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Zimmerman Not Guilty; Actor Cory Monteith Found Dead; The Return of the Twinkie; Zimmerman's Life After the Trial; All-Star Controversy
Aired July 14, 2013 - 18:00 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. I'm Don Lemon in here in Sanford, Florida, with CNN's special coverage of the not guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial.
It sparked strong emotions and reactions are still pouring in. We have complete coverage from here in Florida, to Washington, all around the world, really all around the world.
And for the first time since his arrest in April last year, George Zimmerman began his day a free man. A six-woman jury acquitted him in the death of Trayvon Martin but the story and debate do not end there. This case has captured so much interest in part, because it combined elements of race with topics like gun violence, gun rights and self- defense. Defense attorneys and prosecutors spoke to reporters, and as you might expect, they had two very different reactions to the jury's decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK O'MARA, ZIMMERMAN DEFENSE ATTORNEY: George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defense. I'm glad the jury saw it that way. I hope that everyone who thinks, particularly those who doubted George's reasons and doubted his background, now understand that the jury knew everything they knew was enough for them to find him not guilty.
BERNIE DE LA RIONDA, PROSECUTOR: I am disappointed, as we are with the verdict, but we accept it. We live in a great country that has a great criminal justice system. It is not perfect but it's the best in the world. And we respect the jury's verdict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: President Barack Obama adding his voice to the discussion. Mr. Obama said, in part, "We should ask ourselves if we are doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we are doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this."
I want to bring in two people who have been covering this trial from the very beginning, CNN's Martin Savidge, of course. He's in the courtroom for last night's verdict, and CNN legal analyst Mark NeJame.
So, Mark, the president wants to start, you know, a wider communication. Do you see that happening?
MARK NEJAME, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I hope to God that happens. That's what we need to have happened. We need to have open discussions, much like we've been having about race. But where I'm bothered is that I have not heard enough discussions about gun violence. I'm glad the president mentioned that.
You know, everybody completely avoids that. We talked about it, at the beginning of the case. But that seems to be missed here. You know, when we have laws that openly allow people to be a public place carrying firearms is almost surprising more of this type of situation doesn't occur because people are going to end up getting in fights, having issues and if, in fact, they could pack a firearm wherever they want whenever they want, you know, we're going to have an explosive situation, which is what happened.
LEMON: You're getting into the Second Amendment, we have the right to bear arms.
NEJAME: We have the right to bear arms, but we have reasonable restrictions upon us. I would never argue the Castle Doctrine. Nobody would never argue the castle doctrine. At least I would never Castle Doctrine. You come into our home, you've got have a chance of not going out alive. You're not going to get out if you're not alive, of course.
The fact is we need to have responsible discussions about that, because if you can pack --
LEMON: If you went in to that building, you cannot carry --
NEJAME: That's right.
LEMON: You cannot go in with a firearm.
NEJAME: So, there are reasonable restrictions. To suggest there are not to be some reasonable discussions, and reasonable discussions about that and restrictions about it I think is just fool-hardy. We're sweeping under the rug.
We all know. We saw the master of the children recently and we thought there might be something to have an open dialogue. What happened? Not a lot.
And we need to have that discussion. Or more young Trayvon Martins are going to get killed.
It's the bigger issue that George Zimmerman, although it's an issue. But the issue is much larger. If we don't have that dialogue, we're going to have more killings.
LEMON: You're very passionate about that. Let's talk about the wider discussion, Martin, because Mark O'Mara mentioned that. He said to you in his interview, didn't he say this may have -- he didn't think that this was helping with the wider discussion because George Zimmerman was not the person.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are two ways to look at this and we discussed this. If anybody thought the verdict in this particular case was going to resolve these major issues in America whether they be the issue of Second Amendment, right to bear arms, or whether they have to be with issues in race, this thing is not going to resolve that. Anybody who thought it might would be deeply disappointed.
The other thing, though, I will point out, at the beginning of this case, I was not certain that it would be followed as heavily as some of the more, let's say, famous cases recently, talking about Casey Anthony or Jodi Arias. This case, I felt, had serious issues that do need public discourse, that we do need to try to bring into the public forum. If there is any good that comes out of this horrible tragedy, it is the fact at least we have on the air and in public, at least begun talking about some of these issues.
LEMON: Yes. And it is on the air sometimes, I'm being quite here -- it's a bit uncomfortable to put yourself out there and have these conversations because you see the blowback. And people judge you for that and they think you have an agenda, when as a journalist, the agenda is just to start a conversation. And to have people to think sort of beyond the way that hey are thinking.
NEJAME: You look, Don, at the reaction we got for those who might have missed it we had a heart-felt conversation.
LEMON: About profiling and about race.
NEJAME: About profiling. A friend of mine, and there are a lot of people discussing things, and as emphatic as we tried to be. If we have not lived in somebody else's shoes, for people to think because we have a black president or because somebody has black friends that the issue is over in America, we, of course still have bigotry, we still have racism, we still have prejudice.
But we have to have a dialogue about it. And people have to understand who are jumping up and down and applauding this -- the jury verdict, they need to understand that they have to be more sensitive this. Case was very symbolic to many people, especially those who are African-American.
LEMON: Yes.
NEJAME: And it represents a whole lot of wrongs that still exist in America.
LEMON: If you worked in the criminal justice system and because of what we do, we get to experience this a lot, as well, people are afraid of the word "racism." That's a really bad word, right? Perhaps it should be bias. People don't walk around all the time 100 percent racist or 100 percent anything, right?
And so if you, if your bias comes out sometimes unconsciously for a number of different things, sometimes. Sometimes I'm sexist, sometimes you're sexist. Sometimes I'm bias when it comes to race. Sometimes you're bias when it comes to race, and a number of different things.
I think that happens for most people. But when you don't accept that, when you don't say, hey, I might have that in my personality, hmm, perhaps I need to think about that. You go, I'm I not racist, I'm not bias -- that means you're probably racist and probably bias.
SAVIDGE: Mark O'Mara was concerned about the perception because he represented George Zimmerman, because he stood and defended this man, he felt was improperly charged that he was somehow perceived or could be perceived as against the civil rights movement, that this was a cause, not a case.
He says nothing could be farther from the truth, that he actually --
LEMON: And you know that, you said --
NEJAME: I know that for a fact. I've gotten many tweets and comments.
LEMON: He worked on civil rights cases.
NEJAME: I mean, look, Mark is a defense lawyer. One reason I refer (ph) to him because I know he didn't have a bigoted bone in his body. But he's fighting for the case, but it's turned out to be a cause. Not appropriately so.
We just have to address it. Like you said, get out of our denial. Look inside and get better.
LEMON: Sometimes if you walk around and you just not conscious of certain things and sometimes people have to snap you out of it, right? There are moments that snap you out of it. Maybe this is one for the entire country.
NEJAME: From your mouth to God's ears.
LEMON: Thank you, guys. We appreciate it.
You know, it's been nearly 24 hours since the Zimmerman verdict was announced. This evening, the community continues to gather in support of Trayvon Martin this.
You know, this rally took place about an hour ago at a park in Sanford, Florida, blocks from where the verdict was read late last night. Watching over the crowd was Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith, who says everything has been peaceful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CECIL SMITH, SANFORD, FLORIDA POLICE: It's a great opportunity for people to come out and express themselves, and that's what's important. Regardless how you feel about the verdict or how the case has gone, if you're going to do something, you do so in a peaceful manner. This town has been just outstanding remaining peaceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Many of the demonstrations in Florida and across the nation have remained peaceful.
Well, many in Sanford, Florida, community took solace in church that. That includes relatives of Trayvon Martin. But Martin's parents were not at church services this morning.
John Zarrella explains now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The message from Aesha Felton, Trayvon Martin's cousin, was clear, direct.
AESHA FELTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S COUSIN: We don't want this to happen to anyone else again. There is no reason for this to happen to any other families. No one should have to go through this.
ZARRELLA: Felton and her mom and dad attended Sunday services at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Miami Gardens.
Miami Gardens is the neighborhood where Trayvon Martin grew up. It is this church where his family are members. Neither Trayvon's mother or father came to services here Sunday. Not that anyone really expected they would.
But Pastor Arthur Jackson said he talked with Sybrina this morning.
PASTOR ARTHUR JACKSON, ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: They are very upset and heart broken, as you can imagine. As any parent would be, this senseless tragedy of losing a child. But I applaud her. I commend her faith in God. She is still trusting God amid the trial.
ZARRELLA: Sybrina, Pastor Jackson says, told him to tell the congregation she wants them to trust in God, as well. That message of faith was the overriding theme during the services, and it was faith Trayvon's aunt says that got them through.
ROBERTA FELTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S AUNT: That's why we are able to stand here and speak, because we know that somehow or some way God is going to -- everything is going to be taken care of.
ZARRELLA: Pastor Jackson says the people of this community can be proud the way they carried themselves in the wake of the verdict.
(on camera): Several members of the church expressed to us if you thought that this community was going to erupt in violence because of the outcome, then that in and of itself was stereotyping.
TYRONE WILLIAMS, CHURCH MEMBER: The leaders in our community talked about it. We dealt with it. You didn't see it. I don't think you're going to see it. I think you need to stop putting people in boxes and start dealing with the system.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): There were feelings of hurt, sadness, disappointment amongst the congregation. Anger, too. But the bottom line, church members say, everyone now must move on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was CNN's John Zarrella reporting. And Trayvon Martin's parents have not been seen in public since the verdict was announced.
Many believe the George Zimmerman verdict shows there is a deep divide regarding race relations in this country. So, it might be a surprise to know George Zimmerman's defense team included an African-American woman. Wait until you hear the question she asked before she agreed to join the defense team.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know, for many, the George Zimmerman case was all about race. So, one member of the defense team may have stood out more than any other -- a law student who is an African-American woman.
CNN's David Mattingly introduces us to this legal intern.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a case so inflamed by racially charged opinion, it was almost impossible not to notice the young African-American woman on George Zimmerman's otherwise all-white defense team.
Channa Lloyd tells me she just had one question for attorney Mark O'Mara.
CHANNA LLOYD, ZIMMERMAN DEFENSE INTERN: Last time I said, is George a racist? He said, no, I wouldn't work for him if he was.
MATTINGLY (on camera): Why was that so important to you?
LLOYD: Being an African-American, even if he was a client in need of representation, I don't know that I would have been able to divorce that and you have to have proper representation and people who can do that.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): If you find Lloyd's involvement surprising, you might be even more surprised to find out she's a volunteer working for free. Channa Lloyd is a third-year law student in Orlando, a 34- year-old intern working a case of a lifetime.
(on camera): Have you had to explain what you're doing to any of your friends?
LLOYD: Sure. Some of my friends debate with me all the time about it.
MATTINGLY: What do they say?
LLOYD: Some of them think, it doesn't matter, he's guilty. Some of them say, well, I'm willing to hear the evidence. They span the range.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Observations span the range online as well. Most are just curious, who is she? Why is she there?
LLOYD: Kind of what our position is, what our role is, am I only there because I'm black, those kind of things. I've seen more curious questions than anything.
MATTINGLY: But some comments are clearly judgmental and personal.
(on camera): There was one that caught my eye this tweet. "Black woman seated with Zimmerman defense team is on wrong side of the courtroom and wrong side of history." What would you say to that person?
LLOYD: I would say that they're not really aware of what history is if they think that this is a completely racial issue, I would tell her to go back, or him or her, to go back and revisit the case. I think it's misplaced.
MATTINGLY: Is this case about race?
LLOYD: I don't think the case is about race. I think that was the way it was presented initially and I think that might have been erroneous.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): In the courtroom for the most part, she sits silently in the background with other interns. For the last year, though, Lloyd's provided research and support, spending long hours and getting to know George Zimmerman.
(on camera): Is he a racist?
LLOYD: No.
MATTINGLY: How do you know? How did you come to that opinion?
LLOYD: You can just kind of tell. I've been African-American, you encounter people who are racist and I just know that he's not.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): And at the end of this trial, Lloyd sees only a beginning of a career in criminal defense.
David Mattingly, CNN, Sanford, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And we are keeping an eye on other news today. There is grief in Hollywood. The sudden death of "Glee" star Cory Monteith shocked many people. Details on the investigation and police are saying. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Hendricks in Atlanta.
We start with this. Fans of the TV show "Glee" are filling social media sites with messages of shock and sadness. That's after news that the body of Cory Monteith was found in a hotel room in Canada. The actor was just 31 years old. He played a clean-cut guy on TV, but as Nick Valencia reports, Cory Monteith had his demons.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sudden and tragic, news of the death of 31-year-old "Glee" actor Cory Monteith stunned his recent friends. The Hollywood star found dead in a downtown Vancouver hotel room. His cause of death was not immediately clear.
But at a press conference late Saturday, police ruled out foul play.
ACTING CHIEF DOUG LEPARD, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA POLICE: Mr. Monteith checked into the hotel July 6th and was due to check out of the room today. There were others with Mr. Monteith in his room earlier last night but video and fob key entries show him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours, and we believe he was alone when he died.
VALENCIA: "Glee" guest director Adam Shankman spoke on the phone to Monteith just hours before his death. He was the glue, he was the cheerleader that really held everybody together. That I really felt.
ADAM SHANKMAN, FRIEND OF CORY MONTEITH (via telephone): He was always smiles. He was patient. He always knew all his lines right away. He was, you know, he was the first to laugh when things were muddy.
VALENCIA: Monteith skyrocketed to fame in 2009, playing the loveable heart throb quarterback, he's credited with making the FOX TV series a hit.
But for all of his success, there were stumbles. Since he was 13 years old, Monteith openly said he battled with his sobriety. It was just four months ago when the Canadian actor voluntarily checked himself onto a rehab facility. His friends and girlfriends were encouraged by his steps to stay clean.
SHANKMAN: He even said I'm feeling fantastic again. And, you know, he was obviously referring to the moment he had this year with going to rehab. So I'm, like everybody else, really devastated and confused by what happened.
VALENCIA (on camera): Investigators have not officially tied his death to substance abuse. An autopsy will be conducted on Monday.
Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: Nick, thank you.
Looking overseas now, an enormous typhoon is bashing southeastern China this weekend. The storm made landfall yesterday. It's the equivalent of a hurricane with sustained winds over 70 miles per hour. Already more than 300,000 people have left their homes on the coast for higher ground. The same storm dumped eight inches of rain one day on Taipei, Taiwan. The typhoon is triggering landslides and emergency officials are preparing for the worst in case rivers flood.
Take a look at this enormous neighborhood fire in Corpus Christi, Texas. Check it out.
Yes, that is a frightening scene. This happened before dawn Friday morning. A house simply exploded, shooting fire down the street, flattening three homes and causing damage to 70 others.
Here is something you don't see very often. The Corpus Christi morning news show was just going on the air two miles away when the house exploded. Watch this. It happens at about five seconds in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN THOMAS, TV ANCHOR: Absolutely. Good morning, everyone. I'm John Thomas, 5:30 a.m. Friday, July 12th.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The studio had a little bit of a raucous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: (AUDIO GAP) inside of a TV studio. Imagine what that must have felt like on the street?
Well, the neighborhood, as you see, it's a mess. Two people are in critical condition today. Firefighters think a gas leak caused that house to explode.
The world is watching and waiting for the royal baby. Catherine duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth any day now. Prince William and Catherine are waiting to find out if it's a boy or girl. Some clues have people thinking the baby will be a princess. But we're going to have to wait and see on that one.
Junk food junkies, tomorrow is the day you've been waiting for. On Monday, the Twinkie makes its official return to store shelves across the country. Some retailers jumped the gun and started selling the spongy cream-filled treat a few days early. The comeback is part of a very unique American journey.
Here now is Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As American as baseball, apple pie and celebrity gossip, Twinkies are returning. Eight months after labor troubles made Hostess crumble, new owners are heralding the sweetest comeback in the history of ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Twinkies are awesome. Are they back?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think everybody is missing them.
FOREMAN: Twinkies have been around since 1930. In less self- conscious days, it seemed every child enjoyed one at least once.
They were featured on kids' shows like "Howdy Doody."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do we have? Hostess Twinkies.
FOREMAN: Today, however, many people are skeptical of sugars and fats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not the least bit excited they are coming back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Not really. I have the two-piece luggage, working on the third set, I don't need extra.
FOREMAN: So, what explains the Twinkie mania? Maybe it's because Twinkies make people think not about nutrition but about nostalgia.
UNIDENTIFIED KID: It's Twinkie the kid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twinkies remind me of being a kid.
KAT KINSMAN, "EATOCRACY" EDITOR, CNN.COM: It's a thing people pass down from generation to generation.
FOREMAN: CNN food editor Kat Kinsman suggests Twinkies fit onto a rare category of foods with overwhelming emotional appeal.
KINSMAN: It's often people get their first Twinkies from their mother puts it in the lunch box or their grandfather slips them one. There is a gift aspect to it. And you might later buy yourself a Twinkie. But it's not the same thing. It doesn't carry that little bundle of love with it.
FOREMAN: Urban legend has it an unopened Twinkie will last for ages.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something has the self life of like 62 years? No.
FOREMAN: No. The new ones will make it more like 45 days. But as a snack food with a firm place in Americana, yes, they might last forever.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: George Zimmerman a free man. He's lived in hiding more than a year now. He has feared for his safety and is hated by many. A glimpse of what his life may look like now that the trial is over.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Our top story today, a Florida jury finding George Zimmerman not guilty in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Now, Zimmerman is free, but is he really? What will life be like for him now?
CNN's David Mattingly takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (voice-over): He's been in hiding for a year, daring to venture out only in disguise and wearing body armor. Since killing Trayvon Martin, life for George Zimmerman is filled with isolation and caution.
MARK O'MARA, ZIMMERMAN ATTORNEY: There are a lot of people who think George killed Trayvon Martin for racial reasons even though nothing supports that. And if they feel that anger enough, they could react violently.
MATTINGLY: There have been tweets, email and letters, wishing him bodily harm or death. Now that George Zimmerman is free, it's almost certain he won't be able to go back to the life he had before, pursuing a career in law enforcement.
MIKE PAUL, REPUTATION MANAGEMENT COUNSELOR: That is the absolute worst thing you can do. It might be your old passion, my advice would be: you need to find a new passion. And it needs to be helping people in a very different way -- a way that is much more compassionate, not just involving law enforcement.
MATTINGLY: For a view of life after acquittal, Zimmerman may need to look no further than Casey Anthony. The hated young mother found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. She has since lived in hiding and in financial ruin.
Cheney Mason was her defense attorney.
CHENEY MASON, CASEY ANTHONY DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And you never know who the nuts are and where they are. There are still people that threaten me.
MATTINGLY (on camera): It sounds like there are very severe consequences for being found guilty in a court of public opinion.
MASON: They are, but you don't have jell-o and cheese sandwiches in jail.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): It may not be hopeless for Zimmerman. He continues to have strong support from his immediate family. Part of his defense is being paid for by thousands of dollars donated by the public. But even here, there could be problems. GENE GRABOWSKI, CRISIS PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER: He's got to be careful to avoid the appearance of creating more divisions by accepting money or support openly from groups that maybe would create more friction because of the -- you know, the tenor of this case. He's got to be very careful about who he associates with afterwards, even if they are offering financial support.
MATTINGLY: And shortly after his dramatic acquittal, George Zimmerman's first steps back into private life were hidden from cameras and public view. His destination, his plans, a closely- guarded secret.
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR., GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: He has always feared for his safety. We have always feared for his safety and our safety as a family. Clearly, he's a free man in the eyes of the court, but he's going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's David Mattingly reporting.
I want to bring in our panel now. Attorney and former prosecutor, Faith Jenkins, she joins us in New York. And Attorney Brian Kabateck and attorney Loni Coombs, both are in Los Angeles. Attorney Holly Hughes joins me in Atlanta.
Did you all get some sleep finally?
(LAUGHTER)
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Very little, Don. Just like you. Very little.
LEMON: Same here. Someone on Twitter said, you look refreshed. It's all smoke and mirrors.
OK, so listen. I want to ask you about that and very seriously here because he, you know, may be free in the eyes of the law, but in the court of public opinion there may be some very serious concerns, very real concerns about his safety, Holly. We saw this in the Casey Anthony verdict and trial, as well. What do you think, legitimate?
HUGHES: I think it is legitimate, Don, because I think there are people who will co-opt this particular trial for their own agenda. And I think what we all need to do is respect what Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have said. They have conducted themselves with such dignity and such grace. And they have just come out and they've said, look, we loved this young man. We raised him. We are sorry he's gone, but do not dishonor his memory by going out and committing another act of violence.
And unfortunately, there are people who will take it upon themselves to be a vigilante. So I think it is a legitimate concern given, you know, the divisiveness of this case and the passions that arise.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: But, Faith, you know, the people who --
FAITH JENKINS, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Don, what irony.
LEMON: Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
JENKINS: What irony in that. That George Zimmerman's brother is concerned about people taking the law into their own hands against George Zimmerman when that is exactly what he did to put himself in this situation and now we are dealing with a dead 17-year-old teenager.
HUGHES: Well, with all --
JENKINS: So I just -- the irony in that situation. And by the way --
HUGHES: With all due respect, the jury disagreed with that. They said he didn't take the law in his hands.
LEMON: Let her -- let her finish. Let her --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let her finish and then --
JENKINS: No, Holly, with all due respect, the jury disagreed with whether or not it was self-defense. The fact is George Zimmerman did profile Trayvon and follow him and thought he was a criminal. And that assumption was incorrect. Acting as a neighborhood watch person, taking the law -- going too far and taking the law into his own hands.
HUGHES: But the jury disagreed.
LEMON: OK.
HUGHES: They clearly bought self-defense or they wouldn't have walked him on both of these charges.
LEMON: OK. But let's -- but let's get back -- let's get back to this safety aspect and what happens to George Zimmerman now.
And Loni, I want to get to you because you've got some really good insight on this. So what should George Zimmerman do? Is there any way -- is there any way that he can become a person who goes out to the public? Goes out to the Wal-Mart, goes out to the Target, and goes shopping? Goes to the concert anymore? Does he have to sort of live a sequestered life like the jury had for the past couple of weeks?
LONI COOMBS, FORMER L.A. COUNTY PROSECUTOR: You know, I'm going to say, honestly, I think the reality is yes. This is part of that moral punishment that is going to be levied upon him, right or wrong, based on what he did. And social media kind of gets us stirred up even more. We see the really vitriol periphery that comes out of the social media. And all it takes is one person with a gun to go after him in life.
LEMON: Hey, Loni, can I just -- I'm going to let you finish. I'm going to let you finish. I'm going to let you finish but, you know, social media, people say things all the time on social media. And listen, correct me if I'm wrong, but I very rarely hear people, you know, make these outrageous -- say these outrageous things on social media and then follow through. It's mostly cowards who say things and --
COOMBS: Well --
(CROSSTALK)
JENKINS: Right.
LEMON: Through anonymity.
COOMBS: But Don --
LEMON: And then they don't through on it.
COOMBS: I have --
LEMON: And I'm not saying there's going to be some -- there could be always some crazy person that goes and does something.
COOMBS: No --
LEMON: But we should not be giving so much credence to some crazies on social media who -- you know, who feel that --
COOMBS: Well --
LEMON: -- they can be backed because they are anonymous. Go ahead.
COOMBS: I understand what you're saying and I certainly hope that's the truth. And that's what happens. But look, we've been watching cyber bullies go beyond just the mob mentality in social media and act out in the real world against people that they've targeted. It's not unrealistic to think that that might happen for George Zimmerman.
I hope it doesn't. I hope that he's smart about taking care of himself and being aware of what's going on. But I don't think he should minimize that in any way.
(CROSSTALK)
BRIAN KABATECK, MANAGING PARTNER, KABATECK BROWN KELLNER LLP: Don, let me chime in here.
LEMON: Yes. Yes. You understand what I'm saying. You see that -- and I'm going to let you chime in. But you see, that's the people you know. When we see cyber bullies it's like a teenager, usually it's a teenager at school and it's like someone they know, it's a friend or a frenemy or an enemy. And they're sort of stalking them on Twitter or on Facebook, but usually it's people you know. I'm not saying that that can't happen, but I think sometimes we give too much credence, especially to Twitter and people who are just emboldened by anonymity.
Go ahead, Brian.
KABATECK: I think the first thing, Don, you do is you don't poke the bear. You don't get out there and start talking about your personal safety, about you're afraid of death threats, you're afraid something is going to happen to you. Because that's poking the bear.
The next thing you do is you muzzle your brother. This guy has got to stop talking to the media. He's provoking the situation. I think that Zimmerman himself --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Right there, Brian, stop.
KABATECK: -- is doing a pretty good job --
LEMON: Stop, stop, Brian. Stop. My question that I wanted to ask last time and I couldn't and I wanted to follow up on what Robert Zimmerman Jr. had to say but the computer was going to cut me off and I couldn't. And I was going to lose the satellite. What I wanted to know is why wasn't he in the courtroom with his brother? Why was he doing an interview? Why was he in New York doing an interview --
KABATECK: In New York.
LEMON: -- instead of being in the courtroom with his brother? Yes. Go ahead, Brian.
KABATECK: In New York. And that one interview I can see doing 30 seconds, 90 seconds saying the family is happy. It's over. We're moving on with our lives. Something like that. But then he keeps going and he keeps going and talking to the media. This guy has got to stop talking. And Zimmerman himself I think is doing a pretty good job. He obviously had consulting from his lawyers when the verdict came in, whatever it was, sit there stoic, stone-faced. It's not a time for high-fiving. It's not a time for a big smile.
LEMON: Quickly, Brian.
KABATECK: They caught one smile on him. But the brother, get rid of this guy.
LEMON: OK. Stand by.
COOMBS: I totally agree with Brian.
LEMON: We're going to talk about -- yes, we're going to talk a little bit more, a lot more about this, and including self-defense and Stand Your Ground. Where do we stand with that? What happens with that? Next.
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LEMON: OK. So let's bring our panel back. Attorney and former prosecutor Faith Jenkins joins us in New York. Attorney Brian Kabateck and attorney Loni Coombs, they're both in Los Angeles, and attorney Holly Hughes joins us in Atlanta.
I want to steal this from my friend Nancy Grace. Unleash the lawyers. I love it when she says that. So I'm unleashing the lawyers right now.
We were talking about George Zimmerman's brother. And you -- I cut you off, Loni. You said that you agree with what Brian was saying?
COOMBS: Yes. I think he's not doing himself any favors or his brother any favors by, you know, pushing this thing, that my brother's innocent. He had the right to do what he did. And that's what the jury found. The jury didn't find him innocent. They found him not guilty.
But what I thought was really interesting is when he started talking about, they asked him, did your brother have any remorse about what he did. And he said, you know, we were taught that if you do what you believe is the right thing, you don't have to go back later and apologize for it. You stand up and you do it.
And it's essentially the mentality that perhaps George had out there that night. Look, I know that I can stand my ground. I can shoot my gun and if I shoot it, I'm going to shoot to kill, which is what his brother said. You don't shoot to injure, you shoot to kill. And that's what he did when he was out there with Trayvon Martin. That may be in his mind what's accurate, but I don't think that's what everyone else wants to hear right now.
JENKINS: And also, Don --
LEMON: OK, so then that -- that brings us to -- hang on. Then that brings us to this Stand Your Ground that we heard so much about over the last 15 months, which is what everyone thought the case was going to be about, barely got a mention in the case. So go ahead, Faith.
JENKINS: Well, the case turned into self-defense but originally George Zimmerman wasn't arrested because of Stand Your Ground. And we've talked about these laws and how bad they are because they really do encourage people to kill or make to that ultimate decision to take someone else's life.
We don't need laws that encourage people to kill. We need laws that encourage people to count to 10, take a step back.
LEMON: So why did they decide --
JENKINS: Relax, think. Reflect.
LEMON: -- not to invoke this and then go with self-defense?
JENKINS: Well, that was a strategic move right before the hearing in the trial because they did not want to put George Zimmerman on the witness stand and be cross-examined before the trial. If they did that, he would have had to testify at a hearing and then if they lost the hearing, then they would have to go to trial, and he -- he'd already have testified, been cross-examined. So that was strictly a strategic move.
I think now based on what Mark O'Mara said last night that they plan to perhaps have a hearing where George Zimmerman is absolved from criminal -- civil liability. I think they actually now are going to ask for a Stand Your Ground hearing.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: Well, and Don, bear in mind --
JENKINS: And we may see that.
KABATECK: That is not -- that is not going to happen.
LEMON: Go ahead, Holly.
HUGHES: OK. Bear --
KABATECK: He's got his --
LEMON: Holly, first and then Brian.
HUGHES: Right. Faith was pointing out that it was strategy not to put Zimmerman up at that hearing because, number one, you subject him to cross-examination. But it was also brilliant strategy because they did get a jury charge on Stand Your Ground. So even though they didn't raise it in their case in chief when the defense put up their case and they didn't ask for that immunity hearing prior to the actual trial, that jury charge was still given to the jury. So the jury still heard the law on Stand Your Ground.
So it was doubly brilliant. Faith is right. It was a great strategy up front, it was a great strategy on the back side, Don, because they still heard it.
LEMON: Brian? Brian Kabateck?
KABATECK: His problems with the criminal justice system, at least the state criminal justice system may be over, but not with the justice system, not with the personal injury lawsuit that's likely to be filed. I've seen this before. Double jeopardy while it applies to criminal cases doesn't apply civilly. Civil standard is not beyond a reasonable doubt. It's a preponderance of the evidence, which is just a little bit more than 50 percent.
They can go after him. The Martin family can go after him for the wrongful death. They can get a judgment that isn't dischargeable in bankruptcy. They can get punitive damages. I heard O'Mara last night talk about some kind of immunity, some kind of immunity he thinks it's going to exist for that. It's not the same standard for a personal injury case. It's not. It's a civil case. COOMBS: No, but you can still --
LEMON: Go ahead, Loni.
COOMBS: You can still get that Stand Your Ground immunity, though, for civil or criminal cases. So he can still go through that Stand Your Ground hearing and ask for immunity from both the civil prosecution as he could have done in the criminal. But he chose not to. But he's saying if someone files on us civilly, we will go to that hearing and ask for that immunity.
LEMON: OK, that's going to have to be the last word.
KABATECK: But I don't think it's going to be -- beyond a reasonable doubt standard.
LEMON: Thank you. Thank you very much, Holly Hughes, Brian Kabateck, Loni Coombs and Faith Jenkins.
KABATECK: Thank you.
LEMON: We really appreciate it.
We'll be right back with the other top stories of the day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Hendricks in Atlanta.
We start with this news after Cory Monteith, star of the TV show "Glee" has been found dead in a Vancouver hotel room. Police say Monteith's body was found by hotel staff yesterday after he missed his checkout time. The cause of death is not immediately known, but they have ruled out foul play. An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow.
Monteith spent time in rehab earlier this year and had been public about his struggles with drug abuse. He was just 31 years old.
There is a warning today from the journalist who broke the story of the NSA surveillance program. In an interview, Glenn Greenwald says Edward Snowden has more information that would be dire for the U.S. if released. He said this, and I'm quoting, "Snowden has enough information to cause more harm to the U.S. government in a single minute than any other person has ever had."
He goes on to say, "'The U.S. government should be on their knees every day praying that nothing happens to Snowden because if something happens, all information will be revealed and that would be their worst nightmare," end quote.
Snowden has said he will ask Russia for temporary asylum.
Almost two weeks after a military coup, Egypt's interim government is taking shape. Foreign U.N. nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei were sworn in today as the interim vice president for foreign relations. Egypt's interim prime minister is meeting with more cabinet nominees in hopes of having his government complete by the middle of next week.
Rescue workers are frantically -- they tried to get this little boy buried beneath 11 feet of sand. The 6-year-old fell into a sinkhole and the sand caved in on top of him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: 911.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I'm at the Mt. Baldy Beach. And my friend's son, he got stuck in a sand dune and he's like under the sand and they can't get him out.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. Can anybody see him or is he completely covered by sand?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hal, is he completely covered by sand? Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: You hear the franticness in that call. They dug and dug for hours and they found that the little boy was alive. They pulled him out. Rescuers say the boy found an air pocket. He was able to breathe, but is not out of the woods just yet. He is in critical condition this evening.
A hotly contested election with a surprise outcome. We're talking sports here, not politics. How this player won the race and why the election sparked so much controversy.
Don Lemon is back next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's take a little break now. Why don't we talk some sports, all right? So as we headed -- we could use a break. We could use a break. As we head into baseball's all-star break, let's bring in Terence Moore down in Atlanta. He is a columnist for mlb.com and a sports contributor to CNN.com.
Hello, Terence, how are you doing?
TERENCE MOORE, CNN.COM SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Doing very well. Thank you.
LEMON: Great, great, great. We had some drama when it came down to the fan voting for the final all-star roster spots, Freddie Freeman end Braves edged out Dodger's rookie sensation Yasiel Puig. So did the right guy make the all-star team, you think?
MOORE: You know what, Don, let's put this in perspective. The all- star game is all about the fans. So if they want Oprah Winfrey out there along with members of the Supreme Court and various members of the Simpsons, God bless them, everyone. And you've got to remember that the all-star game concept was by a guy named Arch Ward back in the early 1930s. He was a sports editor of the "Chicago Tribune." And his idea was to make this a popularity contest. Not so much a contest for the best players. So obviously the fans look at Freddie Freeman being more popular than Puig, sort of, kind of with an asterisk.
LEMON: OK. It got a little complicated with fans accusing the media outlets of taking sides.
MOORE: Yes.
LEMON: In this one, Terence. Take a look at this. This is an ESPN Web page that says Puig, not picked. But it doesn't mention Freeman at all. I mean, are the complaints justified?
MOORE: That's why I said asterisk. And the asterisk is this. All right. You know, you look at ESPN. This is more so a backlash against ESPN more so than a vote for Freddie Freeman because ESPN was basically pulling for people to pick Puig over Freeman.
Now, Don, you live here in Atlanta. And let's be honest. Nobody outside of 285 has a clue who Freddie Freeman is. So ESPN was somewhat justified because, you know --
(LAUGHTER)
All of us in the media, if we were honest, we are always pulling for the best story. Puig is this Cuban defector who comes here, takes baseball by a storm with his arm, his glove and his bat, that's a much better story than Freddie Freeman. Sorry, Freddie Freeman, but that is the truth.
LEMON: Yes, Terence Moore said that, I didn't, Freddie Freeman.
Listen, so the all-star game is in New York. It's on Tuesday.
MOORE: Yes.
LEMON: But the city's baseball team -- I mean, they're a mess.
MOORE: Yes, sir.
LEMON: The Mets are struggling. That's not unusual. The Yankees are struggling, too. That's very unusual. What's going on?
MOORE: Well, I mean, let's start with this. The average age of the Yankees these days is deceased. OK? And when you're old, you get hurt. This -- literally half of the Yankees have been on the disabled list this year, including three quarters of their infield.
Now their pitching has been pretty good except for today when Sabathia got lit up by the lowly Minnesota Twins. But it may have been a hitting problem particularly on the clutch.
LEMON: I noticed that the Yankee Stadium looking a little empty these days. I'm surprised by that.
MOORE: A little?
LEMON: Are they fans disguised as empty -- disguised as empty seats? What's going on?
(LAUGHTER)
MOORE: Well, and you're right about -- I mean, you know, attendance is down 6 percent over the last year at Yankee Stadium. The TV ratings, by the way, have gone right through the floor. And, Don, I mean, you're there. We're talking about New York City. We're talking about Broadway, the Big Apple. You have to have stars. And the Yankees, this is the team of Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson. And those guys are gone. They've lost some of the biggest stars in baseball through those injuries. A-rod, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira --
LEMON: Yes. Give me an update on Derek Jeter.
MOORE: Well, Derek Jeter right now is not playing because he injured his leg again. Remember now, Derek Jeter broke his ankle back during the playoffs and they rushed him back a little bit too soon. They'll never say that, but that's exactly what happened.
And again, when you're 39 years old and you're trying to play, your legs are going to go on you. So that's the problem with Derek Jeter. He's supposed to be back at the all-star break, but after that, who knows.
LEMON: Thirty-nine years old is old, I'm ancient then.
MOORE: In dog years.
LEMON: Thank you, Terence Moore.
MOORE: Baseball years, that's very old.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Thank you, Terence. Appreciate it.
I'm Don Lemon. Next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM begins right after a short break.
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