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Feds May Sue Ferguson Police; American Sniper Trial Continues; Families Mourn Murdered Christians; Neil Patrick Harris Prepping for the Oscars; The Big Rivalry Game: North Carolina Versus Duke
Aired February 19, 2015 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
Sources telling CNN the Justice Department is preparing to sue Ferguson, Missouri's police department if it doesn't change how it treats its minority residents. This coming six months after Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager. As you know, the shooting sparked massive protests.
Ferguson's police department also faces allegations it discriminated against minorities and low-income residents, arresting minorities for minor violations, imposing excessive fines, and sending minorities to jail when they couldn't pay those fines.
Joining me now to talk about this, Benjamin Crump. He's the attorney Michael Brown's family and represented Trayvon Martin's family. Also joining us, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Sunny Hostin. Welcome to both of you.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning.
BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Mr. Crump, the Justice Department will not charge Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown but will outline allegations of discriminatory Ferguson Police tactics. Does that make sense to you?
CRUMP: Well, we don't know anything that they're going to do. We have no confirmation whatsoever that the Justice Department is going to do anything. We haven't heard from them, neither myself nor any of Michael Brown's parents. So, you know, we hear tale that they're going to sue the Ferguson Police Department if they don't address these issues.
And we appreciate them trying to tackle these important issues of racial profiling, not only in the Ferguson Police Department, but police departments all over the country. But let me just be clear on the record. What many in the community want, along with the family of Michael Brown, is for the police officer to be charged and held accountable for killing their unarmed son. They want Michael Brown to get due process. They feel this grand jury proceeding was completely biased towards Officer Darren Wilson and they think the forensics contradict what Officer Darren Wilson said during the grand jury proceedings now that we've seen the testimony. And so they want their child to get his due process. They want their chance at equal justice.
COSTELLO: Right.
So, Sunny, that appears unlikely to happen. So kind of explain this to us, why the Justice Department would say the Ferguson Police Department practiced discriminatory -- discriminatory actions.
HOSTIN: Sure.
COSTELLO: But Officer Darren Wilson did not?
HOSTIN: You know, I don't know why they would make that determination because we haven't really found or heard the results of the investigation. So I want to be careful about why they've made these decisions.
But if it is true, Carol, that they are trying to negotiate with the Ferguson Police Department to sort of change their tactics, that actually is something that the civil rights division of the Department of Justice does often. If they find that there have been discriminatory practices with the police department, they will go to the police department and they will say, these are our findings, will you agree to make these changes? And then they enter into what's called a consent decree and those changes are generally made and then there's a monitor that's appointed. And so that is very much the process.
If the Ferguson Police Department, though, says, ah-ah, we're not going to comply, then that is when you see a lawsuit. So that is not unusual. I think it would perhaps be unusual if they found that there was systematic discrimination, but not in that particular case.
COSTELLO: Right.
HOSTIN: So that -- that -- there's a disconnect for me there. But, again, we really don't know what the result is yet.
COSTELLO: Mr. Crump, the Ferguson Police Department says it has been making changes. Do you see any?
CRUMP: Well, I know what many in the community want, not just in Ferguson but around America, is the proposal for the Michael Brown Law to come into reality. And that is having video body cameras on police officers so it will be transparent and we can see what happened.
Remember, Carol, this is all about six months ago there was no transparency, there was no trust in the community, so you did have this secret grand jury proceeding and you then have Michael Brown's death being swept under the rug like they are trying to do with Eric Garner and so many others. What the community wants is transparency. You want a proceeding that is fair, that everybody says work equally, not just for our community members and families, but also for the police. But if it's not transparent and you keep getting the same result, you're going to continue to see the divide in the community and the police grow.
We now have a matter out in Washington, Pasquel (ph), Washington, and you just keep seeing these instances happen over and over again. Let Michael Brown's legacy be one that we go to a place where we can all agree that transparency is good.
HOSTIN: And perhaps that's something, Ben, that will come up with this Department of Justice investigation and potential consent decree. Maybe that is something that we will see.
COSTELLO: We hope so.
HOSTIN: Hope so.
COSTELLO: And Eric Holder will -- I guess he plans to speak on it Tuesday before the press club, so we'll --
HOSTIN: Yes, that's what we're hearing.
COSTELLO: We'll be interested to know more details. Benjamin Crump, Sunny Hostin, thanks so much for joining me.
HOSTIN: You bet.
COSTELLO: Psychotic, erratic, and battling demons, that's how family members describe Eddie Ray Routh, the man accused in the shooting death of American sniper Chris Kyle. Yesterday, Routh's sister and former girlfriend took the stand. The defense claims Routh was battling a severe state of psychoses when he gunned down Kyle and another man at a Texas shooting range. But the prosecution argues Routh is a cold blooded killer who knew exactly what he was doing. Today, military medical professionals who treated Routh are expected to testify.
Let's bring in Ed Lavandera. He's in Stephenville, Texas.
Good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.
You know, as prosecutors have been focusing extensively on Eddie Ray Routh's drug use, his family and friends telling bizarre stories, including one that the night before the murders, out of the blue he dropped down in his kitchen and proposed to his girlfriend. She testified yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE):
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Right after Eddie Ray Routh gunned down Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, he drove to his sister's house. Laura Blevins says his brother was talking about pigs sucking on his soul and that he had to take two souls before they could take his. She called 911 right after he left in Kyle's pickup truck.
911 DISPATCHER: Who did he say he was -- he had killed?
LAURA BLEVINS, EDDIE RAY ROUTH'S SISTER: He said that he killed two guys. They went to a shooting range. It was like he's all crazy. He's (EXPLETIVE DELETED) psychotic.
911 DISPATCHER: Is he on drugs?
BLEVINS: I'm sorry for my language.
911 DISPATCH: No. (INAUDIBLE).
BLEVINS: Um, I don't know if he's on drug or not, but I know that he's been --
LAVANDERA: In court, Blevins described the scene. "The person who came to my house is not the man who I knew was my brother." And then she turned to him that day and said, "I love you but I hate your demons." The judge is not allowing courtroom audio to be broadcast until the trial is over, but prosecutors are zeroing in on those last words from Routh's sister in that 911 call. The drugs have been the focus since opening statements.
ALAN NASH, PROSECUTOR: (INAUDIBLE) use drugs and alcohol that morning and that he knew what he was doing was wrong.
LAVANDERA: Prosecutors say Routh even ignored orders from his doctors to stop smoking weed and drinking alcohol and smoked and drank whiskey with his uncle hours before he would kill the man known as the American sniper.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "AMERICAN SNIPER": I just want to get the bad guys. But if I can't see them, I can't shoot them.
LAVANDERA: As Routh descended deeper into psychological troubles, he started dating this woman, Jennifer Weed, who has a degree in psychology herself. She says Routh could be quick tempered and erratic. A few weeks before the murders, Routh held his girlfriend and her roommate at knife point in her apartment. And the night before the killing, she said, "I asked him if he was seeing things and he said 'yes.' And then I asked if he was hearing things and he said 'yes.' He got up and told me that they were listening to us. And when I tried to speak with him, he would take his hand and cover my mouth." That was the last night Routh would spend with the girlfriend he just asked to marry him. Not long after, he'd be seen handcuffed in the back of a police car.
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LAVANDERA: And, Carol, the defense case continues today. We expect to hear more from medical experts, especially those that were involved in the various treatments of Eddie Ray Routh. Remember, he was in and out of mental health facilities several times before the murders.
Carol. COSTELLO: All right, Ed Lavandera reporting live from Texas this
morning.
Still to come from the NEWSROOM, ISIS murdered their husbands, their sons, their brothers. Now families of Christians killed in Libya are sharing their stories.
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COSTELLO: ISIS boasted earlier this week about beheading 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya. The terrorist group filming the deaths, fueling its propaganda machine. These men were fathers, though, and husbands and brothers. One journalist tracked some of them down -- some of their families down. They live in a town about three hours south of Cairo. Here's the wife of one of those men.
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COSTELLO: Sophia Jones is a Middle East correspondent for "World Post" and "The Huffington Post." She joins me now by phone.
Hi, Sophia.
SOPHIA JONES, MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT, "WORLD POST": Hi there.
COSTELLO: Tell us about these families.
JONES: These men in many ways were working class heroes. They came from extreme problems (ph). Some of them lived six to a room. And they said there were no jobs in southern Egypt and they went to Libya in search of a better life for themselves and for their family members. Instead, they found groups that were hell-bent on killing them because they were Christian and because they were Egyptian.
COSTELLO: What kinds of jobs were they finding in Libya?
JONES: They were usually getting odd jobs. They were working building houses. They were working at shops. They were everyday laborers. It wasn't necessarily work every day. They didn't always have money to send home, but they risked their lives in hopes that they could send that money home.
COSTELLO: I know you tell of really touching stories about them calling home and telling their wives, you know, I'll do what I can for you. I'll send you money. And then knowing they were in danger of being kidnapped while in Libya.
JONES: Uh-huh. Yes. Uh-huh. They definitely knew that there were risks. They were in constant communication with their families, weighing the risks of staying there, of coming home. But they feared that if they came home, that they wouldn't be able to provide for their families. And they saw the risk as worth it.
But I spoke with several families who said that days before they were kidnapped, they had actually planned, a group of them, to come back to Egypt and they were killed before they ever got the chance. COSTELLO: And they knew they were probably more of a target because
they were Christian, right?
JONES: Yes. There were -- there were threats against them because they were Christian and they had gone -- ISIS had gone around the area and asked where the Christians were and they were identified by a tattoo on their hand, a traditional tattoo that distinguishes them as Coptic Christians. And when ISIS went door to door and began knocking at around 2:30 in the morning, they were looking on the wrists of these men to see if they had these tattoos.
COSTELLO: I'm just curious, and I don't know if you asked these families this question, but I wondered how those families viewed ISIS. Do they refer to them as Islamic extremists or something else?
JONES: No. I mean they don't think that these men are Muslim. I mean many of these people, while they're Christian, they live alongside Muslims in a very peaceful way in their village. And they don't -- they don't see these men as Muslims, they see them as extremists who just want to kill using the name Islam.
COSTELLO: Sophia Jones, thank you for sharing with us. I appreciate it.
JONES: Thank you for having me.
COSTELLO: A reminder, President Obama speaks at the counter terrorism summit next hour, 10:30 Eastern. Please stay tuned for our special coverage.
I'll be back.
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COSTELLO: From Doogie to debonair. Only three days left for Neil Patrick Harris to perfect his Oscar quips. This Sunday, he's taking the stage for his biggest emcee gig yet, the 87th Annual Academy Awards. He has some big shoes to fill. Ellen's antics last year won over audiences and famished celebs, ordering pizza for the star- studded crowd. So will the former child star measure up?
He's long from being a child star, right? Stephanie Elam has more for you.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From former teen idol to toast master of Hollywood's biggest night, Neil Patrick Harris is the latest to take on the most high profile hosting gig in the world.
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS AS DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D.: Seven stitches nice and neat. There shouldn't be much of a scar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looks OK. Maybe I won't sue.
ELAM: Harris kicked off his career as Doogie Howser, M.D., the teen doctor who ruled TV screens in the early '90s. Unable to match that success again --
HARRIS: Dude, I was able to perform an appendectomy at age 14, I think I can handle a couple mushrooms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wasn't that just a TV show?
ELAM: -- until a self-deprecating turn in the "Harold and Kumar" films helped the actor land a role in a little show called "How I Met Your Mother".
HARRIS: It's going to be legend -- wait for it, and I hope you're not lactose intolerant, because the second half of that word is -- dairy. Legendary!
ELAM: Womanizing Barney Stinson became the sitcom's resident scene stealer for nine seasons. During that time, the Tony Awards came calling.
HARRIS: Hello, everybody! Welcome to the 63rd Annual Tony Awards. I'm Neil. Thanks for being here.
ELAM: His 2009 hosting performance bumped up the show's ratings by about 20 percent and earned both Harris and the telecast Emmy Awards.
HARRIS: Attention.
ELAM: With that success, Harris nabbed the Tony's job for an additional three years, as well as landing two stints as host of the primetime Emmy Awards.
HARRIS: I wouldn't be here if someone else hadn't passed on hosting, so special thanks to Shia LaBeouf for this opportunity.
ELAM: Harris has the necessary skills to emcee the Academy Awards, according to "The Hollywood Reporter's" Kim Masters.
KIM MASTERS, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: He's done Broadway, he can sing, he can dance, he's quick-witted. He is an amazing, multi-talented performer.
ELAM: Harris follows a parade of talented performers who have hosted the show, watched and critiqued by tens of millions. Is the actor up for the challenge and the blowback that can come with it?
MASTERS: I have a lot of confidence in his originality, creativity, and skills as a performer, but is it a name that's a magnetic draw? I'm sure there's a lot of doubt about that.
ELAM: A sitcom star also known for his live performance skills and musical ability -- HARRIS: Anything can happen.
ELAM: -- out to prove he's ready for Oscar.
HARRIS: Anything.
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COSTELLO: I don't know, Stephanie. I think he'll do a great job.
ELAM (on camera): I have confidence that NPH can pull this off. I do think he's had the prep work, he's had the other awards shows that he's hosted. And he does feel the pressure because it hasn't always worked with who they've brought in to host the Oscars. But you take a look at last year with Ellen, and I was actually lucky enough to go to the Oscars last year. You take a look at Ellen with that selfie that broke the Internet. Twitter basically unable to be used for a few minutes after that. He's got some challenges to try to meet up to, but a lot of people thinks he's going to be able to do it.
The one thing, though, Carol, the one little problem that could happen on Sunday -- rain. It's actually supposed to rain here in L.A. on Sunday. So hopefully that won't happen. Last year, it rained during the morning and it stopped by the time the red carpet opened up. I don't know what it is. We're in a drought. We need rain. But just Sunday.
COSTELLO: Well, hopefully the Oscar gods will be shining. Stephanie Elam, thank you so much.
Not taking home Oscar gold? Well, $125,000's worth of bag swag might help assuage the pain. How does a trip to Tuscany sound? Runners are up to the Oscar are receiving a three-night stay in the Italian countryside, valued at more than $11,000. Of course, if they get a trip to Italy, they'll need a ride to the airport. Silvercar Rentals is gifting each nominee a year's worth of free rides. That would cost you or me a cool $20,000. Then again, they could always ditch the car and hop on this, a Martone bike valued at $1,200. It would be hard not to mention that this year's swag bag is not only extravagant, but notably racy. Several adult toys are also included in the loot, which I will not describe.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, North Carolina and Duke may be the hottest rivalry in college basketball. And, boy, did it live up to the hype. Bleacher Report's Coy Wire is all over it.
COY WIRE, BLEACHER REPORT: Outstanding, commanding, inevitably incredible. This may be the hottest rivalry in any sport at any level. Last night's game didn't disappoint. I got you covered next.
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COSTELLO: North Carolina versus Duke. The most high profile rivalry in college basketball, lived up to the hype last night. Coy Wire has more for you in this morning's Bleacher Report. Hi Coy. WIRE: Good morning, Carol. Yes, Tar Heels, Blue Devils, must-watch television for any college basketball fan. And last night's game didn't disappoint. It all started off with a tribute to the late great Dean Smith. Teams kneeled before the match-up. It was a special moment indeed. Now, Duke was in trouble in the second half. But look out, here comes Tyus Jones, he drove (INAUDIBLE), tying the game with seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Jahlil Okafor, took over the floor, throwing 'bows, get off me son. Seconds remaining now, Duke leading by two. Carolina at the line, they miss on purpose, but they can't snag the rebound and attempt to tie it up. So Duke wins this one. It is 92-90. What a game that was. You've got to love basketball.
Now, more problems for the New York Knicks. Carmelo Anthony out for the season with a -- scheduled to have knee surgery. It's been a season to forget for the Knicks in general. They're a league worst 10-43 with no play-off hopes in sight.
But four teams with play-off hopes, they're going to battle tonight on our sister station, TNT. The Mavericks and Thunder at 8:00 Eastern, followed by the Spurs and Clippers at 10:30. Now, Carol, the NBA trade deadline is 3:00 Eastern so we may see some action there, some big-name trades. But, if not, kick up the feet and watch a couple of awesome games tonight on TNT.
COSTELLO: Will do. Thanks so much, Coy.
The next hour of NEWSROOM after a break.
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