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American Morning
Did Police Say Too Much About Suspect in BTK Serial Murders?; Testimony in Michael Jackson Trial Starts With Biting Round of Cross- Examination
Aired March 02, 2005 - 08:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A developing story out of Spain. The investigation into the Madrid train bombings turning up a possible link to New York's Grand Central Station.
Did police say too much about the suspect in the BTK serial murders? Questions now whether Wichita, Kansas will ever see his the latest.
And testimony in the Michael Jackson trial starts with a biting round of cross-examination. Going back on the stand on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
8:00 here in New York.
More on the Madrid train investigation in a moment, a story that's developing at this time that we talked about last hour.
Also this morning, police trying to determine if there is a link between a white supremacist group and two murders this week at the home of a federal judge. Should there have been better security? We'll talk with a former state supreme court justice who has received death threats herself.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're talking to a Marine commander just back from Iraq. He and his troops were in the so-called Triangle of Death near Baghdad. We'll get his impressions and also talk about whether Iraqi troops can really handle security in that dangerous area.
HEMMER: His perspective comes firsthand.
Also, Jack is with us.
What's coming up in "The File" -- good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's Wednesday, Bill, time for "Things People Say." Among other things, we'll tell you who called White House reporter Helen Thomas an old Arab. Julia Roberts on what her newborn babies smell like. I suppose it depends on the time of day you sniff them. Democrats who are afraid to admit it. And a simple activity for men that could extend their lives by as much as five years. This is something I've done all of my adult life and had no idea how beneficial it was.
O'BRIEN: I'm so afraid.
OK, Jack, thanks.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
HEMMER: We want to go to this developing story at this hour. This is what we know now. Terrorists may have been casing New York's Grand Central Station. A Spanish newspaper, "El Mundo," today is reporting that a hand drawn map of the station was in the apartment of the suspected Madrid train bombers. Four trains were bombed last March. Nearly 200 were killed that day, on March 11. But it was not until December of last year that Spanish investigators told U.S. authorities about the map and some information found on a computer. There are still many details in "El Mundo's" report that we are checking out here at CNN. Our bureau chief out of Madrid is Al Goodman. He'll update us on this story a bit later this hour.
But in the meantime, two minutes past the hour, let's go to Carol Costello for the other headlines here -- good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And there are many other headlines this morning.
Let's get to them.
Testimony set to resume today in the Michael Jackson trial. Yesterday, jurors watched a controversial television documentary on Jackson by British journalist Martin Bashir. Jackson's lawyer later challenged Bashir's journalistic ethics on the stand. But Bashir's attorney said the journalist was within his rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THEODORE BOUTROUS, JR., BASHIR'S ATTORNEY: ... today invoked the California shield law, which is part of the constitution and it protects the independence and autonomy of journalists to report the news and gather the news. The judge has taken our objections under consideration and has also indicated that the defense may be allowed to call Mr. Bashir as a witness in their case, but only if they meet the standards of the constitution and of the first amendment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In addition to calling Bashir back on the stand, Jackson's attorney has suggested the pop star himself might testify. Jackson's name, however, is not on the witness list.
The Ten Commandments going before the U.S. Supreme Court this morning. In less than three hours, the high court will hear arguments on whether the Commandments can be displayed on government property. At issue is the first amendment, which separates church and state. The cases come from Texas and Kentucky, where federal courts issued conflicting rulings.
And there is word President Bush's plans to revamp Social Security may be put on the back burner, at least for now. Top Republican leaders say they support the president, but fear the issue may have to wait until next year, as they try to win more support for the president's plan. Some Democrats have been calling on the president to drop his proposal for private accounts.
And nearly six decades after he broke baseball's color barrier, Jackie Robinson is reaching another milestone. The late Brooklyn Dodger is being honored today with a Congressional Gold Medal. That is the highest civilian award. Robinson is only the second baseball player in history to receive the honor, Roberto Clemente being the first.
Also, President Bush will celebrate another baseball achievement this afternoon. He'll host the world champion team, the Boston Red Sox, at the White House.
And, Soledad, Johnny Damon says, and I quote, he says: "I think President Bush would love to grab a beer with us and then maybe we'll kick back and go hunting for pheasant."
O'BRIEN: OK. But he's also busy, because he's the president.
All right, Carol, thanks.
Police in Chicago vowing to pull out all the stops to find killer of a federal judge's husband and mother. Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow arrived home from work on Monday night to a grizzly scene. FBI agents, U.S. marshals and detectives from all over Chicago now have been called in to investigate the murders of 64-year-old Michael Lefkow, a prominent Chicago lawyer, and the judge's 89-year-old mother, who was visiting from Denver.
According to today's "Chicago Sun-Times," investigators are looking into a series of phone calls to the judge's home the night before the murders. Caller I.D. reportedly shows that the calls came from inside a correctional facility.
The killings come just one month before the white supremacist Matt Hale is scheduled to be sentenced for trying to have Judge Lefkow killed. Police, though, warn of jpg to any conclusions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JAMES MALLOY, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT: There is much speculation about possible links between this crime and the possible involvement of hate groups. This is but one facet of our investigation. We are looking in many, many directions, but it would be far too early to draw any definitive links.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Police are also asking for the public's help in coming up with potential leads.
Being in law enforcement and having her family in danger as a result is something very familiar, unfortunately, to our next guest.
Leslie Crocker Snyder is a former New York State Supreme Court justice with a reputation of handing down tough sentences, often, to criminals who wanted revenge.
She joins us this morning.
Nice to see you.
First, I'm curious as to your reaction when you heard about this -- the details of this really grizzly crime.
LESLIE CROCKER SNYDER, FORMER NEW YORK STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: Well, obviously my heart goes out to Judge Lefkow and her family. And this is kind of everybody's worst nightmare. I know that when my entire family was threatened with death, I was fortunate to have the New York City Police Department move right in and protect all of us. My kids went to school with two cops each and still, at 3:00 in the morning, I'd wake up in a cold sweat worrying about them.
It's one thing to put your own life in danger, it's another thing to have your family in danger. And this is just your worst nightmare.
O'BRIEN: You were known for your strict sentences.
What type of criminals, in your experience, did you find were calling up and making death threats to you?
SNYDER: Well, they don't necessarily call you directly. But the kind of criminals who will make violent death threats are the kind of people that I had in most of my cases -- violent drug gangs, violent mob figures and the occasional erratic person. I think they -- and other than domestic disputes, in which there are occasional violent outbreaks, I think that criminals who belong to lawless and extreme groups have absolutely no codes and unlike the old La Cosa Nostra, where, you know, they knew enough not to kill judges or cops because the full force of the law would come upon them, extreme hate groups don't feel that way. Violent drug gangs have no rules. And it is up to law enforcement to protect the people who are the potential targets and victims of their anger.
And, as I said, I was just incredibly lucky because the New York City Police Department is superb at doing this and they did it.
O'BRIEN: There were some concerns and -- that security had been degraded in this particular case, in Judge Lefkow's case. It's unclear, though, if her family was ever protected, if she was protected alone or if it extended to her family.
Do you think that that was a mistake or do you think that there comes a point where they have to downgrade security?
SNYDER: Well, I think you have to evaluate the situation. And any complete law enforcement agency -- and I'm not criticizing anyone out there. I don't know anything about her security.
The law enforcement agency analyzes the threat and if they're good at it, which they are in the New York City Police Department, they know what's appropriate and they don't hesitate to do it. I couldn't have done my work without the protection. Maybe they took it a little too cavalierly out there. But it's, you know, now it's hindsight and the result is tragic.
O'BRIEN: How rampant are these death threats among your colleagues? I mean is this something when you got the job, you knew that this was going to happen? Or was it shocking to you to know that you were involving yourself and, as you say, even worse, your family, in this?
SNYDER: No, it certainly isn't common and it was shocking because you don't expect it as a judge. You certainly aren't getting paid to be in the line of fire, because public service is a job of love and duty and not one that, in which you expect to make any kind of money. So it was shocking the first time and I did have a series of them, including one very similar to hers who hired someone in jail and was caught on tape taking out a contract on me. And that's very frightening stuff and you don't expect it.
But as I said, I really think the only way you can expect judges, whether it's in Iraq, Chicago or New York, to be able to do their jobs if they're dealing with extreme groups or violent groups, is to provide them the kind of protection I've been provided by the New York City Police Department, because they take their job very seriously and they're very good at it.
I don't know what happened in Chicago. But let's hope it wasn't because of a dereliction of duty.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure that's going to be part of the investigation, no question about that.
Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, nice to see you.
Thanks for coming in and sharing your experience with us.
Really shocking.
SNYDER: It is horrible.
O'BRIEN: And shocking details to talk about.
SNYDER: Horrible.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Now nine minutes past the hour.
Police are searching for more evidence against the suspect in the BTK serial killings. Dennis Rader has now been charged with 10 counts of first degree murder.
Back to Wichita, Kansas this morning.
Here's Bob Franken on the story -- Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
And his hearing was understated, but given the magnitude of the crimes charged, chilling.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Dennis Rader appeared on a video link yesterday, his first session in court as the accused serial killer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you understand that you're charged with 10 counts of first degree murder?
DENNIS RADER: Yes, sir.
FRANKEN: Dennis Rader was having his official first appearance to answer for killings that terrorized Wichita for more than three decades. Police say he was the one who sent taunting letters in which he had named himself "BTK," for bind, torture and kill.
CHIEF NORMAN WILLIAMS, WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT: BTK is arrested.
FRANKEN: But several defense lawyers in Wichita say the police chief's comments on Saturday were so incendiary that there should be a change of venue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was convicted on Saturday morning at around 11:00 by a statement made by the chief of police. That was the worst thing I've experienced as a defense lawyer in 47 years.
FRANKEN: The police chief refused comment and the district attorney brushed it off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do not it will be a problem when we try this case.
FRANKEN: There has been no comment from Rader's newly appointed public defender.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, I'm going to set this case for 9:00 in the morning on March 15. Bond will be in the amount of $10 million.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
FRANKEN: And, as I said, it was over very, very quickly. Now, the lawyers warn us that that court date could very easily slip because, Bill, given the notoriety of this case, there are problems for both prosecution and defense -- Bill.
HEMMER: Bob, depending on which reports we listen to and which reports are accurate, this man may be confessing to a whole lot behind bars.
If that is the case, is there much talk in Wichita about it not even going to trial?
FRANKEN: Well, the concerns are that, one, there has been a tremendous amount of pretrial publicity. Some believe that it crossed the line. There has never been a change of venue in this county. But many experts are saying this may be the time. And as for all the reports out there, he does not have a lawyer. But according to the police, he has not asked for one. So they're able to talk to him under that circumstances. And remember that the Miranda warning is you have the right to a lawyer.
HEMMER: All right, Bob, thanks, in Wichita this morning -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Let's get a check on the weather.
Chad Myers at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Chad, good morning again.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, there could be a big development in Kobe Bryant's civil case. Could that suit be over before it even begins? We'll look at in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also, another wave of violence in Iraq.
Can the Iraqis turn back the tide? A firsthand account from a Marine just back from the so-called Triangle of Death is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Back to Iraq for a moment here.
Already this morning, a pair of suicide car bombings targeting Iraqi soldiers and an army recruiting center. At least 13 are dead as a result of those attacks.
Colonel Ron Johnson is the commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He has just returned from training Iraqi security forces in that province just south of Baghdad, the so-called Triangle of Death.
Colonel Johnson is down in Washington.
Good morning, Colonel, and welcome home to you.
COL. RON JOHNSON, COMMANDER, 24TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT: Good morning, Bill.
Thank you. HEMMER: When you left the Iraqi forces, you were in charge of training.
Were you comfortable with the level of training they've now received?
JOHNSON: Well, I'm not totally ever comfortable, Bill, because I think we've still got a lot more training to do. But I think that the level of proficiency in the Iraqi security forces has made some great strides in the past six months.
HEMMER: Even though you say that, yesterday -- you go back to this car bombing in Hillah, which was, again, in the area of responsibility where you were working. More than 120 are dead.
Do you believe they can turn this around, meaning the Iraqis who are now in charge?
JOHNSON: I believe they can. I think one of the things we have to focus on is if you see the clips that you're showing now, eight months ago, you would have seen a lot of American soldiers and Marines out there guarding. But what you're seeing right now is Iraqi security forces, police. They're out there securing the site of the bombing. I think that shows in itself the progress that's being made in Iraq today.
HEMMER: But, Colonel, you really had to start from ground zero.
JOHNSON: That's correct.
HEMMER: The very first step about training these Iraqi security forces, one thing you said, you say we had to train the trainer. That's step one.
JOHNSON: You're correct. One of the things we did is we brought a lot of the former Iraqi special forces units in, trained them with us, gave them our perspective of training and techniques and then they went out and recruited more of their own men and brought them into the fold. And I think that's where we've made some good progress.
HEMMER: You believe the Iraqi forces are doing much better than people in this country think.
Why do we have, in many cases, a different impression of that, Colonel?
JOHNSON: I think one of the things is really it's the access that the news media is given. If you get out there and see them, and I don't know you're embedded with us, but if you were embedded with some of the Iraqi security forces, you'll see some of the progress that they're making today.
HEMMER: You lost about 15 Marines from the 24th MEU. About 200 others were wounded. I know later today you're going to visit some of the wounded.
What's the message you'll take to them?
JOHNSON: Oh, I just want to tell my guys that their sacrifice was not in vain. We've made some good progress in our area. As you, in my province alone, 71 percent of the population was able to vote and I think that's something to be very proud of and I think people in America are proud of their achievements, as well.
HEMMER: Well, welcome home to you.
And my best to you, as well.
Colonel Ron Johnson with the 24th MEU, down from Washington, D.C.
Thank you, Colonel.
JOHNSON: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: All right -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, Andy Serwer stops by to lighten things up a little bit. He's going to show us the latest in geek couture. He's got everything from DVD sunglasses to a solar powered jacket.
But first, here's a little tech trivia. You know those little smiley faces you see on the e-mail all the time? They're called emoticons. But what does this one stand for, the one you're looking at there? Is it A, devilish; B, drooling; or, C, tongue-tied?
The answer is right after the break.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Here's what we asked you before the break.
What does this emoticon stand for?
The real answer is B, drooling. There are now more than 600 emoticons. Those are short for emotion icons. More are being created each and every day.
Well, you know, before fashion was all about looking smart. But now your clothes can actually be smart.
In our series, "The Future Is Now," we test out a new line of wearable technology.
Andy Serwer is going to tell us about smart clothes -- good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
You know, in today's world, it's not just the clothes that make the man or the woman, it's the technology. Call it geek couture. (BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SERWER: We're here on the streets of New York checking out one of the hottest new trends. That is wearable technology. Now, I may be kind of styling here in this vest and jacket combination by Alexandra Fede, but let me tell you something, this, according to the manufacturers, is bulletproof and stab proof.
I've got some slugs here that were actually fired at this jacket, according to the manufacturers. I don't think I get paid enough to do that. But I do have a knife here so maybe we can check it out a little bit, at least from a butter knife perspective. And, you know -- ow!
Sitting here in the middle of Broadway in the sun is a time honored tradition in Manhattan. But I bet you I'm one of the first people to baggage wearing these Oakley Thump MP3 glasses with tunes coming right in here.
Hey, easy. Easy, now. I'm charging here. I'm charging. That's right. This jacket is actually a solar panel jacket. On the back, there are actual solar panels. This jacket is made by Scott eVest. And the panels connect to a battery charger here so that if your cell phone runs out during the day, you can actually just hook it right up here and then you can turn your back to the sun and charge it. Charge!
So at the end of the day, I'm thinking why don't I kick back and watch a little TV? And then I think why watch TV when you can wear it?
I'm going to crank up by iTop DVD sunglasses. Check this out. Take this DVD. This is "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle," a fine film. It's just me, myself and I.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SERWER: And, Soledad, I don't know how much of this stuff I would actually buy. It's all available right now. I like the MP3 sunglasses with the tunes coming out. That would be something I would actually do.
O'BRIEN: I like the charging your cell phone from your jacket.
SERWER: Isn't that wild...
O'BRIEN: That's great.
SERWER: ... with your own jacket?
O'BRIEN: And expensive? I mean way, way expensive? What kind of a range?
SERWER: No, most of that stuff was about $300 to $500. I mean pretty expensive, but not way out there.
O'BRIEN: What are you talking about tomorrow?
SERWER: Tomorrow we're going to talk about the mother of all remote controls. Oprah has got one, Tiger has got one. So you don't want to miss this.
O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Perfect for the weekend.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
Back to Jack now and the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: The separation of church and state comes before the Supreme Court of the United States today. The court will hear arguments in two cases about whether displays of the Ten Commandments on public property are constitutional. A recount "USA Today"/CNN/Gallup poll indicates a majority of Americans find a monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of their state's capital appropriate. Only 20 percent find it objectionable.
The Commandments are on government buildings all over the country. They're even represented on the ceiling of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The question is should the Ten Commandments be displayed on government property?
Johnny in Vicksburg, Mississippi: "Although a Christian myself, I must admit that all my life I have been uncomfortable with the blatant use of Christian symbols and terminology on currency, in schools and government agencies. If we truly accept the constitutional separation of church and state, we must thoroughly eliminate those references."
Catherine writes from Tokyo, where we're on in prime time: "Why get so worked up about it? Putting aside the religious aspect for a moment, the 10 Cs are not a bad set of rules for civilized societies to aspire to and we could probably all do with a general reminder of them from time to time."
Paul in Pennsylvania: "The Ten Commandments should be displayed on government property as soon as the Bill of Rights is displayed in all houses of worship."
And Marc writes: "As a member of the 20 percent who don't want the Commandments displayed in government offices and courts, I just want to remind the other 80 percent that my freedom of religion is infringed upon when I can't escape the words of your god in our g."
This comes from a recovering Baptist.
HEMMER: Keep recovering.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
A break here.
In a moment, we're following this developing story out of Spain today. A possible link between last year's Madrid train bombing and New York City's Grand Central Station. Live to Madrid. We'll let you know what we're finding out so far today on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired March 2, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A developing story out of Spain. The investigation into the Madrid train bombings turning up a possible link to New York's Grand Central Station.
Did police say too much about the suspect in the BTK serial murders? Questions now whether Wichita, Kansas will ever see his the latest.
And testimony in the Michael Jackson trial starts with a biting round of cross-examination. Going back on the stand on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
8:00 here in New York.
More on the Madrid train investigation in a moment, a story that's developing at this time that we talked about last hour.
Also this morning, police trying to determine if there is a link between a white supremacist group and two murders this week at the home of a federal judge. Should there have been better security? We'll talk with a former state supreme court justice who has received death threats herself.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're talking to a Marine commander just back from Iraq. He and his troops were in the so-called Triangle of Death near Baghdad. We'll get his impressions and also talk about whether Iraqi troops can really handle security in that dangerous area.
HEMMER: His perspective comes firsthand.
Also, Jack is with us.
What's coming up in "The File" -- good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's Wednesday, Bill, time for "Things People Say." Among other things, we'll tell you who called White House reporter Helen Thomas an old Arab. Julia Roberts on what her newborn babies smell like. I suppose it depends on the time of day you sniff them. Democrats who are afraid to admit it. And a simple activity for men that could extend their lives by as much as five years. This is something I've done all of my adult life and had no idea how beneficial it was.
O'BRIEN: I'm so afraid.
OK, Jack, thanks.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
HEMMER: We want to go to this developing story at this hour. This is what we know now. Terrorists may have been casing New York's Grand Central Station. A Spanish newspaper, "El Mundo," today is reporting that a hand drawn map of the station was in the apartment of the suspected Madrid train bombers. Four trains were bombed last March. Nearly 200 were killed that day, on March 11. But it was not until December of last year that Spanish investigators told U.S. authorities about the map and some information found on a computer. There are still many details in "El Mundo's" report that we are checking out here at CNN. Our bureau chief out of Madrid is Al Goodman. He'll update us on this story a bit later this hour.
But in the meantime, two minutes past the hour, let's go to Carol Costello for the other headlines here -- good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And there are many other headlines this morning.
Let's get to them.
Testimony set to resume today in the Michael Jackson trial. Yesterday, jurors watched a controversial television documentary on Jackson by British journalist Martin Bashir. Jackson's lawyer later challenged Bashir's journalistic ethics on the stand. But Bashir's attorney said the journalist was within his rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THEODORE BOUTROUS, JR., BASHIR'S ATTORNEY: ... today invoked the California shield law, which is part of the constitution and it protects the independence and autonomy of journalists to report the news and gather the news. The judge has taken our objections under consideration and has also indicated that the defense may be allowed to call Mr. Bashir as a witness in their case, but only if they meet the standards of the constitution and of the first amendment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In addition to calling Bashir back on the stand, Jackson's attorney has suggested the pop star himself might testify. Jackson's name, however, is not on the witness list.
The Ten Commandments going before the U.S. Supreme Court this morning. In less than three hours, the high court will hear arguments on whether the Commandments can be displayed on government property. At issue is the first amendment, which separates church and state. The cases come from Texas and Kentucky, where federal courts issued conflicting rulings.
And there is word President Bush's plans to revamp Social Security may be put on the back burner, at least for now. Top Republican leaders say they support the president, but fear the issue may have to wait until next year, as they try to win more support for the president's plan. Some Democrats have been calling on the president to drop his proposal for private accounts.
And nearly six decades after he broke baseball's color barrier, Jackie Robinson is reaching another milestone. The late Brooklyn Dodger is being honored today with a Congressional Gold Medal. That is the highest civilian award. Robinson is only the second baseball player in history to receive the honor, Roberto Clemente being the first.
Also, President Bush will celebrate another baseball achievement this afternoon. He'll host the world champion team, the Boston Red Sox, at the White House.
And, Soledad, Johnny Damon says, and I quote, he says: "I think President Bush would love to grab a beer with us and then maybe we'll kick back and go hunting for pheasant."
O'BRIEN: OK. But he's also busy, because he's the president.
All right, Carol, thanks.
Police in Chicago vowing to pull out all the stops to find killer of a federal judge's husband and mother. Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow arrived home from work on Monday night to a grizzly scene. FBI agents, U.S. marshals and detectives from all over Chicago now have been called in to investigate the murders of 64-year-old Michael Lefkow, a prominent Chicago lawyer, and the judge's 89-year-old mother, who was visiting from Denver.
According to today's "Chicago Sun-Times," investigators are looking into a series of phone calls to the judge's home the night before the murders. Caller I.D. reportedly shows that the calls came from inside a correctional facility.
The killings come just one month before the white supremacist Matt Hale is scheduled to be sentenced for trying to have Judge Lefkow killed. Police, though, warn of jpg to any conclusions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JAMES MALLOY, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT: There is much speculation about possible links between this crime and the possible involvement of hate groups. This is but one facet of our investigation. We are looking in many, many directions, but it would be far too early to draw any definitive links.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Police are also asking for the public's help in coming up with potential leads.
Being in law enforcement and having her family in danger as a result is something very familiar, unfortunately, to our next guest.
Leslie Crocker Snyder is a former New York State Supreme Court justice with a reputation of handing down tough sentences, often, to criminals who wanted revenge.
She joins us this morning.
Nice to see you.
First, I'm curious as to your reaction when you heard about this -- the details of this really grizzly crime.
LESLIE CROCKER SNYDER, FORMER NEW YORK STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: Well, obviously my heart goes out to Judge Lefkow and her family. And this is kind of everybody's worst nightmare. I know that when my entire family was threatened with death, I was fortunate to have the New York City Police Department move right in and protect all of us. My kids went to school with two cops each and still, at 3:00 in the morning, I'd wake up in a cold sweat worrying about them.
It's one thing to put your own life in danger, it's another thing to have your family in danger. And this is just your worst nightmare.
O'BRIEN: You were known for your strict sentences.
What type of criminals, in your experience, did you find were calling up and making death threats to you?
SNYDER: Well, they don't necessarily call you directly. But the kind of criminals who will make violent death threats are the kind of people that I had in most of my cases -- violent drug gangs, violent mob figures and the occasional erratic person. I think they -- and other than domestic disputes, in which there are occasional violent outbreaks, I think that criminals who belong to lawless and extreme groups have absolutely no codes and unlike the old La Cosa Nostra, where, you know, they knew enough not to kill judges or cops because the full force of the law would come upon them, extreme hate groups don't feel that way. Violent drug gangs have no rules. And it is up to law enforcement to protect the people who are the potential targets and victims of their anger.
And, as I said, I was just incredibly lucky because the New York City Police Department is superb at doing this and they did it.
O'BRIEN: There were some concerns and -- that security had been degraded in this particular case, in Judge Lefkow's case. It's unclear, though, if her family was ever protected, if she was protected alone or if it extended to her family.
Do you think that that was a mistake or do you think that there comes a point where they have to downgrade security?
SNYDER: Well, I think you have to evaluate the situation. And any complete law enforcement agency -- and I'm not criticizing anyone out there. I don't know anything about her security.
The law enforcement agency analyzes the threat and if they're good at it, which they are in the New York City Police Department, they know what's appropriate and they don't hesitate to do it. I couldn't have done my work without the protection. Maybe they took it a little too cavalierly out there. But it's, you know, now it's hindsight and the result is tragic.
O'BRIEN: How rampant are these death threats among your colleagues? I mean is this something when you got the job, you knew that this was going to happen? Or was it shocking to you to know that you were involving yourself and, as you say, even worse, your family, in this?
SNYDER: No, it certainly isn't common and it was shocking because you don't expect it as a judge. You certainly aren't getting paid to be in the line of fire, because public service is a job of love and duty and not one that, in which you expect to make any kind of money. So it was shocking the first time and I did have a series of them, including one very similar to hers who hired someone in jail and was caught on tape taking out a contract on me. And that's very frightening stuff and you don't expect it.
But as I said, I really think the only way you can expect judges, whether it's in Iraq, Chicago or New York, to be able to do their jobs if they're dealing with extreme groups or violent groups, is to provide them the kind of protection I've been provided by the New York City Police Department, because they take their job very seriously and they're very good at it.
I don't know what happened in Chicago. But let's hope it wasn't because of a dereliction of duty.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure that's going to be part of the investigation, no question about that.
Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, nice to see you.
Thanks for coming in and sharing your experience with us.
Really shocking.
SNYDER: It is horrible.
O'BRIEN: And shocking details to talk about.
SNYDER: Horrible.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Now nine minutes past the hour.
Police are searching for more evidence against the suspect in the BTK serial killings. Dennis Rader has now been charged with 10 counts of first degree murder.
Back to Wichita, Kansas this morning.
Here's Bob Franken on the story -- Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
And his hearing was understated, but given the magnitude of the crimes charged, chilling.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Dennis Rader appeared on a video link yesterday, his first session in court as the accused serial killer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you understand that you're charged with 10 counts of first degree murder?
DENNIS RADER: Yes, sir.
FRANKEN: Dennis Rader was having his official first appearance to answer for killings that terrorized Wichita for more than three decades. Police say he was the one who sent taunting letters in which he had named himself "BTK," for bind, torture and kill.
CHIEF NORMAN WILLIAMS, WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT: BTK is arrested.
FRANKEN: But several defense lawyers in Wichita say the police chief's comments on Saturday were so incendiary that there should be a change of venue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was convicted on Saturday morning at around 11:00 by a statement made by the chief of police. That was the worst thing I've experienced as a defense lawyer in 47 years.
FRANKEN: The police chief refused comment and the district attorney brushed it off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do not it will be a problem when we try this case.
FRANKEN: There has been no comment from Rader's newly appointed public defender.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, I'm going to set this case for 9:00 in the morning on March 15. Bond will be in the amount of $10 million.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
FRANKEN: And, as I said, it was over very, very quickly. Now, the lawyers warn us that that court date could very easily slip because, Bill, given the notoriety of this case, there are problems for both prosecution and defense -- Bill.
HEMMER: Bob, depending on which reports we listen to and which reports are accurate, this man may be confessing to a whole lot behind bars.
If that is the case, is there much talk in Wichita about it not even going to trial?
FRANKEN: Well, the concerns are that, one, there has been a tremendous amount of pretrial publicity. Some believe that it crossed the line. There has never been a change of venue in this county. But many experts are saying this may be the time. And as for all the reports out there, he does not have a lawyer. But according to the police, he has not asked for one. So they're able to talk to him under that circumstances. And remember that the Miranda warning is you have the right to a lawyer.
HEMMER: All right, Bob, thanks, in Wichita this morning -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Let's get a check on the weather.
Chad Myers at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Chad, good morning again.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, there could be a big development in Kobe Bryant's civil case. Could that suit be over before it even begins? We'll look at in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also, another wave of violence in Iraq.
Can the Iraqis turn back the tide? A firsthand account from a Marine just back from the so-called Triangle of Death is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Back to Iraq for a moment here.
Already this morning, a pair of suicide car bombings targeting Iraqi soldiers and an army recruiting center. At least 13 are dead as a result of those attacks.
Colonel Ron Johnson is the commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He has just returned from training Iraqi security forces in that province just south of Baghdad, the so-called Triangle of Death.
Colonel Johnson is down in Washington.
Good morning, Colonel, and welcome home to you.
COL. RON JOHNSON, COMMANDER, 24TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT: Good morning, Bill.
Thank you. HEMMER: When you left the Iraqi forces, you were in charge of training.
Were you comfortable with the level of training they've now received?
JOHNSON: Well, I'm not totally ever comfortable, Bill, because I think we've still got a lot more training to do. But I think that the level of proficiency in the Iraqi security forces has made some great strides in the past six months.
HEMMER: Even though you say that, yesterday -- you go back to this car bombing in Hillah, which was, again, in the area of responsibility where you were working. More than 120 are dead.
Do you believe they can turn this around, meaning the Iraqis who are now in charge?
JOHNSON: I believe they can. I think one of the things we have to focus on is if you see the clips that you're showing now, eight months ago, you would have seen a lot of American soldiers and Marines out there guarding. But what you're seeing right now is Iraqi security forces, police. They're out there securing the site of the bombing. I think that shows in itself the progress that's being made in Iraq today.
HEMMER: But, Colonel, you really had to start from ground zero.
JOHNSON: That's correct.
HEMMER: The very first step about training these Iraqi security forces, one thing you said, you say we had to train the trainer. That's step one.
JOHNSON: You're correct. One of the things we did is we brought a lot of the former Iraqi special forces units in, trained them with us, gave them our perspective of training and techniques and then they went out and recruited more of their own men and brought them into the fold. And I think that's where we've made some good progress.
HEMMER: You believe the Iraqi forces are doing much better than people in this country think.
Why do we have, in many cases, a different impression of that, Colonel?
JOHNSON: I think one of the things is really it's the access that the news media is given. If you get out there and see them, and I don't know you're embedded with us, but if you were embedded with some of the Iraqi security forces, you'll see some of the progress that they're making today.
HEMMER: You lost about 15 Marines from the 24th MEU. About 200 others were wounded. I know later today you're going to visit some of the wounded.
What's the message you'll take to them?
JOHNSON: Oh, I just want to tell my guys that their sacrifice was not in vain. We've made some good progress in our area. As you, in my province alone, 71 percent of the population was able to vote and I think that's something to be very proud of and I think people in America are proud of their achievements, as well.
HEMMER: Well, welcome home to you.
And my best to you, as well.
Colonel Ron Johnson with the 24th MEU, down from Washington, D.C.
Thank you, Colonel.
JOHNSON: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: All right -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, Andy Serwer stops by to lighten things up a little bit. He's going to show us the latest in geek couture. He's got everything from DVD sunglasses to a solar powered jacket.
But first, here's a little tech trivia. You know those little smiley faces you see on the e-mail all the time? They're called emoticons. But what does this one stand for, the one you're looking at there? Is it A, devilish; B, drooling; or, C, tongue-tied?
The answer is right after the break.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Here's what we asked you before the break.
What does this emoticon stand for?
The real answer is B, drooling. There are now more than 600 emoticons. Those are short for emotion icons. More are being created each and every day.
Well, you know, before fashion was all about looking smart. But now your clothes can actually be smart.
In our series, "The Future Is Now," we test out a new line of wearable technology.
Andy Serwer is going to tell us about smart clothes -- good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
You know, in today's world, it's not just the clothes that make the man or the woman, it's the technology. Call it geek couture. (BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SERWER: We're here on the streets of New York checking out one of the hottest new trends. That is wearable technology. Now, I may be kind of styling here in this vest and jacket combination by Alexandra Fede, but let me tell you something, this, according to the manufacturers, is bulletproof and stab proof.
I've got some slugs here that were actually fired at this jacket, according to the manufacturers. I don't think I get paid enough to do that. But I do have a knife here so maybe we can check it out a little bit, at least from a butter knife perspective. And, you know -- ow!
Sitting here in the middle of Broadway in the sun is a time honored tradition in Manhattan. But I bet you I'm one of the first people to baggage wearing these Oakley Thump MP3 glasses with tunes coming right in here.
Hey, easy. Easy, now. I'm charging here. I'm charging. That's right. This jacket is actually a solar panel jacket. On the back, there are actual solar panels. This jacket is made by Scott eVest. And the panels connect to a battery charger here so that if your cell phone runs out during the day, you can actually just hook it right up here and then you can turn your back to the sun and charge it. Charge!
So at the end of the day, I'm thinking why don't I kick back and watch a little TV? And then I think why watch TV when you can wear it?
I'm going to crank up by iTop DVD sunglasses. Check this out. Take this DVD. This is "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle," a fine film. It's just me, myself and I.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SERWER: And, Soledad, I don't know how much of this stuff I would actually buy. It's all available right now. I like the MP3 sunglasses with the tunes coming out. That would be something I would actually do.
O'BRIEN: I like the charging your cell phone from your jacket.
SERWER: Isn't that wild...
O'BRIEN: That's great.
SERWER: ... with your own jacket?
O'BRIEN: And expensive? I mean way, way expensive? What kind of a range?
SERWER: No, most of that stuff was about $300 to $500. I mean pretty expensive, but not way out there.
O'BRIEN: What are you talking about tomorrow?
SERWER: Tomorrow we're going to talk about the mother of all remote controls. Oprah has got one, Tiger has got one. So you don't want to miss this.
O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Perfect for the weekend.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
Back to Jack now and the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: The separation of church and state comes before the Supreme Court of the United States today. The court will hear arguments in two cases about whether displays of the Ten Commandments on public property are constitutional. A recount "USA Today"/CNN/Gallup poll indicates a majority of Americans find a monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of their state's capital appropriate. Only 20 percent find it objectionable.
The Commandments are on government buildings all over the country. They're even represented on the ceiling of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The question is should the Ten Commandments be displayed on government property?
Johnny in Vicksburg, Mississippi: "Although a Christian myself, I must admit that all my life I have been uncomfortable with the blatant use of Christian symbols and terminology on currency, in schools and government agencies. If we truly accept the constitutional separation of church and state, we must thoroughly eliminate those references."
Catherine writes from Tokyo, where we're on in prime time: "Why get so worked up about it? Putting aside the religious aspect for a moment, the 10 Cs are not a bad set of rules for civilized societies to aspire to and we could probably all do with a general reminder of them from time to time."
Paul in Pennsylvania: "The Ten Commandments should be displayed on government property as soon as the Bill of Rights is displayed in all houses of worship."
And Marc writes: "As a member of the 20 percent who don't want the Commandments displayed in government offices and courts, I just want to remind the other 80 percent that my freedom of religion is infringed upon when I can't escape the words of your god in our g."
This comes from a recovering Baptist.
HEMMER: Keep recovering.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
A break here.
In a moment, we're following this developing story out of Spain today. A possible link between last year's Madrid train bombing and New York City's Grand Central Station. Live to Madrid. We'll let you know what we're finding out so far today on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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