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Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Lawyers Predict Charges Will be Dropped; Critical Sunday for Casey Anthony; Bachmann Zeroes in on Iowa; Monaco Royal Wedding; Yemen's Economy Tanking due to Unrest; Strauss-Kahn Case in Jeopardy; Big NASCAR Holiday Weekend

Aired July 02, 2011 - 12:01   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're going to begin this hour with a legal matter that has so many people talking.

Lawyers for Dominique Strauss-Kahn predict that all charges against their client will soon be dismissed. After weeks of house arrest, the former head of the International Monetary Fund was released on his own recognizance yesterday. The prosecutors who have been preparing sexual assault charges against Strauss-Kahn admit they have serious questions about his accuser's credibility.

CNN's national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is joining us now outside the townhouse where Strauss-Kahn has been living.

Susan, this is an amazing turnabout in this case.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is a turnabout, primarily because of what has been revealed within the last 48 hours.

The district attorney announcing that their own investigators have discovered serious credibility issues during the course of their investigation. This is a woman that they believe strongly in and went out of their way to say the same thing. So did the police department.

But then they found some chinks, as they put it, in the armor, some outright lies. And that is why we are where we are.

The court decided to release Dominique Strauss-Kahn on his own recognizance while the district attorney decides what to do next. The judge went out of his way to say there will be no rush to judgment, but clearly and admittedly, the DA has problems, big problems with this case, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so, Susan, what has Strauss-Kahn been doing now that his house arrest, so to speak, is over? Has he left the premises? Have you seen anything about what his day to day is now going to be like?

CANDIOTTI: Well, Fred, it's become a real media scene, as it has been, of course, from the start.

You can see over my shoulder a ring of photographers. And that was prompted because a little while ago, someone went inside. And so the thought is, maybe they'll be leaving.

There's certainly no reason for them to live in this location anymore now that he has been released on his own recognizance. He doesn't have his passport back, but he can move about the city and move about, as long as he makes sure that he's back there for his next court case.

We even saw a busload of senior citizens go by. They were pressed up against the window, snapping photographs as they passed by this very short street.

But we also know that he went out for dinner last night, not surprisingly, after what happened in court. He and his wife went out to a restaurant to have dinner, and cameras, of course, pictured him when he came back in.

But certainly his legal team and sources on it have said perhaps he might be moving to another location soon. We shall see.

Remember, Fred, he's been paying almost $250,000 to live at this location because he also had to pay for round-the-clock security, his electronic monitoring. So he's been paying quite a pretty penny.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti, thanks so much. Appreciate that from Manhattan.

So, when Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested back in May, it started a huge controversy in his native country of France. While some French citizens were troubled by the nature of the charges, others thought Strauss-Kahn had been treated unfairly.

Well, now that the case against Strauss-Kahn appears to be collapsing, one French journalist predicts outrage against U.S. prosecutors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIAN MALARD, FRANCE TV 3: If we hear very soon that the case is dismissed and he's free, he's not guilty, or whatever, definitely, French public opinion, I can tell you -- and we can start feeling it -- will be really outraged, outraged, just mad at the American justice and what they saw on television the day he has been arrested six weeks ago. The French people will be really mad at the way the American justice has been behaving. Believe me, we have this feeling coming up very strongly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So before his arrest, Strauss-Kahn was expected to seek the French presidency. He could still run, but under French law, he'd have to declare his candidacy by July 13th, right around the corner.

And one of the most closely-watched murder cases in recent years in this country is about to enter a critical new phase. Closing arguments are set for tomorrow in the Casey Anthony trial. After that, the fate of the young woman accused of killing her little girl will be in the hands of the jury.

Sean Lavin joins us right now from Orlando with more on this.

So, walk us through what is likely to happen. Today, no court proceedings after all. But tomorrow, all parties will be back in court.

SEAN LAVIN, REPORTER: It will all get under way just about 9:00 Eastern tomorrow morning, Fredricka. The state will go first.

They're going to go ahead and try to argue to those jurors that they need to convict Casey Anthony of first-degree murder based on all this evidence we've been watching play out in court over the last 30 days or so. After the state goes, the defense will go.

They're going to argue that Casey has not committed this first- degree murder, that the state has not proven the case. And they're going to try and poke holes inside the state's case.

In Florida, the state gets the last word. The state's going to go again after the defense, and the state will have a rebuttal. After that, the judge will give some instructions to those jurors, and then it's off to deliberations -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Incredible. And so is it expected that closing statements -- or have attorneys on either side said whether they expect to be very lengthy, or kind of short and sweet and just get to the point?

LAVIN: Well, it's hard to know exactly how long it will last. But we do know that tomorrow, the jury's expected to start deliberating. So we can assume that sometime tomorrow afternoon, sometime tomorrow evening, these closing arguments should wrap up.

The jurors will go and they'll have dinner brought in for them, and they'll start deliberating tomorrow. We don't expect that the jury is going to come back with a verdict tomorrow because there's so much to look after.

So the jury's ready to work on the Fourth of July on Monday, after tomorrow. So this can go for a while until they get the verdict right -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And of course jurors are still sequestered, even today, even though they had the day off?

LAVIN: That's right. Everyone has the day off today because the state and defense both want to work on these crucial closing arguments. It's so important to both of them.

So everyone has the day off. But even though they're not in court working, both lawyers from both sides are working on these closing arguments, and the jury, in the meantime, is relaxing at the hotel they're at. They have some cable they can watch, just no news, while they wait to deliberate and hear these closing arguments tomorrow. WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Sean Lavin, appreciate it, from Orlando.

And of course we're going to talk about both these cases, Casey Anthony and the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case, with our legal guys just minutes from now, Avery Friedman and Richard Herman.

All right. Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger are now headed to divorce court.

Shriver has filed papers to end her 25-year marriage to the former California governor. In her petition, Shriver cites irreconcilable differences. Schwarzenegger has admitted fathering a child with the couple's former housekeeper. He and Shriver announced they were separating less than two months ago.

On to politics. Michele Bachmann is spending the entire holiday weekend in Iowa. She told CNN's Shannon Travis why she's there, and her answer just might surprise you. That's next.

And if you think about becoming a top race car driver, well, you know it's difficult to be there. It's even harder to stay there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's harder to be here than it is to get here, in my eyes.

WHITFIELD: So to stay?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To stay and to beat the best race car drivers in the world is harder than anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Two of NASCAR's finest drivers tell me face to face how they managed to stay in the game and stay on top of the scoreboard, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Michele Bachmann is spending the first official week of her presidential campaign in a critical early voting state. The Minnesota Republican and Tea Party favorite is in Iowa for the entire Fourth of July weekend.

Our own Shannon Travis was the only reporter who got the opportunity to actually chat with her as she visited a diner this morning in Iowa City.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the winner of the Iowa caucuses aren't historically necessarily the Republican presidential nominee. So why such an emphasis on Iowa?

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, because Iowa's the first in the nation. It's very important to be here and have a presence here, because the values and the opinions that people have in Iowa count. They count for the nation.

So it's important that we come here. This is the bread basket of the world for a reason. This is where the food is grown. We have the best farmers in the world right here in Iowa. So it's important to come and listen to what people have to say here in Iowa, and then take that message back to Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Shannon Travis now joining us live from Iowa City.

So, Shannon, a lot served there at that diner, including a real spontaneous moment there between you and Michele Bachmann.

TRAVIS: That's right, Fred.

I mean, Michele Bachmann is here in Iowa. She's going to be barnstorming the state today with five different events.

And as you just played, I caught up with her, was the only person allowed to fire off a few questions to her. But she's hoping to win big in this state.

Obviously, Iowa is important because they're home to first-in- the-nation caucuses. She's going to have these five stops today. This was the first here in this diner.

She's also got a Tea Party rally that she's going to be attending a little bit later and a baseball game. I'm hoping I can catch up with that one also -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK.

Meantime, another Republican candidate, Herman Cain. Apparently, some of his staff members have a change of heart, may no longer be with him. Why is that?

TRAVIS: Yes. I mean, Herman Cain, it looks like there might be a little bit of trouble in his campaign. Here's what we're hearing and here's what I just found moments ago after I got off the phone with his communications director.

We're hearing that Tina Goff, who was supposedly an Iowa State director for Herman Cain, and two others, she tells us that two others resigned on Friday. Now, the Herman Cain campaign, again, I just spoke with them. They said no, it wasn't three, it was only two, that she was not the state director, that she was a field director, and that these two people just weren't a good fit for the Herman Cain campaign. They are denying, Fred, any notion that this spells trouble, that there's any kind of implosion within the Cain campaign. But these staffers are telling us -- they're telling us that they left the campaign because they believe that Herman Cain was not willing to commit the resources needed. This is something that's echoed.

He had two other people leave recently. And this is something that -- a refrain that a few other campaign people in the Cain campaign said a few weeks ago.

WHITFIELD: All right. Shannon Travis, thanks so much, in Iowa City, Iowa. Appreciate that.

Meantime, the second big royal wedding of the year happening right now in Monaco. Take a look right now.

This is the religious ceremony of Grace Kelly's son, Prince Albert, getting married to long-time girlfriend, Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock. Yesterday, they had the civil ceremony. And right now, the religious ceremony.

I'll tell you listen in for a moment. A shot of the bride there. And clearly, you can see just how filled this cathedral is, this beautiful ceremony taking place. We'll keep a close watch of this royal wedding in Monaco as it happens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Lord be with you. The Lord Jesus blesses you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Monaco right now, a royal wedding taking place. Live pictures as Prince Albert gets married to Charlene Wittstock, an Olympic swimmer. Thirty-five hundred guests were invited, including 20 heads of state. Albert is the son of the late Princess Grace and Prince Rainier.

Today's ceremony is religious. The couple actually had a civil ceremony yesterday.

And then, in Canada, a royal welcome for Britain's royal newlyweds. Prince William and his wife Catherine have been there since Thursday. First stop, Ottawa. Today, Montreal.

Our Max Foster is there.

The duke and duchess of Cambridge really seem to have charmed the crowds there. And I think that little maple leaf on her topper really helped set the tone, didn't it?

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. She's been getting her clothes right all the way through.

Interestingly, that dress that she was wearing, that white dress, she's worn before. Royal recycling. And it was just from a regular shop in London, so she's really doing things her own way on this royal trip.

The scenes yesterday were fantastical, really. Three times as many people turned out in Canada today, in Ottawa, than last year because the royal couple were there. And they're about to hit the circuit again.

In the next hour, they're going to be planting a tree in Ottawa, symbolizing their long-lasting love and marriage. Then they're going to the Canadian War Museum and meet some veteran veterans and some military lives. Catherine is one of them now.

Then they're heading up here to Montreal. They're going to be going to a children's hospital. I think that's going to be quite an emotional visit for them. They're going to meet some very sick children. They're both very good with children, you'll see that, but it's going to be very emotional for them.

Then they end up here, a little later on, at a culinary school. And William's a great cook. You're going to see him cooking. We're going to see if Catherine can cook, too. Interesting times.

WHITFIELD: Well, something tells me she can cook. They seem to have shown that they live very ordinary lives, especially leading up to their beautiful wedding.

So, now, they're in Montreal. Apparently, this really is a stronghold for anti-monarchists. Have they come out in full force? Has the royal couple found that not everybody supports them?

FOSTER: Well, it is true. Recent polls have shown a gain that in this area of Canada, more people are against the monarchy than for it. They'd like to get rid of it.

And the palace is sort of aware of this, and the Canadian government. So there won't be any walkabouts here. They're just going to go straight into the building, for example.

But they are expecting some protesters over the road. None here so far.

But, interestingly, those polls also pointed out that, whilst people don't necessarily like the monarchy, they are excited about William and Catherine visiting. So there seems to be some sort of separation. They're like a celebrity couple, as opposed to part of the monarchy. It's strange.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Well, I'm sure they're enjoying it. And what a way to enjoy their, I guess, first few months of being married.

All right. Thanks so much. Max Foster, appreciate that, from Montreal.

All right. This time tomorrow, all of you and us, we could be hearing from lawyers on both sides of the Casey Anthony murder trial taking place in Orlando. Again, no trial today, but tomorrow, closing statements. What might be said from the defense and the prosecutors?

We're going to hear from our legal guys in a moment, right after this. Here they are, ready to go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A critical day coming up for the Casey Anthony case -- her freedom, the defendant, possibly her life on the line.

Let's bring in our legal guys, Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor in Cleveland; and Richard Herman, a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor, joining us from Las Vegas.

All right, gentlemen. Good to see you.

Wow. Tomorrow's a big day. These are the closing statements from both sides, the defense, the prosecution. Prosecutors will go first.

Richard, will the prosecutors have to just kind of lay this out in simple terms? These jurors have heard so much, and now it's up to the prosecutors to really nail the case and say this is why this woman is on trial.

What do you expect from them?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Your Serene Highness, what will happen tomorrow is the prosecution will begin to lay out what they proved during the trial, and that's what they can do in a summation. And they will do it methodically, as they presented their case.

They will take the timeline as to what they proved. They will absolutely stress the fact that for those 30, 31 days, she was going crazy, partying and hanging out, while her daughter was either missing or dead, didn't tell anybody. And then, when she began to talk, a river of lies just kept coming out of her mouth. Lie, lie, lie, lie.

Why did she lie? Because she's guilty.

And then they will go into the forensics of the case and they will show the death band in her car, the smell of death in her car. They will show the chloroform samplings in her car.

And it's a very powerful circumstantial case, but the defense will have their day. And if he can get a summation in without getting 500 objections from the prosecution and being scolded by the judge, I will be amazed. Because that's what I believe is going to happen.

WHITFIELD: Avery?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, that's right. That's right.

HERMAN: Going to be tough for the defense. WHITFIELD: You are in complete agreement there?

FRIEDMAN: That's what's going to happen. I mean, the judge has instructed the lawyers that during their closing arguments, that they must stick to evidence. So if you think about what Jose Baez presented in his opening statement, we're not going to see much of anything in his closing arguments simply because --

WHITFIELD: And you're talking about specifically the alleged abuse. You're talking about the drowning.

FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes.

WHITFIELD: Because the defense laid that out in opening statements, that this was an accident, this was something that just went terribly wrong. It was a family tragedy on so many levels. But you're saying, Avery, that the defense wouldn't dare revisit that in the closings because they never really proved that.

FRIEDMAN: That's what Judge Perry has told the lawyers in instruction -- as you get ready -- and they're both preparing today -- when it starts up at 9:00 tomorrow morning, it will be required of both sides to stick with the evidence. And I think the point was made, and I think it's a good one, that if there's a deviation -- and I promise you're going to see a deviation by the defense.

There's going to be objections. There's going to be admonishments by the judge to stick to the evidence.

And the only thing the defense can really do is zero in on the most important parts of the defense. For me, the testimony of Dr. Werner Spitz. That is world class forensic pathology. That's really where they can go, points of reasonable douse.

That's about all they really have in the defense. That's it.

WHITFIELD: Yes, except in his testimony, he simply said this was a terrible -- well, one of the things he said is this was a terrible autopsy.

FRIEDMAN: Shoddy, yes.

WHITFIELD: And still, no cause of death for this little 2-year- old girl.

HERMAN: Right. Fred, that's the big thing.

Baez will get up there and say, you know what, ladies and gentlemen? The state's own medical examiner said that Caylee was not killed, could not say that Caylee was killed by Duct tape, that Caylee was killed by chloroform, there was no trauma to her bones. So there's no neck-breaking.

That's a red herring. Don't get confused by that.

FRIEDMAN: It's a red herring is right. HERMAN: This is a premeditated, first-degree murder case. And all we know is that Caylee was not an anchor to Casey.

Casey was a loving and tender mother, because that's the only testimony during the course of this case. The state has failed to prove motive.

FRIEDMAN: That's right.

HERMAN: They don't have to. But in a first-degree murder case, you know what, Fred?

WHITFIELD: What?

HERMAN: They have to. And they threw it out there. They said they would. And they utterly failed to prove that. The defense has no obligation to prove anything.

FRIEDMAN: They may argue that, but what no one has really talked about -- and I'm actually surprised about this. And maybe they will after Chief Judge Perry does his instructions. The judge is going to tell these jurors, Fredricka -- he's going to talk about inferences.

Inferences, meaning there are certain facts. You're allowed to conclude from those facts that they mean certain things.

What's the meaning of Casey, for example, borrowing the shovel from the next-door neighbor? What's the meaning of Casey not reporting the loss of her child for -- actually, she didn't report it. Her mother reported it 31 days later. What inference can be drawn by finding the baby in a swamp?

WHITFIELD: And what inference can be drawn from the computer at home showing a search for chloroform, chlorophyll --

FRIEDMAN: Thank you. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: -- and the mother says it was her, but then, in the rebuttal witnesses, it was established that she may have been at work. So, the inference of who was looking that up at home at that time --

FRIEDMAN: Right.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: But then whatever happened to the whole beyond a shadow of a doubt? The jurors are instructed that the state has to prove their case beyond a --

HERMAN: Reasonable. Reasonable doubt.

WHITFIELD: -- reasonable doubt.

FRIEDMAN: Absolutely right. Right.

WHITFIELD: So, do the jurors -- have the jurors already made up their minds on this, in your view, before closing?

HERMAN: They can't even deliberate on this case yet. If they've deliberated, this is an immediate mistrial.

It's going to be turned back on appeal anyway. There are so many issues on appeal to reverse this case.

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

HERMAN: But in any event, you want another inference? Remember that visual of Caylee walking up that ladder into the pool and enjoying swimming in that pool, and being able to open that sliding glass door. That's an inference that Baez is going to use in the summation.

FRIEDMAN: No connect. Yes, but he never connected it.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, Richard and Avery, we're going to talk to you again --

FRIEDMAN: Never connected it.

WHITFIELD: -- because I know that you have some very strong feelings about the Strauss-Kahn case as well. Now he's released on his own recognizance. What does this mean for the prosecution's case?

We're going to see you again in about 20 minutes from now. Thanks so much, gentlemen. Appreciate that.

All right. But first, if you think you have seen long gas lines in the U.S., just wait until you see what the lines looked like in, of all place, Yemen. The unbelievable scene and what exactly is behind all that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, back to Monaco now, the religious ceremony coming to a close there. Charlene Wittstock just married Prince Albert. A - a very serene and calm setting as the two make their way out, and you see there many thousands have filled that beautiful cathedral.

This royal wedding, now the second in just a matter of months, taking place here in Monaco, France. Prince Albert, the son of the late Princess Grace.

We'll keep a close watch on this. There - today is the religious ceremony, yesterday was the civil ceremony, and of course later on there will be a - a number of events to take place, including a reception that apparently will invite about 7,000 people at that special reception for this royal couple.

All right, meantime now, the recent violence in Yemen is driving the country's economy into a deep hole and putting even more pressure on people who are already struggling to make ends meet. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A few minutes in Yemen's capital is all it takes to realize the economy is tanking. Shuttered stores line the roads.

(on camera): The Toyota showroom all but closed up, no cars left on the showroom floor. As you walk down the street here, more stores closed.

This one, a transport company. The next one, as you come down the street - and this is typical of what we're seeing around the capital, Sanaa, many stores closed up. This one here, a tourism facility, get tourist trips booked through here.

The only store that's opened is this corner shop here, selling just fruit, nuts, that kind of thing.

And this bathroom appliance store, this tells you everything you need to know about what's happening here. It says, for rent. They can't afford to run the showroom at the moment.

(voice-over): Inside the corner store, Ahmed tells me everyone's buying on credit. They barely have enough money for essentials. Ten people, he tells me, rely on his dwindling income.

Next door, at the bathroom appliance showroom, the owner's son shows up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Due to the situation now since, as you can see, last February 2011, everything stopped. No - no people are buying. No people are buying - like we cannot get raw materials for this, our factory.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Are you out of business now, effectively?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No business.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Everyone is being hit in the pocket. Essentials like rice, wheat, sugar have all gone up, some more than doubling in price.

Yemen was never rich, the poorest Arab nation, average annual income less than $1,000. No margin to tackle rising costs.

Tensions are rising, none more so than in the lines for fuel snaking out of empty gas stations, snarling the city.

(on camera): This one stretches all the way up the road, as far as you can see, the situation here really getting a little bit volatile. Some people have closed the road up here. There's bricks in the road. They've closed the road. We just heard at least one gunshot fire.

That's the line for a gas station on that side of the road. If you look across the other side of the highway here, another line of cars.

The only way to see it properly is by car. We're going to drive down the line this way now.

It's just car after car after car. Some of them have been lining up for days.

And here's the checkpoint here. This is - people tell us this is an impromptu checkpoint. They're protesting, they say, that there's no fuel, and they're closing the road. But it's situations like this that have led to recent gun battles breaking out.

The front of the gas line is about a couple of hundred yards just down the road here. So how long have people been waiting here to buy gas?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We we've been here for 10 - 10 days.

ROBERTSON: Ten days to get gas?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten days or more than 10 days.

ROBERTSON: And - and how are people beginning to feel about that? Is this making them angry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, all people are very angry for these things.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): And if they do get to the front line, they're in for another shock, he tells me. The cost of fuel is rocketing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four hundred percent.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Four hundred percent? It's gone up four times the normal amount?

(voice-over): Yemen's decaying economy, not its stagnating politics, could be the spark that ignites its already combustible streets.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Sanaa, Yemen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, quite the contrast now. We want to take you back to Monaco, the religious ceremony of the royal couple, Prince Albert and as well as his new bride, Charlene Wittstock, now over.

Thirty-five hundred people filled that cathedral to watch the ceremony. She is wearing a Giorgio Armani dress designed just for this occasion, on her wedding day. They're walking down that long procession, that red carpet there.

And of course they're greeted by many more supporters and fans as they climb into this convertible. This is the palace courtyard where they have had this ceremony, and then soon they're going to be making their way to a - a number of rather public events for all those in Monaco to enjoy, fireworks and then a reception. Some 7,000 guests are invited to the reception.

She is an Olympic swimmer. He also had his experiences as a bobsledder in the Olympics, and apparently they met back in 2000 after a swim meet in Monaco. She apparently caught his eye, Prince Albert. They dated for a while. They actually broke up, and then she apparently reached out to him at the passing of his father.

And - and then, from there, they started dating again, and now we've got a storybook new chapter of them marrying there in Monaco.

We'll have much more in the NEWSROOM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, look at this motorcade. Have you ever seen anything like this? This is Prince Albert and now the - her Serene Highness after their marriage there in Palace Square at the Cathedral.

And just kind of like the Tour de France or something, right? Got a camera that is accompanying them as they waved to all of the fans, all the supporters, all those who didn't get a ticket to be inside the wedding. Now they're along the route as the royal couple makes its way - after their religious ceremony, makes its way now to more photographs, fireworks, even, and a reception.

We'll keep a close watch on it. Beautiful setting there.

All right. Now we're going to take another very hard turn from a wedding to a stunning turnaround in a big legal case here in the United States. There was a stunning development this week in the investigation of the former International Monetary Fund director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Prosecutors say they have serious credibility questions now about the woman who accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault. This was back in May.

Well, he was released on his own recognizance yesterday. Our legal guys are back, Avery Friedman in Cleveland, Richard Herman in Las Vegas.

Avery, I want to begin with you. This is stunning, is it not? Prosecutors went after him immediately, within hours of the accuser launching these allegations. So they didn't vet the story? They just went after him, took him off a plane. He was a suspect, indicted him, and now there are holes in the story.

How remarkable is this to you?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Yes. It is - it blew up like a stick on Dracula.

I - look, I think this is the most electrifying legal development of the year. And I'm not going to be critical, by the way, of the prosecution. They had forensics. They really didn't have a choice. This guy was gone, and the fact is that the opportunity for prosecution to develop the case, to get to it the grand jury was a - a relatively short window.

But the - to its credit, Cyrus Vance went public yesterday and said, look, there are such credibility issues that if we're going to do justice, at least in terms of meeting its burden of beyond a reasonable doubt, the case has to end.

WHITFIELD: So -

FRIEDMAN: It just must end, and Cyrus Vance did the right thing.

WHITFIELD: OK. So what's -

FRIEDMAN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: -- going on here, then , you know, Richard? You - yes, Avery underscored there is forensic evidence substantiating that something - there was some sort of contact between these two, or at least that's the allegation, and, you know, investigators want to stand by that. But they have a problem with the story of the alleged victim.

How is it -

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right.

WHITFIELD: -- that perhaps this - I guess the story really needs to supersede that forensic evidence or at least match it, and that's the problem here. It just doesn't match?

HERMAN: Fred, the great Yogi Berra coined the phrase, it's not over 'til it's over. This case is over. This week, it will be dismissed. There is no way they can prosecute him for this, and there is way a New York jury will -

WHITFIELD: There is no way -

HERMAN: -- convict based on these facts.

WHITFIELD: -- even if there is forensic evidence -

HERMAN: Impossible. He can -

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: You're saying there is no way they're going to go forward?

HERMAN: The defense says it was consensual, number one. Number two, this alleged victim is now proven to be a liar on many issues, including claiming she was gang-raped - raped back in her own country. That was a lie.

You cannot have a rape victim on the stand, with her credibility on the line, who previously claimed to have been raped and was not. That's just starters.

Twenty-four hours after the arrest, there's a jailhouse telephone conversation with her and her boyfriend -

FRIEDMAN: Right.

HERMAN: -- who's in prison in Arizona, and during the conversation, she is telling him, don't worry, this guy has a lot of money and I know what I'm doing.

WHITFIELD: OK, still -

HERMAN: Come on. This -

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Well, let me stop you there real quick. We only have about 20 seconds left.

So, Avery, I wonder, you know, when the attorney for the alleged victim comes out yesterday and says, wait a minute, there are injuries consistent with forced sexual assault.

FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes.

WHITFIELD: And - and he says, you know, you cannot dispute that. Why is it, in his view, this case is being dropped? He said, quote, "Because the D.A. is afraid to try this case, afraid to lose a high- profile case," his words.

FRIEDMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Is that what this is about?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, shame on him.

Well, you know what? It's posturing. And - and, the fact is, there is evidence of sexual activity, there is no evidence of whether or not it was forced.

But that's not the point. The point is the prosecution has to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt. Even if it happened - and there's - and, you know, I think a lot of people think it probably did - because of the dishonesty - consistent dishonesty of the victim here, the prosecution's got a gun to its head. They are stuck.

No one is saying that there wasn't contact, but the question is, can the state meet its burden of proof? It cannot. Case must be dismissed. No doubt about it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Avery Friedman, Richard Herman, thanks so much. We'll be talking about this case again because we know it's just the tip of the iceberg.

FRIEDMAN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it, gentlemen.

FRIEDMAN: See you soon

WHITFIELD: Have a great weekend.

HERMAN: OK, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Happy Fourth.

FRIEDMAN: Take care.

WHITFIELD: And we will be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Welcome back to CNN. Let's take a look at your forecast.

It is the holiday weekend. Got to know what's happening out there, so let's take a peek.

And it looks like we might have a few thunderstorms to deal with across parts of the Great Lakes, all due to this frontal boundary driving eastward. It's going to interact with the daytime heating. Plenty of moisture there. A combination of all that could give you a bumpy ride if you're flying, into Detroit, Chicago, maybe even into Cleveland.

Meanwhile, into the Central and Northern Rockies, same situation. Got all the moisture coming in from the gulf. That, with your heating and the frontal boundary, could give you a few thunder (INAUDIBLE).

Plenty of heat in the Desert Southwest, where high temperatures for today are going to be just scorching, going up to 94 in Albuquerque; 98 degrees El Paso. Check out Texas, my goodness,100 degrees expected; 98 for Houston; 90 in Kansas City; 86 in Billings; 82 in Portland; 80 in San Francisco; 78 in Los Angeles.

Back towards the east, you go to Chicago, 92, but if you get some showers in afternoon, this will cool you down; 85 in New York; 94 in Atlanta; 88 in Miami.

That is a quick snapshot of your forecast. We got more coming up ahead with Fredricka. We'll see you in a little bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The royal couple of Monaco now being serenaded at the St. Devote Chapel. You get a good look at the bride and groom there, Prince Albert and her Serene Highness Charlene Wittstock.

Both sensitive and romantic moments there with the prince and now princess, her Serene Highness Charlene Wittstock, an Olympic swimmer; and he, Olympic bobsledder. Two athletes coming together many years ago, back in I think 2002. Breaking up and then finding their way back together again, and now walking down the aisle in a religious ceremony today, and now a married couple there in Monaco.

Oh, weddings in this Fourth of July weekend.

Also fireworks and fast cars here in the states at the Daytona Coke Zero 400. Fighting for the first place across the finish line, 20-year-old Joey Logano and 35-year-old Jason Leffler.

Logano scored a huge win already this weekend, last night finishing first at last night's Nationwide Series Race at Daytona. Right behind, Leffler, who came in second.

Well, recently I spoke "Face to Face" with Leffler and Logano, and before we talked, Leffler took me around the Charlotte Motor Speedway to give me a feel for what it's like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Oh, yes. That was an incredible ride there at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, after the speed, we actually put on the brakes at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and there Jason Leffler and Joey Logano told me "Face to Face," getting to this level is hard, but staying there, even tougher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOEY LOGANO, NASCAR DRIVER: It's easy, though.

WHITFIELD: Really?

LOGANO: It never crossed my mind, anything else. I'm sure Jason is the same way.

I think a - a race car driver is probably a different type of athlete than - than a basketball player or a football player.

WHITFIELD: In what way?

LOGANO: This is - this is a different type of sport, you know, that - you know, you're driving a race car. It's a lot different. You know, you're not on your feet. You know, it's - it's a mental sport. You know, it's probably more mental than it is physical, in my eyes.

But you - you've got to know what you're doing. And I just think it takes that kind of commitment. It takes that will to really want to do it. It's harder to be here than it is to get here, in my eyes so -

WHITFIELD: So to stay?

LOGANO: To stay and to beat the best race car drivers in the world is harder than anything.

WHITFIELD: And why is that? What have you figured out about it? Or at what point did you make that realization, even?

LOGANO: I - I think when I started Cup racing. You know, in my career, everything's come pretty easily. I'd win a lot of races, and it's just, bam, you know? Won a race here, won a race there.

And as soon as I started in that series, because I wasn't racing as the best race car drivers in the world. Now that I am, not racing against all those that kids growing up, winning every single thing I did - and we're - now we're all together, and now we're all racing against each other. And - and that's when you got to find that little bit more, and it's hard to find it. You don't know where it's at.

I mean, I - I first started in - in the Cup Series and I - I struggled hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joey Logano -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big crash.

LOGANO: And it was like, holy smokes, what did I get myself into? What am I doing? And I didn't realize that.

I mean, I was expecting to go in there and win races, just like I did everywhere else. You know, I didn't think it was going to be a big deal. And I - and then it - it - you come to realize, it's a reality check.

WHITFIELD: Jason, did you have that crossroad, too? Was there that moment where you said, OK, I envisioned it being this way, but here's the reality, and I'm going to have to make some adjustments?

JASON LEFFLER, NASCAR DRIVER: Sure. It's been that way for the last 10 years.

Once you get to the NASCAR - once you get to one of the top-tier series in NASCAR, it's very, very competitive. But Joey is right, and that Cup - Sprint Cup Series is so competitive. You have the best of the best.

Nationwide Series is competitive and Truck Series is also, but when you take that step to the elite, there's not a bad driver that races on Sunday in a Sprint Cup Series. And - and you're - and the thing about it is, when your car is slow or if you're off the pace, you're not talking about a second. You're talking about a half a tenth or a tenth of a second can be the difference between 40th and 10th, or 10th and the lead. So it's just minute, little, tiny thing, and everything's got to work so well together.

But, yes, I mean, it - when you get to this level, it humbles you. WHITFIELD: What makes one faster? Is it the vehicle? Is it the driving technique? Is it the mechanics are working? What is that formula?

LOGANO: The team. The team.

LEFFLER: Yes. All that.

WHITFIELD: All of it?

LEFFLER: All of it.

LOGANO: You know, having - you can put a great race car in a - in a not very good car and you're not going to see it go very fast. And you can put a great - or a great car and put a driver that's so- so, and it's not going to go very fast.

You know, those guys that are out there winning have a combination of both, that really, really works good together.

WHITFIELD: Jason, do you think people, fans have a really good grasp that this is a team sport?

LEFFLER: Well, I think NASCAR fans are pretty well-educated in - in NASCAR, and they know it's a team sport. They might not know - you know, they know you have a pit crew. You know, you have a crew chief and mechanics.

They might not know - they probably don't know what goes on, you know, during the week, at the race shop, all the fabricators and - and engineers and everything - bodymen, everything that - that goes on. But I think they're very well-educated.

But there are some fans out there that, you know, they just go, man, why - why aren't you winning? You know, it's easy. You should - you should have a faster car than that. They don't understand (ph).

WHITFIELD: What do you say to people when they say that, or ask?

LEFFLER: Yes, it's tougher than it looks, you know? You're not - you're not getting in your car and going to the grocery store, you know? It's a - a competitive, professional sport.

WHITFIELD: Well, let me ask you to pick up on something that Joey was saying. You know, it's hard getting there, but it's even harder maintaining, staying in the race, so to speak.

LEFFLER: I agree.

WHITFIELD: What are the dynamics?

LEFFLER: Just - you know, you get to this level and - and everybody wants your job. Everybody - you know? So it's - it's pretty cutthroat when you get here.

Like Joey, I - I had early on success. Whatever I drove, I seem to - you know, I ran good in, won and got here. And it was a reality check. You know, the - it's tough to stay here. You know, you got to keep your sponsors. You've got to perform.

And - but there - it's more than just you and your race car, like we said earlier. I mean, you - hey, you got to - you do a lot of talking at the shop, a lot of communicating. And instead, it used - you know, back in the day, you'd just do a lot of working on your race car.

WHITFIELD: Nobody's ever satisfied.

LOGANO: No.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: They're fantastic. 2:00 Eastern time, more "Face to Face" with Jason Leffler and Joey Logano. How long do they see themselves pushing the pedals and the limits on the track?

Also in the 2:00 hour, if you could, would you retire five years, four, three from now? We'll tell you some things that you need to start working on right now.

Meantime, "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)