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CNN Live Today

Celebrity Connections

Aired September 09, 2003 - 11:22   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: Attorneys for Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel are drawing up papers, seeking a new trial for their client. A jury convicted Skakel of murder last summer. Now, though, a former classmate has given a videotaped statement claiming a couple of his friends admitted killing Martha Moxley. Moxley was bludgeoned to death with a gold club in 1975 when she was 15 years old. The club was traced to a set in the Skakel home. Legal experts say this could be Skakel's big break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD MEHAN, CONNECTICUT ATTY.: This young man is telling the truth, and this is believable evidence, then this could be the key that unlocks the prison door for Michael Skakel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The man who claims to know Moxley's real killers is said to be Tony Bryant, which brings us to our kind of Kevin Bacon moment here. Bryant, reported to be a cousin of NBA Laker star Kobe Bryant, who of course has some legal charges of his own in Colorado. Keep it straight. We can with the help of Harvey Levin, the executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," a regular guest to this program, joining us from Southern California.

Harvey, good morning.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PROD., "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": That's the line of the week, Daryn, Kevin Bacon, the line of the week.

KAGAN: I got to tell you, when I'm reading there might be a Kobe Bryant cousin involved in the Martha Moxley case, I'm thinking it's an April Fool's edition of "Celebrity Justice." It just doesn't sound real.

LEVIN: You know, I lost audio, but the only thing I caught was it doesn't sound real.

KAGAN: Let me start over -- how are we doing now?

LEVIN: I hear you.

KAGAN: OK, I was just going to say, when I heard this twist of having a Kobe Bryant cousin, it sounded like an April Fool's edition of "Celebrity Justice," like, you've got to be kidding.

LEVIN: It may be a joke. We're not sure. I'll tell you what we know. We did some checking on this fellow, and he's had some problems of his own in the past. We found that in Los Angeles in 1992, he pleaded guilty to felony accessory to burglary. That charge was later dropped to a misdemeanor and dismissed in 1999 after he served out probation.

But I did find out that during this whole case somebody had asked him, are you Kobe Bryant's cousin? He said no. So in the past, he's denied it. So I can't tell you whether he is or he isn't. I think it depends on which story he's telling.

KAGAN: A lot of big question marks on his character.

Let's look at the information. First of all, is it likely to lead to a new trial for Michael Skakel?

LEVIN: Well, you know, it really depends, Daryn. And part of it what is, what was available to the defense at the time of the trial. I am told that they did know something about this gentleman through a screenwriter who had contacted both prosecution and defense, saying that he had information. Now, if they knew about it and didn't act on it, it's problematic for Michael Skakel.

But I think even more fundamental is, is this man credible? And you know, he's telling a story. The defense seems to think there's some stock in it. But I can tell you that there are some questions surrounding this gentleman and his past.

The other thing that's interesting is I talked to some law enforcement officials in Connecticut, and one of the things, Daryn, they were saying to me was -- and I guess this is the reality, and these are, in particular, one person's word who's in law enforcement, that back in the early '70s, this town was almost completely white, and the notion that at the very least two people driving around who are African-American in that neighborhood would have been spotted and even profiled. That's the word that this person from law enforcement said to me yesterday. So it's just kind of a strange story all around.

KAGAN: But they do mention this church festival that they say that they were at that they -- as he does. That these people were at that apparently it does appear in Martha Moxley's diary that she was at that same festival days before her murder.

LEVIN: It may indeed be that there was some contact days before the murder, and there may be a story here even the night of the murder, and I can't tell you. Obviously, this is what the defense is arguing. I can't tell you whether it's true or not. It's just interesting that law enforcement there is saying that it would be really bizarre, and that you could somehow link up these two individuals at the Skakel house grabbing a golf club and going undetected. Again, that's just from the perspective of law enforcement out in Connecticut.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Harvey, thank you. We'll be watching for C.J., as the in crowd likes to call it, "Celebrity Justice." Appreciate that. LEVIN: Bye, 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







Aired September 9, 2003 - 11:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Attorneys for Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel are drawing up papers, seeking a new trial for their client. A jury convicted Skakel of murder last summer. Now, though, a former classmate has given a videotaped statement claiming a couple of his friends admitted killing Martha Moxley. Moxley was bludgeoned to death with a gold club in 1975 when she was 15 years old. The club was traced to a set in the Skakel home. Legal experts say this could be Skakel's big break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD MEHAN, CONNECTICUT ATTY.: This young man is telling the truth, and this is believable evidence, then this could be the key that unlocks the prison door for Michael Skakel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The man who claims to know Moxley's real killers is said to be Tony Bryant, which brings us to our kind of Kevin Bacon moment here. Bryant, reported to be a cousin of NBA Laker star Kobe Bryant, who of course has some legal charges of his own in Colorado. Keep it straight. We can with the help of Harvey Levin, the executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," a regular guest to this program, joining us from Southern California.

Harvey, good morning.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PROD., "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": That's the line of the week, Daryn, Kevin Bacon, the line of the week.

KAGAN: I got to tell you, when I'm reading there might be a Kobe Bryant cousin involved in the Martha Moxley case, I'm thinking it's an April Fool's edition of "Celebrity Justice." It just doesn't sound real.

LEVIN: You know, I lost audio, but the only thing I caught was it doesn't sound real.

KAGAN: Let me start over -- how are we doing now?

LEVIN: I hear you.

KAGAN: OK, I was just going to say, when I heard this twist of having a Kobe Bryant cousin, it sounded like an April Fool's edition of "Celebrity Justice," like, you've got to be kidding.

LEVIN: It may be a joke. We're not sure. I'll tell you what we know. We did some checking on this fellow, and he's had some problems of his own in the past. We found that in Los Angeles in 1992, he pleaded guilty to felony accessory to burglary. That charge was later dropped to a misdemeanor and dismissed in 1999 after he served out probation.

But I did find out that during this whole case somebody had asked him, are you Kobe Bryant's cousin? He said no. So in the past, he's denied it. So I can't tell you whether he is or he isn't. I think it depends on which story he's telling.

KAGAN: A lot of big question marks on his character.

Let's look at the information. First of all, is it likely to lead to a new trial for Michael Skakel?

LEVIN: Well, you know, it really depends, Daryn. And part of it what is, what was available to the defense at the time of the trial. I am told that they did know something about this gentleman through a screenwriter who had contacted both prosecution and defense, saying that he had information. Now, if they knew about it and didn't act on it, it's problematic for Michael Skakel.

But I think even more fundamental is, is this man credible? And you know, he's telling a story. The defense seems to think there's some stock in it. But I can tell you that there are some questions surrounding this gentleman and his past.

The other thing that's interesting is I talked to some law enforcement officials in Connecticut, and one of the things, Daryn, they were saying to me was -- and I guess this is the reality, and these are, in particular, one person's word who's in law enforcement, that back in the early '70s, this town was almost completely white, and the notion that at the very least two people driving around who are African-American in that neighborhood would have been spotted and even profiled. That's the word that this person from law enforcement said to me yesterday. So it's just kind of a strange story all around.

KAGAN: But they do mention this church festival that they say that they were at that they -- as he does. That these people were at that apparently it does appear in Martha Moxley's diary that she was at that same festival days before her murder.

LEVIN: It may indeed be that there was some contact days before the murder, and there may be a story here even the night of the murder, and I can't tell you. Obviously, this is what the defense is arguing. I can't tell you whether it's true or not. It's just interesting that law enforcement there is saying that it would be really bizarre, and that you could somehow link up these two individuals at the Skakel house grabbing a golf club and going undetected. Again, that's just from the perspective of law enforcement out in Connecticut.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Harvey, thank you. We'll be watching for C.J., as the in crowd likes to call it, "Celebrity Justice." Appreciate that. LEVIN: Bye, 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