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Fury Over Women, Work & Politics; Fox News Fires "Mole"; George Zimmerman Expected in Court; Zimmerman Attorney Tries to Get Bond; George Zimmerman Appears in Court; Zimmerman Attorney Takes Reporter Questions.

Aired April 12, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed. A sigh of relief in New York where the 2 World Financial Center has reopened after a suspicious package led to this evacuation of a skyscraper earlier today. Police say a package actually contained a toy grenade. The building is located near the site of the September 11th attacks.

This hour George Zimmerman will appear in court for the first time since killing Trayvon Martin. Now, he says he shot the unarmed teenager in self-defense. He's now charged with second-degree murder. You're looking at his mug shot. Zimmerman's brother tells CNN that the arrest was bittersweet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR.: We are relieved that he's safe. That is, you know, the -- it's the most bittersweet news to hear in your life that your brother is being charged with a murder and to see him being taken into jail on live T.V. and to somehow have to think, well, at least there's something good in all of that, is that he can't be attacked this way, or he most likely can't be hurt, killed, injured in the way he has been on the run and underground in the streets for quite some time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Zimmerman turned himself in yesterday after authorities said he would be charged in the case. Now, that is him ducking into the Seminole County Jail with a jacket over his head. Here is how Trayvon Martin's mother reacted to news of Zimmerman's arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYBRINA FULTON: First of all, I want to say thank god. We simply wanted an arrest. We wanted nothing more, nothing less. We just wanted an arrest, and we got it. And I say thank you. Thank you, lord. Thank you, Jesus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: It's cease fire day in Syria. Both sides of the fighting, the Syrian troops and the rebels, they are promising to stick to the U.N. peace plan that calls for all shooting to stop today. Well for now, everyone seems to be cooperating. Police across the country are reporting the calmest and quietest day in months. Still, at least seven people reportedly killed today. The peace plan may be the last chance for diplomacy to work in Syria.

And it could be today, any minute now. North Korea says its long-range rocket, gassed up, ready to launch. The United States, Japan, and South Korea are all nervously scanning the sky for any sign of this rocket. Officials in North Korea say they are putting a weather satellite in orbit, but neighboring countries believe it's a weapons' test.

We are also minutes away from seeing George Zimmerman in court. He is the man who shot Trayvon Martin, and he has his first court appearance before a Florida judge. It's happening this hour. He's facing second-degree murder charges. Now, Martin Savidge is outside the corrections facility. It houses both the jail and the court, I understand, in Sanford, Florida. So Martin, tell us essentially what is it like? Are people beginning to gather? What's the mood?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there is anticipation, though a lot of that anticipation is, of course, with the media because the fact, as you mentioned, that the courtroom is located inside the corrections facility. So, there's no public real access for people to go inside there. There will be a way for the public to see inside, and that's going to be handled by a pool camera set up for the media. It's kind of an interesting setup they have inside and many modern corrections facilities are now going to this.

You have a courtroom inside the corrections facility. You don't need to transport prisoners back and forth which can be a security risk. And then, you have the judge -- appears before the prisoner by means of a television link up. So, that's how it's all going to happen. We expect to hear the arraignment, the charges read, and then, of course, we also expect that George Zimmerman is going to say not guilty. After that, it's the issue of bond that will have to be worked out. We're not sure whether that will be handled today or not, it could become complicated.

MALVEAUX: And Martin, I understand that George Zimmerman, he will be there. He will show up, we'll be able to actually see him there. Do we know anything about his first night in custody?

SAVIDGE: Well, you can understand that it was probably a very difficult night and a very big adjustment for him. He was brought here from Jacksonville in an SUV, so that was about a three-hour drive. He was then booked in. There was a large throng of media waiting to try to catch a glimpse of him as he quickly went inside the building. He would be photographed, the mug shot that everybody's now seen.

And then, there would have been a physical and mental evaluation and then, eventually, there would be time for his new attorney, Mark O'Mara, to sit down and talk with him. We understand that they did meet for about an hour and O'Mara said afterwards that his client is clearly tired and clearly stressed, which is one of the reasons he hopes to get bond soon, so that he can get George into a better place.

MALVEAUX: All right. Martin, thank you very much. I want to bring in our criminal defense attorney, Holly Hughes, to talk a little bit about what we can expect here at this hearing. Do we anticipate that this is going to be an opportunity for them to set the bond, and if he could meet it, that he could be released today, or do we think he's going to be in jail for quite some time?

HOLLY HUGHES: You know, it is possible because we know for a fact that people have been expecting this to come including the Zimmerman family, so they have probably been gathering resources, getting ready to post a bond if, in fact, one is given by the court. What we're going to see today is first appearance. That's the opportunity for George Zimmerman to have either a formal arraignment where the judge will read the charge out loud in its entirety saying, you know, the people of the state of Florida charge you with second- degree murder, list all the elements. A lot of times to sort of take away that sensationalism, the defense attorney will advise his client this is what you're being charged with, explain it to him in private, and then we'll hear something very short like we waive arraignment and we enter a plea of not guilty. People are like he has to enter a plea? Yes, but his plea can be not guilty. So, that's what we're going to see today. They may or may not address bond.

MALVEAUX: All right. We're going to get back to you in just a minute, Holly. I understand that Jay Carney and the White House spokesman is talking about Ann Romney addressing this issue. Let's listen in.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: -- we disagree. It is not coincidental that the very first piece of legislation that this president signed when he entered office was the Lilly Ledbetter Free Pay Act. It had passed Congress and the president signed it into law. Why did it take President Obama entering office, being sworn into office to have the Fair Pay Act become law? Because Republicans overwhelmingly opposed it and presumably still do. When the president took office, we were shedding roughly 750,000 jobs a month and men and women across the nation were feeling the pain of the worst recession since the great depression. We have seen 25 straight months of private sector growth, resulting in 4.1 million jobs.

And when it comes to women and the economy, there has been a particular focus. As you know, just as recently as last week, there was a forum here to discuss exactly what we need to continue doing to ensure that women are able to get to work with good paying jobs that can help their families and help them make ends meet. I would note, again, that one of the principal elements of the American Jobs Act was a provision -- and this is the president's American Jobs Act, was a provision to provide assistance to states to rehire 400,000 teachers.

As you know, in this period of 25 straight months of private sector job growth, there has also been reductions in jobs in states and localities because of pressures on the fiscal -- on the budgets of states and localities. This assistance would have ensured that 400,000 teachers would have gone back to work. Teachers, as you know, women are represented disproportionally in our teaching corps across the country. Republicans overwhelmingly opposed that provision.

In the Ryan Budget -- the Ryan Republican budget, 400,000 students would lose Pell Grants in 2013 and another 465,000 students would lose Pell Grants in 2014. In addition, nine million students would experience cuts in their grants starting in 2013 which would deepen to as much as $1,150 per student. Roughly speaking, you can divide all those numbers by half in terms of the impact that those cuts would have on women. The Head Start program in 2013, a $430 million cut to the Head Start program would result in 60,000 low- income women -- children -- low-income children, rather, losing access to early childhood education.

After that, $1.5 billion cut to the Head Start program would result in 200,000 low-income children losing access to early education. As some of you know, one of the cuts that would occur by our analysis if the Ryan Republican budget were enacted into law would be to the women, infants and children program. A program that has had long-standing bipartisan support. The Republican House budget resolution cuts $350 million from the special supplemental nutrition assistance program for women, infants and children. Cuts of this magnitude would require kicking about 700,000 pregnant or postpartum women, infants and children off of WIC and denying another 100,000 from receiving critical foods necessary for healthy child development. I could go on, and I will if I'm asked.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: The 35 (INAUDIBLE.)

CARNEY: First of all, I haven't seen the records. I don't know that -- Hilary Rosen -- I know three personally. A women named Hilary Rosen. So, I'm not sure that does represent the person we're talking about necessarily. So, I really can't comment on the number of visits since I'm not sure that's accurate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, how about the degree of this particular Hilary Rosen?

CARNEY: I don't know how many times she's been here. She's not a -- you know, she is a Democratic strategist. She's a CNN contributor as far as I know. And I -- don't believe -- I don't know how to assess her overall relationship with people here in the White House, but I do not -- I have not seen her here very frequently.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you expect that relationship to continue at whatever level it is?

CARNEY: Well again, I don't know what the relationship is. Let's focus on what the issue here is. This is a -- when it comes to what this administration has done for women, it begins with the president's signing of the Lilly Ledbetter -- Lilly Ledbetter free pay -- Fair Pay Act. It continues with the emphasis on the need to put teachers back in the classroom. It continues with a variety of programs, including our opposition to the Ryan Republican budget and its dramatic cuts. Medicare, for example, I'm sure many of you know that Medicare benefits go disproportionately to women. Ending Medicare as we know it, forcing seniors to bear the brunt of the cost of tax cuts to the wealthy, would harm women disproportionally. These are real, fundamental policy decisions, and I think that when people look at those contrasts and those disagreements, it will be quite clear what President Obama's position is and what his policies are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jay, you've mentioned that the president and President Sarkozy discussed tightness in the oil markets. Have they discussed the possibility of releasing oil reserves?

CARNEY: The President and President Sarkozy did discuss --

MALVEAUX: You're watching the White House briefing there. Interesting dynamic that is taking place here. We're talking about motherhood, women, work, politics, all those issues that the center of a fire storm set off by CNN contributor Democratic strategist, Hilary Rosen. You saw the White House there distancing itself from Hilary Rosen. She made some comments last night on "Anderson Cooper 360" that ignited a debate. Let's listen first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILARY ROSEN: What you have is Mitt Romney running around the country saying, well, you know, my wife tells me that what women really care about are economic issues, and when I listen to my wife, that's what I'm hearing. Guess what? His wife has never actually worked a day in her life. She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and how do we worry -- and why do we worry about their future?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, that comment really took off. A lot of people reacting to it, posting in Twitter. And among them was Ann Romney. She had this response. She says, I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work. Rosen then followed with a tweet, when I said Ann Romney never worked, I meant she never had to care for her kids and earn a paycheck like most American women. So, this has raised a lot of questions and debate. A lot of people talking about this. Rachel Compos-Duffy, she is a blogger for CatholicVote.org, also the wife of Congressman John Duffy, and the author of "Stay Home, Stay Happy."

Good to see you. And Renee Siler, former T.V. anchor, author of the book "Good Enough Mother." Also, the woman behind that Web site of that name as well. So, you heard the White House and you also heard the initial statements by Hilary Rosen. What do you make of it? I'll start with you, Renee. What do you -- what do you make of the fact that this has become such a hot, hot topic?

RENEE SYLER, AUTHOR, "GOOD ENOUGH MOTHER": Well, I'm thrilled that they're paying attention to women in this election cycle. But I get a little bit frustrated, and I am frustrated by the fact that they have turned motherhood into a political football because it's not. Every woman who is a mother works hard. There's no question and that's not really debatable if you're a mother. I think really the question is about when we heard Ann Romney say that she made a choice to stay home, and not every woman has that opportunity and has that choice to stay home. A lot of women, 60 percent of women, are in the workforce and not all of them choose to be there.

MALVEAUX: Rachel, do you think it is about choice here or do you think it is about a lack of respect for what women do?

RACHEL COMPOS-DUFFY, BLOGGER, CATHOLICVOTE.ORG: Well, first, let me start and tell you I am an at home mother of six children itself and this issue --

MALVEAUX: Congratulations, that's a lot of work.

COMPOS-DUFFY: -- really hits right at home for me hearing this. I think the idea that only well-heeled political operatives in the Obama campaign can speak about women's issues or the economy is utterly insulting and it really -- what she's, in essence, saying is that stay at home moms like Ann Romney or myself should stay off the campaign trail, get in our place, and it's very patronizing, and actually works against so many of the advances that we've made. The feminist movement was about quote unquote choice and here we are disparaging people who make a choice to stay home.

And while a lot of women stay home because they can afford to, far, far more women make the choice to stay at home at great financial and personal and professional sacrifice because it's more in line with their values. So we shouldn't underestimate both the intelligence and the thought that has gone behind so many moms that choose to stay home, like me.

MALVEAUX: Let's listen a little bit more to -- because Hilary Rosen gave a little bit more context to what she was trying to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Most women in America, let's face it, don't have that choice. They have to be working moms and home moms. And that's the piece that I am not hearing from the Romney camp. Instead, everybody's attacking me. That's fine. Attack me. But it does not erase his woeful record on this issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Rene, I want you to jump in here, because, obviously, this is going to be a really important subject for a lot of people. You're talking about the -- what is good for women economically here. And you saw Jay Carney there defending Obama's administration, putting his record out there for people to see. Why is it that the female vote has become so critical this go around?

RENE SYLER, AUTHOR, "GOOD ENOUGH MOTHER": Well, I mean, let me go back to what you said just a moment ago. You said, you know, why is this important? This is important because moms like me, moms like Rachel, we want what's best for our children. And, frankly, what's best for our children is to make sure that they can eat, they have a roof over their head, that there is some way that we can provide for them to go to school in the future. These are the issues that I think -- you know, and I'm not speaking for Hilary Rosen here, but when I saw her comments and she said Ann Romney's never worked a day in her life, I don't think she meant she never worked a day in her life. She has five boys. That's hard work. Rachel has six kids. That's hard work. I have two that make the noise of 20 and that's hard work, too.

But the fact is, my situation is very different from Ann Romney's. I work because I have to work. My husband and I are both really, really struggling because, you know, we work for ourselves. We -- every night I worry about, you know, how am I going to make this money last to the end of the week? Am I going to get my kids into school? Are we going to stay in this house? Are we going to be able to afford our mortgage in a year from now? That's what's important to women.

MALVEAUX: Do either one of you think -- I'm sorry, but do either one of you think that Ann Romney or Michelle Obama don't get it? I mean they both seem to be very hard working women who are raising their kids and seem to respect that job. Do either one of you think that they don't get it?

CAMPOS-DUFFY: No. I think that all women get it. And here's the deal. This is why this thing is so stupid. We're all sitting here, as women, as mothers. I'm living here in central Wisconsin. I can tell you that my neighbors are losing their jobs. And the reason why it's perfectly appropriate for Mrs. Romney to get out there and speak about it is because the reason people are losing jobs, the reason why plants are closing and shutting doors and go overseas is because of the policies, the out of control EPA, the highest corporate tax rate in the world that's sending companies overseas. These are policies that are happening in Washington and they're affecting mothers that Mrs. Romney is meeting all over the campaign trail. So the idea that she shouldn't speak for that, that she shouldn't tell the stories of women like me who are seeing this is ludicrous.

MALVEAUX: Rene.

SYLER: Yes, I don't think -- I don't think that Hilary Rosen was saying, sit down there and be quiet. Get in your corner and be quite. I didn't get that at all from her.

CAMPOS-DUFFY: She certainly was. She certainly was.

SYLER: But wait just a moment, Rachel, if I could. What I understand and what I see -- I don't -- I'm not going to say neither of these women get it or don't get it. What I think this is about, it's about where you're sitting at -- on the table. If you're at the head of the table, if you are part of the 1 percent, if your life looks different than the life of other people, that's all -- that's all I'm saying. I'm not -- please, I don't want a bunch of -- I don't want a bunch of people on Twitter going, you're wrong, you don't understand, this, that, and the other. I'm not saying that this job isn't difficult. It is. But when you have to take care of all of those things, your kids as well as a job, you worry about losing your job, you worry about losing your house, you worry about, you know, daycare and afterschool costs, that's a lot of stress.

MALVEAUX: Rachel, I get -- I want to end it with you if I can here. We're talking about the wives here. Do we think that they are really an accurate reflection of their husband's policies here? Does that translate, when you hear, OK, here's Ann Romney's situation, here is what kind of mother she is, here is Michelle Obama, here's what kind of mother she is, the kind of job she has. Does it say anything about their husbands to you and what kind of leaders they'll be?

CAMPOS-DUFFY: I'll tell you this. From my perch as a political wife and from my perch as an at home mother at home living here in the Midwest, what I'm seeing from Washington and what I'm seeing specifically from the Obama campaign is a decision on a campaign side to divide by race, to divide by class and income, to divide now within gender. I am calling on the president to step forward. He hasn't been afraid to wade into touchy subjects before. Lead. Stop campaigning. Lead and bring this country together.

MALVEAUX: Rene, you want to button it up?

SYLER: I mean, I think she pretty much said it all. But, again, she's talking -- Rachel is talking about this really from a political standpoint, and I'm just tired of it being a political --

CAMPOS-DUFFY: No, I'm not. No, I'm absolutely not. I am talking about it from the perspective of a mother.

SYLER: But -- but, Rachel, yes -- but, you are. You just -- you just said you're calling on the president, his policies, his that, his this.

MALVEAUX: All right.

SYLER: (INAUDIBLE) thing is that -- that really we all need to try a little bit of understanding, which I know doesn't work real well in politics, but that's what we need.

MALVEAUX: That's where we're going to -- that's where we're going to end it, a little bit of understanding from both of you. Excellent discussion. And, again, we admire what both of you do, and that is to take care of your kids.

CAMPOS-DUFFY: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: So this debate will continue. Thank you again, Rene, Rachel.

We're less than 30 minutes away from George Zimmerman's first court appearance. We're going to bring it to you live right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Fox News had a mole, sniffed him out pretty quickly. This is the website, gawker.com. It's a daily collection of media gossip and celebrity news. Well, an unhappy employee at Fox News posted some anonymous essays on Gawker ripping the network on everything from professional ethics to the condition of the bathrooms. Yeah. His online scheme didn't last long. They found him and they fired him. Want to get in -- Howard Kurtz in here. Howard, first of all, is this unusual?

HOWARD KURTZ, CNN'S "RELIABLE SOURCES": It's unusual -- it's not unusual for people to leak from inside news organizations. Indeed, I've pretty -- gotten a pretty good living sometimes being the recipient of those leaks. What's unusual is the very public and taunting way in which this fellow practically dared Roger Ailes and company to find him. And it only took a couple of days for him to be, as you say, sniffed out.

MALVEAUX: Who was this guy?

KURTZ: I never heard of him. I think he's a midlevel staffer who obviously became disenchanted with Fox News, and, you know, we, in the news business, ought to be careful about casting aspersions on whistleblowers from inside because that's often what we rely on to try to find out what's going on in other big organizations, political campaigns and the like.

At the same time, I mean, he wasn't -- he wasn't exactly Deep Throat. He didn't provide any earth-shattering information about what was going on in the bowels of fox News.

MALVEAUX: Talk a little bit about this video that he leaked. This is a Mitt Romney interview with Sean Hannity. A moment that wasn't meant to be recorded or broadcast. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS: Are you (INAUDIBLE).

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. I'll just look like a schlep.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

ROMNEY: (INAUDIBLE) same tie two days in a row. That's all right.

HANNITY: I think this is silly but --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: How damaging was that?

KURTZ: I didn't think it was terribly damaging. He -- Mitt Romney goes on in that portion that was not meant to be aired to talk about the horses that he owns. So I guess you could say here's another example of him being an elitist. But it didn't seem like a big deal to me. And the fact that I believe it was Hannity, right, was chatting with him before or after the official part of the interview, I mean it happens all the time while you're sitting around waiting to get going. I didn't think it -- they seemed more chummy than, you know, other hosts and political guests might seem. MALVEAUX: He wrote this on Gawker. He says, "I am a weasel, a trader, a sellout and every bad word that you can throw at me, but I'm free and I'm ready to tell my story." So this guy, I mean, who would hire him? Who would trust him?

KURTZ: Well, if Joe Muto wants to call himself a weasel, I'm not going to argue with that. Obviously he did betray his organization. And you did kind of get the impression that he wanted to be found out. That he, in other words, he was willing to risk being expelled from the Fox News empire by taking this chance. And clearly he has some very strong feelings about what's happened at Fox News, particularly on one of its websites. So he got his wish, I guess you could say.

MALVEAUX: Yes, he is free. Maybe he'll write a book or something. Maybe there will be more interesting tidbits that he can tell us about there.

Do you -- this is the kind of thing that normally, I mean, I don't think networks would really -- would put up with and -- but you never know.

KURTZ: Well, there is that question when you do kind of turn on your colleagues and serve as a whistle-blower and you get caught or you out yourself or whatever it is, there is that question of, are you trustworthy enough for anybody else to hire? And so I think he may have a tough time staying in the television business. But on the other hand, as you say, he could work the talk show circuit. Maybe I'll have him on my show on Sunday. Joe, if you're out there, be happy to talk to you. And he can start a second career as a Fox basher.

MALVEAUX: OK. All right, Howie Kurtz, good to see you.

KURTZ: Thanks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: George Zimmerman just minutes away from his first court appearance. We're going to bring it to you live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: George Zimmerman about to appear in court any minute now. He faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman says it was in self-defense. He got a new attorney who is trying to get him out now on bond.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK O'MARA, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: I would like to get him out. I need him out to assist me in going over all the evidence and preparing our defense. I'm concerned about his safety to a certain extent but I'm truly hoping there will be a receding of the frustrations or anger now that the process is moving forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: We've also heard from the special prosecutor in the case, Angela Corey. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA COREY, FLORIDA SPECIAL PROSECUTOR: When we charge a person with a crime, we are equally committed to justice on their behalf as we are on our victim's behalf. So we are here to do that on behalf of our victim, Trayvon Martin, and on behalf of the person responsible for his death, George Zimmerman. We will continue to seek the truth throughout this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want to now listen to Trayvon Martin's mother and George Zimmerman's brother, how they both reacted to this arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR, BROTHER OF GEORGE MARTIN: We are relieved that he's safe. That is, you know -- it's the most bittersweet news to hear in your life that your brother is being charged with a murder and to se him being taken into jail on live TV and to somehow have to think, well, at least there's something good in all of that is that he can't be attacked this way or he most likely can't be, you know, hurt, killed, injured in a way that he has been on the run and underground in the streets for quite some time.

SABRYNA FULTON, MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: First of all, I want to say thank God.

(APPLAUSE)

FULTON: We simply wanted an arrest. We wanted nothing more, nothing less. We just wanted an arrest. And we got it. And I say thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Martin Savidge is in Sanford, Florida, outside the complex that houses both the jail and the court.

So, Martin, give us a sense. Zimmerman's court appearance just minutes away now. Set the scene for us.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's certainly a lot of anticipation, especially by the media. You have a parking lot that is just absolutely overflowing with all the television transmission trucks. There's a large crowd of journalists that have gathered by the entrance of the facility here. They're clearly anticipating after this hearing there's going to be some sort of a news conference. There are journalists being allowed in, a pool situation. So they would come out and give their commentary as to what they observed. There is going to be a camera inside, so you'll be able to watch as well as we'll be able to watch from here.

The judge is the one who will not be in the courtroom. He is actually some place else and he's connected to the courtroom inside the prison facility by means of a television link up. That's how it all comes together.

What we anticipate is, of course, that this is a first appearance. It's the arraignment. It's the reading of the charge. George Zimmerman is expected to enter a plea. His attorney says already that that plea is going to be not guilty. The question mark is, will they deal with the issue of bond? It's possible if something has been worked out ahead of time with the prosecutor's office and the defense attorney. If not, that could require another hearing at another time. It could become quite complex.

MALVEAUX: Are there a lot of people who are gathered where you are there? Is there a lot of excitement or anticipation about what's about to happen?

SAVIDGE: Yes, well, there's helicopters hovering overhead and the journalists are ready. Not a lot of the public because the public knows they can't get inside. It's a courtroom located inside of the corrections facility. It's kind of a new trend. It is done for security reasons, of course. This way you don't have to transport prisoners back and forth to a courthouse. Instead, it's the judge that appears electronically.

As you looked inside the courtroom there -- and occasionally we do get glimpses of it -- you can see that there is an area that is -- has seats that allow members of the media and apparently others to be present, but they're separated by glass. It would probably be a rather strong glass. And then there is an area where the prisoner could come to the microphone and speak and either answer the judge's questions or make some sort of response. That's what we're waiting for. You can see there is a guard clearly who is waiting as well.

George Zimmerman is not the only one who is going to have an arraignment today. This is a routine process that happens almost every single day. And so we expect it to be very quick, and George Zimmerman, we're told, will be first.

MALVEAUX: And do we know anything about his first night in custody?

SAVIDGE: Well, we know that he had to be transported from Jacksonville. That would be about a three-hour drive in a black SUV. That's what many people saw pulling up outside this facility. There was a huge crowd of journalists and cameras that were waiting to catch any kind of glimpse of George Zimmerman because, of course, he hadn't been seen. And so they were all rolling as he went inside.

We know that then it's a formality. He has to be processed. There was the mug shot that everyone now has probably seen. That was taken. There is also a medical examination and a mental exam that is conducted. And then there is time for his brand new attorney, Mark O'Mara, to have the opportunity to sit down and for the first time talk face-to-face with his client. We understand that they did talk for about an hour.

MALVEAUX: Right.

SAVIDGE: Given so much that has to be done, that really is a relatively short period of time.

MALVEAUX: OK.

SAVIDGE: And Mr. O'Mara said afterwards he could tell his client was very stressed and very tired.

MALVEAUX: All right. Martin, we're going to stay with this.

I want to bring in Holly Hughes, our legal analyst, to talk a little bit about what we're expecting, how this is going to play out once George Zimmerman appears with his attorney.

What do we know about his attorney?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, at this point, we know that he has finally stepped in. This is someone who has actually met the client. We know from the last sort of situation we had that the attorneys who were out in the press representing Mr. Zimmerman, had not even had the opportunity to sit down with him. So we see that Mark O'Mara, who is an experienced criminal attorney, has done exactly what you're supposed to do.

MALVEAUX: We are -- are these live pictures we're looking at? These are live pictures. We're seeing pictures -- we recognize the special prosecutor, Angela Corey, and I do believe, Holly, we are looking also at Mark O'Mara. Is that correct?

HUGHES: Exactly. Exactly. We see him on the far side of the screen to the right of Angela Corey.

MALVEAUX: There is George Zimmerman who is walking in now into the first court hearing. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED)

O'MARA: We'll give you credit for that. I also will say for the record that I just received here moments ago a two-page affidavit signed by Investigators Galbraith and Olsteen to stand for probable cause for the filing of an information in this matter. So you want him to appear, do you not?

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: Yes, I do, Your Honor. He is present.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: I didn't recognize him next to you there.

All right. Mr. Zimmerman, you're appearing here for your first appearances -- or first appearance at this time for a charge of murder in the second degree and you are represented by Mr. O'Mara, is that true?

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, ACCUSED OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER: Yes, sir. UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Remember your right to remain silent, all the other rights he's told you about. You have to say nothing. And we'll go forward on some procedural matters only at this time. After reviewing the short affidavit for probable cause, I do find that probable cause for the charge, as put in the information. Now, seeing that there's an information that was filed as of last -- yesterday at 4:00 p.m., all other matters at this point will be handled by the circuit court under the felony case number. That includes the further -- any further motions, bond hearings. Anything like that now will go forward. All I can tell you at this time is that you will be set for formal arraignment with the Judge Retsidler (ph) on or -- not before but on May the 29th, 1:30, courtroom 1A. And Mr. O'Mara, of course, will be in for that. There's no need to appoint other counsel. I show that he has good and adequate counsel. He's well-represented at this stage. And that date will hold.

That is the right date, right, madam clerk? Let's get this straight.

Five -- May 29th, 1:30 is his next official court date at this time. All other matters, therefore, will be taken up with the circuit court at the courthouse.

Mr. O'Mara, agree?

O'MARA: We agree, Your Honor.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Very good.

State, anything else?

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: No, sir, thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Upon that finding, this hearing, a first appearance, is concluded.

Thank you.

O'MARA: Thank you for your time and consideration.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Take your time. And I know you have to make arrangements for everybody. And then we'll get the rest of the group in there and I will take a short break, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So that is the first appearance of George Zimmerman. It was very, very brief, as we predicted there. And there's his attorney and the special prosecutor who are still in the room there.

Holly, explain to us the judge simply said that they had set an arraignment date, May 29th, 1:30 p.m., courtroom 1A. What happens now? He goes back. He cannot -- they didn't set a bond. He cannot get out of jail. HUGHES: That's correct, Suzanne. He is still in custody and will remain in custody until he has this arraignment hearing. And at that point in time, the judge has let Mr. O'Mara and the state know you may address bond and any other preliminary matters at this point in time.

The formal arraignment is where they will come into court, they will read out loud the charge, let him know what he is being charged with. That can also be waived by his attorney, if Mr. O'Mara, as I'm sure he will, has sat down explained the nature of the charge, the basis of the charge. At that point in time, he may say my client is fully aware, we waive.

MALVEAUX: His attorney is speaking now. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED)

O'MARA: -- information about some witnesses, some witness statements, some addresses, telephone numbers. There's even, I believe, though I haven't reviewed the court file, may be some information specific to Trayvon Martin, a juvenile. And the concern is, with the focus this case has gotten to date, there are going to be and already have been requests to get that information. So I am seeking on my client's behalf and just in the interests of justice on a temporary basis that we do a complete sealing of that record, that no one have access to it except for the court, the appropriate court, and court personnel and, of course, the attorneys involved. I'm very concerned that --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Let's take one step at a time. The probable cause affidavit, the two-page plus the jurat that came over today on the fax, I would be of the mindset to make that public because there's nothing in there other than what the court has already read and seen.

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: But anything else so far what you have mentioned has not been filed yet to the clerk's knowledge.

O'MARA: And that's correct.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: If you want to do it from now on and the state agrees, is that --

PROSECUTOR: We're in agreement with that from now on. That's fine, Your Honor.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Stipulation, I don't have to order it. The two of you have agreed, and we'll put that in the minutes today. So from here on how now it has to be with a hearing with Judge Retsidler.

O'MARA: Your Honor, I appreciate it. I know you're very business. My concern is there's actually information flowing to the court file right now so it may get there within moments. And, two, I would truly ask rather than just sitting on the stipulation that you enter an order on our stipulation that would carry the weight of a court order because it may be attacked or assailed.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Remember, Mr. O'Mara, local practice, our minutes has done an ordered language on it, I believe.

O'MARA: Good.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Yes. So it would have the weight of an order.

O'MARA: That's what I wanted. Thanks for the time.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Now, anything that I have done here, remember, is always reviewable and can be changed by the trial judge who is now assigned as of this moment in this case, OK?

O'MARA: Yes, Your Honor. Thanks again for the time.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Your Honor.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Thank you.

(END LIVE FEED)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in Mark Nejame, who is with us from Orlando, to talk about what we have been seen.

You know Zimmerman's attorney well. What was he trying to do in sealing those records?

MARK NEJAME, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Some of it came in a little garbled, but basically I think he's doing what we saw yesterday when he first made his appearance. He's attempting to keep control of this without letting it just simply go out there and become chaotic. I think he wanted to maintain control of the file where both the prosecutor and the defense and the court had it but that there would not be this ongoing leak through the media and then it would be handled in a haphazard way. From what I could hear, that seemed to be what was going down.

May I also say something else though because I think that there's a little bit of a confusion. The arraignment date that's scheduled in Florida basically it would be a not guilty plea entered into writing. The defendant's personal appearance is not required. So the chances are almost zero that Mr. Zimmerman will be appearing in court for his arraignment.

There will be an attempt to get a hearing for a bond at some point before that. A lot of that will depend upon the judge's docket and being able to get hearing time to get in there as soon as possible. With the intensity and the attention of this case, they're going to have to open up some time. So don't expect to see Mr. Zimmerman back in court for his arraignment. In writing it's done almost 100 percent of the time in Florida, but do expect that a motion for a bond will be set. Basically, the county court deferred to the circuit court who has jurisdiction over this case now to handle the bond hearing.

MALVEAUX: Right. So at least at this point, up until May 29th, he will remain in jail. Is that correct? There's no chance he would actually be released because it's May 29th, is the day.

NEJAME: No. He's entitled to a bond hearing. So if they can get a hearing tomorrow or next week and the court's docket permits that in front of the circuit judge, then they can have a bond hearing before the arraignment. The arraignment is simply an entry of a plea of guilty or not guilty independent of the bond hearing. You don't get an automatic bond hearing just because you have an arraignment. You have to schedule the bond hearing for a hearing, and so that's what's going to be forthcoming. Mr. O'Mara will likely, in the next few days, prepare a fully detailed motion to set reasonable bond. It will be filed in the court and be set for hearing.

MALVEAUX: Mark, you were initially -- I understand you said earlier this morning -- approached by George Zimmerman and his team to represent Zimmerman. Why did you turn down the case? Does this look like a case that's going to be difficult to defend?

NEJAME: No. It's a defensible case but it's a very complicated complex case. We were contacted and I have gotten a written consent from Mr. Zimmerman to allow me to talk about this. I did not disclose information yesterday, nobody has known about it because we didn't think it appropriate to comment until there was a release and consent by Mr. Zimmerman.

MALVEAUX: We lost Mark. He's going to explain that later.

But he was approached by George Zimmerman's team to represent him and he's going to explain why he didn't actually accept it.

But what do you make of seeing George Zimmerman now and the way he was portrayed before? Even in the photos, he looks physically different.

HUGHES: He absolutely does. We can tell he's lost weight. And we heard from his prior attorneys earlier in the week that he had lost a substantial amount of weight. So I think what we're seeing is a man who is just -- and understandably so -- extremely stressed. Probably has not been able to eat, Suzanne. And if he has, has probably not been able to keep a lot down. If you think about the intense media scrutiny that's been on this and a lot of community members who have sort of, out on their own said, hey, let's put a bounty on his head, let's go hunting him down, that's a pretty precarious position to be in. So -- and I'm not sure whether George Zimmerman believes it was fully in self-defense or not, I'm sure that the taking of a life weighs heavily on you, whether you think you had to do it to defend your own life or not. That has to be an emotional toll that very few of us will ever understand. MALVEAUX: Earlier today, we heard from Trayvon Martin's mother. And she said she believed it was an accident, her son's killing. That they all just kind of got caught up in something.

HUGHES: Right.

MALVEAUX: Is that actually something that the defense could use to help Zimmerman in this case?

HUGHES: Absolutely. What we're going to see, step one, is going to be a motion to dismiss based on justification, based on the Stand Your Ground law. They're going to go before the court. Mr. O'Mara is going to prepare that motion, try to get that hearing date, and get the entire thing dismissed by a judge who will hear the facts and circumstances, have that preliminary hearing, and say, I do or I don't agree with the defense on the justification. It could all go away at that point.

If, however, it progresses, that is absolutely one of the options that is available to the defense. They can raise accident. They can raise self-defense. They can put anything before the jury that they think is reasonable based on the facts and circumstances as the evidence comes out.

MALVEAUX: What do you make of the schedule, May 29th?

HUGHES: Like Mr. Nejame was talking about, this all goes with the court's docket. And we have to remember, as much as we're al watching this particular case, there are a couple hundred other defendants who have been sitting and waiting their court date, too. So the court is probably giving the first available date when they have to put him on.

But, of course, because it is so high profile, and you do have a lot of additional security concerns, sort of like we saw in the Casey Anthony trial, where we don't really want to keep her in our jail because there's such a much greater risk. So I think we're going to see that bond motion filed and attempted to be scheduled a lot sooner than that May 29th date.

MALVEAUX: Holly, stay with us.

We're going to take a quick break and we'll have more on this developing story.

Thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We just got this statement from Trayvon Martin's mother. This is Sybrina Fulton, and we were talking about the fact that earlier she talked about this on cable television, that she believed this was an accident, and that they got lost and caught up in something here. She wants to clarify her statement here and she puts it out and says, "Earlier today I made a comment to the media that was later mischaracterized. When I referred to the world 'accident' today, with regard to Trayvon's death, in no way did I mean the shooting was an accident." And she says, "We believe that George Zimmerman stalked my son and murdered him in cold blood. The accident I was referring to was the fact that George Zimmerman and my son never crossed paths. It was an accidental encounter. If George Zimmerman hadn't gotten out of his vehicle, this entire incident would have been avoided. My son was profiled, followed and murdered by George Zimmerman. And there was nothing accidental about that."

That is a very, very strong statement.

HUGHES: Wow, that's powerful. Those words were chosen very carefully. I mean, not only do we have, I think that he murdered my son, but she is saying it is cold blooded. She wants to be incredibly clear with the media and with the public at large that she doesn't believe that an accidental defense, which may be raised later on, should prevail. She just really wants to set the record straight.

When you're in this emotional place, having been with murder victims parents, I see that.

MALVEAUX: Let's go to the attorney now.

HUGHES: Absolutely.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED)

O'MARA: We'll tend to a bond motion between now and then and tell you what it is set for.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What do you make of Sabryna's comments on the "Today" show? She said she believed this was an accident. She clarified and said, the encounter between Mr. Zimmerman and Trayvon was the accident.

O'MARA: I look forward to having a conversation with her to see exactly what her feelings are on it. Obviously, it was a horrible intersection of two young men's lives, and it ended in tragedy. We have to figure out how it happened, why it happened, and who might be responsible for it.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Using those words against her in the future?

O'MARA: This is -- they went to a horrible tragedy. They lost their son. We're not going to be talking about using words against a mother of a deceased child. We're not doing that.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think that the ability -- that the judge did not want to post bail, was that a setback for you and your client? O'MARA: No. We had actually made a decision before today, a couple hours ago, that I was not going to even seek to have the judge attend to that issue. It didn't make sense with where the case is now and with my client's status, and quite honestly with the attempt to truly calm this case down rather than demand a presentation of evidence, which might only increase the fervor around the case.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Between now and then, you won't make --

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: I am sorry?

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: Yes, I did.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE). Can you describe in detail what he is saying because I know -- what is the demeanor right now?

O'MARA: He is tired. It has been a very long period of time for him, and he has gone through tribulations of his own, being the focus of the intensity of this event. He is facing a second-degree murder charge now. He is frightened. That would frighten any one of us.

On the other hand, I am not concerned as some others may have been before me of his focus. He wants -- he is glad the process is in place. He really does hope, as the prosecutor said, that we're given the opportunity, by the media, by the community, to handle the case the way it is supposed to be handled, full discovery, conversations, negotiations, trial if need be, motions if they're appropriate, and let us -- let the system work. It really truly works and now that we have focus on it, it is going to work even better because I am sure you will tell us if it is not working properly.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- of the case file?

O'MARA: My concern -- I'm sorry?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Any remorse, apologetic at all about what happened?

O'MARA: What I would like to do in that regard is, if that conversation is to be had, it should be had directly to the family.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why did you ask for a complete --

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: My concern before I was involved in the case was that this matter was being handled in a piecemeal fashion. Whether it was police, law enforcement, defense, other witnesses, people just wanted to be involved in the case, people who saw things. And what happened is -- I liken it to a picture that you have as a puzzle piece, and you throw out three or four pieces and you cannot get a picture of it. And the frustration that happens is you see it one way. You see it another way. There is something missing and somebody is not answering the next question, it is really supposed to happen in the courtroom. If it happens in the courtroom, and if we really look at it and say, we're going to do it properly, then we don't need to let it out piecemeal. You misinterpret it. I have to respond to it. They have to respond to it. The job is better done the way we know how to do it.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why do you say a trial if needed and then what are your feelings about a possible change of venue?

O'MARA: If you were to do a percentage of all criminal cases, very small percentage of them go to trial, higher percentage of murder cases. We're not taking any possibilities off the table how this case gets resolved. I haven't seen the first sheet of evidence yet. So, clearly, premature.

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: I'm sorry?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How many Stand Your Ground cases have you handled in your career?

O'MARA: Self-defense cases, which is really what you are speaking of, a number of them. It shows up in a lot of personal crimes, whenever there is battery, aggravated battery, murder. I have not had one to a jury since the Stand Your Ground statute, but I have had a couple that have utilized that as sort of an impact on this.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you have evidence that you. (INAUDIBLE) Stand Your Ground defense?

O'MARA: Madam Prosecutor knows the case, knows how to do it, looked at the evidence and interpreted it a certain way. I won't make believe I know a different way when I haven't seen it. When I see it, we'll talk more about it maybe.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: O'Mara, are you --

O'MARA: I'm sorry?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)

O'MARA: I am not taking attorney's fees right now. I think that he is did indigent for costs. He doesn't have money. And there is a process in place that allows the state actually to assist in paying costs, not attorney's fees.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you asking for them to put him in protective custody?

O'MARA: Seminole County sheriff, on their own, properly so, have him in protective custody. It is a standard security measure that they put in place in cases like this.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And I heard also several threats already coming into the sheriff's office.

O'MARA: I have not heard of any.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How much money has he made from the web site?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How much money has he made from the web site?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- post traumatic stress disorder. How is he doing mentally?

O'MARA: Any diagnosis like that should be done by those who know how to do it, psychologists, psychiatrists. I can interact with him and I think he is in a good place.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Where has he been?

O'MARA: I would rather not disclose that. I don't know fully.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- safer in the facility?

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: I talked about doing it, talked to my clients, looked for the facts of the case, what would have to happen if we were to do the bond motion and decided not to.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When do you plan to do that?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Any safety concerns, and ask to remain in jail until his arraignment?

O'MARA: Has his? UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Yes.

O'MARA: I really wouldn't discuss what he and I talked about anyway, but --

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you feel he is safer for the short- term if he stays in the facility?

O'MARA: I hope to have him released on bond and by that time I hope to have a place for him to be safe.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When do you plan that?

O'MARA: We don't --

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: We don't have it set yet.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. O'Mara --

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: Bond is going to be set probably next couple of weeks, the motion before the judge and talk about it. I am about to go meet a judge who has this case. And if I don't, it will be my first contempt by this judge. I will not taking that chance.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How much money of the PayPal web site?

O'MARA: I have no idea. I haven't been on either one. I don't know if there is one or two.

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: I don't know yet. It's according to how much it is?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How do you feel about the other attorneys?

O'MARA: The prosecution?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The other attorneys that dropped him.

O'MARA: I don't know. I don't know fully why or how it happened. I am concerned about some of it but not that.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is he bondable?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is it possible he will get bond? O'MARA: It is possible he will get bond based on what the judge decides.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Would that be an Arthur hearing.

(CROSSTALK)

O'MARA: An Arthur hearing? Yes. It's one of the elements that is considered bond.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

(END LIVE FEED)

MALVEAUX: You've been listening and watching Mark O'Mara. He is the attorney for George Zimmerman. We're wrapping up coverage of the first court appearance of George Zimmerman. The next time he will be called, May 29th, for the arraignment, 1:30, courtroom 1-A. And a lot of people paying attention to what happens here, charged with second- degree murder of Trayvon Martin. His first court appearance. And he is back in jail, back in custody. A lot of people awaiting to see what the next outcome will be.

I want to toss this to Brooke Baldwin, who is taking up the story from here.

Hey, Brooke.