Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Michael Jackson Sideshow; Marriage Penalty for Firefighter?

Aired June 10, 2005 - 07:30   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody, on a Friday. It's 7:30 here. Good to have you along with us today. I'm Bill Hemmer.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And happy Friday. I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad.

HEMMER: We are keeping a very close eye on Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the year, bearing down on the Gulf Coast. It should make landfall about Saturday evening sometime. And Rob Marciano is working for Chad today. He's tracking that storm. We'll see what kind of strength we're looking at with Arlene, huh? Come on, Arlene.

COSTELLO: Come on, Valerie Morris, right now.

HEMMER: We'll have that too.

VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. Good morning, Carol. And good morning, Bill. Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News."

A new government report says the FBI missed at least five chances before the 9/11 attacks to find two of the hijackers. The report from the Justice Department's inspector general also adds significant new details about the FBI's failure to prevent the attacks. The FBI says that it has taken substantial steps to address the issues in the report.

President Bush defending the Patriot Act once again this morning, as he pushes for parts of it to be renewed. The president will speak at the National Counterterrorism Center in Virginia. During a stop in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, the president denied the Patriot Act violated civil and individual rights, saying it instead had saved American lives. After his remarks this morning, the president will meet with South Korea's leader.

A 22-year-old man arrested in a suspected terror plot in California is expected to appear in federal court this afternoon. Prosecutors say Hamid Hayat and his father were making plans to carry out a jihad against the United States. They were both charged with making false statements to the FBI. Three other Pakistani natives near Sacramento have also been detained on immigration violations.

It has been nearly two weeks since an Alabama teenagers went missing in Aruba. T total of five suspects are now being held in connection with Natalee Holloway's disappearance. Police say one of the suspects was with Holloway at her hotel's casino the day before she vanished. He and two other teens admitted giving Holloway a ride home the night she disappeared.

The U.S. Gulf Coast is keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Arlene and making preparations just in case. A tropical storm watch is in effect from central Louisiana to Pensacola, Florida. Right now, that storm is making its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

And hurricane season is apparently keeping the stork very busy. Officials in central Florida are blaming last year's storms for a recent baby boom. Births were up by as much as 20 percent at some hospitals last month. And this year's storm season, well, it's expected to be even worse.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The Michael Jackson jury returns for its sixth day of deliberations this morning. And one of Jackson's most rabid supporters may have gone a bit too far outside of the courthouse. B.J. Hickman, you see him there. You may remember him from a CNN story about Jackson fans. Well, he was hit with a restraining order on Thursday for verbally abusing Court TV reporter Diane Dimond. Hickman has been ordered to stay at least 20 yards away from Dimond and not threaten, harass or contact her. He was also ordered not to interfere with her broadcast by yelling at her. In 1993, Dimond first reported child molestation charges against Jackson while with the syndicated show "Hard Copy."

The trial itself has been described as a circus at times. But now, during the verdict watch, the courthouse sideshow has become even showier.

CNN's Rusty Dornin, who has been there each day, gives us a taste of what it's like at Camp M.J.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The wait is on at the Santa Maria courthouse, a wait that can be sometimes busy, sometimes boring, often entertaining, but stocked with plenty of no- nos.

(on camera): Let's talk about all of the things you can't do outside the courthouse. First of all, you can't jaywalk. One of the CNN employees got a $125 ticket for that a few weeks ago. For the fans on the outside, the fence, no trespassing, no climbing on the fence, do not disturb the peace. Now, once you cross this line, our photographer has to turn his camera off. He cannot come with me until we reach the next point.

TIM CAVENAUGH, SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: The only place you can film or photograph is along the pens, which we call on the sides, or out on the street.

DORNIN: And how about... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, let me stop you for just a second. Tim, let me move you out here.

CAVENAUGH: Absolutely. Any place where it's easier for you guys.

DORNIN: We just got moved away from the place where we were just shooting, because it's against the rules, right?

CAVENAUGH: Yes. But the reason it's against the rules is because we don't want to be blocking this area for the emergency traffic that might be coming through here -- ambulance fire, police.

DORNIN: This is the main media entrance. There's no public allowed beyond this point. And I'm going to have to show my pass to the officer here at the front gate, and then I'm allowed to walk in here. But the photographers cannot be rolling as they walk through here. They have to shoot from behind the fence.

When something happens in court, or someone like Jesse Jackson comes into the area, there's a lockdown. We're not allowed to walk outside the fence, so we've got to make our way -- and sometimes you get help -- through a very narrow area for as long as the sheriffs tell us we have to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a shot of him driving in the vehicle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have that, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

DORNIN: Producers, photographers, and reporters filling time.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CELEBRITY JUSTICE: We scratch our heads at the crazy circus that is enfolding us, looking over at the fans. Sometimes they're screaming insults at us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Report some more lies, you nasty she-devil racist!

DORNIN (voice over): Ah, yes, the fans. They chant. They sing. They sleep. And...

(on camera): Not all fans are here for the same reason. And some have nothing to do with Michael Jackson. And sometimes those fans get into confrontations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pain in the neck!

DORNIN (voice over): Too many people too often with not enough to do but wait.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: And just in case you're keeping score, the Jackson jurors have been deliberating now for more than 22 hours over five days.

HEMMER: A lot of times you get verdicts on Friday, Carol. We'll see today. Thanks.

Firefighter Matt Cooper is torn between the job he's always wanted and the woman he now wants to marry. Cooper will get married next Saturday. And when he says "I do," his boss is expected to say "You're fired."

Matt's bride-to-be is the daughter of a Rock Hills, South Carolina, fire captain, and the city has a policy about nepotism that prohibits family members from working together. There's the rub.

Matt Cooper and his fiance, Brooke Lowery, are now with me from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Good morning to both of you.

BROOKE LOWERY, MATT COOPER'S FINANCE: Good morning.

MATT COOPER, ROCK HILLS, S.C. FIREFIGHTER: Good morning.

HEMMER: Thanks for coming in. Hey, Matt, what do you love about Brooke?

COOPER: Everything.

HEMMER: Brooke, what about you?

LOWERY: Everything. I love everything about him.

HEMMER: So you guys are, what, eight days away from the big wedding, right?

LOWERY: Eight days.

HEMMER: The pressure is building. Things are getting together. You're getting all of the final plans done. And now you've got this issue with the fire department. Matt, you kind of knew the deal going in, right? You knew about the city's policy?

COOPER: No, that's not exactly true. That's their stance on the issue. But I think America can relate to, whenever you get a new job, they push a bunch of paperwork in front of you and make you sign it. And they're saying that I signed the policy, which is not true. I actually signed the city handbook saying that I received it.

HEMMER: Well, the city is saying -- and I'll show this for our viewers -- conversations with you, Matt, have gone on since your first date with your fiance. How long ago was that, by the way?

COOPER: Almost two years ago. HEMMER: Two years ago, OK. It continues, "The city has presented every available option, including reassignment within the city's other 10 departments. Every one of these alternatives were rejected by Matt even though they were offered in good faith." Is that the case, Matt?

COOPER: I don't think they were talking to me from the first date. They actually -- I approached them and told them that we were getting serious. And I actually approached my captain and went up the chain of command to get it resolved within the city, trying to keep my job. April 9 was the first talk with the fire chief, and he said that he was going to do everything he could for me.

HEMMER: Now, when you go up the chain of command, before you get to the chief, you get to the captain, right, as you just mentioned? That captain is your father, right, Brooke?

HEMMER: I do have a captain -- my dad is the captain of the fire department in Rock Hills.

HEMMER: What does he say about all of this to you?

LOWERY: He is behind Matt 100 percent.

HEMMER: Behind what?

LOWERY: Behind him doing everything that he's doing.

HEMMER: OK. But does he want you to get married? Does he want Matt to keep his job? Or does he think Matt should find work elsewhere?

LOWERY: No. He wants me and Matt to get married. He wishes us the best. And he wants Matt to be able to keep his job with the city.

HEMMER: Yes. Would you take another job with the city, Matt, if it came to that?

COOPER: No, sir. My dad is a firefighter from Ohio. And that's the whole reason I moved down here to South Carolina was to be like him, follow in his footsteps. That's the way it is in the fire service. It's a family tradition. And that's what I'm doing. I believe in that with all my heart, and that's where I want to be.

HEMMER: Well, you've got to love people from Ohio, don't you? You're going to make your case before city council on Monday. What's your argument, Matt?

COOPER: My argument is that they can amend the policy. They have amended it previously a couple times. And also, that they can move me to not have any contact with him.

And I just want to clarify something that we were just talking about. When I took it to the captain at the time, he was not my captain, and he wasn't even on the same shift at the time that we were dating. HEMMER: Oh, that's interesting. Hey, now, Brooke, have you guys been able to even plan a honeymoon given all of this distraction?

LOWERY: Yes. We are going to Cancun, Mexico. I can't wait.

HEMMER: Oh, that's something to look forward to, long after this little scuffle is taken of.

LOWERY: I know.

HEMMER: How would you like it to turn out, Brooke, in the end?

LOWERY: I would like for Matt to be able to keep his job. He really likes being a firefighter. And it's in his heart. And I hope he can keep his job.

HEMMER: Do you think you've got a fighting chance, Matt?

COOPER: I don't know. I guess we're going to find out on Monday.

HEMMER: Well, good luck to you. This is like the Montagues and the Capulets down in South Carolina. Thanks for sharing your story. And whatever happens on Monday, my best to both of you next Saturday. Make sure you have the time of your lives, and I'm certain you will. All right, thank you.

LOWERY: Thank you.

HEMMER: And thanks for coming on today. Matt Cooper, firefighter, and his fiance, Brooke Lowery, with us today from Charlotte -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And they sure seem happy about going to Cancun. Good for them.

One of the biggest corporate fraud cases in United States history may be closer to a verdict. Andy has that in "Minding Your Business."

And a battle of one-hit wonders is one of TV's hottest shows. "90-Second Pop" weighs in on the success of "Hit Me Baby One More Time." That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There is word we may soon get a verdict in the case of two former Tyco executives. More on that now and a preview of today's action on Wall Street. Andy Serwer is minding your -- I cannot believe this Kozlowski thing is still going on.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It's going on. Well, this is the second trial. And there may not be a verdict, Carol. It may be a resolution. It may be another mistrial. I'll tell you why. Jurors are asking Judge Obis (ph) if they have to agree unanimously on all 31 criminal counts against the "Koz." There he is right there. The judge said he was going to rule on that today. Another mistrial would just simply be mind-boggling.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: But I don't think they have to -- they don't have to do that do they?

SERWER: Well, the judge is not sure about that, believe it or not.

CAFFERTY: The judge doesn't know the answer?

SERWER: Well, he was going to sort through this.

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: He's going to meet with the criminal attorneys and the prosecutors. They're all going to sit together and do their thing and try to figure this thing out today.

CAFFERTY: Don't they have, like, rules about that stuff?

SERWER: Law books? Rules?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

SERWER: I don't know.

CAFFERTY: Isn't the judge supposed to know that?

SERWER: The judge doesn't know.

CAFFERTY: He should be able to answer that like that.

SERWER: All right, we'll see.

COSTELLO: Andy, could you get him on the phone?

SERWER: We'll see what's going to happen. Yes, we'll see what's going to happen.

Meanwhile, a CNN producer is reporting that Mark Schwartz, he's the co-defendant of Dennis Kozlowski, the former CFO, his family was all wearing these yellow, sort of like those Lance Armstrong live strong bands. They have new ones that say "truth and strength." It's sort of a bonding thing, I guess.

CAFFERTY: Come on. Loser.

SERWER: Let's talk about the markets yesterday. Alan Greenspan was on Capitol Hill testifying, and he was issuing some warnings, basically saying the economy is on firm footing, but concerned about the housing bubble, concerned about the trade gap. The market shrugged it off, as you just saw there. Stocks up across the board. He is going to be raising interest rates. You can count on that.

This morning, though, futures are up. But Tropical Storm Arlene sweeping into the Gulf is raising oil prices. You remember last fall, I think it was Hurricane Ivan that went into the Gulf and did some serious damage to the oil rigs there. Concern about that.

HEMMER: We'll be talking about for a while, a couple weeks.

SERWER: Yes, exactly.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Money is on Jack's mind today.

CAFFERTY: Money, money, money. Two hundred thousand new millionaires created this last year in the United States. That means 1 in every 110 Americans is now worth a million bucks. According to a world wealth report by Cap Gemini and Merrill Lynch, 2.5 million Americans now have more than $1 million in assets. That's almost a 10 percent increase from the previous year.

So, the question is: What's behind the surge in America's millionaires?

Bob in Atlanta, Georgia: "The surge in American millionaires is directly proportional to the reduction of Americans that used to be considered middle class and are now slipping toward the ranks of the working poor. This is exactly what the White House is banking on with their economic policies."

Randy in Lufkin, Texas: "Jack, I'm not certain on this one, but I'd bet that most of these people own a lot of oil company stock."

Weldon in New Market, Ontario: "The main reason for the huge surge is the fact that the white-collar workers are becoming more proficient as being professional crooks."

Jerry in Georgia: "American workers are now bearing more of the cost of government than ever before, enabling the wealthy to horde their ill-gotten gains. Creating more Republican millionaires is the Republican dream regardless of who it impacts."

And Nathan in New Jersey writes: "I don't know what's behind the surge in millionaires, Jack, but you sure have me feeling like an underachiever."

HEMMER: Hang in there, Nathan.

CAFFERTY: Join the club.

SERWER: Bitter non-millionaires out there. Come on.

COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, first the hype, now comes the movie. Could "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" live up to all of the buzz around Brad and Angelina? "90-Second Pop" is next when AMERICAN MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Everyone is already laughing. It's "90-Second Pop" for a Friday, starring Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly." B.J. Sigesmund from...

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": No, that's -- that was Amy just now.

COSTELLO: No one is perfect. And Amy Barnett from "Teen People."

Welcome to you all. I'm sorry, Jessica. It's OK. Let's talk about 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith" though, because this movie opens this weekend. And, B.J., you have seen it.

SIGESMUND: Yes, I've seen it. Everyone is very excited to see this movie. I'm sure it's going to make, like, $40 million over this weekend. It's a pleasure actually to talk about the movie, too, which, as you know, is about two married assassins who go into couples counseling because they're totally bored with their suburban life.

COSTELLO: I can see how that happens.

SIGESMUND: And they realize along the way that they are both hired killers who have been assigned to kill each other. Now, what works about the movie is the incredible chemistry between Brad and Angelina. They are great whether they're trying -- you know, shooting at each other, and they're great in the sex scenes, of which there are two.

AMY BARNETT, "TEEN PEOPLE": You would almost think they're having an affair with each other. It's crazy.

SIGESMUND: But I want to tell you that the plot is sorely lacking. That's the problem.

BARNETT: But who cares, though?

SIGESMUND: Well...

BARNETT: Who cares about the plot?

SIGESMUND: I'm here to give you a review of the movie.

COSTELLO: That's right, because it's really all about sexual voyeurism, isn't it?

(CROSSTALK)

SIGESMUND: There are only two sex scenes, and there is a lot of gunfire, car chases. The plot, you know, needed a lot more work.

BARNETT: I don't care.

COSTELLO: What's more than violence and sex?

JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": I'm with Amy. I kind of feel like I will tune in to see this movie no matter what. They are both -- they could sit there on screen, and I would sit in the movie theater, drooling, eating my popcorn.

BARNETT: I'm just so grateful the movie finally came out, so maybe Brangelina can exist in public now.

COSTELLO: Did you say Brangelina?

BARNETT: I did say Brangelina. I did. I'm cheesy like that.

COSTELLO: That's so wrong. OK, let's move along to this "Hit Me Baby One More Time," because I watched a little bit of it last night, and I don't get it.

SHAW: Really? Oh, I love it. I think it's sort of like the TV version of the of '80s compilation CDs you buy in the middle of the night.

BARNETT: Right, right, right.

SHAW: Or that I buy in the middle of the night. You want to tune in for the freak factor. I mean, you get to see, like, The Knack and Tommy Tutone and Vanilla Ice.

COSTELLO: I know. But, look, they look all overweight.

SHAW: They're definitely all fatter. They're all balding. But you know what? I think it's fun. I think it's fun to watch.

SIGESMUND: Well, part of the point is the nostalgia factor. You know, everyone loves hearing them sing the first song, of course, "My Sharona" or "8675309" or Ice, Ice, Baby." Vanilla Ice won after all last night.

COSTELLO: I saw his performance.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

SHAW: Do you know what's funny? I just think that most people were sort of in on the joke. They're like, yes, we're kind of cheesy. We're back. Vanilla Ice took it very seriously.

BARNETT: Right, right, right.

SHAW: He was sort of, like, I want the comeback.

BARNETT: It was a big moment, though, if you think about it. He realizes this is his last big chance. All of the other artists, they have nothing else going for them.

COSTELLO: But see, that's what I'm talking about. They all seem like losers.

SIGESMUND: Well, who cares? Who cares?

(CROSSTALK) SHAW: Do you know what? NBC is, like, who cares? About 8.9 million people tuned in to see these losers. So bring them on next week.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's...

SIGESMUND: I'm sure it will be renewed.

COSTELLO: OK.

SIGESMUND: You know, it's only a three-episode show, but I'm sure it will be renewed, like, this morning.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, because the ratings are absolutely...

SHAW: And Irene Cara next week and Wang Chung.

BARNETT: Watch Vanilla Ice get another recording contract. That's what I'm afraid of. I don't need to be subjected to Vanilla Ice on the air now.

COSTELLO: He was good. He was, like, pouring iced tea on the audience. It was weird.

Let's talk about Michael Jackson, because that segue is as good as any.

SHAW: Vanilla Ice and Michael Jackson.

BARNETT: It's a circus. And I want to say, it's almost less of a circus than I thought it would be. There are no pet monkeys or anything.

COSTELLO: There's a magician. He has a personal magician now.

BARNETT: I know. I know. It's a little ridiculous. It was Majestic Magnificent or whatever, his family and friends now accompanying him to the trial or was accompanying him to the trial. But I'm just sort of hoping that, honestly, Michael Jackson is not as destitute as all of the reports are saying. And that if the jury acquits him, he could just take his money and his friend, Majestic Magician or whatever, and move off to one of the countries around the world that still consider him to be a deity. Because in this country, even if he is acquitted, he's got an uphill battle to repair his reputation.

SIGESMUND: Right. I mean, I feel like his reputation was lost years ago, well before the baby dangling incident. And, you know, it was really clear when his album "Invincible" came out in 2001. Remember, he put $30 million of his own money into it, and it was a total flop. No one wanted to buy it. So, his career was really over then, well before the trial.

SHAW: I don't know. I think he's looking really -- he's looking bad, and he's looking sick. And there is not much -- even, you know, the Majestic Magician can really sort of deflect from that. And it's worrisome.

COSTELLO: Do you know what I found very fascinating about this? I think that those of us who knew Michael Jackson's performances when he was a little guy, we all have that place in our heart for him still, even though he's grown up to become what we don't understand.

SHAW: You and a lot of crazed fans who are showing up who look like dolls of Michael Jackson and, like, stalking Court TV reporters to the point where they have to get restraining orders against them.

SIGESMUND: Carol, you should be there. You should be there in Santa Maria with them.

COSTELLO: I should, shouldn't I? Why am I here? I'm leaving. Amy Barnett, B.J. Sigesmund and Jessica Shaw, thank you for joining us this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: Carol, thanks.

In a moment, we'll go back to Aruba. Developments again today on that story. We're watching Arlene this morning.

And we're "Paging Dr. Gupta," talking about the dark side of teeth whitening. Back in a moment when we continue on a Friday edition of AMERICAN MORNING.

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


Aired June 10, 2005 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody, on a Friday. It's 7:30 here. Good to have you along with us today. I'm Bill Hemmer.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And happy Friday. I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad.

HEMMER: We are keeping a very close eye on Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the year, bearing down on the Gulf Coast. It should make landfall about Saturday evening sometime. And Rob Marciano is working for Chad today. He's tracking that storm. We'll see what kind of strength we're looking at with Arlene, huh? Come on, Arlene.

COSTELLO: Come on, Valerie Morris, right now.

HEMMER: We'll have that too.

VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. Good morning, Carol. And good morning, Bill. Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News."

A new government report says the FBI missed at least five chances before the 9/11 attacks to find two of the hijackers. The report from the Justice Department's inspector general also adds significant new details about the FBI's failure to prevent the attacks. The FBI says that it has taken substantial steps to address the issues in the report.

President Bush defending the Patriot Act once again this morning, as he pushes for parts of it to be renewed. The president will speak at the National Counterterrorism Center in Virginia. During a stop in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, the president denied the Patriot Act violated civil and individual rights, saying it instead had saved American lives. After his remarks this morning, the president will meet with South Korea's leader.

A 22-year-old man arrested in a suspected terror plot in California is expected to appear in federal court this afternoon. Prosecutors say Hamid Hayat and his father were making plans to carry out a jihad against the United States. They were both charged with making false statements to the FBI. Three other Pakistani natives near Sacramento have also been detained on immigration violations.

It has been nearly two weeks since an Alabama teenagers went missing in Aruba. T total of five suspects are now being held in connection with Natalee Holloway's disappearance. Police say one of the suspects was with Holloway at her hotel's casino the day before she vanished. He and two other teens admitted giving Holloway a ride home the night she disappeared.

The U.S. Gulf Coast is keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Arlene and making preparations just in case. A tropical storm watch is in effect from central Louisiana to Pensacola, Florida. Right now, that storm is making its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

And hurricane season is apparently keeping the stork very busy. Officials in central Florida are blaming last year's storms for a recent baby boom. Births were up by as much as 20 percent at some hospitals last month. And this year's storm season, well, it's expected to be even worse.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The Michael Jackson jury returns for its sixth day of deliberations this morning. And one of Jackson's most rabid supporters may have gone a bit too far outside of the courthouse. B.J. Hickman, you see him there. You may remember him from a CNN story about Jackson fans. Well, he was hit with a restraining order on Thursday for verbally abusing Court TV reporter Diane Dimond. Hickman has been ordered to stay at least 20 yards away from Dimond and not threaten, harass or contact her. He was also ordered not to interfere with her broadcast by yelling at her. In 1993, Dimond first reported child molestation charges against Jackson while with the syndicated show "Hard Copy."

The trial itself has been described as a circus at times. But now, during the verdict watch, the courthouse sideshow has become even showier.

CNN's Rusty Dornin, who has been there each day, gives us a taste of what it's like at Camp M.J.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The wait is on at the Santa Maria courthouse, a wait that can be sometimes busy, sometimes boring, often entertaining, but stocked with plenty of no- nos.

(on camera): Let's talk about all of the things you can't do outside the courthouse. First of all, you can't jaywalk. One of the CNN employees got a $125 ticket for that a few weeks ago. For the fans on the outside, the fence, no trespassing, no climbing on the fence, do not disturb the peace. Now, once you cross this line, our photographer has to turn his camera off. He cannot come with me until we reach the next point.

TIM CAVENAUGH, SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: The only place you can film or photograph is along the pens, which we call on the sides, or out on the street.

DORNIN: And how about... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, let me stop you for just a second. Tim, let me move you out here.

CAVENAUGH: Absolutely. Any place where it's easier for you guys.

DORNIN: We just got moved away from the place where we were just shooting, because it's against the rules, right?

CAVENAUGH: Yes. But the reason it's against the rules is because we don't want to be blocking this area for the emergency traffic that might be coming through here -- ambulance fire, police.

DORNIN: This is the main media entrance. There's no public allowed beyond this point. And I'm going to have to show my pass to the officer here at the front gate, and then I'm allowed to walk in here. But the photographers cannot be rolling as they walk through here. They have to shoot from behind the fence.

When something happens in court, or someone like Jesse Jackson comes into the area, there's a lockdown. We're not allowed to walk outside the fence, so we've got to make our way -- and sometimes you get help -- through a very narrow area for as long as the sheriffs tell us we have to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a shot of him driving in the vehicle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have that, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

DORNIN: Producers, photographers, and reporters filling time.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CELEBRITY JUSTICE: We scratch our heads at the crazy circus that is enfolding us, looking over at the fans. Sometimes they're screaming insults at us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Report some more lies, you nasty she-devil racist!

DORNIN (voice over): Ah, yes, the fans. They chant. They sing. They sleep. And...

(on camera): Not all fans are here for the same reason. And some have nothing to do with Michael Jackson. And sometimes those fans get into confrontations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pain in the neck!

DORNIN (voice over): Too many people too often with not enough to do but wait.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: And just in case you're keeping score, the Jackson jurors have been deliberating now for more than 22 hours over five days.

HEMMER: A lot of times you get verdicts on Friday, Carol. We'll see today. Thanks.

Firefighter Matt Cooper is torn between the job he's always wanted and the woman he now wants to marry. Cooper will get married next Saturday. And when he says "I do," his boss is expected to say "You're fired."

Matt's bride-to-be is the daughter of a Rock Hills, South Carolina, fire captain, and the city has a policy about nepotism that prohibits family members from working together. There's the rub.

Matt Cooper and his fiance, Brooke Lowery, are now with me from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Good morning to both of you.

BROOKE LOWERY, MATT COOPER'S FINANCE: Good morning.

MATT COOPER, ROCK HILLS, S.C. FIREFIGHTER: Good morning.

HEMMER: Thanks for coming in. Hey, Matt, what do you love about Brooke?

COOPER: Everything.

HEMMER: Brooke, what about you?

LOWERY: Everything. I love everything about him.

HEMMER: So you guys are, what, eight days away from the big wedding, right?

LOWERY: Eight days.

HEMMER: The pressure is building. Things are getting together. You're getting all of the final plans done. And now you've got this issue with the fire department. Matt, you kind of knew the deal going in, right? You knew about the city's policy?

COOPER: No, that's not exactly true. That's their stance on the issue. But I think America can relate to, whenever you get a new job, they push a bunch of paperwork in front of you and make you sign it. And they're saying that I signed the policy, which is not true. I actually signed the city handbook saying that I received it.

HEMMER: Well, the city is saying -- and I'll show this for our viewers -- conversations with you, Matt, have gone on since your first date with your fiance. How long ago was that, by the way?

COOPER: Almost two years ago. HEMMER: Two years ago, OK. It continues, "The city has presented every available option, including reassignment within the city's other 10 departments. Every one of these alternatives were rejected by Matt even though they were offered in good faith." Is that the case, Matt?

COOPER: I don't think they were talking to me from the first date. They actually -- I approached them and told them that we were getting serious. And I actually approached my captain and went up the chain of command to get it resolved within the city, trying to keep my job. April 9 was the first talk with the fire chief, and he said that he was going to do everything he could for me.

HEMMER: Now, when you go up the chain of command, before you get to the chief, you get to the captain, right, as you just mentioned? That captain is your father, right, Brooke?

HEMMER: I do have a captain -- my dad is the captain of the fire department in Rock Hills.

HEMMER: What does he say about all of this to you?

LOWERY: He is behind Matt 100 percent.

HEMMER: Behind what?

LOWERY: Behind him doing everything that he's doing.

HEMMER: OK. But does he want you to get married? Does he want Matt to keep his job? Or does he think Matt should find work elsewhere?

LOWERY: No. He wants me and Matt to get married. He wishes us the best. And he wants Matt to be able to keep his job with the city.

HEMMER: Yes. Would you take another job with the city, Matt, if it came to that?

COOPER: No, sir. My dad is a firefighter from Ohio. And that's the whole reason I moved down here to South Carolina was to be like him, follow in his footsteps. That's the way it is in the fire service. It's a family tradition. And that's what I'm doing. I believe in that with all my heart, and that's where I want to be.

HEMMER: Well, you've got to love people from Ohio, don't you? You're going to make your case before city council on Monday. What's your argument, Matt?

COOPER: My argument is that they can amend the policy. They have amended it previously a couple times. And also, that they can move me to not have any contact with him.

And I just want to clarify something that we were just talking about. When I took it to the captain at the time, he was not my captain, and he wasn't even on the same shift at the time that we were dating. HEMMER: Oh, that's interesting. Hey, now, Brooke, have you guys been able to even plan a honeymoon given all of this distraction?

LOWERY: Yes. We are going to Cancun, Mexico. I can't wait.

HEMMER: Oh, that's something to look forward to, long after this little scuffle is taken of.

LOWERY: I know.

HEMMER: How would you like it to turn out, Brooke, in the end?

LOWERY: I would like for Matt to be able to keep his job. He really likes being a firefighter. And it's in his heart. And I hope he can keep his job.

HEMMER: Do you think you've got a fighting chance, Matt?

COOPER: I don't know. I guess we're going to find out on Monday.

HEMMER: Well, good luck to you. This is like the Montagues and the Capulets down in South Carolina. Thanks for sharing your story. And whatever happens on Monday, my best to both of you next Saturday. Make sure you have the time of your lives, and I'm certain you will. All right, thank you.

LOWERY: Thank you.

HEMMER: And thanks for coming on today. Matt Cooper, firefighter, and his fiance, Brooke Lowery, with us today from Charlotte -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And they sure seem happy about going to Cancun. Good for them.

One of the biggest corporate fraud cases in United States history may be closer to a verdict. Andy has that in "Minding Your Business."

And a battle of one-hit wonders is one of TV's hottest shows. "90-Second Pop" weighs in on the success of "Hit Me Baby One More Time." That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There is word we may soon get a verdict in the case of two former Tyco executives. More on that now and a preview of today's action on Wall Street. Andy Serwer is minding your -- I cannot believe this Kozlowski thing is still going on.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It's going on. Well, this is the second trial. And there may not be a verdict, Carol. It may be a resolution. It may be another mistrial. I'll tell you why. Jurors are asking Judge Obis (ph) if they have to agree unanimously on all 31 criminal counts against the "Koz." There he is right there. The judge said he was going to rule on that today. Another mistrial would just simply be mind-boggling.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: But I don't think they have to -- they don't have to do that do they?

SERWER: Well, the judge is not sure about that, believe it or not.

CAFFERTY: The judge doesn't know the answer?

SERWER: Well, he was going to sort through this.

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: He's going to meet with the criminal attorneys and the prosecutors. They're all going to sit together and do their thing and try to figure this thing out today.

CAFFERTY: Don't they have, like, rules about that stuff?

SERWER: Law books? Rules?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

SERWER: I don't know.

CAFFERTY: Isn't the judge supposed to know that?

SERWER: The judge doesn't know.

CAFFERTY: He should be able to answer that like that.

SERWER: All right, we'll see.

COSTELLO: Andy, could you get him on the phone?

SERWER: We'll see what's going to happen. Yes, we'll see what's going to happen.

Meanwhile, a CNN producer is reporting that Mark Schwartz, he's the co-defendant of Dennis Kozlowski, the former CFO, his family was all wearing these yellow, sort of like those Lance Armstrong live strong bands. They have new ones that say "truth and strength." It's sort of a bonding thing, I guess.

CAFFERTY: Come on. Loser.

SERWER: Let's talk about the markets yesterday. Alan Greenspan was on Capitol Hill testifying, and he was issuing some warnings, basically saying the economy is on firm footing, but concerned about the housing bubble, concerned about the trade gap. The market shrugged it off, as you just saw there. Stocks up across the board. He is going to be raising interest rates. You can count on that.

This morning, though, futures are up. But Tropical Storm Arlene sweeping into the Gulf is raising oil prices. You remember last fall, I think it was Hurricane Ivan that went into the Gulf and did some serious damage to the oil rigs there. Concern about that.

HEMMER: We'll be talking about for a while, a couple weeks.

SERWER: Yes, exactly.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Money is on Jack's mind today.

CAFFERTY: Money, money, money. Two hundred thousand new millionaires created this last year in the United States. That means 1 in every 110 Americans is now worth a million bucks. According to a world wealth report by Cap Gemini and Merrill Lynch, 2.5 million Americans now have more than $1 million in assets. That's almost a 10 percent increase from the previous year.

So, the question is: What's behind the surge in America's millionaires?

Bob in Atlanta, Georgia: "The surge in American millionaires is directly proportional to the reduction of Americans that used to be considered middle class and are now slipping toward the ranks of the working poor. This is exactly what the White House is banking on with their economic policies."

Randy in Lufkin, Texas: "Jack, I'm not certain on this one, but I'd bet that most of these people own a lot of oil company stock."

Weldon in New Market, Ontario: "The main reason for the huge surge is the fact that the white-collar workers are becoming more proficient as being professional crooks."

Jerry in Georgia: "American workers are now bearing more of the cost of government than ever before, enabling the wealthy to horde their ill-gotten gains. Creating more Republican millionaires is the Republican dream regardless of who it impacts."

And Nathan in New Jersey writes: "I don't know what's behind the surge in millionaires, Jack, but you sure have me feeling like an underachiever."

HEMMER: Hang in there, Nathan.

CAFFERTY: Join the club.

SERWER: Bitter non-millionaires out there. Come on.

COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, first the hype, now comes the movie. Could "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" live up to all of the buzz around Brad and Angelina? "90-Second Pop" is next when AMERICAN MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Everyone is already laughing. It's "90-Second Pop" for a Friday, starring Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly." B.J. Sigesmund from...

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": No, that's -- that was Amy just now.

COSTELLO: No one is perfect. And Amy Barnett from "Teen People."

Welcome to you all. I'm sorry, Jessica. It's OK. Let's talk about 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith" though, because this movie opens this weekend. And, B.J., you have seen it.

SIGESMUND: Yes, I've seen it. Everyone is very excited to see this movie. I'm sure it's going to make, like, $40 million over this weekend. It's a pleasure actually to talk about the movie, too, which, as you know, is about two married assassins who go into couples counseling because they're totally bored with their suburban life.

COSTELLO: I can see how that happens.

SIGESMUND: And they realize along the way that they are both hired killers who have been assigned to kill each other. Now, what works about the movie is the incredible chemistry between Brad and Angelina. They are great whether they're trying -- you know, shooting at each other, and they're great in the sex scenes, of which there are two.

AMY BARNETT, "TEEN PEOPLE": You would almost think they're having an affair with each other. It's crazy.

SIGESMUND: But I want to tell you that the plot is sorely lacking. That's the problem.

BARNETT: But who cares, though?

SIGESMUND: Well...

BARNETT: Who cares about the plot?

SIGESMUND: I'm here to give you a review of the movie.

COSTELLO: That's right, because it's really all about sexual voyeurism, isn't it?

(CROSSTALK)

SIGESMUND: There are only two sex scenes, and there is a lot of gunfire, car chases. The plot, you know, needed a lot more work.

BARNETT: I don't care.

COSTELLO: What's more than violence and sex?

JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": I'm with Amy. I kind of feel like I will tune in to see this movie no matter what. They are both -- they could sit there on screen, and I would sit in the movie theater, drooling, eating my popcorn.

BARNETT: I'm just so grateful the movie finally came out, so maybe Brangelina can exist in public now.

COSTELLO: Did you say Brangelina?

BARNETT: I did say Brangelina. I did. I'm cheesy like that.

COSTELLO: That's so wrong. OK, let's move along to this "Hit Me Baby One More Time," because I watched a little bit of it last night, and I don't get it.

SHAW: Really? Oh, I love it. I think it's sort of like the TV version of the of '80s compilation CDs you buy in the middle of the night.

BARNETT: Right, right, right.

SHAW: Or that I buy in the middle of the night. You want to tune in for the freak factor. I mean, you get to see, like, The Knack and Tommy Tutone and Vanilla Ice.

COSTELLO: I know. But, look, they look all overweight.

SHAW: They're definitely all fatter. They're all balding. But you know what? I think it's fun. I think it's fun to watch.

SIGESMUND: Well, part of the point is the nostalgia factor. You know, everyone loves hearing them sing the first song, of course, "My Sharona" or "8675309" or Ice, Ice, Baby." Vanilla Ice won after all last night.

COSTELLO: I saw his performance.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

SHAW: Do you know what's funny? I just think that most people were sort of in on the joke. They're like, yes, we're kind of cheesy. We're back. Vanilla Ice took it very seriously.

BARNETT: Right, right, right.

SHAW: He was sort of, like, I want the comeback.

BARNETT: It was a big moment, though, if you think about it. He realizes this is his last big chance. All of the other artists, they have nothing else going for them.

COSTELLO: But see, that's what I'm talking about. They all seem like losers.

SIGESMUND: Well, who cares? Who cares?

(CROSSTALK) SHAW: Do you know what? NBC is, like, who cares? About 8.9 million people tuned in to see these losers. So bring them on next week.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's...

SIGESMUND: I'm sure it will be renewed.

COSTELLO: OK.

SIGESMUND: You know, it's only a three-episode show, but I'm sure it will be renewed, like, this morning.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, because the ratings are absolutely...

SHAW: And Irene Cara next week and Wang Chung.

BARNETT: Watch Vanilla Ice get another recording contract. That's what I'm afraid of. I don't need to be subjected to Vanilla Ice on the air now.

COSTELLO: He was good. He was, like, pouring iced tea on the audience. It was weird.

Let's talk about Michael Jackson, because that segue is as good as any.

SHAW: Vanilla Ice and Michael Jackson.

BARNETT: It's a circus. And I want to say, it's almost less of a circus than I thought it would be. There are no pet monkeys or anything.

COSTELLO: There's a magician. He has a personal magician now.

BARNETT: I know. I know. It's a little ridiculous. It was Majestic Magnificent or whatever, his family and friends now accompanying him to the trial or was accompanying him to the trial. But I'm just sort of hoping that, honestly, Michael Jackson is not as destitute as all of the reports are saying. And that if the jury acquits him, he could just take his money and his friend, Majestic Magician or whatever, and move off to one of the countries around the world that still consider him to be a deity. Because in this country, even if he is acquitted, he's got an uphill battle to repair his reputation.

SIGESMUND: Right. I mean, I feel like his reputation was lost years ago, well before the baby dangling incident. And, you know, it was really clear when his album "Invincible" came out in 2001. Remember, he put $30 million of his own money into it, and it was a total flop. No one wanted to buy it. So, his career was really over then, well before the trial.

SHAW: I don't know. I think he's looking really -- he's looking bad, and he's looking sick. And there is not much -- even, you know, the Majestic Magician can really sort of deflect from that. And it's worrisome.

COSTELLO: Do you know what I found very fascinating about this? I think that those of us who knew Michael Jackson's performances when he was a little guy, we all have that place in our heart for him still, even though he's grown up to become what we don't understand.

SHAW: You and a lot of crazed fans who are showing up who look like dolls of Michael Jackson and, like, stalking Court TV reporters to the point where they have to get restraining orders against them.

SIGESMUND: Carol, you should be there. You should be there in Santa Maria with them.

COSTELLO: I should, shouldn't I? Why am I here? I'm leaving. Amy Barnett, B.J. Sigesmund and Jessica Shaw, thank you for joining us this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: Carol, thanks.

In a moment, we'll go back to Aruba. Developments again today on that story. We're watching Arlene this morning.

And we're "Paging Dr. Gupta," talking about the dark side of teeth whitening. Back in a moment when we continue on a Friday edition of AMERICAN MORNING.

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