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CNN Sunday Night

Secret Tapes of George W. Bush; Is Airline Outsourcing a Safety Threat?

Aired February 20, 2005 - 23:00   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SUNDAY NIGHT.
President Bush caught on tape before he was president, talking about drugs, gays and his faith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: We haven't had a lot of catastrophic crashes yet. But according to the trend that we see, it won't be that long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: An ominous warning to the flying public. Tonight only on CNN, an investigation into the airline industry you will not want to miss.

And a serial rapist suspect caught in Colorado after a massive manhunt. Today he faced his accusers in court. Hear what they have to say, straight ahead.

These stories and a lot more next on CNN SUNDAY NIGHT.

Good evening. I'm Carol Lin from the CNN Center in Atlanta. Welcome to our new timeslot.

Well, the Zoloft defense and Christopher Pittman's family. Tonight I am going to talk to his maternal grandmother about her grandson's sentence and her hope for his future.

And on our rap sheet tonight, Michael Jackson and a closer look at the witness list that includes our very own Larry King.

And Chris Rock. Well, he's hip, outspoken and causing controversy once again. Is this a new era for the Oscars?

But up first tonight, they are certainly not the first secret recordings of a president's phone calls, but usually, it's been the man in the Oval Office doing the recording.

We learned something deeply personal about George W. Bush from his own words, recorded many years ago without his knowledge. The fallout, if any, yet to be determined.

Details now from Elaine Quijano in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON: In the secretly taped conversations first reported in the "New York Times," then Texas governor George W. Bush candidly discusses his reasons for not answering a question - did he ever use drugs.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: Well, Doug, but it's not - it doesn't matter - cocaine. It'd be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried.

DOUG WEAD, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And it never stops.

BUSH: But you've got to understand. I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set - do you want your little kid to say, "Hey, Daddy. President Bush tried marijuana. I think I will."

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Mr. Bush also discusses his religious faith and his dealings with Christian conservatives. At one point he bluntly states he will not give in to pressure to criticize gay people.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

WEAD: You promised you would not appoint gays to office.

BUSH: No. What I said was, I wouldn't fire gays. I'm not going to discriminate against people.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: CNN did not independently authenticate the tapes - a process that can take days. But Tom Owen, the expert who authenticated the tapes for the "New York Times," says he spent eight days analyzing excerpts before reaching his conclusion.

TOM OWEN, OWL INVESTIGATIONS, AUDIO VOICE AUTHENTICATION: In listening to the tapes over and over and in listening to various samples of George W. Bush's voice, at that time and later, I have concluded that it is the president's voice.

QUIJANO: The man who recorded the tapes, Doug Wead, has a book coming out. We could not reach Wead on Sunday, but he told the "New York Times" the recordings were carried out in states where it was legal.

CNN could not independently verify his claim.

Wead told ABC's "Good Morning America: Weekend Edition," he made the recordings for their historical value.

WEAD: If I had had a chance to tape record Gandhi or had conversations with Churchill, I probably would have recorded them too.

QUIJANO: But some say history will record the secret tapes as a betrayal.

STUART ROTHENBERG, POLITICAL ANALYST: On a continuum of violations of personal relationship and personal confidences, this is probably the Super Bowl of them all.

QUIJANO: The White House issued a one-sentence response, saying these were casual conversations with somebody he considered a friend.

Historians say there is value in the recordings.

ALAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: When presidents write their memoirs, they're carefully doctored and carefully tailored. So, candid talk by presidents, even before they enter office, is like gold for historians.

QUIJANO: The tapes were reportedly made in 1998 through part of 2000. Experts say, based on the excerpts released, they are far from scandalous and reveal a consistency - a man deeply religious, whose private conversations echo his public positions.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO)

LIN: Well, as Elaine was reporting, nothing from the White House, except that they were casual conversations recorded by someone the president considered a friend.

Bigger issues for the Bush team in Europe tonight. Brussels, Belgium - first of three stops on what's being called a mission to mend fences.

Suzanne Malveaux is in Brussels, where the president is talking up much more than just Iraq.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: President Bush and the First Lady arrive here in Brussels, Belgium, to kick off their Europe trip. Of course, it is the first trip of his second term, considered significant by Americans and Europeans that it is here. It is the headquarters of both E.U. and NATO.

Mr. Bush will meet with officials to try to get greater commitments to support Iraqi reconstruction. But is also aimed at setting a new tone for the second administration.

One of the challenges the president will have in his meeting with French President Jacques Chirac - the U.S. and the E.U.'s approach to try to get Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. E.U. is offering diplomatic and economic incentives. The U.S. says they believe that is the wrong approach.

Another big challenge, of course, a significant moment will be Mr. Bush's meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday in the Slovak Republic.

Now, the U.S. has expressed frustration with Russia privately that it's been backsliding in democratic reforms. Today, and over the last several days, the top U.S. lawmakers have been putting pressure on Mr. Bush to hold Putin to account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: Senator McCain and I, earlier this week, introduced a resolution in the Senate, which calls on our government to work to suspend Russia's participation in the G-8 - the big eight industrialized countries - unless they return to the path of democracy, because they were brought into the G-8 based on their commitment to democratize Russia. And they're not keeping that promise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The White House also says it's frustrated with Russia and what it sees as its cooperation with Iran's nuclear weapons program, and also its sales of missiles to Syria.

Monday, President Bush will deliver a major speech to the European people, calling for a fresh start.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Brussels, Belgium.

LIN: Well, from mending fences to actually moving one, and a historic vote today in Israel.

At issue, the complete withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Final approval for the plan passed overwhelmingly in Israel's cabinet, essentially paving the way for the borders of a Palestinian state to be drawn and recognized.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon immediately signed an order requiring the more than two dozen Jewish settlements in the territories to clear out, and made it illegal for Israelis to be in Gaza or the northern West Bank after July 20th.

The cabinet also approved moving the barrier between Israel and Palestinian territories closer to Israel's pre-1967 boundary with the West Bank.

Al Qaeda speaks again. Osama bin Laden's top deputy recorded a message that aired on an Arabic-language news network. It was predictably an invective against democracy in general, and the United States in particular. Ayman al-Zawahiri warned the U.S. that its sons would be killed and its economy destroyed.

There's no way to know whether, or even when, the message was actually recorded.

And a heartbreaking story, indeed, when you think about what's happening still in South Asia. The word from former President Bill Clinton he used upon seeing the tsunami-hammered Ache province was heartbreaking, indeed.

He and former president George H.W. Bush flew over northern Indonesia. One stop on their eyes-on tour of the worst-affected regions.

Now, afterward in Sri Lanka, the two men addressed concerns that the massive amount of international aid, money and supplies are getting to the people who need it the most.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to be able to assure the donors that the money is being spent wisely, that there's not a lot of overhead between what they give and how it gets to the recipient. And then that there's no corruption out there.

And the embassies are interested in this. The governments that we talk to, for example, the Indonesians are interested in it.

And everybody, I think, is concerned that it not happen, and want to guarantee that it not happen.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As long as the people of the world are contributing, and these NGOs can afford to maintain a presence there and do something, I can't say that none of it's happened. But I can tell you this, that it's something that next month when I start working for the U.N., I'm going to monitor very closely.

But I think that the NGOs - just their pure physical presence there is going to make it more difficult for that to be done on any kind of scale.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, by all accounts, daily life in Sri Lanka is slowly returning to normal. A main rail line wrecked by the tsunami has just reopened.

Former presidents Bush and Clinton next visit the heavily damaged Maldives.

In the meantime out West, another blast of miserable weather is dousing southern California with more rain. Flash flooding knocked out power to thousands of people. Mudslides damaged homes in beach cities like Laguna Beach, and desert communities like Diamond Bar.

People fled to higher ground. The storm touched off waterspouts and tornados. Take a look at this one. The waterspout - this one right here - was caught on tape by a lifeguard about 100 yards off the coastline of Huntington Beach. It caused some minor damage.

Farther inland, two twisters touched down, breaking windows, downing trees and knocking down more power lines. No major injuries reported there. In Colorado, residents of the Denver area are holding their breath tonight. It is still too soon to know if a man in custody there is indeed the subject of a nationwide manhunt for a serial rapist and sex offender.

Brent J. Brents appeared before a Denver judge today. The list of charges is very long indeed.

Tyler Lopez from our Denver affiliate KMGH takes it from here.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TYLER LOPEZ, KMGH NEWS, DENVER: He walked in head down, not what one member of the audience had been hoping for.

SCOTT ROENFELDT, FATHER OF VICTIM: I want him to look at me, you know. I used to live 50 feet from that man. I let him in my house.

LOPEZ: Scott's eight-year-old son was allegedly fondled by Brents.

ROENFELDT: He's gutless. He'll hide. Preys on the weak. I knew he'd come in with his head down. He ain't a proud man.

LOPEZ: The child's mother went to Aurora police in November. But an arrest warrant for Brents sat unsigned for more than two months, a confusing lapse for family members.

ROENFELDT: Here, let me hold the door for you, Mr. Brents. Just don't understand that.

LOPEZ: After a series of five Denver-area sexual assaults in one week, police used DNA evidence to name Brents their suspect. A week- long manhunt ended Friday night in Glenwood Springs.

Prosecutors will now choose appropriate charges. Possibilities include kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, sexual assault, sexual assault on a child, burglary and sexual assault on an at-risk adult. A restraining order prevents him from contacting any of his alleged victims.

JULIE ANDERSON, DENVER COUNTY MAGISTRATE: You understand your responsibilities under this restraining order?

BRENT J. BRENTS, SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT: Yes, ma'am.

ANDERSON: All right. Your bail has been set in the amount of $25 million.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LIN: Well, Brents was arrested when authorities tracked down a stolen cell phone. A woman police say also a victim was with him at the time.

Wherever you may be traveling tomorrow, consider who's maintaining the airplane you might be taking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: The public really doesn't know what's going on inside the industry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Straight ahead, find out how some airlines may be sacrificing safety to save money.

He killed when he was just 12, and just got sentenced to 30 years in prison. Chris Pittman's family still blames antidepressants, and tells me why he still might go free.

And coming later, the king of pop heads back to court this week. The latest straight ahead in Michael Jackson's child molestation case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: It was a trial that thrust into the limelight the effects of certain medications on human behavior, particularly that of young people.

Christopher Pittman's 15 years old now, sentenced last week to 30 years in prison for murder. He admitted shooting to death his grandparents and then setting their house on fire.

Now the defense claims Christopher was out of control, under the influence of prescription antidepressants called Zoloft. Pfizer, the drug's manufacturer says there is no scientific evidence that its drug causes violence.

So, after the proceedings a juror explained the guilty verdict by saying the jury simply did not buy the argument that a medication side effects drove the boy to murder.

Tonight, Christopher Pittman's family is dealing with the reality of his conviction and 30-year sentence, the minimum under South Carolina state law.

Earlier this evening I spoke with the teenager's defense attorney and a grieving woman - his maternal grandmother.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

LIN: Mrs. Duprey, have you had a chance to talk to Christopher yet?

DELNORA DUPREY, PITTMAN'S MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Yes, I have. I talked to him on Thursday morning from the facility where he's now being housed.

LIN: How is he doing? What's his reaction to the verdict?

DUPREY: He was shocked, dismayed, very sad, very lost. LIN: You know the boy in a way, clearly, that none of us do. I'm going to ask you to please explain some of his remarks, his allegedly comments, while he was in custody shortly after the arrest, where he said, I'm not sorry. They deserved it.

How does that - how do you reconcile that with the boy that you know?

DUPREY: The boy that I know would have never made comments like that, and would have never felt that way. The only answer to this entire situation was the medication that he was placed on.

Records clearly showed at Lifestream Hospital the deterioration in his actions. And then when he was switched to Zoloft in Chester, South Carolina, that there was an even further deterioration of his condition, to the point of even attacking a second-grader.

LIN: Andy, why is it that you think the jury didn't buy it?

ANDY VICKERY, PITTMAN'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I wish I knew.

The truth is that in his entire life, Chris Pittman never harmed man nor beast, except for November of 2001, when he was taking Zoloft, which every expert in the trial, including the prosecution's own expert, Dr. Ballinger (ph), who tested this drug for Pfizer, said can cause violence toward self or others.

It mystifies me.

LIN: So, why do you think you lost? When you go over your strategy, what was it about your argument that didn't sell this case to the jury?

VICKERY: You know, I've been asking myself that night and day ever since the verdict came in, and more importantly, what could we have done differently?

I'm just not sure. I guess that the shootings themselves are just so shocking, that people couldn't get by that. There's a mindset, he shot them. He admitted he shot them. You know, why are we here?

LIN: All right. You are not - explain to me what happens next, because I'm assuming that there's going to be some sort of an appeals process. But you're actually doing something else ahead of that.

VICKERY: Yes. Before we go to the appeals, the one thing that the judge has not ruled on, because it was premature, is our argument that the Eighth Amendment excessive punishment clause prohibits trying a 12-year-old as an adult, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years. And we'll be putting that issue in front of Judge Pieper this week.

LIN: Delnora Duprey, is there anything in your heart and in your mind that would even consider that, frankly, Christopher Pittman is a cold-blooded killer? You know the details of the case. You know the graphicness of pointing a shotgun into the mouth of his grandfather's head and shooting his grandmother in cold blood as they slept.

I mean, when you consider those details, ...

DUPREY: There's absolutely no way that my grandson was in his right capacity at that time. We had Christopher out on bond during the trial. And we so enjoyed the little boy that he always has been.

As a matter of fact, the night before the verdict came in, he actually slept with his grandpa and I, and fell asleep holding my hand.

He played childish pranks on his sister. They ran up and down the stairs. Just - the Christopher I know and have always known and still know is definitely not the boy who created these acts.

LIN: So, what would you say to parents whose - who are struggling with the decision as to whether their teenagers should take Zoloft, if that seems to be the only solution, the only hope that they have to combat their teenagers' depression?

DUPREY: OK. I'm not saying that the drugs are bad in general. I do pray that any parent out there will do their research, they will go to a proper psychiatrist, not their family physician.

And even further so, follow up. Don't wait three weeks. If you see anything that is out of character, even the smallest detail, get help immediately.

(END VIDEO)

LIN: All right. Right now, Christopher Pittman is in a juvenile facility. But his grandmother and attorney feel the clock is ticking.

He will turn 17 in a little more than a year, and that means he gets moved to an adult facility where they fear for his life.

That leads us to our last call question right now. Do you think Chris Pittman received a fair sentence? Give us a call at 1-800-807- 2620.

In the meantime, facing a judge for the first time, parents accused of starving their adopted children appear in court. We've got details straight ahead.

Also, he won't face criminal charges, but will Bill Cosby have to fight a civil suit from a woman who has made allegations - sexual allegations - against him?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: It is a tragic story of child abuse and torture and starvation at the hands of adoptive parents.

Today, John and Linda Dollar appeared in front of a Florida judge to face charges against them.

CNN's Sara Dorsey has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

SARAH DORSEY, CNN NEWS, ATLANTA: Fifty-eight-year-old John Dollar and his 51-year-old wife Linda appeared in court together, handcuffed and in jail uniforms to face child abuse charges.

The adoptive parents arrived back in Florida last night, extradited from Utah. They were arrested there earlier this month on a warrant for missing a previous court hearing in Florida on the same charges.

The Dollars' attorney asked for the couple to be released on bail, saying ...

CHARLES VAUGHN, DOLLARS' ATTORNEY: What had happened was, previously, when the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) set that bond, it was unknown by my clients that there was an arrest warrant.

DORSEY: But prosecutors argued the couple is still a flight risk. The judge agreed, denying bail.

The allegations of abuse include malnourishment, electric shock, pulling toenails out with pliers, binding the kids with chains and using a hammer to smash their feet.

The investigation began in January, after one of the kids - a 16- year-old boy - was treated for a head wound at a local hospital. Police say he was battered and extremely thin, weighing in at only 59 pounds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen pictures of the children that have been, you know, been taken in connection with this case, and, you know, I mean, they have very sweet faces. But when you look at their bodies, I mean, it looks like Auschwitz.

DORSEY: The children are now in state custody. Neighbors in Beverly Hills - the Dollars' upscale community, located about 60 miles north of Tampa - said they were shocked to find out about the charges.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope they have a better life from now on.

DORSEY: A sheriff's office spokesman says additional charges will come out in the next few weeks.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO)

LIN: Now, CNN tried to reach the Dollars' attorney for comment on the case, but our calls were not returned. A sheriff's office spokesman said additional charges will come out in the next few weeks.

All right, a CNN investigation coming up. Are the major airlines putting passengers at risk?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: We haven't had a lot of catastrophic crashes yet. But according to the trend that we see, it won't be that long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Straight ahead, a story you will only see on CNN. We are going to show you how some airlines are cutting corners when it comes to maintaining the planes.

Also, he's not your typical host for the Academy Awards, but Chris Rock has already created an Oscar buzz. I'm going to talk with an author who knows a few things about how to annoy people. And, yes, you've heard of him.

And don't forget our last call question. Do you think Chris Pittman received a fair sentence in his Zoloft defense trial? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Taking a look at the headlines tonight and tomorrow.

Voters in Spain today became the first to approve the new European Union constitution. Three other nations have ratified it in their parliament. The proposed charter is designed to streamline and speed up decision-making processes inside the E.U.

At least 83 people are dead, another 130 are missing, after a ferry boat capsized in Bangladesh. Local officials say the boat capsized Saturday night when it was struck by a tornado. Rescue workers are searching for survivors, but fear the death toll could go up.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees has resigned over sexual harassment charges. Rug (ph) Lubbers says he is innocent but says UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave him two choices, resign or face suspension.

And it was a wild finish today as Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500. There were four lead changes in the last nine laps. Gordon held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Curt Bush (ph) to win the 47th annual Daytona race.

And now, to a story you will only see right here on CNN. In an effort to save money and possibly stave off bankruptcy, many of the nation's airlines have been sending their maintenance work to outside repairs shops. But are they compromising passenger safety as well? Well, CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin has been looking into this and he joins me now with a special investigative report -- Drew.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a lot of the airlines would like you to think that this is all just about union workers complaining about lost jobs. The airlines have been saving hundreds of millions of dollars by laying off their own union mechanics and sending the work out. The airlines say their record proves it's a safe practice. But as we found out, it's not just the unions anymore raising warning flags about maintenance on the airplanes you fly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): By the numbers, it's the safest way to travel in the United States, but don't tell that to this man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The public really doesn't know what's going on inside the industry.

GRIFFIN: He's a senior mechanic with one of the nation's biggest airlines, working at a main hub. He's afraid to tell you his name, his airline or even let us show you his face, because he fears he'll lose his job. But he wants you to know he's afraid for your safety if you fly his airline or any other airline that sends its maintenance work to outside repair shops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We haven't had a lot catastrophic crashes yet but according to the trend we see, it won't be that long.

GRIFFIN: Trends to outsourcing maintenance he says are generating serious quality problems, problems supported by these documents obtained by CNN. Record after record of what people throughout the industry agree is shoddy repair work, poor maintenance and even negligence. The head of safety for the largest aircraft mechanics union in the country, Frank Boxsanske calls the records frightening.

FRANK BOKSANSKE, AIRCRAFT MECHANICS UNION: And the reports that I see coming in are very serious in nature that I've not seen in my 28 years in the industry.

GRIFFIN: Why do airlines do it? It's simple. They are trying to save money. Many outside contractors use non-union mechanics, can focus on specialized work and according to the Air Transport Association, can save airlines hundreds of millions of dollars a year. But that doesn't mean the cheaper work has led to less quality, less safety or less oversight, according to the ATA.

BASIL BARIMO, AIR TRANSPORT ASSN: So airlines are very careful at making sure that they maintain a safe operation and really there's no distinction statistically when you talk about safety, between work performed within the airline or work performed by a third party maintenance provider.

GRIFFIN: Outsourcing of specialized maintenance has been going on for more than 30 years, but it has been mostly specialized, like engines going back to the manufacturer. Now all kinds of work is being sent out by the airlines. Air carriers are outsourcing anywhere from a third to 3/4 of their maintenance to outside companies.

BARIMO: What you're seeing now is more at the air frame level. It's the airplane itself. GRIFFIN: The Air Transport Association says airlines last year lost $8 billion and says the group, trimming maintenance costs has help alleviate some of that economic pressure, without sacrificing safety. But the former head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jim Hall, says cutting back on maintenance costs is cutting back on safety.

JIM HALL, FORMER HEAD NTSB: It's one thing to pull back essentially on the -- passing onto the passengers they cost they pay (ph) for tickets or eliminating the pretzels and the nuts. But the nuts and bolts of maintenance you can't ignore.

GRIFFIN: Hall points to the crash two years ago of a commuter plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, that killed 21, partially blamed on a contractor's failure to properly adjust a cable. Mechanics, Congress, union leaders, two critical reports by the inspector general and even some of the FAA's own inspectors now agree, commercial airliners are not being adequately cared for and the consequences could be tragic.

(on-camera): And what's more, critics say the Federal Aviation Administration is failing the flying public because they say the FAA inspectors, the watchdogs are incapable of policing this booming industry.

(voice-over): Why? According to the inspector general, there just aren't enough of them. What's at stake? Take a look at documents obtained by CNN. The documents are maintenance reports were prepared by the airlines own maintenance departments and cite dozens of examples of bad work by outside repair companies. The sub-standard work ranged from a plastic bottle wedged in an aircraft landing gear door to problems with wing flaps, cabin doors and engines.

The mistakes were later caught and documented by the airlines own mechanics but only after the outside repair shop had given the plane a maintenance release and in many cases after the plane had carried passengers. The documents show that at one flight, an aircraft door wouldn't shut. On another, fuel was leaking into cargo bays, landing gear struts were worn through, hydraulic fluid leaked and wing flaps would not extend. On one airplane, the nose gear was so out of alignment a mechanic wrote the airline was lucky this plane didn't lose control on take off or landing.

Everyone of the planes cited in these documents had recently been worked on at an outside maintenance facility. Here at Purdue University school of aviation technology, students are taught on the school's own Boeing 737s that safety is the mechanics responsibility and safety is enhanced when skilled technicians oversea each others work.

Professor Thomas Wild (ph) is showing us an aircraft engine borisco (ph) plug. A mechanic can unscrew the plug and use this small scope to inspect the interior of an engine. According to Wild, the most important part of the inspection is putting the plug back properly. But according to the documents we obtained on two separate flights from San Francisco to Hawaii, the borisco plugs were either missing or in one case simply left hanging with Teflon tape and sealant to try to hold the plug in place. The crews on both flights reported engine surges, the unexpected racing of an engine in flat. A mechanic we spoke to called the mistake inexcusable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're talking about extremely high pressure, hot air being expelled to the inside coverings or the (INAUDIBLE) of the engine, causing, probably causing a lot of damage inside the (INAUDIBLE) itself.

GRIFFIN: I just can't believe why an airline would allow this to happen.

BOKSANSKE: Well, they're going through hard times. They're practicing risk management. They're taking a chance.

GRIFFIN: Not so says the Air Transport Association who says the unions are simply worried about their jobs. Outsourcing work to non- union repair stations has cost thousands of union jobs, but Boksanske says this is not just a labor dispute, but a critical safety issue and he claims, not only the airlines, but also the industry's Federal watchdog.

BOKSANSKE: The FAA is very, has a critical shortage of (INAUDIBLE) inspectors.

My position is a factual position.

GRIFFIN: Nick Sabatini is the FAA's administrator for regulation and certification.

NICK SABATINI, FAA: So the concerns are not substantiated by the facts. The fact is, it is the safest air transportation system in the world. But you know what, we take this business very seriously. If the inspector general thinks that there are issues, then we take those issues very seriously and we follow up.

GRIFFIN: In fact, Sabatini says, the FAA has already begun changing the way it inspects outsourced maintenance shops and it's increasing the number of those inspections and he also says the agency routinely includes surprise inspections.

SABATINI: We can make all the unannounced visits we want ad infinitum. There is absolutely no requirement anywhere for those inspectors to announce that they're coming.

LINDA GOODRICH, FAA'S INSPECTORS UNION: We are lucky to go to each of the facilities once a year.

GRIFFIN: Not a surprise visit?

GOODRICH: No. We would love to be able to do surprise visits. It's not possible.

GRIFFIN: Linda Goodrich is vice president of the Federal union that represents FAA inspectors.

GOODRICH: You can't just keep cutting away at the safety margin and expect nothing to happen.

GRIFFIN: For 21 years, Sarah McLeod has run the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, a group that represents about 500 of the 5200 outsource repair stations worldwide.

SARAH MCLEOD, REPAIR ASSN: Our record indicates that work being done by repair stations either in house maintenance done by repair stations or carrier repair stations or the air carrier themselves, versus work being done by a outsource maintenance provider are no different.

GRIFFIN: No one in this report could provide complete data comparing in house versus outsourced maintenance, though the inspector general has found the FAA does a much better job watching maintenance at the airlines than it does at outside repair shops. American Airlines agrees. The company invited us to Fort Worth, Texas, to tell us that it's decided to buck the trend and put more work back in the hands of its own mechanics. When the airline was trying to avoid bankruptcy, the union agreed to wage cuts to keep more of the work in house. About 80 percent of American's work stays with American, including all heavy maintenance.

DAVID CAMPBELL, AMERICAN AIRLINES: Having control of this highly technical machine, the maintenance of that and the engineering of those products, having that control, we believe gives us greater ability to mitigate safety risks.

When that airplane goes out the door after I've seen it, (INAUDIBLE) we know what kind of quality has gone into that and we know the workmanship that's gone into it, because we've had it from cradle to grave.

GRIFFIN: Any day now, the Transportation Department's inspector general is expected to release yet another critical report on poor maintenance and poor Federal oversight of how commercial airlines keep their planes flying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And that report in the hands of congressional oversight members of the transportation committee, is expected to get at least a hearing up on Capitol Hill, but nobody's holding out hope that this trend is going to change.

LIN: Right, because it really sounds like, short of the conscience of American Airlines setting a trend, that short of an aircraft actually crashing and then being able to trace it to poor maintenance, outsourced maintenance, what incentive do the other airlines really have to follow American's suit.

GRIFFIN: Unfortunately, that's true, but American is finding that it is actually saving money because a lot of the mechanics that I talked to on the floor said they were having to make repairs again and again and again to planes that would come back in from outside repair shops. So they actually found an economic incentive as well as a safety incentive to keep that work in house and in its certified mechanics and union mechanics.

LIN: Drew, you travel a lot to work. You get on a airplane. How do you feel about it now?

GRIFFIN: You know, it is a safe way to fly Carol and they are practicing risk management and so far, it's working but after doing this report, it's certainly in the back of my mind every time I jump onboard.

LIN: Thanks very much, Drew. Stay safe and good reporting.

In the meantime, the witness list included a who's who in tinsel town. Up next you are going to hear about the Michael Jackson case. Is that witness going to help or hurt in the defense of the pop star? Details straight ahead and rap sheet.

Also you got to be pretty cool at this time of night to take a look at the weather around the world just in case you are traveling this coming week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: More leaked grand jury documents and more pretrial publicity in the Michael Jackson molestation trial. That tops tonight's rap sheet. Also a possible civil suit by the woman who claims entertainer Bill Cosby drugged and groped her. Now prosecutors say there isn't enough evidence for criminal charges. Joining me now Jayne Weintraub, a criminal defense attorney based in Miami, Florida, one of our regulars. And joining us from Florida is Stacey Honowitz, a Broward County prosecutor. Good evening ladies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good evening.

LIN: Tell me about what's happening with Michael Jackson. He's out of the hospital Jayne, I understand. He's feeling better and jury selection continues on Tuesday. How do you think this hospitalization for the flu this past week might affect the jury pool?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, hopefully it won't affect it at all and hopefully things will just go on as normal on Tuesday morning.

LIN: All right. What about you Stacey?

STACEY HONOWITZ, BROWARD CO. FLA PROSECUTOR: I think that people in the back of their mind might be saying to themselves, maybe this is some kind of stall tactic. Hopefully it's not going to affect it because everybody is looking for a fair trial in this case. But I think some people might think that.

LIN: Have you guys seen the prospective witness list?

HONOWITZ: Yes.

LIN: We just want to throw up some of the names and faces who might be actually called to the stand. Look at that, Ed Bradley, Kobe Bryant, Jay Leno, our very own Larry King, Jayne.

WEINTRAUB: I'm sorry.

LIN: What do you think about this prospective witness list? I mean I think first of all, it's going to be pretty hard to even schedule these people to take the stand.

WEINTRAUB: Well, I don't think that they're all going to be called. They're all being listed, because under discovery and procedural reasons, they have to be listed now or they won't be able to call them if they want to. But remember, Carol, many of these people interviewed the accuser and the family and got to know them. And so in order to show which is his defense, at the core of the defense is the lack of credibility of the accuser and the family. And these journalists have been listed because of that I think. Also don't forget...

HONOWITZ: Jayne, you're aware that these people, these journalists aren't going to be allowed to testify to the credibility of the witnesses. They're being called as character witnesses...

WEINTRAUB: No they're going to be able to testify as to behavior, things that they saw, things that they did, things that they've seen together, talked about together.

HONOWITZ: I think a jury's going to be very turned off. You call Kobe Bryant to the stand in this case, the jury's going to be very turned off after what he's been through and I think a lot of jurors might think we don't care that he's parading in these big shot people, these celebrities that he knows. That doesn't mean they know what went on in this case. I think it's going to really hurt the case.

WEINTRAUB: Well, a lot of the celebrities also know about all the good things that Michael Jackson has done and that is very important without getting character evidence in, because as everyone knows, he won't make (ph) character an issue because it will subject him to too much cross examination.

LIN: All right. There's so much to talk about this case, but let's move onto Bill Cosby. Here this woman has made allegations that he may have drugged her and groped her. And yet she maintained contract in the last year. The court decided that there was no case for criminal charges but do you think Stacey that she's going to go forward with a civil suit or do you think she has grounds given that it wasn't accepted as a criminal case?

HONOWITZ: Well, I think absolutely. I mean I think that she will try to go forward in a civil case. I think basically she came forward late so she wanted some type of justice. If she can't seek it in a criminal court, I think she's going to try in a civil court and I think...

WEINTRAUB: Came forward late? She claims that she's raped and she waits a year. I don't think that...

HONOWITZ: Jayne come on. I've had cases where people waited five years and came forward. You have no idea why somebody waits in a case like that.

LIN: Well, Jayne, it wasn't rape. It was that she was groped. I mean is there a distinction there do you think in making these kinds of decisions by the court.

WEINTRAUB: I think it is strictly a going for the gold situation. Interestingly enough, Carol though, when it did move to civil court - and the reason it'll go forward in civil court is there's a much lesser burden of proof than in criminal case. And Bill Cosby will have to testify in a civil case whereas in a criminal case, he would not have to testify but there will be a deposition in the civil case.

LIN: Are there grounds on his part for a defamation suit, do you think Jayne.

WEINTRAUB: I doubt it. First of all, he's a public figure. All public figures are held to a higher standard, but even if he did have a defamation lawsuit in law Carol, he doesn't want this around and in reality, he's going to want to make it go away, not sue and make more of it and he's going to have to show some kind of damage in this case to his character, like in certain venues cancelled his appearances and in this case he voluntarily pulled out of certain things. So there's still a lot of things in the defamation suit that are going to have to be proved. I don't think he's going to go forward.

LIN: So you think there's going to be a financial settlement in this case, both of you think that there's going to be a financial settlement in this case.

HONOWITZ: I would think so.

LIN: All right. You know what, I'm kind of done with Cosby, but I really want to get back to Michael Jackson if we've got a few more - no, we're out of time. I'm so sorry. Anyway ladies, we'll have much more as the king of pop goes back to court. We'll see you guys next Sunday, OK.

HONOWITZ: Thanks Carol.

WEINTRAUB: Thanks Carol.

LIN: All right. Sorry we ran out of time there. Anyway, rocking the boat before the Oscars. Up next, a closer look at how comedian Chris Rock could make or break next weekend's Academy Awards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, comedian Chris Rock is not your average first-time Oscar host. For starters, he's called next Sunday's Academy Awards idiotic and a fashion show that few straight men would watch. Outrageous and in your face or a coy publicity stunt?

Well, earlier I posed that question to someone who knows a thing or two about annoying people. He managed to fail miserably at his 1 1/2 year stint at "Vanity Fair" as a writer and then Toby Young managed to write a best seller about it. He's the author of the book, "How To Lose Friends and Alienate People."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOBY YOUNG, AUTHOR: I think Chris Rock is doing what he's been paid to do which is to be as controversial as possible. Ratings for award shows are going down. I think they want to try and pick it up, make it a little more edgy, a little more urban. Perhaps I think that's deeply misguided. I don't think the Oscars is ever really going to appeal to the MTV generation.

I mean the fact that it's so antediluvian and out of date, the fact that the format has changed in at least 50 years, is one of the reasons it's so entertaining. I mean I love it when the actress go completely over the top and cry and thanks their pet psychiatrist. Far better that than they start making out (ph) with their fellow nominees in the best actress category. I mean it's never going to appeal to the MTV generation and I speak as a red-blooded heterosexual I should point out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, Toby Young, working for "Vanity Fair," had to crash his own famous Oscar party and go thrown out as a result. Anyway, I asked him about his own problems at the Academy Awards, specifically about trying to crash into that party and getting thrown out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: No one has ever actually succeeded in getting past the kind of incredibly tight security to actually get into any of these parties. I mean the clip board Nazis who guard the gates to these parties, they're not your normal kind of publicists with (INAUDIBLE). I mean they're ex special forces trained in lethal armed combat techniques. I mean if you're not on their list, it's the Vulcan death grip and you wake up in a straight jacket in a padded cell six hours later. It's not worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: He's kidding sort of. Anyway, we leave you tonight with your responses to our last call question. Do you think Chris Pittman received a fair sentence? Here's what you had to say. Have a great night and have a great Monday.

CALLER: I am a psychologist, licensed in Pennsylvania and I have treated children such as Christopher and this is a fact that these things can happen. It's unbelievable that we would treat a minor in our society as disposable as we have with this kid.

CALLER: Yes I do think he received a fair sentence. (INAUDIBLE) the crime where (INAUDIBLE).

CALLER: No I don't think he received a fair sentence. He was only 12-years old and the kid was on a psychotic drug.

CALLER: Yes I do think he received a fair sentence, because I don't think a little pill could do all that harm.

CALLER: And he had no remorse.

CALLER: No I do not. He was a child. He was under drugs and I think that he should have been tried as a child and sentenced as a child.

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 20, 2005 - 23:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SUNDAY NIGHT.
President Bush caught on tape before he was president, talking about drugs, gays and his faith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: We haven't had a lot of catastrophic crashes yet. But according to the trend that we see, it won't be that long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: An ominous warning to the flying public. Tonight only on CNN, an investigation into the airline industry you will not want to miss.

And a serial rapist suspect caught in Colorado after a massive manhunt. Today he faced his accusers in court. Hear what they have to say, straight ahead.

These stories and a lot more next on CNN SUNDAY NIGHT.

Good evening. I'm Carol Lin from the CNN Center in Atlanta. Welcome to our new timeslot.

Well, the Zoloft defense and Christopher Pittman's family. Tonight I am going to talk to his maternal grandmother about her grandson's sentence and her hope for his future.

And on our rap sheet tonight, Michael Jackson and a closer look at the witness list that includes our very own Larry King.

And Chris Rock. Well, he's hip, outspoken and causing controversy once again. Is this a new era for the Oscars?

But up first tonight, they are certainly not the first secret recordings of a president's phone calls, but usually, it's been the man in the Oval Office doing the recording.

We learned something deeply personal about George W. Bush from his own words, recorded many years ago without his knowledge. The fallout, if any, yet to be determined.

Details now from Elaine Quijano in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON: In the secretly taped conversations first reported in the "New York Times," then Texas governor George W. Bush candidly discusses his reasons for not answering a question - did he ever use drugs.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: Well, Doug, but it's not - it doesn't matter - cocaine. It'd be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried.

DOUG WEAD, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And it never stops.

BUSH: But you've got to understand. I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set - do you want your little kid to say, "Hey, Daddy. President Bush tried marijuana. I think I will."

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Mr. Bush also discusses his religious faith and his dealings with Christian conservatives. At one point he bluntly states he will not give in to pressure to criticize gay people.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

WEAD: You promised you would not appoint gays to office.

BUSH: No. What I said was, I wouldn't fire gays. I'm not going to discriminate against people.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: CNN did not independently authenticate the tapes - a process that can take days. But Tom Owen, the expert who authenticated the tapes for the "New York Times," says he spent eight days analyzing excerpts before reaching his conclusion.

TOM OWEN, OWL INVESTIGATIONS, AUDIO VOICE AUTHENTICATION: In listening to the tapes over and over and in listening to various samples of George W. Bush's voice, at that time and later, I have concluded that it is the president's voice.

QUIJANO: The man who recorded the tapes, Doug Wead, has a book coming out. We could not reach Wead on Sunday, but he told the "New York Times" the recordings were carried out in states where it was legal.

CNN could not independently verify his claim.

Wead told ABC's "Good Morning America: Weekend Edition," he made the recordings for their historical value.

WEAD: If I had had a chance to tape record Gandhi or had conversations with Churchill, I probably would have recorded them too.

QUIJANO: But some say history will record the secret tapes as a betrayal.

STUART ROTHENBERG, POLITICAL ANALYST: On a continuum of violations of personal relationship and personal confidences, this is probably the Super Bowl of them all.

QUIJANO: The White House issued a one-sentence response, saying these were casual conversations with somebody he considered a friend.

Historians say there is value in the recordings.

ALAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: When presidents write their memoirs, they're carefully doctored and carefully tailored. So, candid talk by presidents, even before they enter office, is like gold for historians.

QUIJANO: The tapes were reportedly made in 1998 through part of 2000. Experts say, based on the excerpts released, they are far from scandalous and reveal a consistency - a man deeply religious, whose private conversations echo his public positions.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO)

LIN: Well, as Elaine was reporting, nothing from the White House, except that they were casual conversations recorded by someone the president considered a friend.

Bigger issues for the Bush team in Europe tonight. Brussels, Belgium - first of three stops on what's being called a mission to mend fences.

Suzanne Malveaux is in Brussels, where the president is talking up much more than just Iraq.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: President Bush and the First Lady arrive here in Brussels, Belgium, to kick off their Europe trip. Of course, it is the first trip of his second term, considered significant by Americans and Europeans that it is here. It is the headquarters of both E.U. and NATO.

Mr. Bush will meet with officials to try to get greater commitments to support Iraqi reconstruction. But is also aimed at setting a new tone for the second administration.

One of the challenges the president will have in his meeting with French President Jacques Chirac - the U.S. and the E.U.'s approach to try to get Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. E.U. is offering diplomatic and economic incentives. The U.S. says they believe that is the wrong approach.

Another big challenge, of course, a significant moment will be Mr. Bush's meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday in the Slovak Republic.

Now, the U.S. has expressed frustration with Russia privately that it's been backsliding in democratic reforms. Today, and over the last several days, the top U.S. lawmakers have been putting pressure on Mr. Bush to hold Putin to account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: Senator McCain and I, earlier this week, introduced a resolution in the Senate, which calls on our government to work to suspend Russia's participation in the G-8 - the big eight industrialized countries - unless they return to the path of democracy, because they were brought into the G-8 based on their commitment to democratize Russia. And they're not keeping that promise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The White House also says it's frustrated with Russia and what it sees as its cooperation with Iran's nuclear weapons program, and also its sales of missiles to Syria.

Monday, President Bush will deliver a major speech to the European people, calling for a fresh start.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Brussels, Belgium.

LIN: Well, from mending fences to actually moving one, and a historic vote today in Israel.

At issue, the complete withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Final approval for the plan passed overwhelmingly in Israel's cabinet, essentially paving the way for the borders of a Palestinian state to be drawn and recognized.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon immediately signed an order requiring the more than two dozen Jewish settlements in the territories to clear out, and made it illegal for Israelis to be in Gaza or the northern West Bank after July 20th.

The cabinet also approved moving the barrier between Israel and Palestinian territories closer to Israel's pre-1967 boundary with the West Bank.

Al Qaeda speaks again. Osama bin Laden's top deputy recorded a message that aired on an Arabic-language news network. It was predictably an invective against democracy in general, and the United States in particular. Ayman al-Zawahiri warned the U.S. that its sons would be killed and its economy destroyed.

There's no way to know whether, or even when, the message was actually recorded.

And a heartbreaking story, indeed, when you think about what's happening still in South Asia. The word from former President Bill Clinton he used upon seeing the tsunami-hammered Ache province was heartbreaking, indeed.

He and former president George H.W. Bush flew over northern Indonesia. One stop on their eyes-on tour of the worst-affected regions.

Now, afterward in Sri Lanka, the two men addressed concerns that the massive amount of international aid, money and supplies are getting to the people who need it the most.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to be able to assure the donors that the money is being spent wisely, that there's not a lot of overhead between what they give and how it gets to the recipient. And then that there's no corruption out there.

And the embassies are interested in this. The governments that we talk to, for example, the Indonesians are interested in it.

And everybody, I think, is concerned that it not happen, and want to guarantee that it not happen.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As long as the people of the world are contributing, and these NGOs can afford to maintain a presence there and do something, I can't say that none of it's happened. But I can tell you this, that it's something that next month when I start working for the U.N., I'm going to monitor very closely.

But I think that the NGOs - just their pure physical presence there is going to make it more difficult for that to be done on any kind of scale.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, by all accounts, daily life in Sri Lanka is slowly returning to normal. A main rail line wrecked by the tsunami has just reopened.

Former presidents Bush and Clinton next visit the heavily damaged Maldives.

In the meantime out West, another blast of miserable weather is dousing southern California with more rain. Flash flooding knocked out power to thousands of people. Mudslides damaged homes in beach cities like Laguna Beach, and desert communities like Diamond Bar.

People fled to higher ground. The storm touched off waterspouts and tornados. Take a look at this one. The waterspout - this one right here - was caught on tape by a lifeguard about 100 yards off the coastline of Huntington Beach. It caused some minor damage.

Farther inland, two twisters touched down, breaking windows, downing trees and knocking down more power lines. No major injuries reported there. In Colorado, residents of the Denver area are holding their breath tonight. It is still too soon to know if a man in custody there is indeed the subject of a nationwide manhunt for a serial rapist and sex offender.

Brent J. Brents appeared before a Denver judge today. The list of charges is very long indeed.

Tyler Lopez from our Denver affiliate KMGH takes it from here.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TYLER LOPEZ, KMGH NEWS, DENVER: He walked in head down, not what one member of the audience had been hoping for.

SCOTT ROENFELDT, FATHER OF VICTIM: I want him to look at me, you know. I used to live 50 feet from that man. I let him in my house.

LOPEZ: Scott's eight-year-old son was allegedly fondled by Brents.

ROENFELDT: He's gutless. He'll hide. Preys on the weak. I knew he'd come in with his head down. He ain't a proud man.

LOPEZ: The child's mother went to Aurora police in November. But an arrest warrant for Brents sat unsigned for more than two months, a confusing lapse for family members.

ROENFELDT: Here, let me hold the door for you, Mr. Brents. Just don't understand that.

LOPEZ: After a series of five Denver-area sexual assaults in one week, police used DNA evidence to name Brents their suspect. A week- long manhunt ended Friday night in Glenwood Springs.

Prosecutors will now choose appropriate charges. Possibilities include kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, sexual assault, sexual assault on a child, burglary and sexual assault on an at-risk adult. A restraining order prevents him from contacting any of his alleged victims.

JULIE ANDERSON, DENVER COUNTY MAGISTRATE: You understand your responsibilities under this restraining order?

BRENT J. BRENTS, SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT: Yes, ma'am.

ANDERSON: All right. Your bail has been set in the amount of $25 million.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LIN: Well, Brents was arrested when authorities tracked down a stolen cell phone. A woman police say also a victim was with him at the time.

Wherever you may be traveling tomorrow, consider who's maintaining the airplane you might be taking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: The public really doesn't know what's going on inside the industry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Straight ahead, find out how some airlines may be sacrificing safety to save money.

He killed when he was just 12, and just got sentenced to 30 years in prison. Chris Pittman's family still blames antidepressants, and tells me why he still might go free.

And coming later, the king of pop heads back to court this week. The latest straight ahead in Michael Jackson's child molestation case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: It was a trial that thrust into the limelight the effects of certain medications on human behavior, particularly that of young people.

Christopher Pittman's 15 years old now, sentenced last week to 30 years in prison for murder. He admitted shooting to death his grandparents and then setting their house on fire.

Now the defense claims Christopher was out of control, under the influence of prescription antidepressants called Zoloft. Pfizer, the drug's manufacturer says there is no scientific evidence that its drug causes violence.

So, after the proceedings a juror explained the guilty verdict by saying the jury simply did not buy the argument that a medication side effects drove the boy to murder.

Tonight, Christopher Pittman's family is dealing with the reality of his conviction and 30-year sentence, the minimum under South Carolina state law.

Earlier this evening I spoke with the teenager's defense attorney and a grieving woman - his maternal grandmother.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

LIN: Mrs. Duprey, have you had a chance to talk to Christopher yet?

DELNORA DUPREY, PITTMAN'S MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Yes, I have. I talked to him on Thursday morning from the facility where he's now being housed.

LIN: How is he doing? What's his reaction to the verdict?

DUPREY: He was shocked, dismayed, very sad, very lost. LIN: You know the boy in a way, clearly, that none of us do. I'm going to ask you to please explain some of his remarks, his allegedly comments, while he was in custody shortly after the arrest, where he said, I'm not sorry. They deserved it.

How does that - how do you reconcile that with the boy that you know?

DUPREY: The boy that I know would have never made comments like that, and would have never felt that way. The only answer to this entire situation was the medication that he was placed on.

Records clearly showed at Lifestream Hospital the deterioration in his actions. And then when he was switched to Zoloft in Chester, South Carolina, that there was an even further deterioration of his condition, to the point of even attacking a second-grader.

LIN: Andy, why is it that you think the jury didn't buy it?

ANDY VICKERY, PITTMAN'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I wish I knew.

The truth is that in his entire life, Chris Pittman never harmed man nor beast, except for November of 2001, when he was taking Zoloft, which every expert in the trial, including the prosecution's own expert, Dr. Ballinger (ph), who tested this drug for Pfizer, said can cause violence toward self or others.

It mystifies me.

LIN: So, why do you think you lost? When you go over your strategy, what was it about your argument that didn't sell this case to the jury?

VICKERY: You know, I've been asking myself that night and day ever since the verdict came in, and more importantly, what could we have done differently?

I'm just not sure. I guess that the shootings themselves are just so shocking, that people couldn't get by that. There's a mindset, he shot them. He admitted he shot them. You know, why are we here?

LIN: All right. You are not - explain to me what happens next, because I'm assuming that there's going to be some sort of an appeals process. But you're actually doing something else ahead of that.

VICKERY: Yes. Before we go to the appeals, the one thing that the judge has not ruled on, because it was premature, is our argument that the Eighth Amendment excessive punishment clause prohibits trying a 12-year-old as an adult, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years. And we'll be putting that issue in front of Judge Pieper this week.

LIN: Delnora Duprey, is there anything in your heart and in your mind that would even consider that, frankly, Christopher Pittman is a cold-blooded killer? You know the details of the case. You know the graphicness of pointing a shotgun into the mouth of his grandfather's head and shooting his grandmother in cold blood as they slept.

I mean, when you consider those details, ...

DUPREY: There's absolutely no way that my grandson was in his right capacity at that time. We had Christopher out on bond during the trial. And we so enjoyed the little boy that he always has been.

As a matter of fact, the night before the verdict came in, he actually slept with his grandpa and I, and fell asleep holding my hand.

He played childish pranks on his sister. They ran up and down the stairs. Just - the Christopher I know and have always known and still know is definitely not the boy who created these acts.

LIN: So, what would you say to parents whose - who are struggling with the decision as to whether their teenagers should take Zoloft, if that seems to be the only solution, the only hope that they have to combat their teenagers' depression?

DUPREY: OK. I'm not saying that the drugs are bad in general. I do pray that any parent out there will do their research, they will go to a proper psychiatrist, not their family physician.

And even further so, follow up. Don't wait three weeks. If you see anything that is out of character, even the smallest detail, get help immediately.

(END VIDEO)

LIN: All right. Right now, Christopher Pittman is in a juvenile facility. But his grandmother and attorney feel the clock is ticking.

He will turn 17 in a little more than a year, and that means he gets moved to an adult facility where they fear for his life.

That leads us to our last call question right now. Do you think Chris Pittman received a fair sentence? Give us a call at 1-800-807- 2620.

In the meantime, facing a judge for the first time, parents accused of starving their adopted children appear in court. We've got details straight ahead.

Also, he won't face criminal charges, but will Bill Cosby have to fight a civil suit from a woman who has made allegations - sexual allegations - against him?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: It is a tragic story of child abuse and torture and starvation at the hands of adoptive parents.

Today, John and Linda Dollar appeared in front of a Florida judge to face charges against them.

CNN's Sara Dorsey has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

SARAH DORSEY, CNN NEWS, ATLANTA: Fifty-eight-year-old John Dollar and his 51-year-old wife Linda appeared in court together, handcuffed and in jail uniforms to face child abuse charges.

The adoptive parents arrived back in Florida last night, extradited from Utah. They were arrested there earlier this month on a warrant for missing a previous court hearing in Florida on the same charges.

The Dollars' attorney asked for the couple to be released on bail, saying ...

CHARLES VAUGHN, DOLLARS' ATTORNEY: What had happened was, previously, when the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) set that bond, it was unknown by my clients that there was an arrest warrant.

DORSEY: But prosecutors argued the couple is still a flight risk. The judge agreed, denying bail.

The allegations of abuse include malnourishment, electric shock, pulling toenails out with pliers, binding the kids with chains and using a hammer to smash their feet.

The investigation began in January, after one of the kids - a 16- year-old boy - was treated for a head wound at a local hospital. Police say he was battered and extremely thin, weighing in at only 59 pounds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen pictures of the children that have been, you know, been taken in connection with this case, and, you know, I mean, they have very sweet faces. But when you look at their bodies, I mean, it looks like Auschwitz.

DORSEY: The children are now in state custody. Neighbors in Beverly Hills - the Dollars' upscale community, located about 60 miles north of Tampa - said they were shocked to find out about the charges.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope they have a better life from now on.

DORSEY: A sheriff's office spokesman says additional charges will come out in the next few weeks.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO)

LIN: Now, CNN tried to reach the Dollars' attorney for comment on the case, but our calls were not returned. A sheriff's office spokesman said additional charges will come out in the next few weeks.

All right, a CNN investigation coming up. Are the major airlines putting passengers at risk?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: We haven't had a lot of catastrophic crashes yet. But according to the trend that we see, it won't be that long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Straight ahead, a story you will only see on CNN. We are going to show you how some airlines are cutting corners when it comes to maintaining the planes.

Also, he's not your typical host for the Academy Awards, but Chris Rock has already created an Oscar buzz. I'm going to talk with an author who knows a few things about how to annoy people. And, yes, you've heard of him.

And don't forget our last call question. Do you think Chris Pittman received a fair sentence in his Zoloft defense trial? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Taking a look at the headlines tonight and tomorrow.

Voters in Spain today became the first to approve the new European Union constitution. Three other nations have ratified it in their parliament. The proposed charter is designed to streamline and speed up decision-making processes inside the E.U.

At least 83 people are dead, another 130 are missing, after a ferry boat capsized in Bangladesh. Local officials say the boat capsized Saturday night when it was struck by a tornado. Rescue workers are searching for survivors, but fear the death toll could go up.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees has resigned over sexual harassment charges. Rug (ph) Lubbers says he is innocent but says UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave him two choices, resign or face suspension.

And it was a wild finish today as Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500. There were four lead changes in the last nine laps. Gordon held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Curt Bush (ph) to win the 47th annual Daytona race.

And now, to a story you will only see right here on CNN. In an effort to save money and possibly stave off bankruptcy, many of the nation's airlines have been sending their maintenance work to outside repairs shops. But are they compromising passenger safety as well? Well, CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin has been looking into this and he joins me now with a special investigative report -- Drew.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a lot of the airlines would like you to think that this is all just about union workers complaining about lost jobs. The airlines have been saving hundreds of millions of dollars by laying off their own union mechanics and sending the work out. The airlines say their record proves it's a safe practice. But as we found out, it's not just the unions anymore raising warning flags about maintenance on the airplanes you fly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): By the numbers, it's the safest way to travel in the United States, but don't tell that to this man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The public really doesn't know what's going on inside the industry.

GRIFFIN: He's a senior mechanic with one of the nation's biggest airlines, working at a main hub. He's afraid to tell you his name, his airline or even let us show you his face, because he fears he'll lose his job. But he wants you to know he's afraid for your safety if you fly his airline or any other airline that sends its maintenance work to outside repair shops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We haven't had a lot catastrophic crashes yet but according to the trend we see, it won't be that long.

GRIFFIN: Trends to outsourcing maintenance he says are generating serious quality problems, problems supported by these documents obtained by CNN. Record after record of what people throughout the industry agree is shoddy repair work, poor maintenance and even negligence. The head of safety for the largest aircraft mechanics union in the country, Frank Boxsanske calls the records frightening.

FRANK BOKSANSKE, AIRCRAFT MECHANICS UNION: And the reports that I see coming in are very serious in nature that I've not seen in my 28 years in the industry.

GRIFFIN: Why do airlines do it? It's simple. They are trying to save money. Many outside contractors use non-union mechanics, can focus on specialized work and according to the Air Transport Association, can save airlines hundreds of millions of dollars a year. But that doesn't mean the cheaper work has led to less quality, less safety or less oversight, according to the ATA.

BASIL BARIMO, AIR TRANSPORT ASSN: So airlines are very careful at making sure that they maintain a safe operation and really there's no distinction statistically when you talk about safety, between work performed within the airline or work performed by a third party maintenance provider.

GRIFFIN: Outsourcing of specialized maintenance has been going on for more than 30 years, but it has been mostly specialized, like engines going back to the manufacturer. Now all kinds of work is being sent out by the airlines. Air carriers are outsourcing anywhere from a third to 3/4 of their maintenance to outside companies.

BARIMO: What you're seeing now is more at the air frame level. It's the airplane itself. GRIFFIN: The Air Transport Association says airlines last year lost $8 billion and says the group, trimming maintenance costs has help alleviate some of that economic pressure, without sacrificing safety. But the former head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jim Hall, says cutting back on maintenance costs is cutting back on safety.

JIM HALL, FORMER HEAD NTSB: It's one thing to pull back essentially on the -- passing onto the passengers they cost they pay (ph) for tickets or eliminating the pretzels and the nuts. But the nuts and bolts of maintenance you can't ignore.

GRIFFIN: Hall points to the crash two years ago of a commuter plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, that killed 21, partially blamed on a contractor's failure to properly adjust a cable. Mechanics, Congress, union leaders, two critical reports by the inspector general and even some of the FAA's own inspectors now agree, commercial airliners are not being adequately cared for and the consequences could be tragic.

(on-camera): And what's more, critics say the Federal Aviation Administration is failing the flying public because they say the FAA inspectors, the watchdogs are incapable of policing this booming industry.

(voice-over): Why? According to the inspector general, there just aren't enough of them. What's at stake? Take a look at documents obtained by CNN. The documents are maintenance reports were prepared by the airlines own maintenance departments and cite dozens of examples of bad work by outside repair companies. The sub-standard work ranged from a plastic bottle wedged in an aircraft landing gear door to problems with wing flaps, cabin doors and engines.

The mistakes were later caught and documented by the airlines own mechanics but only after the outside repair shop had given the plane a maintenance release and in many cases after the plane had carried passengers. The documents show that at one flight, an aircraft door wouldn't shut. On another, fuel was leaking into cargo bays, landing gear struts were worn through, hydraulic fluid leaked and wing flaps would not extend. On one airplane, the nose gear was so out of alignment a mechanic wrote the airline was lucky this plane didn't lose control on take off or landing.

Everyone of the planes cited in these documents had recently been worked on at an outside maintenance facility. Here at Purdue University school of aviation technology, students are taught on the school's own Boeing 737s that safety is the mechanics responsibility and safety is enhanced when skilled technicians oversea each others work.

Professor Thomas Wild (ph) is showing us an aircraft engine borisco (ph) plug. A mechanic can unscrew the plug and use this small scope to inspect the interior of an engine. According to Wild, the most important part of the inspection is putting the plug back properly. But according to the documents we obtained on two separate flights from San Francisco to Hawaii, the borisco plugs were either missing or in one case simply left hanging with Teflon tape and sealant to try to hold the plug in place. The crews on both flights reported engine surges, the unexpected racing of an engine in flat. A mechanic we spoke to called the mistake inexcusable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're talking about extremely high pressure, hot air being expelled to the inside coverings or the (INAUDIBLE) of the engine, causing, probably causing a lot of damage inside the (INAUDIBLE) itself.

GRIFFIN: I just can't believe why an airline would allow this to happen.

BOKSANSKE: Well, they're going through hard times. They're practicing risk management. They're taking a chance.

GRIFFIN: Not so says the Air Transport Association who says the unions are simply worried about their jobs. Outsourcing work to non- union repair stations has cost thousands of union jobs, but Boksanske says this is not just a labor dispute, but a critical safety issue and he claims, not only the airlines, but also the industry's Federal watchdog.

BOKSANSKE: The FAA is very, has a critical shortage of (INAUDIBLE) inspectors.

My position is a factual position.

GRIFFIN: Nick Sabatini is the FAA's administrator for regulation and certification.

NICK SABATINI, FAA: So the concerns are not substantiated by the facts. The fact is, it is the safest air transportation system in the world. But you know what, we take this business very seriously. If the inspector general thinks that there are issues, then we take those issues very seriously and we follow up.

GRIFFIN: In fact, Sabatini says, the FAA has already begun changing the way it inspects outsourced maintenance shops and it's increasing the number of those inspections and he also says the agency routinely includes surprise inspections.

SABATINI: We can make all the unannounced visits we want ad infinitum. There is absolutely no requirement anywhere for those inspectors to announce that they're coming.

LINDA GOODRICH, FAA'S INSPECTORS UNION: We are lucky to go to each of the facilities once a year.

GRIFFIN: Not a surprise visit?

GOODRICH: No. We would love to be able to do surprise visits. It's not possible.

GRIFFIN: Linda Goodrich is vice president of the Federal union that represents FAA inspectors.

GOODRICH: You can't just keep cutting away at the safety margin and expect nothing to happen.

GRIFFIN: For 21 years, Sarah McLeod has run the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, a group that represents about 500 of the 5200 outsource repair stations worldwide.

SARAH MCLEOD, REPAIR ASSN: Our record indicates that work being done by repair stations either in house maintenance done by repair stations or carrier repair stations or the air carrier themselves, versus work being done by a outsource maintenance provider are no different.

GRIFFIN: No one in this report could provide complete data comparing in house versus outsourced maintenance, though the inspector general has found the FAA does a much better job watching maintenance at the airlines than it does at outside repair shops. American Airlines agrees. The company invited us to Fort Worth, Texas, to tell us that it's decided to buck the trend and put more work back in the hands of its own mechanics. When the airline was trying to avoid bankruptcy, the union agreed to wage cuts to keep more of the work in house. About 80 percent of American's work stays with American, including all heavy maintenance.

DAVID CAMPBELL, AMERICAN AIRLINES: Having control of this highly technical machine, the maintenance of that and the engineering of those products, having that control, we believe gives us greater ability to mitigate safety risks.

When that airplane goes out the door after I've seen it, (INAUDIBLE) we know what kind of quality has gone into that and we know the workmanship that's gone into it, because we've had it from cradle to grave.

GRIFFIN: Any day now, the Transportation Department's inspector general is expected to release yet another critical report on poor maintenance and poor Federal oversight of how commercial airlines keep their planes flying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And that report in the hands of congressional oversight members of the transportation committee, is expected to get at least a hearing up on Capitol Hill, but nobody's holding out hope that this trend is going to change.

LIN: Right, because it really sounds like, short of the conscience of American Airlines setting a trend, that short of an aircraft actually crashing and then being able to trace it to poor maintenance, outsourced maintenance, what incentive do the other airlines really have to follow American's suit.

GRIFFIN: Unfortunately, that's true, but American is finding that it is actually saving money because a lot of the mechanics that I talked to on the floor said they were having to make repairs again and again and again to planes that would come back in from outside repair shops. So they actually found an economic incentive as well as a safety incentive to keep that work in house and in its certified mechanics and union mechanics.

LIN: Drew, you travel a lot to work. You get on a airplane. How do you feel about it now?

GRIFFIN: You know, it is a safe way to fly Carol and they are practicing risk management and so far, it's working but after doing this report, it's certainly in the back of my mind every time I jump onboard.

LIN: Thanks very much, Drew. Stay safe and good reporting.

In the meantime, the witness list included a who's who in tinsel town. Up next you are going to hear about the Michael Jackson case. Is that witness going to help or hurt in the defense of the pop star? Details straight ahead and rap sheet.

Also you got to be pretty cool at this time of night to take a look at the weather around the world just in case you are traveling this coming week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: More leaked grand jury documents and more pretrial publicity in the Michael Jackson molestation trial. That tops tonight's rap sheet. Also a possible civil suit by the woman who claims entertainer Bill Cosby drugged and groped her. Now prosecutors say there isn't enough evidence for criminal charges. Joining me now Jayne Weintraub, a criminal defense attorney based in Miami, Florida, one of our regulars. And joining us from Florida is Stacey Honowitz, a Broward County prosecutor. Good evening ladies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good evening.

LIN: Tell me about what's happening with Michael Jackson. He's out of the hospital Jayne, I understand. He's feeling better and jury selection continues on Tuesday. How do you think this hospitalization for the flu this past week might affect the jury pool?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, hopefully it won't affect it at all and hopefully things will just go on as normal on Tuesday morning.

LIN: All right. What about you Stacey?

STACEY HONOWITZ, BROWARD CO. FLA PROSECUTOR: I think that people in the back of their mind might be saying to themselves, maybe this is some kind of stall tactic. Hopefully it's not going to affect it because everybody is looking for a fair trial in this case. But I think some people might think that.

LIN: Have you guys seen the prospective witness list?

HONOWITZ: Yes.

LIN: We just want to throw up some of the names and faces who might be actually called to the stand. Look at that, Ed Bradley, Kobe Bryant, Jay Leno, our very own Larry King, Jayne.

WEINTRAUB: I'm sorry.

LIN: What do you think about this prospective witness list? I mean I think first of all, it's going to be pretty hard to even schedule these people to take the stand.

WEINTRAUB: Well, I don't think that they're all going to be called. They're all being listed, because under discovery and procedural reasons, they have to be listed now or they won't be able to call them if they want to. But remember, Carol, many of these people interviewed the accuser and the family and got to know them. And so in order to show which is his defense, at the core of the defense is the lack of credibility of the accuser and the family. And these journalists have been listed because of that I think. Also don't forget...

HONOWITZ: Jayne, you're aware that these people, these journalists aren't going to be allowed to testify to the credibility of the witnesses. They're being called as character witnesses...

WEINTRAUB: No they're going to be able to testify as to behavior, things that they saw, things that they did, things that they've seen together, talked about together.

HONOWITZ: I think a jury's going to be very turned off. You call Kobe Bryant to the stand in this case, the jury's going to be very turned off after what he's been through and I think a lot of jurors might think we don't care that he's parading in these big shot people, these celebrities that he knows. That doesn't mean they know what went on in this case. I think it's going to really hurt the case.

WEINTRAUB: Well, a lot of the celebrities also know about all the good things that Michael Jackson has done and that is very important without getting character evidence in, because as everyone knows, he won't make (ph) character an issue because it will subject him to too much cross examination.

LIN: All right. There's so much to talk about this case, but let's move onto Bill Cosby. Here this woman has made allegations that he may have drugged her and groped her. And yet she maintained contract in the last year. The court decided that there was no case for criminal charges but do you think Stacey that she's going to go forward with a civil suit or do you think she has grounds given that it wasn't accepted as a criminal case?

HONOWITZ: Well, I think absolutely. I mean I think that she will try to go forward in a civil case. I think basically she came forward late so she wanted some type of justice. If she can't seek it in a criminal court, I think she's going to try in a civil court and I think...

WEINTRAUB: Came forward late? She claims that she's raped and she waits a year. I don't think that...

HONOWITZ: Jayne come on. I've had cases where people waited five years and came forward. You have no idea why somebody waits in a case like that.

LIN: Well, Jayne, it wasn't rape. It was that she was groped. I mean is there a distinction there do you think in making these kinds of decisions by the court.

WEINTRAUB: I think it is strictly a going for the gold situation. Interestingly enough, Carol though, when it did move to civil court - and the reason it'll go forward in civil court is there's a much lesser burden of proof than in criminal case. And Bill Cosby will have to testify in a civil case whereas in a criminal case, he would not have to testify but there will be a deposition in the civil case.

LIN: Are there grounds on his part for a defamation suit, do you think Jayne.

WEINTRAUB: I doubt it. First of all, he's a public figure. All public figures are held to a higher standard, but even if he did have a defamation lawsuit in law Carol, he doesn't want this around and in reality, he's going to want to make it go away, not sue and make more of it and he's going to have to show some kind of damage in this case to his character, like in certain venues cancelled his appearances and in this case he voluntarily pulled out of certain things. So there's still a lot of things in the defamation suit that are going to have to be proved. I don't think he's going to go forward.

LIN: So you think there's going to be a financial settlement in this case, both of you think that there's going to be a financial settlement in this case.

HONOWITZ: I would think so.

LIN: All right. You know what, I'm kind of done with Cosby, but I really want to get back to Michael Jackson if we've got a few more - no, we're out of time. I'm so sorry. Anyway ladies, we'll have much more as the king of pop goes back to court. We'll see you guys next Sunday, OK.

HONOWITZ: Thanks Carol.

WEINTRAUB: Thanks Carol.

LIN: All right. Sorry we ran out of time there. Anyway, rocking the boat before the Oscars. Up next, a closer look at how comedian Chris Rock could make or break next weekend's Academy Awards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, comedian Chris Rock is not your average first-time Oscar host. For starters, he's called next Sunday's Academy Awards idiotic and a fashion show that few straight men would watch. Outrageous and in your face or a coy publicity stunt?

Well, earlier I posed that question to someone who knows a thing or two about annoying people. He managed to fail miserably at his 1 1/2 year stint at "Vanity Fair" as a writer and then Toby Young managed to write a best seller about it. He's the author of the book, "How To Lose Friends and Alienate People."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOBY YOUNG, AUTHOR: I think Chris Rock is doing what he's been paid to do which is to be as controversial as possible. Ratings for award shows are going down. I think they want to try and pick it up, make it a little more edgy, a little more urban. Perhaps I think that's deeply misguided. I don't think the Oscars is ever really going to appeal to the MTV generation.

I mean the fact that it's so antediluvian and out of date, the fact that the format has changed in at least 50 years, is one of the reasons it's so entertaining. I mean I love it when the actress go completely over the top and cry and thanks their pet psychiatrist. Far better that than they start making out (ph) with their fellow nominees in the best actress category. I mean it's never going to appeal to the MTV generation and I speak as a red-blooded heterosexual I should point out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, Toby Young, working for "Vanity Fair," had to crash his own famous Oscar party and go thrown out as a result. Anyway, I asked him about his own problems at the Academy Awards, specifically about trying to crash into that party and getting thrown out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: No one has ever actually succeeded in getting past the kind of incredibly tight security to actually get into any of these parties. I mean the clip board Nazis who guard the gates to these parties, they're not your normal kind of publicists with (INAUDIBLE). I mean they're ex special forces trained in lethal armed combat techniques. I mean if you're not on their list, it's the Vulcan death grip and you wake up in a straight jacket in a padded cell six hours later. It's not worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: He's kidding sort of. Anyway, we leave you tonight with your responses to our last call question. Do you think Chris Pittman received a fair sentence? Here's what you had to say. Have a great night and have a great Monday.

CALLER: I am a psychologist, licensed in Pennsylvania and I have treated children such as Christopher and this is a fact that these things can happen. It's unbelievable that we would treat a minor in our society as disposable as we have with this kid.

CALLER: Yes I do think he received a fair sentence. (INAUDIBLE) the crime where (INAUDIBLE).

CALLER: No I don't think he received a fair sentence. He was only 12-years old and the kid was on a psychotic drug.

CALLER: Yes I do think he received a fair sentence, because I don't think a little pill could do all that harm.

CALLER: And he had no remorse.

CALLER: No I do not. He was a child. He was under drugs and I think that he should have been tried as a child and sentenced as a child.

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