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Lionel Tate Ordered Released
Aired January 26, 2004 - 15:07 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A Florida teenager is about to get his first taste of freedom in three years. Lionel Tate has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a younger playmate when he was just 12 years old. CNN's John Zarrella reports live from Ft. Lauderdale on today's proceedings.
What was the decision?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, we are awaiting Lionel Tate's release from the Broward County Jail, which is just behind the courthouse here, the Broward County courthouse where I am standing.
It was about 1:00 this afternoon. Lionel Tate, his attorney, his mother walking into the courtroom of Judge Joel Lazarus. And within seven minutes, stunningly short, everything apparently prearranged before they got into that courtroom, Lionel Tate was released on his own recognizance.
When he walks out of the jail, sometime this afternoon, perhaps in the next few minutes, he will be wearing an electronic monitoring device. He will go home. And at some point, of course, he will have to return here on Thursday, once again in court, where he will enter a guilty plea to second degree murder for the 1999 killing of Tiffany Eunick. That was his 6-year-old playmate.
Many of our viewers probably recall during the trial Lionel maintained his innocence, saying it was an accident. He never actually took the stand, but his attorneys saying it was an accident, that he was imitating wrestling moves he had seen on television. In fact, the injuries to Tiffany Eunick very severe, some 35 massive injuries. Some to her head, to her ribs, to her spleen.
And, of course, her mother this afternoon, Tiffany Eunick's mother, who was in the courtroom, coming out and saying that when Lionel gets to court on Thursday to plead guilty to second degree murder, she wants him to finally take responsibility for his actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEWEESE EUNICK, VICTIM'S MOTHER: It's just a fantasy for them, and to make him feel good that he didn't do something wrong. I mean, you cannot change the fact that it's a murder. I mean, all these people, the jury, the judge, the appellate court, everybody saw it for what it was, and for some reason they're still in a dreamland, calling it an accident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: The bottom line on all of this is that the plea deal that they've arrived at, which is the three years time served, one year house arrest, and 10 years probation, is basically the exact same deal Lionel and his mother turned down three years ago before the trial ever began, not believing that a jury would ever convict him -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much. John Zarrella reporting live there.
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 January 26, 2004 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A Florida teenager is about to get his first taste of freedom in three years. Lionel Tate has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a younger playmate when he was just 12 years old. CNN's John Zarrella reports live from Ft. Lauderdale on today's proceedings.
What was the decision?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, we are awaiting Lionel Tate's release from the Broward County Jail, which is just behind the courthouse here, the Broward County courthouse where I am standing.
It was about 1:00 this afternoon. Lionel Tate, his attorney, his mother walking into the courtroom of Judge Joel Lazarus. And within seven minutes, stunningly short, everything apparently prearranged before they got into that courtroom, Lionel Tate was released on his own recognizance.
When he walks out of the jail, sometime this afternoon, perhaps in the next few minutes, he will be wearing an electronic monitoring device. He will go home. And at some point, of course, he will have to return here on Thursday, once again in court, where he will enter a guilty plea to second degree murder for the 1999 killing of Tiffany Eunick. That was his 6-year-old playmate.
Many of our viewers probably recall during the trial Lionel maintained his innocence, saying it was an accident. He never actually took the stand, but his attorneys saying it was an accident, that he was imitating wrestling moves he had seen on television. In fact, the injuries to Tiffany Eunick very severe, some 35 massive injuries. Some to her head, to her ribs, to her spleen.
And, of course, her mother this afternoon, Tiffany Eunick's mother, who was in the courtroom, coming out and saying that when Lionel gets to court on Thursday to plead guilty to second degree murder, she wants him to finally take responsibility for his actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEWEESE EUNICK, VICTIM'S MOTHER: It's just a fantasy for them, and to make him feel good that he didn't do something wrong. I mean, you cannot change the fact that it's a murder. I mean, all these people, the jury, the judge, the appellate court, everybody saw it for what it was, and for some reason they're still in a dreamland, calling it an accident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: The bottom line on all of this is that the plea deal that they've arrived at, which is the three years time served, one year house arrest, and 10 years probation, is basically the exact same deal Lionel and his mother turned down three years ago before the trial ever began, not believing that a jury would ever convict him -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much. John Zarrella reporting live there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
