Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Interview With Erin Brockovich
Aired July 08, 2003 - 15:14 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The issue of criminal stalking got a big boost this morning on Capitol Hill, thanks to an appearance by activist-turned-television-host Erin Brockovich. The woman made famous by the movie of the same name took part in a congressional hearing, a briefing, to call for stronger federal laws against stalking.
Erin Brockovich joins me now to talk about all this. She's with us from Washington.
First of all, why did you get involved with this? People think of you as the champion of the little people against big bad corporations. Why this issue?
ERIN BROCKOVICH, HOST, "FINAL JUSTICE": Well, we did a piece on "Final Justice," my show, about a young woman whose life was taken from her from an ex-boyfriend by stalking. And it just grabbed all of us by the heart. And I was pretty taken back.
As I did the story, I learned about stalking, how many people are stalked, how misunderstood it is, and how many deaths occur because of it. So, Congresswoman Heather Wilson out of New Mexico, where the crime -- where the people lived and where the trial was going to be, came to Washington to create a resolution. So I came along with her and Lifetime.
WOODRUFF: Let's talk about the misunderstanding.
First of all, how do you define stalking? People may think of it as when a man follows a woman around. When does it become stalking and who are we talking about here?
BROCKOVICH: Well, first of all, we're talking about one out of every 12 women, at some time in her life, will be stalked. Over one million women a year are stalked. Over 300,000 men a year are stalked. And I was pretty taken back by a statistic that 76 percent of women who were killed by their intimate partners were stalked by their killers in the year prior to their deaths.
And there are some federal laws out there about stalking. And it's anything that makes you become uncomfortable, that makes you fearful: repetitive phone calls, repeatedly showing up at your place of work. And you become intimidated and fearful. And that is stalking.
WOODRUFF: Is the law consistent, Erin Brockovich? For example, after so many phone calls, it becomes a crime? Or is it clear to people what constitutes something they can go to the police with?
BROCKOVICH: Well, it's something that I talked this morning about with Senator Joe Biden, who has actually written laws on -- to stop violence against women and stalking in particular.
And, federally, there are stay-away orders. But, state by state, they're not always followed. And they should be. And part of the problem is -- and in the story we did, the woman was in Ohio and some of the crime occurred there, and then in New Mexico, ultimately moving to California, where she was killed. And there has to be better state computer systems, where law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and judges can get into that system to find out about this person. And they'll usually see priors. And those stay-away orders will force them to stay behind bars.
WOODRUFF: So better computer systems, better connection between different police departments around the country, is that the main thing that you're looking for here?
BROCKOVICH: Yes. It's very critical. And the resolution that was put out today by Congresswoman Heather Wilson was to create a national awareness month. And we want to do that in January, which is the month the young woman was killed.
And we at Lifetime are going to create a video to help law enforcement agencies better understand stalking. It is a misunderstood crime. It is often missed. And too many murders are happening. So we want to send that out to the attorney generals, to law enforcement and other agencies, so they can better understand this crime.
WOODRUFF: Well, Erin Brockovich, we thank you very much for joining us to talk about it. It is good to see you. Thank you very much.
BROCKOVICH: It is nice to be here. 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 July 8, 2003 - 15:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The issue of criminal stalking got a big boost this morning on Capitol Hill, thanks to an appearance by activist-turned-television-host Erin Brockovich. The woman made famous by the movie of the same name took part in a congressional hearing, a briefing, to call for stronger federal laws against stalking.
Erin Brockovich joins me now to talk about all this. She's with us from Washington.
First of all, why did you get involved with this? People think of you as the champion of the little people against big bad corporations. Why this issue?
ERIN BROCKOVICH, HOST, "FINAL JUSTICE": Well, we did a piece on "Final Justice," my show, about a young woman whose life was taken from her from an ex-boyfriend by stalking. And it just grabbed all of us by the heart. And I was pretty taken back.
As I did the story, I learned about stalking, how many people are stalked, how misunderstood it is, and how many deaths occur because of it. So, Congresswoman Heather Wilson out of New Mexico, where the crime -- where the people lived and where the trial was going to be, came to Washington to create a resolution. So I came along with her and Lifetime.
WOODRUFF: Let's talk about the misunderstanding.
First of all, how do you define stalking? People may think of it as when a man follows a woman around. When does it become stalking and who are we talking about here?
BROCKOVICH: Well, first of all, we're talking about one out of every 12 women, at some time in her life, will be stalked. Over one million women a year are stalked. Over 300,000 men a year are stalked. And I was pretty taken back by a statistic that 76 percent of women who were killed by their intimate partners were stalked by their killers in the year prior to their deaths.
And there are some federal laws out there about stalking. And it's anything that makes you become uncomfortable, that makes you fearful: repetitive phone calls, repeatedly showing up at your place of work. And you become intimidated and fearful. And that is stalking.
WOODRUFF: Is the law consistent, Erin Brockovich? For example, after so many phone calls, it becomes a crime? Or is it clear to people what constitutes something they can go to the police with?
BROCKOVICH: Well, it's something that I talked this morning about with Senator Joe Biden, who has actually written laws on -- to stop violence against women and stalking in particular.
And, federally, there are stay-away orders. But, state by state, they're not always followed. And they should be. And part of the problem is -- and in the story we did, the woman was in Ohio and some of the crime occurred there, and then in New Mexico, ultimately moving to California, where she was killed. And there has to be better state computer systems, where law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and judges can get into that system to find out about this person. And they'll usually see priors. And those stay-away orders will force them to stay behind bars.
WOODRUFF: So better computer systems, better connection between different police departments around the country, is that the main thing that you're looking for here?
BROCKOVICH: Yes. It's very critical. And the resolution that was put out today by Congresswoman Heather Wilson was to create a national awareness month. And we want to do that in January, which is the month the young woman was killed.
And we at Lifetime are going to create a video to help law enforcement agencies better understand stalking. It is a misunderstood crime. It is often missed. And too many murders are happening. So we want to send that out to the attorney generals, to law enforcement and other agencies, so they can better understand this crime.
WOODRUFF: Well, Erin Brockovich, we thank you very much for joining us to talk about it. It is good to see you. Thank you very much.
BROCKOVICH: It is nice to be here. 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
