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CNN Live Today

Alleged Leader of New Jersey Plot Facing Major Legal Trouble

Aired July 08, 2003 - 11:20   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting a mixed picture of the so-called teen mastermind in the alleged plot. Whatever the truth about Matthew Lovett 's character, there's no question he is in serious legal trouble. That's when we call on Jeff Toobin, our legal analyst, to help us understand what's going on here. Jeff, good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: His lawyer has been all over the airwaves. You take a look at what these kids, or in this case at least not one kid, but what young people were caught with it's just absolutely shocking. Rifles, shotguns, strapped to their backs, handguns in their waistbands, carried three foot swords, knives, more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

And yet his lawyer, Matthew Lovett's lawyer has been on the airwaves saying, Well hold on. This was a bad thing, but it wasn't exactly what it looked like.

TOOBIN: Well, lots of luck to him, I guess.

I think the important fact that the lawyer is trying to emphasize is that no one -- there's no proof that they used any of these weapons. And, at least as far as we know, obviously this story is developing quickly, as far as we know the guns were registered properly to Lovett's father.

So the possession of the weapons may not be illegal. And the question is did they intend to use it? Obviously the police have charged them with very much intending, conspiring to use these weapons. The lawyers maintaining that they had no such plan.

KAGAN: Matthew Lovett, of course, will be tried as an adult. He's 18-years-old. The other two, 14 and 15-years-old, prosecutor says he would like to. What are the chances of that happening?

TOOBIN: Well you know the trend in recent years, Daryn, has been very much to try younger and younger people as adults. The rules vary state by state. But in New Jersey it could be done.

You know, the case that we're all familiar with, the sniper case in Virginia, Lee Boyd Malvo was under 18 at the time of the sniper killings. He's being tried as an adult.

So certainly, you know, the public is fed up with the idea of any sort of coddling of young people, younger than 18 people. So, here, a situation may arise where you'll see these teenagers tried as adults as well.

KAGAN: All right, Jeff. If you can hang with us for just a moment. We need to get in a commercial break. Want to continue our conversation. And we'll do it right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Want to get back now to our conversation on the three teenagers in New Jersey discovered to have a huge cache of weapons when they were arrested, perhaps preventing a terrible, terrible slaying of a number of people.

We have Jeffrey Toobin with us to talk about the legal ramifications of this. Jeff, thanks for hanging with us through the commercial break.

The one 18-year-old, Matthew Lovett, his father has been on the airwaves trying to paint a picture of what a very difficult childhood Matthew Lovett had. His mother died when he was a young boy. His brother and he were picked on quite a bit, apparently, by classmates. Let's listen in to a bit of what Matthew Lovett's father had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON LOVETT, FATHER OF MATTHEW LOVETT: The classmates may give their opinion of what their relationship was with him. Matthew was fine at home. And he didn't like a lot of his peers just because of the teasing that he got used to. So he wasn't a person to easily go out and make friends with other people because of, I guess, what he had gone through with his brother when they were younger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Jeff, is this a good idea for Dad to be on the airwaves talking right now? I know the attorney was sitting next to him during those interviews. I would think that attorneys would say, you know, Put a lid on it. you're not helping your kid.

TOOBIN: You know I feel sort of conflicted about it, because, you know, here all of us at CNN and all the networks, you know, there's nothing we like better than putting on the close relatives of people involved in any sort of newsworthy situation, good or bad. So we're camped outside the door, we're calling asking him to talk.

But, boy, I don't think he's helping his son at all. His statements allegedly in defense of his son raise so many questions. Uk if he was such a normal kid, what was he doing with thousands of rounds of ammunition not to mention all those weapons.

A lot of people want to go on television. It's sort of a mystery to me why sometimes people do it. But as your question suggests, I don't think he's helping himself much, or his son.

KAGAN: And then finally as we mentioned before break, many of these weapons, the guns, were this man's, were the fathers. Is he potentially in legal trouble himself? TOOBIN: Well you know that's an interesting question. I don't think so based on the charges in this case that I've seen.

The charges involve things like conspiracy to commit murder, carjacking. As far as I know, there is no claim that the father even knew about these crimes, alleged crimes, much less participated in them.

So, it certainly shows bad judgment, probably, to have this much weaponry around in a suburban neighborhood. But as a criminal matter, I don't think he has any exposure at the moment.

And, you know, perhaps he could be sued under some civil theory. But because the police were fortunate enough to stop anything before there was anybody injured, I don't know who the plaintiff would be to sue him civilly.

So I think the father is legally in the clear, although morally that may be another question entirely.

KAGAN: Jeff Toobin, thank you for that. Appreciate it.

TOOBIN: See you, Daryn.

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




Trouble>


Aired July 8, 2003 - 11:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting a mixed picture of the so-called teen mastermind in the alleged plot. Whatever the truth about Matthew Lovett 's character, there's no question he is in serious legal trouble. That's when we call on Jeff Toobin, our legal analyst, to help us understand what's going on here. Jeff, good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: His lawyer has been all over the airwaves. You take a look at what these kids, or in this case at least not one kid, but what young people were caught with it's just absolutely shocking. Rifles, shotguns, strapped to their backs, handguns in their waistbands, carried three foot swords, knives, more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

And yet his lawyer, Matthew Lovett's lawyer has been on the airwaves saying, Well hold on. This was a bad thing, but it wasn't exactly what it looked like.

TOOBIN: Well, lots of luck to him, I guess.

I think the important fact that the lawyer is trying to emphasize is that no one -- there's no proof that they used any of these weapons. And, at least as far as we know, obviously this story is developing quickly, as far as we know the guns were registered properly to Lovett's father.

So the possession of the weapons may not be illegal. And the question is did they intend to use it? Obviously the police have charged them with very much intending, conspiring to use these weapons. The lawyers maintaining that they had no such plan.

KAGAN: Matthew Lovett, of course, will be tried as an adult. He's 18-years-old. The other two, 14 and 15-years-old, prosecutor says he would like to. What are the chances of that happening?

TOOBIN: Well you know the trend in recent years, Daryn, has been very much to try younger and younger people as adults. The rules vary state by state. But in New Jersey it could be done.

You know, the case that we're all familiar with, the sniper case in Virginia, Lee Boyd Malvo was under 18 at the time of the sniper killings. He's being tried as an adult.

So certainly, you know, the public is fed up with the idea of any sort of coddling of young people, younger than 18 people. So, here, a situation may arise where you'll see these teenagers tried as adults as well.

KAGAN: All right, Jeff. If you can hang with us for just a moment. We need to get in a commercial break. Want to continue our conversation. And we'll do it right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Want to get back now to our conversation on the three teenagers in New Jersey discovered to have a huge cache of weapons when they were arrested, perhaps preventing a terrible, terrible slaying of a number of people.

We have Jeffrey Toobin with us to talk about the legal ramifications of this. Jeff, thanks for hanging with us through the commercial break.

The one 18-year-old, Matthew Lovett, his father has been on the airwaves trying to paint a picture of what a very difficult childhood Matthew Lovett had. His mother died when he was a young boy. His brother and he were picked on quite a bit, apparently, by classmates. Let's listen in to a bit of what Matthew Lovett's father had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON LOVETT, FATHER OF MATTHEW LOVETT: The classmates may give their opinion of what their relationship was with him. Matthew was fine at home. And he didn't like a lot of his peers just because of the teasing that he got used to. So he wasn't a person to easily go out and make friends with other people because of, I guess, what he had gone through with his brother when they were younger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Jeff, is this a good idea for Dad to be on the airwaves talking right now? I know the attorney was sitting next to him during those interviews. I would think that attorneys would say, you know, Put a lid on it. you're not helping your kid.

TOOBIN: You know I feel sort of conflicted about it, because, you know, here all of us at CNN and all the networks, you know, there's nothing we like better than putting on the close relatives of people involved in any sort of newsworthy situation, good or bad. So we're camped outside the door, we're calling asking him to talk.

But, boy, I don't think he's helping his son at all. His statements allegedly in defense of his son raise so many questions. Uk if he was such a normal kid, what was he doing with thousands of rounds of ammunition not to mention all those weapons.

A lot of people want to go on television. It's sort of a mystery to me why sometimes people do it. But as your question suggests, I don't think he's helping himself much, or his son.

KAGAN: And then finally as we mentioned before break, many of these weapons, the guns, were this man's, were the fathers. Is he potentially in legal trouble himself? TOOBIN: Well you know that's an interesting question. I don't think so based on the charges in this case that I've seen.

The charges involve things like conspiracy to commit murder, carjacking. As far as I know, there is no claim that the father even knew about these crimes, alleged crimes, much less participated in them.

So, it certainly shows bad judgment, probably, to have this much weaponry around in a suburban neighborhood. But as a criminal matter, I don't think he has any exposure at the moment.

And, you know, perhaps he could be sued under some civil theory. But because the police were fortunate enough to stop anything before there was anybody injured, I don't know who the plaintiff would be to sue him civilly.

So I think the father is legally in the clear, although morally that may be another question entirely.

KAGAN: Jeff Toobin, thank you for that. Appreciate it.

TOOBIN: See you, Daryn.

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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