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CNN Live Today

Interview With Harvey Levin

Aired February 02, 2004 - 10:42   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: Kobe Bryant is back in court today for a closed door hearing in his sexual assault case. His lawyers are fighting to have statements he made to police excluded from evidence. Bryant said he didn't know police were taping the comments and that he wasn't read his rights.
There's a hearing in the Scott Peterson case. With a new judge presiding and a new California venue, Peterson's attorney is asking for a delay.

And Martha Stewart is back in court in New York City. It's not exactly clear who will testify today. The judge has delayed testimony of a key government witness.

And pretrial motions in the Robert Blake murder case in Los Angeles. Both sides are presenting motions. Blake is accused of murdering his wife in May of 2001.

A full docket of celebrity news. That's why we can only have one man we can call on: Harvey Levin, executive producer of "Celebrity Justice." Good morning, Harvey.

HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: You want to start with something that wasn't mentioned. You say you have new information about the Michael Jackson trial.

LEVIN: Well, we have been monitoring all weekend this search of a home in the Los Angeles area. It is the home of Mark Shaffel, who was a very close friend and business associate of Michael Jackson's.

We know a lot about what happened with this search warrant. It was issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs. We know what precisely the warrant says. They were looking for videotape, diaries, notes and anything else that showed an association between Michael Jackson, his entourage and the alleged victim's family.

Now, we know that authorities went into this house. They took computers. They took business files. We're told that ultimately it's not going to really be anything of consequence because I spoke with Shaffel on the phone over the weekend. He told me that he knew about this search. That it was going to be happening. He knew about it for a few days beforehand.

KAGAN: Harvey, who is this guy?

LEVIN: He has got a history of doing pornography. KAGAN: Ew.

LEVIN: But, Daryn, that's not why he's so significant. I can tell you, this guy is significant because probably more than just about anybody else, he was a confident of Michael Jackson's.

There's actually one person who said that he actually knows more about the whole thing with Jackson and the alleged victim in terms of what did or did not happen than Jackson because Shaffel has a better memory.

And he's somebody that authorities are interested in. The search warrant is the first step in all of this. But he could be a really important person in this case.

KAGAN: OK, we'll be tracking that through you.

Kobe Bryant in court today. Talking about a tape recorder that he says he didn't know about, that he wasn't read his rights when he first talked tp police in Eagle back in jume. Isn't this all kind of Legal 101?

If this is all true, what were the cops thinking in conducting it this way?

LEVIN: I got to tell you, it's just really weird to me to go in with seruptious taping in a situation where you have somebody this high profile. It is bizare to me.

A book came out today that says what happened was at one point the investigator allegedly asked Kobe Bryant, "Did this woman say no to you?" And according to the book he was silent for about 30 seconds. At a point the investigator said, "And what's your answer?" His response adledgedly, "Well, I'm still thinking."

Ultimately he said no, but that's something that the defense said they want out because they don't think he was mirrandized.

KAGAN: The other key thing that could happen out of all of this, not just that this conversation couldn't be entered, but alsdo the clothes that kobe Brian was wearing that night, those could be kept out of court potentially.

LEVIN: Well, the clothes are going to be an issue. There's a lot that's going to be an issue in this case.

I got to tell you something, Daryn. The defense in this case, they are pit bulls. And they will try and keep anything out that is at all damaging. And it just seems to me there's a red flag here that prosecutors or authorities didn't mirandize him before he walked in. There may be a real issue here.

The other thing "Celebrity Justice" broke last week was that prosecutors are interested in a Portland woman who says that Kobe Bryant -- she came up to Kobe Bryant's room last April and they had a romantic involvement that didn't reach sexual intercourse. But they're interested in talking to her in the event Kobe Bryant ever denies coming on to women in hotel rooms.

It could actually help Kobe Bryant though because this woman says he was a perfect gentleman. And when she finally put an end to it, he stopped.

KAGAN: Harvey, you always have a way of bringing up these things that we're not sure if it's good for the breakfast table.

LEVIN: I'm sorry.

But, hey, on a morning when we're looking at Janet Jackson's you know what...

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: It's all relative. Thank you for the information.

LEVIN: My pleasure.

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 February 2, 2004 - 10:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Kobe Bryant is back in court today for a closed door hearing in his sexual assault case. His lawyers are fighting to have statements he made to police excluded from evidence. Bryant said he didn't know police were taping the comments and that he wasn't read his rights.
There's a hearing in the Scott Peterson case. With a new judge presiding and a new California venue, Peterson's attorney is asking for a delay.

And Martha Stewart is back in court in New York City. It's not exactly clear who will testify today. The judge has delayed testimony of a key government witness.

And pretrial motions in the Robert Blake murder case in Los Angeles. Both sides are presenting motions. Blake is accused of murdering his wife in May of 2001.

A full docket of celebrity news. That's why we can only have one man we can call on: Harvey Levin, executive producer of "Celebrity Justice." Good morning, Harvey.

HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: You want to start with something that wasn't mentioned. You say you have new information about the Michael Jackson trial.

LEVIN: Well, we have been monitoring all weekend this search of a home in the Los Angeles area. It is the home of Mark Shaffel, who was a very close friend and business associate of Michael Jackson's.

We know a lot about what happened with this search warrant. It was issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs. We know what precisely the warrant says. They were looking for videotape, diaries, notes and anything else that showed an association between Michael Jackson, his entourage and the alleged victim's family.

Now, we know that authorities went into this house. They took computers. They took business files. We're told that ultimately it's not going to really be anything of consequence because I spoke with Shaffel on the phone over the weekend. He told me that he knew about this search. That it was going to be happening. He knew about it for a few days beforehand.

KAGAN: Harvey, who is this guy?

LEVIN: He has got a history of doing pornography. KAGAN: Ew.

LEVIN: But, Daryn, that's not why he's so significant. I can tell you, this guy is significant because probably more than just about anybody else, he was a confident of Michael Jackson's.

There's actually one person who said that he actually knows more about the whole thing with Jackson and the alleged victim in terms of what did or did not happen than Jackson because Shaffel has a better memory.

And he's somebody that authorities are interested in. The search warrant is the first step in all of this. But he could be a really important person in this case.

KAGAN: OK, we'll be tracking that through you.

Kobe Bryant in court today. Talking about a tape recorder that he says he didn't know about, that he wasn't read his rights when he first talked tp police in Eagle back in jume. Isn't this all kind of Legal 101?

If this is all true, what were the cops thinking in conducting it this way?

LEVIN: I got to tell you, it's just really weird to me to go in with seruptious taping in a situation where you have somebody this high profile. It is bizare to me.

A book came out today that says what happened was at one point the investigator allegedly asked Kobe Bryant, "Did this woman say no to you?" And according to the book he was silent for about 30 seconds. At a point the investigator said, "And what's your answer?" His response adledgedly, "Well, I'm still thinking."

Ultimately he said no, but that's something that the defense said they want out because they don't think he was mirrandized.

KAGAN: The other key thing that could happen out of all of this, not just that this conversation couldn't be entered, but alsdo the clothes that kobe Brian was wearing that night, those could be kept out of court potentially.

LEVIN: Well, the clothes are going to be an issue. There's a lot that's going to be an issue in this case.

I got to tell you something, Daryn. The defense in this case, they are pit bulls. And they will try and keep anything out that is at all damaging. And it just seems to me there's a red flag here that prosecutors or authorities didn't mirandize him before he walked in. There may be a real issue here.

The other thing "Celebrity Justice" broke last week was that prosecutors are interested in a Portland woman who says that Kobe Bryant -- she came up to Kobe Bryant's room last April and they had a romantic involvement that didn't reach sexual intercourse. But they're interested in talking to her in the event Kobe Bryant ever denies coming on to women in hotel rooms.

It could actually help Kobe Bryant though because this woman says he was a perfect gentleman. And when she finally put an end to it, he stopped.

KAGAN: Harvey, you always have a way of bringing up these things that we're not sure if it's good for the breakfast table.

LEVIN: I'm sorry.

But, hey, on a morning when we're looking at Janet Jackson's you know what...

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: It's all relative. Thank you for the information.

LEVIN: My pleasure.

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