Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Bond Set at $5 Million For North Dakota Kidnapping Suspect

Aired December 04, 2003 - 15:01   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And let's get right to North Dakota, where the only known suspect in the disappearance of Dru Sjodin just had his second court appearance in as many days.
CNN's Jeff Flock is in Grand Forks. He was in the courtroom. And he has the latest for us -- hello, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Miles, hello to you.

Perhaps you hear the -- I believe that's the Burlington Northern going by over that way. So excuse the noise.

The headline from the courtroom, which is just a few blocks away from here, also, bond set for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. at $5 million today. That's the headline from the courtroom. We have pictures of Mr. Rodriguez being led in, and perhaps, inside, what was a fairly short court proceeding today.

The prosecution in the case, in making a case for a high bond, said that -- quote -- "This was a nightmarish offense, that there's now an intense search to locate Dru Sjodin going on, and that they charged out this case, the state, believing that there is a -- quote -- "high likelihood of conviction." When they were done making their case, the attorney for Mr. Rodriguez said, for his own safety, his client has now decided to remain in custody.

So the bond is $5 million. And, apparently, there will be no attempts made to raise that. Preliminary hearing in the case set for February 4 of 2004 and then an arraignment later that week. So, that's where it stands right now. No word, though, on any communication Mr. Rodriguez may have had with authorities in terms of any information he may have given them in connection with this case.

That's where it stands right now. And the search, of course, Miles, for Dru Sjodin continues, not in the intense way that it took place yesterday. And, of course, snow has been falling for the past several hours here in Grand Forks, so not ideal search conditions anyway.

That's the latest from Grand Forks -- back to you.

O'BRIEN: A quick final thought, Jeff. Rodriguez's attorneys said they were concerned about his safety and thus they would prefer that he stayed in jail. Are there specific threats that you know of?

FLOCK: No, although the -- well, you say specific. The prosecutor -- I think it was the chief of police earlier said that he had heard some folks in the jail. I think there are 77 other inmates or folks being held in the jail right now. Some of them apparently made comments along the lines of, well, let's go ahead and put him in here with us and we'll find out where that girl is. So the sheriff made quite clear that he was not intending to put him in the general population, Mr. Rodriguez.

And, also, just to leave it here, Mr. Rodriguez has only now been charged or been accused in this. He hasn't even faced the formal charges of an arraignment yet. So we want to just make it very clear, that's where it stands, despite the state saying they have a high likelihood, they think, that he would be convicted.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jeff Flock in North Dakota, thank you very much.

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




Suspect>


Aired December 4, 2003 - 15:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And let's get right to North Dakota, where the only known suspect in the disappearance of Dru Sjodin just had his second court appearance in as many days.
CNN's Jeff Flock is in Grand Forks. He was in the courtroom. And he has the latest for us -- hello, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Miles, hello to you.

Perhaps you hear the -- I believe that's the Burlington Northern going by over that way. So excuse the noise.

The headline from the courtroom, which is just a few blocks away from here, also, bond set for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. at $5 million today. That's the headline from the courtroom. We have pictures of Mr. Rodriguez being led in, and perhaps, inside, what was a fairly short court proceeding today.

The prosecution in the case, in making a case for a high bond, said that -- quote -- "This was a nightmarish offense, that there's now an intense search to locate Dru Sjodin going on, and that they charged out this case, the state, believing that there is a -- quote -- "high likelihood of conviction." When they were done making their case, the attorney for Mr. Rodriguez said, for his own safety, his client has now decided to remain in custody.

So the bond is $5 million. And, apparently, there will be no attempts made to raise that. Preliminary hearing in the case set for February 4 of 2004 and then an arraignment later that week. So, that's where it stands right now. No word, though, on any communication Mr. Rodriguez may have had with authorities in terms of any information he may have given them in connection with this case.

That's where it stands right now. And the search, of course, Miles, for Dru Sjodin continues, not in the intense way that it took place yesterday. And, of course, snow has been falling for the past several hours here in Grand Forks, so not ideal search conditions anyway.

That's the latest from Grand Forks -- back to you.

O'BRIEN: A quick final thought, Jeff. Rodriguez's attorneys said they were concerned about his safety and thus they would prefer that he stayed in jail. Are there specific threats that you know of?

FLOCK: No, although the -- well, you say specific. The prosecutor -- I think it was the chief of police earlier said that he had heard some folks in the jail. I think there are 77 other inmates or folks being held in the jail right now. Some of them apparently made comments along the lines of, well, let's go ahead and put him in here with us and we'll find out where that girl is. So the sheriff made quite clear that he was not intending to put him in the general population, Mr. Rodriguez.

And, also, just to leave it here, Mr. Rodriguez has only now been charged or been accused in this. He hasn't even faced the formal charges of an arraignment yet. So we want to just make it very clear, that's where it stands, despite the state saying they have a high likelihood, they think, that he would be convicted.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jeff Flock in North Dakota, thank you very much.

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




Suspect>