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CNN Live At Daybreak

Coffey Talk: Peterson Case

Aired November 04, 2003 - 06:30   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On the docket today, Scott Peterson and that hair. They are still hashing out whether the hair means anything in Peterson's preliminary hearing. Peterson's attorneys argue the scientific tests done on the hair are unreliable.
Prosecutors say DNA proves its Laci's. Important, because it was found on a pair of pliers on Scott Peterson's boat, a place Laci supposedly had never been.

When attorneys finally wrap up that part of their argument, all eyes will be on Amber Frey. Will she? Won't she?

Let's head live to Miami and our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey.

Good morning -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, will she or won't she testify?

COFFEY: I think it's expected she's going to testify. The prosecution has not tried to use the wiretap tape evidence of the conversations she had with Scott Peterson. So, it looks like we're going to be seeing Amber Frey live at some point.

COSTELLO: Isn't this kind of dangerous for the prosecution? Because I have heard defense attorneys have dirt on Amber Frey.

COFFEY: Well, I was a little surprised. I thought the safer thing to do was to go with the tapes. After all, it's pretty hard for Scott Peterson's lawyer to impeach Scott Peterson's own voice on the wiretap tapes. But for whatever reasons, they have decided to go with Amber Frey, and I think we can expect a pretty scorching cross- examination, because this is the one opportunity the defense is going to have at her before the case goes to trial.

COSTELLO: And, of course, defense attorneys will be trying to destroy her credibility. Do you know what they'll bring out at the preliminary hearing?

COFFEY: Well, we've obviously read about some different things. But what they're really going to focus on is that this woman simply wasn't enough of a factor in Scott Peterson's life to be a reason to murder his wife -- pregnant wife and unborn child. And they're going to portray it as a very limited relationship that Amber Frey blew up and exaggerated in her own mind. And everything -- every bit of baggage they can bring about Amber Frey, we may see in this preliminary hearing.

COSTELLO: Well, of course, the weirdest thing about this is Amber Frey has this high-profile attorney herself, Gloria Allred. I mean, I'm sure Gloria Allred is going to be in the courtroom. But what will she say afterwards?

COFFEY: Well, there's not a lot she can do during the cross- examination. And, of course, from the prosecution standpoint, it's not just about other-woman-kind-of motive. They believe that Amber Frey is going to describe things that Scott Peterson said to her -- things like he was a widower, things like he kept maybe saying that he may not have killed Laci Peterson, but he knew who did. They think that she's going to portray a picture of Scott Peterson that makes him look much more like a murderer than a grief-stricken husband.

COSTELLO: All right, Kendall Coffey reporting live from Miami with some expert analysis that we sure appreciate.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired November 4, 2003 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On the docket today, Scott Peterson and that hair. They are still hashing out whether the hair means anything in Peterson's preliminary hearing. Peterson's attorneys argue the scientific tests done on the hair are unreliable.
Prosecutors say DNA proves its Laci's. Important, because it was found on a pair of pliers on Scott Peterson's boat, a place Laci supposedly had never been.

When attorneys finally wrap up that part of their argument, all eyes will be on Amber Frey. Will she? Won't she?

Let's head live to Miami and our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey.

Good morning -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, will she or won't she testify?

COFFEY: I think it's expected she's going to testify. The prosecution has not tried to use the wiretap tape evidence of the conversations she had with Scott Peterson. So, it looks like we're going to be seeing Amber Frey live at some point.

COSTELLO: Isn't this kind of dangerous for the prosecution? Because I have heard defense attorneys have dirt on Amber Frey.

COFFEY: Well, I was a little surprised. I thought the safer thing to do was to go with the tapes. After all, it's pretty hard for Scott Peterson's lawyer to impeach Scott Peterson's own voice on the wiretap tapes. But for whatever reasons, they have decided to go with Amber Frey, and I think we can expect a pretty scorching cross- examination, because this is the one opportunity the defense is going to have at her before the case goes to trial.

COSTELLO: And, of course, defense attorneys will be trying to destroy her credibility. Do you know what they'll bring out at the preliminary hearing?

COFFEY: Well, we've obviously read about some different things. But what they're really going to focus on is that this woman simply wasn't enough of a factor in Scott Peterson's life to be a reason to murder his wife -- pregnant wife and unborn child. And they're going to portray it as a very limited relationship that Amber Frey blew up and exaggerated in her own mind. And everything -- every bit of baggage they can bring about Amber Frey, we may see in this preliminary hearing.

COSTELLO: Well, of course, the weirdest thing about this is Amber Frey has this high-profile attorney herself, Gloria Allred. I mean, I'm sure Gloria Allred is going to be in the courtroom. But what will she say afterwards?

COFFEY: Well, there's not a lot she can do during the cross- examination. And, of course, from the prosecution standpoint, it's not just about other-woman-kind-of motive. They believe that Amber Frey is going to describe things that Scott Peterson said to her -- things like he was a widower, things like he kept maybe saying that he may not have killed Laci Peterson, but he knew who did. They think that she's going to portray a picture of Scott Peterson that makes him look much more like a murderer than a grief-stricken husband.

COSTELLO: All right, Kendall Coffey reporting live from Miami with some expert analysis that we sure appreciate.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.