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Fourth Herman Cain Accuser Breaks Silence; Verdict in Conrad Murray Trial; Penn State Allegations; Woman Publicly Accuses Herman Cain of Sexually Harassing Her; Jury Reaches Verdict in Trial of Michael Jackson's Doctor

Aired November 07, 2011 - 14:09   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. While we await start of questions and answers, we just got a statement in from the Herman Cain campaign. Let me read it to our viewers.

"Just as the country finally begins to refocus on our crippling $15 trillion national debt and the unacceptably high unemployment rate, now activist celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is bringing forth more false accusations against the character of Republican front- runner Herman Cain. All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone."

"Fortunately, the American people will not allow Mr. Cain's bold 9-9-9 plan, clear foreign policy vision, and plans for energy independence to be overshadowed by these bogus attacks."

That statement, just released from the Herman Cain campaign, reacting to what Gloria Allred and her client Sharon Bialek just said to all of us, making these specific allegations of sexual harassment by Herman Cain.

Even as this is going on, we've now been told -- and you just saw it up on the screen -- a verdict has been reached in the Michael Jackson trial. Dr. Conrad Murray on trial, and there has been a verdict. We will be getting that verdict. They're going to be giving us all the information on that very soon.

I know Brooke Baldwin is working this part of the story.

Brooke, update us on what we know about the verdict in the Dr. Conrad Murray trial.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Wolf, all we know is that we should be getting word, it could come down any minute. We know the jury, seven women, five men, have reached a verdict. It was basically an up-and-down, one charge, involuntary manslaughter.

And I'm being told these are live pictures outside that L.A. courthouse. So it could be any minute, but certainly I'm going to guess just before the top of your show, Wolf Blitzer, we will know. And we'll have all the proper people in place to dissect that verdict as soon as we get it. Back to you.

BLITZER: All right. We'll stay on top of that.

Usually they give an announcement that the verdict has been reached, but then it's often a half an hour, hour, sometimes two hours, before the judge, the lawyers, all the special witnesses who were there, can get their act together, come back to the courtroom to hear the announcement of this specific verdict.

But once again, a verdict has been reached in the Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial.

Let me bring back Jeffrey Toobin and Gloria Borger for a quick thought on what we just heard from Gloria Allred and her client, Sharon Bialek.

Gloria, first to you. You heard what she had to say, very ugly, disgusting allegations. Give us a thought.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, very specific allegations. What's not clear to me, Wolf, is whether she was already gone from the National Restaurant Association when this occurred. And so, Mr. Cain's behavior could have been boorish, inappropriate, but the question is whether it was sexual harassment towards an employee, because I'm not sure whether she was still employed there at the time.

What's interesting to me is that she seemed to be calling on these other women and said, look, I've heard from you, here's my story, and she seemed to be making a plea, even if indirectly, for the other women to come out and speak.

She also had corroborating evidence saying that she had gone to her former boyfriend and one other person at the time and told them that this had occurred, and they've released statements to that effect under oath. So you could tell that she was -- in a way to tell us that she was telling the truth.

BLITZER: All right.

Jeffrey, quickly to you, give us a thought from you, because she says she does have -- Gloria Allred said these statements that were signed and sworn in under penalty of perjury from these two others, her former boyfriend and a friend, that contemporaneously, at the time, she shared all this information about what Herman Cain allegedly did. And his campaign just issued a statement denying any such thing.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. I mean, this isn't just sexual harassment, if this story is true. It's an assault as well.

I mean, this is a very serious accusation. And I do think the corroboration, as we have been talking about earlier, is very important. I mean, the fact that she has sworn statements from two people whom she told at the time, I mean, that really weighs in the balance of whom to believe. I think it's a very vivid image that she describes, and I think he's going to have to do more than simply say, I want to talk about 9- 9-9 plan to refute it. I mean, this is a very specific, very ugly accusation, with at least the appearance of credibility.

BORGER: Well, and what she was doing was asking a former colleague, because she wasn't employed by the restaurant association at the time. She was asking a former colleague for professional help.

And she seemed to be saying that after she asked him for professional help, she had a quote where he said, "You want a job, don't you?" And so I think he needs to specifically respond to these charges.

BLITZER: Yes. And the fact that, at least if you read between the lines of what she said, he arranged that beautiful suite for her at the Capital Hilton Hotel.

BORGER: Right.

BLITZER: Obviously, her implication is that Herman Cain did that.

All right. We'll stay on top of this story. We're also following the other breaking news out of Los Angeles. A verdict has been reached in the Dr. Conrad Murray trial. We're expecting to get that verdict fairly soon.

Lots of news happening here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Let's go back to Brooke at the CNN Center.

Brooke, pick it up. I don't know what to say.

BALDWIN: Not a dull Monday, Wolf Blitzer. We'll be talking, I'm sure, a little bit later.

And hello, and welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

As Wolf mentioned, of course we'll have much more on what you just saw in New York with Herman Cain, the accuser's story, allegedly. This fourth woman now coming forward, sharing her story.

Also, a sex abuse case unfolding in Pennsylvania, at Penn State.

But I want to begin with the breaking news, as we have now just learned the jury in Los Angeles has now reached a verdict in the Michael Jackson Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial.

I want to go straight to Ted Rowlands, who is live for us outside that courthouse.

And so, Ted, when with might we learn, when might we know the verdict?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, will likely find out at 1:00 Pacific Time, so 4:00 Eastern Time is the target time. I just talked to a source close to the defense, and they say they have received a call from the court, and they have been told that the verdict will be read at 1:00 Pacific Time.

I also talked to somebody who was with Dr. Conrad Murray right now. He is apparently getting dressed and getting ready to make the trip from west side of Los Angeles, towards downtown, to hear his fate.

We will hear it live. The judge has allowed cameras throughout this trial, and will allow a camera in during the reading of this verdict.

There's one count, involuntary manslaughter, either guilty or not guilty. There was nothing else that this jury had to come up with.

Seven men, five women. They had seven-and-a-half hours deliberating on Friday, and they've gone about two-and-a-half hours today. We just got word about the top of the hour that they had come to their decision on Conrad Murray's fate.

BALDWIN: OK, Ted. Do me a favor. Stand by. I want to talk a little bit more about the members of the jury. As you mentioned, seven men, five women.

But Jeff Toobin, to you in New York.

And as Ted pointed out, it's this up-and-down guilt or not with regard to this involuntary manslaughter charge. The crux of the issue is whether or not it was Dr. Murray who gave Michael Jackson that fatal dose of Propofol or, as the defense had argued, that it was Michael Jackson himself who self-administered.

TOOBIN: Right. Was Murray's conduct reckless? That's sort of at the heart of this case here.

You know, it's important to remember this is not a murder case. This is an involuntary manslaughter case. So there isn't an issue of, did he intend to kill Michael Jackson? The prosecution didn't charge him with intending to kill Michael Jackson.

But,, in essence, was he so reckless, was he such a bad doctor, that he caused his death? That's what this case is about. And at least from my vantage point, I thought the prosecution did a good job of proving that he was just that bad a doctor.

BALDWIN: So, having listened to the closing arguments -- what would that have been, last Tuesday -- you would give the win to the prosecution?

TOOBIN: I think it's important to remember prosecution wins most trials. I mean, that's how most trials end. And I thought, unlike a lot of celebrated cases in the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, the prosecutors here tried a lean case.

This case was over in six weeks. It was not six months, as these cases sometimes stretch on to.

They also didn't overcharge the case. They didn't turn it into a murder case. Sometimes prosecutors get over-enthusiastic and they charge more than what the evidence can sustain.

You know, this is a case that has a maximum sentence of only four years in prison, and many people who are convicted or plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter don't get prison time at all. So that's certainly something to consider if he's convicted.

So this is not -- I mean, it is a felony, but it is far from the most serious felony on the law books in California. And the fact that they chose this relatively modest crime I think showed good judgment on the part of the prosecution.

BALDWIN: Jeff Toobin, don't go too far from that camera. I am sure we will be coming back to you in the course of this show here on CNN.

Final question to you, Ted Rowlands. And I know you and I sort of talked about this on Friday, as you were reporting on the jury deliberating, as you mentioned, seven-and-a-half hours Friday. I do remember you said they came back, they had some questions about evidence.

What more can you tell me about these jurors? Who are they? What are their professions, et cetera?

ROWLANDS: Well, it really runs the gamut. The youngest juror is a 32-year-old female. As we said, seven men, five women.

You have a bus driver on there, you have a biochemist on there, an animator. You've got a real mix of people. You've got six people that identified themselves as whites, five Latino or Hispanics, and one African-American.

And one thing that they did seem to exhibit in the courtroom throughout the past six weeks was a bond. They seemed to get along.

Obviously, they're spending a lot of time with each other, but you can tell when a jury is really bonding, and they seem to be bonding. So I doubt that there was much fighting in the jury room, if at all, and it doesn't surprise me that they were able to come to a unanimous decision, whatever decision that is.

BALDWIN: Ted Rowlands, my thanks to you, there in Los Angeles. We're going to be coming back to you over the course of the next two hours. Thank you so much.

Meantime, bombshell dropped in State College, Pennsylvania. We're going to talk about this retired defensive coordinator, this football coach, and these allegations of child sex abuse, multiple allegations, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Well, there is trouble brewing in State College -- State College, Pennsylvania. And you know what that means. We're talking about Penn state University.

Two ranking officials, including the school's athletic director, are being charged right now on multiple charges linked to allegations of underage sexual abuse. These two men allegedly covered up the alleged sexual crimes of one man, Penn State football's long-time defensive coach, Jerry Sandusky, here.

Jerry Sandusky, 23 years under the legendary Joe Paterno. Jerry Sandusky, arrested Saturday for alleged sexual crimes involving boys as young as 10, crimes that date back to his waning years as the team's defensive coordinator.

And just a short time ago we heard from the Pennsylvania state police commissioner. Here's just part of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK NOONAN, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER: I don't think I've ever been associated with a case where that type of eyewitness identification of sex acts taking place where the police weren't called. I don't think I've ever seen something like that before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Sandusky's alleged sexual crimes date back to 1998. And among those informed about at least one incident, Joe Paterno himself.

Joe Paterno, winningest coach in big-time college football. And I know you know about his reputation. His teams do it right, they play by the rules. A guy scores a touchdown, hands the ball off the ref, black shoes, retro unies (ph), old school.

Penn State does it right. Now this.

Here is Jerry Sandusky during his 23 years at Penn State. Later, he founded a group that mentored troubled youth. And from that pool he is alleged to have preyed on his victims, at least eight, and they include allegations of sodomy. Some of the acts occurring on Penn State's campus, where Sandusky had status as a professor -- or coach emeritus.

Again, listen to the state police commissioner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOONAN: This is not a case about football. It's not a case about universities. It's a case about children who have had their innocence stolen from them and a culture that did nothing to stop it or prevent it from happening to others.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: Before we go on, I want you to hear from Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State football defensive coordinator. He actually did speak briefly this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY SANDUSKY, FMR. PENN STATE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: I'm sorry, but my attorney has advised me that the situation is in the courts and I'm not to make any comments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell us if you had any inappropriate relations with young boys, sir?

SANDUSKY: You didn't hear what I said. I said I've been advised by my attorney. I am following orders. And I am not privy to making any statement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And again, that was from ABC's "Good Morning America."

Let's go straight to Harrisburg, P.A., CNN's Jason Carroll.

Jason, I know you've been on the story from the get-go. What's happening right now? I understand there may be some arraignments today, this afternoon.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that in fact has just happened. And the arraignment just happened a few minutes ago, focusing on those two school administrators, those two school officials who are charged with perjury for allegedly lying to a grand jury and covering up one of the alleged incidents that happened relating to Sandusky. Gary Schultz and Timothy Curley released now on $75,000 bail.

I have to tell you, Brooke, this is a story that has really rocked not just this community, not just this state, but the entire world of collegiate football. I mean, when you talk about someone like Paterno, these are people who are revered throughout the sports world.

But, again, this is not just a sports story. This a legal story. There are some very serious, disturbing allegations here involving a number of young boys -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes. We're going to talk more about the football angle here in just a minute with someone on the phone, but I do want to give -- at least let's give the outlines of the charges.

I mean, I read before I went to bed this 23-page -- this was the grand jury indictment. This was the report that really details each victim, what allegedly happened. The victims, as young, as we mentioned, as 10 years of age.

Jason, if you can, fill us in. What are the allegations? CARROLL: Maybe some as young as 8 years old, as old as 14, beginning back in 1998, ending in just about 2008. That's when the grand jury investigation got under way.

And it's really a case of where you've got this man, Sandusky, who formed a charitable organization to reach out to troubled young men. So he had access to all of these young boys. This, according to what the attorney general is saying. And what he would do is he would use his position, even after he retired, according to the grand jury report, to bring these boys sometimes to Penn State, sometimes to the basement of his home, where he would allegedly sexually assault some of these young men.

It's really incredible. When with you look through the grand jury report, Brooke, there are eight victims listed. They're just listed as "victim number one, victim number two," and so on and so forth.

What's interesting about this, victim number two and victim number eight are two people that they have yet been able to identify, but they are still moving forward with prosecution even though they have not been able to identify victim number two and victim number eight. And part of the reason why you have the attorney general out here speaking today is because they're hoping word will get out, perhaps these two young boys, who are young men now, will see what is happening and come forward -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes, I was watching that news conference right along with you, and they were essentially pleading with, whether it was a victim, a potential victim, to come forward, don't be afraid. Of course state police want to hear from you, and the state of Pennsylvania.

Jason, stand by, because I want to bring in B.J. Schecter with SI.com.

And B.J., as Jason sort of alluded to, how this is really rocking big college football -- and specifically, we have to talk about Joe Paterno, his legacy. The guy is 84 years of age. He was a football coach for 60-plus years.

How does this affect his legacy?

B.J. SCHECTER, SI.COM: Well, this affects everything about his legacy. And if all of these allegations are true, this is what he's going to be remembered for, ultimately.

I mean, he's done a lot of great things in his career, but if it is true that he did, in fact, know about the severity of this allegation that was witnessed by one of his assistant coaches, a graduate assistant, and he simply just advised his superior and did nothing more, did not call police, as is required by law in Pennsylvania, then, you know, it goes way beyond college athletics. It's his civic responsibility, it's a morality issue.

You know, we're talking about -- we're not talking about scandal like we've seen in college athletics. We're talking about something that's very criminal.

And we now know that, since this incident at Penn State in the locker room, that several more boys were allegedly abused in the time that this was first reported. And if that's the case, he's put more young boys at risk, and that's really disturbing when you look at it as a whole.

BALDWIN: Right. I mean, one of the questions is, with regard to one of multiple incidents, you know, allegedly this grad student sees Sandusky and a young child, this grad student apparently reports it to Paterno. Paterno then turns it over to school administrators. And that's the big issue, why someone didn't actually call police?

In terms of, though, B.J., the sports world, what's just the chatter among people you're talking to today with regard to this story and these shocking allegations?

SCHECTER: It's really just disbelief that someone that is known as being someone that holds integrity up to the highest, has great values, and has done a lot of great things, you know, in his life and for the university, and to the academic side, just to think that someone would know that this occurred and, depending on how much he knew of the graphic nature -- and anybody who's read this indictment is just sickened by this -- and as the father of two boys, I barely could get through it. But just to know that this occurred, it makes the whole -- everything he's done, and all the games he won, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter.

And that's what everybody is saying. You can win the most games in Division I history, but if you don't do what's right and protect children, and turn someone in that you may have been very close to, then that supercedes everything you've done on the football field.

And, you know, that's what everybody seems to be saying. And I think anybody who reads about this case and hears the details, you know, just really has a sour taste in their mouth.

And that's what people are going to remember about Joe Paterno, not the 400-plus games he wins, but what happened at the very end. And did he not do what he was supposed to be doing and what anybody in his position should have done? And, unfortunately, that's what people are asking right now and what people will remember him for.

BALDWIN: Yes. This could be just the beginning here.

B.J. Schecter, with SI.com.

B.J., thank you so much for calling in.

And, of course, my thanks to Jason Carroll for us on the reporting out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Meantime, also today, a fourth woman coming forward, accusing Herman Cain of sexual harassment. But this is the first time we have seen one of these women's faces. She is speaking out publicly. She just did so minutes ago there in New York, appearing alongside defense attorney Gloria Allred. You'll hear what she says Cain did to her. That is next.

Also today we are awaiting the verdict in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray. A lot happening on this Monday. Don't move.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Herman Cain's repeated efforts to get his campaign back on message, as he calls it, are off to a bit of a rough start. A fourth woman has just come forward with new allegations of sexual misconduct. And what makes this woman different than the others is she went before the cameras to share her identity, her story, her claims about what Mr. Cain allegedly did to her. Her name is Sharon Bialek and she's joined forces with the high-profile attorney Gloria Allred. This happened just minutes ago in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON BIALEK, ACCUSES HERMAN CAIN OF HARASSMENT: Instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg under my skirt and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it toward his crotch. I was very, very surprised and very shocked. I said, "What are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This isn't what with I came here for."

Mr. Cain said, "You want a job, right?" I asked him to stop, and he did. I asked him to take me back to my hotel, which he did right away. When I returned to New Jersey where I was staying with my boyfriend that Mr. Cain -- when I returned back to New Jersey where I was staying, I told my boyfriend Mr. Cain had been very sexually inappropriate with me and shortly thereafter I told another friend of mine who has been a mentor the same thing. I didn't tell them the details because, quite frankly, I was very embarrassed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Before I bring in my next guest, I just want to be clear that Herman Cain has repeatedly denied harassing anyone. We have reached out to the Herman Cain camp. We would love to speak with him.

In the meantime, I do want to read a statement we just received from folks with Herman Cain. Quote, "Just as the country finally begins to refocus on our crippling $15 trillion national debt and the unacceptably high unemployment rate, now activist celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is bringing forth more false accusations against the character of Republican front-runner Herman Cain. All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone." That coming from the Herman Cain camp.

Now I want to bring in CNN contributor Will Cain to talk about all of this. Before we talk, Will, you and me, I want to play a little bit more about what this alleged accuser, what Sharon Bialek had to say minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BIALEK: I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean. Just admit what you did. Admit you were inappropriate to people. America is in -- and then move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: All right, will, let me just to get you to address what she just asked. She wants Herman Cain to come forward and say, yes, what I did is inappropriate. Do you think he needs to come forward, let's just say for the sake of the upcoming primaries and poll numbers, because we now have a face on this? And again, these are her allegations. Should he come forward?

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. We just witnessed a game- changer I think, Brooke. Look, one hour ago this was a scandal full of vague accusations from anonymous sources in what is a gray crime, a gray accusation, sexual harassment. You could put the details of that before 10 people and arrive at ten different opinions.

But now that's not what the scandal is anymore. Now it's specific. As you just played, she says he put his hand up his skirt and moved toward her genitals, and he placed her hand on his crotch. That's specific. That's vivid. Herman Cain is now going to have to address this specifically. The story isn't over. His campaign isn't dead. But his tact from the pass of dismissing these accusations, saying we need to concentrate on the issues, is no longer going to suffice.

BALDWIN: Will Cain, stand by. Do me a favor, stand by, because we have gotten now Mary Snow on the phone. She was in the room at the Friars' Club where we saw both Sharon Bialek and her attorney Gloria Allred. Mary, if you will, just fill us in. What was the atmosphere like in that room? It looked like a crowded room from where I was at my desk. And also, what more do we know about this woman?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Brooke, Gloria Allred and Sharon Bialek have just walked back into the room. You're seeing a picture of them back at the podium. And at this point Gloria Allred is reading written statements by Sharon Bialek's former boyfriend and a friend of hers. She said she told them the story of what happened to her back in July of 1997.

It was an absolutely packed room where this press conference took place. It had been over and then several minutes later several reporters asked to see the affidavits written by these two men. Gloria Allred is not handing them out, but she said she'd read them. And that's what she's doing now at the podium.

BALDWIN: And again, remind us, Sharon basically explained how she was let go from the National Restaurant Association of which Herman Cain was the head, and per her recommendation from her boyfriend at the time, said, hey, why don't you call up Herman Cain. Perhaps he can help you find a job. She winds up in Washington in a pretty ritzy hotel suite, goes out to dinner with Mr. Cain, and that's when said alleged sexual harassment occurred, correct? SNOW: Correct. And she says she told her then-boyfriend and another friend about this story. She said she never went forward and told the National Restaurant Association. A question came up, why not? She had said she was not working for the NRA at the time and that, and therefore she did not tell the organization about these allegations.

Also, Brooke, we should tell you that Gloria Allred, you know, before this press conference was even over Herman Cain had come out with a statement he just read a few minutes ago, and Gloria Allred was asked about that, about the fact that he said that all of these allegations are false. And her response was, "That's what he says, and everyone will judge for themselves."

BALDWIN: Mary, thank you.

I want to go back to Will Cain who says this is a game-changer. Will, I have to ask you about -- I'm sure you saw Herman Cain not just over the weekend in that exchange but really over the past -- this broke two Sundays ago -- two weeks blasting the media. Let's play what we'll call a testy exchange with a reporter over the weekend. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Cain, an attorney for one off the women who filed a sexual harassment complaint --

HERMAN CAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't even go there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I ask my question?

CAIN: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No gossip tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I ask a good question?

CAIN: Where's my chief of staff? Please send him the journalistic code of ethics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So does the whole "blame the media" thing, is that going to work now that we actually have a face, Will, with this woman and these allegations?

WILL CAIN: No. I think it changes that as well. I think the blame the media tact had some validity, you know, an hour ago, a couple of days ago. The main thing missing from this entire scandal was details. It was that Herman Cain was going through essentially a character assassination based upon vague details, whether or not it was true or false.

But now those details are no longer vague and Herman Cain, in order to survive this, isn't going to be able to deflect. He can't say we should be talking about entitlements, which we should, or foreign policy, which we should. He's going to have to talk directly about these very specific charges this woman is making.

BALDWIN: Big picture, final question -- how damaging is this for hill? Is it enough to hurt him with Republicans? He doesn't, if you look at the poll numbers as I know you have -- he hasn't suffered too much damage.

WILL CAIN: I think the answer to that, Brooke, is potentially, because there's still plenty of questions also for this woman. Why didn't you file a criminal complaint? Why didn't you say anything to the NRA? Who exactly did you tell and how did you corroborate that? This was after your employment? Were there any other motivations for this story? These are all legitimate questions that need to be asked and Herman Cain on the flip side needs to be asked about what she's alleging. So I will say this is potentially a big problem for Herman Cain, but this story is far from being done.

BALDWIN: All right, Will Cain, thank you so much. Again, my thanks to Mary Snow for hopping on the phone from New York. Thanks to both of you and that developing story, certainly, today.

Also breaking today, we now know -- we've got the three buzzer, which means that a verdict is imminent in the Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial that has been underway in Los Angeles. Much more out of L.A. coming up after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Breaking news. The jury in Los Angeles, seven men, five women, we now know they have reached a verdict in the Michael Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial. I want to bring in my colleague, Randi Kaye, who's spent a chunk of time in Los Angeles covering this. Randi, if you will, just reset the story for us.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you know, Brooke, this was a case that goes back to June 25, 2009, when Michael Jackson was discovered in his bedroom at his rented mansion here in Los Angeles not breathing by his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray. He had hired the doctor to work with him during his upcoming tour. He was supposed to take care of him, and apparently Michael Jackson had apparently asked Dr. Murray for the powerful anesthetic Propofol, which is not used at all outside of the hospital setting. But he needed to sleep. He was nervous about the upcoming tour. All of this came out in the court case since, and Conrad Murray agreed to give him this Propofol. It has to be administered through an IV. He did agree to give him that.

And as it came out in court, Brooke, he bought about four gallons of this Propofol, brought it into the home. He is the only doctor of all of the doctors, even some of the expert witnesses who testified, who would agree to give this drug to Michael Jackson.

Just a couple of the mistakes pointed out in court along the way, not only did he bring this Propofol into Michael Jackson's home, but, as you know, it's a respiratory depressant, but he didn't have the proper monitoring equipment according to the state. He didn't have the backup personnel. And he's accused of leaving the room for quite some time. He said he left the room for a couple of minutes but cell phone records present in court showed he left the room for quite some time, making calls and texting with others, including his former girlfriend who was on the phone with him when he apparently realized that Michael Jackson was not breathing.

He waited more than 20 minutes to call 911. The defense tried to say that was because he was in the process of trying to save Michael Jackson. He performed CPR on the bed instead of the hard surface of the floor. The defense explained I wanted to do it as soon as he possibly could.

He also did not tell paramedics nor did he tell the ER doctors that he had given Michael Jackson Propofol, which is the drug that killed him. He was asked repeatedly and never told the doctors or the paramedics that.

So it's been an interesting five weeks or so in the courtroom, and just to give you some of the highlights here, let's take a look back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Tears, tales of addiction and half-truths -- just another day in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray. From day one, Michael Jackson's doctor cannot hold back his emotions. Prosecutor David Walgren shows little sympathy, hammering home what he calls Murray's incompetence in the scramble to save his star patient. Day two, Jackson's personal assistant tells the jury Murray called saying something was wrong with Jackson but never said he had stopped breathing or to call 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you asked to call 911?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.

KAYE: Day three, Jackson's former head of logistics testifies that Murray was hiding vials at the home before paramedics arrived.

ALBERTO ALVAREZ, MICHAEL JACKSON'S HEAD OF LOGISTICS: I was standing at the foot of the bed. He reached over and grabbed a handful of vials and then reached out to me and said here, put these in a bag.

KAYE: Day four -- this Los Angeles paramedic tells the court Murray never told him he had given Jackson the powerful anesthetic Propofol, the drug that killed Jackson.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did Conrad Murray ever mention the word "Propofol" to you during the time that you were at the location or in his presence?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he did not. KAYE: Day six, a harem of woman, stripper, former cocktail waitress, and Murray's girlfriend, all testify they were in touch with Murray the day Jackson die son died. One was on the phone with Murray when with he noticed Jackson wasn't breathing.

SADE ANDING, FRIEND OF CONRAD MURRAY: I said, hello, hello, and I didn't hear anything.

KAYE: Day seven, a disturbing iPhone recording is played in court of Michael Jackson sounding wasted and slurring his words.

MICHAEL JACKSON: I love them. And I love them because I didn't have a childhood. I had no childhood. I feel their pain. I feel their hurt.

KAYE: Also on day seven, Elissa Fleak, an investigator for the coroner's office, testifies she found 12 bottles of Propofol in Jackson's bedroom, though the defense jumped on her for what they call mistakes in her investigation. Day nine, detective Scott Smith shares his two-hour recorded interview with Dr. Murray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I sat there and watch him for a long enough period that I felt comfortable. Then I needed to go to the bathroom. Then I came back to his bedside and was stunned in the sense that he wasn't breathing.

KAYE: Day 14 -- the prosecution's key expert, Dr. Stephen Shafer, testifies the only scenario that fits is that Murray hooked Jackson up to a slow Propofol IV drip and didn't notice he stopped breathing.

Day 18 -- the defense puts Murray's former patients on the stand to praise Murray. He listens in tears. Day 20 -- the so-called father of Propofol, Dr. Paul White, testifies for the defense. He supports the theory Jackson gave himself the fatal dose, unaware it would kill him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you think it was a self-injection of Propofol near the hour of between 11:30 and 12:00 that did it?

DR. PAUL WHITE, PROPOFOL EXPERT: In my opinion, yes.

KAYE: Day 21 -- Murray takes a hit when prosecutors press Dr. White about Murray's failure to tell paramedics he gave Jackson Propofol.

WHITE: It was obviously overlooked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That obviously could also be a lie, correct? Correct? That's another option?

WHITE: If you say so, I guess, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's another option, correct?

WHITE: It's an option, yes. KAYE: That same day on cross-examination, prosecutors get white to admit he believes Murray drew up the syringe of Propofol and left it in the bedroom, accessible to Jackson.

(on camera): A lot for the jury to consider as it deliberates. The prosecution says that eastbound if Michael Jackson did give himself the fatal dose, that Conrad Murray is still responsible for his death because he brought Propofol into Jackson's home. The defense wants the jury to believe that Conrad Murray acted appropriately and that there was nothing he could have done to save Michael Jackson because he died almost instantly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Randi Kaye, back in Los Angeles, that was quite a time line looking back. Randi, any minute, at least within -- by 4:00 Eastern, 1:00 Pacific, we will know the fate of Dr. Conrad Murray.

KAYE: Right. I'll be heading to the courtroom as soon as we get off the air here, Brooke.

But it will be interesting to see what happens because one of the biggest things that could play into the verdict is the fact that five of the jury members have been touched by addiction. In fact, some of them have lost family members to addiction. And because the defense tried to paint Michael Jackson as an addict who may have given himself that fatal dose in an effort to try and sleep, it will be interesting to see if that addiction plays into the verdict that we'll see here in just about an hour.

BALDWIN: Randi Kaye, I will let you go so you can head to the courthouse. Thank you for joining me live.

On the other side of the break we have our go-to legal correspondent, Sunny Hostin. This trial has been five weeks, one count involuntary manslaughter. They've deliberated for just about nine hours if you combine Friday and today. Sunny and I will be talk after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Breaking news on this Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial. A verdict has been reached. The jury hit the buzzer three times this morning 10:56 pacific time signifying a verdict. I want to bring in our go-to legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin. And also Randi Kaye, I want to bring you back in since you've been covering this whole story in the trenches there in Los Angeles.

And if I may, I'd like to begin. My first question to you, Sunny Hostin, is, according to my math, if the jury was deliberating seven and a half hours Friday, two and a half today, so roughly 10 hours. This is a one-count case. Does that strike you as a long length of time?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: It does. It certainly was long, especially considering the fact that they decided to take the weekend, think about it and come back on Monday. Oftentimes jurors want to go home on Friday and not come back. So that strikes me as a pretty long time given it is just a one count case.

The defense certainly muddied up the waters. This is an experienced jury. Nine of them have prior jury service. As Randi mentioned, five of them have been touched by addiction in their lives. And so this was a jury that certainly went back to work today.

What was interesting to me also, Brooke, is they haven't asked any questions, 10 hours of deliberations, talking, no questions. But they did ask for highlighters. So perhaps this is a jury that went in, highlighted the jury instructions, and went to work.

BALDWIN: Joe, Katherine Jackson, live pictures from Los Angeles, they're now arriving at the courthouse. Quite a scene. Quite a scene there as I know it's been quite a scene the last couple of weeks. Randi Kaye, you can speak better to that, the shouting, posters. Randi, I'll defer to you.

HOSTIN: Yes. It's been sort of a competition outside the courthouse. There have been plenty of Michael Jackson supporters, plenty of Conrad Murray supporters. Just speaking IV drip, there was one woman holding a poster that said, no drip, must acquit, just to prove that maybe Michael Jackson took an injection to take that last fatal dose.

But Sunny, I want to ask you, because one thing the state kept hammering home throughout this trial is, even if Michael Jackson did inject himself and even if he gave himself that fatal dose, not knowing it would kill him, the state says it was still Conrad Murray showing negligence by bringing that Propofol into the home to begin with, because that is something that is hardly used outside a hospital setting. Do you think the jury will buy that?

HOSTIN: You know, I think so. I mean, when you look at the jury instructions, which of course I have, and you look at the law, it is very clear that if Conrad Murray deviated from the standard of care, grossly deviated from the standard of care and was negligent, and his negligence caused the death of Michael Jackson, even if Michael Jackson somehow intervened, if Conrad Murray was more responsible, this jury could find him guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

There was so much evidence, Randi, that came in before this jury that made it very clear, I think, that Dr. Murray certainly deviated from the standard of care in a grossly negligent way. The only question is whether or not this jury believed Michael Jackson was somehow was more responsible for his death than Conrad Murray.

BALDWIN: And then also -- Randi, go ahead.

KAYE: One of the other moments that was so dramatic in the courtroom was this table of medicines, prescription drugs that the prosecution had laid out to show how many different drugs Michael Jackson was taking. But all along the defense was saying that Murray was bringing the Propofol into the home but he was also trying to wean him off of it.

But with that amount of Propofol he was bringing into the home, Sunny, would the jury buy he was actually trying to wean him off of it, because even after they played the horrible recording of Michael Jackson slurring his words and sounding wasted, he was still giving him Propofol after that?

HOSTIN: That's right. And he gave it to him for about two months, approximately, prior to his death. I don't think they would have bought the argument that he was trying to wean him off, but I do believe there was evidence that Michael Jackson was pharmacologically knowledgeable, that he had received Propofol before, and that he was receiving Demerol. And Demerol, we were told during the trial, could lead one to insomnia.

So I think there's no question there was pretty good evidence on both sides of this cases in terms of the addiction. How that played out in the jury room we're not sure, but certainly I don't know that the jury would buy this, I'm trying to wean Michael Jackson off of Propofol and then I order four gallons of it. That just seems to be intellectually dishonest. And there are very, very smart people on this jury. I think there's a biochemist on the jury, a professor. That sort of argument usually doesn't ring true for someone like that.