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CNN Live At Daybreak
Coffey Talk: Jackson Goes Public
Aired December 29, 2003 - 06:52 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: Let's head to the phone lines now. Actually, Kendall, are you live from New York this morning?
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Here I am. Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, live from New York, Kendall Coffey, our legal analyst.
First of all, was it a smart move for Michael Jackson to appear on "60 Minutes?"
COFFEY: Well, certainly not. You get a sense that the public relations consultants got into an argument with his criminal defense lawyers, and the lawyers lost. Nothing really to gain, and the whole message that he thinks it's OK to have underage bedmates is something that is going to be remembered and cannot possibly help in defending himself down the road.
COSTELLO: Well, he can't exactly change his mind now. He said it in the past many times.
COFFEY: And I think that if there is a defense strategy to be made out of this, it's going to be that. The crime of child molestation is something that's done based on very secretive conduct in the shadows, and that Michael Jackson is so openly and publicly strange, he can't possibly be a child molester.
COSTELLO: OK, let's talk more about the defense strategy. I'm going to quote him from this interview. I have the transcript with me right now.
Ed Bradley asks Jackson: "What I don't understand is why today -- and I know you say it's money -- but why would this little boy turn around and say, 'Michael Jackson sexually molested me,' if it weren't true?" And Ed Bradley was saying that because Michael Jackson helped this kid with his cancer, and now the kid suddenly turned around and is accusing him of molestation.
Michael Jackson responded: "Because parents have power over children. They feel they have to do what their parents say."
What does that say to you?
COFFEY: Well, Carol, I think that element of the interview didn't come off so badly for Michael Jackson, because at the end of the day, he sounded somewhat sympathetic towards the child, and is basically setting up the defense case to blame the mom. Because even without a civil action being filed now, they can certainly bring a civil action later, and a civil action that would travel on the coattails of a successful criminal case would be a blockbuster case. They might end up owning most of Neverland if they pursue that strategy.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about the alleged police abuse. How do you feel about Michael Jackson's allegations?
COFFEY: I think it's a bad strategy for him. Frankly, you've got a child who allegedly was molested and certainly is a cancer victim. And to be talking, I think, about being mistreated by the police without a lot of proof to corroborate it doesn't get him anywhere.
COSTELLO: Well, he says he has lasting physical damage. He says he can't put his arm behind his back. He said his shoulder is dislocated. He says he can't sleep. And then he kind of hints that there was more.
Let me read you this quote. He's talking about the police at the police station. Michael Jackson says: "And what they did to me, if you saw what they did to my arms, it was very bad what they did. It's very swollen. I don't want to say, 'You'll see, you'll see.'"
COFFEY: Well, I think that if he was injured, then certainly maybe it's understandable that he presents it. But the question I have, sitting back and watching this, is he was arraigned, arrested and booked weeks ago. He's got a very good, a very aggressive lawyer, and I can't imagine that we wouldn't have heard about police brutality and police abuse from his own lawyer weeks ago if there were real substance to the allegation.
COSTELLO: So, is he just trying to create some sort of sympathy?
COFFEY: I think he's clearly trying to reach his fan base. As much as anything, this strikes me as an interview of somebody who wanted to do some damage control, is thinking more like a celebrity worried about his public image with his fan base than a criminal defendant facing extremely serious allegations of child molestation.
COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live from New York this morning, many thanks.
COFFEY: Thanks.
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 December 29, 2003 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's head to the phone lines now. Actually, Kendall, are you live from New York this morning?
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Here I am. Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, live from New York, Kendall Coffey, our legal analyst.
First of all, was it a smart move for Michael Jackson to appear on "60 Minutes?"
COFFEY: Well, certainly not. You get a sense that the public relations consultants got into an argument with his criminal defense lawyers, and the lawyers lost. Nothing really to gain, and the whole message that he thinks it's OK to have underage bedmates is something that is going to be remembered and cannot possibly help in defending himself down the road.
COSTELLO: Well, he can't exactly change his mind now. He said it in the past many times.
COFFEY: And I think that if there is a defense strategy to be made out of this, it's going to be that. The crime of child molestation is something that's done based on very secretive conduct in the shadows, and that Michael Jackson is so openly and publicly strange, he can't possibly be a child molester.
COSTELLO: OK, let's talk more about the defense strategy. I'm going to quote him from this interview. I have the transcript with me right now.
Ed Bradley asks Jackson: "What I don't understand is why today -- and I know you say it's money -- but why would this little boy turn around and say, 'Michael Jackson sexually molested me,' if it weren't true?" And Ed Bradley was saying that because Michael Jackson helped this kid with his cancer, and now the kid suddenly turned around and is accusing him of molestation.
Michael Jackson responded: "Because parents have power over children. They feel they have to do what their parents say."
What does that say to you?
COFFEY: Well, Carol, I think that element of the interview didn't come off so badly for Michael Jackson, because at the end of the day, he sounded somewhat sympathetic towards the child, and is basically setting up the defense case to blame the mom. Because even without a civil action being filed now, they can certainly bring a civil action later, and a civil action that would travel on the coattails of a successful criminal case would be a blockbuster case. They might end up owning most of Neverland if they pursue that strategy.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about the alleged police abuse. How do you feel about Michael Jackson's allegations?
COFFEY: I think it's a bad strategy for him. Frankly, you've got a child who allegedly was molested and certainly is a cancer victim. And to be talking, I think, about being mistreated by the police without a lot of proof to corroborate it doesn't get him anywhere.
COSTELLO: Well, he says he has lasting physical damage. He says he can't put his arm behind his back. He said his shoulder is dislocated. He says he can't sleep. And then he kind of hints that there was more.
Let me read you this quote. He's talking about the police at the police station. Michael Jackson says: "And what they did to me, if you saw what they did to my arms, it was very bad what they did. It's very swollen. I don't want to say, 'You'll see, you'll see.'"
COFFEY: Well, I think that if he was injured, then certainly maybe it's understandable that he presents it. But the question I have, sitting back and watching this, is he was arraigned, arrested and booked weeks ago. He's got a very good, a very aggressive lawyer, and I can't imagine that we wouldn't have heard about police brutality and police abuse from his own lawyer weeks ago if there were real substance to the allegation.
COSTELLO: So, is he just trying to create some sort of sympathy?
COFFEY: I think he's clearly trying to reach his fan base. As much as anything, this strikes me as an interview of somebody who wanted to do some damage control, is thinking more like a celebrity worried about his public image with his fan base than a criminal defendant facing extremely serious allegations of child molestation.
COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live from New York this morning, many thanks.
COFFEY: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
