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Staten Island Ferry Accident, Homeland Security Chief Visits Tennessee, Gulf Oil Leak Containment Effort, Wall Street Mystery
Aired May 08, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Fredricka, we're handing this over you to literally. Take it.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: OK. I will take it right now. You all have a great day. We have a lot coming up. We are going to talk some more about all that money stuff and the glitch and what in the world happened.
(CROSSTALK)
And, of course -- and that little glitch. They happen. It's OK. We roll with it. And then, of course, that glitch or something at Staten Island. All right, you all have a great day. Thanks so much.
So, we have gotten an update on some of the numbers on today's Staten Island ferry accident, we're talking about 55 people now that were injured when the giant boat hit the dock this morning. One of those injuries, we understand, is serious. In all 18 people were actually taken to the hospital.
The passengers are telling harrowing stories. They told T.J. and Richelle about it earlier, and they actually said that they knew the boat was going to hit.
All right, CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti joins us now by phone.
Susan, a lot of these passengers say they knew it was going to hit because they so often ride this ferry, they know at about the time it's supposed to slow down, but, instead, some say they felt like it actually picked up speed.
All right, Susan, are you there? OK. We're going to try and work that out as best we can. We're going to try and get some of that sound, too, about how people said they did feel like and notice that the boat picked up speed as it was making its way toward the dock. We'll get back to that story much later.
Another tragedy now, that record flooding in Nashville and other parts of Tennessee, all of that taking place in the last week. Homeland Security chief, Janet Napolitano, is there getting a firsthand view as the death toll and the damage estimates now escalate. Our Martin Savidge is also there, live with an update now.
Martin, I hope you can hear me. MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I can, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK. What -- how are people trying to pick up the pieces?
SAVIDGE: So, let me tell -- well, I'll begin starting to talk to you about Janet Napolitano and this visit because she is the most high-ranking member of the Obama administration to come to town so far. It's very important she said for herself to see this. It's very important for the community to see, because in a lot of ways this was the story that was very quick to happen in the national area, but very slow to be understood by the rest of the nation, that would be by the media and also perhaps somewhat by the federal government.
It is a huge disaster that's befallen the area. And so, what Janet Napolitano has wanted to do is come in and see for herself. She is, of course, one of those who can help with FEMA when it comes to figuring out what funds are going to be brought in. And you point out that this is a disaster where the numbers continue to rise, even though the water levels continue to go down, the death toll now stands at 22. And also this is a story where we've seen the number of counties that have been affected. Initially it was, you know, four counties that were declared disaster areas, then it went to 10, now it's gone to 30. The governor is asking for 52.
So, again, this whole continuous buildup shows us that this scale of disaster is continuing to evolve. And it's also been one of those stories where we've seen the impact on tourism which, of course, is so important to this particular town -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, so Martin, you also were among those first to see the Grand Ole Opry, see what the flooding caused, what kind of damage it caused to that location. What did you see?
SAVIDGE: Well, and that's what I'm alluding to. And it's not that tourism supersedes, of course, the suffering that the individual homeowners have had, but tourism is the engine, and it's the economic engine that in a lot of ways is going to help this community and this area recover. Opryland Hotel, if you know that resort, is massive. There are nearly 3,000 hotel rooms in that one hotel alone. It's out of operation, at least until perhaps September, maybe November. That effectively wipes out 10 percent of all the hotel space in the city of Nashville with just that loss.
And, of course, when you've got major conventions that come to town, that's a significant blow, and could, in fact, force some conventions to relocate. Now, the good news we've just actually heard of another group that has found other hotels. They are still coming because they believe it's important they are here.
The other thing we should point out on that property for Gaylord is the Grand Ole Opry, near and dear to many country music fans. It suffered extensive damage, floodwaters two feet over the stage. They do say that they will rebuild, they'll make it better and they will reopen. They hope to have that actually open before, perhaps, they can reopen the Opryland Hotel, but that's significant because those two right there draw in a million people every year to this city -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that's an extraordinary loss. We know that people are pulling together in so many different ways to try and get the city back up and running. Thanks so much, Martin Savidge, we'll check back with you, momentarily.
On now to the Gulf of Mexico and that massive oil spill. Crews are slowly, carefully trying to place a 98-ton containment dome on top of the gulf oil leak, all, by the way, by remote control. Our Brooke Baldwin is in Biloxi, Mississippi, along the gulf coast.
What are you hearing about the progress?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We, you know, Fred, have been making calls every hour on the hour to BP, to Coast Guard, to try to find out if, in fact, they have officially sealed this containment dome on top of the wellhead. We have not yet gotten a response. We do know that that containment dome, that four-story, 100-ton containment dome, is officially 5,000 feet down on the seafloor, but we have not yet gotten confirmation as to whether or not it's officially sealed on top of the wellhead, and then that is when they can begin placing that oil -- the piping to then siphon out the oil. Just to briefly explain this to you, because this is my best demonstration.
Think of it as an upside down funnel, OK? So, here is the massive containment dome. The next step once presumably today they're able to position it is they'll take a series of ping like this straw. They'll be siphoning out, we're hearing, BP is hoping as much as 85 percent of that leak up to the surface where they'll be a boat, a ship, waiting for it. They'll be siphoning the oil onto the ship and they'll get it out of here.
Briefly that's, of course, what we're watching, of course, 5,000 feet underwater and that, by the way, is what BP is saying will not come necessarily without complications, because they've never attempted an operation that deep before. But, some of the other angles of the story, other ways of mitigating some of the potential damage, that they have been placing these dispersants, the chemical dispersants from the air to break up some of the oil that's way out there.
We also know that they're using a couple other processes including what they call burning and quite simply it's when they corral a bunch of this oil together and light it on fire. Last point I want to make, if we can, photographer, Jonathan Share (ph), pan on over. I just want to show you where we are. We're along the beautiful beaches of Biloxi, and you can see two guys there fishing. They're allowed to fish route now and perhaps this is the last -- the last day, last two days, where they will be allowed to do that.
But, you know, life must go on here along the beautiful gulf coast. A lot of people are worried economically, ecologically about the ramifications the spill could make out here, but I just want to show you, you know, people are fishing. People are trying to continue on, and it really just bottom line, Fred, it's still a waiting game. WHITFIELD: Yeah, OK, well, they want to take advantage of the opportunity just in case around the corner they're unable to do so. Brooke Baldwin, thanks so much from Biloxi, Mississippi, appreciate that.
All right, well, it was one of the worst days ever on Wall Street this week. Why? And what does it mean for your finances? I'll ask the dynamic money duo, the Dolans. They're going to be right here in Atlanta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. Updating you now on this hour's breaking news, officials believe a mechanical problem caused this morning's accident on the Staten Island ferry. One of the huge boats crashed into the dock at the Staten Island terminal. A passenger said instead of slowing down, the boat seemed to speed up as it approached the dock. Fifty-five people were hurt, 18 were taken to the hospital, and one of those injuries, we believe, is serious.
CNN national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is in New York. She's going to join us by phone. Susan, hopefully you can hear me now. A lot of the passengers said they actually felt that boat speeding up and wondered what was going on.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a harrowing morning obviously for many of them. This happened at around 9:00 in the morning. Actually, officials are telling us they have conflicting reports about what happened because while a passenger said that they appeared to feel that they speeded up, that's not what officials are telling us, at least not right now.
They say that the ferry was going normal speed as they reported, officials do, at about 1-1/2 miles per hour, or about five knots or so, when they reported, as you said, some sort of issue, a mechanical problem. Early indications are a problem with the throttle which they meant that the captain wasn't able to pull back on the throttle to slow down the ferry. Here's what one official said just a little while ago...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the issue that we had was it appears to be a mechanical problem. It was not an ability to pull back on the throttle as it approached the dock. So, we're in the early stages. I want to underscore, that's all we know. As soon as we know more, we'll let you all know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Now, additionally we can tell you that some passengers told us that they heard an alert with someone yelling, "red, red, red, a alert" and they were able to, according to authorities, the crew, 18 of them, tried to move people away from the front of the ferry back away to the back to try to protect them from serious injuries as best they could.
Investigators are saying that the captain had time to sound an alarm when he realized he wasn't able to slow down approximately a minute before the ferry came into the dock. That's when the warning they said was sounded and that the crew went into action.
They're actually saying that the crew, the response from everyone, followed the book. And they are -- the numbers that we're hearing, again, 252 passengers on board, a crew of about 18. You gave the other numbers, one serious injury, 37 people or so were left on site, at least one person has been hospitalized so far. Of course, there will be an investigation to find out more about how this went down. But to say the very least, from people who live in the metropolitan area, who aboard that ferry, as well as tourists that we spoke with, it gave them a morning to remember -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, very frightening morning. Susan Candiotti in New York, thanks so much, appreciate that.
All right, two of big finance-related issues, are they linked? Wall Street is licking its wounds after a rough week and European leaders vowing enough to stem the Greek debt crisis?
Well, first, to Greece. An EU approved aid package, this week, sparked street riots and deaths in that country, the $140 billion deal calls for severe cuts in government services and today EU leaders called for new safeguards to stabilize European markets before they reopen on Monday.
And in this country, Wall Street finished the week slightly lower after a wild ride on Thursday. The big board dropped 999 points in less than a half an hour before rebounding. No one is sure exactly what happened. The Securities and Exchange Commission is now investigating.
So, what in the world happened? Here and abroad? Is there a connection and should investors be worried in the days and weeks to come? Personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan are here in our brand-new studio.
We're so glad to see you all. Yes!
DARIA DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: They let us come back.
WHITFIELD: We love to have you.
KEN DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERTS: Fred, I have to say something to our viewers across America. My hair is actually black but in HD it looks white or gray, but it's really black.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: Something with the lighting in the HD, here. Well, good to see you guys.
K. DOLAN: Nice to see you. D. DOLAN: Nice to see you.
K. DOLAN: Your studio is beautiful.
WHITFIELD: Oh, it is. Glad you like it.
K. DOLAN: Very nice.
WHITFIELD: So, let's talk about what happened on Wall Street on Thursday, for 20 minutes it was just crazy, helter-skelter people were wondering...
K. DOLAN: Sixteen minutes of disaster.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, what happened? And so now, the SEC and federal investigators are looking into could it have been a computer glitch or do you see that it could have been something else?
D. DOLAN: Firms of all, 70 percent of trading in stocks take off the floor of the New York stock exchange.
K. DOLAN: Electronically.
D. DOLAN: And happen electronically, whether at NASDAQ, whether in Chicago, other futures exchanges. So, what you've got is a problem here when there is a rapid-fire price discrepancy like this, it is part of the New York Stock Exchange's position to slow down the trades, put it in the hands of the human beings who stand on the floor and are forced to make a market whether there are buyers or sellers, they take the position and they keep it...
K. DOLAN: There's a problem.
WHITFIELD: Did it happen?
D. DOLAN: The rest of the markets -- yes, that happened.
WHITFIELD: And that's why 15 minutes didn't become 26 minutes?
K. DOLAN: Here's what happened and why we'll bring the electronic on the floor of an exchange, because its machines that were operating. What was lost in the 16 minutes, Fredricka, all the money, everything else, what was lost was investor confidence. I'm an investor, I lost $2 million across on the last mess we had, you think I'm crazy? You think I'm going to step in again.
But, here's what happened. When the markets started down, a lot of orders, sell orders, at different prices were triggered. Sell stock at $40, somebody said sell it at $39, so all the sell orders are going off. But here's the problem, Daria said, some exchanges when the prices get crazy slow down. No buyers. They slow the action. So here we have helter-skelter selling and no buyers coming in that's why it...
WHITFIELD: So, then bottom line, no connection to Greece, because I want to now talk about what is happening... D. DOLAN: No, no, no. That's not true either. This market has been on edge, because of Greece. Along with the fact that, you know, we keep seeing prices go up, pricings go up, but we're not seeing a lot of strength in the economy to justify those prices going up.
K. DOLAN: Contributing factor.
D. DOLAN: So, a lot of what happened, too, people in the past that maybe wouldn't put in a sell the stock if it ever falls to such and such a level stop order...
K. DOLAN: Put them in.
D. DOLAN: ...put them in, so that also triggered the -- what Wall Street is now afraid of, among a host of other things including our own debt...
K. DOLAN: It's only a one-hour show, Daria, you know.
D. DOLAN: ...is that...
WHITFIELD: We're going to have you on all day long.
(LAUGHTER)
D. DOLAN: Is that we had a situation of bailing out banks worldwide. Now, it looks like we're going to a situation of bailing out sovereign countries worldwide, Greece being the first.
WHITFIELD: Well, the European Union is now looking at possibly bailing out Greece and that's why there's some fear of the ripple effect throughout Europe.
D. DOLAN: You know, we're paying for that as well through our participation in the International Monetary Fund. It's going to cost us. We pay 17 percent of all the moneys in the IMF.
K. DOLAN: People say Greece is so far away from me. Greece is right here. Listen to me. We contribute to the IMF, our tax dollars go into the IMF. Probably $7 billion is going to go to Greece from the IMF. If the euro continues to weaken and the dollar strengthens, the companies that I own in my 401(k) that do business overseas, they're going to do less export business, they're going to do less business and that's going to hurt me at home because of this far-away place called Greece. It's very close.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
D. DOLAN: And Europe was too late to act on Greece, so consequently now there's the real potential of problems in Spain, in Portugal, probably Italy...
WHITFIELD: The other debt-ridden countries.
K. DOLAN: They call it the PIIGS, P-I-I-G-S.
WHITFIELD: OK. We're going to talk with you again later on this hour.
K. DOLAN: No, we're leaving now.
WHITFIELD: No, no, you have to stay all day long.
K. DOLAN: Oh.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, we're going to handcuff you to the chairs, in fact, and these sofas. Yeah, you're stuck here. So, we're going to see again. And just as the hour is ending and then throughout the day. Were going to talk about some of the hottest jobs because a lot of fold are still looking for work and you've got advice.
K. DOLAN: And what to do if you think you might be laid off or if you have just be laid off. Don't panic. We're going to talk about it, what to do.
WHITFIELD: Perfect. They will help us, not panic. All right, Ken and Daria, thanks so much, good to see you, right here.
K. DOLAN: Thank you, Fred.
D. DOLAN: You too.
WHITFIELD: And we'll see you again in a few more minutes.
K. DOLAN: Good deal. Thank you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, it appears that the suspect in the New York car bomb scare has a lot to say. He's been downright chatty with investigators. Our legal guys tackle how it helps or maybe even hurts prosecutors.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. A look at our top stories right now. New York authorities are investigating the crash of a Staten Island ferry into a terminal dock today, dozens of people were injured, one seriously. Witnesses say the ferry sped up shortly before it slammed into the pier. The boat is the same one involved in the 2003 ferry crash that killed 11 people.
And funeral services are being held today for Yeardley Love in Townsend, Maryland. The 22-year-old lacrosse player for the University of Virginia was found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment on Monday. Another UVA lacrosse player, George Hugely, was charged with her murder in connection with her death. Police are investigating reports that Love and Hugely had previous run-ins.
And more questions in the Times Square car bomb case. Police say Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American suspect, has admitted leaving an SUV rigged with a gasoline-and-propane bomb in New York, but so far, no details about his motives. Investigators are trying to determine whether Shahzad was trained or refuted for the operation by a Pakistan-based terror organization. And we're going to talk about it first with our legal guys. Our Avery Friedman and Richard Herman are back with us as we debut our new set here in Atlanta. We're going to talk about Faisal Shahzad in a big way.
Guys, good to see you.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTY: Good to see you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And you're in your usual places. Richard, you in New York, and Avery, you in Cleveland. Yes.
FRIEDMAN: Back in Cleveland, right.
OK, very good, let's talk...
FRIEDMAN: The new set looks fabulous.
You like it? Good. Glad you approve. Next time you all are going to have to be here, too.
FRIEDMAN: You bet.
WHITFIELD: How about that? All right, well let's talk about Mr. Shahzad because he has waived his attorney rights, but he keeps talking. So, Richard, what is it doing to his case? I can only imagine it helps prosecutors?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY: Well, you're right, Fred. I mean, it does help prosecutors, but the question is this, we know, No. 1, he's stupid. We know that. He locked his keys in the car that contained his getaway keys and his apartment keys and he had firecrackers in the car. So, we know the guy's stupid, that's No. 1. But, he's like that disaster in the gulf, he won't stop. He keeps talking and talking. He waives his Fifth Amendment privileges, he talks, he talks, he talks. I'm expecting this guy next that he had tea with bin Laden. I don't know that we can believe him. We are so desperate for information, Fred, and they're giving this guy the time of day. You know, yesterday General Petraeus came out and said he believes it's a lone wolf. Who knows better than General Petraeus?
FRIEDMAN: Well, a lot of guys...
HERMAN: I think he's a mental case, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well, that's why I wonder, you know, it seems like it would help prosecutors because he is so loquacious, but at the same time, Avery, because he is saying so much, now prosecutors and investigators are trying to figure out, wait a minute, what part do we believe, and is this just the cover-up to protect other people?
FRIEDMAN: Well, that's a wonderful question because to me I think what's very significant here is while Petraeus said he's a lone wolf, the foreign minister from Pakistan, as well as the ranking Republican on -- on House Intelligence are saying quite the contrary. If there is a connection, believe me, the public is not going to know about it right now. But I think, again, for those people, for that defense team that represents Shahzad, it seems to me that the more he talks, the better off he is. Why? Because he's facing a life sentence, there are five counts, we don't even have another hearing set yet, again, why? Because he's turning over information.
I think from an intelligence perspective, Fredricka, we're right at the beginning, from a law enforcement perspective, they've got him.
WHITFIELD: OK, Attorney General Eric Holder, had this to say about this suspect, this investigation. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTY GENERAL: Shahzad, a naturalized United States citizen, born in Pakistan, is in federal custody today. He has been and continues to be questioned by federal agents. As a result of those communications, Shahzad has provided useful information to authorities. We anticipate charging him with an act of terrorism transcending national borders, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, use of a destructive device during the commission of another crime, as well as assorted explosives charges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, he talks about the intent on what to charge him with, but what he didn't say, he didn't talk whether civilian court or whether we're talking military tribunals, because, remember, this is the discussion that came about when there were others that attempted any kind of terrorist attacks, especially in, what, recent months, we're talking about the young man in Detroit. So, Richard, what are we going to see happen here?
HERMAN: Fred, it's crystal clear. He's a United States citizen. The crimes that allegedly occurred, occurred on the soil of the United States. He can only be prosecuted in the United States district court. No tribunal for him.
WHITFIELD: Yeah?
FRIEDMAN: That should be, you know what, this is such a raging -- there are members of the U.S. Senate that are actually, believe it or not, saying that this should be prosecuted at a military commission. Richard's exactly right. This is a citizen. It occurred in New York. This is where it should be prosecuted. The federal district court is ready to go on this, Fredricka, ready to go. That's where the case absolutely belongs, no doubt.
WHITFIELD: So, now we're not going to hear anyone objecting to a trial for this gentleman in New York like we heard, prior.
FRIEDMAN: Well, you know, that's the paradox to this whole thing. It strikes me that the similarities between all these various cases, even including, well, the big one, it should be in federal district court. And again, on the distinction between the terrorist who commits an act in New York, I don't think there's a question. It should be in federal district court. That's where it belongs.
WHITFIELD: OK, all right. We're going to actually talk with you again, because I know we have much more that we could talk about on this subject. But we're out of time on this subject. I know we're going to be talking about it again over the course of the next few weeks and within this hour, gentlemen, we're going to talk about two cases in particular that are just breaking people's hearts. We're talking about a hall of famer, Lawrence Taylor, and what he's up against.
FRIEDMAN: It's breaking Richard's heart, not my heart.
WHITFIELD: I know it is.
FRIEDMAN: Right, not my heart.
WHITFIELD: You know, former New York Giant, you the New Yorker. And then, we're also going to talk about the UVA case, which is just heartbreaking.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: These two young promising students and now, you know, one is being laid to rest today and the other is facing pretty serious set of charges.
HERMAN: Terrible.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: All right, Richard, Avery, thanks again. I'll see you again in a few minutes.
FRIEDMAN: See you shortly, right.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
All right, a harrowing deja vu, by the way, a Staten Island ferry that was involved in a deadly wreck several years ago gets into another crash earlier this morning. Details from one of the terrified passengers on board.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, emergency crews are on the scene of a ferry accident in New York. A Staten Island ferry boat crashed into a pier at its terminal this morning. One person was seriously hurt, and dozens of others suffered minor injuries. Officials believe a mechanical problem is to blame. Passengers say people panicked when the boat slammed into the pier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me what happened, Alex?
ALEX GONZALEZ, PASSENGER: As we left the port from Manhattan, the boat was smooth sailing. As we approached the dock, it started speeding up. I got a little nervous because I did -- wondering why it's speeding up so fast. As soon as we got to the port, it just slammed right into the dock and pushed everybody back. There was a young lady with a child there that flew literally. It was chaos, pandemonium, it was like something I've never been in in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was going through your mind when this was happening?
GONZALEZ: I hope I don't die. Like that's all I felt, like, just I don't want to die right here on the ferry. I come out here every Saturday. I just don't want to die.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talk about the injuries. Did you see people around you?
GONZALEZ: There was a lot of people that were taken off on gurneys and on stretchers, and it took us about, maybe 10 to 15 minutes before they let the people that were able to walk off. So, it was -- it was chaos in there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And so, again, take me back to the moment before it happened. So, as you were approaching the ferry, right ...
GONZALEZ: It was smooth sailing -- normal as usual. Everything was smooth sailing, started raining, went back inside, sat down. And then, all of a sudden as we approached the dock, it just started speeding up. Literally fast, like what's going on here? And then as soon as, like, it was, like, maybe about 20 feet away, it was, like, this boat ain't going to stop. And as soon as it crashed, it pushed the whole dock in, the bridge and everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. The ferry is, by the way, the same boat that was involved in an accident that killed 11 people in 2003. Thankfully as we understand, one serious injury from this, even though there are some 18 people who have been hospitalized.
All right, oh, no, here we go again. This time, it's a baseball fan who gets a police tazing! But is this excessive force? You can bet our legal guys can't wait to argue this one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, another look at our top stories right now in the NEWSROOM. Long lines and a shortage of patience. Spanish air travelers are finding both as 19 airports around Spain have closed due to more volcanic ash spewing from Iceland. Spain's air restrictions will run several more hours, in fact.
And former NFL star Lawrence Taylor is already paying a steep price for his arrest on third-degree rape charges. Effective immediately, Nutrisystem is dropping the 51-year-old Hall of Famer as a company spokesperson. Police say Taylor was arrested Thursday and charged with rape and patronizing a prostitute in a case involving a 16-year-old girl.
That is the first legal case we're going to tackle with our legal guys who are back now for this segment, Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor, and Richard Herman, a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor.
I'm going to begin with you, first, Richard, because I know you are heartbroken. You're a huge Lawrence Taylor fan. But we talk about these allegations involving a 16-year-old girl who is an alleged runaway and then an alleged prostitute. What's the evidence this case is based on? Is it strictly hearsay, eyewitness testimony, or is there some other evidence involved?
HERMAN: Well, the evidence, Fred, is the direct testimony of this alleged victim who reported to police that she was transported from New York City up to Rockland County to a hotel room where Lawrence Taylor was staying. She entered the room, she had sexual relations with Lawrence Taylor and it was against her will and then she left.
Fred, if this woman was under 16 -- under 17 years old in New York ...
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: ...and there was any sexual relations at all, whether she told Lawrence Taylor she was 19, whether she showed him a fake I.D. saying she was 17, whether he was misled by anybody else, that is statutory rape, maximum four years in prison.
WHITFIELD: Oh.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: He's got a criminal history with a rap sheet, he's got big problems here and ...
WHITFIELD: But not involving sexual assault.
FRIEDMAN: No, other issues.
HERMAN: No, he's got other issues, other drug issues in the past.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: He's got a criminal history of convictions, so that comes into play at the time of sentencing, but his talking-head Fox attorney who thinks he's still on television, not in the real world is doing a complete disservice to Lawrence Taylor. He's making contradictory statements. You know, when the police came in ...
FRIEDMAN: Actually, that's right. That's right.
HERMAN: ...Lawrence Taylor told them I thought she was -- I thought she was -- I didn't know she was underage. I thought she was older. Fred, a jury is going to interpret that against --
WHITFIELD: As there is an admission that there was sexual contact because that, too, has to be established. Because isn't it the case that his attorney, Lawrence Taylor's attorney has said there was no sex period. But if you have now, you know, this other verbiage that says, well, there was sex, but I didn't know that this person was 16. You've got a nasty conflict here that's going to be difficult, Avery, doesn't it further complicate the case?
FRIEDMAN: Well, look, look, what the attorney is saying publicly, Fredricka, is no evidence whatsoever, but I think obviously from a public relations perspective, this guy is -- and I agree -- is really disservicing his defendant client. The problem here, the fact that he lost Nutrisystem's, I mean look, there are tons of fat ex- athletes that Nutrisystem will find to replace L.T.
But the bottom line in a case like this, think about what Mr. Taylor must have been thinking. Talking to Rashied Davis who's a conflicted felon, he's a defendant in federal court concerning this right now ...
WHITFIELD: He's the alleged pimp for the go-between.
FRIEDMAN: Right. And transporting this woman from the Bronx, I mean, holy smokes, the evidence is overwhelming.
WHITFIELD: Who also, by the way, is facing charges, too.
FRIEDMAN: Right. He's in federal court. He's a defendant right now. So, I mean, how -- what in the world is Lawrence Taylor doing with a guy like Rashied Davis in the first place? I mean, this is a terrible, terrible case, bad judgment. He's in a load of trouble.
WHITFIELD: It is just agonizing to hear the details. No one wants to believe this. Who doesn't love Lawrence Taylor and that beautiful smile?
HERMAN: No.
FRIEDMAN: Well, OK, two or three of us, OK.
HERMAN: We can't jump -- yes, but we can't jump to conclusions like the Duke lacrosse case. We have to let the evidence unfold here. But look, if there is ...
FRIEDMAN: Radically different.
HERMAN: ...an unopened -- there was an open bottle of alcohol in this room and they collected DNA evidence, allegedly ...
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: ...a used condom, and if there's his DNA on all of this, Fred ...
WHITFIELD: Yes. HERMAN: ...I'm telling you, there's a major uphill battle for Lawrence Taylor.
WHITFIELD: And that's -- yes, that's the other evidence that I was kind of alluding to, which is that's the kind of evidence that really can either nail a case or can compromise a case because it has to go further, much more beyond, you know, hearsay, especially when you're talking, you know, about an allegation like this.
Well, let me ...
FRIEDMAN: Yes, you have direct evidence, Fredricka, right.
WHITFIELD: Yes. OK ...
HERMAN: And obviously, this is a troubled, troubled young woman.
WHITFIELD: Yes, oh, it's so sad. So, so sad.
HERMAN: Obviously, she's a troubled young woman.
WHITFIELD: You talk about the Duke lacrosse case, which is an interesting segue into another case involving some star lacrosse players for the UVA, and now we're talking about a horrible first- degree murder case. A young girl, Yeardley Love who is being laid to rest today and her boyfriend or former boyfriend, George Huguely now, facing some very serious charges.
So Richard, give me an idea what the road ahead is for these charges, especially when apparently, he already spoke very openly to police authorities saying he did kick in the door, acknowledging that and that he did hit her head against the wall?
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: Yes. I mean, this is a gut-wrenching case here. What's going on at UVA? I thought this was a higher-learning educational experience here? These people have their ...
WHITFIELD: It is.
HERMAN: ...people have their head in the ground. This could have been -- this could have possibly been prevented, Fred. They knew this guy was a loose cannon. This guy has a history of going insane when he gets drunk. He was tazed in the past, he threatened the police officer. He punches ...
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: What would UVA do about it? I mean, how would they anticipate that Huguely would ever do something like this? I'm not sure I agree with that.
HERMAN: Because it's simple ...
WHITFIELD: Shouldn't there have been some kind of relationship between police -- between authorities and the campus, the commitment to say we got to share this information with you that these things have happened off campus so the campus could do something preemptively?
FRIEDMAN: Yes, should he have been in a cell before this? And I think the answer is given the conviction, actually, it was resisting arrest, pled down, but there were racial statements, sexist statements made. I mean, this guy was big trouble. Whether the university should have gotten rid of him before, before this happened, that's going to be a question, not in the criminal case, but certainly in the civil case.
HERMAN: Fred ...
WHITFIELD: All right.
HERMAN: ...the inner circle of the friends of them knew that this guy was drunk that night. He was acting irrationally. He made a statement, I'm going to get her back. Now, does that mean back as a girlfriend or I'm going to get her? I don't know.
WHITFIELD: Oh, wow.
HERMAN: But the friends just laughed and walked around and didn't call the police and didn't call -- he admitted to barging in to her room.
WHITFIELD: Nobody could imagine this.
HERMAN: He admitted to shaking her, he admitted to hitting her head.
FRIEDMAN: Well, will that go to the issue of intent for first- degree murder or is that going to be the defense that it was unintentional, I was drunk, it was accidental.
WHITFIELD: OK, OK.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: OK, and you know what, I know we're going to talk about this case again. And before I let you guys go, because we teased and we promised we'd talk about this young man being tazed. Philadelphia game. Yes or no, appropriate to tase a 17-year-old where he shouldn't have been while the teams were playing? Yes or no?
Appropriate, Richard?
FRIEDMAN: Say it.
HERMAN: Yes, tase this guy. He's fleeing arrest. You can tase him.
WHITFIELD: Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Ask me, ask me! WHITFIELD: Avery, Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely. Absolutely, Fredricka. Not even a close call. Easy shot. Right thing to do, absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Oh, man, oh boy, OK, that really smarts. That hurt. All right, thanks, guys, appreciate it.
FRIEDMAN: See you soon.
WHITFIELD: Always love seeing you. Thanks so much.
FRIEDMAN: Always fun.
WHITFIELD: Hopefully, we'll see you soon.
HERMAN: Have a great weekend, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right.
FRIEDMAN: Take care.
WHITFIELD: Take care, have a great one.
HERMAN: Great set.
WHITFIELD: Thank you, thank you.
OK, let's make a deal, shall we is the hottest game in British politics today. Stay with us and see if one of the United States' closest allies is any closer to having a leader.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, there's a lot of uncertainty about the political situation in Great Britain. It's still unclear which party will form Britain's next government.
Here are the players. Take a look. On the left, you're about to see right there, Gordon Brown. He's the current prime minister, and he's with the Labor Party. In the middle, you're about to see the powerful conservative leader David Cameron. His party has the most votes right now. And the liberal candidate is Nick Clegg, called the Obama of Britain because he's calling for change.
Both Brown and Cameron have been making their case for a coalition with liberal Democrats, so how does this election impact Britain's role in the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan where the U.S. clearly has big interests?
We turn to our correspondents in the war zone, Nic Robertson in Pakistan, Paula Hancocks in Kabul, Afghanistan, first to Paula.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paula Hancocks in Kabul.
There are around 9,000 British troops here in Afghanistan, many of whom are likely very interested to see who their next prime minister will be. But when it comes to the average Afghan, the interest is limited at best. Many Afghans have far more pressing concerns when it comes to their daily lives and also, there is a perception that there's very little difference in the UK policy on Afghanistan when it comes to the different candidates.
The Labor leader, Gordon Brown and the Conservative leader, David Cameron, both support troops here in Afghanistan. They both believe that an important war is being fought to try and combat international terrorism and both have said publicly that they don't want British troops here any longer than necessary, although neither have actually given any kind of precise timetable of when troops should leave.
So, for those here in Afghanistan, no matter who takes the top job in Britain, they believe that the UK policy will not change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Nic Robertson in Karachi, Pakistan.
It's front-page news here, record numbers of Pakistani Britains may become MPs. People want to know about the British elections because they want to know what's happening with immigration. The foreign minister here has said he can work with any British government that's elected. The Pakistani government would like a government in Britain that can work with them in Europe. They have business interests in Europe and hope that Britain can help them achieve those goals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Paula Hancocks in Afghanistan, Nick Robertson there from Pakistan with the impact of Britain's election on the war in that region.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK, we're back with as you can see the Dolans. Looking to save money? Well, they have some tricks that should help all of you out before you invest. They're going to be coming back with us throughout the day, Ken and Daria Dolan are, and we've got a little teaser right now for why people should stick around a little bit later ...
K. DOLAN: You do the two.
WHITFIELD: ...for you two (ph), investments for one, and job advice, too.
K. DOLAN: Yes, that's what we're going to do. D. DOLAN: Exactly. Well, one of the big things as people are panicking over what's going on on Wall Street.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I bet.
D. DOLAN: And then, it leads to the question, the guy or gal I'm working with, are they the ones I should be using? We're going to tell you some of the scams brokers can use. We're going to tell you how to find a good person and the questions to ask when you think you've found that good person.
K. DOLAN: We used to get that ...
WHITFIELD: So, I am hearing that do you advocate having someone.
K. DOLAN: For many people. Some people can do it themselves. Many people are really at this point say, I didn't do very well the last time, you know, they need some help, so we're going to talk about it.
D. DOLAN: Or I did so lousy with that person, I'm going to try it on my own. But either way.
WHITFIELD: Yes, yes. So, there are some real telltale signs to find out the scam artists, those who are not really as qualified or as trustworthy as you might think.
D. DOLAN: Exactly.
K. DOLAN: You find somebody that you like and the chemistry is good, what do you ask them? How do you make the final decision? We're going to talk about it.
WHITFIELD: OK, good. And then, as it pertains to jobs, too many people still looking for work and within (ph).
K. DOLAN: And when you get a pink slip, Fred, an awful lot of people just panic, I think of my family, I can't pay the bills. So, we're going to talk about which is awfully important, it's sort of the Dolan four or five first things to do after you get over the quick shock. What are the things you should do if you're about to be laid or have been laid off. number one. No. 2, if you've been laid off, how we can find some freelance bucks for you.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
K. DOLAN: We've got ideas to discuss, and also for recent graduates or career changers, some hot careers for the next 10 years.
WHITFIELD: Oh interesting. You know, you said something when you're talking about when you get laid off, and I'm wondering those first few moments when you get laid off, a lot of folks may want to just say, you know what, I just want to collapse right now, I just want to kind of veg. I'm in a little bit of a depression, but is really that the moment right there that you need to start acting?
D. DOLAN: You know, you can take 24 hours, but you know, after 24 hours ...
WHITFIELD: But not long after that?
D. DOLAN: ...pick yourself up, get yourself dressed as if you had a job to go to.
K. DOLAN: Daria, don't go through the whole feature here. We could have discussed that after trade.
WHITFIELD: But I asked. I'm anxious. I asked. I'm sorry.
K. DOLAN: Because one of the things Daria said, really, number one on the list is have a schedule. Get dressed, get going, get going for the day, not in PJs and eating cereal without milk until 11:00.
WHITFIELD: Oh good, OK.
K. DOLAN: We're going to talk about that.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, you know I have a lot of questions and of course, our viewers have a whole lot of questions.
K. DOLAN: Is Josh going to be here?
WHITFIELD: And Josh is going to be with us, yes.
K. DOLAN: Josh Levs is going to be here?
WHITFIELD: He's part of the equation, yes. He'll be fielding a lot of the questions that are coming from you and, of course, if you have any questions that you haven't sent already, send them to my Facebook page or you can send them to me at my blog CNN.com/fredricka. We'll get these questions posted, this dynamic duo.
K. DOLAN: We're ready.
WHITFIELD: That's what I like to call you guys all the time.
K. DOLAN: We're ready.
WHITFIELD: We'll have much more in the NEWSROOM throughout the day beginning at 2 o'clock Eastern. Right now, time for "YOUR MONEY."
