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CNN Live At Daybreak

Nathaniel Brazill Could Face Life in Prison

Aired July 26, 2001 - 08:01   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A sentencing hearing at this hour right now for the Florida boy convicted of shooting his teacher to death.

Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazill may be sentenced today for second-degree murder, and he could get life in prison.

CNN's Mark Potter following the developments now in West Palm Beach.

Mark, we're looking at our monitors right now and seeing the young man sitting in court.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol.

The session is about to begin in just a few minutes. Nathaniel Brazill -- 14-year-old Nathaniel was brought into the courtroom just a few moments ago.

We have also seen in the courtroom Pam Grunow, the widow of Barry Grunow, the teacher that Nathaniel Brazill shot and killed. Nathaniel's relatives are also there.

Now this sentencing hearing is expected to take up much of the day, and it is still to be determined whether Judge Richard Wennet will actually have time at the end of the day to sentence the boy today, or whether he may have to delay the sentencing to another time.

We are expected to hear today from the relatives of Barry Grunow. His brothers are asking that Nathaniel be given a life sentence. The judge will also hear presumably later in the day from Nathaniel Brazill's parents. They will argue for leniency.

Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazill faces at the very minimum a 25-year prison sentence. As you said, he could, however, get up to life. The prosecutors have indicated for quite some time now that they indeed face a stiffer sentence than the minimum.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We think this young man should spend, if not the better part of his, all of his life in prison, because we don't want to see another victim again.

(END VIDEO CLIP) POTTER: Now the defense has said that it will end its presentation by putting on Nathaniel Brazill himself before the court as it did during the trial. His lawyer says that Brazill is expected to apologize to the Grunow family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT UDELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nathaniel wants to express that he is sorry, and he wants the family to know that. And he wants them to know that he couldn't possibly understand how they feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: The defense is asking that Nathaniel be sentenced to no more than the 25-year minimum.

State prison officials have said that once the boy is sentenced, he will be transferred to a processing center in the Miami area. It is still to be determine whether he will then be transferred to a juvenile facility to at least begin his very long sentence.

Carol, back to you.

LIN: Mark, is there still any chance at all that the governor of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush, could step in into this case?

POTTER: It is considered highly unlikely, at least at this stage. If you recall, the Lionel Tate case, which preceded this one, the judge indicated that he might get involved but later backed off from that. And the lawyer -- the defense lawyer in this case of Nathaniel Brazill does not expect the governor to step in right away. He says that might happen on down the road after all appeals are exhausted. But he is not counting on that immediately.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Mark Potter, reporting in from West Palm Beach.

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