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Search Warrants Issued for Uvalde Gunman's Phone, Vehicle, Home; Interview with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) Protecting Our Kids Act on Gun Control; Amber Heard to Appeal Verdict in Defamation Trial. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 02, 2022 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Investigators in Texas issued search warrant for the phone, truck and home of the Uvalde suspected school shooter there. And we continue to learn of the heart breaking final moments of those killed. A Texas state trooper said that he was a personal friend of the teacher Eva Morales and was with her as she lay dying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROOPER JUAN MALDONADO, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: She was a fighter and she did everything she could to protect her babies and answer students. So, we know she did everything she could as she protected them to her last breath.

It was an honor to spend the last moment with Eva as she left this earth into a greater place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: The "New York Times" reports Morales was also on the phone with her husband, a school district police officer. He was reportedly among the officers outside of the classroom where the gunman had locked himself in with the victims. CNN's Nick Valencia is in Uvalde. So, Nick, us what's in these warrants.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there is three warrants as you mentioned, Victor and Alisyn, all one for his phone that they discovered next to his body. Which will give investigators the permission to do a forensic analysis, scrub that phone to see if there is evidence or clues to possible motive. And the search warrant as well for his Ford F-150 uncovered a number of magazines with unfired cartridges. And the one for his grandparents' home. They were able to seize a laptop, a bag of receipts as well as a number of numerous magazine wrappers.

Now as we brought up last hour, what is very interesting to note here, is there's actually no mention in these search warrants that were filed a day after the shooting of police confronting the gunman outside the home. It's something they led the public to believe despite knowing it was inaccurate. Things like this have led to a lot of public erosion of trust in law enforcement here. And it's not just things like this, it's also what happened on the day of the shooting.

Parents rushing to the scene trying to go inside the school while being physically restrained by police officers. One of those mothers that went to the school to try to rescue her son spoke out about her experience and what she went through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELI GOMEZ, WENT TO ROBB ELEMENTARY DURING SHOOTING TO GET TWO SONS: I started paying attention to how far the shots were being. So, that I knew the shooter was all the way still by my first son's class. So, when I went to second son's door, the teacher didn't want to open the door for me. So, that's when they started escorting me out. And as I see that they're opening my son's door, I go run for my son and I get him ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: There are major questions here that are still left unanswered, principally, why police waited nearly 80 minutes before they tried to breach the doors where the gunman was barricaded. But for these parents who have gone through the worst day of their lives.

[15:35:00]

It's likely that there's no answer that's sufficient reason to give why police didn't go in while their children were being murdered -- Victor, Alisyn.

BLACKWELL: So many questions. Nick Valencia there, thank you.

House Democrats are marking up a gun control bill. But does it have any chance of passing? We'll speak with a key Congresswoman behind this legislation next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: The House Judiciary Committee held a marathon hearing today about new gun reform legislation. Just days after 19 fourth graders and two teachers were murdered. Several Republicans doubled down on gun rights, including Florida Congressman Greg Steube who joins the hearing virtually and displayed some of his own weapons from home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:40:00]

REP. GREG STEUBE (R-FL): Here's a seven round magazine, which would be less than what would be lawful under this bill under this bill if this bill where to become law. It doesn't fit. So, this gun would be banned.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope back on is not loaded.

STEUBE: I'm in my house, I can do whatever I want with my guns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean is from Pennsylvania. She's a vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Thank you for being with me. I know at the top you said that you were stunned by what you were hearing from some Republicans on the committee. After the long list, Parkland, Sandy Hook, the Vegas shooting, was it some of what we saw today predictable?

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Oh, sadly, very predictable. It's good to be with you, Victor. We are still in this marathon markup, where we have a really important omnibus package of bills around gun safety and to prevent gun violence. It will not save every single life in this country. But they will make a difference and begin to save lives.

The responses that we're getting from the Republicans in dais in judiciary are shameful and they are predictable. Can you imagine, Victor, they said we have rushed to this. We can go back to Columbine. Do you think we are rushing in terms of talking about children being slaughtered at their school? We're not rushing. And I challenged them. I said, why don't you have a sense of urgency when 19 children are dead alongside their two teachers who did everything that they possibly could to protect them.

We had 10 people shot and killed in a grocery store in Buffalo. And that almost disregards what we mustn't disregard, which is the daily gun violence in this country. More than 45,000 people died of gun violence last year in this country -- 4,400 of them children. So, some are homicides, some are accidents. Some are a failure of safe storage, parents losing children because they come across a loaded weapon that has not safely been stored. This bill will take action on these things.

The two shootings that sadly we are talking about the most right now, where shootings were allegedly by 18-year-olds who have bought semi- automatic styled weapons. Why in God's name in this country would we allow 18-year-olds to legally purchase AR-style weapons and see what they do with them.

BLACKWELL: And that certainly addressed in the Protecting Our Kids Act. Raising the age to buy semi-automatic rifles to 21, restricting large capacity magazines, funding gun buyback programs, creating new federal offenses for gun tracking and other causes as well. But the Republican --

DEAN: Safe storage.

BLACKWELL: Safe storage as is well, banning new bump stock. The ranking Republican on the committee Jim Jordan says that this is all a play for November for Democrats. That this is all theater. Let's listen to what he said. I want your reaction after that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORAN (R-OH): Frankly, you've already passed numerous bills related to firearms this Congress. But because those bills are radical attempts to legislate away Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, the Senate has not taken up the legislation. Just like it will take up this bill. What we are doing here is just designed to appeal to Democratic primary voters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now he has the numbers right in the Senate 60 votes necessary to pass it. Where does this go?

DEAN: Well, I call upon the Senate. We do know that there are discussions among eight or nine Senators in a bipartisan way to move some legislation. Mr. Jordan is right, the past two Congresses, we have acted with such radical notions as universal background checks. We passed that out of the House twice. To Congresses in a row. After 20 years of not even being able to have a hearing on gun violence in this country.

What I told Mr. Jordan and members on the other side is, they are woefully behind the times. Their constituents, gun owners and non-gun owners, Republicans and Democrats are crying out for us to act. So, I have hoped with the Senate, making some sort of incremental move to show that we are here and we are upon to save lives. And I am very happy that in judiciary, we will pass this omnibus package and shame on the Senate if it fails to take it up. And shame on hiding behind the filibuster.

We take an oath to protect lives. I am a mother and a grandmother. I have grandchildren who are 10 down to 1. Four precious children. We are here. We are called upon to protect the future generation, that they not go into schools fearful for their lives.

[15:45:00]

That they not come out of schools having watched their best friend be slaughtered by an AR-style weapon and an 18-year-old behind it.

BLACKWELL: Yes, well, we know that we are going to hear from President Biden tonight, making remarks on the gun violence in this country. He said that there's nothing more unilaterally he can do. I imagine he'll start to put some increased pressure on Congress. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, thank you so much for being with us.

DEAN: Thank you, Victor.

CAMEROTA: Well, Amber Heard's attorney says social media played a highly negative role in her defamation case against Johnny Depp. Her interview with CNN just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Amber Heard says that she plans to appeal the jury's verdict that found both she and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, were libel for defamation.

CAMEROTA: The actress those says she's heart broken and disappointed in the jury's decision that awarded Depp significantly more damages. Heard's attorneys spoke to CNN's Kate Bolduan just a short time ago and she says the jury was impacted by the constant social media vitriol aimed at her client.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[15:50:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Is there any way to see this verdict in any other way the jury simply did not believe Amber?

ELAINE CHARLSON BREDEHOFT, AMBER HEARD'S ATTORNEY: You know, there's no question that influence was there. It's kind of strange, because it was a mixed verdict, as well, which suggests that they did believe at least some and it seems -- we would call that messy more than inconsistent, but I think but possibly that. But I think really what happens here is it is kind of a throwback to an earlier time when it was automatic that when a woman said I've been the victim of domestic violence, she's just not believed.

Oh, Johnny, we know Johnny, he would never do that. And that's kind of what we got here. Now remember that we had another trial back in the U.K., same issues. Lots more evidence came in on that one, and what Mr. Depp's team apparently learned from that, is this time demonize Amber and suppress as much evidence as you can.

BOLDUAN: But there was a lot of evidence in there, though. Why do you think that wasn't enough?

BREDEHOFT: You know, and I think some of it had to do with the amount of social media that was involved, the cameras in the courtroom. You know, the fact that they had 100 Depp fans in there every day. It was like a coliseum as opposed to a dignified courtroom. I think all of those things had a negative influence here that caused this to be much more challenging and much more difficult.

BOLDUAN: And the social media vitriol around this trial was huge, and it was overwhelmingly targeted at Amber. What role do you think that played? Do you think it played a role? Do you think even though the jurors were told to block it all out, do you think it impacted the jury?

BREDEHOFT: I have no doubt that those jurors tried to adhere to the judge's instructions each night when they went home and on the weekend and even the ten-day period. But reality is, social media is everywhere. It was all over the TVs, the radios, you know, internet, everywhere. It was really hard to block that out. And since it was so vitriolic to Amber, I think it made it a lot more difficult.

BOLDUAN: Do you question the judge's fairness in this?

BREDEHOFT: I don't question the judge's fairness. I think she's a very good judge. I've known her for a very long time. That doesn't mean that I don't question rulings, and I do question rulings in this case. I do think that all of those records should have come in. I think there were a lot of hearsay exceptions that would have allowed us to have a lot of contemporaneous emails, text, a lot more photos, a lot more evidence that would have been significant and would have been helpful to Amber.

BOLDUAN: I want to ask you, because it's in a statement from Amber, you said it at the very beginning of our conversation of what her -- why she is so sad, it's about the -- this goes beyond her and it's setting women back. Setting women back and it hurts all women is what you said. Judge Glenda Hatchet was actually on this morning on CNN and she had a different take on this from this verdict. I want to play for you what she said.

BREDEHOFT: Thank you.

JUDGE GLENDA HATCHETT, FOUNDER, THE HATCHETT FIRM: I do not think at the end of the day that this is a major blow against women. I don't. I think this is one case. I don't think that this says summarily that women are going to be at a disadvantaged in bringing these kind of cases against men who are famous and/or powerful.

BOLDUAN: I mean, what's your response to that?

BREDEHOFT: I wish I could agree but I disagree with that. I think that Mr. Depp had all of the advantages here. Wealth, power, fame. I think that made a huge difference in this case. But it also said we're not going to believe women even when they have photos. Basically, unless she had pulled out a -- her phone, her iPhone and videotaped him as he was beating her, she's not going to be believed. It didn't happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Well, CNN has also extended an invitation to Johnny Depp's legal team. They have not accepted. But you know, it really is impossible to know unless the jurors come out, and maybe that will be what happens eventually --

CAMEROTA: That would be helpful.

BLACKWELL: -- If they say this verdict was a rejection of Amber Heard's case or argument or if this is about something larger societally.

CAMEROTA: Yes, but I mean, I know you and I have also had guests on and we spent some time trying to figure out why was this case so riveting to so many people across a cross section of America? Was it just the celebrity factor or what does it tell us about us? Is there something about toxic relationships that people identify with or want to watch? I don't think that having a camera in the courtroom -- and far be it for me to argue against cameras in the courtroom, because we rely on them --

BLACKWELL: Yes, we do.

CAMEROTA: -- but I don't think it helped Amber Heard.

BLACKWELL: Really?

CAMEROTA: Yes, I think that's part of the social media. People got to watch her. They examined all of her expressions -- BLACKWELL: Every move of that hair.

CAMEROTA: -- they examined her hair. They saw what she was wearing. They, you know, they talked about her looks. And I just don't think it ended up helping her.

[15:55:00]

BLACKWELL: And we talked about this with our legal analysts. When you have two actors on the stand, how do you engage the jury? Because they're always going to be quite skeptical. All right. We expect -- of course, we will hear more about this trial as the appeal will move forward. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: We're just getting in, the White House coronavirus response coordinator just announced that COVID vaccines for the youngest Americans could become available as soon as June 21st.

CAMEROTA: Obviously, parents have been waiting for this. The vaccine program for children younger than 5 -- it's been two years since the vaccines were first approved for adults. The FDA's vaccine advisory committee will review the data submitted by Pfizer and Moderna beginning on June 14th.

BLACKWELL: All right, good news for parents there. And "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts in just a few seconds.

END