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Bishop Convicted

Aired February 18, 2004 - 15:09   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: Convicted and now awaiting punishment, Bishop Thomas O'Brien was found guilty yesterday in Phoenix of leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
With more on the case and O'Brien's possible punishment, here's CNN's Ed Lavandera.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do find the defendant, as to the charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury or fatal accident as set forth in the information, guilty.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With those words, Thomas O'Brien became the first bishop convicted of a felony in the United States. O'Brien sat stunned in an empty courtroom for almost 30 minutes after the verdict finding him guilty of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Outside, the bishop's friends voiced their anger.

MARY ANNE MCKONE, FRIEND OF O'BRIEN: Stop and think about it. Here's a holy man. And do you think he would hit somebody and left that person? He wouldn't do that.

MSGR. JOHN MCMAHAN, FRIEND OF O'BRIEN: In my heart of hearts, I do not believe for a moment that he left that accident thinking that he may have hit a human being.

LAVANDERA: But jurors say O'Brien should have known that he had driven into a person. The victim, Jim Reed, was 6'2'' tall, and 250 pounds. The pictures of the damaged car had a bigger influence on the jury than the bishop's testimony. O'Brien testified, he thought he had struck a dog or that a rock hit the car.

ERIK MIKKELSEN, JUROR: There was a windshield with significant damage, that, obviously, it did not happen by just a little bird flying into the window.

LAVANDERA (on camera): Bishop O'Brien could be sentenced to probation or up to four years in prison. That will be the judge's decision. The next step in this case is the punishment phase, but the judge hasn't decided when that will start.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 18, 2004 - 15:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Convicted and now awaiting punishment, Bishop Thomas O'Brien was found guilty yesterday in Phoenix of leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
With more on the case and O'Brien's possible punishment, here's CNN's Ed Lavandera.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do find the defendant, as to the charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury or fatal accident as set forth in the information, guilty.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With those words, Thomas O'Brien became the first bishop convicted of a felony in the United States. O'Brien sat stunned in an empty courtroom for almost 30 minutes after the verdict finding him guilty of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Outside, the bishop's friends voiced their anger.

MARY ANNE MCKONE, FRIEND OF O'BRIEN: Stop and think about it. Here's a holy man. And do you think he would hit somebody and left that person? He wouldn't do that.

MSGR. JOHN MCMAHAN, FRIEND OF O'BRIEN: In my heart of hearts, I do not believe for a moment that he left that accident thinking that he may have hit a human being.

LAVANDERA: But jurors say O'Brien should have known that he had driven into a person. The victim, Jim Reed, was 6'2'' tall, and 250 pounds. The pictures of the damaged car had a bigger influence on the jury than the bishop's testimony. O'Brien testified, he thought he had struck a dog or that a rock hit the car.

ERIK MIKKELSEN, JUROR: There was a windshield with significant damage, that, obviously, it did not happen by just a little bird flying into the window.

LAVANDERA (on camera): Bishop O'Brien could be sentenced to probation or up to four years in prison. That will be the judge's decision. The next step in this case is the punishment phase, but the judge hasn't decided when that will start.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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