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Forces Clash in Najaf; Amber Frey Details Peterson Relationship; Civil Suit Filed Against Kobe Bryant
Aired August 10, 2004 - 15:00 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, the Fed raises a key interest rate, despite signs the economic rebound may be slowing. A short time ago, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate a quarter-point to 1.5 percent. It is the second interest rate hike this year. And it comes despite a lower-than-predicted jobs report for July.
Oil prices hit record highs in futures trading before easing back down. Crude prices peaked at slightly more than $45 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. And an attack yesterday on a major Iraqi pipeline caused jitters in the markets, helping to drive up prices. They later eased after Iraq said today it had resumed normal oil production.
Many Democrats are disappointed and many Republicans are applauding after President Bush picks Republican Congressman Porter Goss to lead the CIA. He'll have the announcement and we'll have the announcement coming up just a little bit later.
Details of her first date with Scott Peterson. Amber Frey takes the stand in the Peterson murder trial, describing a night of dinner, lies and intimacy. We'll have a live report from Redwood City, California.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And now the situation in Iraq, where, for the sixth straight day, U.S. and Iraqi troops are clashing with Shiite militia fighters in the holy city of Najaf. And in much of the rest of the country, the atmosphere is very tense.
Here's John Vause from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tensions have been rising here all day in Baghdad with the expectation of a major confrontation between U.S. and Iraqi forces and the militia loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The reason for this, a statement put out on behalf of the cleric warning Baghdad residents to stay indoors. And earlier today, in Sadr City, a poor neighborhood of Baghdad, a stronghold for al-Sadr, a call from the mosques, a crisis call, a call for the residents there to take up arms.
An overnight curfew in Sadr City did little to quell the violence, with ongoing clashes between al-Sadr's men and the U.S. and Iraqi forces. One U.S. official there describes the fighting as more concentrated than in previous days and says the clashes are directly linked to the fighting ongoing in Najaf. In that holy city, the militia loyal to al-Sadr has now dug in to the Imam Ali mosque and also the nearby cemetery.
This is set for an explosive showdown, with U.S. troops now having the permission of the government of Najaf to go into the mosque to clear out the militia. Right now, the U.S. says it has no plans to do this. Instead, it has encircled the Imam Ali compound, trying to cut off supply lines to the militants inside.
There has been sporadic fighting in Najaf, but it is relatively quiet compared to previous days. U.S. troops are now warning residents near to the fighting to leave. In Arabic announcements, they say it is not safe to stay in Najaf. They're also warning the insurgents inside the Imam Ali mosque compound to leave peacefully or they will face death.
Now, a statement put out on behalf of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is now calling on other Islam organizations to join the fight, to defend Najaf and the Imam Ali mosque, the most holy place for Shia Muslims in all of Islam.
John Vause, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: This just into CNN, Gary Tuchman here with word on the filing of a civil case in the Kobe Bryant case.
Why don't you give us the basics, Gary?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, it's been 13 months since this case came to light.
And beginning August 27, Kobe Bryant is supposed to go on trial for allegedly raping a young woman. Well, just now, we have learned that in a court in Denver, Colorado, one of the woman's attorneys has gone to court and filed a civil lawsuit against the Los Angeles Lakers basketball star. In the civil lawsuit, which is called Jane Doe vs. Kobe Bryant, this woman and her attorneys are asking for what is reasonable at trial.
In other words, they're not saying a monetary amount, but that's what happens in a civil court. If you do win the case, you get money from the person you are suing. They're not asking for a specific amount of money, but what is reasonable at trial. Now, the reason this is significant is because last week we talked with one of the woman's attorneys, John Clune, who told us that she is considering not going forward with the criminal trial.
She says she's been victimized by the court. This court on at least three occasions has put personal information about this woman accidentally on a court Web site. They say it was a mistake. But this woman says, because of what has happened, she has decided this is very difficult for her and she may consider dropping out of the case. But that hasn't happened yet.
As of now, this criminal trial is still scheduled to start on August 27, which is 17 days from today. But there is now another court case that may make its way into the federal court in Denver. And that is a civil suit against one of the wealthiest people in this country, Kobe Bryant, who will be making $17 million a year starting next year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
O'BRIEN: And just a word on jurisdiction here, federal court in Denver as opposed to the state courts there in Eagle. Why that? Why that route?
TUCHMAN: Well, that was explained to us as they had a choice. They could have gone to the county court in Eagle County, Colorado, or the federal court in Denver. We asked, why would you choose one court over the other? They wouldn't give us the exact answer. But obviously they think it's their advantage to go to this federal courthouse in Denver.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, the talk of a civil suit has been there all along. You have to wonder, given what we discussed last week, the possibility that she did not want to proceed with the criminal case, although, of course, the prosecutor technically makes that decision. Nevertheless, the fact that this is being filed right now, it may signal just that.
TUCHMAN: It very well may signal that. And last week, it really sounded like, if you were trying to put odds on it, that it was very likely that this woman would no longer want to go forward with the case.
But right now, they're staying put. There's another hearing scheduled for this Monday in the county court in Eagle, Colorado. It's the final pretrial hearing before the criminal trial begins on August 27. And, as of now, all systems are go. We should tell you this, that the prosecution says it still plans on going forward with the case. We've asked the prosecution very specifically, if this woman does not want to go forward, do you still go forward with the case? And they say they do.
Practically speaking, it would be very hard to pursue a criminal case against Kobe Bryant if this woman doesn't want to participate, because, after all, she would be the star witness on the stand. You would have to subpoena her. She wouldn't want to be there. And it would be very hard for the prosecution to do so.
But, as of now, the criminal case is still on, and we are at the beginning of a civil case, where this woman will be asking for money from Kobe Bryant.
O'BRIEN: All right, Gary Tuchman, lots to talk about here.
We have on the line with us our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, good to have you with us. Are you there?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, I am, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jeff Toobin, let's pick up on that point Gary just mentioned. Technically, it's the prosecutor's decision whether to pursue the criminal case in Eagle, Colorado. Can this victim be compelled by subpoena to testify?
TOOBIN: Absolutely. She can as a technical legal matter.
But Gary is quite right in saying that that is almost never done in a sexual assault case. With a sexual assault case, prosecutors need a cooperative victim to prepare her for testimony, to talk to her about what happened, to help them gather and explain the evidence. I mean, that is something that is always done in sexual assault cases. It is usually a close collaboration between the accuser and the prosecutors.
And without cooperation, as a legal matter, it can be done. As a practical matter, it can't. But I think the key fact to know, to recognize about today's development is that the criminal case just got a lot harder.
O'BRIEN: And it got harder even with -- just by the mere presence of a civil case?
TOOBIN: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Why is that?
TOOBIN: Because now when this woman is cross-examined at the trial, the -- one of the main lines of cross-examination will be, isn't it a fact that you want to make money off this case, that this is a case for you about money? You want millions of dollars. Isn't that true?
That's why it is customary when there is a civil suit filed, and there's a parallel criminal investigation, it's -- the civil suit is done when the criminal case is over.
O'BRIEN: So it leads us to the almost inescapable conclusion that that's where we're at right now, that she is -- we don't have an announcement just yet, but she has pretty much decided to pull out of the criminal case?
TOOBIN: I don't know if inescapable is the conclusion. I suppose you could have it. But, certainly, the case is farther along the road towards moving out of criminal court and into a purely civil proceeding.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, our senior legal analyst, Gary Tuchman, who has been covering the story from the beginning, thank you both. Appreciate it -- Betty.
NGUYEN: From one case to another, a nervous Amber Frey opens up on the witness stand, telling jurors all about her first dates with Scott Peterson.
CNN's Rusty Dornin has the details now from Redwood City, California.
What's she saying so far, Rusty?
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's painting a picture of Scott Peterson as a very charming liar.
Now, court has just broken behind me. There's been a crowd that's gathered to see all of the principals in the case. She did talk about Scott Peterson, her first date with him on November 20 of 2002. They went to a Japanese restaurant. She said she was nervous, but he made her feel calm. She said they went back to his hotel. They did have sex. She did spend the night at the hotel.
She talked about subsequent times with him where he would buy champagne and strawberries. He would cook dinner. He would bring bags of groceries. He gave her daughter a book, very charming, seemingly very thoughtful, but also lying to her all along the way. He told her that he owned a warehouse in Modesto, that he lived in Sacramento, that he was going to Alaska for vacation with his brothers and going to meet his family for Christmas at Kennebunkport, Maine. Of course, all of these things were not true.
He told her straight out he was not married. Then, later in December, on December 9, he went over to her house and said he needed to talk to her and told her that he had lost his wife, that his wife had died. It was very painful -- that's why he lied to her -- and that he was very sorry and that he hoped it didn't ruin the relationship. She assured him that it did not.
She then described some parties that she went to sometime in early December. As I said, she was on the stand for about two and a half hours, very nervous to begin with, stumbling a lot, repeatedly asking the questions to be asked again. She seemed to lose her train of thought quite a bit. But, overall, her composure about the whole thing seemed -- was pretty good.
And so she will be back on the stand this afternoon. We don't know when they're going to start playing the transcripts. They did give the reporters 42 pages worth of telephone transcripts of their conversations, including a conversation on New Year's Eve where he tells her he is in Paris. Now, remember, this is six days after Laci Peterson disappeared. He says he's in Paris and said he saw the fireworks on the Eiffel Tower.
So they are going to be playing those in court. They just showed some photos right before the court broke for the noon recess of a party on December 14 where Scott and Laci were sitting together in a Santa Claus outfit. So we're going to be hearing a lot about their relationship, so far, a lot of intimate details. Her own attorney said she is going to spending a considerable amount of time on the stand. We're expecting her to go through at least next week -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Very interesting. We'll see if it proves a motive.
Rusty Dornin in California, thank you.
And stay tuned. There is more right here on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Some more news happening there on the Scott Peterson front.
This is Gloria Allred, the attorney representing Amber Frey. Let's listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR AMBER FREY: ... December 14 date, Scott, of course, got fitted for a tuxedo. Amber went with him to get him fitted for a tuxedo. She got dressed up as well.
That December 14 date, I know all of us who are following the trial remember as a particularly painful date, because we remember in the opening statement seeing a photograph of Laci, Scott's wife, may she rest in peace, at a party, a Christmas party, all by herself. And where was Scott? We saw that photo, December 14. He was with Amber at a Christmas party.
Scott Peterson acted as though he was thoughtful and caring, according to the testimony provided by Amber Frey. Scott Peterson even became thoughtful and caring to Amber's young child, Amber as a single parent, was very moved about how sweet he was to her little girl. He even carried her little girl when they went on a hike. And he helped her with her little bandage. This morning, I think what's most important are Scott Peterson's lies and the double life that he was leading.
QUESTION: Did Amber express to you how she felt being in a courtroom with him and seeing him for the first time in a long time?
ALLRED: I never discuss what a client discusses with me. However, having said that, I will say there's been no discussion about Scott Peterson this morning, about seeing Scott Peterson. We apologize for the break being a little longer this morning.
The reason the break was a little longer is, as I mentioned earlier, Amber is breast-feeding. The baby was there at the courthouse. And in the break, like a good mom, even though that was a stressful morning, she went right to her baby and Justin had his little breakfast. And, in addition, she changed his diaper. That was what was going on during the break.
QUESTION: Gloria, can you describe what Scott's reaction was in the courtroom as he listened to Amber testify?
ALLRED: Well, I saw that it appeared to me that Scott was alternately smiling and then shaking his head and taking notes. I'm really not concerned about Scott Peterson. My main concern is Amber Frey.
I think that Scott needs to take this case seriously. It's a double murder case. But, you know, if he wants to smile, well, that's up to him. I'm sure the jury is very observant of everyone who is in the courtroom, if they're a defendant or a witness or anyone else.
QUESTION: Gloria, who else is here with Amber Frey and her entourage (OFF-MIKE)
ALLRED: There's no entourage, OK? For those of you used to covering celebrity cases, there's no entourage. Amber is with her baby. Amber is with the father of her baby.
Her attorneys are here, obviously, Mr. Goldberg, my partner Nathan Goldberg and myself. At certain points there will be -- there are relatives helping with the baby. But that's it.
So, by the way, I would appreciate if, you know, anyone who's going to print a story about Amber, if you would just give me a call, let me give you the correct facts, because there are some inaccuracies out there, like yesterday, when it was printed in "The New York Post" that she had a therapist with her. Amber doesn't have a therapist, and no therapist is with her.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
ALLRED: Pardon me?
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
ALLRED: I think the jury is attentive. And that is their job, to be attentive. And I have great respect for them. And I won't seek to characterize their attitude towards her, except that they are attentive. And I appreciate the time and the effort they're putting into reviewing the evidence in this case.
All right? Thank you very much.
Oh, one last thing, which is, you'll be able to have press availability for Amber at the end of the day. Just, there will be a pool camera. We'd appreciate it if that's the shot. And, you know, please do not try to get a shot in the morning or at any other time, because it's disturbing and it's troubling.
QUESTION: At the end of every day?
ALLRED: Well, at the end of today. And if everyone could just follow the rules, maybe that could happen on another day as well. But if we have what we had this morning, which was people basically slamming into our car with cameras, that's not going to work out.
Then we're going to have to review that, because, you know, she needs to have peace when she testifies. She needs to be treated with a little respect and dignity. So we know that most of you do that. We would appreciate that.
Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Gloria Allred, the attorney representing Amber Frey, sounding a little bit like a stern fifth-grade teacher as she addressed the media there. Follow the rules, she said, among other things, dispelling a few notions about Amber Frey, specifically saying she did not have a therapist with her yesterday, and talking a little bit about the testimony today, which is considered pivotal, of course, in the murder case of Scott Peterson.
We're following it for you as it happens.
Back with more LIVE FROM in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
NGUYEN: All right, we want to check entertainment headlines today, on August 10.
Janet Jackson returns to the boob tube, pun intended this time. She's taken a lot of ribbing since her breast-baring incident at the Super Bowl. But don't look for any wardrobe malfunctions this time. She's playing herself on an episode of "Will & Grace" being taped today.
Doesn't off his director's hat. Rob Reiner is replacing rookie director Ted Griffin on the graduate. Griffin wrote the script for the updated version of the movie classic, but filming shut down just after one week. Griffin reportedly wasn't spending enough time with the cast. Very interesting there.
And taking it all in stride. An overzealous fan jumped on stage during Gloria Estefan's concert in Houston, Texas, on Sunday. The Latin diva known for keeping the beat didn't miss it, even when the fan picked her up. She gave him a hug. And, of course, her bodyguards gave him another kind of hug, if you know what we're talking about.
O'BRIEN: She rolled with it, didn't she?
NGUYEN: Yes, she did.
O'BRIEN: Good job, Gloria, because that could have gone another way.
All right, well, that wraps up this edition of LIVE FROM. We appreciate you being with us. I'll Miles O'Brien.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.
"INSIDE POLITICS" is next.
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Aired August 10, 2004 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, the Fed raises a key interest rate, despite signs the economic rebound may be slowing. A short time ago, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate a quarter-point to 1.5 percent. It is the second interest rate hike this year. And it comes despite a lower-than-predicted jobs report for July.
Oil prices hit record highs in futures trading before easing back down. Crude prices peaked at slightly more than $45 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. And an attack yesterday on a major Iraqi pipeline caused jitters in the markets, helping to drive up prices. They later eased after Iraq said today it had resumed normal oil production.
Many Democrats are disappointed and many Republicans are applauding after President Bush picks Republican Congressman Porter Goss to lead the CIA. He'll have the announcement and we'll have the announcement coming up just a little bit later.
Details of her first date with Scott Peterson. Amber Frey takes the stand in the Peterson murder trial, describing a night of dinner, lies and intimacy. We'll have a live report from Redwood City, California.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And now the situation in Iraq, where, for the sixth straight day, U.S. and Iraqi troops are clashing with Shiite militia fighters in the holy city of Najaf. And in much of the rest of the country, the atmosphere is very tense.
Here's John Vause from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tensions have been rising here all day in Baghdad with the expectation of a major confrontation between U.S. and Iraqi forces and the militia loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The reason for this, a statement put out on behalf of the cleric warning Baghdad residents to stay indoors. And earlier today, in Sadr City, a poor neighborhood of Baghdad, a stronghold for al-Sadr, a call from the mosques, a crisis call, a call for the residents there to take up arms.
An overnight curfew in Sadr City did little to quell the violence, with ongoing clashes between al-Sadr's men and the U.S. and Iraqi forces. One U.S. official there describes the fighting as more concentrated than in previous days and says the clashes are directly linked to the fighting ongoing in Najaf. In that holy city, the militia loyal to al-Sadr has now dug in to the Imam Ali mosque and also the nearby cemetery.
This is set for an explosive showdown, with U.S. troops now having the permission of the government of Najaf to go into the mosque to clear out the militia. Right now, the U.S. says it has no plans to do this. Instead, it has encircled the Imam Ali compound, trying to cut off supply lines to the militants inside.
There has been sporadic fighting in Najaf, but it is relatively quiet compared to previous days. U.S. troops are now warning residents near to the fighting to leave. In Arabic announcements, they say it is not safe to stay in Najaf. They're also warning the insurgents inside the Imam Ali mosque compound to leave peacefully or they will face death.
Now, a statement put out on behalf of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is now calling on other Islam organizations to join the fight, to defend Najaf and the Imam Ali mosque, the most holy place for Shia Muslims in all of Islam.
John Vause, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: This just into CNN, Gary Tuchman here with word on the filing of a civil case in the Kobe Bryant case.
Why don't you give us the basics, Gary?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, it's been 13 months since this case came to light.
And beginning August 27, Kobe Bryant is supposed to go on trial for allegedly raping a young woman. Well, just now, we have learned that in a court in Denver, Colorado, one of the woman's attorneys has gone to court and filed a civil lawsuit against the Los Angeles Lakers basketball star. In the civil lawsuit, which is called Jane Doe vs. Kobe Bryant, this woman and her attorneys are asking for what is reasonable at trial.
In other words, they're not saying a monetary amount, but that's what happens in a civil court. If you do win the case, you get money from the person you are suing. They're not asking for a specific amount of money, but what is reasonable at trial. Now, the reason this is significant is because last week we talked with one of the woman's attorneys, John Clune, who told us that she is considering not going forward with the criminal trial.
She says she's been victimized by the court. This court on at least three occasions has put personal information about this woman accidentally on a court Web site. They say it was a mistake. But this woman says, because of what has happened, she has decided this is very difficult for her and she may consider dropping out of the case. But that hasn't happened yet.
As of now, this criminal trial is still scheduled to start on August 27, which is 17 days from today. But there is now another court case that may make its way into the federal court in Denver. And that is a civil suit against one of the wealthiest people in this country, Kobe Bryant, who will be making $17 million a year starting next year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
O'BRIEN: And just a word on jurisdiction here, federal court in Denver as opposed to the state courts there in Eagle. Why that? Why that route?
TUCHMAN: Well, that was explained to us as they had a choice. They could have gone to the county court in Eagle County, Colorado, or the federal court in Denver. We asked, why would you choose one court over the other? They wouldn't give us the exact answer. But obviously they think it's their advantage to go to this federal courthouse in Denver.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, the talk of a civil suit has been there all along. You have to wonder, given what we discussed last week, the possibility that she did not want to proceed with the criminal case, although, of course, the prosecutor technically makes that decision. Nevertheless, the fact that this is being filed right now, it may signal just that.
TUCHMAN: It very well may signal that. And last week, it really sounded like, if you were trying to put odds on it, that it was very likely that this woman would no longer want to go forward with the case.
But right now, they're staying put. There's another hearing scheduled for this Monday in the county court in Eagle, Colorado. It's the final pretrial hearing before the criminal trial begins on August 27. And, as of now, all systems are go. We should tell you this, that the prosecution says it still plans on going forward with the case. We've asked the prosecution very specifically, if this woman does not want to go forward, do you still go forward with the case? And they say they do.
Practically speaking, it would be very hard to pursue a criminal case against Kobe Bryant if this woman doesn't want to participate, because, after all, she would be the star witness on the stand. You would have to subpoena her. She wouldn't want to be there. And it would be very hard for the prosecution to do so.
But, as of now, the criminal case is still on, and we are at the beginning of a civil case, where this woman will be asking for money from Kobe Bryant.
O'BRIEN: All right, Gary Tuchman, lots to talk about here.
We have on the line with us our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, good to have you with us. Are you there?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, I am, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jeff Toobin, let's pick up on that point Gary just mentioned. Technically, it's the prosecutor's decision whether to pursue the criminal case in Eagle, Colorado. Can this victim be compelled by subpoena to testify?
TOOBIN: Absolutely. She can as a technical legal matter.
But Gary is quite right in saying that that is almost never done in a sexual assault case. With a sexual assault case, prosecutors need a cooperative victim to prepare her for testimony, to talk to her about what happened, to help them gather and explain the evidence. I mean, that is something that is always done in sexual assault cases. It is usually a close collaboration between the accuser and the prosecutors.
And without cooperation, as a legal matter, it can be done. As a practical matter, it can't. But I think the key fact to know, to recognize about today's development is that the criminal case just got a lot harder.
O'BRIEN: And it got harder even with -- just by the mere presence of a civil case?
TOOBIN: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Why is that?
TOOBIN: Because now when this woman is cross-examined at the trial, the -- one of the main lines of cross-examination will be, isn't it a fact that you want to make money off this case, that this is a case for you about money? You want millions of dollars. Isn't that true?
That's why it is customary when there is a civil suit filed, and there's a parallel criminal investigation, it's -- the civil suit is done when the criminal case is over.
O'BRIEN: So it leads us to the almost inescapable conclusion that that's where we're at right now, that she is -- we don't have an announcement just yet, but she has pretty much decided to pull out of the criminal case?
TOOBIN: I don't know if inescapable is the conclusion. I suppose you could have it. But, certainly, the case is farther along the road towards moving out of criminal court and into a purely civil proceeding.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, our senior legal analyst, Gary Tuchman, who has been covering the story from the beginning, thank you both. Appreciate it -- Betty.
NGUYEN: From one case to another, a nervous Amber Frey opens up on the witness stand, telling jurors all about her first dates with Scott Peterson.
CNN's Rusty Dornin has the details now from Redwood City, California.
What's she saying so far, Rusty?
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's painting a picture of Scott Peterson as a very charming liar.
Now, court has just broken behind me. There's been a crowd that's gathered to see all of the principals in the case. She did talk about Scott Peterson, her first date with him on November 20 of 2002. They went to a Japanese restaurant. She said she was nervous, but he made her feel calm. She said they went back to his hotel. They did have sex. She did spend the night at the hotel.
She talked about subsequent times with him where he would buy champagne and strawberries. He would cook dinner. He would bring bags of groceries. He gave her daughter a book, very charming, seemingly very thoughtful, but also lying to her all along the way. He told her that he owned a warehouse in Modesto, that he lived in Sacramento, that he was going to Alaska for vacation with his brothers and going to meet his family for Christmas at Kennebunkport, Maine. Of course, all of these things were not true.
He told her straight out he was not married. Then, later in December, on December 9, he went over to her house and said he needed to talk to her and told her that he had lost his wife, that his wife had died. It was very painful -- that's why he lied to her -- and that he was very sorry and that he hoped it didn't ruin the relationship. She assured him that it did not.
She then described some parties that she went to sometime in early December. As I said, she was on the stand for about two and a half hours, very nervous to begin with, stumbling a lot, repeatedly asking the questions to be asked again. She seemed to lose her train of thought quite a bit. But, overall, her composure about the whole thing seemed -- was pretty good.
And so she will be back on the stand this afternoon. We don't know when they're going to start playing the transcripts. They did give the reporters 42 pages worth of telephone transcripts of their conversations, including a conversation on New Year's Eve where he tells her he is in Paris. Now, remember, this is six days after Laci Peterson disappeared. He says he's in Paris and said he saw the fireworks on the Eiffel Tower.
So they are going to be playing those in court. They just showed some photos right before the court broke for the noon recess of a party on December 14 where Scott and Laci were sitting together in a Santa Claus outfit. So we're going to be hearing a lot about their relationship, so far, a lot of intimate details. Her own attorney said she is going to spending a considerable amount of time on the stand. We're expecting her to go through at least next week -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Very interesting. We'll see if it proves a motive.
Rusty Dornin in California, thank you.
And stay tuned. There is more right here on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Some more news happening there on the Scott Peterson front.
This is Gloria Allred, the attorney representing Amber Frey. Let's listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR AMBER FREY: ... December 14 date, Scott, of course, got fitted for a tuxedo. Amber went with him to get him fitted for a tuxedo. She got dressed up as well.
That December 14 date, I know all of us who are following the trial remember as a particularly painful date, because we remember in the opening statement seeing a photograph of Laci, Scott's wife, may she rest in peace, at a party, a Christmas party, all by herself. And where was Scott? We saw that photo, December 14. He was with Amber at a Christmas party.
Scott Peterson acted as though he was thoughtful and caring, according to the testimony provided by Amber Frey. Scott Peterson even became thoughtful and caring to Amber's young child, Amber as a single parent, was very moved about how sweet he was to her little girl. He even carried her little girl when they went on a hike. And he helped her with her little bandage. This morning, I think what's most important are Scott Peterson's lies and the double life that he was leading.
QUESTION: Did Amber express to you how she felt being in a courtroom with him and seeing him for the first time in a long time?
ALLRED: I never discuss what a client discusses with me. However, having said that, I will say there's been no discussion about Scott Peterson this morning, about seeing Scott Peterson. We apologize for the break being a little longer this morning.
The reason the break was a little longer is, as I mentioned earlier, Amber is breast-feeding. The baby was there at the courthouse. And in the break, like a good mom, even though that was a stressful morning, she went right to her baby and Justin had his little breakfast. And, in addition, she changed his diaper. That was what was going on during the break.
QUESTION: Gloria, can you describe what Scott's reaction was in the courtroom as he listened to Amber testify?
ALLRED: Well, I saw that it appeared to me that Scott was alternately smiling and then shaking his head and taking notes. I'm really not concerned about Scott Peterson. My main concern is Amber Frey.
I think that Scott needs to take this case seriously. It's a double murder case. But, you know, if he wants to smile, well, that's up to him. I'm sure the jury is very observant of everyone who is in the courtroom, if they're a defendant or a witness or anyone else.
QUESTION: Gloria, who else is here with Amber Frey and her entourage (OFF-MIKE)
ALLRED: There's no entourage, OK? For those of you used to covering celebrity cases, there's no entourage. Amber is with her baby. Amber is with the father of her baby.
Her attorneys are here, obviously, Mr. Goldberg, my partner Nathan Goldberg and myself. At certain points there will be -- there are relatives helping with the baby. But that's it.
So, by the way, I would appreciate if, you know, anyone who's going to print a story about Amber, if you would just give me a call, let me give you the correct facts, because there are some inaccuracies out there, like yesterday, when it was printed in "The New York Post" that she had a therapist with her. Amber doesn't have a therapist, and no therapist is with her.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
ALLRED: Pardon me?
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
ALLRED: I think the jury is attentive. And that is their job, to be attentive. And I have great respect for them. And I won't seek to characterize their attitude towards her, except that they are attentive. And I appreciate the time and the effort they're putting into reviewing the evidence in this case.
All right? Thank you very much.
Oh, one last thing, which is, you'll be able to have press availability for Amber at the end of the day. Just, there will be a pool camera. We'd appreciate it if that's the shot. And, you know, please do not try to get a shot in the morning or at any other time, because it's disturbing and it's troubling.
QUESTION: At the end of every day?
ALLRED: Well, at the end of today. And if everyone could just follow the rules, maybe that could happen on another day as well. But if we have what we had this morning, which was people basically slamming into our car with cameras, that's not going to work out.
Then we're going to have to review that, because, you know, she needs to have peace when she testifies. She needs to be treated with a little respect and dignity. So we know that most of you do that. We would appreciate that.
Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Gloria Allred, the attorney representing Amber Frey, sounding a little bit like a stern fifth-grade teacher as she addressed the media there. Follow the rules, she said, among other things, dispelling a few notions about Amber Frey, specifically saying she did not have a therapist with her yesterday, and talking a little bit about the testimony today, which is considered pivotal, of course, in the murder case of Scott Peterson.
We're following it for you as it happens.
Back with more LIVE FROM in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
NGUYEN: All right, we want to check entertainment headlines today, on August 10.
Janet Jackson returns to the boob tube, pun intended this time. She's taken a lot of ribbing since her breast-baring incident at the Super Bowl. But don't look for any wardrobe malfunctions this time. She's playing herself on an episode of "Will & Grace" being taped today.
Doesn't off his director's hat. Rob Reiner is replacing rookie director Ted Griffin on the graduate. Griffin wrote the script for the updated version of the movie classic, but filming shut down just after one week. Griffin reportedly wasn't spending enough time with the cast. Very interesting there.
And taking it all in stride. An overzealous fan jumped on stage during Gloria Estefan's concert in Houston, Texas, on Sunday. The Latin diva known for keeping the beat didn't miss it, even when the fan picked her up. She gave him a hug. And, of course, her bodyguards gave him another kind of hug, if you know what we're talking about.
O'BRIEN: She rolled with it, didn't she?
NGUYEN: Yes, she did.
O'BRIEN: Good job, Gloria, because that could have gone another way.
All right, well, that wraps up this edition of LIVE FROM. We appreciate you being with us. I'll Miles O'Brien.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.
"INSIDE POLITICS" is next.
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