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Black Friday Shoppers Hit Stores; Suspects Re-Arrested in Natalee Holloway Case; Investigators Probe Response to San Francisco Oil Spill

Aired November 23, 2007 - 13:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Time to put the turkey away and head to the mall. The holiday shopping rush begins on this day after Thanksgiving. And we all know it's known as Black Friday.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: She disappeared nearly 2 1/2 years ago in a tropical paradise. Now new evidence in the Natalee Holloway case has two brothers facing a judge this afternoon.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Now to the day after Thanksgiving. There's definitely a chill in the air, but it's nice and toasty in the malls, Chad Myers, hopefully.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is unless you stood outside for five hours waiting to be the first one in the mall.

LEMON: And it depends on which part of the country you're in. Right? Whether or not it's warm.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Very nice. And it was just cool enough last night just to get the fireplace going. You know that smell, you walk outside, your neighbors are burning the fireplace? Very nice. Very nice. Chad Myers, thank you.

MYERS: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Well, the shopping may be tough, but the tough are going shopping. Americans are mobbing shopping malls and stores right now, some of which opened before dawn as retailers offered special bargains to jump-start the holiday season.

Our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, in the trenches at a mall outside New York City.

Hi, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Trench is a good -- that's a good way of putting it, Kyra. Because here on Long Island where we are, shopping is a competitive sport. You said that some people were out shopping before dawn. Maybe 5 a.m., 4 a.m. So what? I've got people who can top that, because they were out shopping at midnight. Can you believe it?

Meet Cheryl and Jackie. They were out shopping what time?

CHERYL RUDDEN, SHOPPING SINCE MIDNIGHT: Twelve o'clock.

CHERNOFF: Twelve o'clock. Now where in the world would you be shopping at midnight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hanger outlet.

RUDDEN: There you go. They opened at 12 for people like us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eleven-thirty, 11:30 waiting for that coat store to open.

CHERNOFF: Are you telling me you have not slept?

RUDDEN: No, not at all.

CHERNOFF: All-nighter.

RUDDEN: We're going to keep going, too.

CHERNOFF: Now I only see one, two, three bags.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Been in twice already, went home and unloaded bags already.

RUDDEN: That's why we had to go home. We had to unload the truck. I mean, totally loaded.

CHERNOFF: This is essentially a moving operation. You're just taking...

RUDDEN: Well, you try to get all the bargains. We're trying to get all the bargains. And we're really doing good today.

CHERNOFF: Cheryl, let me ask you. I mean, the gas prices are way up; home heating oil is way up. Is that affecting your spending at all?

RUDDEN: Not really. Turns out you still have to shop for the kids. The kids are still important.

CHERNOFF: What about for yourself?

RUDDEN: We don't need anything. It's all the kids.

CHERNOFF: So are you cutting back a little for yourself?

RUDDEN: A lot. It's all about them. Everything is for them.

CHERNOFF: All right. Very well. Well, you can see, Kyra, some people here are just intense, very intense. There are -- simply are not enough hours in the day, and they tell me they are going to keep going into the evening. Kyra, can you top that?

PHILLIPS: You know what? Allan, I got to tell you. I run from shopping malls. I can't handle all the people. You going to hang out with the ladies, do a little shopping with them?

CHERNOFF: You know, maybe they'll buy me a gift. I mean, they seem to be buying everybody a gift.

PHILLIPS: I don't know. Don and I were talking how snazzy of a dresser you are today. You got rid of the suit. You look like you're straight out of Banana Republic.

LEMON: Got a haircut.

PHILLIPS: That's right. He was all ready for this.

LEMON: You did some shopping, too. Did you get your haircut in the mall there?

CHERNOFF: The haircut was in Manhattan. That's right. Very good. You know, Don, you're better than my wife.

LEMON: Actually, Kyra noticed it. Kyra noticed it. All right.

PHILLIPS: You're looking good, Allan. All right. We'll catch up with you again.

LEMON: We'll have to check the corporate card to see if he put some of those expenses on the card and the ladies shopping, as well.

All right. Let's move on. We're going to continue to talk about -- about shopping. Experts say this year's holiday shopping may be a little slower, but you wouldn't know that from the shoppers who battle for bargains today as retailers kicked off the Christmas shopping season already.

Like many other Americans, CNN's T.J. Holmes visited a Wal-Mart store today. He reports from Woodstock, Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at what certainly was a happening spot earlier, starting at 5 a.m. The lines now here at Wal- Mart at Woodstock, Georgia, they aren't long like you might expect to see on Black Friday, but I assure you they were long and they were deep a little earlier today. But died down a little later in the day because everybody got out and they got their stuff early.

Those people who were on a mission today on this Black Friday, they knew to show up at stores right when they opened. Many stores opened at 4 a.m. Many opened at 5. This one was open here at 5 a.m., and people were here and lined up. Well, by 6 a.m., 7 a.m. in the morning, all the hot deals, all that stuff was gone. All that stuff was off the shelves. Those hot, deep, deep discounted items were already gone. So, this is a spot, you know, they do it for a few hours on Black Friday, 5 to 11. You know, that's when you need to get in here and get those deals. So people were in and out.

Now, discounters, big discount scores like a Wal-Mart, could benefit from some of those, I guess, those economic indicators. Some of those things that people are worried about these days. The gas prices, the housing crunch, the credit crisis.

Because you know, people don't want to spend as much money, so instead of maybe going to a JCPenney's or a Macy's, they may come here. And that could help some of the discount places out. And Wal- Mart could certainly benefit from some of that this time around, this holiday season.

Now, of course, one of the big things, always a big thing during the holiday season, electronics. The electronics section has been hot, has been jumping here all day. Everybody wants the flat-screen TVs. They want the deep discounted DVD players. Certainly, the DVDs are popular, also the MP3s, the iPods, things like that. This has certainly been a happening section all day.

And it kind of -- it may actually trump the toy section. The toys, certainly, people -- are always going to be popular during the holidays, but the electronics always, as well, going to be a hot, hot ticket item.

Now, Wal-Mart has done something here that they have actually -- online they are announcing a lot of their deals and the hot sales. So you have to go online. It's kind of a secret little thing. You have to go on there and find out what the deals are. Then you come into the store and find what you need.

So, so far, so good. A good start to this Black Friday. So far for Wal-Mart, at least, a lot of retailers hoping this Black Friday will stick to its name and get them from the red to the black this holiday season.

But for now I'm T.J. Holmes, CNN, Woodstock, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: He had the big shopping cart there. I didn't see anything in it. Did you see your present, Kyra?

PHILLIPS: I didn't see my present. I didn't see my electronics.

LEMON: Need help with your shopping? Besides T.J. going shopping for you? From gift ideas to toy safety tips for parents, CNN.com is your best bet before you hit the stores. Check out our special holiday shopping page, CNN.com/shopping.

PHILLIPS: Legal wheels are turning in the Natalee Holloway case. We may find out shortly what new evidence prompted authorities to arrest these three men again. The one in the middle, that's Joran Van Der Sloot. He's being returned to Aruba right now, where Holloway vanished in 2005.

The other two, the Kalpoe brothers, are scheduled to appear before an Aruban judge in a couple of hours. Live with the latest now from Aruba, CNN's Susan Candiotti -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

In fact, we believe one of those hearings is going on as we speak. The main thing happening today, separate court appearances for each of the two Kalpoe brothers before a judge who has been flown in from the nearby island or Curacao.

Now, that judge will be deciding whether the new so-called incriminating evidence in the case of Natalee Holloway is enough to continue to hold the Kalpoe brothers, who were re-arrested Wednesday, as well as Joran Van Der Sloot, whether it is enough to continue to hold them another eight days.

Now, the information will not be revealed to the public: No. 1, because the hearing isn't open to the public. And also, the chief prosecutor says that under the rules of the court, they're not permitted to reveal what that new evidence is until the investigation is over.

Now, CNN has learned that some of the original evidence gathered in the case of Natalee Holloway was improperly analyzed, that according to the chief prosecutor, although he would not elaborate.

We have also learned that the new Dutch team that was brought in has been re-analyzing some of the evidence that was originally gathered. Going so far as to re-create cell phone transmissions and text messages the night that Natalee Holloway disappeared and was last seen in the company of the Kalpoe brothers and Joran Van Der Sloot, re-creating some of those transmissions.

And I am told that investigators have found some discrepancies. They will not say, however, whether that is the new information that is being presented to the judge.

Now as you indicated, Joran Van Der Sloot will have his appearance before a judge on Monday. He is, however, arriving in Aruba sometime tonight from the Netherlands. We will find out when the day is over whether the judge has accepted that new information and will continue to hold the Kalpoe brothers.

Back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Susan Candiotti from Aruba, appreciate it.

LEMON: Have some developing news coming in. We're talking about that ship, cruise ship near Antarctica, the one that that took on water, started taking on water and began to sink. And all the passengers had to be taken off the ship. There you go, new video of them being loaded onto life rafts there and taken to safety.

Here's what happened. Their ship hit ice in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean, took on water and began to sink. And passengers and crew of the ship, called the Explorer, headed for the life boats, as you saw there.

A Norwegian cruise ship came to their rescue with Argentine -- Argentine, U.S. and British help. Good weather gets a lot of the credit for the successful rescue here, because it wasn't quite as cold as it usually is.

But again, they hit some ice there and began to take on water. Everyone taken off the ship. Ninety-one passengers from 14 countries included at least 13 Americans, 22 Britons, 17 Dutch and then 10 Canadians. But again, they are all to safety there. New video of them being loaded onto life rafts.

We're going to continue to follow it.

PHILLIPS: Sex offenders in Georgia get a break. The state's high court strikes down a law limiting where they can live. But is that a wise move? We're going to hear from both sides of the contentious issue.

LEMON: Smokers beware. There's a new concern today over a drug that could help you kick the habit. Could it make you want to commit suicide?

PHILLIPS: And don't look now, but it's no house cat. It's on the loose. The king of the jungle goes on a rampage in central Ohio.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: One-fifteen Eastern Time. Here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A decision is expected in Aruba shortly on whether two suspects in the Natalee Holloway case will remain in jail. Brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were arrested Wednesday in connection with the Alabama teenager's 2005 disappearance.

Passengers and crew members have been rescued from a sinking cruise ship. The ship, named the Explorer, was on a 19-day tour of the Falkland Islands and Antarctica when it hit some ice and began taking on water. Everyone is safe, and no injuries are reported.

French rail and bus services are getting back to normal. French transp0rt workers have ended a nine-day walk-out and resumed negotiations with the government.

LEMON: The beautiful and fragile San Francisco Bay fouled this month by 58,000 gallons of oil from a leaking tanker. The damage to the wildlife and coastline may never be fully known.

Could the oil spill have been prevented? Maybe. Could the emergency response have been better? Everyone involved says definitely.

Here's Vic Lee from our affiliate, KHL in San Francisco.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VIC LEE, KHL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management didn't find out that a cargo ship had hit the Bay Bridge from the Coast Guard, which was in charge of coordinating the response to the disaster.

Instead, it was an employee of the Army Corps of Engineers, who works part-time on the fire department's fire boat. As Mayor Gavin Newsom told a congressional subcommittee on Monday...

GAVIN NEWSOM, MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO: The Coast Guard did not call us. Fish and game did not call us. It was a part-time fire boat operator that called to say something's going on.

LEE: A lieutenant from the fire boat station at Pier 22 1/2 then immediately called the dispatch center at around 9:25 in the morning, almost an hour after the accident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen, we just got a heads-up from the Army Corps of Engineers that a boat has collided with the tower of the Bay Bridge.

LEE: Dispatch immediately called the Coast Guard, which confirmed the report.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we received reports at 8:30 about a ship making contact with the Delta Tower of the Bay Bridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Half an hour ago?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did you investigate it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are investigating it right now.

LEE: The fire department ordered an immediate response, dispatching a battalion chief, search and rescue firefighters, a paramedic and a fire boat to assist. But before they could reach the scene of the crash, the Coast Guard radioed back, saying it didn't need the fire department's help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With regard to the report of a container ship hitting the Bay Bridge, that is confirmed by the Coast Guard, but they say they don't need us responding at this time.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: And this already messy oil spill situation will likely get messier. Federal prosecutors have started a criminal probe into the events surrounding the spill.

PHILLIPS: Well, it once was the murder capital of America. Now New York City appears to be on track to have its lowest murder rate in more than 40 years.

"The New York Times" says that 428 murders have been recorded as of Sunday, and if the trend continues, New York will have fewer than 500 homicides this year. In 1990, New York reached an all-time high with 2,245 murders.

LEMON: The law is supposed to keep sex offenders away from children. But a court says it is unfair. We'll have reaction from both sides.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Oh, my gosh.

PHILLIPS: Well, you always see what it looks like from the outside. Now you're seeing what it looks like from the inside. And apparently, there's a lot of security in this Wal-Mart. This is captured by one of our I-Reporters.

LEMON: Rich Thomassen, Richie Thomassen from northeast Maryland.

I'm so glad I'm here today. I do not want to ever have to deal with that.

Apparently, there were some state troopers, Kyra, there, three state trooper cars there, to make sure they had enough security. And let's see, all the shoppers went straight for the electronics section. That's what this I-Reporter says.

Did you do that this morning before you can to work?

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, right. Three in the morning there I was.

Wal-Mart apparently had all their employees working today in two different shifts. And this I-Reporter is actually, I'm being told, works inside, or his mom works inside this Wal-Mart.

LEMON: She had fun working today. And everyone was nice and gentle throughout the shopping. But man, oh man, as soon as they open the doors people just run right in there.

We've seen all of our reporters out there today with similar video. They didn't get the inside poop like that, though.

But you know what? Bargain hunters, Kyra, aren't the only ones in the stores today. Many investors also shop for discounts. We saw a nice rally on Wall Street after Wednesday's sharp sell-off.

But as Susan Lisovicz tells us -- as Susan Lisovicz tells us, there's still reason to worry. She joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange with the very latest on this.

It was a night before Christmas and all through the house. That's what it sounds like. Right?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All through the exchange, quiet as a mouse, really.

LEMON: Really?

LISOVICZ: I mean, it's so quiet right now because the closing bell rang 23 minutes ago. It's an abbreviated day of trading.

(STOCK REPORT)

LISOVICZ: So we ended the week, positive note, Don.

LEMON: And that's something, if I can get my words out -- too much turkey yesterday -- to -- to be thankful for. Right?

LISOVICZ: No question about it. I mean, you know, we still have about six weeks left in the trading year and a lot of concern about consumer spending, in particular, given the fact that, you know, Black Friday marks the traditional start to the holiday shopping season, as Allen and Ali and T.J. have been so bravely reporting today.

And then of course, we have, you know, a lot of concerns about the housing market and with all these teaser rates resetting, whether foreclosures are going to go higher still. So there are a lot of really valid concerns.

LEMON: Yes, Susan, real quick, because we saw the video there of the Topps Meat. There's another development, one that's concerning Topps Meat, a recall. What is the latest on that?

LISOVICZ: Well, in some ways it's not a surprise, Don. The company has filed for bankruptcy and plans to liquidate its business. This comes just a month after Topps Meat Company issued the nation's second largest beef recall ever.

More than 20 million pounds of frozen hamburger were pulled from store shelves after potentially fatal E. Coli bacteria were found in the patties. To date, 40 people have been ill because of it.

The company was once one of the nation's largest producers of frozen hamburger patties. But it was a relatively small company. It could not withstand that kind of a disaster, and it's shut its doors, actually. So the bankruptcy filing is really not a surprise, but it's a very sad development there.

Back to you, Don.

LEMON: OK. Are you resting your voice at all?

LISOVICZ: You know, I went to my nephew's football game yesterday. And it was the last football game of the year, and he scored his first touchdown! LEMON: OK.

PHILLIPS: Aw!

LISOVICZ: So my voice, I was resting it up until that point.

LEMON: What are you going to do, right?

LISOVICZ: Yes, exactly.

PHILLIPS: Susan is the ultimate relative. I'll tell you what. The ultimate aunt, godmother, friend.

LISOVICZ: I just had to, you know, let my vocal chords rip again.

LEMON: We certainly can understand why. Hey, hope you had a great turkey day.

LISOVICZ: You, too.

LEMON: We'll talk to you in a little bit.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Richard Roth inside the shops at Columbus Circle in New York City. They're here; they're everywhere. No, I'm not talking about Americans who woke up at 2 a.m. to shop. I'm talking about Europeans. They're here to buy everything in sight. Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, we'll tell you why, if they don't by to clothes off my back first.

PHILLIPS: Got to love Richard Roth.

Also, developing story out of Lebanon, Associated Press reporting a state of emergency just declared hours before the president's term ends.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. dollar fell to a new low against European currency this week. That has some people used to chase dollars, chasing euros instead. But it has some Europeans traveling to America to save money on their holiday shopping. CNN's Richard Roth reports on the pros and cons of the diminished dollar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The music world often sets the trend. So, spot which currency, multimillionaire Rapper Jay Z flashes in his new video "Blue Magic." Euros, you could say the real magic is performed by world markets in making the financial strength of the dollar disappear. New York City rapper says get down with Jay Z's euro bet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's showing brothers out here, that we don't got to chase dollars. We can chase euros.

ROTH: Rappers have joined models in singing show me the model. Super model Gisele Bundchen was acting naughty at holiday time reportedly asking to be paid in euros though her managers deny it. With the dollar going down the financial toilet, actress Molly Shannon unveiled free restrooms in Times Square for the hoards of euro packing tourists here for the holidays.

ROTH: Do you have any thoughts with America on the low dollar, the fact that it's sinking so low. It's been flushed more than these toilets will be?

MOLLY SHANNON, ACTRESS: Oh my gosh.

ROTH: Don't you feel sorry for the Americans?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not really. I don'ts think of that, no. Sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do, personally. Of course I do. But I'm happy for myself because I bought Christmas presents.

ROTH: International visitors are bringing empty suit cases to haul their big haul back home. Don't gloat. The CD sellers get some of it back for America by taking advantage of unsuspecting tourists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But they don't know the difference. They don't know how to their money. You guys for 20 euros. This lady, last week I think it was, came by and gave us 50 euros each.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to stay here and spend my money in the United States of America.

ROTH: Well, you can't afford it overseas anyway.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR, NEW YORK: A very weak dollar is probably not good for the world's international economy.

ROTH: Uncle Sam is crying uncle.

RON PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going broke. The dollar's on its ropes.

ROTH: Oil rich presidents from Venezuela and Iran proclaim the empire of the U.S. dollar is collapsing and the U.S. empire will collapse too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't like it. But there's not much I can do it. It's Congress. Call your Congressman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to euros eventually. Did you hear that?

ROTH: Talk about scaring the markets. The only way these invaders can be stopped perhaps, if they consume too much, overeating at New York's fame Carnegie Deli. QUESTION: Seriously, how many people are here from Europe or out of the country? Right here. Why did you come to the Carnegie Deli?

ROTH: New Yorkers seek refuge at the dollar variety store.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see them going into Channel and then Bloomingdales, you know, without them we wouldn't have an economy here.

ROTH: As the old saying goes, lottery tickets are sold for a dollar and a dream.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Money is to money. How much is that bought?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $1.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, everything $1.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: The dollar hit a record low against the euro today in 12- year low against the Japanese yen. For European travelers here, it's not necessarily Black Friday, it's Green Monday, Green Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you get it. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Richard Roth, appreciate it.

Well, things can get crazy on the first shopping day after Thanksgiving. Get a load of this. This I-report shows a target store in New York City. 6:23 a.m., I-reporter, John Wong, says that shoppers were grabbing boxes off the shelves so quickly that things were falling on people's heads. He says it was too much for him so after making this video, he got the heck out of there. And if you need help with your shopping, from gifts ideas, toys, safety, tips for parents, cnn.com the best bet before you hit the stores. Check out all the holiday shopping on the shopping page, cnn.com/shopping.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A mystery wrap in a riddle on the island of Aruba. Authorities say they cannot disclose the new evidence that triggered the arrest of two brothers, possibly linked to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Today, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe go before a judge who is to determine whether the evidence supports their continued detention. Also, today suspect Joran Van der Sloot is going -- is being, I should say, extradited to Aruba from the Netherlands. All three men have been held and questioned before. They are considered the last people to have seen the American teen as she left a bar in the wee hours of may 30, 2005.

It is a drug designed to help smokers quit but it may have a deadly side effect. What you need know you're taking when you take Chantix.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: What you need to know if you take Chantix. The drug is designed to help smokers quit but there's concerns it may actually send some over the edge. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been looking into it.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Millions of people who are trying to quit smoking are using a drug called Chantix. It's a much celebrated drug because it works in a totally different way than other drugs to help you stop smoking. But now the Food and Drug Administration is looking into reports that some people, a small number of people, who are taking this drug, developed erratic behavior, depression, even suicidal thoughts and sometimes aggressive behavior.

The FDA says they've received about 100 reports of this type of behavior and they can't link it completely to Chantix. They're still investigating. And one of the reasons why is that sometimes when people are trying to quit smoking, they develop erratic behavior anyway, so sometimes it's hard to tease out why are people behaving erratically? Is it because they aren't smoking anymore or because they're taking this drug? Now, the advice from experts about what to do if you're on Chantix and you're worried about these behaviors is you should talk to your doctor. Also, ask other people around you to watch out for any signs of strange behavior, for example, aggressive behavior or suicidal thoughts or anything that seems out of the ordinary for you. Back to you.

LEMON: The law is supposed to keep sex offenders away from children. But a court says it is unfair. We'll have reaction from both sides.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It's always a very, very difficult subject to talk about. What do you do with convicted self offenders after they have served their time? Georgia Supreme Court has thrown out a law that bars them from living within 1,000 feet of school, churches or other areas where children congregate such as school bus stops. The court said the law left no place anywhere in the state where a sex offender can live without being at risk of eviction. We're going to get some reaction. Reaction from both sides. Sara Geraghty who supports the ruling who is in Chicago. Ed Smart whose daughter was abducted in 2002, will be with us from Utah. He opposes the ruling.

And we'll start with Sara Geraghty, a staff attorney for the Southern Center for Human Rights. OK, you're saying it allows them nowhere. And I think the ruling -- we have a quote here of what the judge said. The judge says it is apparent that there is no place in Georgia where a registered sex offender can live without being continually at risk of being rejected. Presiding Justice Carol Hunstein said that. Do you agree with that? You said there is no place for them to live. Is that a bit of an overstatement?

SARA GERAGHTY, STAFF ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: It's really not an overstatement. Georgia already had one of the most restrictive state laws in the nation about where sex offenders could live, barred them from living within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers, neighborhood centers, churches, and other locations. Last year, the legislature went several steps further and really tried to banish everyone on the sex offender registry and that's a 14,500 people from the State of Georgia. I don't think that the court was at all exaggerating when it made that statement.

LEMON: But can you understand why people who have dealt with this and people with children, families with children, why they are so opposed to this? I mean, who want a sex offender living near them or in their neighborhood or near their children?

GERAGHTY: Well, you know, I think we can all agree that we need a law that protects children from offenders. The problem and the problem is that, I think there's growing recognition among the public and among law enforcement officials that these laws just simply don't work. There's not a shred of evidence to suggest that they do. And in fact to contrary, it's true. There's a...

LEMON: Go ahead. You said there is not a shred of evidence. But also, anyone who has had to deal with, you know, abducting a child or abusing a child and people who, we have one man, who we have on all the time who says he is a reformed sex offender. They will tell you that there is no cure, that it's -- it's almost like alcoholism. You're constantly battling it. So, I don't understand when you say that it's quite the contrary. It doesn't show that it works.

GERAGHTY: Well, I think that first of all, it's important to make the point that the sort of person that you're talking about is a very small percentage of people on the sex offender registry. The other thing is again, there is no evidence to suggest that these laws are effective in their goal of protecting children. And in fact, the contrary is true. There are a number of studies that suggest that stability and employment and particularly in residence is a key factor in reducing recidivism.

LEMON: When you're talking about people who are, you say that's a very small percentage, you have a client and we've been talking about in the news lately, the Genarlow Wilson case. A young man and woman. He will possibly have to be registered as sex offender. Also, you are representing or you represent people who are in similar situations. You have a young lady 10 years ago, she was 17, he was 15, you don't think that she should have to register as a sex offender?

GERAGHTY: Wendy Whitacre (ph) is the lead plaintiff in our lawsuit. She was 17 years old when she engaged in a single act of consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old. Both of them were sophomores in high school. And for that one act, Ms. Whitacre (ph) is now a registered sex offender in the State of Georgia for the rest of her life. She has been evicted from her home, has been buffeted around the State of Georgia for the last two years. The court's ruling on Wednesday means that Wendy can go home.

And you know, I think that her case presents a really -- a good illustration of a serious problem with the registry in Georgia and that is, it is bloated out of all proportion. There are many people like Wendy on the registry who just don't need to be there because they are -- they don't pose a threat to public safety.

LEMON: OK, Ms. Geraghty, and we have a lot to get to. People who are against this are going to say, you know what, the sex offenders chose to do what they did. And I think Ed Smart once we talk to him that's what he says. The children didn't choose to be abducted. This is a consequence of them doing an act that's illegal.

GERAGHTY: Well, you know, last year there was an effort in Georgia's legislature to amend the sex offender law, and it's interesting to note that it wasn't the civil liberties group that sought to amend it. It was law enforcement. It was Georgia's Sheriff's Association. Taking steps to change the law, that so many people in the law enforcement community see as ineffective and in fact, counterproductive.

LEMON: And Ms. Geraghty do you -- real quickly, because we're going to move on to Ed Smart. We want to give him a chance to respond as well. I have to ask you, do you think this is going to have a ripple effect throughout the U.S.?

GERAGHTY: Well, I think that this case send a message that it's important -- it's important to have laws that protect children, but we need to listen to the experts and listen to law enforcement to hear from them what works and what doesn't.

LEMON: OK. Sarah Geraghty, staff attorney for the southern center for human rights. Thank you very much for that.

GERAGHTY: Thank you for having me.

LEMON: Now, as promised, reaction from a parent. Ed Smart's daughter, Elizabeth, was abducted from her bedroom in 2002. She was 14. She was rescued 9 months later. Her alleged kidnappers where ruled unfit to stay on trial. Ed Smart joins us now from Salt Lake City, Utah. And I have to ask you, how is Elizabeth doing?

ED SMART, ELIZABETH SMART'S FATHER: She's doing just great.

LEMON: And how are you doing? Did you have a good Thanksgiving?

SMART: Wonderful. Thank you.

LEMON: Yes and I'm sure you had a lot to be thankful for this year.

SMART: Very much so.

LEMON: OK, so you listen, Ms. Geraghty. What do you have to say to this argument to the ruling that it's somewhat the law here was somewhat overreaching when it comes to where sex offender can live. They have to have an address. If they don't have an address, then they're breaking the law as well.

SMART: You know, she mentioned the importance of stability in employment and residence. That doesn't mean that they have to be within the radius of a school. I don't think anyone out there necessarily wants to have a sex offender living next door or living in an area where they can just feed on what they love so much. And I think that, you know, there is an importance of defining what is a serious sex offender, you know, the Adam Walsh Act basically defined that, you know, two young adults that end up having consensual sex, you know, are not really a risk. We have, you know, -- every state has different laws.

LEMON: Mr. Smart, let me get to this. The man who brought this lawsuit in Georgia. The reason that it was overturned is that he bought a home with his wife back in 2003. At the time, there was no daycare, no school, bus stop or anything like that. And in the time that he built his home or he moved into this home, they erected one there. So how do you -- now he has to move out of his home or spend 10 years in jail. Do you believe that's fair?

SMART: You know, that's a difficult call. You know, certainly, to be pushed out of your house doesn't seem reasonable. You know, depending on that sex offender, if there is one that is high risk, you know, that certainly is an issue that -- I think that one of the ways that we have to deal with this, is by educating our children. You know, we can deal with it by having a program such as Samantha's pride. You remember little Samantha Runnion, her mother has organized watch groups where volunteers go out, watch the schools, watch areas that, you know, the children are playing in.

LEMON: What about educating parents as well. How much of it is a parent's responsibility and how much is it society's responsibility to keep children safe when it comes to sex offenders?

SMART: I think there is a huge responsibility on society. I mean, we try to legislate everything and that is no sure cure. There's no guarantee there. I think that we have to hit it from all sides. You know, teaching our children, teaching our parents. The parents need to check the sex offender registry, and know where the sex offenders are living. Unfortunately, there is no way that we are going to basically put them on an island and never have any contact with them.

LEMON: I have to ask you this real quickly, because we have to end it now, but do you worry that this is going to have a ripple effect around the country as Ms. Geraghty that I've to ask you?

SMART: You know, I certainly have a concern that pets are more of a concern than our children are. Our children are our future and if we don't watch out for them, we don't take care of them, then they are going to be in harm's way and it's going to affect our future.

LEMON: Ed smart, thank you for joining us today.

SMART: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: A traffic ticket get as man tasered and now he's talking to CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a potentially lethal weapon that was used on me over a trivial traffic violation.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: We'll hear more from the shocked driver. You'll see the video, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Watch carefully. You're about to see a man get tasered by a state trooper. He's down. Jared Massey put this dash cam video on YouTube this week to support his dispute with the state of Utah over its police procedures. Massy spoke to CNN this morning and we give the state police a chance to weigh in as well.

JARED MASSEY, TASERED BY UTAH STATE TROOPER: When I got out of the car, I was under the impression, I was under no impression that he was going to arrest me, that it was going to escalate to anything like that. I honestly thought he was asking me to get out of the car, so we could look at the sign, so when I saw him pull a gun on me and you got to realize at the time, I thought it was a gun. I was scared to death. I was scared for my life. I had my 6-1/2 month pregnant wife in the car, 15-month-old baby. You know, those panic thoughts start going through my mind that, what's going to happen to me, what's going to happen to them. I felt that this cop would shoot to harm me. So, I turn around...

PHILLIPS: You didn't know it was a Taser at that point.

MASSEY: I had no idea.

PHILLIPS: You did file for freedom of information request and that's why you posted it on YouTube. You wanted people to see this, clearly. What do you want to see happen in this situation?

MASSEY: You know, this is probably one of the wonderful things about America, is here we are in a country where we can take something like this and began a public dialogue on it and say is this right? If it's not right, how can we correct the problem, what do we need do to correct it? Do we need to, you know, better train, regulate better when tasers are used. Do we need to educate the public better? You know, because this is a potentially lethal weapon that was used on me over a trivial traffic violation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF NIGBUR, UTAH HIGHWAY PATROL SPOKESMAN: I think there was a lot of, I would even go so far as saying a little bit ego involved on both sides. And you know, we want to look at this. Every taser deployment from our troopers of the highway patrol is a serious matter. We look into each and every one of those.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Jared Massy was tasered back in September and posted the video on YouTube just this week. It's been viewed nearly 400,000 times. The Utah Highway Patrol says that the wide exposures prompting them to speed up their investigation.

LEMON: Talk about road rage. Drivers dodge a lion in Ohio. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: Pike County 911.

CALLER: I'm on 23 and there's a lion in the road.

911 Operator: A lion?

CALLER: It's a lion. Like, it almost hit my car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. Frightened drivers frantically call 911 to report the king of the jungle in the middle of the highway. How did it end?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK, that does propose for this next story. It's that time of the year when we're not surprised to see turkeys and Santa's or even eight tiny reindeer. But nobody in Columbus, Ohio. This week expected to see what was chasing their cars. 911 operators got some pretty bizarre calls. Ana Jackson from affiliate WCMH reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANA JACKSON, AFFILIATE WCMH: Lambert isn't you typical house cat. At 550 pounds, this lion towers over his owner so you can imagine the shock of drivers as he chased their cars on U.S. 23 yesterday.

911 OPERATOR: Pike County 911.

CALLER: I'm on 23 and there's a lion in the road.

911 Operator: A lion?

CALLER: It's a lion. Like, it almost hit my car.

TERRY BRUMFIELD, LION OWNER: He is just grown after like a dog chasing a car. You know, you (INAUDIBLE).

JACKSON: Lambert's owner Terry Brumfield says his pet broke out through the top of his pen.

CALLER: It's stands and like attack someone's car.

911 OPERATOR: It's trying to attack the cars?

CALLER: Yes. It like came at my car. It's going back across the street now.

JACKSON: The state highway patrol in Pike County sheriff responded but it was Brumfield that coax the cat back into his cage.

BRUMFIELD: I hold him up, I hold (INAUDIBLE) somebody will hit you.

JACKSON: Brumfield raises lions as an escape from depression. He owns two, Lambert and Lacey. But even though he loves his pet, he says he was prepared to shoot Lambert yesterday if necessary.

BRUMFIELD: They are a wild animal. They know me but they don't know them.

JACKSON: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources regulates wild animals native to Ohio but not exotic animals so anyone can own them. Brumfield says raising a lion takes a lot of work. He doesn't recommend them as pets. In Pike County, Ana Jackson, NBC 4.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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