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Nancy Grace

Michael Jackson Back in Court

Aired March 10, 2006 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


NANCY GRACE, HOST: Michael Jackson. Can you say eviction? Jackson reportedly is asked to leave his multi-million dollar estate, Neverland. Well, according to many, the mansion is where multiple young boys were molested. And also tonight, it is one year to the day when terror struck Lady Justice in the Atlanta courthouse shootings. Exclusive interviews tonight with the judge`s daughter and the deputy`s widow. Tonight, in that very same courthouse, same floor, justice served. A jury convicts multi- millionaire Jim Sullivan in the hitman murder of his much younger wife, Lita, nearly 20 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilty -- guilty -- guilty -- guilty -- guilty - - guilty...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight. Tonight, one year ago to the day, rape defendant Brian Nichols went on a shooting rampage Atlanta Fulton County courthouse, gunning down four of our friends and colleagues. Tonight, we honor superior court judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Ann Brandau, sheriff`s deputy Sergeant Hoyt Teasley and U.S. Customs agent David Wilhelm.

But first tonight, Michael Jackson faces yet another court date as Jackson`s Neverland ranch faces foreclosure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMONE BAIN, MICHAEL JACKSON`S SPOKESPERSON: They`ve said that he was bankrupt. He is not. Michael Jackson hasn`t sold Neverland, and he has no intentions of doing so.

They said he was going to flee a long time ago. He has not. He will be remaining at Neverland, and he is not moving to Europe.

I know of no lien on Neverland at this time.

It`s just preposterous some of the things that people are saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to chief correspondent with "Inside Edition" Jim Moret. Can you believe it, Jim? Michael Jackson back in trouble. Who would have ever thought that?

JIM MORET, "INSIDE EDITION": I can`t even imagine, Nancy.

(LAUGHTER)

MORET: His problems right now, though, are fairly serious, all kidding aside. The state of California basically locked out Jackson`s employees because Jackson had an insurance policy, workman`s comp policy which had lapsed. And so he was fined $69,000. That`s a thousand dollars for each employee. Plus, he was fined $100,000 for failing to pay his employees since December. And then there`s the outstanding payment to those employees, over $300,000. In total, that`s $450,000 that Michael Jackson has to pay.

You know, I talked to Michael Jackson`s attorney, Brian Oxman, just a couple of days ago, asking him specifically about these types of problems, and he said to me, You should only have such money problems like Michael Jackson has. There are no problems.

(LAUGHTER)

MORET: But clearly today, we`re seeing that that`s simply not true.

GRACE: Well, isn`t that what they said the whole way through the trial, no problems, no money problems, no child molestation problems, nothing? Where is Michael Jackson? I mean, this should be a drop in the bucket. Isn`t he living it high on the hog in Bahrain?

MORET: It depends who you talk to. We talked to day with Raymone Bain. You saw the various statements that she made in this clip just before. She indicates that he is still in Bahrain. Brian Oxman says, No, that`s not correct, he is in London, where he`s making a Hurricane Katrina relief song, then yet another source says, No, he`s actually in Encino. So it`s kind of like a "Where`s Waldo" game right now. Where`s Michael?

GRACE: A hurricane relief song? I mean, that was a while back, huh?

MORET: It was a while back. We`ve been waiting for months and months. And earlier, we were given a list of names of artists, and those artists themselves were surprised to hear that they were included because they said they had no idea what we were talking about. But Michael Jackson is supposedly, according to Brian Oxman, in a studio in London, as we speak, putting the finishing touches on this long-awaited song.

GRACE: Well, explain to me exactly, Jim Moret, where it stands with al the employees? How many have been working for how long without pay? And why did they keep working, if they weren`t being paid?

MORET: This is not a new problem with the employees. During the trial, remember, Nancy, remember that there were these dramas that were coming up every once in a while, where the employees would work for a week, two, three, four weeks. In this case, they have not been paid, we`re told, since December.

GRACE: Whew!

MORET: But they always got paid eventually. However, what happened was, there was a claim made, a workman`s compensation claim made, and that`s what tipped off the state. They became involved because they realized there was no worker`s comp insurance. That had lapsed. That`s what prompted these fines, and that`s what prompted all of the employees to literally be locked out.

GRACE: Yes. And also, in an estate like Neverland -- to Anne Bremner -- where you have merry-go-rounds and roller-coasters and ferris wheels and exotic animals, you need worker`s comp. I mean...

ANNE BREMNER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right.

GRACE: ... we`ve seen too many times where animals that we think are pets bite you and kill you or step on you or roll on you. These are circus animals...

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: ... and if these people haven`t been paid since December, January, February, March, I wonder how the animals have been faring. Worker`s comp definitely needed why, Anne Bremner?

BREMNER: Well, basically, to cover any injuries that`ll be -- that can come from, you know, working in a dangerous place like Neverland. But I keep thinking of Michael Jackson`s song, Nancy, "Oh, Baby, Give Me One More Chance." I mean, Jim and I went trough this trial, and you did, too, Nancy, in covering it, and they were these walk-outs or, you know, slowdowns in work. But remember, he was -- he was owing up to $500 million in December. And guess what? Nothing happened. He always gets more time. And I think in this case, he`ll be able to work it out and make the payments and everyone`ll be back to work.

GRACE: Well, I don`t know about that because no matter how great you are, no matter how high your star has risen...

BREMNER: It`s gone up and down.

(LAUGHTER)

GRACE: It`s simple Trial 101. I don`t care who you are, it`s called a stop order. And the state will slam you with it in a heartbeat if you are trying to employ people without paying them. It smacks of illegal servitude, slavery, all right? What I`m saying is you can`t keep people on five, six months without paying them, Anne Bremner.

BREMNER: Well, you know, a bad beginning makes a bad ending, you can say. But the thing is, is that he always lands on his feet. He walked from that trial. He walked from those huge debts, at least for now. He`s got the Sony Music catalog. And like Brian Oxman says, I`d would love to have his money problems. He`s got all kinds of assets and...

GRACE: Well, speaking of his problems, here`s what his lawyer, Brian Oxman, had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: So I`m trying to find out about that $200 million he is supposed to pay up in December. Is he selling Neverland? And what about recent allegations that all of his exotic animals have gone uncared for while he is in Bahrain?

BRIAN OXMAN, MICHAEL JACKSON`S ATTORNEY: The Department of Agriculture made an inspection of the ranch. They found it to be in complete order. There is no problem with the animals. He takes care of them marvelously.

GRACE: What about the Sony debt, about $200 million? Wasn`t that due in December and he got an extension?

OXMAN: That matter is being taken care of. There are negotiations which are ongoing between all the parties...

GRACE: But why didn`t he pay it?

OXMAN: Well, I think that you have to take what`s going on there as a regular loan transaction, where the parties are satisfied what`s going on and they`re working it out.

GRACE: Brian, please! If I miss my note to the bank, we`re not going to work it out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Brian Oxman, God bless him. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. There`s not a problem! Yes, they`re taking away the animals, Lisa Wathne -- Lisa Wathne, captive exotic animal specialist. She is a PETA spokesperson. What do you think should happen?

LISA WATHNE, PETA SPOKESPERSON, CAPTIVE EXOTIC ANIMAL SPECIALIST: Well, PETA sent a request today, pleading with Michael Jackson to accept our help in transferring all of the animals at Neverland to legitimate sanctuaries. That`s where these animals need to go, so that we can insure they`ll receive lifetime care. It`s just so important that the animals at Neverland not become the victims in this whole mess because there are many people out there who would be very anxious to exploit Michael Jackson`s animals for personal gain, and it`s critical to insure that none of the animals end up at shabby roadside zoos, exotic animal auctions, phony sanctuaries, or in the hands of brokers and breeders. So it`s critical to get them to out to legitimate sanctuaries.

GRACE: OK, question. What kind of care has been reported for these exotic animals at Neverland? I`ve read all sorts of reports. What`s the truth? Does anybody know for sure, Lisa?

WATHNE: Well, anybody who knows the truth is not speaking. We`ve all heard the allegations of animals being neglected and workers not being paid, so not coming in to take care of the animals. The photos -- and again, we haven`t been on the property because it`s private land. It`s not open to the public. But the recent photos that we saw, that we all saw of Neverland recently, were very alarming. They revealed hat appeared to be nothing more than a shabby menagerie. The animal enclosures were completely barren. They`re devoid of anything natural, and with no apparent enrichment for the animals.

One comment about the USDA`s assessment of the facility -- it`s just so important to point out that the United States Department of Agriculture is well known for having only the most minimal, minimal requirements of care for captive animals. And they typically only take action in cases where animals are in extremely dire or life-threatening situations. So PETA certainly was not reassured to hear the USDA say that everything was OK.

GRACE: Well, what`s so disturbing, speaking of the animals, is that people can leave the site and go get another job and support themselves and their families, the animals can`t be heard. They don`t have a voice. They can`t leave. You know, the elephants, the giraffes, they can`t just leave and get a job and support themselves. They`re there, possibly starving, as we speak. Thank God someone is speaking out for them.

Well, that`s not all the troubles that Michael Jackson is facing now. Yes, he walked scot-free on child molestation charges, but now, according to many sources, his own brother has agreed to write a tell-all book outlining his suspicions that Jackson was, in fact, guilty on those child molestation charges. That`s right, I`m talking about Jermaine. That`s right. Play it, Liz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S BROTHER: There is no book about Michael, no negativity. I stand behind him a thousand percent, like I`ve said since day one. And he`s still that wonderful person that he`s always been.

-- because, you know where my heart has been since day one. Michael`s been a thousand percent innocent. I have spoken from my heart. I`ve spoken the truth. And for me to -- I mean, this is not good for me. It`s not good for the family. And no, it`s all false. It`s lies. It`s lies. It`s deliberate lies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: It`s certainly is not good now that everybody found out about it. Pat Lalama, what`s the truth? Is Jermaine Jackson turning on his brother and trying to market a book that says, basically, he suspected Jackson all along of child molestation and cannot say he`s innocent? After the way he carried on during that trial!

PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Nancy, the truth is I`m, hyperventilating right now because I am so upset with all of this! This to me -- I`m just going to say it. Talk about a group of opportunists! When it works for them, Michael`s a king. When it doesn`t work for them, Michael`s a piece of doo-doo, OK? These people need to...

GRACE: Is that a technical legal term? I need to get out my...

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: Piece of doo-doo defense. OK. Go ahead.

LALAMA: ... piece of big stinkin` doo-doo. Let me -- let me qualify it. I am so sick of these people hiding behind whatever max (ph) math (ph) they think works for them at the time. And that starts with the publicist for the Jackson estate, for Jermaine. It`s -- let me just say one thing, Nancy. I`ve got to get to this before I tell you about his other problems with Jermaine. You know what Tom Mesereau told me just a days ago? Tom Mesereau said to me, Pat, Brian Oxman is not -- not -- the Jackson family lawyer. He is not to represent himself as the lawyer.

GRACE: But Pat -- Pat -- Pat...

LALAMA: He`s involved in none of our cases.

GRACE: ... Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat -- Pat -- put the brakes on. Don`t care who his lawyer is.

LALAMA: But he`s...

GRACE: Don`t care about Oxman. I`m asking you...

LALAMA: It`s important, though!

GRACE: ... about the book. The book. The book!

LALAMA: OK. I`m getting to the book, Nancy, but I just want your people to know that as far as Tom Mesereau`s...

GRACE: OK.

LALAMA: ... concerned, they`re handling...

GRACE: Got it.

GRACE: ... all his cases, and that`s important for people to know.

All right, secondly, Jermaine Jackson apparently did make these comments that he was concerned his brother was a molester, that he was going to be thrown out of the house if he went forward with this information, that he thought that his brother had all kinds of alcohol and drug problems. I mean, the dirt is really bad, including he believed that there were -- he believed in the allegations from two of his sisters that Joe Jackson, the father, may have molested them.

Then what happened, Michael got a copy of the outline, went out of his mind, made all kinds of threats to Jermaine, If you go with this, you will not have a place to live -- because Jermaine lives with Mom and Daddy in the north valley of Los Angeles, OK? He wouldn`t have a place to live!

Jermaine got freaked out, and so did Stacey Brown (ph), the person who was allegedly in cahoots with Jermaine to write this book. So they all backed out of it. And now Jermaine is saying, I never said that. But Stacey Brown`s saying, Hey, Jermaine, you keep talking like that, I`m going to reveal -- I am going to put these tapes out on the table. Stacey Brown has already sent those tapes to Mel Saxe (ph), the attorney, for safe- keeping. And apparently, all the goods are on that tape.

So to come out like he`s Mr. True Blue -- Oh, I love my brother, I`m here for my brother -- is just a bunch of baloney!

GRACE: And very quickly, to former federal prosecutor Michelle Martinez. Michelle, have you noticed that very often, after a trial, then everybody is cured of their amnesia, then they remember what really happened?

MICHELLE MARTINEZ, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, then everybody is ready to sell their books, Nancy. That`s what`s really going on. And I have to say, to me, Jermaine`s allegations have a ring of truth about them. He said that there were two young nephews in the Jackson family who were found on a bed with Michael under suspicious circumstances. He said the reason he didn`t come forward was that he was afraid his brother would commit suicide in jail.

I mean, we all have seen what happened to Michael during the trial, how he nearly fell apart. I certainly could imagine a brother keeping quiet for that reason. And then when he`s ready to sell his book, he comes forward. He knows his brother`s safe. He knows his brother`s been acquitted and can`t be tried again. So he`s ready to tell the truth and make a little money off it.

GRACE: Before we go to break, Elizabeth there in the New York control room, I just saw the Chyron you put down there, "the playful atmosphere conducive to child molestation"? Well, you know what? I didn`t approve that because there`s -- there`s nothing playful about child molestation and what child molestation victims live with for the rest of their lives.

We`ll all be right back before we take you to the Atlanta courthouse shooting specials (ph). But tonight`s "Trial Tracking." Breaking news in the socialite hitman murder trial. Nearly 20 years ago, Lita Sullivan gunned down at the door of her Atlanta townhome. A jury tonight convicts estranged husband Jim Sullivan, multi-millionaire, for hiring the hitman. For Lita`s parents, the end of a very long road to justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We the jury find the defendant, James Vincent Sullivan, guilty (INAUDIBLE) murder.

Count two, felony murder. We the jury find the defendant, James Vincent Sullivan, guilty of felony murder.

Count three, aggravated assault. We the jury find the defendant, James Vincent Sullivan, guilty of aggravated assault.

Count four, aggravated assault. We the jury find the defendant, James Vincent Sullivan, guilty of aggravated assault.

Count five, burglary. We the jury find the defendant, James Vincent Sullivan, guilty of (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Our prayers continue with Lita`s parents and the Clintons (ph) tonight. Prosecutors commence death penalty proceedings Monday morning 09:00.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAIN: Michael Jackson is one of the most brilliant entertainers in the world. And I`d like to correct some of you who said that his day is over, because it`s not. If Mr. Jackson decides to come back out here, he will be greeted very positively. In fact, I`m sure there are a whole bunch of people looking forward to that when the time comes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Ah, Raymone Bain. Good times.

Hey, let me go to Jim Moret, chief correspondent, "Inside Edition." Jim, take a look at this figure, these figures as to how much money Jackson has made. For "Off the Wall," $37 mill. "Thriller," $115 million. "Bad," $57 million "Dangerous," $57.5 million. "History," $35 million. "Blood on the Dance Floor," $10 million. "Invincible," $15 million. Jim, where did it all go?

MORET: Well, you know, one thing that`s not on that list is the value of the Sony catalog, which Michael Jackson bought some years ago, and escalated tremendously in value. That is worth much, much more than all of those figures combined. During the trial, there was a forensic account accountant who was on the stand who basically said that for each of the last 10 years, Michael Jackson spent $30 million a year more than he earned.

GRACE: Good God in heaven!

MORET: Which is very difficult to imagine. Now, Michael Jackson owes approximately, by most accountings, about $270 million. That`s the amount of loans that he has currently outstanding. So there was a date of February 10 when a payment was supposed to be made. Sony, which is the lien -- one of the owners, obviously, of the Sony catalog, 50-50 with Michael Jackson, has an interest in making sure that that loan is not foreclosed upon. So Sony has been making efforts to help Michael Jackson refinance. But you`re talking about $270 million in loans.

GRACE: Well, Pat Lalama, refinance money like that? I mean, isn`t that just a stay for doomsday? I mean, how do you refinance hundreds of millions of dollars? And more important, what I`m intrigued with, what I don`t -- I can`t comprehend it -- where did all the money go?

LALAMA: Well, first of all -- you know, and I think Jim and I have discussed it before on your show -- he`s a compulsive spender. I don`t think anybody denies that. He literally will walk into a store and see something he likes and buy 50 of them. It`s just he`s -- psychologically, he`s beyond...

GRACE: But 50 what, not 50 pairs of socks?

LALAMA: Well, whatever, whatever it is that he likes. He`s out of control. He does not -- he`s reckless in his spending. He`s reckless in his behavior. Everyone around him knows that.

But Nancy, the problem with this and every other aspect of his life is that everyone`s afraid to rein him in. Everyone is afraid of him. But you know what, Nancy? I know you can relate to this in terms of the Michael Jackson story. The piper is finally calling to get paid.

I`ve been covering this case since 1985, and I`ve sitting back until now, rather quietly -- but I`m quite no more -- just waiting for this to all topple down. It`s chip by chip starting to fall apart. But I`m wondering, where`s the prince of Bahrain? Where`s Elizabeth Taylor, all his rich friends who should be coming to his rescue?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAIN: Michael Jackson has not sold Neverland, and he will be remaining at Neverland, and he is not moving to Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Back out to Pat Lalama. Maybe he should have sold Neverland, as opposed to a possible foreclosure. And before you get away, Pat, whatever did happen to the Katrina aid single?

LALAMA: Well, let`s see. As of February 17, it was supposed to be ready for release. I don`t know. You know, Nancy, I haven`t heard any cute little stories, have you, little...

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: No, I haven`t heard a thing about where it was being recorded.

LALAMA: No.

GRACE: Nothing.

LALAMA: It`s a big fraud, Nancy. It`s not going to happen. And if it does, then I`ll eat my words and -- you know...

GRACE: Yes, we`ll play this tape back on you.

LALAMA: Yes, I know you will.

GRACE: To Jim Moret. What happens next? Where is he living, and who is his, let me say, oh, meal ticket right now?

MORET: Well, he`s been living in Bahrain, as we know, for the past several months. And that`s where, theoretically, he`s been housed free of charge. Michael Jackson will have a day of reckoning because there does -- somebody has to pay this outstanding debt. Pat`s right. The clock is ticking. So Michael Jackson has to find some way to raise money to make these loan payments. There was a loan outstanding on the Encino estate...

GRACE: OK, wait a minute!

MORET: ... that his parents live in...

GRACE: What if he doesn`t? What happens?

MORET: Well, basically, he could lose everything. There are loans outstanding on Neverland. He could lose Neverland.

GRACE: Oh. You know what? I think I know what`s going to happen. Brian Oxman and Raymone Bain are going to invite him to come live with them!

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David was a wonderful guy. He was one who left no stone unturned, but he didn`t forget when he was dealing with criminals that he was also dealing with human beings, and so he had the full package. He was just a great human being.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Julie Brandau was a person that I think we would all vote was the angel of the courthouse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a top-notch reporter. A comrade has fallen, in my eyes, an irreplaceable person, a great mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was feet away from Brian Nichols and just didn`t get a shot in. Brian got the best of him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Words can`t express how proud I am to be called his daughter and to have his last name. I am so proud that the world knows now, even under these circumstances, what a great man my father was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Four comrades fallen, brutal attack in the Atlanta courthouse. And tonight, speaking with us for the first time is the wife of one of the victims, very dear to my heart, Deputy Hoyt Teasley. Elizabeth, could you show Deputy Teasley again for the viewers?

Ma`am, thank you for being with us.

DEBORAH TEASLEY, SLAIN DEPUTY`S WIFE: Thank you for inviting me.

GRACE: Your husband a fine, fine deputy. He guarded our courthouse well. While many of us were in court with convicted felons, many of them, 15, 20, 30 of them, your husband made it possible for us to try our cases and not be concerned. He took care of all of us in a way I can`t even tell you how beloved he was and is. With us, Deputy Teasley`s wife, Deborah. Ms. Teasley, how has this past year been for you?

TEASLEY: It has been just overwhelming, having to do everything on your own. Of course, I have a lot of family support. But I mean, you know, you still try to carry on as much as possible, with having to lean on everyone else. And so you know, I had him in my life for over 22 years, and to be without him has really been rough for me.

GRACE: I remember so many times going down to the cafeteria and ordering a giant soup and having him come sit down and tell funny stories and then go back to his post. It seems to me like it was just yesterday, Deborah. Ms. Teasley, where were you when you got the word about your husband?

TEASLEY: I was at work, and I got a phone call from my mom just telling me to get down to the courthouse. And because at 9:00 o`clock I had seen the news and knew there were some type of trouble down there, once she told me, I knew then that he had been shot. And I was just hoping for the best because, of course, she didn`t tell me that he had passed away already.

GRACE: With Ms. Teasley is her husband (SIC), Jim Voyles. He is fighting on her behalf. Jim, question. What do you think about changes in the courthouse security after violence, evil took our four comrades?

I think I think I`ve got Jim Voyles with me. Do you think there have been changes in the courthouse procedures?

JIM VOYLES, ATTORNEY FOR SLAIN DEPUTY`S WIFE: There have been some, Nancy, but I think there`s a general feeling that not enough has been done, that the courthouse is still very unsecure, and that this sort of thing could happen again.

GRACE: With us also tonight, the daughter of Judge Rowland Barnes. Kiley Barnes is with us, speaking out. She spoke with us exclusively at the time of the shootings. Kiley, it is so wonderful to see you.

KILEY BARNES, JUDGE BARNES`S DAUGHTER: Hi, Nancy.

GRACE: How are you doing tonight, dear?

BARNES: I`m hanging in there. It`s good to see you. I love you. You know that. It`s -- I`m hanging in there today. It`s -- it`s tough. Tomorrow is going to be tougher, but with the support of my family, I`m going to be just fine.

GRACE: Kiley, remember you telling me your dad would take you to court with him?

BARNES: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: Have you been back to the courthouse since your dad was shot?

BARNES: Yes, ma`am, several times. I`ve been back to the courthouse to visit. As you know, I used to work there. I was an intern in the DA`s office, so I know a lot of the people there. And I have been back several times, and I have been outside my dad`s courtroom, as well. I always write a note on whatever piece of paper they`ve got up on the door to my daddy. So yes, I have been back to the courthouse a number of times.

GRACE: Back to Deborah Teasley, the wife of Deputy Hoyt Teasley. Deborah, what was it about being a sheriff that your husband loved so very much?

TEASLEY: Well, at first, you know, he was in the Air Force, so I think he -- by having that military background, that just flowed over into being a sheriff. And he really, you know, focused on doing the right thing, trying to follow the -- follow by the book. And he just really enjoyed doing his work, and he was a stickler about being there all the time, on time.

GRACE: You know, Ms. Teasley, there were times when I would be doing an in-court demonstration and I would want to get there really early in the morning, like 6:30, 7:00 AM, so it would be prepared and I knew it would work in front of the jury. And Deputy Teasley would be there. I would see him there long before it was time for him to be there, had the courtroom open and ready for us lawyers to come in and get to work. It seemed like he was always there.

There is one person missing, everyone, Deputy Cynthia Hall, the deputy that struggled valiantly with Brian Nichols. He overcame her, took her gun and then went on a shooting rampage in the Fulton County courthouse, claiming the lives of four, ultimately. As it turns out, tonight we are hearing word that Deputy Hall, a single mother of two, is barely getting by at poverty level, apparently not being taken care of in any way. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the last thing you remember about that day?

DEPUTY CYNTHIA HALL: Last thing I remember was, like, going downstairs, picking up the prisoner, riding on the elevator back upstairs with I mean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: To former prosecutor in that same courthouse, Al Dixon. Al, we all grew up with Judge Rowland Barnes, as lawyers, playing on a softball team, being at the court, watching him go from lawyer to state court judge to superior court judge. You were called in to process the scene for the district attorney`s office, with Judge Barnes still lying in the courtroom. How many millions of times have you thought back on that?

AL DIXON, WORKED IN COURTHOUSE WHERE KILLINGS TOOK PLACE: Well, Nancy, I`ve thought about it -- on it quite a bit. And you know, judge Barnes was my neighbor. He lived on the same street that I did. And when I got the call and went down and found out it was judge Barnes and went into the courtroom, you just can`t imagine the feeling that you have because you -- this is a friend of yours, a colleague, that`s there and is dead, and there`s nothing that you can do to bring him back.

GRACE: I`ve been to a lot of scenes that were being processed, but I`ve never been to one where a friend had been a murder victim and I had to help process a scene like that. This is a shot of Judge Barnes on the bench. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David was a wonderful guy. He was really the finest police officer, law enforcement agent that I`ve met in the 15 years that I`ve been a federal prosecutor. He was a thorough officer. He was an honest one. He was one who left no stone unturned. But he didn`t forget, when he was dealing with criminals, that he was also dealing with human beings. And so he had the full package. He was just a great human being.

And he also conducted himself that way in his private life. He was a hard worker when he was building these homes. He looked after his wife. He looked after his handicapped brother. He was very close to his parents. You won`t meet anyone who knew David Wilhelm who didn`t just refer to him as a wonderful human being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: A federal agent gunned down by in this Nichols, as well.

Back to Kiley Barnes, Judge Rowland Barnes`s daughter, joining us tonight. As you face tomorrow, what are your thoughts, Kiley?

BARNES: Nancy, I -- it`s hard to say what I`m going to be thinking tomorrow, maybe about what I was doing a year ago. And it doesn`t seem like a year ago. It seems like just yesterday. And I`m watching a clip right now of Daddy in action, and I just -- I miss him horribly. There is not a day that goes by that I don`t think about him, and it`s hard for me to see him on the TV, moving and talking, because I know that that`s the only time I`ll get to see that. Tomorrow is just going to be a very solemn day, and I`m just going to remember how much my dad and I loved each other.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: I`m en route to Atlanta right now. I am heart-broken. I`ve been playing softball with Judge Barnes since 1987, when I was a rookie prosecutor. And his court reporter, Julie, had just been up visiting me, staying with me in New York this past couple of months. And I`m just -- I`m stunned. Wolf, there were a million times we, as prosecutors and judges, walked into the courtroom, going about our everyday business as public servants. And I am stunned! I am stunned about Judge Barnes`s death and Julie`s death and the two deputy sheriffs trying to do their jobs!

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GRACE: A dark day at the Atlanta courthouse for Lady Justice. The Julie Ann Brandau fund to support her daughter, Christina, her only daughter, at any Bank of America branch. Also, Brandau Memorial Project. She loved dogs. This is the information for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, in Julie`s honor. Please, open your wallet.

To Renee Rockwell. You were there in the courthouse that day. What happened?

RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, I was actually on my way to Judge Barnes`s courtroom. When I got off the elevator and came around the corner on the eighth floor, I looked down on the floor, I saw a deputy`s hat and a clipboard. A number of deputies were running towards me, and I made a joke. I said, What happened? Did somebody escape? I was then whisked into the courtroom, brought out of the courthouse, went around to the front of the courthouse. That is when I saw Deputy Teasley on the ground. He had just been shot, allegedly, by Brian Nichols.

GRACE: To Deborah Teasley, Deputy Teasley`s wife. When you hear what happened that day, do you want to know more facts, or do you just wish you didn`t have to hear any of it at all?

TEASLEY: I would like to know more facts about -- from start to finish, really, because I keep hearing different versions, whether or not he was there already, did he really know that he had a gun, that, you know, he came down a flight of stairs. Then I heard he came around the corner. I really would like to know the real facts of the case.

GRACE: Al, in a nutshell, what happened?

DIXON: Well, what happened was that when Brian Nichols was taken up to the holding cell, he was able to get the gun away from Deputy Hall. After he brutally beat her and he came back across the hall, back across the bridge with one intention, and his one intention was to go into that courtroom and to kill Judge Barnes, to kill the court reporter, Julie Brandau, to kill any prosecutors that might have been in the courtroom, to kill his own defense attorney, if he was in there.

And then, as he ran out of the courthouse, of course, word got out. A description was given to him, and Hoyt Teasley was trying to apprehend him when he was killed. And he shot Deputy Teasley at point blank range.

GRACE: Deborah Teasley is with us, exclusively speaking to us tonight, the wife of Deputy Hoyt Teasley, gunned down in the line of duty. Ms. Teasley, many people suggest that -- many people knew, there in the courthouse -- knew Brian Nichols was a risk, was a danger. The senselessness of this, the fact that it could have been stopped -- you could have him with you now, tonight, this Friday night, at home, cooking dinner, watching TV. Do you believe it could have been avoided?

TEASLEY: Yes, it absolutely could have been avoided, if everybody had have been doing their jobs, everybody had been at post and watching those cameras and he wouldn`t have gotten that far.

GRACE: When you think...

TEASLEY: It`s just ridiculous.

GRACE: When you think back on it, what part of it troubles you, distresses you the most?

TEASLEY: That nobody was watching the cameras. I mean, common sense will tell you that somebody has to be in there. Even if you send somebody out on an errand, somebody must cover. And my husband had talked many, many times about people not being at post.

GRACE: We`ll all be right back with the Atlanta courthouse shooting story.

But to tonight`s "All Points Bulletin." Law enforcement on the lookout for Jesse Mendez in connection with the `93 LA shooting of 41-year- old Michael Anthony Mieczkowski (ph). Mendez, 34, 5-8, 135 pounds, brown hair, hazel eyes. If you have info, call 310-477-6565.

Local news next for some of you, but we`ll all be right back. Remember, live coverage of the death penalty phase in the Atlanta socialite murder case, 3:00 to 5:00 eastern, Court TV.

Please stay with us as we remember Army Private First Class Tina Marie Priest, just 20 old, Austin, Texas, killed March 1, Iraq. Her father says she lived to the fullest. She loved life. Tina Marie Priest, an American hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: What a week in America`s courtrooms. Take a look at the stories, and more important, the people who touched all of our lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: The so-called missing groom`s family takes on Washington today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Six victims of cruise crimes testified before Congress.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I tried to fight him off, but he did proceed (ph) to molest me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the next family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A pleasure trip to a Mexican resort near Cancun for a family gathering to celebrate a happy occasion. Instead, the bride`s parents, Dominic (ph) and Nancy Ianero (ph), are brutally murdered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They find themselves under a cloud because the chief investigator in Mexico announced that they were the prime suspects. He said things like, We know they did it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just can`t imagine that he would have been associated with anything like this.

GRACE: Breaking news. Investigators working 24-7, day and night, to break the brutal murder case of Imette St. Guillen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police are under a tremendous amount of pressure to solve this crime, and because he was there that night and because of his extensive record, which includes no history whatsoever...

GRACE: Someone would pull a gun on a bank teller, that`s not violent?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s totally violent.

GRACE: Senior citizen Charles Pressward (ph) worked for years for Enron. They basically stole his pension. He has nothing left.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can look back and see 33-and-a-half years as just one big void in my life. It was just totally destroyed in just a matter of months.

GRACE: I think I see the defendants coming into court right now. There they are. Oh, and they`re giving a statement for the press.

It is one year to the day when terror struck Lady Justice in the Atlanta courthouse shootings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At night, when I lay down, and he`s not there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: I want to especially thank Kiley Barnes and Deborah Teasley for speaking to us tonight, but thank you to all of our guests, and to you for being with us, inviting us into your home.

Tonight, special tribute to 31-year-old Watchung, New Jersey, police officer Matthew Melchionda, killed Wednesday. His cruiser slammed into a tree while pursuing a suspect. He is survived by his wife, Lynn (ph), his parents, his younger brother, David, also a cop. Matthew, badge 11, would have turned 32 three weeks from today. Good night, Officer.

Good night from the New York control room, also. And a special happy anniversary to Chuck and Anne in Fayetteville. To everyone else, good night, friend.

END