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No Criminal Charges for Chicago Club Owner Yet
Aired February 21, 2003 - 14:07 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Just days ago, equally horrifying images from Chicago: 21 people killed, trampled to death in a rush for the door. There was no fire, only sheer panic.
CNN Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock joins us now with an update -- hi, Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. A lot of the emotion coming back from the folks that were involved in what happened here early Monday morning when they saw the scenes that took place in Rhode Island.
We can report to you today, just moments ago, the owner of the club in Chicago that you see behind me, the E2 nightclub was in court. Even though the judge did not find him yet in criminal contempt as the city is seeking, they did, in an unusual move, make him post a bond to ensure he would remain for further proceedings.
Again, the images you saw last -- earlier this week from Chicago really kind of bringing it back, the images on television today from Rhode Island, really bringing it back for the people that took part, and were involved and caught up in this.
We are sort of past the grief stage almost, even though the first visitations and funerals are being held today. Now attorneys working at it it, and one of the attorneys for families in this case had some advice for the folks in Rhode Island: very important to preserve the evidence. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT PHILLIPS, ATTORNEY: We recognized immediately that there was an official investigation with regard to this, and that if the officials from the city were failing to enforce the codes in the first place, why should our clients be bound by an official investigation? I couldn't foresee a worse conflict of interest.
So we went to the courthouse, not as a race to get media attention, but to preserve critical evidence. As a matter of fact, the court did allow us in. We gathered the evidence with photographers, with videographers, with an architectural engineer, and within minutes of us leaving, the scene was changed because there was detectives with 40 bags of evidence that were taken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: And we can show you some of that evidence now. The attorney, Robert Phillips, making a tape of that available to us. You see the steepness of the staircase, other pictures of the inside of the club. He showed me this morning exit lights that were burned out in a dark club. Obviously, without a light on the exit door, very difficult to find additional exits, and although it seems clear now that the reason this all started in Chicago was the spraying of pepper spray by a security guard -- at least that is what police and folks inside the club are saying.
According to attorney Phillips, there are other circumstances that would have contributed to the tragedy. If there were no signs, lighted exit signs, perhaps folks couldn't find other exits to the club.
So I think there are going to be a lot of folks who are ending up in court on this one, and of course, that whole process only starting in Rhode Island. That's the latest from Chicago -- Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jeff Flock, thank you.
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 February 21, 2003 - 14:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Just days ago, equally horrifying images from Chicago: 21 people killed, trampled to death in a rush for the door. There was no fire, only sheer panic.
CNN Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock joins us now with an update -- hi, Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. A lot of the emotion coming back from the folks that were involved in what happened here early Monday morning when they saw the scenes that took place in Rhode Island.
We can report to you today, just moments ago, the owner of the club in Chicago that you see behind me, the E2 nightclub was in court. Even though the judge did not find him yet in criminal contempt as the city is seeking, they did, in an unusual move, make him post a bond to ensure he would remain for further proceedings.
Again, the images you saw last -- earlier this week from Chicago really kind of bringing it back, the images on television today from Rhode Island, really bringing it back for the people that took part, and were involved and caught up in this.
We are sort of past the grief stage almost, even though the first visitations and funerals are being held today. Now attorneys working at it it, and one of the attorneys for families in this case had some advice for the folks in Rhode Island: very important to preserve the evidence. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT PHILLIPS, ATTORNEY: We recognized immediately that there was an official investigation with regard to this, and that if the officials from the city were failing to enforce the codes in the first place, why should our clients be bound by an official investigation? I couldn't foresee a worse conflict of interest.
So we went to the courthouse, not as a race to get media attention, but to preserve critical evidence. As a matter of fact, the court did allow us in. We gathered the evidence with photographers, with videographers, with an architectural engineer, and within minutes of us leaving, the scene was changed because there was detectives with 40 bags of evidence that were taken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: And we can show you some of that evidence now. The attorney, Robert Phillips, making a tape of that available to us. You see the steepness of the staircase, other pictures of the inside of the club. He showed me this morning exit lights that were burned out in a dark club. Obviously, without a light on the exit door, very difficult to find additional exits, and although it seems clear now that the reason this all started in Chicago was the spraying of pepper spray by a security guard -- at least that is what police and folks inside the club are saying.
According to attorney Phillips, there are other circumstances that would have contributed to the tragedy. If there were no signs, lighted exit signs, perhaps folks couldn't find other exits to the club.
So I think there are going to be a lot of folks who are ending up in court on this one, and of course, that whole process only starting in Rhode Island. That's the latest from Chicago -- Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jeff Flock, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
