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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Sandusky Doesn`t Testify; New Info in Trayvon Martin Case

Aired June 20, 2012 - 19:00   ET

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


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to bring in Jane Velez-Mitchell. Jane, you`re a great role model, what do you think?

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: I don`t know about that, but thank you. I do think it`s important for girls to have role models. I read every single "Nancy Drew." I remember them well. And it did inspire me to become, in fact, a journalist and an investigator.

And tonight, we`ve got breaking news off the top. Just moments ago, we obtained two more crucial 911 calls in the shooting of Trayvon Martin by Neighborhood Watch volunteer Trayvon Martin. And guess what? We`re going to play them for you. You and I will hear them for the very first time, because I haven`t heard them. They`ve just come into the system. They`ve just gotten approved.

Again, this is Trayvon Martin`s father, Tracy Martin, trying to find his son, who tragically he was not aware had already been shot dead. And we`ll also have this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight in another stunning twist, the Sandusky defense rests. Despite hints and predictions that Jerry Sandusky would take the stand, the accused molester leaves court without testifying. Will his silence pay off? We`ll preview tomorrow`s closing arguments in the trial of this legendary coach accused of sexually abusing ten boys.

And we`re taking your calls.

And a young man asleep in a parking lot executed in cold blood. It`s all caught on tape. Why did somebody do this without taking a cent? You`ll see the shocking surveillance footage that sparked an intense manhunt for two possible killers. As Marley Lion`s family pleads for help, we`re trying to help cops solve this case.

Plus, Rielle Hunter finally speaks about her sexual affair with John Edwards. Her tell-all book reveals one astonishing claim after another. Did the one-time presidential candidate have other mistresses? If so, how many? What does Rielle say about John Edwards` now deceased wife, Elizabeth, that has some people up in arms? And are Rielle and her Johnny still secretly dating?

Then, actor Alec Baldwin accused of running over a reporter`s foot on the heels of a paparazzo accusing the star of attacking him. Are charges looming for this Hollywood superstar? We`ll tell you the "30 Rock" star`s outrageous tweets. Does he have a point?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The jury will have to decide the case against Jerry Sandusky without hearing from him. His defense rested this morning without calling him to the stand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a complete suit on. He had shiny shoes. I mean, it looked like somebody that was going to take the stand. If he takes the stand, he can say anything he wants to on the direct examination, but it is the cross-examination. He can open himself up to have any question whatsoever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only person who could have come forward and said, "This didn`t happen" in this particular case under these circumstances was Mr. Sandusky. And he chose not to do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think Jerry could be guilty?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Each side does their best. You never really know where the jury will decide and what their final decision will be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In just moments we will have for you these two new crucial 911 calls in the Trayvon Martin shooting. They are being processed into our system as we speak. And we`re turning them around at light speed for you. You`ll hear them as soon as we do tonight in this broadcast.

Meantime, the defense abruptly resting after a surprise twist rocks the very last day of testimony in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation trial. Sandusky walked into court seemingly ready to take the stand. But in a dramatic decision that appeared very last-minute, the former Penn State assistant football coach did not testify in his own defense.

Sandusky faces 51 counts of sexual abuse of ten boys over 15 years. If convicted, he faces more than 500 years behind bars. As recently as yesterday a major TV network reported Sandusky would take the stand in his own defense.

But after almost an hour hushed closed-door conversation in the courthouse today, the defense then says, "No, we`re not doing it." And the defense rests. Is staying silent in court the right call?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only person who could have come forward and said, "This didn`t happen, in this particular case under these circumstances," was Mr. Sandusky. And he chose not to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Straight out to "In Session" correspondent, Jean Casarez, who has been all over this case from day one. What do you make of him not taking the stand? This flurry of behind-the-scenes chatter, leading up to that decision. Could there have been some kind of disagreement between Jerry Sandusky and his lawyers over how to proceed? Why this last-minute drama?

JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, TRUTV`S "IN SESSION": That`s exactly what I think, Jane. You know, I was in that courtroom this morning and I looked at Jerry Sandusky. And he was dressed to the hilt this morning. I mean, he just looked really, really professional. And he was walking. And he had confidence. I think Jerry Sandusky wanted to testify.

I mean, look at the interviews he did. Look at the speech he gave at the podium after a recent hearing in February. And I think his attorneys realized that he loves to talk, and that could absolutely do him in in this case. And I think it was at issue between them both. And I think in the end the attorney won.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. But what`s interesting to me is this last- minute drama. All the components of this decision were in place long before this morning -- what was at stake, how he does run at the mouth in these interviews -- and yet it was down to the wire even after a major network reported that he would, in fact testify. Just yesterday they reported that.

So in the end the jury did not hear Jerry Sandusky. But of course they did hear some clips from his NBC interview after the arrest. Listen to what they heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY SANDUSKY, ON TRIAL FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE (via phone): Well, I could say that, you know, I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them. And I have touched their leg without intent of sexual contact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s bad. But there were portions of these interviews that never aired and that prosecutors were not able to play in open court that might have been even worse. Like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDUSKY: I didn`t go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I`ve helped. There are many that I didn`t have -- I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa Bloom, legal analyst for Avo.com, author of "Swagger," if Jerry Sandusky had taken the stand, the theory is that would have opened the door, as they say in legalese, to allowing prosecutors to play some of these even more damaging interviews, where Sandusky almost seems to acknowledge, well, not every one. What you just heard there, some people think that would have been absolutely damning. Is that a factor in why they decided not to put him on the stand, do you think?

LISA BLOOM, LEGAL ANALYST: Whether he`s innocent or guilty, he would have been destroyed on cross-examination, because the prosecutors would have asked him a question, and no matter what he said, they would have then been able to play those videos -- videotapes with his words that look so damaging.

And he`s -- frankly, he would be a terrible witness based on the interviews that I`ve seen of him. I mean, this is a guy who goes on and on and on. When he`s asked if he`s attracted to children, he has a long pause, and he stares out into space. And then his lawyer jumps in and says, "Oh, he`s not really attracted to children." You know, he`s done some terrible interviews. And this is the person that he is.

And look, I`m not saying that he`s guilty, because some people are just terrible on the witness stand. As an attorney myself, it`s my job to keep them off the stand if it`s their case. But boy, he would have looked terrible if he took the stand.

And by the way, Jane, I don`t necessarily believe the story that he was dying to testify and it was his mean, nasty lawyers that kept him from it. There could have been a certain amount of P.R. in that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but when he did speak to the interviewers on television after his arrest, he seemed like he wanted to tell his story and that almost that he was in denial about what he was accused of doing being morally wrong, whether or not he did it. Did the defense ultimately decide he`s just a loose cannon, can`t put him on the stand?

Listen to this interview he did with the NewYorkTimes.com immediately -- almost immediately, soon after his arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDUSKY: If I say, no, I`m not attracted to boys, that`s not the truth, because I`m attracted to young people, boys, girls...

JOE AMENDOLA, ATTORNEY FOR SANDUSKY: Yes, but not sexually.

SANDUSKY: Right, right. I enjoy -- that`s what I was trying to say. I enjoy spending time with young people. I enjoy spending time with people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Eric Schwartz, criminal defense attorney, some people thought that interview right there was so disturbing. And some said, well, it sounded like he felt that he did -- that there was nothing wrong you could do in interacting on a certain level with children. That he is very confused about what are the proper boundaries to have with children.

ERIC SCHWARTZ: Jane, the worst thing for a defense attorney is a client that goes rogue and gives those interviews. Those interviews that Jerry Sandusky gave, they`re atrocious. Doesn`t mean he`s guilty, but listening to him speak, we all cringe. We get a tick, listening to him speak.

It reminds me of the old joke: how do you tell when a defendant is lying? That`s when his lips are moving.

The problem for Jerry Sandusky in this case, I believe by all accounts he wanted to take the stand; he wanted to testify. But those prosecutors, based upon those interviews he gave, would have had him for lunch, because there is no good explanation. We don`t horse around with children; we don`t take showers with children. And those unaired portions of those videotapes, those would have been the death of him.

And I think of football is a game of inches. Reasonable doubt is a game of inches. And what the defense did do is poke holes in all the witnesses by indicating that there were some comments that "I`m going to own Jerry Sandusky`s house."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And to jump in, I don`t think you could ever say it`s an open-and-shut case. Look at the Casey Anthony case. Perfect example. Everybody thought, "Oh, she`s going to be convicted," and she was acquitted.

Quickly, Debbie, New York, your question or thought, Debbie.

CALLER: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi. How are you doing? Your question or thought?

CALLER: Good, Jane. I think you`re terrific, by the way.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

CALLER: I do agree with you, Lisa Bloom and the attorneys. But I do -- I thought he should have definitely taken the stand, and his attorneys would have done the damage control, because they would have put him on first. And then they would have eaten him up alive after, but at least he would have gotten his say.

And, I mean, he`s guilty. There`s no doubt about it. But I would put him on the stand for sure.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I don`t want to convict him. He is on trial for a reason. Let his jury, the jury of his peers, judge him.

But I will say hypothetically that there are people accused of pedophilia who believe that they have done nothing wrong, that this is, in their mind, love. And that`s why they have sort of an innate desire to come out and defend it as a disease to those who are not pedophiles.

Next, we are going to bring you those 911 calls. We`ve got them in, in the Trayvon Martin shooting. Unbelievable new sound next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, CHARGED IN SHOOTING: We had some break-ins in my neighborhood. And there`s a real suspicious guy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s just said he shot him dead. The person is dead, lying on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Zimmerman has made the statement of self- defense.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Neighborhood Watch is Neighborhood Watch. Not neighborhood shoot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you see when you look face-to-face across to Mr. Zimmerman?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A very, very frightened 28-year-old.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It was February 26 in Sanford, Florida, a night that really changed the nation and sparked a huge uproar.

This young man had just bought Skittles and iced tea at the local 7- Eleven and was headed back to his dad`s home in this gated community when George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer following him, ends up shooting him dead.

Now, of course, we all know about the national uproar that followed. First, he was not arrested, George Zimmerman, that is. And then ultimately, after a national uproar, demonstrations and an investigation by a special prosecutor, he was arrested. There you see George Zimmerman being taken in by police. Well, now we`ve got extraordinary new 911 calls just in.

Now, the first one comes the day after the shooting. Believe it or not, Trayvon Martin`s dad had no idea that his 17-year-old son had been shot dead, because the young man did not have identification on him when he went to the 7-Eleven.

So the next day, which would be February 27, Trayvon Martin`s father, Tracy Martin, is calling 911 to try and file a missing persons report. Where is his son? He has no idea. Let`s listen to the 911 call that just came into our system. You and I together, hearing it for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sheriff`s office, this line is being recorded. My name is Cassandra.

TRACY MARTIN, FATHER OF TRAYVON: How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. How are you today, sir?

MARTIN: Good. Good, good. I need to file a missing person report because it hasn`t really been 24 hours, but I`m from Miami. And my son`s up here with me. And he left -- he don`t know anybody up here. And...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Are you staying in a hotel here?

MARTIN: No. I`m actually staying at my dear friend`s house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know the address?

MARTIN: What`s the address?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And you said it was your son that`s missing?

MARTIN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Give me one moment. And you said -- how long has he been missing for?

MARTIN: Since last night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How old is your son?

MARTIN: He`s 17.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What`s his name?

MARTIN: Trayvon Martin. T-R-A-Y-V-O-N M-A-R-T-I-N.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, sir, what`s your name?

MARTIN: My name`s Tracy Martin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What`s a phone number we can reach you at? OK. An officer can meet with you and file the report?

MARTIN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What was your son last seen wearing?

MARTIN: He probably had on a pair of khakis shorts and a gray sweatshirt. Probably had on slacks. And a pair -- I`m sorry, and a pair of Air Jordan tennis shoes. Lighter red tennis shoes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Can you give me a specific time of the last time you saw him?

MARTIN: About 8:30.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 8:30?

MARTIN: Eight, 8:30 last night, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, sir. We`re going to dispatch somebody out there.

MARTIN: OK. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Yes, sir. Bye.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The extraordinary thing is that police the night that Trayvon lay dead on the ground did not walk around to a nearby unit where the father lived and ask him, hey, is this your son? On the other side of the break we are going to analyze this extraordinary audio tape with our team of experts. What does it mean? Why did Trayvon Martin`s father not know that he had been killed a full day after he was shot?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seminole County Sheriff`s Office. This call is being recorded. My name is Cassandra.

MARTIN: How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. How are you today, sir?

MARTIN: Good. Good, good. I need to file a missing person report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. You`re hearing this tape as we are, as I am. It`s just come in.

And Lisa Bloom, legal analyst for Avo, what`s extraordinary to me is this is a day after Trayvon Martin is shot dead just a stone`s throw from where the father lives. And to me it dovetails with the criticism that his death wasn`t treated with respect, because the police didn`t go around to nearby houses, a stone`s throw away, and say, "Hey, do you know who this young man is?"

BLOOM: Right. Did they assume, because Trayvon is African-American, that he couldn`t possibly be in that neighborhood because his dad is staying with a girlfriend there? In other words because he was welcomed in that community.

Was the assumption made that, because he was an African-American male lying on the ground after some kind of a fight had happened, that he must have been an intruder? That he must have been a ne`er-do-well, you know, there for some nefarious reason? That`s very disturbing.

And I have to say, just as a parent, it is so heartbreaking to hear Trayvon`s dad calling 911, reporting him missing. You can hear in his voice that he`s hoping for the best. He`s hoping there`s going to be some kind of crazy story, but his son is going to return. And we already know now that Trayvon was already gone at the time of this call. I mean, what a heartbreak.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is absolutely heart-wrenching. And the video we showed, which is really the video we have of Trayvon Martin`s father after this became a national story. And he is often just distraught and overcome as he holds these news conferences.

Eric Schwartz, criminal attorney out of Miami, believe it or not, we actually have more breaking news on the Trayvon Martin shooting. Spokesperson for Bill Lee, Sanford city manager, has said that they decided to terminate his contract as of today.

Now, this was somebody who had stepped aside, you remember. But originally the powers that be wouldn`t accept his resignation. And frankly, I wonder if it has anything to do with the release of these tapes. Because, to me, just the idea the police don`t make the connection. A young man`s disappeared at that exact spot and they don`t make the connection to somebody who was shot dead the night before.

SCHWARTZ: Jane, it might have a lot to do with these tapes being released. And that the father didn`t know.

And what really strikes me is listening to the father, the emotion in his voice. And we now know that his son was dead and was killed at this point in time, and the father was hoping for the best.

But heads are going to roll on this, whether it`s law enforcement, if they bundled this, whether it`s politicians, a resignation. There are always going to be people that will pay the price. And that being fired or having to resign might be a result of these 911 tapes being released at this point in time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. It really is a case that, with every new release of information, we get greater insight into really the Shakespearean tragedy that was that night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rielle Hunter gets pretty down and dirty in this book, telling all about the affair she had with John Edwards.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As it turned out Mr. Two Americas here had two very different faces himself, and one of them wasn`t very pretty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator with a cancer-stricken wife has an affair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We said to him, don`t you think it`s about time to actually tell everyone that you are actually the father of this child?

JOHN EDWARDS, FORMER SENATOR: My precious Quinn, who I love more than any of you could ever imagine.

I hate to admit it but I`m not the best parent in my family. The best parent in my family is here with me today. It`s my wife Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF JOHN EDWARDS: I have seen the child, actually.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was an affair that brought down a candidate for president, mired a dying woman`s final days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says that she followed his lead.

J. EDWARDS: If I wanted to find the person who should be held accountable for my sins, honestly, I don`t have to go any further than the mirror. It`s me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is. New intimate details revealed about the secret affair that brought down one-time presidential candidate John Edwards. Wow, what a wild story. Rielle Hunter, the sultry blonde videographer who had a six-year affair and love child with the married politician holds nothing back in her explosive, new tell-all book.

Edwards` former mistress says it`s her time to tell her story. And she`s exposing everything from the first time she had steamy sex with John Edwards to even going after his dead wife, Elizabeth, who was battling cancer while Edwards` lied to the country about their relationship.

Here is Rielle in an interview on Friday`s edition of "20/20" talking about how she sees herself. This from ABC`s "Good Morning America".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIELLE HUNTER, JOHN EDWARDS` MISTRESS: First and foremost, I`m a mom. Rielle Hunter is a mom. And I`m also a woman who fell in love with a married man. I`m not the first woman who has done that. And I am not going to be the last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is Rielle out of line by writing this revealing book? Do you see her as more than a mistress now that she`s speaking out? Call me, 1-877-JVM-SAYS.

Joining me now here in studio, "Naughty but Nice", Rob Shuter from Huff Po. Listen, she crossed the line with this book?

ROB SHUTER, HUFFINGTON POST: This is a woman that clearly doesn`t have much sense going on. She sees something, she wants it, she gets it. I`ve read the book. It`s absolutely shocking. She holds back nothing, Jane.

However, she was just shot with John Edwards together. They are together with the child the week that this book is released. That says to me that he`s supporting her and even supporting the tales that she tells in this book.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What`s the most shocking thing?

SHUTER: I think the most shocking is going after Elizabeth Edwards. Elizabeth Edwards is a national -- was, is -- a national treasure. We love her. What she went through was so shocking. And for this lady who had an affair with her husband to call her a "witch on wheels", which she does, is probably the most shocking thing. The most gross thing in the book is the night of passion that she had with Mr. Edwards.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And she just goes on and on. Ok, tell me about it.

(CROSSTALK)

SHUTER: The best night of her life. The best night of her life -- they laugh, they cried, they hugged. They didn`t sleep all night, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And you know what that means. Ok. Just as Rob Shuter referred to it would appear that Edwards is still close to Rielle. This video on NBC`s "Today" of John Edwards spending quality time with his daughter Quinn and Quinn`s mom, Rielle at a beach house right before father`s day -- we`re talking last Thursday.

Plus there`s also video of Edwards, Rielle and their four -year-old from Monday. Cameras captured him giving his one-time mistress a kiss on the cheek which left her giggling, giddy. In the book she writes cryptically about their current status. Are they still dating? Are they still sleeping together?

Jen Heger, assistant managing editor, RadarOnline, how can you have a love relationship with a woman who trashes you. We haven`t even gotten to the part yet where she says he had other mistresses beyond her. She is trashing you. She is trashing your dead wife. And you`re still making kissy-kiss with her?

JEN HEGER, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, RADARONLINE: Jane, this behavior from both John Edwards and Rielle Hunter is just absolutely revolting to watch, you know. You have to feel for Elizabeth Edwards` children, Kate Edwards and the other two, Emma Claire and Jack as well as Rielle Hunter`s daughter, Frances Quinn. I think that all four of these children in this situation are the real victims in this story.

We clearly have two narcissistic individuals in Rielle Hunter and John Edwards who really don`t seem to care what the public thinks about them on the one hand. And then on the other hand Rielle Hunter says that she decided to write the book for her daughter`s sake. To tell the truth about the relationship and what really happened.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Give me a break.

HEGER: I know. Give me a break.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How does this help her daughter?

HEGER: Yes. I mean give me an aspirin, seriously.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ll give you a handful of aspirin.

All right. Here`s another question. Could there be more Edwards` mistresses out there ready to come out of the wood work? Listen to this from "Good Morning America".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What he said is he lied about some of them. He tells her that he has three other women on the side at the time that they met because he`s trying to keep his distance from her. He doesn`t want her to get too attached. Then later she says, "Well, those women I made up, but there were affairs before that."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. Rob Shuter, does this mean there could be more women ready to come out of the woodwork?

SHUTER: It does. But I don`t know if I believe very much what this lady says. She said that she made up a couple of mistresses but there were others. I`ve got to believe -- we`ve been doing this a long time, Jane, if there were other women out there who had slept with John Edwards, we would know about them by now. This happened a couple of years ago, so definitely these ladies would have come out. They could have sold their stories, Jane. They could have made some money.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t know. Ok. By the same token, I would say from what I know of men, if they cheat once, they will cheat again. And so I wouldn`t be shocked if there were other women and you don`t know what deal may have been made with them to keep them quiet or who in their right mind would want to become mixed up in this mess and have to testify in a trial.

Jen Heger, what do you know?

HEGER: I absolutely agree, Jane. I also think that there are many other mistresses. I agree with you that men just don`t typically cheat one time. And I think maybe perhaps maybe some of these women, you know, maybe their silence was paid for. Or like you suggested, they just did not want to get their names tangled up in this mess and they have chosen to keep their mouths shut and have some, you know, decency at least as far as that goes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. I want to get to this because this is the most outrageous thing. Rielle makes a claim about Elizabeth Edwards. Listen to what Sherri Shepherd said on ABC`s "The View" about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": In her book she describes Elizabeth as "crazy, and venomous, a witch on wheels who`s given to fits of rage". To me I go "You`ve got no credibility at all to talk about somebody who`s -- she`s deceased and you were sleeping with her husband. You got nothing to say."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I couldn`t agree with Sherri more. I mean this is a woman who died of cancer and she`s not here to defend herself. Leave her out of it.

Out to the phone lines, Mary, Florida -- your question or thought, Mary.

MARY, FLORIDA (via telephone): Yes, I`m calling because I`m very upset because I`m thinking how their children, Elizabeth`s children must feel about this, hearing all of this. I don`t care what the public thinks. I don`t care what he thinks. I don`t care what Rielle thinks. What I do care for -- and I know the children that Elizabeth had with John Edwards are hearing all of this -- I do care what they think. And I don`t think they can respect that father or ever accept that woman as his mistress or his future wife. It`s sad.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, listen, Mary, I agree with you. And here`s an adult daughter who supported John Edwards, went to court every day, Rob. And this is what she gets.

SHUTER: And this was two weeks ago. This wasn`t a year ago. That daughter was with John Edwards, her father, every day defending him. And then a week later he goes to the beach house with this woman who has a book coming out that says evil things about your mother. John should keep away from her or at least keep out of the spotlight. This is doing him no good whatsoever.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And as for this love idea, well, John Edwards, if you were so in love with Rielle, there`s something called divorce. That would have been a much more respectable way to handle it. But oops, that could have interfered with your presidential ambitions, couldn`t it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re hearing more and more about potentially dangerous ingredients in the beauty products we slather on our body. You know, a hundred ingredients in the back of the bottle; we don`t know what those ingredients are.

My alternative is I make my own: make-up remover, perfume, body lotion. And essentially what I do is almond oil, very simple. I pour that in. And then I use essential oils like tea tree oil and rosemary and lavender and I mix it all up and put it in various bottles so that I can go on trips. I can go extra (inaudible). People always ask me what are you wearing and I say, I made it myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Alec Baldwin next. But first your "Viral Video of the Day".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(VIRAL VIDEO OF THE DAY)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alec Baldwin, boy did he lose his temper.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More anger mismanagement for Alec Baldwin. He was caught putting the smack down on a "New York Daily News" photographer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The paper says Baldwin approached the shutterbug with his angry glare. And as the camera man tried to move back, Baldwin hit him in the chin.

ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: The guy lunged and he almost hit me in the teeth with the lens of the camera.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But this isn`t the first time Baldwin lashed out against the paparazzi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alec went on to his Twitter page to deny that he had punched anyone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He put that under the hashtag "all paparazzi should be water boarded".

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, right. All paparazzi should be water boarded. Yes, Alec Baldwin in another confrontation with paparazzi. Guess what; you are going to have to decide tonight for yourself tonight as we give you the evidence whether or not he was right or wrong.

So let`s talk about this. It happened yesterday in Manhattan. The photographer on the receiving end of all of this was from the "New York Daily News". And now he`s filed charges against Baldwin. But Alec says was attacked and nearly injured. Listen to this from the "Charlie Rose Show".

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BALDWIN: There was a person in front of me and he was blocking him. And the guy lunged and he almost hit me in the teeth with the lens of the camera. So I just pushed the guy away. But of course, they all make it like -- my favorite line was, (inaudible) said, they all screamed like they are political prisoners, he said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All this happened as Alec was leaving the marriage license bureau with his fiance, Hilaria Thomas. I love that name, Hilaria. I think I`m pronouncing it right. After the incident Alec added fuel to the fire by tweeting, "a photographer almost hit me in the face with his camera this morning" and then he added the hashtag "all paparazzi should be waterboarded".

And remember in December he had that dust-up on the airlines he was asked please do not play your game. What was it, "friends with words" --

SHUTER: "Words with Friends".

VELEZ-MITCHELL: "Words with Friends" on the phone while his plane was on the runway. And it goes on and on. There was the problem with his daughter and the voicemail. I`ve decided not to run that one because I just think that`s a personal phone call. I just don`t want to go there.

But, you know what; I want to hear from you. What do you think of Alec Baldwin? Straight out to Dylan Howard, editor in chief, Buzz Media. What is going on?

DYLAN HOWARD, EDITOR IN CHIEF, BUZZ MEDIA: Well, Jane, Alec Baldwin finds himself in a very familiar position. And I can tell you today that he`s playing the victim, a role he`s done all too often when he`s been at the center of controversy. And despite the incident with the "New York Daily News" photographer, he continues to defend himself. Most recently in a taped appearance with David Letterman tonight that will air on CBS. In fact, he pulls his pants down to suggest that he`s lost weight deflecting all the issues here and attempting to diffuse the situation with comedy.

But, Jane, he was involved in a second confrontation today with a reporter from the television program "Inside Edition". He rode his bicycle over her foot, a 5`2 woman in front of many reporters and then pushed her with that bicycle outside his East Village apartment. So, Alec Baldwin at the center of controversy.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well Dylan -- yes, absolutely. Dylan, we`ve got that second incident with Alec Baldwin and another member of the media. Watch this from "Inside Edition". This just happened.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our cameras caught the actor today returning to his apartment burrowing through a crush of photographers after a two-hour bike ride. And he ran over our producer`s foot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just like smashed my foot.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`re going to analyze it on the other side. Stay right there. What do you think of Alec`s behavior?

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: We make ourselves available as an obligation per our contract to our employers to represent a product to help to sell the product. And then when I walk out the door, that`s over. I don`t have -- when a guy jumped out of the bushes with a camera and tries to take a picture with my kids, they want to say to you "Well, here`s another appointment you have with the press."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Alec Baldwin, defending himself on "Charlie Rose". I`m going to let the gentlemen duke it out starting with Rob Shuter -- 30 seconds.

SHUTER: I think it`s a little island, let`s all get along. I`ve seen some of these scrums (ph). I worked for J-Lo, I have seen people jump out of the bushes. It really is a bit scary, Jane. I think Alec was just got a marriage license, let him get his license in peace.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Nobody going to feel sorry for a handsome guy who looks better than ever, married to a gorgeous woman or about to get married to a gorgeous woman, who`s rich and famous.

HOWARD: You know what Jane; he`s got a concern though because he -- Indeed Jane, he`s got a concern though. He may be getting married. There were three photographers at that particular incident, two from the "Daily News", another one, and they all are describing a deranged Baldwin.

And so if police are investigating, this could be a major cause for concern for him even though he continues to play the victim.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I have met Alec a couple of times. He`s a very nice guy and does a lot for great causes. And I`ve got a temper too, Alec, we can work on it. Seriously, it`s something we all have to work on. Me too.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A new report says that Americans want meat raised without antibiotics. Consumer Reports say 86 percent of the people it surveyed want their supermarkets to stock that kind of meat. It says many are willing to pay more for that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s a whopping 86 percent of people who say they`d like to see more meat raised without antibiotics, that`s according to a study by Consumers` Union.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The group is concerned that these drugs are contributing to the rise of superbugs, drug-resistant germs that render some antibiotics ineffective against deadly infection.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The war over food in America escalating. Pizza (ph) members trying to block a plan that would force them to tell you how many calories are in that slice. And I have to tell Consumer Reports just did a study on antibiotics in meat and found four major food chains do not sell antibiotic-free chicken, beef, turkey or pork. 80 percent of antibiotics made in this country go into food producing farm animals. The use of antibiotics in farm animals has been banned in Europe for years. Here it`s legal.

I want to go straight out to Brendan Brazier, he is an amazing athlete, an ultra marathon winner and iron man triathlete. His fuel -- he only eats plant-based food. And he`s got this great new book out. And it is called "Thrive Foods.

Brendan, I have used your products -- if you come to me here in a second -- Vega, you may have seen them in the health food stores. Check it out, Vega and it`s a superfood drink.

Brendan, you created this line of Vega products. Why do you say -- forget about the meat now -- let`s get rid of that video -- I want to talk to you about fruits and vegetables and why you exclusively eat fruits and vegetables and you run ultra marathons.

BRENDAN BRAZIER, ULTRA MARATHON ATHLETE: Right, well I found a while ago that if my diet was made up of just plants, I could perform better. I could recover more quickly which meant I could train more in less time so that, of course, meant I would improve. So I have eaten exclusively plants now as you put it for 22 years, and I found that once you get it right, once you figure out how to do it right, it really is a competitive advantage in the athletic world.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you look like a teenager. How old are you by the way?

BRAZIER: I`m 37.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: 37 years old. Ok so you have been eating just plants, just fruits and vegetables for years and that`s how you came up with Vega. This is an all-in-one nutritional shake that actually Kathy Freston suggested that I try. It`s a green drink.

What`s in here? Because you can have this in the morning; it`s low extremely in calories, extremely low in fat, packed with nutrients. Why is this good for you?

BRAZIER: It`s what I call a high net-gaining food. So it takes very little energy that I just assimilate but it gives you a lot of nutrients fast. So there`s things in there like hemp protein, chia protein, rice protein, there`s flax seed, there`s chia for omega-3 fats, there`s something called (inaudible) protein, very high in tryptophan is also good. Chlorella, there`s a bunch of greens in there, alkaline forming, helps reduce inflammation. There`s maca, helps reduce cortisol levels. So you sleep better.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m feeling stronger already. Thank you Brendan.

Rock on.

END