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CNN Live At Daybreak

Jackson Not Guilty; Developer Building Sex Offender-Free Neighborhood; Michael Jackson's Fans React; Politics As Usual?

Aired June 14, 2005 - 06:30   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Our other top story this morning, Michael Jackson acquitted on all counts in his child molestation trial. Of course, he's all over the papers, especially in Santa Maria, California, where the trial was held. The "Santa Maria Times" has put out a commemorative issue. It will cost you $1. "He beat it." That's the headline in the British tabloid "The Sun."
In the meantime, Jackson's jurors say they ignored all of the media hype.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RODRIGUEZ, JURY FOREMAN: One of the first things we decided that we had to look at him as just like any other individual, not just as a celebrity. And once we got that established that we could go beyond that, we were able to deal with it just as fairly as we could with anybody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Jackson's ex-wife is praising the verdict. Debbie Rowe says -- quote: "I would have never married a pedophile. The system works."

Now, fans and the public are just waiting to hear from the pop star himself. So, let's head live to CNN's Chris Lawrence. He is at Jackson's Neverland Ranch.

Is any sort of press conference planned -- Chris?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No press conference is planned right now, Carol. I can turn around and I can give you an idea of what it looks like here. You can see all of the things that the fans have left, the banner that kind of runs along the gate right there.

Last night, Joe Jackson did come out for just a few minutes. He kind of came up to the fence, reached his arms through to shake hands with some of the fans that had showed up to show their support. And we expect probably that some fans will be showing up here a little bit later, hoping to maybe see some members of the family if they do come out and make a statement.

COSTELLO: Chris, who is in there with him?

LAWRENCE: We believe the family. No way to be sure. You can't get beyond this gate. But they did all leave together -- his sister, Janet Jackson, his parents, Joe and Katherine. So, we believe the family is still together at this point.

COSTELLO: Chris Lawrence live from the Neverland Ranch in California this morning.

We have new pictures of Saddam Hussein to show you; actually videotape. This video was taken Sunday. It was released to us on Monday. It shows Saddam being questioned by an investigator for the special tribunal that will eventually try him.

The statement from the tribunal says he was questioned about an alleged massacre, where at least 50 Iraqis were killed in 1982 after an assassination attempt on the former Iraqi leader. We'll keep you posted.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, they say it's the first sex offender- free neighborhood in the entire country. So, what do you have to do to get a home inside? I'll talk to one of the developers next.

And the vice president versus the face of the Democratic Party: two men, two philosophies and what some would consider low blows from both.

Here is look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning first, though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning, Philadelphia. Glad you could join us this morning.

In the news today, it is difficult to determine if a sex offender lives next door. Some recent high-profile cases have proved that. So, how to be sure? How about a criminal background check for you and your neighbors before you move into your brand spanking new neighborhood? It's happening now in a housing development in Lubbock, Texas. The developer guarantees that his new neighborhood will be sex offender-free.

Here to talk about the plan is Clayton Isom of INS Investments.

Good morning.

CLAYTON ISOM, DEVELOPER: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Well, we're glad you could be here. This is a new development. Before I buy house there, what requirements do I have to meet?

ISOM: Well, it's just, you know, you have to meet all of the requirements of a regular development. However, we have one more requirement you have to meet, and that is that you cannot be a registered sex offender in any state in the nation.

COSTELLO: So, how do you determine that? ISOM: Well, for Lubbock, Texas, the development here in Texas, the state of Texas has several laws. If you move anywhere from one residence to the other, you have to seven days to register with the state in your new residence. And Texas' sex offender list is public information.

COSTELLO: Do you actually do a criminal background check?

ISOM: Well, we will check the backgrounds for registered sex offender status, but we will not check the background for any other criminal activity. You get into infringement, you know, privacy rights and everything else when you go beyond the sex offender.

COSTELLO: I understand. So, if I'm a convicted bank robber or a convicted shoplifter I probably could move into the neighborhood if I could afford it.

ISOM: Yes, ma'am. That's none of our business.

COSTELLO: How do you prevent, like, relatives who may be sex offenders from moving in with family members?

ISOM: Well, that's a good question. What you can do is there is a way in Texas to legally prove that somebody has an established residence. And one of the specific situations we're addressing in our legal contracts is if, say, if a man buys a house from us, and his nephew moves in and is a registered sex offender, the second that we -- basically, you have to say that he spends more time at that house than he doesn't. And the second that we can prove legal residence, then we have 90 days to buy back the house at 85 percent of its value.

COSTELLO: But that sex offender could still come and visit even for a day or two, right?

ISOM: Yes, ma'am. There is absolutely no way to -- there is absolutely no way to 100 percent guarantee that no sex offenders will ever be in the neighborhood. All we're saying is that we're putting all of the safeguards in to make sure there are no sex offenders living next door or down the street.

COSTELLO: I guess I'm thinking you may be providing people a false sense of security.

ISOM: Well, there's just no way. Like I said before, what we're trying to do is to protect families and children from sex offenders living next door. And there's just no way. You know, we're having a gated community. We're going to have gates that are closed all of the time, security cameras. And like I said, all of the safeguards are being put in place to the fullest extent possible that they won't be living next door or down the street or down the block.

COSTELLO: We'll see how it works out. Clayton Isom of INS Investments joining DAYBREAK this morning. Thank you.

ISOM: Thank you very much.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:39 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Authorities in Aruba have released two security guards. They were the first men arrested in the disappearance of an American teenager, Natalee Holloway. The two say they were wrongly detained.

In money news, Manpower Incorporated comes out today with its quarterly survey on nationwide company hirings. "The Wall Street Journal" says the report will say U.S. firms plan to hire at a solid pace in the third quarter.

In culture, actress Alicia Silverstone is now, like, officially unavailable. Her publicist says the 28-year-old star of "Clueless" married her longtime boyfriend, Christopher Jerecki (ph), at Lake Tahoe on Saturday.

In sports, Tiger Woods is number one again. He's replaced Vijay Singh as the world's top-ranked golfer. Woods goes for his 10th major championship at the U.S. Open beginning on Thursday.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, no love lost between Dick Cheney and Howard Dean. But the vice president isn't the only one critical of the DNC's top guy. Is he the right man for the job?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The jurors in the Michael Jackson trial say it wasn't a slam dunk. So, what happened behind closed doors in that jury room?

CNN's Soledad O'Brien will talk with one of the members on that jury. That's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING." She's here to fill us in some more.

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

As you well know, the jury acquitted Michael Jackson on all 10 counts. One of the jurors, though, says he believes Jackson has molested boys in the past. So, why did he decide that Jackson wasn't guilty in this case? We talk to juror number one, Raymond Holtman (ph), this morning.

We're also following the new developments in the Natalee Holloway case. Police have released the two security guards, who were arrested in connection with her disappearance. Holloway's mother was pushing for their release. She thinks the other three suspects in the case, though, know what happened to her daughter. We're going to talk with her about that and much more. We'll find out where the search for Natalee stands this morning as well.

Those stories and much more ahead this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING." Carol, we'll see you at the top of the hour.

COSTELLO: We will indeed. Thank you.

From outside the courthouse in Santa Maria to New York, Mexico City, France and the Netherlands, fans of the entertainer around the globe are responding to the Jackson verdict.

Thelma Gutierrez has a sampling for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, the jury, in the above-entitled case find the defendant not guilty.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, to Atlanta, Georgia, in the South, all the way to Times Square in New York City, fans erupted with elation, including Michael's relatives in Gary, Indiana, where his career began.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, and when we think someone is being railroaded, oh, man, that's awful.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): It's here at Neverland Ranch where Michael Jackson lives that all of these fans began to congregate right after the verdict. Many of them came from different parts of the world. They said that they had to be here to give support to their icon.

(voice over): We talked with fans from as far away as Mexico, Amsterdam and France.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thinking that because this is justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy (INAUDIBLE), and I think Michael is feeling better now. And I think he's very happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael is more than music only. Michael touches people. Whenever Michael is (INAUDIBLE) even people that that don't like him, if they see him, they are happy, for some reason. I cannot explain that.

GUTIERREZ: Diehard fans stood outside the gates of Neverland, hoping the newly-acquitted pop star would make an appearance. Instead, they share their affections with Michael's brother, Randy, and Michael's lead attorney, Tom Mesereau.

Many of the fans here told us when Michael was proclaimed innocent, they felt vindicated, too.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, at the Neverland Ranch in California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We're going to hear -- we're going to be hearing about this verdict for a long time. Don't you think? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I hope one more day, and then we're done.

COSTELLO: Me too.

MYERS: I hope we can move on to something else.

COSTELLO: But I bet we can't. Actually, if you watched the late night, you know, comedy shows, like David Letterman and Jay Leno, that's all they were talking about. And I must say Jay Leno was pretty darn funny last night.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Good news for Michael Jackson, not guilty on all 10 counts. Yes! The bad news, he's going to Disneyland. Yes!

You know something? If he had been a black guy, he would have got convicted like that. You know, come on.

How does this make Martha Stewart feel? O.J. goes free. Robert Blake walks. Michael Jackson not guilty. She made a phone call, hello, is this Mike Broka (ph)? Prison. She's in prison. One phone call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW": Well, the verdict is in. Michael Jackson is not guilty. Not guilty. However, his plastic surgeon, guilty on all counts. He's going to be gone a very long time.

And by the way, this just in, Saddam Hussein would like his trial moved to Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was pretty funny.

MYERS: Wasn't it interesting the crowd reactions, though? When they both announced the verdicts, the crowds' reactions were not -- I thought it would be more cheering. It was a little -- there was a lot of grumbling in there.

COSTELLO: You didn't see that woman releasing the white doves?

MYERS: Oh, of course, I did.

COSTELLO: For each not guilty she released a white dove. MYERS: Sure, sure.

COSTELLO: There is just something wrong with that. I guess it's a nice sentiment, though. I shouldn't make too much fun.

But, you know, when he holds his press conference, and which he will, you know he will...

MYERS: Michael will?

COSTELLO: Oh, of course. Maybe it will be on videotape.

MYERS: Oh OK.

COSTELLO: So this story isn't going to die very slowly.

It's 6:49 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

Jury selection resumes in the murder trial of reputed Klansman Edgar Killen. The 80-year-old is accused of killing three civil rights workers four decades ago. The case was dramatized in the 1988 movie, "Mississippi Burning."

Army deserter Charles Jenkins is due back in the states this morning for the first time in 40 years. He wants to visit his 91- year-old mother, who is in a North Carolina nursing home. Jenkins left his Army unit in South Korea and fled to North Korea in 1965.

You may see more flags than usual today. That's because it's Flag Day. It will be observed throughout the country.

On to politics now. Maybe his mother loved him. When you mention someone's mother, things usually get hot. We're not talking about kids on the playground, but the chairman of the DNC and the vice president of the United States.

Live to Washington and Amy Walter from the "Cook Political Report."

Good morning, Amy.

AMY WALTER, "COOK POLITICAL REPORT": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, Dick Cheney's most recent comments came last night, and he came out swinging, saying Howard Dean is over the top. Of course, he's talking about Dean's description of the GOP as pretty much a white Christian party.

WALTER: Right.

COSTELLO: So, why are the Republicans responding to this at all?

WALTER: Well, that's a very good question. Usually, the rule in politics is when the other side is doing a pretty good job of injuring themselves, you just let them keep going. Don't step in the middle of it. Let them do their own job. I think the issue, though, is that we now have such a polarized political environment here that neither side knows how to in many ways speak to anybody but their own base. Howard Dean definitely riles up the Republican base just as much as he riles up the Democratic base.

And so, in that sense, I think we're going to keep seeing stuff like this going on.

COSTELLO: You've got to listen to the language they're using. This is from Dick Cheney. He says: "I've never been able to understand his appeal" -- Dean's appeal. "Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody else who does.

I mean, is this the right way to fight back? Is it really enlightening anybody?

WALTER: No. But, remember, we have not had the most enlightening debate even among members of Congress here in the last few weeks. So, last time we were talking about filibusters and other issues, where you have members of Congress throwing around all sorts of terms about each other, about the process. We have had -- remember, this is a vice president who got a little bit of ink in the 2004 campaign getting in a fight with Senator Leahy from Vermont, where a certain swear word was reportedly used. Remember that?

COSTELLO: Yes.

WALTER: So...

COSTELLO: I think it was, yes.

WALTER: Yes. So, this is certainly not unusual. And this is the level of debate now that we have had here in Washington.

COSTELLO: Well, you see, I thought this would be cleaned up by 2006 and 2008. But is it even going to be nastier?

WALTER: Well, 2006 certainly has the capacity to be nastier. I mean, really, if what you're talking about is over the last two elections we have had really a base politics. Republicans talking to their base, Democrats talking to their base, very few people talking to the middle. We know going into 2006 this is probably going to be the same strategy put on top of that what is likely, at least at this point it looks like, an environment that's not very good for the Republican Party. That encourages even more of the sort of divisiveness, because Republicans are going to have to work very hard to get their base out and make sure that they make Democrats look unacceptable.

COSTELLO: And I just want to read to our viewers the response from the Dean camp to Dick Cheney's use of -- I guess when he invoked Howard Dean's mother. This is from the Democrats: "Governor Dean must be doing something right if the vice president of the United States would stoop so low as to use the governor's mother as a way to deflect from answering the concerns of the American people."

They just sound so childish.

WALTER: Well, you know, again, the issue here, too, is with Howard Dean. I mean, in the long run, does this impact the 2006 elections? Is this going to, you know, issue the demise of the Democratic Party? I don't think so.

But I think the fact is, you know, every time Howard Dean gets in the news, it allows Republicans, who quite frankly have been on their heels for the last couple of weeks here, to at least get their footing. And it takes the focus off of issues that have not been going so well. So, in that sense, that's where Dean helps the Republicans a little bit.

But as for the fighting, I don't think that's going to go away anytime soon. Sorry, Carol.

COSTELLO: I think you're right. Amy Walter from the "Cook Political Report." Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

WALTER: Sure.

COSTELLO: When we come back, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. You are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I thought we were going to skip over it. But no. It is time to give away the mug.

MYERS: We never skip over the coffee mug, Carol. Here are the questions from yesterday and the answers. What country did U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins meet his wife? And that was North Korea. Remember that guy? And how many knockouts has Mike Tyson accumulated in his career? Not this one this weekend. Forty-four was the total number.

Sarah Hurlbut from Waldforf, Maryland, is the winner today. Congratulations, Sarah.

COSTELLO: I'm just laughing for the way you pronounced her last name.

MYERS: Well, I just...

COSTELLO: It's probably Hurlbut.

MYERS: Hurlbut. OK, sorry. I put the accent on the wrong syllable. Sorry.

COSTELLO: Sorry, Sarah.

MYERS: Now it's time for today's questions. What company will discontinue VHS tape sales next year? Better stock up. And what's the name of the self-titled "first sex offender-free neighborhood in the country?"

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: It was out in Texas. CNN.com/daybreak. Just click on your answers there. There's a little link. Click it on, put your answers in there, and you're in good shape.

COSTELLO: OK.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

A suicide bomb attack kills at least 19 in northern Iraq this morning. Excuse me. The bomber blew himself up at a busy market in the center of Kirkuk. Nearly 90 others were wounded.

Fourteen suspected terrorists have been detained by authorities in Germany. Prosecutors say those people detained today are connected to the Iraqi militant group, Ansar al-Islam (ph). Law enforcement authorities also searched at least two dozen locations across Germany.

Authorities in Aruba have released two security guards. They were the first men arrested in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway. The two say they were wrongly detained.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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 14, 2005 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Our other top story this morning, Michael Jackson acquitted on all counts in his child molestation trial. Of course, he's all over the papers, especially in Santa Maria, California, where the trial was held. The "Santa Maria Times" has put out a commemorative issue. It will cost you $1. "He beat it." That's the headline in the British tabloid "The Sun."
In the meantime, Jackson's jurors say they ignored all of the media hype.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RODRIGUEZ, JURY FOREMAN: One of the first things we decided that we had to look at him as just like any other individual, not just as a celebrity. And once we got that established that we could go beyond that, we were able to deal with it just as fairly as we could with anybody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Jackson's ex-wife is praising the verdict. Debbie Rowe says -- quote: "I would have never married a pedophile. The system works."

Now, fans and the public are just waiting to hear from the pop star himself. So, let's head live to CNN's Chris Lawrence. He is at Jackson's Neverland Ranch.

Is any sort of press conference planned -- Chris?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No press conference is planned right now, Carol. I can turn around and I can give you an idea of what it looks like here. You can see all of the things that the fans have left, the banner that kind of runs along the gate right there.

Last night, Joe Jackson did come out for just a few minutes. He kind of came up to the fence, reached his arms through to shake hands with some of the fans that had showed up to show their support. And we expect probably that some fans will be showing up here a little bit later, hoping to maybe see some members of the family if they do come out and make a statement.

COSTELLO: Chris, who is in there with him?

LAWRENCE: We believe the family. No way to be sure. You can't get beyond this gate. But they did all leave together -- his sister, Janet Jackson, his parents, Joe and Katherine. So, we believe the family is still together at this point.

COSTELLO: Chris Lawrence live from the Neverland Ranch in California this morning.

We have new pictures of Saddam Hussein to show you; actually videotape. This video was taken Sunday. It was released to us on Monday. It shows Saddam being questioned by an investigator for the special tribunal that will eventually try him.

The statement from the tribunal says he was questioned about an alleged massacre, where at least 50 Iraqis were killed in 1982 after an assassination attempt on the former Iraqi leader. We'll keep you posted.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, they say it's the first sex offender- free neighborhood in the entire country. So, what do you have to do to get a home inside? I'll talk to one of the developers next.

And the vice president versus the face of the Democratic Party: two men, two philosophies and what some would consider low blows from both.

Here is look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning first, though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning, Philadelphia. Glad you could join us this morning.

In the news today, it is difficult to determine if a sex offender lives next door. Some recent high-profile cases have proved that. So, how to be sure? How about a criminal background check for you and your neighbors before you move into your brand spanking new neighborhood? It's happening now in a housing development in Lubbock, Texas. The developer guarantees that his new neighborhood will be sex offender-free.

Here to talk about the plan is Clayton Isom of INS Investments.

Good morning.

CLAYTON ISOM, DEVELOPER: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Well, we're glad you could be here. This is a new development. Before I buy house there, what requirements do I have to meet?

ISOM: Well, it's just, you know, you have to meet all of the requirements of a regular development. However, we have one more requirement you have to meet, and that is that you cannot be a registered sex offender in any state in the nation.

COSTELLO: So, how do you determine that? ISOM: Well, for Lubbock, Texas, the development here in Texas, the state of Texas has several laws. If you move anywhere from one residence to the other, you have to seven days to register with the state in your new residence. And Texas' sex offender list is public information.

COSTELLO: Do you actually do a criminal background check?

ISOM: Well, we will check the backgrounds for registered sex offender status, but we will not check the background for any other criminal activity. You get into infringement, you know, privacy rights and everything else when you go beyond the sex offender.

COSTELLO: I understand. So, if I'm a convicted bank robber or a convicted shoplifter I probably could move into the neighborhood if I could afford it.

ISOM: Yes, ma'am. That's none of our business.

COSTELLO: How do you prevent, like, relatives who may be sex offenders from moving in with family members?

ISOM: Well, that's a good question. What you can do is there is a way in Texas to legally prove that somebody has an established residence. And one of the specific situations we're addressing in our legal contracts is if, say, if a man buys a house from us, and his nephew moves in and is a registered sex offender, the second that we -- basically, you have to say that he spends more time at that house than he doesn't. And the second that we can prove legal residence, then we have 90 days to buy back the house at 85 percent of its value.

COSTELLO: But that sex offender could still come and visit even for a day or two, right?

ISOM: Yes, ma'am. There is absolutely no way to -- there is absolutely no way to 100 percent guarantee that no sex offenders will ever be in the neighborhood. All we're saying is that we're putting all of the safeguards in to make sure there are no sex offenders living next door or down the street.

COSTELLO: I guess I'm thinking you may be providing people a false sense of security.

ISOM: Well, there's just no way. Like I said before, what we're trying to do is to protect families and children from sex offenders living next door. And there's just no way. You know, we're having a gated community. We're going to have gates that are closed all of the time, security cameras. And like I said, all of the safeguards are being put in place to the fullest extent possible that they won't be living next door or down the street or down the block.

COSTELLO: We'll see how it works out. Clayton Isom of INS Investments joining DAYBREAK this morning. Thank you.

ISOM: Thank you very much.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:39 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Authorities in Aruba have released two security guards. They were the first men arrested in the disappearance of an American teenager, Natalee Holloway. The two say they were wrongly detained.

In money news, Manpower Incorporated comes out today with its quarterly survey on nationwide company hirings. "The Wall Street Journal" says the report will say U.S. firms plan to hire at a solid pace in the third quarter.

In culture, actress Alicia Silverstone is now, like, officially unavailable. Her publicist says the 28-year-old star of "Clueless" married her longtime boyfriend, Christopher Jerecki (ph), at Lake Tahoe on Saturday.

In sports, Tiger Woods is number one again. He's replaced Vijay Singh as the world's top-ranked golfer. Woods goes for his 10th major championship at the U.S. Open beginning on Thursday.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, no love lost between Dick Cheney and Howard Dean. But the vice president isn't the only one critical of the DNC's top guy. Is he the right man for the job?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The jurors in the Michael Jackson trial say it wasn't a slam dunk. So, what happened behind closed doors in that jury room?

CNN's Soledad O'Brien will talk with one of the members on that jury. That's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING." She's here to fill us in some more.

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

As you well know, the jury acquitted Michael Jackson on all 10 counts. One of the jurors, though, says he believes Jackson has molested boys in the past. So, why did he decide that Jackson wasn't guilty in this case? We talk to juror number one, Raymond Holtman (ph), this morning.

We're also following the new developments in the Natalee Holloway case. Police have released the two security guards, who were arrested in connection with her disappearance. Holloway's mother was pushing for their release. She thinks the other three suspects in the case, though, know what happened to her daughter. We're going to talk with her about that and much more. We'll find out where the search for Natalee stands this morning as well.

Those stories and much more ahead this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING." Carol, we'll see you at the top of the hour.

COSTELLO: We will indeed. Thank you.

From outside the courthouse in Santa Maria to New York, Mexico City, France and the Netherlands, fans of the entertainer around the globe are responding to the Jackson verdict.

Thelma Gutierrez has a sampling for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, the jury, in the above-entitled case find the defendant not guilty.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, to Atlanta, Georgia, in the South, all the way to Times Square in New York City, fans erupted with elation, including Michael's relatives in Gary, Indiana, where his career began.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, and when we think someone is being railroaded, oh, man, that's awful.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): It's here at Neverland Ranch where Michael Jackson lives that all of these fans began to congregate right after the verdict. Many of them came from different parts of the world. They said that they had to be here to give support to their icon.

(voice over): We talked with fans from as far away as Mexico, Amsterdam and France.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thinking that because this is justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy (INAUDIBLE), and I think Michael is feeling better now. And I think he's very happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael is more than music only. Michael touches people. Whenever Michael is (INAUDIBLE) even people that that don't like him, if they see him, they are happy, for some reason. I cannot explain that.

GUTIERREZ: Diehard fans stood outside the gates of Neverland, hoping the newly-acquitted pop star would make an appearance. Instead, they share their affections with Michael's brother, Randy, and Michael's lead attorney, Tom Mesereau.

Many of the fans here told us when Michael was proclaimed innocent, they felt vindicated, too.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, at the Neverland Ranch in California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We're going to hear -- we're going to be hearing about this verdict for a long time. Don't you think? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I hope one more day, and then we're done.

COSTELLO: Me too.

MYERS: I hope we can move on to something else.

COSTELLO: But I bet we can't. Actually, if you watched the late night, you know, comedy shows, like David Letterman and Jay Leno, that's all they were talking about. And I must say Jay Leno was pretty darn funny last night.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Good news for Michael Jackson, not guilty on all 10 counts. Yes! The bad news, he's going to Disneyland. Yes!

You know something? If he had been a black guy, he would have got convicted like that. You know, come on.

How does this make Martha Stewart feel? O.J. goes free. Robert Blake walks. Michael Jackson not guilty. She made a phone call, hello, is this Mike Broka (ph)? Prison. She's in prison. One phone call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW": Well, the verdict is in. Michael Jackson is not guilty. Not guilty. However, his plastic surgeon, guilty on all counts. He's going to be gone a very long time.

And by the way, this just in, Saddam Hussein would like his trial moved to Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was pretty funny.

MYERS: Wasn't it interesting the crowd reactions, though? When they both announced the verdicts, the crowds' reactions were not -- I thought it would be more cheering. It was a little -- there was a lot of grumbling in there.

COSTELLO: You didn't see that woman releasing the white doves?

MYERS: Oh, of course, I did.

COSTELLO: For each not guilty she released a white dove. MYERS: Sure, sure.

COSTELLO: There is just something wrong with that. I guess it's a nice sentiment, though. I shouldn't make too much fun.

But, you know, when he holds his press conference, and which he will, you know he will...

MYERS: Michael will?

COSTELLO: Oh, of course. Maybe it will be on videotape.

MYERS: Oh OK.

COSTELLO: So this story isn't going to die very slowly.

It's 6:49 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

Jury selection resumes in the murder trial of reputed Klansman Edgar Killen. The 80-year-old is accused of killing three civil rights workers four decades ago. The case was dramatized in the 1988 movie, "Mississippi Burning."

Army deserter Charles Jenkins is due back in the states this morning for the first time in 40 years. He wants to visit his 91- year-old mother, who is in a North Carolina nursing home. Jenkins left his Army unit in South Korea and fled to North Korea in 1965.

You may see more flags than usual today. That's because it's Flag Day. It will be observed throughout the country.

On to politics now. Maybe his mother loved him. When you mention someone's mother, things usually get hot. We're not talking about kids on the playground, but the chairman of the DNC and the vice president of the United States.

Live to Washington and Amy Walter from the "Cook Political Report."

Good morning, Amy.

AMY WALTER, "COOK POLITICAL REPORT": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, Dick Cheney's most recent comments came last night, and he came out swinging, saying Howard Dean is over the top. Of course, he's talking about Dean's description of the GOP as pretty much a white Christian party.

WALTER: Right.

COSTELLO: So, why are the Republicans responding to this at all?

WALTER: Well, that's a very good question. Usually, the rule in politics is when the other side is doing a pretty good job of injuring themselves, you just let them keep going. Don't step in the middle of it. Let them do their own job. I think the issue, though, is that we now have such a polarized political environment here that neither side knows how to in many ways speak to anybody but their own base. Howard Dean definitely riles up the Republican base just as much as he riles up the Democratic base.

And so, in that sense, I think we're going to keep seeing stuff like this going on.

COSTELLO: You've got to listen to the language they're using. This is from Dick Cheney. He says: "I've never been able to understand his appeal" -- Dean's appeal. "Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody else who does.

I mean, is this the right way to fight back? Is it really enlightening anybody?

WALTER: No. But, remember, we have not had the most enlightening debate even among members of Congress here in the last few weeks. So, last time we were talking about filibusters and other issues, where you have members of Congress throwing around all sorts of terms about each other, about the process. We have had -- remember, this is a vice president who got a little bit of ink in the 2004 campaign getting in a fight with Senator Leahy from Vermont, where a certain swear word was reportedly used. Remember that?

COSTELLO: Yes.

WALTER: So...

COSTELLO: I think it was, yes.

WALTER: Yes. So, this is certainly not unusual. And this is the level of debate now that we have had here in Washington.

COSTELLO: Well, you see, I thought this would be cleaned up by 2006 and 2008. But is it even going to be nastier?

WALTER: Well, 2006 certainly has the capacity to be nastier. I mean, really, if what you're talking about is over the last two elections we have had really a base politics. Republicans talking to their base, Democrats talking to their base, very few people talking to the middle. We know going into 2006 this is probably going to be the same strategy put on top of that what is likely, at least at this point it looks like, an environment that's not very good for the Republican Party. That encourages even more of the sort of divisiveness, because Republicans are going to have to work very hard to get their base out and make sure that they make Democrats look unacceptable.

COSTELLO: And I just want to read to our viewers the response from the Dean camp to Dick Cheney's use of -- I guess when he invoked Howard Dean's mother. This is from the Democrats: "Governor Dean must be doing something right if the vice president of the United States would stoop so low as to use the governor's mother as a way to deflect from answering the concerns of the American people."

They just sound so childish.

WALTER: Well, you know, again, the issue here, too, is with Howard Dean. I mean, in the long run, does this impact the 2006 elections? Is this going to, you know, issue the demise of the Democratic Party? I don't think so.

But I think the fact is, you know, every time Howard Dean gets in the news, it allows Republicans, who quite frankly have been on their heels for the last couple of weeks here, to at least get their footing. And it takes the focus off of issues that have not been going so well. So, in that sense, that's where Dean helps the Republicans a little bit.

But as for the fighting, I don't think that's going to go away anytime soon. Sorry, Carol.

COSTELLO: I think you're right. Amy Walter from the "Cook Political Report." Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

WALTER: Sure.

COSTELLO: When we come back, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. You are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I thought we were going to skip over it. But no. It is time to give away the mug.

MYERS: We never skip over the coffee mug, Carol. Here are the questions from yesterday and the answers. What country did U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins meet his wife? And that was North Korea. Remember that guy? And how many knockouts has Mike Tyson accumulated in his career? Not this one this weekend. Forty-four was the total number.

Sarah Hurlbut from Waldforf, Maryland, is the winner today. Congratulations, Sarah.

COSTELLO: I'm just laughing for the way you pronounced her last name.

MYERS: Well, I just...

COSTELLO: It's probably Hurlbut.

MYERS: Hurlbut. OK, sorry. I put the accent on the wrong syllable. Sorry.

COSTELLO: Sorry, Sarah.

MYERS: Now it's time for today's questions. What company will discontinue VHS tape sales next year? Better stock up. And what's the name of the self-titled "first sex offender-free neighborhood in the country?"

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: It was out in Texas. CNN.com/daybreak. Just click on your answers there. There's a little link. Click it on, put your answers in there, and you're in good shape.

COSTELLO: OK.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

A suicide bomb attack kills at least 19 in northern Iraq this morning. Excuse me. The bomber blew himself up at a busy market in the center of Kirkuk. Nearly 90 others were wounded.

Fourteen suspected terrorists have been detained by authorities in Germany. Prosecutors say those people detained today are connected to the Iraqi militant group, Ansar al-Islam (ph). Law enforcement authorities also searched at least two dozen locations across Germany.

Authorities in Aruba have released two security guards. They were the first men arrested in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway. The two say they were wrongly detained.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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