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Benetton Pulls Pope Ad; Black Friday Shopping Tips; Sex Abuse Claims Against Syracuse Coach; Police Beat Suspect, Then Chest Bump; Fat Joe Slims Down; Most Wanted Libyan Captured; Sex Abuse Claims Against A Syracuse Coach
Aired November 19, 2011 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us.
We begin with new developments from Libya and a big capture. The most wanted man in Libya is in custody right now. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, son of notorious dictator, was captured in a desert gun battle. We have new details for you. He's been on the run since Tripoli fell to the revolutionaries. His capture sparked celebrations all across Libya. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh joins us now from Tripoli with more. So, Jamana where and how was he captured?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, information was slowly emerging throughout the day, but now, we can put the pieces of this story together. Our understanding from military commanders is that it was fighters from the western mountain city of Zintan who had been on the hunt for Saif al Islam Gadhafi in the southern desert.
This hunt actually intensified, they tell us, over the past 18 days with these special units receiving information that he was possibly trying to flee to neighboring Niger. They narrowed down the area close to the border with Niger where they thought he was staying, and it was overnight at about 2:00 a.m. local time that a convoy was moving as they tried to intercept and stop that convoy.
The convoy opened fire on the fighters and a gun battle for about two hours ensued. Finally, they say that Saif and members of his entourage, a different number we're hearing, either three or six, surrendered to these fighters and were transferred to the western mountain city of Zintan where they're being kept in an undisclosed location - Don.
LEMON: So, Jomana, was he trying to raise a rebellion or just leave Libya?
KARADSHEH: Well, it's really unclear at this point, Don. They say that they believe he was trying to flee Libya. We had also heard from the international criminal court that has been trying to arrest Saif al Islam Gadhafi for alleged crimes against humanity, that he was in indirect contact with them through intermediaries in recent weeks trying to surrender to the international criminal court.
And also, neighboring Niger has been home for his brother, Saadi Gadhafi, who fled Tripoli in August and has been staying there and has been granted asylum. So, it was possible that he was trying to seek refuge also in Niger.
LEMON: What's the reaction in Tripoli?
KARADSHEH: Well, since that news came out about 12 hours ago, Don, the city broke out with celebratory gunfire. People who were driving around honking their horns. We've seen some fireworks this evening. People are very happy, most people, here in Tripoli are very happy to hear this. It is definitely a jubilant mood, but at the same time, there's a sense of relief, Don, because they were worried about the trouble that Saif al Islam on the run might cause for the stability of Libya.
There were concerns that he could, with other members of the former regime, through hiring mercenaries or other forms, try to destabilize a very fragile new Libya.
LEMON: So, Jomana, is this the last big catch? Who else is out there?
KARADSHEH: Well, remaining on that list by the international criminal court is Abdullah Senussi. He is the former head of intelligence in Moammar Gadhafi's regime. We have received reports. We have heard that both Saif al Islam and Abdullah Senussi had been on the run together around that area in the southern desert awhile ago.
So far, as far as we're aware, he is still at large and many here also hope that he will be captured soon because they also see him as posing a danger, not as much as Saif Gadhafi, but also a danger.
LEMON: Jomana Karadsheh in Tripoli, thank you very much for your reporting.
In other news now, the Penn State football team is on the road playing Ohio State today leaving behind a campus filled with questions over alleged child sex abuse. It's the team's first away game since former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, was charged with abusing eight boys over a 15-year period.
Ohio State is being very careful with how it welcomes Penn State's team and fans. Releasing a video with student athletes making an appeal for sportsmanship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be respectful to our guests on Penn State.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To they're players.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they're fans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be loud.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be proud.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be respectful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, back home in state college, Pennsylvania, fired head coach, Joe Paterno, is facing a major health threat. Paterno's family says he's been diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer. University fired Paterno for his handling of a 2002 report from a graduate assistant who claimed he saw Sandusky raping a boy in a locker room shower.
CNN's Susan Candiotti standing by live on the campus for us. Susan, we'll get to Joe Paterno's health in just a second, but first, where is Jerry Sandusky? He was recently spotted in public.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. He's rarely been seen in public, Don, since those accusations, but there was a sighting of him on Friday night as he was pulling out of his house in a car going down the driveway. He briefly rolled down the window and handed out a typed piece of paper in which he said, "I have nothing more to say. Contact my lawyer."
Well, CNN has tried to contact his lawyer today, but we didn't get any calls back. One of the many questions we have for him is, what does Jerry Sandusky think about the now troubled charity that he founded, the Second Mile, which now could fold? We heard from its new executive director who's taken over the shop right now, and he announced that because of this terrible scandal, a lot of the donors are running away, and they might not be able to survive.
So, one of the things they're taking a look at is whether it can survive and whether they might have to try to find other charities to take over this wonderful program for so many children.
LEMON: Susan, let's get back now to Joe Paterno. What's been the reaction there since his lung cancer was announced?
CANDIOTTI: I tell you, it's just one more blow to this community. He remains a beloved figure, of course, in this town. State college is Penn State, Penn State is Joe Paterno, Joe Pa as they lovingly called him. And over at the house today, we saw people stopping by. For example, one woman brought food over to the house and gave a hug to the woman who answered the door and shared a smile.
We also ran into, for example, a couple who drove here all the way from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles away to pay their respects to Joe Paterno and to wish him well. We spoke with the woman. Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As far as his health, I just wish that, you know, he could go into it with a positive mind, mind heals the body, strongly believe that. And the comfort of his family and friends, the positive feedback, will help him recover.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: It's just one more terrible tragedy that has resulted from this investigation, it seems, Don.
LEMON: And speaking of the investigation, you said the NCAA says it is opening an investigation in the Penn State case. So, that makes how many investigations going on now, Susan?
CANDIOTTI: Boy, it's hard to keep track. You're right. The NCAA investigation is the latest and Penn State has to answer many questions from it by December 16th. You also have the ongoing grand jury investigation. The question is, will more possible victims step forward and will that result in more charges?
You have the federal Department of Education looking into whether Penn State violated any rules that might affect whether students here continue to get a federal student aid and you have an internal investigation going on. Those are the ones we know about.
LEMON: Susan Candiotti, thank you for your reporting.
A Syracuse university basketball coach accused of child sex abuse is calling the allegations against him patently false. Two former ball boys from the team told ESPN this week that Associate Coach Bernie Fine molested them multiple times in the 1980s and 1990s. The accusers are step-brothers. One came forward with these allegations in 2005.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY DAVIS, ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIM: He started trying to touch me and things like that, you know. And honestly, I don't even remember if I thought that was what was supposed to happen, you know. I know I cringed up and didn't want it to happen. And I was very, you know, like, what's going on, is this -- I just remember being disgusted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, Syracuse University says it launch a thorough investigation in 2005 and found no evidence supporting the accusations. It says police did not pursue the case because the statute of limitations had expired. Police have now reopened the case and Fine has been put on administrative leave pending the outcome.
The associate coach issued this statement on the allegations. He said, "Sadly, we live in an allegation-based society and an internet age where in a matter of minutes one's lifelong reputation can be severely damaged. I am confident that as in the past, a review of these allegations will be discredited and restore my reputation."
We're going to take an in-depth look at this case with defense attorney Holly Hughes in about 30 minutes here on CNN. And at 7:00 p.m. eastern, we'll have a live report from Syracuse.
Most of the Republican candidates for president taking the stage tonight in Iowa. You're looking at a live picture right now. But, it is a candidate who isn't there who is making news at this hour.
Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): With scenes like this happening across the country, is the occupy movement over or dwindling? We're discussing straight ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on-camera): All right. Let's talk a little politics now. As we told you before the break, six Republican hopefuls gathering in Iowa tonight for the Thanksgiving family forum. It's in Des Moines. There you see Mr. Newt Gingrich on the stage. Frank Luntz is hosting this event tonight, and we're going to listen in just a little bit. Let's listen and see what Newt Gingrich talks about.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWT GINGRICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What the founding fathers meant when they said that our rights come from our creator. It changes everything else. The secular is a term that comes actually from a Latin, saeculari, meaning a century. And it basically says, life is very limited, so you might as well get the most you can now. A belief in God is the precise opposite.
It's a belief that we are all part of an eternity, and that eternity stretches behind us and ahead of us. And therefore, we have to measure what we do within the framework of God's greater plan. A country which has been now since 1963 relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life shouldn't be surprised that all the problems we have because we've, in fact, attempted to create a secular country, which I think is frankly a nightmare.
So, I think the first step is not -- this is not sectarian. It's not protestant, Catholic, Jewish. This is a factual historic statement. Our founding document which is the base of our government --
LEMON (voice-over): Former speaker of the house, Newt Gingrich, speaking there in Iowa, and he has been really rising in the polls lately. So, it's interesting to hear what he's going to have to say tonight, talking about values, of course. That's what this is. This is a values forum. Pollster, Frank Luntz, will be doing the moderating.
You know, they don't have a long time to make an impression because the Iowa caucuses are coming up on January 3rd.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (on-camera): Shannon Travis is at this Thanksgiving family forum in Des Moines, Iowa. There he is. So, Shannon, first, let's talk about Mitt Romney. He's not there tonight, but I hear he is making news. SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes. Mitt Romney is not here tonight, but as you just mentioned, he is making news. We just found out that he's opening his very first campaign headquarters here in Iowa. Now, this is significant, Don. He hasn't had a campaign headquarters, thus far, this political cycle, and this suggests that he could possibly be ramping up his activities here in this first in the nation caucus state.
I talked with his top political strategist here in the state a little while ago, and he kind of downplayed it and said, hey, we needed a bigger space. I asked him how big was it? He said it's about 3,000 or 4,000 square feet. So, it is a large space. He's downplaying it, but again, this will be received by a lot of political watchers as a major step for Mitt Romney.
We know that he has not been to Iowa as much -- nearly as much as the other candidates. One other development, Don, that's been happening here, Occupy Des Moines has been protesting -- or earlier, they were protesting outside of this forum of the six presidential candidates.
And just a few moments ago, frankly, a surprising and it's potentially even jaw-dropping for a lot of people moment happened where the pollster, the moderator, Frank Luntz, stood up and said, you know what, we've got 3,000 people here. We know that some of you in this audience may be occupy DES Moines protesters, so I'm going to make a deal with you.
I'm going to let you speak now before this forum gets under way in exchange for you not disrupting the proceedings tonight, the two-hour proceedings. One man stood up, he did not say whether he was, in fact, with Occupy Des Moines or not, but he had on a black sweatshirt and a cap and he talked a lot about the Federal Reverse.
He talked a lot about wanting to hear some things that the occupy protesters often frequently talk about. Again, he didn't say that he was with them, but it was a pretty jaw-dropping moment in this forum, Don.
LEMON: Yes, and it's interesting. That was pretty smart. Get your concerns out now, so that you don't interrupt. All right. Thank you very much, Shannon Travis. We'll be watching.
We're also going to tell you that Tuesday night on CNN, the Republican presidential hopefuls will take part in a debate on national security and the economy. It is hosted by Cnn's Wolf Blitzer and co-sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. Make sure you watch it right here, 8:00 p.m. eastern on Tuesday.
And don't go anywhere because our Wolf Blitzer is going to join me at 7:00 to talk about the debate and the Republican race for the White House.
You heard Shannon mentioned the Occupy Movement, Occupy Wall Street is at a major crossroads after days of major police crackdowns all across the country. I want you to take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): Those Cal Davis protesters paid the price for their encounter with police. Meantime, back east, police evicted demonstrators at the epicenter of the movement.
That's New York's Zuccotti Park, and the police action appears to have worked. The park is mostly empty and quiet today. Dorian Warren, he joins me now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on-camera): He's a professor of political science at Columbia University. Thanks for joining me once again. So, listen, professor, the occupy protesters have lost their gathering spots in many cities. They need a new place to meet, to sleep. Have these protests run their course?
PROF. DORIAN WARREN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: I don't think so, Don. And in fact, every time there's a lull in the protests, there's a spark of something that happens. Usually, police brutality of some kind that gets people energized again and gets them motivated and recommitted to the Occupy Movement. And I think we see this with the UC Davis footage and the pepper spray.
And remember, it was pepper spray from a cop early on that actually got around virally on YouTube and other places that really blew up the movement in many ways.
LEMON: When you look at this video -- and we're playing it now and you see the aftermath of it, people trying to wipe their eyes and clean their faces, what about this police action we've seen? Are police going too far here, in your estimation?
WARREN: I think they are, and I think this is also what happens in most social movements. So, if we think back to the civil rights movement, we see those images of police brutality against non-violent protesters who are engaging in civil disobedience of some kind.
LEMON: Listen, are you calling this police brutality or do you think that police rightfully doing their jobs? You think it's over the line, you think it's brutality?
WARREN: I think it's brutality, and I think it's not very different from fire hoses, frankly. When it's a peaceful, non-violent group of people expressing their First Amendment rights and they're pepper sprayed for no reason, I think that's over the line, and I think most Americans probably see that and think the same thing.
LEMON: Is this where the lack of organized leadership hurts this movement, you think, because -- and makes it harder to reorganize once they have been evicted from parks? They really don't have one singular spokesperson or maybe one famous person who can get on television and sort of lead them and become the face and the voice of the movement.
WARREN: I think that's, right now, still to the advantage of the movement, because it makes it so that there aren't any particular targets that opponents of occupy can really focus in on. So, it leaves opponents of occupy scrambling to figure out how to undermine or de-legitimize the movement in some ways by trying to find some information on some credible leader.
But they can't, because there isn't one spokesperson. So, you have a range of people. For now, I think that's an asset for the movement.
LEMON: You think -- listen, I have been watching the coverage, a lot of coverage on this movement, professor, and you see people talking about -- in the media talking about people having sex, about rapes, about sexual diseases being transmitted, about drugs, about the filth at some of the compounds. And so, there doesn't seem to be an organized, at least, PR campaign
They're not watching their PR, and in many ways, it looks like their PR may be outshining them, doing more harm to their movement than good. So, I'm not sure what you mean you think -- when you say you think it's good that they don't have one moving target. I think their own PR may be harming them in some way.
WARREN: That might be true, but here's the flip side of that. So now, that they're evicted from these places, that argument about what's happening in the parks can't be used anymore. And, I'll give you another example. Today, a big story was broken by Chris Hayes about this memo drawn up for the American Association of Bankers by a D.C. lobbying group.
That the group actually drew up a proposal of $850,000 that they wanted the banking lobby to commit to them to launch a campaign against occupy. So, they're taking occupy very seriously, and they're figuring a way to undermine them and to ward off any Democratic politician connection to the movement leading into the next election cycle.
So very, very interesting, even if there's no PR for the movement or no coordination, its opponents are very much worried about what the effect of this movement might be.
LEMON: Yes. It doesn't take an investigation to figure that out. All you have to do is watch the coverage on different networks and you can see what you're talking about. Thank you, professor, we appreciate it.
WARREN: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Next, the Penn State sex abuse scandal. The mother of one of the alleged victims is speaking out. Dr. Wendy Walsh is going to weigh in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Since allegations came out that the rape boys -- former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky could be considered the most hated man in America right now. And some believe that Sandusky dug himself a deeper hole by speaking with NBC earlier this week. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF JERRY SANDUSKY, FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT COACH: You know, I shouldn't have showered with those kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So, despite what you heard, one of the accusers still fears he won't be believed in the end. The alleged victim's mother spoke with CNN about her son's reaction to Sandusky's interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He cried and I said, why are you crying? And he said, because I'm afraid he might go free.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: He's afraid that Sandusky might go free?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, we go now to human behavior expert, Dr. Wendy Walsh, who is a co-host of "The Doctors." Wendy, you and I have been talking about this since this broke when you and I were on the air. Help us understand how this alleged victim could think that Sandusky could go free after seeing an interview that many say made Sandusky look even worse?
WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Well, what we're seeing here, Don, is the actual injury of child molestation, which is a big psychological injury. I mean, the physical injuries, they're one thing, but the psychological injury is a deep wound that can go on forever.
Where one feels disempowered, where one feels like a victim, where one may have sexual issues, trust issues, relationship issues, anxiety, addiction issues, depression issues, all related to this act.
People who have been sexually abuse as kids, sometimes, are physically, sexually attracted to people who will abuse them in life. So, of course, they're not going to trust that this guy is going to be believed.
LEMON: All right. Let's listen to one more thing from Jerry Sandusky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB COSTAS, NBC NEWS: Are you a pedophile?
SANDUSKY: No.
COSTAS: Are you sexually attracted to young boys, to underage boys?
SANDUSKY: Am I sexually attracted to underage boys? COSTAS: Yes.
SANDUSKY: Sexually attracted, no, not. I enjoy young people. I love to be around them. But, no, I'm not sexually attracted to young boys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Doctor, I've been wanting to ask you about this since the interview ran, repeating the question -- as a matter of fact, what did you think of the interview?
WALSH: Well, that particular repeating the question is a classic clue to whether somebody is lying or not. Usually when people lie, or very often times, they will repeat the question to buy themselves time to think of the answer.
I would have thought that his lawyers would have really prepped him for this question, in particular, and he would have combat out with a very quick, very empathic no. But the fact that it took him 15 seconds to come around to a no is fascinating to me.
LEMON: Yes. It is fascinating to you and to a lot of people in America. Wendy, my next question is about some fake photos used in an ad campaign. They showed two men kissing but that's not what's causing the outrage. Wait until you see who's puckering in these pictures. It's right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Clothing label Benetton has created some fake photos that are causing real outrage, so much so that Benetton has already pulled this doctored image of Pope Benedict XVI kissing a Muslim cleric. But the fabricated picture of President Obama smooching Chinese President Hu Jintao is -- is sticking around along with about half dozen other altered pics.
So Dr. Wendy is back with us. Wendy, Benetton said it's launched this campaign to combat a culture of hatred. So why so much public anger here?
WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Well, I'd love this campaign, Don. I have to say, because it appeals to the young Benetton demographic, who think of themselves as a global world and who are less homophobic, perhaps.
I posted this on Twitter and Facebook and a lot of my followers said they didn't like the fact that they were kissing. If they were hugging it would be OK. So maybe it's the erotic inference, even though in plenty of other countries men do kiss with affection and there are some women leaders.
And I think the best thing for Benetton is the fact that the Vatican got mad. You know, Madonna sold lots of albums based on the Vatican getting mad, so they'll sell lots of jeans based on that, I'm sure.
LEMON: Yes. And when I saw it on the Internet, I just thought that they caught them at an awkward moment when they were saying hello. And initially I just didn't think it's a big deal. I didn't realize it was fake.
So, listen, I understand what you're saying - you're saying about the whole sexuality part of it. But I can't - can you see why, Wendy, that people find it offensive to take images of revered public figures and manipulate them into something that's not accurate?
WALSH: Well, if you go on many people's Facebook pages and their own website, you'll see lots of world leaders with horns and craziness. People do manipulate pictures of celebrities.
Don, this week, I found out there are a couple of people impersonating me on dating sites, using my photos. So this happens on the Internet with photos are manipulated. And when people are public personalities, it sort of comes with the territory.
LEMON: OK, Dr. Wendy Walsh. Thank you. We appreciate it.
WALSH: All right. See you next week.
LEMON: Child sex abuse allegations are also being leveled against a coach at Syracuse University. How are the two cases different? Defense Attorney Holly Hughes tells us. It's after a break.
But first, forget Black Friday. The Christmas shopping season is already under way, but before you buy anything, CNN's Christine Romans has a look at the most common and most costly mistakes shoppers make. It's this week's edition of "Smart is the New Rich."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hello, holiday hype machine.
Retailers will do whatever they can to separate you from your money, whether you have it to spend or not. So holiday buyers beware. Here are five steps to outsmart them.
Don't open a store credit card. Most have very high interest rates and credit limits are too low. Even applying for them hurts your credit score. That one-time 10 percent off may not be worth it.
Now, if they aren't pushing the store credit card, they're pushing the extended warranty. Don't waste your money.
MANDY WALKER, CONSUMER REPORTS: In fact, you really very seldom should take the extended warranty. Probably never is OK.
ROMANS: Consumer Reports' Mandy Walker says your credit card may already cover you. Plus --
WALKER: Products seldom break during the extended warranty time period, which is probably only two or three years past the time you've bought it -
ROMANS: Right.
WALKER: -- and the manufacturers warranty will probably last the first year.
ROMANS: Gift cards are not always a great gift. A quarter of all gift cards are still lying around in your purse or your desk drawers 10 months after you get it. That's accdg to Consumer Reports.
And two-thirds of people who get them spend more than the card's face value. So they're basically paying for their own present. Unless you know for a fact the recipient wants it and will use it, you're probably buying the retailer a gift.
Also, be leery of layaway. There are upfront fees. What if the item goes on sale and if you miss a payment, the retailer could cancel the layaway and you'll lose money.
And finally, do not pay full price. Beware of retailers who jack up a price before lowering it again and hunt through the online sites like RetailMeNot for coupon codes you can plug in for online shopping. Make it your mission never to pay for shipping. There are always free shipping deals right around the corner.
And don't buy the hype. Black Friday prices are not always the lowest of the season.
Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.
Just two weeks after the Penn State scandal hit the headlines, child sex abuse allegations are surfacing at another school. Syracuse Police have reopened an investigation to claims that a Syracuse University associate basketball coach molested two boys.
Holly Hughes, a criminal defense attorney, joins me now. Holly, two former ball boys for Syracuse, the basketball team who are stepbrothers, told ESPN associate coach Bernie Fine abused them repeatedly in the 1980s and 1990s. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE LANG, ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIM: When he first did it, you moved away and you wouldn't say anything because you, you know, you didn't feel like you're capable of saying anything, you know? He's a god to you, you know? He can do whatever he wants to us, but not with me. I - I didn't feel right about it. And I told him that, Bernie, please don't do that to me. And then, you know, he'd do it again and again and -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So, Holly, does the statute of limitations apply here?
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It will to specific acts that happened 20-some years ago. But typically in the pedophilia cases, what we see, Don, is that there are ongoing acts over the years. And if they've launched another investigaton, what they may be hoping is to bring forth new victims and typically a lot of times if there's a repressed memory and a young person doesn't remember being molested, the statute of limitations will not start to run until such time as they recall that and make that initial outcry.
LEMON: OK. And I want to read this because I - this is important I think. This is a statement that Fine issued. He said, "Sadly we live in an allegation-based society and an Internet age where in a matter of minutes one's life long reputation can be severely damaged. I'm confident that as in the past a review of these allegations will be discredited and restore my reputation."
So, Holly, if these accusations are again found to be without warrant, what legal options would Fine have to clear his name here?
HUGHES: Well, at this point what he's going to have to do is go the civil route. If once again they say these are completely unfounded, he may be able to sue these accusers for defamation of character, for slander, for libel because in order to be able to prove those things in court, you have to prove that they were published, that they were made known. And obvious, we're talking about it on national TV. So clearly these accusations were made public, these things against his reputation.
And I think this is distinguishable. I want to point out for the viewers. This is distinguishable because these investigations were reported at the time. They were investigated by the police and by several different newspapers.
LEMON: Right.
HUGHES: And we know the news media outlets have some great investigative reporters. Nothing was ever found. They were unfounded accusations at the time. So this isn't something where it was never reported to the police and never looked into and we also know for a fact, statistically speaking, pedophilia is not a one-time thing. So what we see in the Penn State scandal is multiple victims coming out of the woodwork and we're not seeing that here, Don.
LEMON: In this particular case. And I think it's important to talk about Syracuse's response and the university says it's launched a full investigation at the time the first alleged victim Bobby Davis came forward in 2005 then in his 30s and found no proof of his claims, as Holly said. So S.U. has put Fine on administrative leave pending the new investigation.
So how is this case different than the Penn State? Is it because you said that all of the authorities, you believe, got involved at the time when this was brought -
HUGHES: Right, absolutely. Well, they went directly to the police. You know, when these boys reported it or they were men when they finally reported it and they went forward and said, this is happening, the police department did get involved. They did conduct a full investigation. The university conducted an investigation. Several news media outlets conducted investigations.
And in all of that, they didn't turn up any additional victims. And we know that pedophiles are not going to abuse one or two boys, and these are stepbrothers -
LEMON: Yes.
HUGHES: -- making the accusations and then stop, Don. So somewhere, somebody would have turned up another victim alleging to have been abused.
LEMON: I've heard the average pedophile has more - the average more than 100 victims -
HUGHES: That's exactly right.
LEMON: -- in his or her lifetime. Unbelievable.
HUGHES: Yes, sadly.
LEMON: OK. Holly, don't go anywhere, because our next case involves a brutal police beating caught on tape. Here's how it all started. Wait till you see how it ended. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Two police officers in Albuquerque, New Mexico, could face criminal charges after they were caught on tape brutally beating a suspect.
Defense attorney and former prosecutor Holly Hughes joins us now. She's back.
Holly, I want you to take a look at this tape and I'm going to explain. So here it is. Here's the surveillance video, the camera in the parking garage caught it all. It's at a hotel - it's at a hotel and is capturing the scene.
It was February 13th. You see him there kicking the guy. You can see the officer tackled the suspect, which was a car thief. Another officer then kicks him repeatedly in the head. Then the officer can be seen giving each other a congratulatory chest bump after they finish.
The police chief says the officers did use excessive force and fired them. A special prosecutor is considering filing charges.
So, Holly, was this a crime?
HUGHES: Absolutely, --
LEMON: By the part of the officers, I mean. HUGHES: -- on the part of the police officers, yes, let's clarify that. Absolutely. There's no doubt about it. It's multiple crimes, OK?
What you have is an aggravated assault, a battery, you probably have aggravated battery, too, depending on how much damage they did to this poor man. Because once he's down and he's confined, he's had the cuffs on him, there's no need to continue to kick him in the head. If they've done anything like permanent damage, permanent hearing loss, he lost a tooth, he has some kind of scar or disfiguring, that raises it to the level of aggravated battery, which can carry a maximum up to 20 years, Don.
LEMON: See the beating was bad.
HUGHES: It was.
LEMON: But then there is the chest bump after.
So if the charges filed - if the charges are filed, will the chest bump and the sort of congratulatory thing play into the charges - into the case?
HUGHES: Oh, yes, absolutely. Because, you know, this isn't - they're not going to be able to then take the stand and say, we were in fear for our lives. This suspect had run. He resisted us. He obstructed officers. He hit my partner and so we kind of just lost our heads momentarily. With the adrenaline pumping, you know we cuffed him and we went a little too far. We get that.
They can't say that now. Because when you finish beating the heck out of somebody and then do a chest bump, you're proud of yourself, Don.
LEMON: Yes.
HUGHES: You're congratulating - that's a high-five. Woo-hoo, touchdown!
LEMON: It's not like a football - it's not like a football game, right.
HUGHES: You know, that's exactly right.
LEMON: The officer wrote in his report that he thought the suspect was armed. He wasn't. Will that notation play into the case? Will that make a difference?
HUGHES: With respect to everything that happens up until the point that that man is held on the ground by one police officer and the other one is kicking his head in, that's not going to help the officers defend themselves. Because I understand your adrenaline is pumping, but once you have him down and he can't move and your partner is holding him down, you don't get to kicking his head like it's a soccer ball. I'm sorry. That's excessive force, Don.
LEMON: Holly Hughes - HUGHES: Too much.
LEMON: -- thank you. Thank you very much.
HUGHES: Thanks.
LEMON: I have a question - a much lighter question. Do you remember the rapper Fat Joe?
HUGHES: No. Fat Albert, yes, Fat Joe, no. I can't help you. Sorry.
LEMON: Fat Joe, lean back. Well, he used to celebrate being overweight. But he is now making it his mission to slim down. We're going to tell you why after the break.
Fat Albert, you're crazy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: He raps under the name Fat Joe and his name says it all. But the oversized entertainer tells our Dr. Sanjay Gupta that is he slimming down. We found out why on today's "Human Factor."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FAT JOE, RAPPER: You know, I was talking to my trainer yesterday and I realized that he said, "When is the last time you were slim?" And I swear to God, I think when I was a month or two months old. That was it. I was Fat Joe ever since.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fat Joe. Joey Crack. Joseph Antonio Cartagena. The larger than life rapper grew up in public housing and was taught from an early age that food equals love.
So when Joe hit the big time, he felt he deserved all the good food his lavish lifestyle could afford.
FAT JOE: I'm rich now. I can go to Mr. Chows and eat me all the lobster and steak I want.
GUPTA: Then in 2000, Joe's friend and fellow rap star Big Pun suffered a fatal heart attack.
FAT JOE: I think I weighed about 450, 460 at my heaviest. And, you know, I always took pride in being fat. That's why my name was Fat Joe and I always represented the big people. But I realized that at one point - at a certain point all my big people were dying.
GUPTA: Last year alone, six of Joe's friends died of heart attacks. Most were younger than him but just about the same size.
FAT JOE: I couldn't see a clearer picture of me being - what's the difference between me and him or me being in a casket and my daughter running around the funeral home and, you know, she doesn't have a dad no more. GUPTA: So Joe is eating healthier food in smaller portions, more frequently throughout the day. He even when he's on the road. He's lost 100 pounds and counting.
FAT JOE: And this breaking news, Sanjay. This is like my best, best, best friends on earth don't even know this, but, you know, I was diabetic for 16 years since I was 14. And being that I lost weight, no more diabetes.
GUPTA: When he's not working nowadays, chances are you'll find Fat Joe at the gym. But even though he's dropped the pounds, Fat Joe says he has no intention of dropping the name.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: A tailgating tragedy, an Ivy League football game, a major snowstorm pounding a big part of the country and what one reporter found that belonged to the president. Your top stories are next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: In the headlines tonight, pessimistic comments from a member of the Congressional Super Committee working toward a debt reduction deal. Senator John Kyl of Arizona says it's, quote, "pretty doubtful" the bipartisan group can reach some kind of compromise. The 12- member group has until Wednesday to reach a deal.
There was a terrible accident today near the Yale University Stadium. One woman was killed and a second seriously hurt when a u-haul truck smashed into a group of tailgaters. A third woman was treated for minor injuries. The accident is still under investigation. The football game with Harvard went on as scheduled.
And Reno, Nevada, residents are returning to their homes tonight after fleeing a wildfire on Friday. At least 15 homes were destroyed. Firefighters are credited with saving at least 4,000 others. The blaze should be completely contained by tonight. It is believed to have been sparked by electricity arching from power lines.
President Obama is on his way back to Washington tonight. He's been traveling through Asia and the Pacific Region for the past nine days. The president said Boeing and General Electric will be the immediate beneficiaries of the trip because of new trade deals worth up to $39 billion. Mr. Obama is expected to be back at the White House tomorrow.
Jacqui Jeras joins us now live from the CNN Severe Weather Center with a wintry blast for parts of the U.S. And I can see you're dressed for it. You're all warm in your boots and your sweater.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I've got my turtleneck out.
LEMON: It was chilly today, huh? JERAS: It was. It was chilly for most of the U.S. today and way below average. It's going to get even colder because this cold front has got some real Arctic air behind it. in fact, we have, you know, cold air bottled up towards Alaska and the Arctic Circle for the last week. And thankfully we haven't seen too much of that make its way down towards the U.S.
All right. Here's what we got going on at this hour. Some snow which has been heavy at times. It went through the Dakotas. It's going through Minnesota and now it's moving through Northern Wisconsin and into the U.P. of Michigan. It's been coming in extremely heavy at times. For the most part, the Twin Cities, you're only getting about one to three inches overall. But we're getting lots of reports of accidents and spinouts especially along I-35.
A lot of people trying to do a little bit of that holiday travel already and we do have some delays at the airports as a result as well.
Take a look at some of the snowfall totals we've seen so far. A foot in Hinckley, Minnesota; New Castle, Wyoming, also a foot. And take a look at that, Mt. Rushmore, you know Mt. Rushmore right now, 9-1/2 inches of snowfall there.
Kind of a quick moving system. So that's the good news. Our low is going to pull up towards the Great Lakes by tomorrow morning. And just pull that cool air in then behind it. Just rain for you in Chicago, Milwaukee and it's going to be really light for the most part for tonight. It's going to head into Michigan tomorrow. It will be a little bit heavier there. But it's also bringing a strong southerly wind ahead of that front. And so it's bringing in warmth. It's bringing in moisture. And we could see severe thunderstorms across parts of Texas and Louisiana as we head into tomorrow afternoon.
And temperature-wise, look at the difference here. Only 30 in Minneapolis tomorrow. Check out Dallas - 81 degrees. So still feeling pretty warm across the south.
LEMON: Let's see where I would like to be.
JERAS: Where are you looking to start?
LEMON: I was just in Tampa, it's 85. In Miami it's 81. Holy Shmoly!
JERAS: Yes.
LEMON: Let's get on and jump on a plane and go.
JERAS: It's not ugly.
LEMON: No. Thank you, Jacqui.
JERAS: Sure.
LEMON: Appreciate it. Coming up at 7:00 P.M. tonight on CNN, undercover video of animal cruelty at some chicken plants. This video you're looking at shot by an animal rights group prompted the McDonald's restaurant chain to drop the egg supplier. The company says it's already fired some workers and there's an investigation under way. Much more of this story tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Thank you so much for watching. I'll be back here one hour from now.
In the meantime, "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Mr. Wolf Blitzer starts right now.