical woman, someone who was apologetic to the victim but was persuaded by her then-boyfriend to dump the body. We should hear from that ex- boyfriend later today in testimony.

And also, again, see some physical evidence, including the car.

Joining us live now is legal analyst, Bill Lane. Bill, you have some good connections, to say the least, inside this court building. You saw the car earlier today.

BILL LANE, LEGAL ANALYST: Saw portions of the interior of the car, also saw crime scene officers, forensic experts. I expect this morning is going to take up just mostly be bringing in physical evidence for this jury to give the jury a little flavor, a little idea of what the actual crime scene looked like, that being the inside of the car.

CREAG: And you saw a burned seat?

LANE: Yes. Burned and blood-spattered seat. And the forensic expert is already upstairs, so I expect we'll hear his testimony pretty quickly this morning.

CREAG: Bill Lane, our legal analyst, thanks for joining us.

Certainly, a lot of interesting testimony we should hear from later on this bizarre case.

We're live in Fort Worth. I'm Katherine Creag. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Katherine, included in that testimony, possibly Chante?

CREAG: Possibly. We know that the defense -- her defense attorneys are very intelligent people. It's unsure right now if she will testify.

There is some talk, though, that the prosecution will rest today, which will be very fast. Texas trials are always very rapid. But it's unsure right now if her defense will bring her up.

WHITFIELD: All right, Katherine Creag. Thanks very much.

Of course, if Chante Mallard does take the stand, CNN will be carrying that live. Here's a live picture of the courtroom right now as proceedings get underway.

Defense attorneys for Chante Mallard say it was a drug-fueled accident. Prosecutors say it's a clear case of murder.

CNN's Ed Lavandera was in the court for the opening statements.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KEARNEY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Chante was totally messed up on Ecstasy.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chante Mallard's attorney says it was the cocktails and drugs that made her drive home with a 37-year-old homeless man impaled in her car windshield.

After striking Greg Biggs, Mallard left the man dying in the garage, still stuck half-way in the car. She tried to figure out what to do next. Mallard's attorney says she was more than just a little dazed and confused.

KEARNEY: She's sitting there crying his hysterically and she's telling this body in her car, "I'm sorry, it was an accident. I didn't mean to hit you; I didn't mean to hit you; I didn't mean to hurt you."

LAVANDERA: But prosecutors say Mallard showed her indifference about the accident in the hours after coming home. Medical experts believe Greg Biggs could have survived the crash impact but instead bled to death in the garage.

It wasn't until her boyfriend saw the body a few hours later they realized Biggs had died. CHRISTY JACK, PROSECUTOR: But just to make certain, they poked him with a rake. And you'll hear, ladies and gentlemen, that Chante wanted to burn the car and the body.

LAVANDERA: instead, Mallard's boyfriend and another friend dumped the body in a park. Those two men have already pleaded guilty, and they're expected to testify against Chante Mallard.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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




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