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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

Jury Deliberates Aaron Hernandez Case; Airport Baggage Handlers Caught Stealing On Hidden Cameras; Jodi Arias Sentenced To Life in Prison Without Possibility Of Parole. Aired 12:30-1p

Aired April 14, 2015 - 12:30   ET

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


[12:30:00] SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And at the victim's family as well sitting on the opposite side of the courtroom.

I will say this, the defense attorneys had made a point of saying this is a young man who had everything to going from in his life making a lot of money, fiance, baby, rising career. He was planning a future and not a murder. But prosecutors have said, "Oh, he thought he could get away with murder because of who he was, no one would believe that this would have happened."

But finally Pamela, the person who really captured the attention and was one of the star witness that stole the show you might argue, was Bob Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and when he was on that witness stand, the jury took note literally and emotionally. They've seemed to connect with him. He at that moment was the star.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Very interesting Susan. We have no idea what the jury is thinking right now. But sometimes the questions they ask can be telling, do we know what questions this jury has asked so far.

CANDIOTTI: Only a few of them. First of all, none today, seven altogether, the one note that they handed out yesterday asked for smoking breaks to be reinstituted that they had during the actual trial testimony. They wanted those back so read into that which you will.

But some of the other questions had to do with getting the exhibit list together or getting a clear definition on what the weapons charges meant. Other than that, you know, you can interpret it as you will.

BROWN: All right, thank you so much Susan Candiotti. We appreciate your analysis and I'm going to turn now to Paul and Mel for more legal view.

Paul, first to you, the defense says that the prosecution has not proved that Hernandez pulled the trigger. I'm curious if the jury concludes that there's not enough evidence to support that he actually pulled the trigger but he jury believe that Hernandez was complicit in Lloyd's murder, what could that mean for Hernandez? Could he still be charged with murder?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Oh yes. He -- And there are two murder counts, murder in the first degree which requires murder, an intentional murder with cruelty is another part of it. He could be convicted of that if he was part of the plan or the conspiracy to commit the murder.

Also on the second degree count, also it doesn't require him to actually pull the trigger as long as he shared the intent with the killer, he could be convicted on that count. So the fight is really, did he know that Lloyd was going to be killed in this remote industrial park or did it suddenly happen in the middle of these guys passing joints around and smoking marijuana and he knew nothing about it. That's what the jury is struggling about whether he knew and planned it with the others.

BROWN: You know, whether he was a co-conspirator or not. OK Mel, I'm curious to know what your perspective is looking at all the evidence has been presented and the charges he faces, what is your verdict?

MEL ROBBINS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: What is my verdict? Well, personally I think that there will be a not guilty on number one because they have not proven beyond the reasonable doubt that this was premeditated and they also have not proven beyond the reasonable doubt that Hernandez's participation in this led to it being in a very cruel fashion.

Secondly, on murder two I think they're going to be hang and the reason why they're going to be hang is because they have not proven beyond the reasonable doubt that he was actually substantially involved. I think the defense has done a fantastic job making this jury think that, "Hey, he was there, he witnessed something but that's not enough for a conviction."

Finally, I think you'll also see a hanged jury on the weapons charge but you will see a conviction on the ammunition. That's what I personally think will happen.

BROWN: And I want to bring in our Susan Candiotti because Susan, I understand you have something to add to this, right?

CANDIOTTI: Well, more or less had to with a bit of a motion that we saw outside the courtroom today involving Shaneah Jenkins, that is the girlfriend of the victim in this case, Odin Lloyd.

It turns out that they have been helping out another family in a nearby courtroom going through a murder trial and a not guilty verdict came in and she broke down literally and tears out in the hallway. She was emotionally trying to help the family get through that particular verdict.

And it was sad to watch that she was going through someone else's pain while waiting for a verdict in her case.

BROWN: Of course all eyes have been on her throughout this trial. I can't wrap it up until Paul I get your verdict. It would only be fair to know what you predict here.

CALLAN: You know, it's looking like its going to be a hang jury on both murder counts. The murder one count and the murder two count. If they hang on that jury on that count, the jury will also hang on the weapons count because that was the weapon actually involved in the murder.

The ammunition is just the ammunition that was recovered from his house. I think they're going to convict on that count, so mostly likely outcome, hang jury on everything except the ammunition in the house. That by the way carries only a two-year prison sentence.

[12:35:06] The one thing missing in this case, prosecutors, great circumstantial evidence but they were never able to prove motive and that's probably what the jury is hang up on, why would he have killed Lloyd. They don't seem to have much motive, evidence, not required in a murder case but juries always look for it.

BROWN: Interesting that you both don't see guilty on the murder charges.

All right. Thank you so much Paul, Mel and Susan, we appreciate you coming on to talk with us.

CALLAN: Thank you.

BROWN: And up next, if you travel you're going to want to hear this story. Airport workers, they would never snoop through your luggage and steal stuff, right? Well, before you check your bags you'd better check out through Griffin's investigative reports. Coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, if you fly a lot, this video we're about to show you will make you cringe. Here are baggage thieves right here riffling through your check luggage looking for valuables. Across the country, airport officials are trying to stop thousands of such theft. And here is senior investigative correspondent Drew Griffin with the exclusive video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: These are airport baggage handlers, thieves inside the belly of a plane riffling through passenger's bags. What are they looking for? The valuables that you pack that you thought would be safe. But in never before seen video obtained by CNN, undercover cameras and the police are catching the baggage handlers in the act stealing on planes and in supposedly secure areas of the airport. The video even caught a security guard apparently in on the act. My reaction to seeing this video is, I was really disgusted.

LT. PETER ESTIS, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: It's pretty incredible, isn't it?

GRIFFIN: The video comes from a sting set up by Miami-Dade police to stop a rash of thefts, 31 ramp workers and baggage handlers have been arrested since 2012 caught on camera red handed.

[12:40:10] And when you catch them, catch them in the act like you did on these videos, what's the response?

ESTIS: A lot of times, there is no other response other than shock that they were caught. And that's OK with us. As many of them that we can take away off of the airfield, the better it is for everybody that travels through Miami International Airport. GRIFFIN: But it's certainly not just happening in Miami.

A CNN analysis finds over the past five years, nearly 31,000 passenger claims of items missing from luggage filed with the TSA. About 25,000 of those claims alleged valuables missing from checked bags.

The rest? They disappeared from a TSA checkpoint.

500 TSA officers have been fired for theft since 2002, including one who hid stolen items in this secret compartment.

It adds up to $2.5 million worth of passenger belongings gone.

These petty thefts are a big deal to police chiefs like Pat Gannon at Los Angeles International Airport.

PATRICK GANNON, POLICE CHIEF LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT I believe there is a connection between baggage thefts and potential for terrorism

GRIFFIN: Gannon and others believe stealing an iPad, rifling through bags, is a potential first step towards something much worse.

GANNON: I think that is a breakdown in their moral fiber, and that's why we take it very seriously here. And if we don't pay attention to the small things that happen around here, that it will lead to much larger, larger things.

GRIFFIN: The top airport for items reported missing from luggage, JFK in New York. So many insider baggage thefts were going on here, the airline EL AL set up its own hidden cameras and found workers rifling through luggage, stealing money out of wallets. Seven baggage handlers were arrested for stealing iPhones, iPads, watches, rings, cameras.

In Los Angeles, police last year raided homes of baggage handlers. According to the airport police chief, the case led to a major reduction in missing items from luggage.

GANNON: We cut theft in those two terminals by nearly 60 percent because of doing that aggressive, investigative work.

ESTIS: Insider threat is very scary for us in law enforcement. And certainly taking somebody's cell phone, iPad, computer, you know, what's next?

GRIFFIN: For the traveler, the concerns can be eliminated with one simple tip. Don't pack anything of value inside a checked bag. And in that last-minute push to check bags at the gate, make sure you remove anything that a common thief would find appealing because those thieves are everywhere, even in the belly of an airplane. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Good advice there from Drew Griffin he join us now from New York through, you hit this point at the end your piece, you know, I was watching it. And there were Ipads, wallets with money, really nice cameras that make you wonder why would anyone pack valuables inside their check luggage.

GRIFFIN: You know, it happens and it happens a lot with international flights just think of tourist that come to the United States.

A lot of them come here to shop and they pack these big bags full of stuff. That's why JFK in Miami have big problems because they have a lot of international flights. So it's really important to make sure you don't have any of stuff in your bag.

And one more point which I found amazing Pam, you've travel like I do. When you are on the gate and they're saying "Hey the overheads are full we need to check bags."

One detective told me those bags that are checked at the last minute it's like feeding frenzy for some of these baggage handlers because everybody forgets that's where I put my values those are really think cartridges coming down that just are full of goodies. And literally said it was a feeding frenzy it was kind of frightening to me.

BROWN: That's really interesting because I feel like that happens all the time where you hear you overhead compartments, you really have to check your bag. Really great report their Drew. I think a lot of us can learn from that, that those of us that fly.

Thank you so much, we appreciate it.

GRIFFIN: Thanks Pamela.

BROWN: And up next right here on legal view the sad sorted ending to Jodi Arias as seven year legal or deal and the first day of the rest of her life sentence right after break.

[12:44:28] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: And Jodi Arias is spending her first full day at her new home, the Lumley Unit in the Arizona State Prison Complex in Perryville.

A judge ruled that's where she'll spend the rest of her life for the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander.

The judge could've given her the possibility of release after 25 years. Arias made her plea for leniency but if she wanted mercy, playing the victim was not the way to get it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JODI ARIAS: It's my firm belief that death would bring me untold peace and freedom. That's my personal belief. If I die today, I would be free and I would be at peace. For years that is exactly what I wanted. But I had to fight for my life just like on June 4th 2008, because I realized how selfish it would be for me to escape accountability for this mess that I've created.

I did not drag Travis through the mud. I protected Travis' reputation for years. I did say he was an influential person. I kept his skeletons in the closet all to my own detriment for years.

But I testified too, was not false, it were not made up, it were not things that I wanted to get out into public either.

But when I was on the stand, I told the truth.

I do remember as I testified to this. I'm sorry, I think I would have testify to this in the 2014 trial. I do remember, the moment the knife went into Travis' throat and he was conscious.

He was trying to attack me. It was I who was trying to get away, not Travis. And I finally did. I never wanted it to be that way judge.

The most important thing I want to say is that I am very sorry for the enormous pain that I've caused the people that love Travis. I never thought I would cause so many people so much pain.

I live everyday wishing that I can undo what I did to Travis and wishing that I can take away their pain just put onto myself.

[12:50:00] To this day I can't believe that I was capable of doing something that terrible. I can't even--I'm just--I'm truly disgusted and repulse with myself. I'm horrified because of what I did and I wish there was some way I could take it back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Jodi's mother, Sandy Arias, spoke before the judge, the only one to defend her yesterday. She said she believes Jodi's story of abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDY ARIAS: I guess the one thing we failed to teach her was how to walk away from an abusive relationship. She hid it from her family and she hid it from her friends. All the signs were there. We just didn't see them. As her mother, I feel like I should have been there to protect her, but I wasn't. I don't have to condone what Jodi has done, but I do understand it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Arias arrive to prison in advance, surrounded by a caravan of police and photographers. Her retribution hearing is scheduled for June 1st. She has waited her appearance, so this may be the last you see of her.

And coming up right here on legal view wild stories of wild sex parties with hookers hired by Colombian drug lords. You wouldn't believe which government agency is in the middle of it. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: A quick look now with some of the other stories we are watching at this hour. The penalty phase of convicted Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev begins a week from today, however jurors were back in court today. The judge briefs them on scheduling and other logistical matters. Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 counts related to the bombing at the Boston Marathon in 2013, 17 of those carried a death penalty.

[12:55:16]And it is sentencing day for 10 former Atlanta public school educators caught in a cheating scandal. All were found guilty on charges ranging from racketeering to lying to investigators. The cheating is believed today back to early 2001, when scores on statewide skill sets were altered. The judge had harsh words for the educators.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE JERRY BAXTER, SUPERIOR COURT, FULTON COUNTY: From 2001, there was whole scale of cheating going on in the Atlanta Public Schools, and these kids were passed on and passed on and had no chance to begin with, because of where they lived, who their parents were, who their, you know, this is situation. And the only chance that they had was the school to get an education.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Judge Baxter has given the educators two options admit guilt and take a deal or risk going to prison. So far, only one of them has taken that deal.

And one of two men allegedly run over by Rap Mogul. Suge Knight testified in court that he would not snitch and help prosecutors put Suge in prison. Cle "Bone" Sloan took to stay on Monday the hearing in Los Angeles. He said he could recall who was driving the truck that struck him and his friend Terry Carter who was killed. Now he has pleaded not guilty the charges of murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors say the hit and run was a violent end to a dispute that had been brewing.

And the former employee of the private Blackwater road wide security company has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the mass shooting in Iraq that killed 17 people. Three other were groused involved in Baghdad killings, where each sentenced to 30 years behind bars. The Blackwater says its convoy was attacked. Witnesses testified the shooting which happened in 2007 was unprovoked.

This is quite a story here. If you are DEA, how do you explain the agents having sex parties with hookers paid for by Colombian drug cartels? Not an easy task, but that's what was happening on Capital Hill today. The allegations came after a report from the justice department uncovered the indiscretion and the Chairman of House of Oversight Committee Jason Chaffetz zeroed in on DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart over the DEA handling of the scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASON CHAFFETZ (R), UTAH: Is it wrong for prostitutes to be in government housing?

MICHELE LEONHART: Well, first of all, it's deplorable behavior by those agents.

CHAFFETZ: But it is a violation of policy?

LEONHART: Absolutely, a violation of the policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The report also found that DEA supervisors did not discipline all of the agents involved treating the incident as a local issue for a supervisor to handle. One agent was suspended for 14 days for allowing his apartment to be used in the parties. Wow.

Well, thank you so much for watching LEGAL VIEW. WOLF starts now. Have a great day.