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"Last King of Scotland"; McMissile Case; Florida Kidnapping

Aired February 26, 2007 - 16:00   ET

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

VELSHI: We'll see you back here next week, Saturday at 1:00, and Sunday at 3:00. See you then.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. Iraqi President Jalal Talibani has reportedly fallen ill and has been taken to Jordan for medical treatment. A senior U.S. military official tells our Barbara Starr at the Pentagon that he may have suffered a heart attack. Our Barbara Starr is working her sources and will be joining us later on in THE NEWSROOM to give us details. Along with Jennifer Eccleston, who is in Amman, Jordan, following the story from there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's devastating. I mean, it's took everything away from Boomer (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Also in THE NEWSROOM, Total destruction. Severe weather slams parts of the southeast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was an absolute kidnapping for ransom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Possible motive revealed. Now an intense manhunt for this suspected kidnapper. High speed car chase, police in hot pursuit. What happens next has the U.S. Supreme Court talking.

And Oscar magic. Big changes in store for tonight's awards show. We are live on the red carpet.

Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You are in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

In our big story, we continue to follow here in this country. Southeastern Arkansas. Homes are leveled. Buildings are unrecognizable. And dozens of people are injured after storms hit the area. Amid the chaos, police are dealing with a new worry. Looting.

Our Sean Callebs is there. Sean?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. I indeed, if you look around, this is a good microcosm of what happened to the mall town, an hour and a half drive from Little Rock. Just look over this way. You can see the destructive nature of the storm that hit this area. A little more than 24 hours ago. Now, this morning, crews are focused on getting out and going through many of the homes and businesses that were flattened here to see if there were any other survivors, any other people trapped in the debris.

The good news is that there weren't. The bad news is there are about three dozen people according to the county sheriff here in three different hospitals around this area, including two children that they are very concerned about. There are three people we know that are in critical condition.

The city also took a tremendous hit right in the economic heart. This was one of the few grocery stores, a Wal-Mart in this area, another store over this way simply shredded by the winds. They suspect there were two separate tornadoes that touched down here but still don't know for sure.

Also, the one major power substation that provided electricity to this area was hammered. It is shredded. An incredibly huge, huge structure. It looks as though it took the full brunt of the wind.

We talked to the Entergy folks, the people who provide electricity to this area and say it could be somewhere between three and five days before they get electricity back.

Now what about all these businesses, homes in this area, local sheriff says he believes 800 jobs have been eliminated in just a matter of a couple of minutes by the punishing storm that rolled through here. He suspects 1/3 of the businesses took a direct hit and whether they are going to be able to come back is too early to tell. But simply a punishing storm.

We know that about 150 National Guard troops are here. About 50 state troopers as well as county sheriff's officers are out doing what they can. There was looting yesterday. Right after the storm hit. There were two very powerful bursts of wind back to back. The sheriff said he was actually near where we are right now when had saw looters go into a small dry-cleaning store. He said they went in and ransacked the cash register, almost immediately tan out again.

We know that there were apparently some looters that hit this store here. What the good news is they said they had a lot of troops on the ground very quickly ant hey were able to stop the looting. I say within about an hour. There were no arrests because the authorities said they really had more important things to focus on at that hour.

Now, the big task facing this area is of course going to be cleanup. That is going to take weeks, perhaps months to -- for it to all happen. And the sheriff says he expects it will be a full year before this area is back to where it was before the storm hit Saturday afternoon Fredricka?.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sean Callebs from very hard hit Arkansas. Thanks so much. Elsewhere in the nation, just when you have had enough of old man winter, he makes an encore appearance. Tens of thousands of people are without power in Iowa after freezing rains coated power lines with ice. Downed lines are also reported in Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio. The storm dumped more than a foot of snow, rather, on the Midwest. And it forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights in Chicago. More snow around the Great Lakes, some two feet our forecast for Michigan. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras in the severe weather center. Jacqui, it does not look so good out there.

(WEATHER REPORT) WHITFIELD: That's good news. Thanks a lot, Jacqui.

Well, the FBI is in on the hunt today for the kidnapping suspect believed to have snatched a Florida teen from a school bus stop on Friday at gun point.

Today law enforcement authorities are praising the boy who managed to get away and provide some pretty valuable clues. They say the kidnapper picked the wrong kid to mess with.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): This is how 13-year-old Clay Moore described his kidnapper to investigators. Florida police say Moore's description was dead on. They issued an arrest warrant Sunday for this man. Identified as 22-year-old Vicente Ignacio Beltran Moreno, also known as "Nacho."

SHERIFF CHARLIE WELLS, MANATEE COUNTY, FLORIDA: This man abducted Clay Moore, we are sure of it.

WHITFIELD: Moore told police that Beltran Moreno took him a gun point from a school bus stop in Parish, Florida, about 30 miles from St. Petersburg and forced him into a red pickup truck. The police say the suspect drove Moore to a wooded area near a farm where he once worked and tied him to a tree with duct tape before driving away. Moore used a safety pin and his teeth to free himself, then looked for help.

DET. DENNIS VALONE, MANATEE COUNTY, FLORIDA: He is very creative. When we sat down and told him - talked to us about it, it was pretty ingenious for a 13-year-old. Kind of MacGyver-like

WHITFIELD: Police also credited Moore with keeping his wits about him and remembering details of his ordeal.

WELLS: He was extremely helpful and observant during that short time that he was with this suspect. And he gave us valuable information.

WHITFIELD: Information that led police to search Beltran-Moreno's Florida home on Sunday morning. Video provided by the police department shows what appears to be the red Ford Ranger truck that Moore described. Police say they also found a clue to a motive. A handwritten ransom note that might have been intended for Moore's parents. WELLS: I was shocked. I was shocked. I think every one of us that read that -- I can't describe it. I don't think I -- like I said earlier, I don't believe I ever read a real one before.

WHITFIELD: Florida officials believe that Beltran-Moreno has fled the state but the Manatee County sheriff says his work on the case isn't over. He believes there is a good chance police will capture the suspect soon.

WELLS: I believe that at the end of the day we will be able to either determine where he is or locate him and bring him to justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (on camera): So if you have seen Vicente Ignacio Beltran- Moreno, you are asked to call authorities, Manatee County Sheriff's Office at the number on your screen. 941-747-3011.

Meantime, back to our top story in connection with Iraq. We understand that Iraq's Presidential Jalal Talabani has fallen ill and has been taken to a hospital in Jordan. One senior U.S. military official is telling CNN that Talabani suffered a heart attack. Ed Henry is keeping his post at the White House. He joins us on the phone.

How's this news being received at the White House, Ed?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on phoine):: Fred, I can tell you that even on Sunday, the National Security Council is monitor this very closely. They say according to a White House official, that while they cannot confirm that it was a heart attack, they are keeping a very close eye on this. One official saying, quote, our thoughts and prayers are with him right now. And I can tell you the White House is also confirming that they helped to provide transportation, medically equipped military plane, a U.S. military plane, I understand it was a C-130 that helped get President Talabani to Jordan to deal with his medical situation to get further tests.

Fred?

WHITFIELD: And so, Ed, is there an explanation as to why they would use a military chopper to get him out of the done trip as opposed to offering some kind of hospital assistance with U.S. military personnel right there in the country of Iraq?

HENRY: They did not offer an explanation. My sense would be that since President Talabani is 73 years old, given the delicate political situation on the ground in Iraq right now, that the U.S. military was just trying to make sure they could do everything they possibly could to try to get him the best possible medical care. And my understand ing is they wanted to provide the best plane that they could that would be medically equipped to get him to Jordan.

I'm not sure whose personal doctor it is, obviously. But Jordan, for some reason, is where they wanted to get him as quickly as possible, Fred. WHITFIELD: And given it is still early in the game, perhaps even premature to ask the question, but you -- you got to expect the White House is already starting to make some sort of arrangement or at least fielding their concerns about the ongoing instability of the government and that it is now being compounded by the ill health of that country's president.

HENRY: Certainly. A fragile situation. We have all seen that. Given the facts on the ground and this is yet another piece of the puzzle that certainly the U.S. has to be concerned about. That's why they want to make sure his health is OK. The last thing in the world they need right now would be further instability, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Ed Henry from the White House. Thanks so much. And our Jennifer Eccleston is in Amman, Jordan. And when she is able to work her sources there, too, we will try to connect with her.

Again, the health concerns of the Iraqi -- Iraqi president is of top nature here. We are continuing to keep close tabs on that.

Momentary road rage. This woman was sentenced to two years for throwing a cup of ice out the window. But now apparently her sentence has been reduced. We are going to talk to her live in the newsroom.

And the red carpet, it is ready for its parade of stars. Oscar night in Hollywood. That's tonight. We will go there live. You are watching CNN, the most trusted news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We are following the latest developments after getting word this afternoon that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has fallen ill. A senior U.S. military official tells CNN that Talabani has suffered a heart attack. A statement from Talabani's office says the Kurdish leader has been flown to Jordan for medical treatment and is now in stable condition.

CNN's Jennifer Eccleston is in the Jordanian capital of Amman. And so Jennifer, the White House is not confirming what a senior U.S. military official is saying about this heart attack. What are doctors there saying?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We don't have any official word from doctors here in Amman. In fact, he just arrived in country and he is now just arrived in the hospital. We do know from our sources at the airport he did not require an ambulance. He was able to get into a car and a convoy brought him to the King Hussein Medical Center.

As far as the nature of the illness, we can just judge by the fact that what his doctors in Sulamaniya in northern Iraq were telling out CNN Baghdad bureau earlier today, that he was suffering low blood pressure and he had a bout of dizziness and after taking tests in Iraq and was determined that he should fly here to Amman, Jordan, neighboring Amman Jordan to have further tests to determine what exactly the nature of that illness was. He was initially reluctant to do so we are hearing. But his doctors had convinced him on the other end that given his age, he's in his early 70s, born in 1933 that it would be wise to act on the side of caution and come to Amman, to the medical facility here to seek further tests.

Fred?

WHITFIELD: So, Jennifer, Everyone seems to be encouraged perhaps he's lucid and actually speaking.

ECCLESTON: Yes. It is a good sign he's actually able to walk. That would indicate he has his wits about him, that he is indeed feeling much better. That would sort of not be contrary to any reports if indeed true from what you are hearing from the U.S. military sources that he indeed had a heart attack or perhaps a small stroke, that he was able to regain sensibilities and en route to Amman, able to walk off that plane and get into a car and go to the hospital.

But again, acting on caution here because he is an elderly man and they would like to take all the necessary steps and make sure he recovers or he is feeling better.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jennifer Eccleston, thank so much for that update.

High speed police chases. They seem to be the bread and butter of some Hollywood cop movies. Don't they?

Well, now the U.S. Supreme Court has set to decide if the real-life version can go too far. That controversy straight ahead.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brooke Anderson at the Kodak Theater in Washington where in just a couple of hours the stars will hit this red carpet for the Academy Awards.

And this year there is word that the show will have some dramatic changes. Those details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.

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WHITFIELD: And so it is Oscar time. The curtain goes up on the 79th Annual Academy Awards show. In just over three hours from now, the films' finest already getting ready for their really big close-ups. This year expect some big changes in the show as well. CNN's Brooke Anderson is live from the red carpet and wearing lovely red, talking about the surprises tonight.

ANDERSON: That's right, Fredricka. And thanks for that compliment, by the way. But yeah, the Academy Awards ceremony may be getting a face-lift. We see that a lot in Hollywood. But we may be seeing that with the actual show making some really dramatic changes possibly. And joining me now with those details is Bradley Jacobs, senior editor for "US Weekly." r Bradley, all right, the producer, it sounds like -- these are unconfirmed rots but it sounds like we are going to see a lot of different things happening tonight. For one, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, three powerhouse producers taking the stage together to present a very special award.

BRADLEY JACOBS, "US WEEKLY": Yes. Those three very famous give the best directors are going to be getting together to give the best director Oscar which is very, very unusual. It is usually, you know, a great actress or actor who presents this award. This year you will see these three legends in our time giving the award. Since the favorite is Martin Scorsese it will be great to see these four people together if Marty should finally win this year.

ANDERSON: You know, Clint Eastwood, when they went head to head a couple of years ago, Eastwood took that one home, yet to see any of these guys up there on stage at one time. That is going to be quite a moment. And another interesting twist this year is the "Dreamgirls'" performance. What do we have here?

JACOBS: Well, word is that the "Dreamgirls", all three of them, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce and Anika Noni Rose, are going to be performing. But the twist is they are going to be performing each other's songs. They are not going to be performing the songs that they sung in the film. They are going to be paying tribute to each other which will be very interesting to see, I think. I'm looking forward to that.

ANDERSON: So not Beyonce singing "Listen." It may be Jennifer Hudson.

JACOBS: And of course, Jennifer Hudson's famous one, "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." Who will sing that? That is the showstopper of showstoppers. So it will be interesting if Beyonce sings that one and gives in the Beyonce treatment.

ANDERSON: And if Jennifer Hudson gives it up. That would be interesting.

And something else would really be going against Oscar tradition here tonight. If they keep the supporting actor categories until the very end and hand those out.

And I'm not really sure about that. I love it when they kick off the show with that big award.

JACOBS: This to me is the most significant event. Traditionally, there's always the best supporting actor or best supporting actress right away to get you right into it. But as you know, Oscar ratings tend to wane over the course of the show and rumor has it that both those categories, supporting actor and actress will not be given until the latter third of the show along with the other ones. Best actor, best actress. It will be interesting to see. And it is interesting to note also that the favorites in those categories, Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy, respectively, are real fan favorites. Those - "Dreamgirls" has made a lot of money.

ANDERSON: (inaudible) that poor little 10-year-old Abigail Breslin would have to wait until the very end of the show for her category to come up. OK. Bradley Jacobs from "Us Weekly" magazine. Thank you so much.

JACOBS: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Fredricka, we are just a few hours away from Hollywood's biggest night. The 79th Annual Academy Awards. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we will all be watching you with a preview as well, Brooke Anderson.

ANDERSON: That's right.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. Don't miss that special preview of the big night. "Hollywood's Gold Rush." CNN is live from the red carpet at the Academy Awards tonight at 7:00 Eastern. And then after you have seen the big show, CNN is your all-access pass to the big parties, the winners, and all of the Oscar action. That's "Hollywood's After Party" tonight midnight Eastern.

Was it a moment of rage that cost her more than a month of her life? Well, should throwing a cup really merit a felony conviction? The case of the McMissile still ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FOREST WHITAKER, ACTOR: I want to promise you this will be a government of action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And he took on the role of Idi Amin and channeling one of history's great villains could pay big dividends for actor Forest Whitaker tonight at the Oscars. We take a look at "The Last King of Scotland." You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

WHITFIELD: And back now to the search for 22-year-old Vicente Ignacio Beltran-Moreno. PManatee County investigators suspect Moreno had a ransom plan in mind for the 13-year-old boy alegedly kidnapped at gun point from his school bus stop on Friday. Let's go live now to reporter Emily Maza from CNN affiliate Bay News 9.

EMILY MAZA, BAY NEWS 9: Fredricka, law enforcers say they know who kidnapped Clay Moore. They say he lived in this home behind me in Bradenton. And they say they know what his motive was -- to get money. And now the sheriff is calling this a kidnap for ransom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(Voice-over): At 5:30 Sunday morning, sheriff's deputies searched this home. The suspect's red truck was in the driveway but the suspect was nowhere to be found. Deputies say he fled Florida but, he left a handwritten ransom note behind. SHERIFF CHARLIE WELLS, MANATEE COUNTY, FL: I don't believe I've ever read a real one before. And to see that and to see that spelled out and written out, yeah, it was shocking.

MAZA: Sheriff Charlie Wells says this man, a former farm worker who was employed by an aluminum company, kidnapped Clay Moore, hoping to make money. His name is Vicente Ignacio Beltran-Moreno. The 22-year- old also went by Nacho and a number of other names.

Neighbors told us in Spanish he was `muy loco,' which means very crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He used to drink a lot, I think, when all his friends were there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could know your neighbors for forever, and then something snaps and they do something like this, so you don't ever really know.

MAZA: Detectives say Beltran-Moreno did not know the 13-year-old. He randomly picked Clay Moore out of crowd of kids at a bus stop, drove him to a wooded area near a farm and tied him to a tree.

Moore waited for the suspect to leave and then freed himself.

DET. DENNIS VALONE, MANATEE COUNTY, FL: He actually had a safety pin with him, and he was able to use that to assist himself. And obviously, using his teeth and his own hands -- he was very creative. We sat down and told him -- he talked to us about it -- he was pretty ingenious for a 13-year-old -- kind of McGyver-like.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(On camera): Sheriff deputies hope law enforcement from all over the country can help them find this suspect. As we mentioned, he fled Florida.

Let's take a look at that picture one more time: the suspect is being described as an Hispanic, 22 years old, 140 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes. The sheriff told us that he believes by the end of today they may have a better idea where he is located.

Live in Manatee County, Emily Maza. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you, Emily.

There are over 800 registered sex offenders permanently living in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Under the law, county officials are mandated to supply shelter to the homeless, including sex offenders. But how do you supply temporary shelter for these offenders and at the same time keep local residents feeling safe? County officials believe they have the answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kevin has got a meeting set up between Chadry (ph) and Ellis (ph).

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Suffolk County, New York, Executive Steve Levy believes he has found a solution to a common "not-in-my-backyard" dilemma that's kept residents in this Long Island County concerned for years -- where to temporarily house homeless sex offenders after they have been released from prison.

STEVE LEVY, SUFFOLK COUNTY EXECUTIVE: You want to take into consideration the very legitimate fears and concerns of moms and dads who don't want a predator living next door.

WHITFIELD: The answer, they say, a 500-square-foot, bare-bones trailer, equipped with eight beds, a bath room, electricity and water, but no TVs, telephones or kitchen facilities. The trailer sits on remote county-owned land away from residential communities and will be moved periodically to ensure privacy.

LEVY: The beauty of this concept is not only is the trailer away from a residential community, but it also has a curfew for those residents within it and it has some security guards who are there at various points during the day and evening.

WHITFIELD: The concept costs the county $85 per person per night -- cheaper than putting the offenders in motels.

ROWLAND HAMPTON, SUFFOLK COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES: It meets the needs of the person and satisfies the law of the state. We're providing a place to stay, but not a place they will want to live forever. They are not going to get too comfortable there.

KATE BROWNING, LEGISLATOR: This guy is a level two. His victim was a 14-year-old girl.

WHITFIELD: Getting comfy is exactly what legislator Kate Browning fears. She already has over 100 registered sex offenders living in three towns in her district.

BROWNING: This district is saturated. We have more than our fair share. We are not saying we're not willing to take any, we're saying we are willing to take our fair share and no more.

WHITFIELD: Browning says offenders gravitate to districts like hers because of affordable housing. County Executive Levy says they have no control where homeless sex offenders find permanent housing.

LEVY: Oftentimes there is a misconception that these sex offenders are being steered there by the government, when in fact they are going there, gravitating there, because these are the low-rent areas that they are going to be able to afford.

WHITFIELD: So for now the few Suffolk County sex offenders who can't afford any housing at all, can find remote shelter in a trailer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Back to our top story about the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, being hospitalized in Amman, Jordan. His son is telling CNN that he is, indeed, in Amman, Jordan, being hospitalized, but because of fatigue. There have been some reports coming from sources, one senior U.S. military official who says that Talabani suffered a heart attack.

On the phone with us now is the son -- one of the sons of President Talabani, Qabad Talabani.

And so thanks so much for being with us and available. Do you understand that your dad did have indeed a heart attack?

QADAD TALABANI, JALAL TALABANI'S SON: No, Fredricka. He did not have a heart attack. I spoke with him this morning. He was in good spirits. He's suffering from fatigue and exhaustion. The reports about him having a heart attack or a stroke are completely false.

WHITFIELD: So how concerned are you about your father's health?

TALABANI: Oh, of course we are concerned about his health. But I have spoken with him. He is in good spirits. He is jovial. He's in Amman right now. His doctors were quite comfortable with his condition.

It is just that because of the lack of -- the medical facility in the Kurdistan region, they thought it best to go to Amman where he could receive more in-depth treatment and checkups.

WHITFIELD: And so our White House correspondent learned through White House sources that Mr. Talabani was taken to Amman, Jordan, via U.S. military C-130 cargo flight. Can you confirm that?

TALABANI: I cannot confirm that. I don't know the details of the - the exact details and logistics. I know that he's in Amman now. It's likely he will receive some help from our friends in the United Statea but he, again, is in good spirit.

WHITFIELD: And when you say he's in good spirits, is it your understanding that he's able to converse, verbally and that he has been up ...

TALABANI: Oh, absolutely.

WHITFIELD: ... and moving and that he did indeed -- he was able to stand and actually walk on his own after being taken via car to the hospital after getting off the C-130?

TALABANI: Absolutely. He made his own way on the plane. He made his own way off the plane and into his motorcade. He has been up and about. He has been returning correspondences. He has still been working.

In fact, we had to convince him to go to Amman to get further checkups. He was saying tat he's fine. But so he's absolutely up and about. Being able to communicate. And eat food. And ...

WHITFIELD: And before I let you go, let me ask you what do you think this is saying that the president is getting medical attention in a neighboring country as opposed to right there in Iraq when his government, as well as the U.S. government, has been saying there are a number of signs of improvement that the country is becoming more stable despite the fact that we have seen an intensified string of violence?

TALABANI: Well, the situation is obviously clear to everybody today. But you have to understand that Iraq's medical sector has been neglected for over 15 years. For a variety of different reasons.

Obviously the medical staff and equipment and the technology that is in Iraq right now, it is probably not quite up to speed. These kinds of things will take time. It is quite regular and quite normal for senior Iraqi politicians to receive checkups or medical treatments outside of Iraq. I don't think that this is too big of an issue. It's just that Iraq is trying to get back on its feet.

WHITFIELD: Qabad Talabani, a son of President Jalal Talabani who is being hospitalized in Jordan. Mr. Talaban, Qaban Talibani, saying not because of a heart attack but instead being treated for fatigue. Thanks so much for your time.

She is home from jail now. So what did the woman at the center of the `McMissile' case learn from her ordeal? We will ask her when THE NEWSROOM continues.

And these kids demonstrating an alternate use for cups, but it's not child's play. This is competition. You're in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: High speed chases certainly capture the headlines, but should police follow certain rules to capture the out of control drivers? The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on that soon. Our Gary Nuremberg has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In 2001, 19-year-old Victor Harris didn't stop when Georgia police tried to pull him over for speeding. The police video shown to judges shows him accelerating, leading police on a chase at times more than 100 miles an hour.

PHILIP SAVRIN, ATTORNEY FOR DEPUTY SCOTT: It was not just a question of the speed. He was also crossing the double line, actually driving in the wrong direction of travel in order to pass cars that were in his path. He was also going through red lights.

NURENBERG: Harris pulls into a shopping center parking lot and Sheriff's Deputy Timothy Scott tries to block him. Harris hits Deputy Scott's car. This is what it looks like from another angle. Then it is back to high speed ona two-lane road. Scott radios his supervisor.

Scott bumps Harris from behind. The crash leaves Harris a quadraplegic. He sues, arguing police used unreasonable force. CRAIG JONES, HARRIS' LAWYER: All Mr. Harris had done was commit traffic violations. He was not a felon and was not a violent criminal.

SAVRIN: If Deputy Scott not used the force that he had and a minute or so later, someone had been injured or killed, the question would be, why didn't Deputy Scott take some action?

NURENBERG (on camera): Lower courts ruled the police did use unreasonable force. And the Supreme Court, which has shown deference to police in a number of cases since 9/11, decided it wants to review this case.

ED LAZARUS, CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLAR: Nobody is going to suddenly say it is okay to use deadly force against a fleeing felon who poses no threat to society. They are just going to say, I think, that a speeding car, going down a two-lane road at 100 miles an hour, is in and of itself necessarily a danger.

AL LIEBNO, POLICE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR: Just because a violator does something in front of us, does not mean we have to pursue him.

NURENBERG: As police departments across the country try to teach their officers whether to chase and how, the Supreme Court may be about to decide how much force is allowed.

Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: And how about this -- is this a mockery justice or fitting justice? A jury in Virginia sentenced a motorist to two years in prison forthrowing a cup of ice into another car. Virginia law considers the act a felony offense. The penalty invoked such public outrage, the judge reduced Jessica Hall's sentence to probation, after spending 48 days behind bars.

She joins us now to talk about her experience.

Good to see you, Jessica.

JESSICA HALL, MOTORIST CONVICTED OF FELONY: Hi.

WHITFIELD: How does it feel now that you are no longer incarcerated?

HALL: It halfway feels good, it halfway feels terrible because I have a lot of horrible feelings and recollections.

WHITFIELD: Why halfway?

HALL: Halfway because sometimes I forget that I'm at home. Sometimes I ask myself am I dreaming? Am I really home? Is my kids really standing next to me? I still don't -- still haven't had a lot of sleep. It has taken -- it will probably take me time to get myself back together as far as mentally and emotionally.

WHITFIELD: Forty-eight days behind bars -- you were staring at two years. When you found out that the judge was reducing your sentence, that hit you how? Did you believe it?

HALL: I didn't believe it at first. And then it hit me, okay, you are going home. You are finally going home, but under what penalties are you going home? I felt relief but not 100 percent relief.

WHITFIELD: So the charge, the conviction, is still there.

HALL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And is there any possibility that you might be able to get that conviction expunged or at least reduced along with the sentence having been reduced?

HALL: Say that again.

WHITFIELD: Do you have any hope that perhaps that charge or conviction will be dropped altogether, since the sentence has at least been reduced?

HALL: I do have hope. I have never known the outcome but I do have hope.

WHITFIELD: So the question still bearing -- the moment that this happened, that you made this split-second decision to throw this cup of ice at another motorist -- you have children in the car and you have your pregnant sister in the car -- what made you make that decision in first place?

HALL: Well, it was after -- I was frustrated from his erratic driving, maybe ten minutes before the cup was thrown. What made me do that is the fac that he was continueually driving the way he was and he -- I heard something hit my car after we exchanged words, and then I tossed the cup.

WHITFIELD: You have to have regret now, correct?

HALL: I do have regret, I do.

WHITFIELD: What about for your children, what what kind of lesson do you suppose they may have learned now, seeing their mom be charged, arrested, convicted, jailed for that decision?

HALL: From their mouths, there's no lesson learned. There's no helpful anything, you know, for them. What they have been saying is that they miss me, they love me, they are sorry that I had to go to jail. That's what I have been hearing from all three of them. My 4- year-old, she will not leave my -- she's probably crying right now. She did not want to leave my sight. She thinks every time I get up and walk away I'm going to jail.

Mainly this has hurt my family -- my kids and my family -- more than it has hurt me. All three of my kids, for instance, they never slept in my bed. They all have slept in my bed since I have been home.

WHITFIELD: Jessica Hall, we hope that now there will be healing for everybody.

HALL: I hope so.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much for your time.

HALL: Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FOREST WHITAKER, ACTOR: When I looked at the book and I looked at the script, I was, like, Wow -- this is a very complicated man. I would really like to get a chance to play him.

WHITFIELD: A complicated man, who a lot of people describe as being a real monster, the actor who played him, considered one of Hollywood's best: might the pairing mean Oscar glory for Forest Whitaker? "The Last King of Scotland," when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A dark chapter in Africa's history now the setting for Hollywood Gold. Idi Amin, one of the most notorious and brutal dictators in recent memory, providing a gateway for an Oscar-worthy performance.

CNN's

ISHA SESAY (voice-over): His name has become synonymous with bloodshed and brutality. Uganda's Idi Amin Dada seized power in 1971, and for the next eight years unleashed a campaign of terror on his nation. He's said to be responsible for the murder of 300,000 of his fellow Ugandans. Amin has inspired tales of debauchery, egomania and canibalism.

Now the story of the `Butcher of Africa' is dominating the big screen in a bold thriller, directed by Kevin MacDonald.

KEVIN MACDONALD, DIRECTOR: I was kind of fascinated thematically by the idea of showing the private life of a tyrant and showing the Amin beyond the kind of cliche and beyond the the Western media image of this monster.

WHITAKER, AS AMIN: Scotish? Why didn't you say so?

SESAY: The movie, which takes its plotline from a 1998 novel by Giles Foden, is an artful blend of fact and fiction. It pivots on the relationship between Idi Amin and Nicholas Garrigan, a fictional white Scotish doctor, who travels to Uganda for a medical mission, and in search of adventure. The young thrill-seeking Garrigan is played by James McAvoy.

JAMES MCAVOY, ACTOR: He's made important in the world. He's made more than a general practitioner and a family doctor. He's elevated to a government adviser, you know. And he's like, I can't (INAUDIBLE). SESAY: But Garrigan gets more than he bargained for when he becomes the dictator's personal physician and confidant. He's soon witness to the horrors of Amin's blood-thirsty regime and ultimately finds his own life in danger.

Forest Whitaker is mesmerizing in the central role as Amin, both charming and terrifying in equal measure. He moves effortlessly between the flamboyant despot's lightning-quick mood changes. Previously known for gentle, understated performances in movies such as "The Crying Game" and "Good Morning Vietnam," here we are treated to a whole new side of the talented Whitaker.

WHITAKER: He was this mad dictator, is the only image I had. So, when I looked at the book and I looked at the script, I was like, Wow -- this is a very complicated man. I would really like to get a chance to play him.

SESAY: First-time director Kevin MacDonald brings to life one one of Africa's darkest chapters. Here is Uganda crackling with life and sensuality, as well as a clear and ever-present danger.

WHITAKER, AS AMIN: I want to promise you this will be a government of action.

SESAY: "The Last King of Scotland" had been heaped with praise by critics and audiences alike. Forest Whitaker's volcanic performance has won him an armful of awards, most recently at the battle (ph) in London, where the movie also won Outstanding British Film of the Year.

Now all eyes are on the Oscars, and the question on everyone's lips is will Forest Whitaker be crowned Best Actor on the big night?

Isha Sesay, CNN, Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And if you don't watch closely, you could blink and miss this next story -- How some youngsters in California are stacking up in a new competition. Next in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So take a look at this. It's part of the latest sporting crze called `stacking." Kids in Sacramento, California, are taking part in the 2nd annual tournament this weekend. In cup stacking contestants race to arrange plastic cups into pyramids, then quickly take them down. The growing sport appeals to so many because size, strength and gender don't seem to matter.

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