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First of All with Victor Blackwell

The Challenge Of Rebuilding A Diverse Community; Deep Concern That Altadena's Historic Neighborhoods Will Not Be Able To Build Back What It Was; TikTok Star Reesa Teesa Reacts To Debate Over App Ban; Ex-NY Judge Who Threatened Black Teens Hired As County Attorney. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired January 18, 2025 - 08:00   ET

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

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: And "FIRST OF ALL" with Victor is coming up next. What do you have?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: So, we know large parts of Los Angeles, they will need to be rebuilt, obviously, after the wildfires that everyone watched, but there will be this big clash between the policies of the incoming Trump administration and the people who will likely do that work. I'll speak with an immigration expert about that challenge.

Plus, save your favorite TikToks now. The social media app says they plan to go dark in the U.S. tomorrow, barring some last-minute intervention.

Millions of users who make a living off TikTok are scrambling.

One creator with millions of followers on the platform is here to react. I give you a hint. It's recent teaser.

And an ex-judge in upstate New York, removed from the bench after being caught on video threatening black teenagers, has a new job in a nearby county.

The leader in that county, well, one of the leaders is here to share her concerns about that hiring.

WALKER: All right. A lot going on. Have a great show.

BLACKWELL: Thank you very much. Let's start it right now.

Well, FIRST OF ALL, a question that thousands of people in Los Angeles will have to answer over the next several months and probably years.

[08:00:04]

Can you rebuild community? Calmer conditions are allowing families to at least start to wrap their heads around everything that has been lost to fires. The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, says she'll announce rebuilding plans starting next week. But in Altadena, there's concern that the fires not only took away their homes and the lives of neighbors, but their unique identity. Altadena became a diverse haven after being built up by black

residents. A mix of segregation and white flight ended up creating a space for a unique community to develop. Well, now there's deep concern that its historic neighborhoods will not be able to build back what it was.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Katherine, you've been here since 1972.

KATHERINE ANDERSON, ALTADENA RESIDENT: I put down $300 and I bought my home on McNally. If you want me to say it, I will.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say it.

ANDERSON: It was called white flight, and they moved out of the neighborhood and the black people were able to buy homes, and they've been there ever since, until the fire just destroyed everything.

BRIAN PERRY, LOST HOME IN ALTADENA: It was, to me, the ideal place to raise my son because he got to be around people who were like him, people who weren't like him.

DONNY KINCEY, LOST HOME IN ALTADENA: I'm really afraid to see what's going to happen to my neighbors and, you know, who's going to stick around after this.

PERRY: A lot of the people who live in Altina, we're working-class people. You know, we're not the rich celebrities. We don't have, like, the ability to just go back in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Wilberta Richardson is with us now. She's the president of the NAACP in Altadena and has lived in Altadena for decades. Thank you for being with me this morning. I want to start, though, with your home. You've been evacuated from your home. What do you know about its condition? Does it still stand? Are you waiting for details about it?

WILBERTA RICHARDSON, PRESIDENT, NAACP'S ALTADENA BRANCH: Well, I just recently found out that it is still standing. I am amazed and pleased. My whole block is intact, but the rest of the street, about three miles, is 80 percent destroyed. We are just blessed, can I say, to have survived it.

BLACKWELL: Yes, you certainly can say that you're blessed to survive it. Average Altadena home value $1.3 million, up 48 percent in five years, 81 percent of the black people who live there own their homes. Double the national homeownership rate. These have been passed down, many of them, generation to generation. When people talk about building generational wealth, this is what they're talking about. What are the conversations you're having with Your neighbors, are they going to stay? Are you hearing from people who are potentially going to leave?

RICHARDSON: I am hearing both right now. People are pretty confused. They don't know if they can rebuild. They're away from the community and not sure if they can get back in, if the insurance company will give them enough money. Most people desperately want to return, but there is a sense of uncertainty about whether that can happen. So my feeling is Altadena, the community has had a very strong spirit in anything that the community didn't like that was happening, they would come out in town halls, they would do petitions and they would work as a community to make it right.

So I'm hoping they'll maintain that same spirit and fight to come back to the community because it is so unique, it is so beautiful and it's a great place to raise children.

BLACKWELL: Yes, let's start -- let's continue along that line of, we've seen the pictures of the tangible loss, but what is the intangible loss considering the condition of Altadena now?

RICHARDSON: Right. I know people speak a lot about generational wealth, which is fantastic, and many black families have been able to acquire that in Altadena. But I found specifically what was, I thought was great with Altadena is that culturally it's very rich and we have professionals, we have a lot of artists, we have. Just as I lived there for many years, I discovered how eclectic and wonderful the community was. And when you raise children in that environment, they have role models right there. It's not so aspirational for them. It's just an expectation, oh, this is what I can do. And it allows them then to have a richer life and have more opportunity in life.

BLACKWELL: I had an Altadena resident on last week who suggested grandfathering in current homeowners into the pre-fire tax rates, the property rates there. Is that -- what are -- what do you think will help to conserve the makeup of the homeownership there, the people who live there? What's the plan? What's the pitch to the local government?

[08:05:12]

RICHARDSON: Well, for one, we hope that there is no change in zoning. It's primarily R1, you know, single-family homes, and that there be some control or some input by the community about what can be rebuilt. Because it is so much of single-family homes and families. If it were to change to substantial apartment buildings, I mean, we all need affordable housing. I know that. But at the same time, this community is unique and it would be wonderful to maintain that uniqueness.

BLACKWELL: Harvard released a study last year and found that, and this is one of the first lines of the report. "Black Americans receive less Federal Emergency Management Agency relief. That's FEMA, of course, the funding on average than their white counterparts." Who the president of the Altadena NAACP Branch, what could be done to make sure that when the support comes that it gets to all the Angelenos who need it?

RICHARDSON: Very good question, Victor. Excuse me. Heavens.

BLACKWELL: I understand that the smoke there has been a challenge as these fires have been there. We talked about the health issues. RICHARDSON: It has been. I had a meeting with FEMA two days ago. The

national president of the NAACP was also present. We are working very closely again with the Urban League as well. I'm sorry.

BLACKWELL: It's all right.

RICHARDSON: To prevent some disparate treatment of those people in Altadena. So we are going to monitor this closely. We've seen where people have had difficulty getting their applications completed and we're working closely with FEMA to prevent the community from not getting what they are due and what they need.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Wilberta Richardson, thank you for fighting through that cough. I understand. And we have talked about the respiratory issues that are caused by the smoke there and keep us informed as the plan on how to rebuild and bring back Altadena progresses. Again, Wilberto Richardson, thank you so much.

A family of a fire victim at Altadena is filing a wrongful death lawsuit. They accused the utility company Southern California Edison of failing to take actions in the face of dangerous conditions. Now those conditions sparked the Eaton fire which killed Evelyn McClendon. The utility company denies that. The investigators are still working there to determine actually what started the fires. But I spoke with Evelyn's brother Zaire about what happened. He says it was like watching a volcano movie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIRE CALVIN, LOST SISTER IN LOS ANGELES FIRES: Talked to my cousin EJ, spoke with him, came back, asked him bring a shovel. He brought a shovel. He asked me where. I told him where her bedroom was located. And he took the shovel and he started moving debris around. And in that he ended up finding her remains.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Zaire's wife, baby, and his mother made it out alive, but their homes were destroyed. And of course, it's not just Altadena. Several communities across Los Angeles will need to be entirely rebuilt. Reconstruction will take a Herculean effort and pause for a second. And who do you think is going to be doing that work?

Just as a new Trump administration takes power. According to the national association of Home Builders, which looked at data from 2022, 40 percent of labor construction force in California are immigrants. And for that angle of this story, let's bring in Jennie Murray. She is the president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum.

Good morning to you. And I've invited you on because your group has published a report on this. And just help us understand how much of this work, not just the construction, but the hazardous material removal and any of the agricultural work around the fires will be done by immigrants.

JENNIE MURRAY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM: Good morning, Victor. Thank you so much for having me on. And let me just say, as a Californian and a native of Los Angeles, originally with family and friends still there. I want to thank the heroes, thank the first responders, and thank the neighbors who are helping. And you're absolutely right.

Speaking of neighbors, many of the neighbors do work in construction and are foreign-born. Right now, 40 percent of the construction industry in California is foreign-born. And because of the complicated system within construction of contractors, consultants, and vendors, there's a lot of misclassification. And so we estimate that up to 2 million workers in construction are undocumented and are a vibrant, very important part of our construction industry. And we're worried about them at this moment.

[08:10:36]

BLACKWELL: Center for American Progress found that nearly a quarter of construction labor in the country are undocumented. Nearly a third of roofers, close to 40 percent of drywall installers, steel ceiling tile installers, tapers, are undocumented. A new report puts the number at 230,000 in California alone. Can you execute a mass deportation of undocumented people in this country while beginning this magnitude of a rebuild?

MURRAY: Yes, it would be a huge concern, right? And it's honestly not what the American people want. So the Bulfinch group does regular polling of folks on immigration, on nuanced immigration questions. And in December, they found that even 76 percent of Republicans, conservatives, and evangelicals self-identified registered voters, did not want anyone removed that wasn't a violent criminal and they didn't want things like family separation. So we're very worried about this.

We desperately need these folks to help us rebuild. They are active, vibrant parts of our economy, and American employers need them. We already have shortages across this industry, and I don't think I have to tell Americans that we have a housing cost issue, a housing inventory issue, and we have homelessness at rampant rates. And so we need more workers creating more housing, not less.

BLACKWELL: And Republicans just quarreled about H2B visas to bring in skilled workers to do specific jobs. President sided with the continuation of the program. Will just a continuation at current cap levels of H2B and EB3 visas be enough to outfit these construction companies with the labor that they need?

MURRAY: Great start. Right now, the cap is very low. It's down to 66,000 a year, right? So we need to see that increase. And actually, this is a really great place where both Congress and incoming President Trump can work together. In fact, President Trump has increased this category of work permits in his first administration.

So Congress absolutely should work with the executive branch right away, increase these caps, get us the workers we need. We also have the Olympics just on the heels of rebuilding from the wildfires, and as I mentioned before, just a huge housing issue across the country. We do not need to be removing folks that are here and contributing. We need to increase work pieces so we can have more of them.

The other big piece, Victor, is fear. We want to make sure there are not raids at construction sites. We want to make sure that the workers that we have here in the country that are contributing, that they will show up to L.A., that they will show up to rebuild from these fires.

BLACKWELL: Jennie Murray with the National Immigration Forum, thank you so much for joining me this morning.

MURRAY: Thanks for having me.

BLACKWELL: And for more information about how you can help those in Los Angeles who are survivors of the wildfire, go to cnn.com/impact or text WILDFIRES to 707070 to donate.

Now, if the ceasefire deal holds, the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas, that'll take effect tomorrow. But right now, the violence is not letting up. Next, we'll get reaction to this moment from someone who recently lost his brother and dozens more family members to the conflict.

Plus, what's going on with TikTok? The app is set to go dark in the U.S. tomorrow, and users who have built careers and community around the app are trying to figure out what to do now. So one of the app's top stars, Reesa Teesa, is here to share her take.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REESA TEESA, WHO TF DID I MARRY, TIKTOK INFLUENCER: Someday we are going to tell our kids or the other than the younger generation. Man, it was a time. Just like it was a time on MySpace, it was a time on TikTok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:19:26]

BLACKWELL: We're just hours away from what most of the world hopes will be a lasting moment. A ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas is scheduled to take effect tomorrow and we expect to see the first group of hostages released and a pause in fighting that has killed tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. In the lead up, the violence, though, is not slowing down. According to officials in Gaza, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed since the deal was announced Wednesday.

Hani Almadhoun is with us. We first spoke with him back in April. He helped launch a soup kitchen in Gaza. It was run by his brother, Sheikh Mahmoud. Mahmoud was killed in an Israeli drone strike late last year.

[08:20:14]

Hani, thank you for being with me. You have family obviously in Gaza and were talking during the break about how many of them have been killed over the last year. Plus, what's your reaction this morning?

HANI ALMADHOUN, CO-FOUNDER OF GAZA SOUP KITCHEN: Thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity. Yes. Sheikh Mahmoud was killed on November 30th. We miss him. It was obviously a bittersweet moment. Everybody is rooting for the ceasefire inside now. My parents, my nephews, and my nieces, and my cousins, they deserve a break over 460 days of this nightmare is going to come to an end soon. We're hopeful. We have nothing but hope to that to do that. But ultimately, we also take toll of the losses we've suffered our family did, like all Palestinian families. But we remain hopeful that we have brighter days ahead.

BLACKWELL: Have you been able to communicate with them since the announcement of the ceasefire deal?

ALMADHOUN: Yes, they are on edge. They're trying to protect themselves as much as they can. Everybody's avoiding large gatherings. You've mentioned the Gaza Soup Kitchen. We closed the two in the south to just prevent any unnecessary risky situation. We are still figuring out ways to help. We continue to do that.

But also I love my colleagues at UNRWA who continue to do work in the ground. And we are seeing more aid coming, which is promising. About 300 trucks got in, which would have been a far-fetched dream just a week ago. So people are seeing fresh produce and unfortunately, people still have to mourn and figure out, look, go back to homes that have been destroyed. Like every home my family's owned has been rubble now. My parents are in their 70s. They buried two of my siblings and they're just questioning life.

But they are hopeful and I hope everybody's hopeful. And I hope the incoming administration withhold the ceasefire because people need it and innocent lives are being lost. A lot of Palestinians. A lot of Palestinians. But also on the Israeli side as well.

BLACKWELL: Yes, the Israeli side as well. This all began with Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, with the deaths of so many, the kidnapping of so many more. And we know that there will be the release three soon of the first of the 33 that will be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

During the break, you told me how many family members that have been killed. Will you share that number with the audience as you shared it with me?

ALMADHOUN: Yes. So actually the most recent death is our cousin Bahjat Almadhoun. He was killed yesterday. He joined his family. But in my immediate family, the people I'm related to are eight, my two siblings, four nephews and nieces, my sister-in-law, and two cousins. But in my extended family, more than 180 family members.

Most of them are women and children and I knew some of those folks and unfortunately, they're six feet under. They're not going to be high- fiving each other for the ceasefire. I hope every single hostage goes home. But remember there's about what, 50,000 Palestinians will not be going home because they are no longer here. So we just have to really assess and prevent a situation like that. And Victor, this could have been done. May I really believe in my heart of heart, you know, we have not.

We just lost 10,000 Palestinians and it's just sad because sometimes leadership is lacking. And now looking forward, I'm excited. I'm making plans with the Gaza soup kitchen and making plans to go see my family soon. If not in Gaza, if that's not allowed. They may see them somewhere but they are resilient. They've stood in north Gaza. They've survived. They paid a heavy toll, but they continue to be alive to tell the Palestinian story of resilience and (inaudible).

BLACKWELL: Hani Almadhoun, we are sorry for your loss, your family's loss and I thank you for your time this morning.

ALMADHOUN: Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: Well, her life changed thanks to going viral on TikTok and now she's one of the millions of creators trying to figure out if she'll still have a future on the app come tomorrow. Reesa Teesa, star of the viral, "Who TF Did I Marry" series is here. We'll talk next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:29:05]

BLACKWELL: For small businesses and influencers, it's an economic lifeline. For others, it's an artistic outlet. But for the U.S. government, TikTok is a potential national security threat. And starting tomorrow, it'll be banned in the U.S. and TikTok says, it plans to go dark tomorrow.

The options for TikTok Chinese owner ByteDance are limited. Now it has to either sell the app or wait to see what President-elect Trump does after taking office on Monday. Meantime, 170 million American users are in limbo.

According to a Pew study, 49 percent of Hispanic adults say they're on TikTok. They're the biggest demographic. Among black adults, that numbers 39 percent. Reesa Teesa is one of the stars of TikTok. Her saga, "Who TF did I Marry?" shared the story of how she says she discovered that her ex-husband was not the man she thought he was.

Fifty parts over eight hours, she brought in millions of views and followers.

[08:30:06]

The viral success led to her signing with talent agency, even getting a T.V. adaption in the works. Teresa Johnson, also known as Reesa Teesa is here. Thank you for coming in.

TAREASA "REESA TESSA" JOHNSON, TIKTOK CREATOR, "WHO TF DID I MARRY": Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: So I watched your video, kind of it almost felt like a eulogy for TikTok. It changed your life. What do you feel on this eve of what could be the end?

JOHNSON: There's a lot of emotions I'm feeling, for one, I'm sad. I genuinely am sad. TikTok really became a community for me. I know it became a community for a lot of other people. But for me on a personal level, this is where I found my people. Once I shared my story and it went viral, it literally went viral because of the TikTok community. So I'm sad overall, I -- I truly am just because it meant so much to me and so much to so many other people.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Do you accept, and let's just talk about this part that -- that the government thinks it's a national security concern and that for that purpose, without getting to details of the threat that it has to end, that it has to -- that the -- the app has to go away?

JOHNSON: I accept that they feel it is a risk to national security. I wish that they gave us more information so that we, as you know, regular consumers could understand what exactly the risk is. But I -- more than anything, I wish that there was other way.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

JOHNSON: That they got what they want and still 170 million of us were able to keep what is near and dear to us.

BLACKWELL: And so many, it was an economic lifeline. Oxford economics found that 57 percent of black owned small and medium sized businesses say that access to TikTok is quote, critical to their business existence, 47 percent of Asian American Pacific Islander SMBs, 44 percent of Latin Hispanic owned, 36 percent of white owned small and medium business owners. I mean you've diversified but for those who haven't, what does this mean for them?

JOHNSON: The economic impact of TikTok leaving is going to be felt. You know, it's a huge loss because you think about so many people and businesses got their start in TikTok. They were able to market. They were able to go ahead and actually bring their goods and their services to people in a way that they weren't able to with other apps.

So just being able to see how this is now going to be taken away, I feel for the people who left their careers and went ahead and started, you know, their businesses in TikTok. I don't want to see anyone losing, you know, their money, their livelihood. But the ripple effect is going to be felt large, you know, large and wide.

BLACKWELL: Yes. So for people who are not really on TikTok or they're on and they come for videos, can you explain why this can't just be replicated somewhere else? There was MySpace, some people left Facebook or Instagram. Why can't what is there just be moved somewhere else?

JOHNSON: You know, it -- for me, it kind of comes down to both the algorithm and the community of people. Like I've mentioned before, I am on other social media platforms. However, for me, in my particular case, I told my story on TikTok and it was the TikTok users who told other people, who told other people. And then it went over to your Instagram and went over to Facebook.

So what is special and unique about TikTok is that it really can change the life of a regular, everyday person. You know, with YouTube, you kind of have to search for someone, whereas TikTok puts you front and center on someone's for you page. So there -- there is a difference. We haven't seen a social media app that's able to change the life of people the way TikTok has for so many people and not just me, with so many others.

BLACKWELL: Are you going over to RedNote as so many are?

JOHNSON: I have joined RedNote, actually, I joined it. I'm not -- to be honest, I'm still new to it, but it's very -- it's very user friendly. I do need Google Translate for almost everything that I'm doing. However, it's not TikTok, but it is something I'm -- I'm giving it time to see how I like it, see how it works for me.

BLACKWELL: I mentioned this T.V. adaptation of "Who The F Did I Marry?" Natasha Rothwell will produce and star in it. Can you give us any hint on the progress on that, you know?

JOHNSON: You know, we are in the very, very beginning stages, that brainstorming stages. What is this going to look like? I am -- I'm -- I'm being a sponge. I'm soaking it all up. So I'm very excited. But one thing I've learned in this business, because I'm new to it, is hurry up and wait. So we -- we have a while, but the train is boarding and it's getting ready to leave the station soon.

BLACKWELL: All right, Reesa, Teesa, thank you so much for coming in.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And let's keep in contact as we see what happens next with TikTok and what's after that.

JOHNSON: Absolutely.

[08:35:07]

BLACKWELL: All right, next up, follow up on stories we've been committed to covering, including a big development in an arson investigation in Puerto Rico after an attack one man's business. He says it turned his small island paradise into hell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:02]

BLACKWELL: All right, we have some follow ups now on several stories that I and my team are committed to covering. The Food and Drug Administration is proposing putting limits on the level of nicotine in some tobacco products in order to make them less addictive. Studies show that a policy lowering levels of nicotine would help millions reduce or quit smoking. The limits would apply to cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll your own tobacco, most cigars, and pipe tobacco. The policy would not apply to E-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products, products for hookah pipes, smokeless products, or premium cigars. Now, a report from the surgeon general says that 473,000 deaths are attributal -- attributable to cigarette smoking. A disproportionate number of those are black people.

The son of a man beaten to death in a New York State Prison is suing more than a dozen guards implicated in the attack. Now, the federal civil rights suit names a total of 17 defendants who work for the state system at Marcy Correctional Facility. Videos from cameras worn by corrections officers show they beat Robert Brooks Sr. last month in a medical exam room. Brooks died on December 10th. In a news conference Wednesday, Robert Brooks Jr. Said the release of the video and the lawsuit are necessary to get justice for his father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT BROOKS JR., ROBERT BROOKS' SON: I can't describe what it's like to receive the news of his murder or their experience of watching that awful video. I felt helpless, like I was there with him and there was nothing I could do. I wouldn't wish this nightmare on anyone. But as painful as it is, it is important that the world sees these images. They have the power to spark the change we need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Attorneys say they are investigating the involvement of other people and will file a separate action against the state.

Big development in this story, we brought it to you last week. A federal grand jury has now indicted a woman from Missouri for setting fire to several businesses in Puerto Rico. Danielle Bertothy is charged with arson. Investigators say on January 2nd, she set a fire that destroyed a hotel, a bar, a souvenir shop. The bar's owner says in the hours before the fire that she had to -- to had to be escorted away from the bar because she was drunk and it assaulted a waitress.

Well, last Saturday, I spoke with Angel Luis Marrero Negron, who owns the property that was burned. He talked about the emotional toll this has taken on him and the community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGEL LUIS MARRERO NEGRON, OWNED PROPERTY THAT BURNED DOWN: I mean, that lady, she -- she have no soul. She have no lack of shame. I mean, she does not mediate her actions and the distress -- des -- destructions and consequences. Therefore, I mean, we are -- destroyed many families in the middle of the beginning or new hope. I mean, we celebrate a few hours ago, we're smiling and dancing. Welcome the New Year. And then this lady convert Cabo Rojo, which is a paradise, into a -- a hell town.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: If convicted, Bertothy will face a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison. Now, for someone who does not like this song, Drake sure is finding ways to keep it in the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Drake has now filed a new lawsuit. He's accusing UMG recordings of defamation for publishing and promoting Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us." Now, the lawsuit claims UMG launched a campaign to make, quote, a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him. Drake is suing for damages. Making things a little more awkward, both Drake and Kendrick's labels are divisions of UMG. And UMG, a spokesperson calls the claims illogical.

[08:44:07]

Coming up, outrage over the hiring of an ex judge kicked off the bench for allegedly threatening to shoot black teenagers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: A former New York judge who resigned from the bench after a rant aimed at black teens has found a new job in the legal system. In body camera footage, Erin Gall mentions several times that she's a judge while pressuring officers to arrest four black teens who showed up uninvited to a high school graduation party. And she was an elected trial judge in Oneida County, New York, at the time. In the video, she also threatened to shoot the teens if they returned to the property.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN GALL, FORMER NEW YORK JUDGE: Well, if they come back looking for it, I'll call you when they're on the property. Because you want to find them on the property, I'll call you when they're on the property.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want -- I want them not to come back at all.

GALL: Oh, if they did, they'll be arrested or they'll be shot on the property.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm just letting you know that the best case scenario --

GALL: Because when they trespass, you can shoot them on the property.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So do you think they should just come here and just --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, I'm just saying --

GALL: I'll shoot them on the property.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: That was July of 2022. And for two years, Gall remained on the bench deciding fates. It wasn't until July of last year that a judicial commission determined that she should be removed. Gall testified during the investigation that fights at the party triggered memories of an assault. She also said she made the comments while in a state of fear, dismay, frustration and exhaustion.

But now we've learned that Gall has landed a new job, assistant attorney in Herkimer County, New York. In a statement to CNN, a county spokesperson acknowledged her new position but did not address the incident. Elizabeth Briggs says she has concerns. She's the co-chair of the Herkimer County Democrats Executive Committee. Elizabeth, thank you for being with me. Let's start there. What are your concerns in the context of -- of what we've seen from the former judge?

[08:50:24]

ELIZABETH BRIGGS, CO-CHAIR, HERKIMER COUNTY DEMOCRATS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Well, I have several. But foremost is a concern about equal treatment and fairness under the law in Herkimer County and for a position that's a public position. And secondly, I just -- the screening process for a position like this was clearly lacking if there was confidence in her appointment, which occurred in October.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Well, we read -- we read this statement from Sylvia Rowan. She's the chairwoman of the Herkimer County Republican Committee. She told "The New York Times" to question her ability in her job. And what she did in that situation is different. I'm a firm believer in second chances. What do you think? Can she be redeemed? Can she make amends?

BRIGGS: If she wants redemption, she can open up a private practice. And I don't feel that she should be in a job that's on the public payroll at this time. And there are many young attorneys out there that would love the salary that she's being afforded in this job. I don't see the need to have hired her. We have a legislation -- a legislature here that's 17 members, 16 of whom are Republicans. The judge is also or the former judge is also Republican. It's max of political cronyism being hired.

BLACKWELL: I want to -- I want to play one more clip here and I remind everybody of the context that Erin Gall was a New York judge again when she said this to a police officer that night in 2022.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GALL: Awesome. But guess what, what the good part is -- the good part is I'm always on your side. You know, I'd take anyone down for you guys. You know that. You know that. You know I am on your side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Judge says she'd take anybody down for the police there. What's your reaction to that and how do you then guarantee equal justice and equal treatment when you hear that from someone who's working in legal services for the county?

BRIGGS: Just hearing that clip again is very upsetting to me. I watched the whole videotape, which is the -- the cam tape, which is long. I don't see how that's possible. I do not see. I was told that my concern about this was that it was unethical, was just my opinion. And I was told that the reason that they can hire her is that she still has her law license, but I can't see how this couldn't come into play in this selection process. It -- it imakes no sense to me. As I told a county legislature -- legislator, I'm flabbergasted. I have no other word for it.

BLACKWELL: Does it expose the county? Does it make you vulnerable? If there is a decision that someone doesn't like that they could just pull up this, this person worked on the case, work, advised the county attorney?

BRIGGS: Oh, certainly one of the tasks that's in the job description is handling juvenile delinquency cases, representing the county and juvenile delinquency cases. And I can't see how a judge who's behaved in this way towards teenagers, and specifically teenagers of color, could walk into any kind of courtroom and have the young person there know that it was a fair and just process.

BLACKWELL: Well, we will certainly watch Herkimer County and what happens here. Elizabeth Briggs, thank you so much for your time this morning. We reached out via e-mail to Erin Gall's attorney, but we have not heard back.

[08:54:24]

Coming up, how a photographer with dresses and gowns to spare is helping young teens celebrate a very special birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: A quinceanera is a big deal. It could also be very expensive for 15-year-old girls and their families. A traditional gown can get into the thousands of dollars and then there are the cost for the venue itself and the photos and all the rest. Well, Seanet Lopez is doing her part to help make the celebration accessible to more teens. She's a photographer and rents out quinceanera dresses. Well, recently she announced a giveaway and donated dozens of dresses to girls across the Las Vegas Valley community in Nevada.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEANET LOPEZ, QUINCEANERA PHOTOGRAPHER: So there's no catch. I did get a lot of questions. It's like you just come in, you try on the dresses and you take it if you like it. So if I'm able to do this for many girls, it's perfect for me. That -- that for me I can go to sleep at night knowing that someone was able to help these girls get their dreams come true.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: Seanet Lopez, I see you. And if you see something or someone I should see, tell me. I'm on Instagram, X, Bluesky and well for the rest of the day, TikTok. If you missed a conversation or story, check out CNN.com/Victor-Blackwell-First-Of-All, to watch anytime. And you can listen to our show as a podcast wherever you get your podcast.

[09:00:15]

Remember to tune in to CNN special coverage of the inauguration of Donald Trump starting Monday at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Thank you for joining me today. I'll see you back here next Saturday at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. "Smerconish" is up next.