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Lion Kills Intern in Cage; Closing Arguments in "Cannibal Cop" Case; Jodi Arias Faces Jury Questions; Obama Reaching Out to Congress on Budget; Rand Paul Talks Filibuster.

Aired March 07, 2013 - 13:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In central California, police are investigating a deadly attack by a lion. 24-year-old Diana Hanson was an intern at the Cat Haven Sanctuary and was inside the cage with a 350-pound lion when it turned on her. Her family said she died doing what she loved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL HANSON, VICTIM'S FATHER (voice-over): She was so happy when she got that internship and she was having so much fun down there. It was her dream job. She was so happy. It makes it bearable that she died so happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wildlife experts familiar with the facility describe it as a professional and well-run one.

Ted Rowlands joins us now from California.

Ted, what more do we know about the circumstances and what's next?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's next is the investigation continues. I had a chance to talk to Dale Anderson, the owner of this facility, Cat Haven, this morning. He was reluctant to provide more details until the investigation is complete, but says he will provide more details in the coming hours and days.

Here's what we know. Diana Hanson was in this enclosure by herself with this lion. There was another intern just outside the enclosure. When the attack took place, the other intern tried to get the lion's attention off of Diana to another area, but was unsuccessful. When deputies arrived, the lion was right next to Diana. They had to shoot and kill the lion. They were not able to save her.

As you mentioned though, this facility has a very good reputation as being a safe one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK HANNA, DIRECTOR, EMERITIUS COLUMBIA ZOO AND AQUARIUM: It's a shock anytime someone loses their life like this, but I've heard this place is quite a nice place. The point was there someone else out there with her when this happened? As far as intern or volunteer, I can't see that happening in this place. There must have been somebody somewhere that had to see this because no one would go in there with a full-grown lion by themselves, no matter what the attitude of the lion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: That's Jack Hanna last night on "Piers Morgan." That's a good question. Why was she in the enclosure by herself? Had she ever been before? I asked Dale Anderson if he would answer those questions this morning when he arrived for work. He said he couldn't at this time but would provide answers in the coming days -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: We'll look for that. Thanks so much, Ted Rowlands. Appreciate it.

So, Diana's father talks to Erin Burnett tonight on "Out Front." Watch his first national interview tonight, 7:00 eastern time here on CNN.

Coming up, closing arguments begin in the "Cannibal Cop" trial. A New York City officer is plotting to kidnap and eat women? We're live from the courthouse.

Plus, we'll continue to watch the Jodi Arias trial. She is charged with her boyfriend's murder. The jury is coming back and we'll bring you the questioning live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Live pictures of the courtroom in the Jodi Arias trial. She'll be answering more questioning from the jurors as they ask questions about the murder of her boyfriend, something she admits to doing, although, she also says there are many accounts of what happened that night, but she doesn't recall. We'll keep you posted on it.

Meantime, it's closing arguments time in the case of the "Cannibal Cop" case. He is the New York City police officer who prosecutors say was moving forward on a plan to kidnap, torture, kill and eat at least six women, including his wife. Defense lawyers argue he is harmless and just into quote "stupid, infantile story telling."

Let's get some analysis now from legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, who is there.

This is a very complicated. What is at issue here? Valle accused of plotting to do these things, but not carry these things out, though finds himself in court, right?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: That's right. The real issue here is did he really plan to kidnap women, sell women, so that he could -- he and some other friends could eat these women or was this just some sick, dark, twisted fantasy that only existed in his mind? And those were the stories we heard today. I am in front of the courthouse and, I have to tell you, Fred, this was an explosive day in the courtroom. The defense attorney, a woman, really battling the prosecution in this case, led by another women, and they told such very different stories. The prosecution led with the fact that while this may have started out as a fantasy, he crossed the line into reality. And the defense countered, that is just not true. He had the world only in his mind. He never intended to commit any kidnapping, and this is just part of this sort of dark underbelly of the Internet, the sexual fetish world where a lot of people apparently exist. This web site, darkfetishnet.com, has about 38,000 users. And so the defense in this case, Fred, is saying you know what, a lot of people do this kind of thing, but this is all fantasy.

WHITFIELD: But the difference being that he was a New York City police officer and perhaps is he being made an example of, or is it being alleged that anyone whose identity would be revealed in carrying out the same kind of activity would be facing the same fate or sequence of events here in court?

HOSTIN: Certainly, Fred, the government is saying this is a New York City police officer who had access to a database where he could look up addresses, and they allege he did in fact look up an address on New York City federal database, so he's guilty of unauthorized access to that database. But they're also saying he went a bit further. Rather than just staying in the fantasy world, what he really did, the government allegations, he looked up addresses for real women, agreed to sell -- one person that lived in the U.K., New Jersey, Pakistan. And so, they're saying he crossed the line both as a New York City police officer, but just as anyone else, could cross the line into reality by actually planning and conspiring to commit kidnapping.

WHITFIELD: Sunny Hostin, thanks so much in New York for a very sordid case. Keep us posted on that.

Meantime, another case that has the attention of this country. This in Phoenix, Arizona, the Jodi Arias case, a 32-year-old woman on trial for the murder of her boyfriend.

Let's listen in as she answers more questions from the jurors.

JODI ARIAS, ON TRIAL FOR MURDER OF EX BOYFRIEND: He might think that's strange, and so part of that was an attempt to appear normal. Also, when I was with Ryan, I felt a sense of safety. He wasn't pressuring me for sex and I didn't think he was going to haul off and smack me if I said the wrong thing or did something that displeased him. But again, even with all of those things, I wasn't in my right state of mind during that time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you in the fog when you were kissing Ryan?

ARIAS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you agree that you came away from the June 4 incident rather unscathed? While Travis suffered a gun shot and multiple stab wounds, you only had a bump on your head, our bruise on your head, scrapes on your ankles and possible shoulder injury. ARIAS: As far as making comparison, him versus mine. Yes, I would have to say that's a relatively accurate assessment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, are there any other questions from the jury at this time?

Mr. Nurmi, you may follow up.

KURT NURMI, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Ms. Arias, yesterday, you were asked about receiving the Book of Mormon from Travis. Do you remember that?

ARIAS: Yes.

NURMI: And you were explaining to us how you read a chapter a day of that book after you received it. Do you recall telling us that?

ARIAS: Yes.

NURMI: And there were some other questions about answers I guess that brought up the visits from the missionaries who came over to your house in palm desert. Do you recall that?

ARIAS: Yes.

NURMI: The basis of some of these questions really related to the law of chastity. Do you recall that?

ARIAS: That's correct.

NURMI: OK.

Now, one of the things you talked about in answering these questions as it relates to the Book of Mormon, does that contain a sort of list of as it relates to premarital sex, of activities that are OK and activities that are not OK?

ARIAS: Not in the Book of Mormon. It's broad. It's not listed out in detail in the Book of Mormon.

NURMI: For example, it doesn't say oral sex is OK or not OK? It doesn't spell that out for you.

ARIAS: No, it does not.

NURMI: OK. You mentioned the missionaries being younger men. That came to your house, correct?

ARIAS: That's correct.

NURMI: OK. And this kind of dos and don'ts list, we'll call it, that wasn't in the Book of Mormon, do they give you anything of that nature?

ARIAS: No. I had pamphlets, but they didn't have -- as far as the law of chastity goes, that was not broken down. No. NURMI: What they explained to you from your answers, it seems to be that you weren't to engage in premarital sex. Your take away of that was penile vaginal intercourse, is that accurate?

ARIAS: Well, I considered other forms of sex, but after gaining a sort of clarification from Travis and how he explained it, then I came to understand that vaginal sex was the ultimate, like, place to not go until marriage.

NURMI: And in terms of going to this place, meaning penile vaginal intercourse, after these missionaries started coming over, had you -- were you still encaging in sex after they came over and started telling you these things?

ARIAS: No.

NURMI: And part of what we heard in your questioning is that Travis served to provide you with elaboration, if you will, on the law of chastity. Is that true?

ARIAS: Yes, he delineated it more.

NURMI: So that kind of list of using oral sex as a continued example, is oral sex is OK or not OK, he kind of provided that checklist for you, right?

ARIAS: Yes.

NURMI: OK.

And based on his teachings, if you will, you came away from that with the idea that the law of chastity only restricted penile vaginal intercourse.

ARIAS: During --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sustained.

NURMI: After Travis taught you these things, what was your understanding of what the law of chastity prohibited?

ARIAS: The law prohibited vaginal intercourse between a man and a woman and that it should be saved for marriage. That was the black and white of the issue on that.

NURMI: OK.

WHITFIELD: All right, 32-year-old Jodi Arias there being questioned about her faith as it pertains to the sex she had with her boyfriend, who is now dead in this murder case.

Let's bring in again criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson and CNN contributor.

So, Joey, the relevance here?

JOEY JACKSON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, it's extraordinarily relevant. Not specifically what Mr. Nurmi's saying, but what the jury was talking about, Fredricka. It's his job, Mr. Nurmi, is her defense attorney, to attempt to rehabilitate her after what the jurors have asked her. The whole focus, what they're doing, the defense is putting it all on Travis Alexander. He was the deviant. He was the one who taught her about the Book of Mormon through his interpretation, was that certain activities were not prohibited. He was the one manipulating her and abusing her and coercing her. So the defense is attempting to make her the victim as opposed to what the prosecutor's doing, is saying, keep your eye on the prize, we know who the real victim is.

So With regard to the relevance of his questions --

WHITFIELD: OK.

JACKSON: -- I think it would be very little. But with regards to what the jurors are asking, Fredricka, boy, they are right on point.

WHITFIELD: Joey Jackson, thanks so much.

Of course we'll continue to watch the Jodi Arias trial. She is accused of murdering her boyfriend.

Much more after this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Helping people to walk again with mind-controlled machines.

MIGUEL NICOLELIS, NEUROSCIENTIST: So the person wears the robotic vest and he or she will use his or her brain activity to actually control the movements directly of this vest and the vest will provide some sort of tactile feedback to the person, like temperature, fine touch.

FRANCESCO CLARK, USED ROBOTIC VEST: It went from an idea that was impossible when I was first injured 10 years ago, to probable to inevitable.

NICOLELIS: In our lifetime, we will be walking New York and we will see a person walking the streets that could not walk before. I think in our lifetime, we'll see that.

GUPTA: Kind of gives me shivers.

NICOLELIS: Me, too. I've been waiting for that for 30 years. So I think we will be able to see it.

GUPTA: Neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis, this Sunday, 2:30 eastern, only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Two live events we are watching in the CNN NEWSROOM. At the top of your screen, we are waiting for Barack Obama to sign the Violence against Women Act. The bill passed the House last week after months of partisan wrangling.

And then, at the lower part of your screen, out of Phoenix, Arizona, we continue to watch the Jodi Arias trial. She is accused of murdering her boyfriend.

The president reaching out to Congress with high-level lunches and dinners to get a budget deal. It was a different approach from last week when he told the American people, quote, "blame beginning over the four spending cuts." Today, President Obama had lunch with the leaders of the House Budget Committee, including former vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan. And last night, the president picked up the tab for 12 Republican Senators to dine at a luxurious Washington hotel for dinner.

CNN chief national correspondent, John King, joins me now.

John, Republicans have accused of president of not being socially engaged with them outside of the office. This seems like a change of strategy. Might it work?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Might it work is a great question, Fredricka, but it's about time. Let's not just say the Republicans say the president has extended his hand. That's fair to say at times the Republicans haven't extended theirs as well. There have been exceptions. Let's hope they are a circuit breaker. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican or an Independent, or you're not quite sure, in the country watching, you probably share a belief that Washington is pretty dysfunctional. The sequester of forced budget- cut debate, just the latest in this dysfunction. Isn't it a shame that four years and one month into the Obama presidency is the first time he sits down in a restaurant and breaks bread with Republicans?

One can hope this is the beginning of something. A lot of the Republican Senators who were there last night, Fred, were saying we have profound disagreements with the president, I want to cut more, and he doesn't want to cut spending. But they are starting to have a conversation. And to get anything difficult done, you have to start to have a personal relationship and conversations that, you are right, this is at the moment about this budget showdown.

But this is a second term president. Time is clicking. The clock is ticking on him. He wants to do immigration reform and get something on gun control. There are other issues that will come up.

We could say, again, the bipartisan perspective, it's about time. And he will have some outreach. There's more outreach today at the White House with Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential candidate, and meetings on Capitol Hill. Perhaps a paid attorney here. We'll see if the outreach generates consistency in this approach and the big question is results.

WHITFIELD: John King, thanks so much, in Massachusetts for us. Thanks so much. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. That will do it for me. I will see you tomorrow, same time and same place.

Brooke Baldwin takes it from here -- Brooke?

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Any moment, as Fred mentioned, the president is expected to sign this Violence against Women Act. Live pictures. We are awaiting the president and his signature. He will be speaking live.

Keep in mind this was a huge fight in Congress. But soon it will be law. And when it happens, we will bring that to you live.

But first, I want to begin with what has been playing today out as a showdown on Capitol Hill. It is all over. Your rights. Fresh off of his marathon speech on the Senate floor. Yesterday, he was talk, talk, talking. Republican Rand Paul today, again, demanding answers from the White House.

What does he want? Specifically here, he wants to know whether the Obama administration believes it can kill Americans who are not engaged in terrorist activity on U.S. soil using targeted drone attacks. You remember here attorney general, Eric Holder, earlier this week suggested it was indeed possible, but highly unlikely under the U.S. Constitution, and that made Rand Paul livid.

Well, after 13 hours of filibustering the president's pick for CIA director, Paul's own Republican colleagues are attacking him today. We now know the White House has responded. We will hear from them in just a moment.

But first, Senator Rand Paul speaking exclusively to CNN. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How is your voice?

SEN. RAND PAUL, (R), KENTUCKY: The voice is recovering. I think I lost a few pounds, so there advantages to not eating all day. I was sneaking candy bars. There is a candy drawer, and if you go to the candy drawer, you sneak around and get a candy bar. But I see that you all caught me with the candy bar in and out. My wife said, can't you choose with your mouth closed when you're on the floor?

BASH: I want to ask you, I'm going to about you about the substance of the argument that you are making but, first, more about the mechanics. On a human level, people want to know how you stood there for 12 hours plus, almost 13 hours.

PAUL: It's not easy. My feet were hurting and you can't leave the floor and you can't sit down. You can't use the restroom or anything like that.

BASH: You were told that by the staff, one of the parliamentarians -- PAUL: It's a rule that is kind of known. The staff knows the rules better a lot of times than the Senators do, so they gave me the advice on what to do, and their is staff in there that works for the Republican and the Democrat side. They inform me what you can and cannot do. You ask the question, people can ask you but there is a protocol or you lose the floor. And the Democrats will leave someone down there to see if you can make a mistake on the floor to take it back from you.

It doesn't happen very often. One, it's hard to get floor and it's hard to get recognized when it's not a designated time. Most of the time the floor is controlled by the leadership. This just happened to be a time that it wasn't.

BASH: You snuck up on both leaders, rights?

(LAUGHTER)

Is that fair to say? Did they know you would do this?

PAUL: No. In fact, we didn't know we would do it that day. We got a lot of information. It's an issue we are interested in, and think it should be easy for the president to say, you know what, Americans not engaged in combat in America cannot be targeted for killing.

BASH: Again, I will get to the substance in one second, but one of the things that was so fascinating about this was how organic it was and how it took on a life of its own. I'm not sure you realize that, because you were there. On the Internet. I was watching it for the first two or three hours you were alone, and suddenly, you had more conservative compatriots --

PAUL: Right.

BASH: -- like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee come. And by midnight, you had a lot of people there. There was a harsh tag "Stand with Rand" and more and more people were tweeting, even the RNC chair, "get down there and help him." Were you surprised at that?

PAUL: It is a fascinating phenomenon. And when you're on the floor, you are not allowed to use electronics on the floor. I didn't have time because I had to keep talking. If you stop for more than a minute or so, they can say you no longer speaking, you no longer hold the floor. So you have to keep going. But I didn't have time to look at my phone. But you are not supposed to do anyway. But when Senator Cruz came to the floor and started reading those tweets, I got the feeling that maybe this was bigger -- you know, we really -- all we knew was we believed in an issue and we wanted to talk about it. And it's important that the president realize that he is restrained by the Constitution also. We got talking about something that we were interested in and you never know whether people are watching or not, but you want the issue to be big because we want the president to respond.