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Battle for Florida Primary; London Phone-Hacking Arrests; Demi Moore 911 Call; Cruise Survivors File Lawsuits; FAMU "Marching 100" Not in Atlanta Battle of the Bands; Romney's Interest in Florida College; Hinckley Mental Health Hearing; Victim's Mom Files Wrongful Death Suit; Sex Offender Library Ban Overturned; California Man Sues Leno Over Joke; Race For White House Intensifies; London Phone Hacking Arrests; "Battle Of The Bands" In Atlanta
Aired January 28, 2012 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I'm Gary Tuchman, everybody, hello.
Major presidential primaries and caucuses are right around the corner and the GOP candidates are out in force today. In the last hour, Ron Paul addressed a town hall in Maine where several caucuses are being held this weekend. Most of the state's caucuses are next Saturday.
Rick Santorum is attending a fund-raiser in Washington, D.C. And Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are in the Sunshine State, Florida, three days before that state's primary. We'll bring you the candidates' events live throughout the day.
Florida is a big prize, with 50 delegates up for grabs in a winner- take-all contest. It's time to turn to CNN Political Reporter Peter Hamby who's live in Plantation, Florida, that's a suburb just west of Ft. Lauderdale. Peter, Romney holds sizable lead over Gingrich in the latest poll now. What's his strategy to maintain that lead?
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes. You'd think they would be comfortable right now, but they're not letting up on Newt Gingrich.
I've got to tell you, Gary, every television ad I've seen has been negative and most of them have been negative from Romney or his allies against Newt Gingrich. Today they're out with a brutal new ad that's completely saturating television air waves here. It basically features Tom Brokaw talking for 30 seconds in a news clip from 1997 after the House voted to sanction Gingrich when he was speaker. Take a look at this ad that's running here, Gary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BROKAW, ANCHOR, NBC "NIGHTLY NEWS": Tonight, he has on his own record the judgment of his peers, Democrat and Republican alike, by an overwhelming vote they found him guilty of ethics violations. They charged him a very large financial penalty and they raised - several of them raised serious questions about his future effectiveness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMBY: So, you know, the Romney campaign basically saying there, hey, don't believe us, listen to Mr. Brokaw here.
Look, Republican voters in Florida, at least Gingrich supporters do like him, they do like his fiery approach, his no-holds barred approach to President Obama. They would love to see him in a debate, but the Romney campaign, as you see there, is constantly reminding voters, trying to - trying to release some anxieties about Gingrich. Is this the guy that we really want in Washington? Gary, you're seeing that all over the TV air waves.
TUCHMAN: Peter, I'm sure Tom Brokaw really appreciates being part of the advertising campaign there, and I'm sure he doesn't.
Either way, Florida primary, the three races, the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary, the South Carolina primary, three different winners. So obviously that's one of the key reasons Florida is so important, right?
HAMBY: Yes, absolutely. And, you know, I was talking to some other reporters about this. It's kind of sad to see those other states go. I mean, we were out in Iowa together, you know, those are states where these candidates can go and meet, you know, many of the voters that will actually show up on election day. In Iowa, there's only a couple hundred thousand voters in the caucuses.
We moved into an entirely new phase of the campaign. Florida is a test of organization, it's a test of if you can compete on a national level because the Republican vote is so diverse. You've got Hispanics. You've got elderly voters. You've got evangelicals. You've got military, every kind of Republican here.
In other states, in South Carolina you do as well, but it's such on a larger scale here in Florida. So this is the last sort of step before we move on to a national campaign, and the Romney campaign honestly is better equipped than his opponents to run in multiple states as we head into - into February and then Super Tuesday on March 6th, Gary. It's a big test.
TUCHMAN: Peter, Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment for the GOP, thou shall not criticize other Republicans, but the rhetoric is getting nastier and nastier on the campaign trail, violating that 11th Commandment left and right. Can we expect it to escalate even more over the next three days prior to the primaries Tuesday?
HAMBY: Yes, I think you can. And one of the reasons is that Newt Gingrich does not like Mitt Romney at all at this point. And that's one reason that a lot of Republicans think Gingrich will stay in this race for a while, even if he loses Florida on Tuesday, because he is just so frustrated by the way the Romney campaign has totally gone after him. They derailed him in Iowa and they're about to do it here, Gary.
TUCHMAN: Peter, nice work in all these states. We look forward to talking with you later. Thank you.
HAMBY: Thanks. TUCHMAN: Well, program note for everybody. Join Fredricka Whitfield every Sunday afternoon, 4:00 Eastern, for a special hour dedicated to the presidential contenders in the 2012 election.
Also, be sure to tune in for an encore presentation of CNN's Florida Republican Presidential Debate. That's today, comes your way 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, about five hours from now.
Overseas, where police in London have arrested several people in connection with a tabloid bribery investigation. Among those arrested is a police officer. Investigation is centering on allegations of bribes made to police for inside information. Police are also searching the London offices of "News International" that's Rupert Murdoch's publishing company that's been at the center of a phone hacking scandal. We'll have much more in a live report from London ahead.
Six passengers who survived the capsizing of the Costa Concordia have filed a massive $450 million lawsuit. The cruise liner ran aground off the Coast of Italy two weeks ago. The company that owns the ship has offered just over $14,000, the equivalent comes out to $14,000 to each of the survivors. An attorney representing the passengers told CNN's Erin Burnett what he thought of that offer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC BERN, SURVIVORS' LAWYER: It is an insult. And this was not an incident that could possibly be covered by the ticket - by the ticket limitations. Erin, this is an act of horrendous negligence. It was careless disregard for human life and property. This was not covered by any limitations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Coming up, we're going to talk with our legal experts about the legal fallout from the Costa Concordia disaster and the lawsuit filed. That's just ahead around 12:20 P.M. Eastern.
Former Penn State Assistant Football Coach Jerry Sandusky is asking a judge to allow him to visit his grandkids. He's accused of child sex abuse and he's out on bail, but he's barred from unsupervised visits with his grandchildren. A hearing is scheduled for February 10th.
Missouri Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver is being hailed a hero today for helping a woman he found in a ditch at the side of the road. Cleaver noticed her when he and an aide were driving by. They waited with the woman until paramedics arrived. Cleaver said he was thankful he was at the right place at the right time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER, (D) MISSOURI: She was in a ditch so there may have been people who drove by and just didn't see her. And I was fortunate enough to see her, cold, and hopefully she's OK. If she is, then this was probably the best day of my year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Well, Cleaver also said the first responders were the true heroes. The woman's condition right now is not known.
Police in London are sifting through new evidence seized today in the growing tabloid phone hacking scandal. We'll get the very latest from London next.
Plus -
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPERATOR: Is she breathing normally?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not so normal, but more sort of shaking, convulsing, burning up.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: The call for help for Demi Moore. We're learning more about the night the actress was rushed to the hospital.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Police in London are questioning five people and scouring through new evidence seized in morning raids. The case is connected to that tabloid phone hacking scandal.
CNN's Matthew Chance is live in London with details. Matthew, what's the latest?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest is, Gary, that the police are now sifting through the e-mail traffic they seized from their searches of the various houses of these four former journalists, current journalists as well, some of the employees, current and former of the "Sun" newspaper, which is of course Britain's biggest selling tabloid newspaper, owned by News International run by Rupert Murdoch.
They've also placed these four individuals under arrest and they face charges of paying illegal money to police officers. A fifth person, a police officer, has also been arrested, facing charges of accepting bribes and misusing his public -public office. And so it's obviously another dramatic development and these serious charges involved as well.
Another serious dramatic development in this ongoing phone hacking scandal, which continues to rock the journalistic world here, the authorities as well. The extent to which journalists and police colluded in this phone hacking or at least other sort of negative practices is still now being investigated, Gary.
TUCHMAN: Matthew, is there the expectation that there are still - there is still more to be uncovered in this case?
CHANCE: I think there must be. I think that the idea that this investigation is really only just got going over the past several months. Already there have been some 27 people arrested. Two of them are police officers. Must mean that, you know, in the minds of many people that this is just scratching the surface and that if the police continue to investigate in the way that they are doing, remember the top two police officers in the Metropolitan Police, the London Police Force have already resigned for failing to fully investigate the extent of this phone hacking scandal.
The police now seem particularly determined to get to the bottom of it, to identify and to prosecute which officers may have been taking money, which journalists may have been doing the hacking, paying the bribes, and so the potential is this could go a lot deeper than just these five arrested today.
TUCHMAN: Very complex case. Matthew Chance from London, thank you very much, Matthew.
Well, lawsuits from the Italian cruise ship disaster. Where will passengers file them, in the U.S. or in Italy? Our legal experts weigh in next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: We're learning more about the night actress Demi Moore was rushed to the hospital. The 911 call has been released. On it a woman tells the operator to send an ambulance as soon as possible because Moore was convulsing and burning up. Here's a portion of that 911 call.
(BEGIN AUDIO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is an ambulance on the way?
OPERATOR: Hold on, ma'am, hold on. OK. Tell me exactly what happened there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. She smoked something. It's not marijuana, but it's similar to. It's similar to incense. And she seems to be having convulsions of some sort.
OPERATOR: OK. Are you with the person at this time?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am actually in the other room, but, yes.
OPERATOR: OK. You've got to - you've got to be next to her so I can ask some questions that we have paramedics on the way. She overdosed on -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's convulsing.
OPERATOR: OK. Listen to me. Keep watching her closely, though. Don't put anything in her mouth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not.
OPERATOR: Was this accidental or intentional? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it was - she smoked something, you know, but the reaction was accidental.
(END AUDIO TAPE)
TUCHMAN: A spokesman for Demi Moore says the actress, who recently separated from husband Ashton Kutcher, is seeking treatment for exhaustion.
Survivors from the Costa Concordia Cruise disaster in Italy are being offered $14,400 each in compensation, 11,000 euros. And now a lawsuit has been filed against the ship's owner over the crash.
It's time to bring in our "Legal Guys," Avery Friedman, he's a Civil Rights Attorney and Law Professor. He is in Cleveland. And Richard Herman, a New York Criminal Defense Attorney and Law Professor. He's not in New York. He joins us via Skype from Honolulu, which is in my favorite state, Hawaii. What are you doing in Hawaii, by the way?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I'm doing research for CNN, Gary. You know what that's like.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Oh, yes. Right. Good one. Good one.
TUCHMAN: It's a beautiful place. Richard, I want to ask you the first question. I understand that you spoke with the attorney for the plaintiffs on the Costa Concordia. What did he tell you?
HERMAN: I spoke with Mitchell Proner of Proner and Proner and basically what he told me is they assembled a team of international lawyers, maritime attorneys. The lawsuit was filed yesterday in State Court in Miami, not as a class action. They are hoping to keep jurisdiction in Miami.
But Gary, you know when you take a cruise - when you take a cruise, you take a contract of passage and there's a lot of fine print in that document. This particular document says if Costa did not dock in the United States, all jurisdiction is Italy. They're fighting hard to keep it in the United States due to the egregious conduct of the crew.
And one instance, Avery, listen to this, in Italian they were telling the passengers get on the life boats. In English they were saying go back to your rooms. And that's just one example -
FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes, absolutely.
HERMAN: Yes. That's one example of conduct they're hoping to overcome.
FRIEDMAN: Sure.
HERMAN: The limitation of liability and the jurisdictional provisions.
FRIEDMAN: Well, yes - there are - Gary, there are a multitude of both procedural and substantive issues, but to me what's so compelling here, once they figure out where it's going to be, and I think it will stay in the United States because Carnival owns the ship, is that number one, Francesco Schettino, the captain, on one hand says, well, I've fallen down and I can't get up and he fell right into a life boat, which is not very credible.
Secondly, they got him on tape saying I upped and left. And secondly, and I think more compelling, is that under maritime law, you're supposed to contact the Coast Guard immediately. Costa Portieri (ph) which owns the boat, owns the ship and the captain admit that no one contacted the Coast Guard for 73 minutes. That's extremely compelling and it may be effective in getting around the kind of fine print that Richard is talking about.
TUCHMAN: Avery, let me ask you, why - why file in State Court in Florida and not federal court, if the case eventually does come to the United States? What's the benefit to doing it in state court?
FRIEDMAN: Mostly because it's easier. I frankly would have chosen a federal forum, but I understand that by trying to convince a state court judge to keep the case, based on this Florida-based company, many of the procedures that are required in the federal courtroom will not be required in state court.
It's a very smart, tactical move. The idea of a class action, which would have only been somewhere between 30 to 150 people, I think was unlikely. I think the plaintiffs' lawyers, while we're looking at hyperbole, Gary, they're saying it's worse than the Titanic. Fifteen hundred people died in the Titanic, 16 people died here, a tragic loss of life. I'd like to see it stay in the state courts, where the case will be tried.
TUCHMAN: You know, it's amazing, you talk about the Titanic and the irony and the coincidence here, you know, it's been exactly 100 years. It was April 15, 1912, that the Titanic sank. And, by the way, for you baseball fans, five days later, Fenway Park opened in Boston. It's the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. Both things happened in April, though, of 1912. So that's why I think a lot of people compare the Titanic, because it's been 100 years.
HERMAN: Gary, one thing - Gary, you have Costa Cruises also, they have corporate offices in Hollywood, Florida, so there's great reasons to bring it in Florida. However, those contract provisions, and Avery thinks it's going to stay in Florida, I'm just not so sure at this point. They have been held enforceable over the years. It's a very tough hurdle for the plaintiffs to overcome those contract provisions.
FRIEDMAN: We'll see. We'll see.
TUCHMAN: Well, Avery and Richard, we have - we have -
HERMAN: (INAUDIBLE) company is meeting with the plaintiffs, so that's a good sign for the plaintiffs.
FRIEDMAN: Right. TUCHMAN: Gentlemen, we have a lot more to talk about today, so don't go away. Don't go into the Pacific Ocean yet in Hawaii, Richard, because we'll be back -
FRIEDMAN: Don't go surfing (ph).
HERMAN: Yes.
TUCHMAN: That's right. We'll be back in 20 minutes. It really is my favorite place in the world, Hawaii.
We'll be back in 20 minutes to talk about a place most parents consider safe but may now think twice about after an appellate court ruling, so back to our legal guys in just a few minutes.
And we want to follow up on a story we discussed last week with our legal guys, Skechers Shape-Ups are involved in a class action lawsuit filed by a San Diego law firm. Some people claim the toning shoes led to severe injuries.
Well, Skechers now has this response, and we read it to you, "Researchers from around the world have analyzed various models of rocker bottom-shoes and found demonstrable fitness benefits without noting any adverse safety or health consequences." It goes on to say, "Sketchers continues to stand by the safety and efficacy of Shape-Ups because the facts and the experience of the overwhelming majority of our customers support our doing so." That's from Skechers.
Fantastic music and marching today here in Atlanta. It's the Battle of the Bands. That's coming up.
Plus, will Matthew Broderick's famous Ferris Bueller - great movie, by the way. (INAUDIBLE) his character from that movie make an appearance at the Super Bowl? The YouTube video that's fueling a frenzy, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Checking top stories, a mall near Fresno, California will be open today after a shooting. According to affiliate KSEE, police are searching for up to three suspects who fired multiple gunshots inside the Visalia Mall last night.
Two people were hurt. The mall was immediately shut down while officers investigate. Police say the incident resulted from an argument.
Utah police say a series of text messages tipped them off to an alleged Columbine-inspired plot. Two students were arrested Wednesday, accused of planning to bomb their high school in Roy, Utah, which is north of Salt Lake City.
The 18-year-old suspect is charged with the use of weapons of mass destruction. Officials are considering charges against the 16-year- old boy also.
And right here in Atlanta, Georgia, in just a few hours, a fierce competition between the best black college marching bands in the U.S. It's called the Battle of the Bands. And while the contest is a celebration of music and marching, this year's event will also celebrate the life of Robert Champion. He's the Florida A&M drum major who died in November during an alleged hazing.
CNN's George Howell joins me now. George, this is an emotional day, I would imagine, for the Champion family.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed it is. A very difficult - a difficult day for them to be at this event, the first time to be there without their son, Robert Champion, who again, as you mentioned, was killed in a hazing incident. But they tell me that they are looking forward to being there. This is an event that draws tens of thousands of students and parents to see these bands participate.
Just a bit about the actual event itself, 45 bands participated in the actual competition. Only eight were selected through online voting, and those eight bands will perform here in Atlanta, at the Georgia Dome, thousands of people watching them. And the Champions say that's why it's important for them to be there, to be there to focus on hazing, to focus on the issue and just make sure people think twice about it.
This family, though, the Georgia Dome is really just the start for them, Gary. I mean, they have started their own online campaign. They are on Facebook, they are on Twitter, they started their own video, a PSA focused on hazing.
I spoke with them just yesterday, and they say that it is important for them to be on the forefront to make sure no other family goes through what they went through.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM CHAMPION, MOTHER OF ROBERT CHAMPION: If a child, they love music and all they want to do is perform and play their music, they shouldn't have to worry about all this other ugliness side of that. And that's the thing that has to be able - that we have to be able to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: The Champions will be at this event. It starts here at 3:00 Eastern time here in Atlanta. There will be a moment of silence before the bands perform and a tribute to Robert Champion with the family there.
TUCHMAN: I feel so badly for that family.
HOWELL: Indeed.
TUCHMAN: I mean, I know you know them well now. I mean -
HOWELL: They -
(CROSSTALK) TUCHMAN: -- they've gone through so much.
HOWELL: Yes. They've gone through so much.
But, again, it's really important for them to make sure that they are out there on the forefront of the message, to make sure that people think about hazing.
TUCHMAN: Florida A&M band -
HOWELL: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Are they allowed to participate in this?
HOWELL: You know, it's still unclear whether they would participate. They did not participate last year, but they have always been part of the - the Battle of the Bands. That band is suspended as this hazing investigation continues, so this year there will be no presence from Florida A&M, which will be a big difference, very different for the crowd that usually sees them there.
TUCHMAN: George, thank you very much. It should be a very interesting and emotional day here in Atlanta today.
HOWELL: Gary, thanks.
TUCHMAN: Thank you.
Well, a new YouTube clip has Ferris Bueller fans in a frenzy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW BRODERICK AS FERRIS BUELLER: How can I handle work on a day like today?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: It is a classic movie, and if that clip is any indication Matthew Broderick may show up in a Super Bowl ad as the iconic school- skipping troublemaker Ferris Bueller. I guess we'll have to wait until the Super Bowl to find out.
Well, hot, dry Santa Ana winds are blowing hard through parts of Southern California, and that could mean danger. Reynolds Wolf is watching it all and the rest of the day's weather from the Weather Center - Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Boy, you're right about that, Gary.
The odd thing about Southern California, it's going to be one of those days where you step outside and it's going to be just beautiful. Not much in terms of the marine layer, skies - skies will be mostly sunny, temperatures in the 80s. But the issue, as you mentioned Gary, is going to be the wind. It will be strong, some gusts topping 60 miles per hour. That, combined with very low humidity, is going to give us the fire danger, the warnings, the watches for much of Southern California. And we're not only talking about the L.A. basin, we're also talking about as far south as San Diego, along I-15, so something certainly to watch out for.
And, with that, delays can be expected. In fact in Los Angeles, you can have delays just under an hour, but also backups in Detroit, Cincinnati and Cleveland but for an entirely different reason. Here it is, plain and simple on radar for you, some scattered snow showers moving through parts of the Great Lakes and into the Ohio Valley.
That's around 1:00. That's going to move through today, but the second installment of this winter weather is actually going to come not from this area of low pressure and this frontal boundary, but another frontal boundary that's going to sweep in from the west, moving through as we get into Sunday, and that's going to bring another round of snow showers for Chicago back into Detroit.
As we wrap things up, we're talking about the wind in Southern California. We've got the wind also for parts of the Northern Rockies, Central Plains, Northern Plains. It's going to also usher in a lot of cold air in places like Kansas City, where your high temperatures today only going to 47 degrees; 27 in Minneapolis; 37 in Salt Lake City; 80 in Los Angeles; 67, New Orleans; 53 in Washington, D.C; and Gary, back in your hometown we're going to 35 degrees.
That is going to be your high for the day. Let's send it back to you at the desk.
TUCHMAN: Snowing in buffalo. Who would have thunk it?
WOLF: Yes, I know. Shocking, huh? Go figure.
TUCHMAN: Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
TUCHMAN: Well, Mitt Romney is giving shout-outs to one specific Florida College and that has some people asking why does he keep doing that? The story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Following the money on the campaign trail. Do donations change a candidate's message? Well, I took a look at questions surrounding Mitt Romney right now, about his support for one specific Florida College.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Encounters between candidates and voters are usually routine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you mean enough to take on Obama? And I know you are. TUCHMAN: But once in a while the encounters raise questions, like when Mitt Romney was asked back in September about the cost of education.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes. Do you know Full Sail University in Orlando?
TUCHMAN: What is Full Sail University and why is Romney talking about it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to know what you would do to make higher education more affordable and thus more accessible to young people.
ROMNEY: I was at one school college, Full Sail University, it's in Florida, and they don't have summer vacation. They have you go right straight through from beginning to end so you can get through faster. And you can be working faster.
I mean there are things -- it's a for-profit institution, this Full Sail University is. They're trying to think about how to make it more affordable. We ought to do that. We ought to be thinking about that.
TUCHMAN: Once again, a shout-out for Full Sail University. A school in Winter Park, Florida, that specializes in media and entertainment. And while it has top-notch facilities and alumni, costs more than other options.
(on camera): What Mitt Romney did not say during his shout-out is that the CEO of Full Sail University is a major donor to his campaign.
(voice-over): James Bill Heavener has given the maximum $2,500 to Romney's campaign. So as his wife, but it's not only money he's donating. He's donating a considerable amount of time as a co- chairman of Romney's Florida finance team.
In a written statement, Heavener told us, I believe Governor Romney is the best candidate for what America needs at this time. We have 25 million people out of work, and I believe with his experience that he can get America back to work.
I asked Governor Romney about the school at a rally in Tampa.
(on camera): Why have you raised Full Sail University?
ROMNEY: I got a chance to tour the university. I was very impressed with the work they do.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): I then asked Romney is Heavener's donation and loyalty had anything to do with his mentioning of Full Sail. No way, he says.
ROMNEY: Can you imagine $2,500 affecting what you're going to say?
TUCHMAN: But $2,500 is not the only money Heavener has donated. He's also given $45,000 to the "Super PAC" that supports Mitt Romney. Romney, like all the candidates, is not allowed to coordinate "Super PACs." Gary Jones is the president to Full Sail University. He says Romney visited the school and met with him this past summer.
(on camera): Is Full Sail endorsing Mitt Romney for president?
GARRY JONES, PRESIDENT, FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY: No. Full Sail is not.
TUCHMAN: So Full Sail does not take a position in the presidential election?
JONES: Correct.
TUCHMAN: So if an employee wants to donate to Barack Obama's campaign, that's OK?
JONES: Absolutely.
TUCHMAN: Or to Rick Santorum's campaign?
JONES: Sure, to anybody's campaign, yes. That would be the individual's right.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But still, back in September with all the for- profit schools out there, why did Governor Romney single out Full Sail?
ROMNEY: I mention others as well, like the University of Phoenix and others.
TUCHMAN: Indeed just a few weeks ago, Mitt Romney did mention University of Phoenix and others.
ROMNEY: I know some hate the idea of these for-profit universities like University of Phoenix and Full Sail and others. I like the competition.
TUCHMAN: But once again, he mentioned Full Sail, a school that all agree Mitt Romney has sure taken a liking to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Full Sail University does point out that one of its chief officers donated money to Barack Obama during the 2008 election.
Well, here's a quick programming note for you about politics. Be sure to tune in for an encore presentation of CNN's Florida Republican presidential debate. It comes your way today, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
A lawyer admits to murder, but the victim's family is holding his parents and grandmother responsible also. Our legal guys are next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: The hearing on the mental state of the man who shot President Ronald Reagan will resume on Monday. It will determine if John Hinckley Jr. can make extended visits to his mother's home.
Psychiatrists who met with Hinckley say he should not be allowed to spend any unsupervised time during those visits. Federal prosecutors echo that, saying Hinckley remains a risk because he's deceptive and not ready for more privileges. That was almost 31 years ago, that shooting.
Now to an unusual case. A wrongful death suit is not only filed against a murderer, but also a murder's parents and his 92-year-old grandmother.
Our legal guys are back. Avery Friedman in Cleveland and halfway across the Pacific Ocean, Richard Herman in Honolulu. OK, gentlemen, strange case.
A guy admits to killing the ex-wife of his ex-legal partner and meanwhile, the victim's family is suing the killer's mother and grandmother. How is that and why is that, Richard?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's because the attorney is trying to be very creative and trying to get some bucks. It's a great -- it's a creative argument.
It's used when you want to sue a dog owner, whether that dog has a vicious propensity to bite. That's usually the standard. So he's trying to apply that standard here.
It's creative, it's interesting, but it's not going to work, Gary. This case is going to be dismissed.
TUCHMAN: I do need to mention that Richard is on Skype and that's why he's a bit dark right now. Your words illustrate everything perfectly so we can see you in that sense. Avery, do you agree? Is this really a legitimate thing to go to court over?
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, certainly if the lawyer is playing on the emotions of this tragedy, yes, but the idea of creating an expectation is pretty pretzelized (ph). I actually don't think it's creative.
I think it's bad faith. I think it's offensive and I think the court will clearly dismiss this, number one, because generally there's no legal duty for one adult to be responsible for another.
And secondly, the general rule is that an adult is not responsible for the criminal behavior of others. I think it's a poorly motivated case.
You understand the suffering of the family, but there is absolutely no basis for it. This case has to be dismissed.
TUCHMAN: I mean, that's something we need to point out. It's so sad and tragic, I mean, this family lost a daughter and a sister.
FRIEDMAN: You have to feel for the family, sure.
TUCHMAN: But are there ever situations where adults, family members of criminals, can be found responsible?
FRIEDMAN: Yes. If, for example, you are a guardian and you have certain responsibilities that would be it or if there's a statutory obligation created by the legislature.
But other than that, Gary, this case has to go. Unfortunately, it's not going to alleviate the suffering, but it's got to be dismissed.
TUCHMAN: OK, on to another topic, gentlemen, public libraries. A U.S. appellate court has said that sex offenders have the right to use libraries in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Now, the mayor of Albuquerque wanted to kick sex offenders out of the library, but the rule has gone against him. So I'm wondering, Richard, does that surprise you? Do libraries have the right to keep out people who they want?
HERMAN: I was a little surprised at this, but what the court said was it's just too stringent. You can't do a broad scope, all sex offenders can't come to the library.
So give some provisions where they can come and then you should be OK. The mayor has already allowed the sex offenders to come, but now they're going to enact additional stringent measures.
We'll see what happens, if they limit the time and scope and place. I don't know if it's going to work. Looks like more litigation to me, but the mayor is fed up and so he made a move.
TUCHMAN: I mean, where this all stems from is there's a lot of big- city mayors who are concerned about people who hang out in libraries because anyone is welcome in there.
The mayor of Albuquerque said, you know, he sent a letter to sex offenders on the list. You're no longer welcome in the library. What's another way that you can deal with that, Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I think this case was absolutely unnecessary. Martin Chavez is the mayor of Albuquerque, had a very simple way of dealing with it. Have sex offenders registered. Restrict their mobility in the library.
But no, he does a carte blanche, a federal district judge ruled it's unconstitutional. Every American has the right to information and a three-judge panel last week affirmed that.
So that means Albuquerque, Gary, is spending tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for something that should have never happened. You can control it in a less restrictive way. This case should have never happened. Frankly, shame on Albuquerque.
TUCHMAN: All right, so we move from Albuquerque to California. This is a case over the host of the "Tonight Show," Jay Leno. He's been sued over a joke he cracked about Mitt Romney.
He's been sued by a Bakersfield, California, man offended by a joke about a sacred temple that Leno told in "Tonight Show" monologue on Thursday, January 19th so a little more than a week ago. But first of all, let's take a look at the joke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, NBC's "TONIGHT SHOW": You know, the other day they did a behind-the-scenes look at all the presidential candidates' homes and where they live. Quite revealing. Take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's a look at some of the GOP candidates' homes, their cribs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're impressive. Newt Gingrich has a 5200- square foot estate in Virginia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ron Paul put his four bedroom ranch house in Texas on the market.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here's a look at Mitt Romney's summer home in New Hampshire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: OK. Well, that home, in quotes, "is the golden temple." That's a very holy Sikh sight in India. So that's what the suit is that the man in Bakersfield is saying this was blasphemous that this was done.
So I want to ask you Avery, first of all, is there a basis for a man like that to win such a lawsuit?
FRIEDMAN: You know, every year, Gary, we assemble the ten dumbest and worst cases of the year. This will absolutely make the case. There is no basis for a claim.
To give you an idea how misunderstood this is, an Indian official has contacted the State Department and asked them to intervene. There's no basis. It's protected speech and the case absolutely will be dismissed in court.
TUCHMAN: Do you agree with that, Richard?
HERMAN: Gary, the lawsuit claims that Jay Leno is spewing hatred and inviting ridicule by that little clip. The only ridicule is the fact that this lawsuit was brought. That's the ridicule. Satire is protected speech. This lawsuit is ridiculous. They need to chill out, these people.
TUCHMAN: I mean Jay Leno's job is to crack jokes.
FRIEDMAN: They need to be sanctioned.
TUCHMAN: Do think they need to be sanctioned?
HERMAN: Yes, I think there should be sanctions.
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely.
HERMAN: They're seeking punitive damages here. They need to be sanctioned. This is a ridiculous lawsuit.
TUCHMAN: All right, we'll keep an eye on it. Gentlemen, Avery Friedman, Richard Herman, it's been wondering talking today. I've enjoyed it very much.
FRIEDMAN: Gary, all the best.
TUCHMAN: All the best to both you. I got to say, Richard, have a great time in Hawaii. Aloha to both of you.
HERMAN: Gary, on the beautiful island of Kuai, there is a place where they watch CNN, you, Fred and Avery, the legal guys religiously every week, unbelievable.
FRIEDMAN: As they should. As they should, Richard, as they should.
TUCHMAN: I agree, as they should. Gentlemen, thank you very much for talking to us.
Well, now we want to update some of the cases that Richard and Avery have talked about very extensively. We talked about country music star, Garth Brooks just last week. Case closed.
A jury awarded him $1 million, saying an Oklahoma hospital violated a contract by not building and naming a women's clinic after his mother. Brooks donated $500,000 after his mother died of cancer in 1999.
Case closed in a brutal home invasion case in the state of Connecticut. A judge has now sentenced Joshua Komisarjevski to death. He and another man killed Jennifer Hawk Petit.
It was an absolutely awful story. Tied up the two daughters in the house, set the house on fire, leaving all three of them to die. He now joins his accomplice, Steven Hayes, on death row.
Comedy actor, Rain Wilson is playing a new part and his new role is that of a real-life hero. We'll tell you what he is doing to help others.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Other news now, a federal judge has sentenced the man dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" to six and a half years in prison. Colton Harris Moore eluded capture for a string of deaths and burglaries for two years by stealing boats, cars and planes. Authorities finally nabbed him after he crashed a plane in the Bahamas.
Seven middle school students are in Florida facing battery and assault charges after a school bus fight. The mother of the alleged victim says her daughter was hit on her first day on the bus after she just asked someone to scoot over. The suspects who are as young as 12 years old could be expelled. Take a look at one of the hottest attractions at the Super Bowl. It's a zip line, a seven-story, 800-foot dive across Super Bowl Village at Indianapolis. If you're interested, you have until next Saturday to ride that zip line.
Fans of the NBC comedy "The Office" know actor, Rain Wilson is the ego maniac, Dwight Shoot. But unlike his character, Wilson is committed to helping others.
In 2007, he saw a story about one of our CNN Heroes, an everyday person changing the world, and was so moved he decided to lend a hand. Five years later, he's still involved and inspired.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAIN WILSON, ACTOR: I was literally sitting in my trailer at "The Office," and I was looking at the CNN web site and they had the CNN Heroes, I think it was in the first year.
I saw this story on this guy, Aaron Jackson. This is a young kid from Florida, worked on a golf course. Really didn't have much direction in his life.
Then he went traveling in the third world and he saw poverty and he decided to just devote his life to making the world a better place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, we dewormed estimated maybe a little over 100 people.
WILSON: It's been great to be able to help out Aaron Jackson by doing fundraisers. I've gotten introduced to people to help raise money and help his organization really get moving.
He's the amazing guy doing all the really hard work. Give him the cash and just let him go do what he does best. They have four or five orphanages in Haiti, and I also went out when they distributed the deworming medication out in the rural villages and towns.
You're distributing food, aid all around the country. Some of the kids can be, you know, eating their cereal, but if it's so full of worms, they're unable to digest it so the food is a waste.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you see a kid that's highly anemic, not alert at all, and once you rid them of worms, they come back to life. That's what's so amazing, you see this immediate impact.
Since we started this in 2007, we actually raised enough money, with Dwayne's help, to deworm every child in Haiti, all 3.2 million kids.
WILSON: Anyone can be a hero. It's just takes a little bit of work. If there's one thing I could take away from my experience with CNN Heroes, is that these stories are incredibly inspiring. They inspire me to step up my game and try to do more to help the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE) TUCHMAN: Rain Wilson is an amazing comedic actor and an amazing guy. If you don't watch "The Office" that's reason enough to watch it. Thank you very much, Rain.
Do you know someone who's making a big difference in the lives of others? Go to cnnheroes.com now and tell us about them. Your words might change the life of someone working every day to help others. Nominate a 2012 CNN Hero today.
We're just two hours away from March madness, and we're not talking college basketball. The story coming up.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Don Lemon. Coming up tonight on CNN "WEEKEND PRIME," inside Japan's infamous desolation zone. What the neighborhood looks like one year later and what it could look like for the next 100 years.
Plus, the rise of the sugar mama, women willingly taking care of their men or boys. That's tonight when you join us at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Checking today's top stories, the GOP candidates are all over the map today, stumping ahead of several key primaries and caucuses. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich in Florida, which holds its primary in three days.
Rick Santorum is holding events there tomorrow. Today, he's fund- raising in Washington. And Ron Paul is campaigning in Maine, where several towns are holding caucuses this weekend.
Police in London are questioning five people arrested this morning in the tabloid phone hacking scandal. News Corp says four of five suspects are past and present employees of the "Sun" newspaper. The fifth suspect is a police office. The investigation is centering on allegations of bribes made to police for inside information.
In just two hours, the battle of the bands kicks off here in Atlanta. It's a fierce competition between the best black college marching bands in the U.S. A moment of silence will be observed in memory of Robert Champion. He's the Florida A&M drum major who died in November during an alleged hazing.
Stay with us this afternoon on CNN as we take an in-depth look at foster care children who have aged out. This means they're 18 years or old, and most do not go to college, but we're profiling two huge success stories. Just wait until you see what Shawn and Caroline are accomplishing.
Also, at 3:00 Eastern, we're just days away from Groundhog Day, but other animals also predict the weather, believe it or not. Our Jacqui Jeras investigates. That should be fun.
More of your friends and family are returning to the workplace. Valerie Burton joins us with reclaim your career for people 55 and older.
Up next, the foreclosure and unemployment crisis at Florida. "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.
