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National Reaction To Zimmerman's Not Guilty Verdict; Actor Cory Monteith Dead At 31

Aired July 14, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Jake Tapper in Washington, D.C. Welcome to this special edition of CNN NEWSROOM. The not guilty verdict definitely does not mean Zimmerman is in the clear. Martin Savidge is live in Sanford, Florida -- Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jake, yes, there are a lot of things that still need to be resolved in this particular case, even though we've had a rendering of not guilty. For instance, civil suits are likely. Not likely, you can almost guarantee that they will be coming. Mark O'Mara, the defense attorney understands that. They will be ready and prepared he says.

On top of that there was a perjury charge that was placed against Shellie Zimmerman for apparently lying under oath; that needs to be resolved.

And then there was the question of whether the prosecution somehow acted improperly during the trial and did not hand over all of the discovery. The defense is asking for sanctions there.

And then on top of that, of course, is the issue of civil rights and whether the Department of Justice will investigate or pursue charges in that way. So yes, there's still a lot that has to be worked out, Jake.

TAPPER: And Martin Savidge, what has life been like for George Zimmerman, and if you've talked to anybody in his legal group or in his family and friends, what do they think life for him will be like?

SAVIDGE: Yes. It is an amazing question to really try to ponder. You know, last night, inside of that courtroom as we waited for the verdict, George was the very first person to jump up as soon as the judge asked that the jury be brought back in. The pressure in that room was almost a physical force you could feel.

But once that verdict was rendered, it shifted. It moved away from George Zimmerman back onto the family of Sybrina and Tracy Martin, because -- the parents of Trayvon Martin -- they suffer a grief now. Yet George is exonerated.

But his attorneys will tell you he will never have a normal life again, that he will be -- he is in hiding still, will have to remain there probably for some time.

Can he get a job? How does he get a job? Death threats still against him. People say that they will seek their own justice. So they do not see in any way that George Zimmerman goes back to a life that he had before all of this.

And of course he must live with the fact that he killed a 17-year old. That is without question, regardless of the justification the defense says that he had. It -- I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.

TAPPER: All right. Martin Savidge in Sanford, Florida, thank you so much.

The state criminal case is over but Zimmerman's legal troubles are far from over. I'm going to bring in CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Mark NeJame in Sanford, Florida, in a second.

But before I do, I do want to read again part of the statement from President Obama just issued moments ago, a statement about the verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial.

He said, "We're a nation of laws and a jury has spoken." He said that he knows the case has elicited strong passions. But he says the way to honor Trayvon Martin is to ask ourselves if we are doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities, ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis.

And finally, he says, we need to ask ourselves as individuals and as a society how we can prevent future tragedies like this. That's a job for all of us as citizens, the president says, in a statement issued just moments ago.

Now I'm going to go to Mark NeJame in Sanford, Florida, to our -- for some commentary on the case.

Mark, what do you think are the next big legal -- Mark NeJame is not there. OK. Apologies.

We're going to take a quick break and we're going to come back with more on the George Zimmerman verdict and reaction across the country. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: You're looking at live coverage of the -- that's the courthouse in Sanford, Florida, where the verdict was rendered just 16 or 17 hours ago of not guilty. George Zimmerman Jr. not guilty of murder two, not guilty of manslaughter.

The state criminal case is over, but Zimmerman's legal troubles are far from over. I want to bring in CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Mark NeJame in Sanford, Florida.

Mark, what do you think are the next big legal hurdles for Zimmerman?

MARK NEJAME, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I'm not sure they are going to be as great as some people are suspecting they may be. I don't see the Feds getting involved in this at all. FBI was already involved in this case. I have got to believe that they already sent it to the middle district for review. And so I don't see that happening.

I know there's a lot of speculation going on around it. We have very open discovery laws in Florida; we've had two agencies review it, the FBI already has been on it. So I just don't see how there's much more information that's not already come out, particularly when you hear the state attorney yesterday say it was not race related.

So that's just my speculation but I don't see it happening.

And then as it relates to civil suits, what's he got? What's he worth? So he could be sued civilly of course by Trayvon's estate, his parents, but is there really anything there? We know that there's already been a lawsuit brought against the homeowners' association.

But with that I'm not convinced that there's a whole lot more. I suspect he's going to be going quietly into the night and we really might not hear much from him again.

TAPPER: Of course, Mark, George Zimmerman has his own lawsuit. He's suing NBC because of that news broadcast that deceptively edited his comments in that 9-1-1 call.

Where do you see that case going?

NEJAME: Yes, I think that's going to go forward. Therein may be some money for somebody to go after Trayvon Martin. I think from what I know about it, and we all know that it's always a bit hazardous to speculate, but knowing that NBC network seemingly, I should say that, from what we understand, it was -- been brought out that they edited a tape which really started altering immediately somewhat the complexion of this case and the direction that it went. So I think that if, in fact, true, if the accusations are true what they did, they rightfully deserve -- because I think the public, all of us, want to know the truth.

And if somebody is going to edit a tape for ratings or for their own benefit, they deserve to be spanked. And if George Zimmerman recovers money from that, therein may be a pool of money that in fact Trayvon Martin's family may be able to go after in a civil lawsuit.

TAPPER: Mark, you mentioned that you did not think the federal government was going to bring charges against Mr. Zimmerman. NAACP President Ben Jealous as on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning, he wants the Justice Department to file civil rights charges. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN JEALOUS, PRESIDENT, NAACP: And they will make a choice about whether or not they will pursue criminal civil rights charges. We are calling on them to do just that because when you look at his comments, and when you look at comments made by young black men who lived in that neighborhood about how they felt especially targeted by him, there's reason to be concerned that race was a factor. (END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: The Reverend Al Sharpton also released a statement about this case. I want to read part of it.

"The acquittal of George Zimmerman is a slap in the face to the American people, but it is only the first round in the pursuit of justice. We intend to ask the Department of Justice to move forward as they did in the Rodney King case. And we will closely monitor the civil case against Mr. Zimmerman."

That is civil rights activist and MSNBC host Al Sharpton.

Mark, do you think there is a case for civil rights charges?

NEJAME: I think that it's already been evaluated. I applaud anybody who's going to take the case and try to move it forward on behalf of their client or on behalf of a cause. You know, racism, we have a horrible history in this country and we should do everything we can to chop off its ugly head.

With that said, there seems to have been that investigation already. And I think a lot of people who are not here in central Florida are unaware of that.

As I understand it, the Feds were in on this case and have done an investigation on this case and they, in fact, the middle district and, in fact, have forwarded it. So I don't think that there's anything new that's going to be discovered that's not already been out.

Please remember, we've had over 200 witnesses in this case from what I understand. We've had two police agencies, some of the are under suspect. But that's why the Feds came in, to investigate whether there was anything the matter with the initial police investigation.

As I understand it, they concluded that there was not, although many people say that there is, the FBI apparently in its own investigation has not said that there was anything wrong done with the investigation.

So with that, we also have now found out that Bill Lee, the chief, who went under a lot of fire, we found out that city officials kicked him out of the room when the investigation was underway. So it's rather hard to conduct an investigation internally and accuse a police agency of something wrong when the politicians kick you out of the room when you're conducting the investigation.

So no, I don't see it going anywhere, even though we have to address those issues factually. I don't know if there's any new information that rises to the level that the Feds would say that they are interested in. I just don't see them getting involved.

TAPPER: Right. No doubt there's going to be some repercussions on the local level because of the police chief being fired and other things that took place. Trayvon Martin's parents were not in the courtroom when that verdict was read last night but we did see an emotional reaction on Twitter from Martin's father, Tracy Martin. He said, quote, "Even though I am brokenhearted, my faith is unshattered. I will always love my baby Tray."

Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, tweeted, quote, "Lord, during my darkest hour, I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the day, God is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will love you forever, Trayvon. In the name of Jesus," unquote.

I'm joined now by an attorney for the Martin family, Jasmine Rand.

Jasmine, I see you're wearing a hoodie. I suspect that that fashion choice is conscious as a measure of solidarity for Trayvon.

Tell us, what is the family's reaction to this verdict? It must have been heartbreaking.

JASMINE RAND, MARTIN FAMILY ATTORNEY: The family is certainly heartbroken, but I think the legal team, Tracy and Sybrina woke up a little bit stronger this morning in light of the not guilty verdict. And despite the pain and the heartbreak that we may be feeling, we have a greater obligation to society to continue to try to fight for change and fight for the injustices that face young children in this country, particularly young African-American males.

And we will continue to stand until we do believe that this -- that our society is in a more equal state. And Thurgood Marshall called upon all attorneys not to be a parasite upon society, but to be a social engineer. So today, I'm wearing my hoodie as a symbol to all of those who have supported us, the millions of followers that we've had who brought George Zimmerman to the arrest, who brought him to meet a jury of his peers. And we have faith that next time we will get a conviction.

TAPPER: How do they view -- the family, how do they view the verdict?

Do they view it as, well, the prosecution didn't meet their -- the burden of a reasonable doubt?

Did they view it, in the way that I've heard a lot of commentators say, that this is just another example of how if you're a black man in America, you can't get justice?

What's their view of the verdict?

RAND: We support the prosecution's effort. We are so thankful to them for standing beside us when nobody else would.

This is nobody's fault but George Zimmerman's and for the system that allows this type of behavior to continue. To the Sanford Police Department who did not conduct in a proper investigation, who did not arrest him when he should have been arrested and let a lot of the evidence escape with him. The prosecution put on all of the evidence that we needed.

Did we need a use of force expert to tell us that a gun versus Skittles? We don't need a use of force expert for that. Trayvon Martin had none of George Zimmerman's blood on his hands. And George Zimmerman will forever have Trayvon Martin's blood on his hands as John Guy (ph) said in his summation.

TAPPER: Jasmine, I'm not sure if you know this, but just minutes ago President Obama issued a statement regarding the not guilty verdict for George Zimmerman. I'll read it to you. I want to get your reaction.

Quote, "The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher.

"But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.

"We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that's a job for all of us. That's the way to honor Trayvon Martin."

I don't know if you've had any chance, because that was -- the statement was issued just minutes before you came on our air. But if you've had a chance to talk to the family about it or if you have a personal reaction to it, I'd love to hear it.

RAND: That was actually the first time that I've heard the statement from President Obama. And I want to personally thank him, not just for calling upon all communities to be peaceful and to accept the jury's understanding as Tracy and Sybrina have. Nobody has suffered a greater loss than Tracy and Sybrina and we share President Obama's sentiments in that regard, that we do not want to see any more of the same vigilante behavior that led to their son.

But I'm especially proud that out of the mouth of my president just came a call for change in our nation. And I think that that's responding to and the reason that I have the conviction to stand up this morning, continue to speak on behalf of my client, is because the millions of supporters out there, black, white, brown, Republican, Democrat, Muslim, Christian, who stood behind Tracy and Sybrina and said that that was our son, too.

And you can no longer walk through our nation today and place a bullet in the heart of an unarmed child because of the color of his skin. And I think what America has said is that we don't tolerate, whether or not that's the message we receive from the jury, we will continue to fight for justice. TAPPER: All right. Jasmine Rand, attorney for the Martin family. Thank you so much for joining us. And please extend our condolences to the Martin family for the loss of their son, of course.

RAND: Thank you for having me.

TAPPER: He's at the center of one of the most high-profile criminal cases in years and today George Zimmerman is walking free. So what is life like the day after you're declared not guilty in a case like this, a case of this magnitude? Our David Mattingly shows what comes next for the 29-year old who many say is a, quote, "marked man."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's been in hiding for a year, daring to venture out only in disguise and wearing body armor. Since killing Trayvon Martin, life for George Zimmerman is filled with isolation and caution.

MARK O'MARA, ZIMMERMAN ATTORNEY: There are a lot of people who think George killed Trayvon for racial reasons even though nothing supports that. And if they feel that anger enough, they could react violently.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): There have been tweets, email and letters, wishing him bodily harm or death. Now that George Zimmerman is free, it's almost certain he won't be able to go back to the life he had before, pursuing a career in law enforcement.

MIKE PAUL, REPUTATION MANAGEMENT COUNSELOR: That is the absolute worst thing you can do. It might be your old passion, my advice would be: you need to find a new passion. And it needs to be helping people in a very different way -- a way that is much more compassionate, not just involving law enforcement.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): For a view of life after acquittal, Zimmerman may need to look no further than Casey Anthony, the hated young mother found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. She has since lived in hiding and in financial ruin.

Cheney Mason was her defense attorney.

CHENEY MASON, CASEY ANTHONY DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And you never know who the nuts are and where they are. There are still people that threaten me.

MATTINGLY (on camera): It sounds like there are some very severe consequences for being found guilty in a court of public opinion.

MASON: They are, but you don't have Jell-o and cheese sandwiches in jail.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): It may not be hopeless for Zimmerman. He continues to have strong support from his immediate family. Part of his defense is being paid for by thousands of dollars donated by the public. But even here, there could be problems. GENE GRABOWSKI, CRISIS PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER: He's got to be very careful to avoid the appearance of creating more divisions by accepting money or support openly from groups that maybe would create more friction because of the -- you know, the tenor of this case.

He's got to be very careful about who he associates with afterwards, even if they're offering financial support.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): And shortly after his dramatic acquittal, George Zimmerman's first steps back into private life were hidden from cameras and public view, his destination, his plans, a closely guarded secret.

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: He has always feared for his safety. We have always feared for his safety and our safety as a family. Clearly, he's a free man in the eyes of the court, but he's going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: And David Mattingly joins me now.

David, I guess some experts say the best thing that George Zimmerman can do is just to disappear, alter his appearance in some way, go to some other corner of the country or the world.

What do you think about that advice?

MATTINGLY: Well, he has family connections to Virginia. His mother is from Peru. So he may have some options to live other places other than central Florida, where he's very much a household name and very much recognizable around here.

But today is the first day of the rest of his life. It's a very unclear picture. And experts are suggesting that he, one, disappear if that is possible and he be absolutely contrite whenever he encounters anyone asking questions because the worst thing he can do right now, according to the experts, is to say or do anything that suggests he beat the system. That will only make things harder for him as he goes forward and tries to slip back into anonymity.

TAPPER: All right. David Mattingly, thanks so much. Be sure to stick around.

Later this hour, more on George Zimmerman's life after the verdict. I'll speak with two attorneys who know a thing or two about high- profile cases, one a defense attorney for Michael Jackson and the other a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. I'll ask the advice that they would give George Zimmerman today. That's coming up just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER (voice-over): There's shock and sadness today in the world of pop culture. Actor Cory Monteith died suddenly at age of 31. He was one of the original cast members of the hit television show "Glee" on FOX. And a couple of years ago he won a Teen Choice Award for top actor in a comedy. Our Nick Valencia is keeping track of the reaction and the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sudden and tragic, news of the death of 31-year old "Glee" actor Cory Monteith stunned his closest friends. The Hollywood star, found dead in a downtown Vancouver hotel room, his cause of death was not immediately clear. But at a press conference late Saturday police ruled out foul play.

ACTING CHIEF DOUG LEPARD, VANCOUVER, B.C., POLICE DEPARTMENT: Mr. Monteith checked into the hotel on July 6th and was due to check out of the room today. There were others with Mr. Monteith in his room earlier last night. But video and fob key entries show him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours and we believe he was alone when he died.

VALENCIA (voice-over): "Glee" guest director Adam Shankman spoke on the phone to Monteith just hours before his death.

ADAM SHANKMAN, GUEST DIRECTOR, "GLEE": He was the glue, he was the cheerleader that really held everybody together on that set, I really felt. He was -- always smiled. He was patient. He was the first one -- he always knew all of his lines right away. He was the first to laugh when things were muddy.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Monteith skyrocketed to fame in 2009, playing a loveable heartthrob quarterback, he's credited with making the FOX TV series a hit. But for all of his success, there were stumbles. Since he was 13 years old Monteith openly said he battled with his sobriety. It was just four months ago when the Canadian actor voluntarily checked himself into a rehab facility.

His friends and girlfriend were encouraged by his steps to stay clean.

SHANKMAN: He even said I'm feeling fantastic again. And you know, he was obviously referring to, you know, the moment he had, the fear with going to rehab. So I'm, like everybody else, really devastated and confused by what happened.

VALENCIA: Investigators have not officially tied Monteith's death to substance abuse. An autopsy will be conducted on Monday -- Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: We're going to turn our attention back to the George Zimmerman trial. Next coming up, how the verdict affects race relations in the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: It's been a day since George Zimmerman was found not guilty and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson Sr. says he's still stunned. Jackson has supported Trayvon Martin's family from the beginning before Zimmerman faced criminal charges, and he had strong words about what this means for civil rights.

Listen to what he told Kate Bolduan and Chris Cuomo this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: I remain stunned at this decision, that the grown man armed murdered the unarmed boy going home because he suspected him. The state's attorney avoided the issue of race. The defense team denied the issue of race.

And yet race profile was obvious from the very beginning. And because of this conclusion, you look at all white people doing the offense and defense. You look at a jury without a black or without a man on it. It sure was not a jury of Trayvon's peers. The Department of Justice must intervene and take this case, frankly, to another level.

And now the case of Trayvon Martin, who joins a legacy of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers as an innocent man shot down without a sense of justice as a response, I have to tell you that we are all stunned. We deserve -- but and people of good will and conscience must say no, this kind of blatant miscarriage of justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: The issue of race in this case has been a hot topic since we learned the names George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teen dressed in a hoodie carrying a fruit drink and a pack of Skittles versus Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader with a gun.

And with a not guilty verdict and more charges possibly in store for Zimmerman, civil charges, perhaps even federal civil rights charges, the issue of race is front and center once again.

Joining me now, Attorney Mo Ivory, host of "The Mo Ivory Show," Buck Davis, a diversity and inclusion expert and David Webb, co-founder of the NYC Tea Party and host of "The David Webb Show" on Sirius XM. Welcome all of you.

David, let's start with you. A mostly white jury, all women. Does Reverend Jackson have a point?

DAVID WEBB, COFOUNDER, NYC TEA PARTY: No, he doesn't because he'd like to inject that there is a problem with white people making a decision on the evidence versus black people making a different decision on the evidence. What we're talking about here is not a cry for justice and due process, but a cry for justice the way he and, frankly, those that want to play into the race narrative would like this to play out.

The fact is this is a tragedy. I wish those two had never met. I think most Americans who are rational do. But here we have a case that was prosecuted in the courts, went through the system and was decided by a jury and that's how our system works.

TAPPER: Buck -- well, Moe, you know, you want to jump in? Go ahead.

MO IVORY, HOST, "THE MO IVORY SHOW": Yes, please, play into the race narratives, David? When doesn't anything play into the race narrative? For you to say something like a jury of African-Americans wouldn't have thought differently about evidence that was presented, of course they would have. Every juror comes --

(CROSSTALK)

WEBB: How do you know they would have?

IVORY: -- every juror comes to a case with their experiences, of their life.

WEBB: And they are capable of making a rational decision --

IVORY: No matter what you want to say about it they come in with their own experiences to decide what the evidence is presented according to how they feel about it. That is why we work so hard to pick juries. That's why we try to make --

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: (Inaudible). Let me jump in for a second. (Inaudible) jump in for a second.

How exactly, what exactly would an African-American jury, in your view, and this is all obviously hypothetical, what evidence would they have looked at differently?

IVORY: An African-American jury might not have looked at Rachel Jeantel and judged her the way everybody was judging her. It wouldn't have been about her language, it wouldn't have been about her tone, it might have been just about the facts that she knew that day. An African-American jury would have looked at a lot of evidence, including what wasn't done, what was started from the first moment that investigators pulled up on a dead 17-year-old African-American boy, shot by what appeared to be a white man. It would have all been different.

So I just think it's ridiculous to act like there's no race issue here. We go into our court of law, we just look at facts and we make judgments. The justice system has never been about facts. It's facts plus what you think about the things that happen in our country, your experiences, what you've learned. So you bring all of that into a courtroom with you and onto a jury. So please stop pretending like this is not about race because it is.

(CROSSTALK)

WEBB: Mo, you present the interesting argument that everyone is only subject to their experience when making a decision based on the fact. Now, most people watching this will look at that and call it what it is, an attempt to get an end result that you desire. There are blacks and whites who make decisions on juries in this country on a daily basis that are fair.

And they may not be --

(CROSSTALK)

IVORY: First of all, I was not saying that every decision is unfair.

WEBB: So you can't say absolutely because --

IVORY: I'm saying you bring your experiences into the courtroom. An African-American has different experiences across the board. And so I'm saying that don't discount that you bring your life experiences, what has happened to you, into a courtroom.

It is not so just all -- I love the argument, well, it's just our justice system. Our justice system is broken, David, that is why a man can walk away murdering a 17-year old kid and just get away with it.

TAPPER: Let me jump in for a second.

(CROSSTALK)

IVORY: Don't do the emotion thing. This is not about emotion. I'm not talking from an emotional -- I'm talking about facts. And I love how all of a sudden it's about -- it's always about the emotion when you're talking about the real situation.

TAPPER: See, this is the problem with people having people on the show who have their own radio shows.

(LAUGHTER)

TAPPER: They are used to having all the control.

BUCK DAVIS, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION EXPERT: I don't have one, Jake.

TAPPER: Poor little Buck, poor little Buck. Let me go to you for one second.

President Obama released a statement a short time ago about the verdict in this case, and it said in part, "The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy not just for his family or for any one community but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions," and goes on and on.

But there's one particular part I want to read to you, which is, "We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities."

How do you interpret that?

DAVIS: Well, I am deeply disturbed by what I have been seeing, specifically with African-American folks online and what they have been tweeting and saying in social media.

If you look really closely at their words and you look at the meaning in the words and you look at the feeling underneath that, you'll see and hear the feeling of I do not feel valued in this country. I don't matter. My life is not as important as other people in this country.

From a humanitarian standpoint and a civility standpoint, that should be terribly troubling for every one of us in this country.

This case did not create those emotions. That comes from decades and decades of people feeling like they are treated differently in this country. And it is just resurrected because of this terrible tragedy.

IVORY: Exactly.

WEBB: There's another point, however, that we're seeing on Twitter. These are the direct threats that are coming. These are the calls for violence. These are the videos that are now showing up in social media, new media, from Portland to Oakland to others, where people are calling for violence, murder.

And this is not what our system is about. Now you can talk about white people feel a certain way. Those are all subjective feelings to a great degree for all of us.

But if we stick within the issue at hand, the evidence that's presented, the case law as it stands and we deal with it, I don't have a dog in this hunt.

As I said, I wish these two had never met. But what we have seen since the community relations service went down there, we now have the FOIA requests that show they were involved -- the Department of Justice unit involved in leading rallies and funding and facilitating rallies against Zimmerman.

Now that we see we have Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and others pushing a narrative, we have to pay attention to that and (inaudible).

TAPPER: David, if I could just jump in just with a quick fact check on the idea of these community relations service, what the Justice Department says -- and you can believe it or not -- what the Justice Department says that those organizations were there to try to keep the peace, not to gin up anger. I mean, that's the explanation from the Justice Department.

And if you look at the documents, the judicial watch FOIA, through the Freedom of Information Act, there isn't anything that contradicts that.

I'm sorry; I just --

(CROSSTALK)

IVORY: And Jake, also, David said he saw a lot of tweets about people wanting to protest and outrage over the verdict. And there have been just as many tweets that said nasty remarks about Trayvon, and that he got what he deserved, and that he was the one -- s

WEBB: And they're both wrong.

IVORY: Let's be fair.

WEBB: And they are both clearly wrong.

IVORY: (Inaudible) of the tweets and make sure that we put out the other side as well, of how many people are out there saying that Trayvon got just what he deserved. So there's equal amounts of anguish and nasty tweeting going on on both sides.

TAPPER: There is a lot of ugliness on both sides. I think we can all agree that nobody should be calling for violence against George Zimmerman and nobody should be saying that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved.

I think we can -- this panel can come to an agreement on that, if nothing else.

I do want to play this public service announcement from Broward County, Florida, and get your reactions to that.

One second.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Raise your voice and not your hands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need stand together as one, no cuffs, no guns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's give violence a rest because we could easily end up arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know your patience will be tested but law enforcement has your back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lets back up and choose not to act up and deputies are with us, so no need to act up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let it roll off your shoulders as water off your back. Don't lack composure --

TAPPER (voice-over): So this is from Broward County, Florida, not Seminole County, where the Sanford courthouse is and where Mr. Zimmerman was tried, but it is in light of what happened.

Let's just go down the line.

Mo, we'll start with you. Your reaction to a public service announcement like that. Why is that needed?

IVORY: You know, because of the idea that people are going to act out. I mean, I know in this country that has happened before. So I thought it was a great attempt at trying to do something. I don't know that I loved the rap aspect of it and all that, like it had to be done in a way that rap kids would get it. Which again, like more stereotypes, more -- but listen, I can move past that, because I'm glad that there was an attempt to do something to keep the peace. And I think it's been relatively peaceful. I think that people have acted great today. I've been watching the coverage. And I haven't seen anything nasty going on. And I think tonight is going to be time for parents to talk to their kids, for families to come together and spend some time together trying to digest all of this.

TAPPER: OK. I want to get a reaction from David and Buck. But before I do, I just want to read this statement from the Department of Justice that just came out seconds ago and actually get your reactions to that.

"As the department first acknowledged last year, we have an open investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin. The Department of Justice's criminal section of the civil rights division, the United States attorney's office for the middle district of Florida and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to evaluate the evidence generated during the federal investigation as well as the evidence and testimony from the state trial.

"Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the department's policy governing successive federal prosecution following the state trial."

Right, shorthand for that is they are looking into this.

David, your reaction.

WEBB: Well, if they are looking into that, then I think that's fair for the Department of Justice. Now the question I would ask is, why don't they apply that same measure to many other cases when it comes to civil rights violations in the other direction of the black-white dynamic or any other dynamic?

The problem we have here is that we have this constant blacks are the constant victims. Whites are the constant aggressors instead of dealing with the issues as they are.

How sad is it when you asked about the video, that in our society we have to put out a video? It's understandable in this situation where you have such a highly charged situation that you want to put out a message to people to calm down.

But I've talked to members in the community. Over and over in the past 17 months, they want peace. They want this to be processed. This should have been a local law enforcement issue. Instead it's become a national story, when there are many other stories that, frankly, are just as tragic and by the numbers even more so, as in Chicago. Those are not being addressed.

TAPPER: Buck, I want to get your reaction. DAVIS: What I like about the video is the diversity in the video. If you look at -- there are different types of people and there are different races, probably different religions if I were to make an assumption.

And that is a fundamental issue that this country is struggling with, is we are not really getting to know different types of people. We are living among the same type of people and we are not truly developing intimate, trusting, meaningful relationships with people across racial lines.

And without that happening, a lot of this will not change in our country. And I believe that we are in a national crisis relative to race relations in this country. And if you're looking for something to do tonight, America, think about your pool of people, your friends, and you think about how many people of difference are in that group.

How many do you have at your home on a consistent basis, over for dinner? How many do you ask for advice? That will give you insight around just truly how inclusive we are in this nation.

For me that has been a fundamental difference in my own life. Once I began to get to know different types of people, my life got better. And I assume that if we can do that across the country, the country will get better.

WEBB: You know, Jake, I've got to take issue with this in one quick moment.

TAPPER: OK.

WEBB: Blacks represent 12 percent of the population. Let me ask you, are you counting to make sure you have 12 percent of blacks represented, the right amount of blacks, of Hispanics, the right amount of Asians, the right amount of women, the right amount of seniors or whatever? This is that premise that somehow a forced diverse picture makes you more diverse and more accepting of others.

DAVIS: I disagree with you. It means that I'm beginning to understand and have a different perspective about what different types of people experience in this country. And without that experience I'm left to my own stereotypes, I'm left to my own belief system. And that is a fundamental issue in this country.

(CROSSTALK)

IVORY: (Inaudible) that you can ignore that you're black or that you can join a political organization and then pretend that black people are just victims because it's in their heads.

Or I want you to know, David, that possibly you are a black man that could have a black son that could be Trayvon, regardless of whether you're in the Tea Party or you believe to deal with those issues or whatever. It is an issue in this country and we need to start to talk about it and embrace it as such. This is just another example of racial problems in America. (MUSIC PLAYING)

TAPPER: OK. Just like at the Oscars we're putting in some music for a polite exit. Thank you so much. We're going to have more of you guys debating, I believe, later in the afternoon, a great panel. I'm sure we could talk about this for an hour. And probably there's an executive somewhere making plans for that right now, this was such a great conversation. So thank you so much.

Coming up next, what's ahead for George Zimmerman? I'll be joined by two guests who know how hard it is to move on after a high-profile trial, coming up right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: More on the George Zimmerman case. This time we're going to look ahead. Everyone agrees Zimmerman's life, especially in the near term, will not be easy. I'm joined now by two guests who know all about what comes after a high-profile trial and the searing media scrutiny that goes with it, O.J. Simpson's prosecutor Marcia Clark and Michael Jackson's defense attorney, Tom Mesereau. Thanks so much to both of you for being here.

Marcia, I'll start with you. Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda said last night that he respected the jury's decision but he was disappointed with the verdict. For a prosecution team that has spent over a year working on a case, worked with the Martin family. A lot of people throughout the country had a lot of hopes resting on what the jury would decide.

Can you talk about the frustrations that the prosecution team is now likely feeling. And give us a feeling for how much time they put into this case beyond just more than a year.

MARCIA CLARK, SIMPSON PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: You know, you live, breathe, eat and sleep a case of this magnitude, and I'm sure they did. They worked very hard for a very long time and they believed in their case. You could see that, as they should. You don't bring a case if you don't believe in it.

And it's very painful to lose the case, not because it's a win-loss kind of Olympic event but because you believe that justice has not been served. And that's a very difficult situation to live with. I have to say this case in particular, though, was a difficult case. I've been really pretty up front about that from the very start. They had an uphill battle.

And having to disprove justifiable self-defense as well as prove their own case is not an easy thing, especially under the fact of this case. And so I'm sure that the realities of the situation were clear to them right from the start. They knew going into it that they had a heavy burden to sustain. So I don't think they were probably terribly shocked by the verdict. It's nevertheless very, very painful.

TAPPER: Tom, talk about the defense team, if you would. They got an acquittal, they succeeded but do they face the same sort of threats that you think Zimmerman might now be facing? Did you face anything like that after representing Michael Jackson?

TOM MESEREAU, JACKSON DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I really did not. In fact, I went on a speaking tour around the country after Michael was acquitted. And everywhere I went, people of all ages, races, occupations, religions were coming up and shaking my hand. There were a few who were disgruntled by the acquittals. But the reception was very good.

However, I did advise Michael Jackson to leave Santa Barbara County, California, after the acquittals. And it was not because I feared the people there would be against him, I was worried about the prosecutors and the sheriffs, who were highly embarrassed by all the acquittals.

He was acquitted of 10 felonies and 4 misdemeanors; it was a clean sweep for the defense. And I feared they would be looking for a gimmick to try and charge him with something else. I feared they were vindictive, I feared they were unethical and just smarting from what they thought was going to be an easy conviction.

So he decided at that --

(CROSSTALK)

MESEREAU: -- he decided on his own to move to the Middle East for a while, then to move to Europe and then to come back. But I wanted him to leave Santa Barbara County. I felt he wouldn't live in peace in Neverland. And he agreed with me after a little bit of discussion.

TAPPER: There was a very interesting moment last night when Don West from Zimmerman's defense team slammed the prosecution. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON WEST, ZIMMERMAN'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful. I am gratified by the jury's verdict. As happy as I am for George Zimmerman, I'm thrilled that this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty. For that we are eternally grateful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Marcia, how typical is it for the defense team after succeeding to say something like that?

CLARK: It's not typical. I think -- I disagree with him, of course. It was not disgraceful. This was a case that needed to be tried. There was sufficient evidence. I think that a reasonable jury could have found him guilty, at least of manslaughter, and to call it disgraceful is to me over the top.

And no, I have not seen that particular attitude in previous cases ever before, but this case does seem to have engendered a great deal of polarized feelings on both sides.

And I -- all I can say is I disagree with him and I think this was a case that had to be tried in a court of law, regardless of how he feels about the strength of the evidence. That does not mean -- and he is not the final arbiter to brand it as disgraceful, which I think was going a bit too far.

TAPPER: Marcia Clark, Tom Mesereau, thank you so much.

One person who isn't talking today is George Zimmerman. He stayed out of sight since leaving the courtroom last night. But up next, we'll hear from his brother, who spoke with CNN just a little while ago.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: The criminal case against George Zimmerman is over whether he decides to stay in Florida or move away and start over somewhere else, his life will probably never be the same. And his brother spoke with our Kate Bolduan and Chris Cuomo this morning.

The brother had choice words for the NAACP and also for the news media and he answers that George Zimmerman will still carry the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: From your brother's perspective, you know where his head is on these things.

Do you believe that he looks at things he did that night and says I wish I hadn't, I regret having a round in the chamber or following him when I was told it wasn't necessary or starting something or continuing something?

What does he regret?

ZIMMERMAN: I'll tell you what. I'll tell you that when this happened George wasn't the same. He was profoundly saddened. He was completely a somber person that was just not himself.

Regret is a very strong word. "Regret" implies that your actions, you have culpability in what you did for what happened. And I think that's what you're asking, is does he share or accept the blame.

I think that George, outside of the word "blame," feels and has felt -- and I've expressed this before -- very bad. He even told the police officer, Doris Singleton, he asked her, "Are you Catholic?"

That came out in court -- because in my religion, death by any standard is a tragedy, whether it's abortion or self-defense or what have you.

So he does have emotion about the fact that he had to take a life in self-defense. But that is incompatible with finding culpability in what he did.

CUOMO: You ever heard him say "I wish I didn't do it" that night? ZIMMERMAN: No. No, in fact, I've heard him say the opposite.

BOLDUAN: What do you mean?

ZIMMERMAN: Well, he told -- he had that interview with Sean Hannity and that was presented in court as well.

And I don't think that people who are forthcoming and forthright in what they do and believe they're doing the right thing should then go back -- that's the way we were always taught as children, if you do the right thing all the time or what you believe to be right, you don't have to go back and make amends for that and say it should have been this way.

If it should have been that way now and you can think of that in hindsight, then it should have been that way then.

CUOMO: You're saying what he did was right that night, it's right today. I'm asking something a little different. Taking someone's life is the last thing you should ever want to do.

ZIMMERMAN: Right.

CUOMO: Does your brother feel that way, that he wishes he hadn't taken this 17-year old's life?

ZIMMERMAN: Well, that's two different questions, really. Taking someone's life is the last thing you should ever want to do. I would agree that that's what came out in court. That's exactly how he felt.

He didn't find out until he was at the police station that he had, in fact, taken someone's life. And he was distraught by that thought.

CUOMO: He really didn't know?

ZIMMERMAN: No, he really didn't know. He asked Officer Doris Singleton and she revealed to him in an interview, in his first interview with police, that Trayvon Martin had expired, that he had died. And he was dismayed by that.

But when you're saying is that what I should or shouldn't do, or -- you know, self-defense is self-defense. And people who carry guns, who discharge them are trained and taught that there's only one reason or one legal way that you should discharge a weapon.

You don't discharge them to wound people or you don't discharge them -- you don't brandish them or you don't shoot up in the air to control a crazy party.

That's what happened. He was an armed person who -- Mr. Martin, unfortunately, isn't here to express any regrets he might have today, but Mr. Martin had plans for George that night. And unfortunately, his plans and his encounter with George began with breaking his nose. I wish it weren't that way. You know, but it is.

BOLDUAN: There is a lot of very big push now for bringing civil rights charges against your brother.

What do you say to that?

ZIMMERMAN: It sounds to me like what you're saying is that race was never a factor. I think that's the first thing she said. And she believes or alleges, which has been disproven in a court of law, that George somehow criminally profiled Trayvon Martin.

I think that I would encourage Mr. Jealous, who I have described as a self-professed civil rights leader; I don't think he does anything for civil rights by perpetuating a narrative that has now been proven false and calling for an arrest and then a conviction, and it didn't happen.

So now there's more agitation by the same players that were insisting that George was a murderer and a racist to begin with.

BOLDUAN: But the Justice Department is gathering information. I mean, the Justice Department is not directly responding to the NAACP's request, but it has -- it is gathering information and there is an investigation.

ZIMMERMAN: Right. And we welcomed actually that investigation through the FBI when they originally started investigating George. They've investigated, I think, about 3 dozen of his closest friends and acquaintances. And there is not any inkling of racism.

In fact, there's evidence to show the opposite. So I would encourage them to cool their jets, give everyone some time to kind of process what's going on. Agitation doesn't help us. It doesn't do anybody any good right now.

I'm not angry at the media. I think the media has to do a better job when you have people injecting race into things.

A red flag has to go up right away, especially after a case like this, where two very crafty attorneys got away with fabricating a completely scripted narrative and selling it to the American people through the media, through CNN, through ABC, through NBC.

They did it themselves, you know, to borrow a line from the movie "Argo," if you want to sell a lie, have the media sell it for you.

BOLDUAN: Will George carry a gun now?

ZIMMERMAN: I don't know. I heard from Piers Morgan actually last night that his gun was returned to him, or that at least he's eligible to have it returned to him. I don't know that he'll carry a gun.

I would think that he has more reason to now than before because there are so many more people who want him dead and that know that he's free. But at the same time he can move about a little bit more than he did before.

(END VIDEOTAPE) TAPPER: That's it for me. You will see me again tomorrow at 4 o'clock Eastern. 1:00 pm Pacific. Don Lemon has more special coverage live from Sanford, Florida.

Don, what do you have coming up?