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Demanding Justice for Trayvon Martin; Louisiana Republican Showdown; Former George Zimmerman Neighbors Shocked by Case; Did Stand Your Ground Law Play Part in Trayvon Martin's Death?
Aired March 24, 2012 - 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. Don Lemon here. Thank you so much for joining us. We're going to begin with new developments in the story that is galvanizing the nation. The killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, and at what point, here the question, at what point does this outrage tip over into vigilante justice. Listen to this. In a new twist, listen real quick. All right, in a new twist here, members of the new Black Panther party are offering a $10,000 bounty for the capture of the man who shot martin, George Zimmerman. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We want justice.
CROWD: We want justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We want justice!
CROWD: We want justice!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. But it's not as if Zimmerman is on the run. It's that police haven't arrested or charged him. This reward is being offered by the local chapter of the panthers. But we're reaching out to the group's national leader, his name is Malik Shabazz. We're trying to get a comment from him. Meantime, we're going to take you to New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, ACTIVIST: I don't care who thinks they in charge in Sanford, put your hoodies on. Put your marching shoes on. Don't give up. Don't give out, and your change will come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. That's the Reverend Al Sharpton. He's leading one of the many national rallies calling for Zimmerman's arrest. Zimmerman told the police that he acted in self defense, but the only weapon involved was his. Trayvon Martin wasn't armed. Zimmerman is part of the Florida neighborhood watch, and when he saw Martin walking around in a hoodie, he got suspicious and started following him. Moments later, you know the story, Martin was dead, shot to death. I want to get right to our George Howell, he is in Sanford, Florida, where this all happened. So, George, Zimmerman hasn't been arrested yet, but he does have an attorney now. The attorney is speaking. What is he saying?
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Craig Sonner is that attorney. And Craig says that he spoke with Zimmerman by phone at this point. The two have not met in person, and he's urged his client, obviously, to keep out of the public eye at this point, concerned about threats against Zimmerman's life. But we asked him, we sat down with him, CNN, and asked him about the question that really everyone is asking here, was this racial profiling. Was this racially motivated, Don. Here is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SONNER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: This case is spinning out of control, and I don't think that, you know, whatever did or didn't happen that day, whether there was -- we know one thing for sure. There's a young man in the prime of his life who is dead. We also know that, you know, George Zimmerman was there, and it was a gunshot from his gun. The question is, then the next question is, was -- what happened in those moments. That's something that I don't know at this time, and that there are investigations going on to determine what happened then. It need to be taken care of, you know, through investigations, through gathering of facts, and through maybe even through a court proceeding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: And again, Zimmerman has not been charged with anything. His whereabouts still unclear at this point. Though we learned through the city manager that police do know how to reach him if they need to reach him. Zimmerman not behind bars. But one Florida man, Don, was arrested for apparently sending a threatening e-mail to police Chief Bill Lee, you'll remember that the police chief temporarily removed himself from office during this situation here in the city. But that e-mail was sent just the other day, and that man was arrested for written threats to kill or do bodily injury here in Florida, Don, that's a felony.
LEMON: OK. So, he was arrested. George Zimmerman not arrested. What about the community reaction? We have been hearing about all of these rallies and protests that are going on really around the country. Any rallies planned so far in the community?
HOWELL: You know, just the other day, we did see a one-hour prayer vigil. People came together to pray for Trayvon Martin's family. But today here in Sanford, Don, a relatively quiet day, which is very contrary to what we have seen all week here in the city. Rallies and protests. Thousands of people, Don, who showed up here just a few days ago, all of them coming together in solidarity, saying that they are Trayvon Martin, supporting that family, Don.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, George Zimmerman. Stand by, we'll be getting back to you throughout the evening here on CNN. George Howell, thank you very much. More on this story in just a few minutes when Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League joins us. And at 7:00 Eastern, it's a CNN Newsroom special report, Trayvon Martin killing. And that's a national outrage intensifies, one group in particular caught our attention, minority mothers. Hear their unique perspective and the advice they give their children in the hopes they don't end up dying young. Tonight, 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Louisiana right now is in the republican spotlight this hour holding its presidential primary. Polls show Rick Santorum could score a big win there tonight, but the question a lot of people are asking is, would a Santorum victory really mean anything?
CNN Political Director Mark Preston is in Washington, senior correspondent Joe Johns is in New Orleans for us. Joe, very nice being down in New Orleans. Joe, you're on the ground. What are you hearing about Santorum's chances there?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you look at the last poll that came out, Don, it looked pretty clear that Rick Santorum had a double- digit lead. And running pretty strong in this state. It looks like evangelicals like the fact for example that he's a Catholic. They like the way he talks. And many people believe that he has sort of a leg up here in the state. That said, the question really is just what does he get if he wins? And that goes to the issue of delegates here in the State of Louisiana. Louisiana has 46 delegates for the Republican National Convention, but only 20 of those are going to be assigned after this election today. And they're going to be assigned proportionately. So, if you have three candidates who run pretty strong and reach a certain threshold, you could end up with the leader getting a pretty small number, perhaps even just nine delegates or so. So if Rick Santorum were to win nine delegates, that wouldn't be much to show for all of the trouble of running in Louisiana. Especially when delegates are really just a name of the game right now, Don.
LEMON: Joe, where are the candidates today? Are they in Louisiana?
JOHNS: No. Rick Santorum started out the day in Pennsylvania, did a little bit of campaigning there. Then went on over to Wisconsin, and that's where he's going to watch the results in Louisiana tonight. Mitt Romney's out on the west coast, California, expected, we hear a little bit of fund-raising out there. And Ron Paul, no public schedule today. We do know Newt Gingrich at least started out in Pennsylvania this morning.
LEMON: All right, Joe Johns, thank you very much. We're going to bring in Mark Preston from Washington. So, Mark, Mitt Romney has a huge lead in the delegate count and there are increasing signs that party leaders are ready to rally around Romney. So, what do tonight's results mean?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, you know, Don, it will mean something different to everyone. Let's just break it down quickly, break quickly. This is actually a very important election night if you want to talk about momentum. If Rick Santorum is to win as the polls show tonight. He will use that as wind at his back to continue to keep running for the republican presidential nomination, even though Mitt Romney has twice as many delegates right now as he tries to win the republican presidential nomination. If Newt Gingrich gets no delegates tonight, then there's going to be a lot of calls for Newt Gingrich to get out of the race. We have already heard that so far, that Newt Gingrich said on our ear this past week, that the fact is he has nothing to lose, he has no incentive to get out, so he's going to remain in. If Mitt Romney would score an upset, well, that would all but shut the door I think on this republican presidential nomination race. The fact of the matter is, Mitt Romney right now, or at least his campaign, seems to be looking towards the general election. As Joe said, he's out in California right now, he's doing some fund-raising, they'll have a week off before they run into the next contest. Those contests are going to be D.C, Maryland, and of course Wisconsin where Rick Santorum is campaigning today -- Don.
LEMON: Oh, it's getting more interesting as it gets closer. Thank you very much, Mark Preston, and also thanks to our Joe Johns as well. The polls will close at 9:00 p.m. Eastern in Louisiana. And CNN is your place for the latest result. We're live updates during the 9:00 hour as results come in. And make sure you join me for complete coverage here at the CNN Newsroom, 10:00 p.m. Eastern. We're going to summon all up for you.
The killing of Trayvon Martin has triggered protests around the country. And while many are seeking justice for Trayvon, undoubtedly, the issue of race has come front and center in this case. Next, a man who knows all about that struggle. The National Urban League President Marc Morial is going to join me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Killing of black teen in Sanford, Florida, has caught the attention of people around the world. Protesters are rallying across the country this weekend demanding justice in the death of Trayvon Martin, and while thousands are seeking justice right now, we're seeking some answers. Marc Morial is the president of the National Urban League. Thank you so much for joining us.
MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: Hi, Don.
LEMON: I want to ask you something real quickly before we start talking about race. And it's very, it's very -- I have to be honest, it's very disturbing to me and many people as we discuss even putting the story on the air, about the new Black Panthers offering a reward for the capture of George Zimmerman. Does that do anything? Is that in some way in-sighting violence or hatred?
MORIAL: It's absurd and it's a distraction. And we're not going to allow anyone to take the focus off the fact that the most important demand is for the justice system to work correctly and properly. And the prosecutor in Florida has the responsibility now to conduct an investigation which I'm confident and believe should lead to charges against Mr. Zimmerman. We have to stay focused on that. And not allow any type of efforts to take and distract and exploit this situation for any other purpose other than justice for Trayvon Martin. LEMON: Well said. And that is all we have to say on that. I think you put it into perspective. It is a distraction, and an unnecessary one. So, let's talk about race in this situation. Obviously, race is a part of this, you know, this discussion, the story, it's been talked about. Do you think it's really about race or is this mainly about a bungled investigation?
MORIAL: I mean, it's about justice. At the end of the day, it is about justice for Trayvon Martin. And a young teenager, someone's son, someone that so many of us can identify with a young man on his way to a successful life, whose life has been snuffed out because of vigilante justice. It is about race in the sense that it appears as though George Zimmerman saw a stereotypic view of a young African- American male, and for unreasonable reasons, felt threatened by it. And I think that we have to acknowledge that race may have played a factor in this. But I don't want any of the listeners, any of the viewers, and any of the broad coalition of people that I think have stood for justice for Trayvon Martin to distract from the fact that you have a crime that has taken place in my own view.
LEMON: Yes.
MORIAL: And that crime is a crime where someone's life has been taken away from them unjustifiably. But I tell you, one of the things that is interesting, Don, that has emerged in the last few days is I have been carefully and the National Urban League has been carefully looking into this -- some people call a stage of ground laws. I call them shoot to kill laws. And what is troubling is that it appears as though these laws which have spread to some 20 states across the nation, are exactly like voter ID laws. They have a common ghost writer. A common ghost writer, an organization called the American legislative exchange council which has been writing these laws and writing them inside the beltway of Washington and then trying to encourage states across the nation to past these laws.
LEMON: Hey, Marc, right there, I want to stop you because I want you to listen to former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, and then we can talk more about what you're talking about. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH, FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: It appears to me this law does not apply to this particular circumstance. Stand your ground means stand your ground. It doesn't mean chase after somebody who has turned their back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: I want you to keep in mind, too, the Sanford police say, Zimmerman told them he lost sight of Trayvon Martin and then he was attacked by him. Just to be clear, you know, back to this law, here is what Tallahassee, Florida State Attorney Willie Meggs said this past week. He said, "The consequences of the law have been devastating around the state. It's almost insane what we're having to deal with." So, do you, I don't know, why is this law even on the books if people in authority are saying the things that they're saying about it?
MORIAL: You know, police chiefs in Florida, including the former chief of Miami, John Timoney, who has a great Op-ed in the "New York Times," oppose this law. Law enforcement, I think, would tell you that this law is not a good law. This is bad public policy. And I hope the state of Florida would lead the way by repealing this law. I would hope that other states that have passed these laws which really have come about since probably about 2005 for the most part, would repeal these laws. These laws changed the law of self defense in a material way by saying that a person who felt attacked -- felt threatened, no longer has the duty to retreat. And it's so important that law enforcement told the legislature in Florida that this law would have bad consequences, and we see the consequences here. But I think Governor Bush, former Governor Bush, of course, saying that the law doesn't apply certainly suggests that even for those who support the law, who may support the law, but in this case, it wasn't applicable. I think the evidence is going to be clear that a murder took place in this instance, and we want the justice system to do its job.
LEMON: Marc, thank you. We have to run, unfortunately. I appreciate you joining us here.
MORIAL: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Right. Good to see you. And another reminder tonight at 7:00 Eastern, we'll bring you a CNN Newsroom special report for the entire hour, it's called the Trayvon Martin killing. You'll hear from neighbors and friends of both Trayvon and the admitted shooter. And mothers of young black men who give advice to their children that is typically far different from the advice parents of other races might have to give to their children. That and more coming up, 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN. We're following your comments your questions on twitter. Be sure to include hashtag, CNNTrayvon. And we'll use some of your comments, your questions at 7:00 Eastern. Hashtag, CNNTrayvon.
LEMON: Coming up, Florida's so called stand your ground law in the spotlight, we've just talking about it. How the death of a Florida teen has people calling for the law to be repealed.
But first, could you be suffering from caregiver fatigue? You want to talk about that. You may be putting yourself at risk just by caring for a loved one. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: There's something many of us can relate to. Caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled, but did you know that caregivers themselves actually risk suffering physical harm. It's something called compassion fatigue and it affects thousands of Americans. Dr. Wendy Walsh joins me now from Los Angeles. And Wendy, first, quickly, what is compassion fatigue? I think many people feel it but they may not be aware enough to give it a name.
DR. WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: It has features of anxiety and depression. So, if you're feeling, you know, you're sleeping too much or too little, you're eating too little, you're feeling anxiety, irritable all the time, you're feeling absolutely depleted, these are symptoms of caregiver fatigue, and they can affect your own health. So, it's very important that people who are giving care understand that they have to put their own oxygen mask going on first sometimes.
LEMON: The National Alliance for Caregiving says that 65 million Americans care for someone who is chronically ill or disabled on average. Spending more than 20 hours a week. So, why do we take on this kind of responsibility, Dr. Wendy?
WALSH: Because who is going to do it, the government? You know, it used to be that we had big extended families that were very close. There were lots of aunties and grannies and sisters and nieces around who could be running around and helping with grandma. And let's not forget that one in eight Americans over the age of 75 have Alzheimer's. So, they need around the clock care or at least a watching supervision. So, now we don't have that. And the burden often goes to the spouse or the eldest child. Now, we're talking about a population of baby boomers Don, who had their baby's late, so they're the sandwich generation where they'll dealing with children, teenagers, and now an elderly person that they've also got to care for, this can be more stressful.
LEMON: The answer to my next question is anyone who can be impacted, but go ahead.
WALSH: Well, anyone can be impacted, but the big treatment is that you've got to reach out for help. You've got to ask the people around you whether they be, I always say friends or the family that you choose, whether they'd be the friends around you, the neighbors around you that you can call and say, you know, could you watch him for one hour a week while I go to a yoga class? The other thing is a support group, can be very, very helpful. A caregiver support group. And finally, just be aware that you can't be a good caregiver like you can't be a good mother unless sometimes you put your own oxygen mask on first and take care of yourself.
LEMON: So, doctor, I want to talk to you about this because you are -- people are going to go, what? You are the mother of black child. Biracial but your child is black.
WALSH: Two.
LEMON: When people see your child, they don't know that your child is biracial, right? They see your children, they see black children, right, initially.
WALSH: They ask me, what country, they say -- what country did you adopt your babies from? And I always say, the republic of my womb.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Here is my question as we're talking, and you and I talk offline a lot about things. This Trayvon Martin story has touched a lot of people and you as well. And you, you know, about mothers having these conversations with their teens, especially black boys. But do you think there's a group, also, that may have some issues when it comes to this particular law as well?
WALSH: This is particularly terrifying for me because one of my children is in the autistic spectrum. If a stranger stopped her around the street and ask her, who are you, what are you doing here? She would not have the verbal ability to answer. She would probably freeze up out of anxiety at that moment and stare at the ground and appear being appositionally defiant. So, I'm particularly concerned about the vulnerable population of children of various ethnicities who have brown or black skin who are in the autism spectrum or may have other speech or language disabilities. These children and teens are so vulnerable, if we're going to have this kind of laws out there in America and many parents like myself are terrified today -- Don.
LEMON: Dr. Wendy, thank you, we appreciate it.
WALSH: Thank you.
LEMON: All right.
WALSH: Take care.
LEMON: All right. A look at the hour's top stories straight ahead. Including a scare aboard the International Space Station. Space junks in and crew scrambling to emergency capsules and a fishing trawler discovered adrift at sea after being swept away following a Japan tsunami over a year ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, "CNN'S YOUR BOTTOM LINE": Green chute. Have you heard this phrase? Imagine the forest floor after a wildfire. Eventually, those little seeds start to sprout again. That's what is happening in the American economy.
And as the sprouts in the economy take root, it's up to you to reinvent yourself for the new growth ahead. We're talking reinvention this morning with someone who many of you probably have started your mornings with. I certainly did. Jane Pauley is an award winning journalist, who's anchored NBC's Today show for 13 years. She's now the host of air piece reinvention series, "Your Life Calling." You profile people, Jane, as soon as they meet you, people who are reinventing themselves. Is there a common denominator, a personality traits that you need to hold on to really try to reinvent?
JANE PAULEY, HOST, AARP'S YOUR LIFE CALLING: Well, the good news is there is. The bad news is I have none of those traits. And the traits that I would look for are volunteering, people with a history of volunteering find reinvention easier. People who are eager to learn new things. It may not be a degree. But learning new things. And people have hobbies outside interests, tend to find reinvention more easily.
ROMANS: For Smart is the New Rich, I'm Christine Romans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Coming up on half past the hour now. So, let's take a look at our headlines.
A horrible tragedy in West Virginia today. Eight people including six children under the age of eight killed in a house fire in Charleston. The only surviving child is on life support now. The only adult to escape called 911. Charleston's fire chief calls it the most tragic event in his 26 years with the department.
The crew of the International Space Station is resting easy after a chunk of space debris passed about 14 miles away. They were ordered into escape capsules as a precaution just because of the debris from a Russian Kosmos satellite. It's only the third time in this space station's history that a crew has taken shelter because of debris. The last was in June of last year.
Debris from the tsunami that devastating Japan last year, now floating off the coast of Canada. An abandoned fishing trawler spotted near British Colombia. It was swept out to sea and became part of the huge debris field created by the earthquake and tsunami. It's considered a threat to navigation and its Japanese owner has been notified of it.
Members of the Black Panther Party, offering a bounty for the capture of George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, $10,000. We have reached out to the Panthers, their national leader, and we're trying to get him on at 7:00 p.m. eastern for our special.
In the meantime, in New York, the Reverend Al Sharpton led one of many national rallies calming for Zimmerman's arrest.
Some of Zimmerman's former neighbors are shocked by the Trayvon Martin case. Our Brian Todd spoke to them about the person they knew.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George Hall works at the local newspaper and still can't believe it. His former across-the- street neighbor, George Zimmerman, is a front-page headline.
GEORGE HALL, FORMER ZIMMERMAN NEIGHBOR: This thing about George floors me. I'm shocked. I didn't realize it was him, at first, you know. I would have never guessed it.
TODD: On this street in Manassas, Virginia, George and Kay Hall lived across from Zimmerman and his family for about two decades, until the Zimmermans moved after George graduated from high school. George Hall, a retired Presbyterian minister, described Zimmerman and his older brother as friendly, dependable neighbors, part of a tight-knit family who had their maternal grandmother living with them.
(on camera): What was his demeanor like in the neighborhood?
HALL: Always polite. Both of them, always polite, always thoughtful.
TODD (voice-over): Helping with groceries, Hall says, helping to retrieve their dog. According to the Halls and state officials, Zimmerman's parents worked in the local government, his father, Robert, as a magistrate, his mother, Gladys, as a clerk for the Prince William County Court.
The pastor of All Saints Catholic Church said George Zimmerman was an alter boy here.
(on camera): George Zimmerman graduated from Osborn (ph) High School in 2001. We were told no member of the faculty could talk to us about him. In the yearbook, there wasn't much information about him. He does say he was in the Future Business Leaders of America group in his junior and senior years.
(voice-over): And in a section entitled, "Planning for Their Future," a quote form George Zimmerman, "I'm going to Florida to work with my godfather who just bought a $1 million business."
But George Zimmerman's career plans seemed to have changed.
(on camera): A couple years back, he came to you and asked for a recommendation?
HALL: Yes, because he wanted to go to the police academy and become a police officer.
TODD: What did you write on the recommendation?
HALL: Yes, a very positive one. I mean, I have nothing but strongest positive feelings for the whole family, including the boys.
TODD (voice-over): I asked Kay Hall about a key implication in the Trayvon Martin shooting and Zimmerman's involvement.
(on camera): Is he a racist from what you know of him?
KAY HALL, FORMER NEIGHBOR OF ZIMMERMAN: Not from what I know of him, because basically, they were among minorities themselves. 20 years ago, they were Hispanic before there were a lot of Hispanics around. We had blacks in the neighborhood, Hispanics, Hungarians. There was no discrimination I ever noticed or saw.
TODD (voice-over): George Hall said, if there's no case made against Zimmerman, he hopes authorities in Florida will help Zimmerman through all this. Hall says, if there is a case against him, he hopes Zimmerman will be put in jail for his own protection.
Brian Todd, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Sanford police have not yet arrested neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman. Did the Florida Stand Your Ground law play a role in this decision? A former criminal defense attorney joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Why don't we talk a little March Madness? Kentucky Wild Cats have advanced the elite eight just as their fans always expected. And they always expect it. Syracuse is also on a role roll.
Let's check in with Joe Carter from HLN Sports.
Joe, some exciting matchups this weekend. You have a great assignment down there. That's a huge bracket board behind you as well.
JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS: Don, I can't really give you the idea of how big it is unless you're down here. But you know, most outfits around the country, they have a small paper bracket in your cubicle or a poster board, but we have a 30-foot monstrosity when we walk into our work. It's pretty impressive.
Obviously, we started out with 68 teams a few weeks ago. We're down to eight teams. A game going on right now between Louisville and Florida. We have one later on tonight between Syracuse and Ohio State. Obviously, Syracuse, a top cede. A lot of people have them winning it all in their bracket. This is a team that had a lot of trouble on and of the court. The beginning of the season, assistant head coach, Bernie Fine, accusations of child sex abuse against two former ball boys. And then just before the NCAA tournament started, Thad Mellow (ph), their best defensive player, was removed from the team for academic reasons. Yet, here the school stands just one win away from going back to the final four for the first time since 2003. And it's because of Jim Boeheim, their coach. He's got such a good philosophy, message. And his kids, his players give him a lot of credit for that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOOP JARDINE, SYRACUSE GUARD: The way he's handled everything on and off the court has helped because he's our leader. He's everything to us. And we go on how he's acting. With everything that has been happening on and of the court, he's been handling it in a manly fashion. So we look at him through tough times like this, and he was great, throughout the whole thing, and it allowed us to be even better because all we had to do was worry about basketball.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: All right. So we got a big game tomorrow between Kentucky and Baylor. Baylor not going to wear the highlighter uniforms tomorrow, going with all black. Kentucky, a team a lot of people think are going to win it all. A lot of people think Kentucky, it's their year, looking top to bottom in that roster. A lot of guys will go off to the NBA. We'll hear their name year after year after year. Anthony Davis, the best player on the team, expected to be the number- one pick in the upcoming draft, if he decides to leave school. But Kentucky, for their fan base, it's been 14 long years since they won a national championship. But this year, they feel like it's their year, and it's championship or bust for them. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CALIPARI, KENTUCKY COACH: You're supposed to win every game by 25. And if you win it by 15, what's the issue? What's going on with the program? And if you, god forbid, lose one, how could we lose the game? And I love our fans. They're crazy. They watch the game tapes three times. I don't watch the game tapes three times. But that's coaching and playing at Kentucky. It's a little different, let me say that.
JERRY TIPTON, LEXINGTON HERALD: They always expect a national title or something close to that. That's just in their minds. That's Kentucky basketball.
RO LEVY, KENTUCKY BASKETBALL FAN: I love my sport. I love my coaches. That's what we do. We came here to win a championship. No championship, it's a bust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: Now you see a couple fans getting their picture taken underneath the last game that's going to go down Sunday afternoon. She looks really excited. North Carolina/Kansas.
(LAUGHTER)
What a way to end it, Don. Two storied programs.
(LAUGHTER)
I think she might be a North Carolina fan or a Kansas fan, I'm not sure.
LEMON: I think she's happy she is on CNN. If she'd look behind that big board, she'd see herself on the monitor. But she's screaming. That's -- it's awesome to see that.
Listen, how are your brackets doing? Mine are terrible.
CARTER: It's nothing but a recycled piece of material at this point.
(LAUGHTER)
This bracket is so big, it's a 30-foot board. It's a constant reminder of failure every time I walk into work, because I picked Michigan State and Florida State. Both are out. I think you're doing just as bad as me, right?
LEMON: It's terrible. I'm glad your constant reminder of failure isn't a mirror, and it's the board. Yes, my final four are already a mess. I had Duke and Michigan State in the final four and I picked Duke to win it all, so.
CARTER: Yes. You're done.
LEMON: Check out all of the brackets. CNN.com/brackets. Thank you, Joe Carter.
Thanks to your audience back there, too, all of the fans -- behind Joe Carter.
(LAUGHTER)
Don't forget, you can catch the elite eight only on CBS. And if you're away from the TV, no worry. Catch it online, ncaa.com/marchmadness.
All right. Right after the break, more on our top story, the killing of Trayvon Martin. Did Florida's Stand Your Ground law play a role in the decision not to arrest the admitted shooter, George Zimmerman? A former criminal defense attorney explains the law and how it works in this case. You don't want to miss it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Much of the talk surrounding Florida teen Trayvon Martin's death has focused around the Stand Your Ground law. When created, it eliminated a provision requiring people facing danger outside their home, to retreat before using force, but the attorney for Trayvon's shooter says the Stand Your Ground law doesn't apply in this case. Instead, he says, Georgia Zimmerman was acting in self defense.
Criminal defense attorney, Holly Hughes, here now.
Holly, I said this, I have been saying this all along, that people have been saying the Stand Your Ground law is a terrible law in their estimation. I didn't -- I thought it was a red herring in this because, if anything is wrong in this case, it's the bungled investigation and the way they handled it.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: His attorney is saying now, they're not even using Stand Your Ground as a defense.
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: They can't. There's a couple things wrong with that argument. Number one, it is a red herring. First of all, there's nothing wrong with the law. What is wrong is how the police are applying it to the facts of each individual case.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Say that again.
HUGHES: What is wrong is not the law. It's a good law. If somebody comes after me on the street, I do want to defend myself with whatever force is necessary. But the police are just unilaterally standing out there and taking the shooter's word for it. Oh, hey, I acted in self defense? Really, we won't arrest you then.
LEMON: Right. HUGHES: In what universe does that happen, Don? There's no other crime. Think about any other murder case you heard of. Just because the defendant said, it was self defense, I didn't do anything wrong, the police say, oh, really, OK.
LEMON: So let's -- there have been reports now since the attorney has come out saying, my client, George Zimmerman, was attacked by Trayvon Martin. He had wounds. He was bleeding, and what have you. Was that reflected in the report?
HUGHES: My understanding is it was not reflected in the original police reports and they had to be amended. Now, exactly. Things that make you go hmm. You're old enough to remember the song reference, right?
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: You know what I'm talking about. This one gives me pause because, if you show up as a police officer on a scene and there is a dead young man on the sidewalk, and the person who says, I shot him, is bleeding from the face, bleeding from the back of the head, you would call an ambulance because you, as a police department, don't want to get sued for letting him wander off in that shape. A head wound is one of the worst bleeders in the body. When you get a head wound, you're gushing blood. If all of these injuries had been present at the time, and this is not some kind of an afterthought, my question is, why didn't he get medical attention immediately. Why was an ambulance not called to the scene to attend to the shooter?
LEMON: The interesting thing is people are saying, you guys -- I've been hearing it -- you guys are making this into a racial case. Imagine if it was a white teen or teen of any other race --
HUGHES: Right. Right.
LEMON: -- there -- people would be outraged by the shooter of a teenager, and somebody who is not arrested --
HUGHES: Unarmed.
LEMON: -- even if the person is eventually let go. Right? That's what people aren't getting -- that's what it's about, people.
HUGHES: There was no investigation.
LEMON: Right.
HUGHES: Like we said at the top of the thing, bundled investigation? That not the problem. There was no investigation, Don.
LEMON: Thank you, Holly. We're going to see you at 7:00.
HUGHES: Yes.
LEMON: All right, for the special. A reminder, much, more on this story, 7:00 p.m. eastern, right here on CNN. The entire hour, in fact, dedicated to focusing on Trayvon Martin.
As the national outrage intensifies, one group in particular caught our attention, minority mothers. We'll hear their unique perspective and the advice they give their children in the hopes that they don't end up dying young.
Holly will be back with us as well, tonight, 7:00 eastern. Send your comments to #CNNTrayvon. We'll get some on the air.
You probably know Jon Huntsman because he ran for president. But you should know his dad. Why? Because he could be the reason countless people survive cancer. That story is right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HUMAN FACTOR)
LEMON: The hour's top stories coming up next, including a fire that swept through a home and took the lives of a half dozen children.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Checking your headlines right now.
The fire chief in Charleston, West Virginia, calls it is the most tragic event in his 26 years of service. A fire ripped through a two- story wooden house earlier today killing eight people, including six children under the age of 8. Investigators say there was only one working smoke detector in the two-story house. The only adult who escaped called 911. The only surviving child is on now life support.
Police in Waterville, Maine, are relaunching their search for missing toddler Ayla Reynolds. Search teams hope the melting snow will help them find clues to her disappearance. Reynold's father says she vanished from her bedroom on the night of December 17th. Police are treating her disappearance as a crime but haven't charged anyone. Ayla turns 2 years old on April 4th.
One nation, but not under God, that is the message at an atheist rally today on the Mall in Washington. Organizers say their goal is social and legislative equality and an end to what they call the stigma against atheism. Activists say the event is nonpartisan but that non- believers are a legitimate political segment of America.
Members of the New Black Panther Party are offering a bounty for the capture of George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, $10,000. We've reached out to the Panther's national leader and we're trying to get him on a special tonight at 7:00 p.m. to get a comment directly from them.
In the meantime, in New York, the Reverend Al Sharpton led one of the many national rallies calling for Zimmermann's arrest. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Make sure you join me. And send your comments to CNN -- #CNNTrayvon. We're going to have a one-hour special called "THE TRAYVON MARTIN KILLING," coming up.
"THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer begins right now. I'll see you then.
