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Defense Attorneys Back on Job for Muhammad
Aired October 23, 2003 - 06:09 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: We're back. That's what one of John Allen Muhammad's attorneys said, as he again took charge. That's right. Muhammad, accused D.C.-sniper, has decided it's best if he does not act as his own attorney.
Live to D.C. now and Jennifer Coggiola.
Good morning -- Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Just the latest turn of events. Yesterday, like you said, Muhammad changed his mind and, suffering from a toothache, told the judge and jurors that he wanted to represent -- he wanted the, rather, lawyers to represent himself once again for the remainder of this trial.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COGGIOLA (voice-over): Complaining of an abscessed tooth, sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad denied the judge's offer to delay trial or take any pain medication, but requested that his lawyers represent him once again.
JONATHAN SHAPIRO, MUHAMMAD'S ATTORNEY: It's absolutely painful to legitimize the proceedings by having us sit there silently. We're greatly relieved that Mr. Muhammad decided to change course.
COGGIOLA: The judge warned Muhammad that he would not be allowed to change his mind again. He said he understood.
Muhammad's alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo, appeared in court again Wednesday for I.D. purposes in a Montgomery, Alabama, shooting that led to the D.C.-area attacks.
Muhammad Rashid, shot in the stomach in the days before the alleged spree, said -- quote -- "The face, his color and his physical structure is very, very similar."
Also, James Lee Gray (ph), who tearfully described chasing a man from the scene of the shooting, saying -- quote -- "His eyes were big and they were round, and he looked wild like he was in some kind of frenzy."
Under cross-examination by the defense, Gray (ph) conceded that he did not believe the person he chased was black.
It's that shooting and others in Maryland that prosecutors say led to the spree of sniper attacks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Meanwhile in Malvo's trial, prosecutors have asked the judge to delay those proceedings until mid-December, so that a mental evaluation on Malvo can be completed. As of right now, though, his trial is scheduled to begin next month -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And I know that Malvo has been brought into the courtroom several times, as you said, for evidence reasons. And I heard at one point he actually locked eyes with John Muhammad, and it was quite dramatic.
COGGIOLA: It was, and it was actually more than that before the jurors were in there. Now, they weren't in the room. He looked over at Muhammad, and Muhammad raised his fist and sort of shook it at him. But Malvo didn't appear to react to that at all.
COSTELLO: All right, Jennifer Coggiola reporting live from D.C. 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 October 23, 2003 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We're back. That's what one of John Allen Muhammad's attorneys said, as he again took charge. That's right. Muhammad, accused D.C.-sniper, has decided it's best if he does not act as his own attorney.
Live to D.C. now and Jennifer Coggiola.
Good morning -- Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Just the latest turn of events. Yesterday, like you said, Muhammad changed his mind and, suffering from a toothache, told the judge and jurors that he wanted to represent -- he wanted the, rather, lawyers to represent himself once again for the remainder of this trial.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COGGIOLA (voice-over): Complaining of an abscessed tooth, sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad denied the judge's offer to delay trial or take any pain medication, but requested that his lawyers represent him once again.
JONATHAN SHAPIRO, MUHAMMAD'S ATTORNEY: It's absolutely painful to legitimize the proceedings by having us sit there silently. We're greatly relieved that Mr. Muhammad decided to change course.
COGGIOLA: The judge warned Muhammad that he would not be allowed to change his mind again. He said he understood.
Muhammad's alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo, appeared in court again Wednesday for I.D. purposes in a Montgomery, Alabama, shooting that led to the D.C.-area attacks.
Muhammad Rashid, shot in the stomach in the days before the alleged spree, said -- quote -- "The face, his color and his physical structure is very, very similar."
Also, James Lee Gray (ph), who tearfully described chasing a man from the scene of the shooting, saying -- quote -- "His eyes were big and they were round, and he looked wild like he was in some kind of frenzy."
Under cross-examination by the defense, Gray (ph) conceded that he did not believe the person he chased was black.
It's that shooting and others in Maryland that prosecutors say led to the spree of sniper attacks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Meanwhile in Malvo's trial, prosecutors have asked the judge to delay those proceedings until mid-December, so that a mental evaluation on Malvo can be completed. As of right now, though, his trial is scheduled to begin next month -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And I know that Malvo has been brought into the courtroom several times, as you said, for evidence reasons. And I heard at one point he actually locked eyes with John Muhammad, and it was quite dramatic.
COGGIOLA: It was, and it was actually more than that before the jurors were in there. Now, they weren't in the room. He looked over at Muhammad, and Muhammad raised his fist and sort of shook it at him. But Malvo didn't appear to react to that at all.
COSTELLO: All right, Jennifer Coggiola reporting live from D.C. 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.
