Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Police Expand Search for Georgia Woman; Judge Nomination May Make Senate Floor Today; Michael Jackson's Ex-Wife Turns Tables on Prosecutors

Aired April 28, 2005 - 13:00   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Investigators hope this photograph of a child they call a material witness will lead them to an exploited and abused girl. We're live with the lead investigator.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And three, two. Debbie...

SARAH DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search expands for a missing bride-to-be. I'm Sarah Dorsey. I'll have a live report from Duluth, Georgia. That's coming up.

MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: President Bush goes primetime. He's planning a news conference tonight. What would you ask him if you were there? Your questions this hour.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM, and I emphasize live, joins us right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point we still have no indication that a crime has been committed. But we are treating it as a criminal investigation as of now. Actually, as of last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the wedding is off. A criminal investigation is on. And Jennifer Wilbanks, bride-to-be from the town of Duluth, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta, is still missing.

It's been almost two days since Wilbanks went for a jog and disappeared, leaving police, her fiance and her family with absolutely nothing to go on. Making that next to nothing. We get the latest from CNN's Sarah Dorsey. She joins us live from Duluth -- Sara.

DORSEY: Well, Kyra, Duluth police have confirmed to CNN that a clump of hair was found during the search yesterday in that five-mile area around the house that Jennifer Wilbanks went jogging from.

Now, they tell us that hair has not at all been linked to Wilbanks. It is simply something that has been taken into evidence, and police caution that it could belong to anyone at this time.

Police say because, though, of the lack of leads in this case, they are expanding the search. That's new. Yesterday they had called it off. Now they say because they have learned that Jennifer was an avid jogger, a marathon runner, that it's possible she left that five- mile area around the house and ran even further.

They've decided to now bring in bloodhounds, different from the canines they had in the first day or two. These bloodhounds are supposed to be able to pick up a stronger scent if indeed there is one left. Police say this is only an effort to try to uncover some sort of evidence, some sort of clue as to where Wilbanks could be.

She, of course, is scheduled to get married on Saturday. Her family tells us she disappeared Tuesday night after taking a jog from the home she shared with her fiance. He told police that she left behind her diamond ring, her car, her car keys, her wallet, all her identification.

Police say at this time they are going to be questioning family, friends, co-workers and ex-boyfriends of Wilbanks, trying to get any information that will shed some light on this bizarre disappearance -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So are those interviews in progress? Are they taking to ex-boyfriends and other family members right now, and have they said -- any of your sources, Sarah, that they're focusing on maybe one individual more so than another?

DORSEY: Well, no, at this point they're not telling us that they're focusing on anyone specifically. I did just talk to a source of mine that said detectives, investigators of some sort, have been at Jennifer Wilbanks' job, which was in Gainesville, Georgia, talking to her co-workers there. That's what we know now right now.

Investigators here on the scene have told us, "Hey, we're going to talk to everyone, anyone that possibly has any information about this woman." But they are not giving us names or specifics at this point -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Sarah Dorsey live there from Duluth, Georgia. Thank you -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Another second-term first for President Bush. A primetime news conference on the president's calendar coinciding with the final week of a 60-day campaign to shore up Social Security. Energy also a front burner issue, if you will.

And we'll fire up our special coverage, of course: 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 Pacific. The news conference starting at the bottom of that hour.

Mr. Bush won't be taking any viewer calls, of course, but LIVE FROM would still like to hear what you have to say. What would you ask the president if you had his ear?

Would you ask him about that energy policy? Would you ask about Social Security? Would you ask about the situation in Iraq? All kinds of issues on the president's plate. And we invite you to give it your best shot, so to speak. Tell us at LiveFrom@CNN.com. We'll read as many as we can on the air and we'll make sure those questions get to our people in the room. Who knows? Maybe one of those questions will, in fact, be asked. Keep them pithy, though, please, because we have a lot to wade through.

Tonight, if not sooner, Mr. Bush will likely face a question about those judicial nominees which prompted so much wrangling on Capitol Hill. There's a little hint for some questions. A final showdown may be closer than ever.

CNN's Kimberly Osias watching from a safe distance as the food fight continues. She's in our D.C. bureau.

Hello, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, I'm sorry I can't hear you.

Well, first there were two and then there was one, judicial nominees that is, that could actually get out of committee today and on to the Senate floor.

Senators have held over President Bush's nomination of Terrence Boyle II to a later date, in part perhaps because of the acrimony surrounding the situation and the Democrats' use of filibustering to block the nominees. That's a technique used to stall for time and, hopefully, a compromise.

But maybe, just maybe one may actually get out of committee and on to the Senate floor today.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist wants to invoke the so-called nuclear option. Frist wants to change Senate rules, requiring a simple majority to confirm the judges, instead of the current 60 votes needed to overcome Democratic objections and the use of the filibuster.

The two judges being considered today are William Pryor and Terrence Boyle. William Pryor is 41 years old. He's a temporary appointment to the federal appeals court and a renomination of President Bush's. Before that, Pryor worked as an attorney in the private sector.

Terrence Boyle, whose nomination was held over today, is a chief judge in North Carolina for the U.S. eastern district. He's been a federal judge since 1984. Prior to that he held a number of jobs and at one point worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina.

President Clinton refused to renominate Boyle during his eight years in office.

And it seems, Miles, that a line in the sand certainly has been drawn over the filibuster. Democrats say that any attempt to change the Senate rules is simply unacceptable and undermines the Constitution while Republicans say that the filibuster mechanism was never intended to apply to judicial nominees.

O'BRIEN: Kimberly Osias, thank you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a new drug saving lives of women treated for breast cancer. News that it can keep the disease from coming back. We're going to have details later on LIVE FROM.

Flight of fancy, a new piece of video shot in Arkansas has scientists and bird watchers rewriting the guide books.

Also ahead on LIVE FROM, mummy dearest. Our favorite archaeologist joins us again and shows us why this mummy is like no other found in the sands of Egypt.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Part two of the "X-files" comes with a cliffhanger in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial and potentially a bombshell. Jackson's second ex-wife is back on the witness stand after a day of prosecution testimony that didn't go exactly according to script, shall we say?

CNN's Ted Rowlands is in Santa Maria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS: Debbie Rowe has been on the stand just over an hour here this morning. She has finished her direct examination, and on cross-examination she continues to seem as though she is a defense witness rather than a prosecution witness.

She has talked about Michael Jackson in glowing terms, and she has separated Michael Jackson, in essence, with her testimony, from the other co-conspirators in this case. Prosecutors were hoping that she would link Jackson directly to these co-conspirators. But she's really done the opposite, saying that in her opinion Michael Jackson was not informed about things that were going around him -- going on around him.

She called the other co-conspirators, quote, "opportunistic vultures," and she broke down a couple times on the stand when describing Michael Jackson as a kind, generous to a fault, great father, great with children.

She said there are two different Michaels: "There's my Michael and there's the Michael that everyone else sees, Michael the entertainer."

At one point when she was asked when she first went on tour with Michael, she looked at Jackson himself and tried to get him answer the question, saying, "Was it 'Bad,' was it 'History'?" Jackson nodded at one point. That was stricken from the record. But clearly she's making a connection with Michael Jackson. Jurors have given her credibility. They seem to be very intent on everything she's saying. And she is portraying Michael Jackson as a great human being and a great father, something undoubtedly prosecutors did not intend when they called her to the stand as part of their case.

She continues to be cross-examined and is expected to be on the stand for the better part of the rest of the morning.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, it just gets curiouser and curiouser, doesn't it? Yet another prosecution witness who seems to help out the defense.

Joining me from Chicago with some insights and expertise, although maybe we need a psychologist to figure this trial out, Steven Greenberg.

Steven, good to have you with us. Criminal defense attorney. I should give you the particulars.

STEVEN GREENBERG, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good afternoon, Miles.

O'BRIEN: You know, it kind of reminds me of Chris Darden telling O.J. to try on the glove. You know, there's that little rule you get in law school, never ask a question you don't know how it will be answered, right? I mean, that's important, isn't it?

GREENBERG: Absolutely. And I wonder how this happens. You know, what's happened with this witness is she threw egg in the prosecutor's face. He came out and he said, "She is going to tell you that she rehearsed these lines, that they made her say these things." And she said the opposite. So she threw egg in his face and then it sounds like from the report this morning it's now hitting him with the frying pan she cooked the egg in.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it's interesting to me, though, this trial has become such a house of mirrors, and this jury has to be just scratching their heads, because everybody is contradicting their previous statements, depositions or otherwise. You know, it could be at the end of the day they just -- the whole thing becomes a push and he's acquitted as a result.

GREENBERG: Well, I think that the case is falling apart for the prosecution. They've got these old acts which they're relying on. Ten years, nothing happens. Then all of a sudden this con artist family somehow worms their way into Michael Jackson's life and these allegations come up. So they were already coming with great baggage.

Every witness is falling apart on the stand for them, it seems like. Or almost every witness. And then they've got the reasonable doubt instruction in California, which says that you have to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, but it's defined for jurors in California. And they define it as a moral certainty.

How could anyone say that they're convinced of anything to a moral certainty, even to a maybe certainty at this point, given the way these witnesses have caved?

O'BRIEN: In the case of moral certainty, in this case it's neither. Neither moral, nor certain.

Let's talk about the prosecutor here, Tom Sneddon. You've got to point the finger at him. Let's face it. He clearly has a personal beef with Michael Jackson. And that goes in both directions, doesn't it?

GREENBERG: I think he does. I think he was clear about it when he first brought these charges that he did. A prosecutor is supposed to be objective. You know, prosecutors are supposed to insulate the innocent and not bring charges that they're convinced they can't prove. Or if they think they can't prove the charges. And here he lost his objectivity a long, long time ago.

O'BRIEN: Wait a minute. Prosecutors are not paid to be objective. They're paid to take a position, aren't they?

GREENBERG: No. A prosecutor is paid to be an advocate and to prosecute those who he truly or she truly believes are guilty. And if they don't truly believe someone is guilty and they don't believe they have enough evidence to prove they're guilty, they should not bring charges.

If they think someone is guilty but they don't have the evidence, they shouldn't bring charges. It's not let's just throw darts at a wall and see what 12 people do.

Prosecutors have a very, very valuable role in the system, and they have a lot of power. And they have to use that power wisely. Sounds like Sneddon didn't.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the defense and what we might expect. And of course, the big question is will Michael Jackson put his hand on the Bible and testify? Now, Mesereau has a history of putting his clients on the stand. Do you think we'll see this happen in this case?

GREENBERG: I don't know if he's had a client like Michael Jackson. It's difficult to say...

O'BRIEN: Well, I mean, they certainly broke the mold on that one. There's no question about that.

GREENBERG: Right. But jurors' opinions of Michael Jackson may already be formed as to what he's like personally. You can rest assured that he's gone through some rigorous cross-examination, sample practice cross-examinations by other experienced defense attorneys.

But at this point, I don't know why they would have to put Michael Jackson on. A lot of the things you've heard about him are really weird. And it doesn't matter what he says. They're going to come across as weird and strange and atypical. The whole thing about the children sleeping in bed and so forth. So I don't think you'd want to get into that. What I would expect you would see...

O'BRIEN: Yes, but all that, it's -- they've already gotten into it. It's out there. And to the extent that he can paint himself as a sympathetic character, perhaps it would be to his advantage. And also, by not talking, doesn't he look more potentially guilty?

GREENBERG: Well, jurors aren't supposed to draw that inference, and a lot of jurors are very good at not doing that.

O'BRIEN: Well, they're not supposed to. So what do you think?

GREENBERG: They get instructed -- they get instructed they're not supposed to do that.

With someone like Michael Jackson it's not like putting on your normal defendant who nobody knows. Jurors know that Michael Jackson is an important person. They know he's a celebrity. They know that this decision has far reaching consequences. They're going to consider this evidence with much greater diligence than I think jurors normally would.

Not to say jurors don't always be diligent. But in this case I think they're going to be extra diligent.

I think you're going to see a lot of people come forward to say, "We were at Neverland all the time. We worked there. We visited there. We played there, and nothing ever happened."

You're going to hear kids say, "He was nothing but perfect with us."

And you're going to see witness after witness after witness, and at this point I just think the risk of calling Michael Jackson would be far too risky. I don't know why they'd want to do that.

O'BRIEN: All right. Steven Greenberg in Chicago, criminal defense attorney. Send us a bill for six minutes. We appreciate your time, counselor. Take care.

GREENBERG: Thank you, Miles.

PHILLIPS: More political maneuvering in Iraq. With the selection and approval of a nearly entire new government, the most influential post until today was filled by an interim appointee. No longer.

This is Ibrahim al Jafari, the new Iraq prime minister. He is a Shiite, the majority ethnic group in Iraq, and a long-time anti-Saddam activist. He told the new cabinet today that progress made to now assures there will be no more dictatorship in his country.

O'BRIEN: This latest political exercise, probably by coincidence, happened on the birthday of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. He turns 68 today. And like his last birthday, he will spend it inside an American run jail cell in Baghdad. Last word from his defense team was Saddam was healthy and in good spirits.

PHILLIPS: Archaeology fans, listen up. Exciting stuff from Egypt has mummy experts shaking in their pyramids. It's a remarkable find. And CNN's Ben Wedeman jumped at the chance to be one of the first people in 2,000 years to get a look at it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In most places, putting your head in the sand won't get you anywhere. Egypt is an exception.

Archaeologists have been digging at Saqqara, site of the famed stepped pyramid, for over 100 years. Until now have only just scratched the dusty surface.

Egypt's top archaeologist, Zahid Luwas (ph), shows off the latest find, an immaculate mummy dating back 2,200 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look. This is the most beautiful mummy ever found in Egypt. We just found it a few days ago.

WEDEMAN: Not a pharaoh or a minister, though someone who clearly possessed the wherewithal to go out in style.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that this is an important person because this -- I haven't seen in my -- you know I found 250 mummies in my excavations at the Valley of the Golden Mummies. I have never found a mummy like this.

WEDEMAN: The mummy is to be left intact but will undergo a CT scan, a three-dimensional X-ray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The CT scan machine will be able to go inside the mummy.

WEDEMAN (on camera): Without actually opening...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without opening anything, without touching it. Without disturbing the mummy.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Archaeology is painstaking, time-consuming work under conditions far from ideal. But despite all this and the best efforts of grave robbers over the centuries, there are still many secrets waiting to be uncovered.

(on camera) The possibility of more discoveries here is pretty good. Each one of these shafts, which number about 45, and are now full of sand and rocks, could also contain more mummies and more surprises.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Saqqara, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM, searching for an abused girl through pictures on the Internet. I'll talk to the lead investigator in the case.

Later on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm an emergency physician. I have a skill that I can give back.

PHILLIPS: Lieutenant Lisa Dewitt healing wounds in the midst of war. Back home and sharing why the stains on her boots are precious.

Also ahead, an elusive woodpecker found. No, not that one. This one, thought to be extinct before we saw these pictures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: When visiting a foreign land be careful what you say or do. A simple gesture could land you in a world of trouble.

At CNN.com/travel, a few helpful tips. If you're traveling through Asia, patting someone on the head is considered an insult. And in other countries, be careful when crossing your legs or pointing with your index finger. Both gestures can be looked at as just plain rude.

Consult your guide book, which may have a chapter on the dos and don'ts of etiquettes. Travel experts say becoming familiar with a country's customs and etiquette will give visitors a better experience when traveling abroad.

So before you pack your bags, take our online quiz. In which country is it considered faux pas to use soap or shampoo in a traditional bathtub? And how about this one? In this country cutting the point off the cheese is considered bad form. For the answers log on and find out.

And last but not least, a few words to the wise. Hello, good- bye, please and thank you. Check out this list of words that should be learned in the language of your destination.

Safe and happy travels from the dot-com desk in Atlanta. I'm Veronica del la Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, some new signs the economy may be slowing down. Should we be concerned? You bet you. Susan Lisovicz, how big a DEFCON should it be? (STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 April 28, 2005 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Investigators hope this photograph of a child they call a material witness will lead them to an exploited and abused girl. We're live with the lead investigator.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And three, two. Debbie...

SARAH DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search expands for a missing bride-to-be. I'm Sarah Dorsey. I'll have a live report from Duluth, Georgia. That's coming up.

MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: President Bush goes primetime. He's planning a news conference tonight. What would you ask him if you were there? Your questions this hour.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM, and I emphasize live, joins us right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point we still have no indication that a crime has been committed. But we are treating it as a criminal investigation as of now. Actually, as of last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the wedding is off. A criminal investigation is on. And Jennifer Wilbanks, bride-to-be from the town of Duluth, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta, is still missing.

It's been almost two days since Wilbanks went for a jog and disappeared, leaving police, her fiance and her family with absolutely nothing to go on. Making that next to nothing. We get the latest from CNN's Sarah Dorsey. She joins us live from Duluth -- Sara.

DORSEY: Well, Kyra, Duluth police have confirmed to CNN that a clump of hair was found during the search yesterday in that five-mile area around the house that Jennifer Wilbanks went jogging from.

Now, they tell us that hair has not at all been linked to Wilbanks. It is simply something that has been taken into evidence, and police caution that it could belong to anyone at this time.

Police say because, though, of the lack of leads in this case, they are expanding the search. That's new. Yesterday they had called it off. Now they say because they have learned that Jennifer was an avid jogger, a marathon runner, that it's possible she left that five- mile area around the house and ran even further.

They've decided to now bring in bloodhounds, different from the canines they had in the first day or two. These bloodhounds are supposed to be able to pick up a stronger scent if indeed there is one left. Police say this is only an effort to try to uncover some sort of evidence, some sort of clue as to where Wilbanks could be.

She, of course, is scheduled to get married on Saturday. Her family tells us she disappeared Tuesday night after taking a jog from the home she shared with her fiance. He told police that she left behind her diamond ring, her car, her car keys, her wallet, all her identification.

Police say at this time they are going to be questioning family, friends, co-workers and ex-boyfriends of Wilbanks, trying to get any information that will shed some light on this bizarre disappearance -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So are those interviews in progress? Are they taking to ex-boyfriends and other family members right now, and have they said -- any of your sources, Sarah, that they're focusing on maybe one individual more so than another?

DORSEY: Well, no, at this point they're not telling us that they're focusing on anyone specifically. I did just talk to a source of mine that said detectives, investigators of some sort, have been at Jennifer Wilbanks' job, which was in Gainesville, Georgia, talking to her co-workers there. That's what we know now right now.

Investigators here on the scene have told us, "Hey, we're going to talk to everyone, anyone that possibly has any information about this woman." But they are not giving us names or specifics at this point -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Sarah Dorsey live there from Duluth, Georgia. Thank you -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Another second-term first for President Bush. A primetime news conference on the president's calendar coinciding with the final week of a 60-day campaign to shore up Social Security. Energy also a front burner issue, if you will.

And we'll fire up our special coverage, of course: 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 Pacific. The news conference starting at the bottom of that hour.

Mr. Bush won't be taking any viewer calls, of course, but LIVE FROM would still like to hear what you have to say. What would you ask the president if you had his ear?

Would you ask him about that energy policy? Would you ask about Social Security? Would you ask about the situation in Iraq? All kinds of issues on the president's plate. And we invite you to give it your best shot, so to speak. Tell us at LiveFrom@CNN.com. We'll read as many as we can on the air and we'll make sure those questions get to our people in the room. Who knows? Maybe one of those questions will, in fact, be asked. Keep them pithy, though, please, because we have a lot to wade through.

Tonight, if not sooner, Mr. Bush will likely face a question about those judicial nominees which prompted so much wrangling on Capitol Hill. There's a little hint for some questions. A final showdown may be closer than ever.

CNN's Kimberly Osias watching from a safe distance as the food fight continues. She's in our D.C. bureau.

Hello, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, I'm sorry I can't hear you.

Well, first there were two and then there was one, judicial nominees that is, that could actually get out of committee today and on to the Senate floor.

Senators have held over President Bush's nomination of Terrence Boyle II to a later date, in part perhaps because of the acrimony surrounding the situation and the Democrats' use of filibustering to block the nominees. That's a technique used to stall for time and, hopefully, a compromise.

But maybe, just maybe one may actually get out of committee and on to the Senate floor today.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist wants to invoke the so-called nuclear option. Frist wants to change Senate rules, requiring a simple majority to confirm the judges, instead of the current 60 votes needed to overcome Democratic objections and the use of the filibuster.

The two judges being considered today are William Pryor and Terrence Boyle. William Pryor is 41 years old. He's a temporary appointment to the federal appeals court and a renomination of President Bush's. Before that, Pryor worked as an attorney in the private sector.

Terrence Boyle, whose nomination was held over today, is a chief judge in North Carolina for the U.S. eastern district. He's been a federal judge since 1984. Prior to that he held a number of jobs and at one point worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina.

President Clinton refused to renominate Boyle during his eight years in office.

And it seems, Miles, that a line in the sand certainly has been drawn over the filibuster. Democrats say that any attempt to change the Senate rules is simply unacceptable and undermines the Constitution while Republicans say that the filibuster mechanism was never intended to apply to judicial nominees.

O'BRIEN: Kimberly Osias, thank you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a new drug saving lives of women treated for breast cancer. News that it can keep the disease from coming back. We're going to have details later on LIVE FROM.

Flight of fancy, a new piece of video shot in Arkansas has scientists and bird watchers rewriting the guide books.

Also ahead on LIVE FROM, mummy dearest. Our favorite archaeologist joins us again and shows us why this mummy is like no other found in the sands of Egypt.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Part two of the "X-files" comes with a cliffhanger in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial and potentially a bombshell. Jackson's second ex-wife is back on the witness stand after a day of prosecution testimony that didn't go exactly according to script, shall we say?

CNN's Ted Rowlands is in Santa Maria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS: Debbie Rowe has been on the stand just over an hour here this morning. She has finished her direct examination, and on cross-examination she continues to seem as though she is a defense witness rather than a prosecution witness.

She has talked about Michael Jackson in glowing terms, and she has separated Michael Jackson, in essence, with her testimony, from the other co-conspirators in this case. Prosecutors were hoping that she would link Jackson directly to these co-conspirators. But she's really done the opposite, saying that in her opinion Michael Jackson was not informed about things that were going around him -- going on around him.

She called the other co-conspirators, quote, "opportunistic vultures," and she broke down a couple times on the stand when describing Michael Jackson as a kind, generous to a fault, great father, great with children.

She said there are two different Michaels: "There's my Michael and there's the Michael that everyone else sees, Michael the entertainer."

At one point when she was asked when she first went on tour with Michael, she looked at Jackson himself and tried to get him answer the question, saying, "Was it 'Bad,' was it 'History'?" Jackson nodded at one point. That was stricken from the record. But clearly she's making a connection with Michael Jackson. Jurors have given her credibility. They seem to be very intent on everything she's saying. And she is portraying Michael Jackson as a great human being and a great father, something undoubtedly prosecutors did not intend when they called her to the stand as part of their case.

She continues to be cross-examined and is expected to be on the stand for the better part of the rest of the morning.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, it just gets curiouser and curiouser, doesn't it? Yet another prosecution witness who seems to help out the defense.

Joining me from Chicago with some insights and expertise, although maybe we need a psychologist to figure this trial out, Steven Greenberg.

Steven, good to have you with us. Criminal defense attorney. I should give you the particulars.

STEVEN GREENBERG, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good afternoon, Miles.

O'BRIEN: You know, it kind of reminds me of Chris Darden telling O.J. to try on the glove. You know, there's that little rule you get in law school, never ask a question you don't know how it will be answered, right? I mean, that's important, isn't it?

GREENBERG: Absolutely. And I wonder how this happens. You know, what's happened with this witness is she threw egg in the prosecutor's face. He came out and he said, "She is going to tell you that she rehearsed these lines, that they made her say these things." And she said the opposite. So she threw egg in his face and then it sounds like from the report this morning it's now hitting him with the frying pan she cooked the egg in.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it's interesting to me, though, this trial has become such a house of mirrors, and this jury has to be just scratching their heads, because everybody is contradicting their previous statements, depositions or otherwise. You know, it could be at the end of the day they just -- the whole thing becomes a push and he's acquitted as a result.

GREENBERG: Well, I think that the case is falling apart for the prosecution. They've got these old acts which they're relying on. Ten years, nothing happens. Then all of a sudden this con artist family somehow worms their way into Michael Jackson's life and these allegations come up. So they were already coming with great baggage.

Every witness is falling apart on the stand for them, it seems like. Or almost every witness. And then they've got the reasonable doubt instruction in California, which says that you have to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, but it's defined for jurors in California. And they define it as a moral certainty.

How could anyone say that they're convinced of anything to a moral certainty, even to a maybe certainty at this point, given the way these witnesses have caved?

O'BRIEN: In the case of moral certainty, in this case it's neither. Neither moral, nor certain.

Let's talk about the prosecutor here, Tom Sneddon. You've got to point the finger at him. Let's face it. He clearly has a personal beef with Michael Jackson. And that goes in both directions, doesn't it?

GREENBERG: I think he does. I think he was clear about it when he first brought these charges that he did. A prosecutor is supposed to be objective. You know, prosecutors are supposed to insulate the innocent and not bring charges that they're convinced they can't prove. Or if they think they can't prove the charges. And here he lost his objectivity a long, long time ago.

O'BRIEN: Wait a minute. Prosecutors are not paid to be objective. They're paid to take a position, aren't they?

GREENBERG: No. A prosecutor is paid to be an advocate and to prosecute those who he truly or she truly believes are guilty. And if they don't truly believe someone is guilty and they don't believe they have enough evidence to prove they're guilty, they should not bring charges.

If they think someone is guilty but they don't have the evidence, they shouldn't bring charges. It's not let's just throw darts at a wall and see what 12 people do.

Prosecutors have a very, very valuable role in the system, and they have a lot of power. And they have to use that power wisely. Sounds like Sneddon didn't.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the defense and what we might expect. And of course, the big question is will Michael Jackson put his hand on the Bible and testify? Now, Mesereau has a history of putting his clients on the stand. Do you think we'll see this happen in this case?

GREENBERG: I don't know if he's had a client like Michael Jackson. It's difficult to say...

O'BRIEN: Well, I mean, they certainly broke the mold on that one. There's no question about that.

GREENBERG: Right. But jurors' opinions of Michael Jackson may already be formed as to what he's like personally. You can rest assured that he's gone through some rigorous cross-examination, sample practice cross-examinations by other experienced defense attorneys.

But at this point, I don't know why they would have to put Michael Jackson on. A lot of the things you've heard about him are really weird. And it doesn't matter what he says. They're going to come across as weird and strange and atypical. The whole thing about the children sleeping in bed and so forth. So I don't think you'd want to get into that. What I would expect you would see...

O'BRIEN: Yes, but all that, it's -- they've already gotten into it. It's out there. And to the extent that he can paint himself as a sympathetic character, perhaps it would be to his advantage. And also, by not talking, doesn't he look more potentially guilty?

GREENBERG: Well, jurors aren't supposed to draw that inference, and a lot of jurors are very good at not doing that.

O'BRIEN: Well, they're not supposed to. So what do you think?

GREENBERG: They get instructed -- they get instructed they're not supposed to do that.

With someone like Michael Jackson it's not like putting on your normal defendant who nobody knows. Jurors know that Michael Jackson is an important person. They know he's a celebrity. They know that this decision has far reaching consequences. They're going to consider this evidence with much greater diligence than I think jurors normally would.

Not to say jurors don't always be diligent. But in this case I think they're going to be extra diligent.

I think you're going to see a lot of people come forward to say, "We were at Neverland all the time. We worked there. We visited there. We played there, and nothing ever happened."

You're going to hear kids say, "He was nothing but perfect with us."

And you're going to see witness after witness after witness, and at this point I just think the risk of calling Michael Jackson would be far too risky. I don't know why they'd want to do that.

O'BRIEN: All right. Steven Greenberg in Chicago, criminal defense attorney. Send us a bill for six minutes. We appreciate your time, counselor. Take care.

GREENBERG: Thank you, Miles.

PHILLIPS: More political maneuvering in Iraq. With the selection and approval of a nearly entire new government, the most influential post until today was filled by an interim appointee. No longer.

This is Ibrahim al Jafari, the new Iraq prime minister. He is a Shiite, the majority ethnic group in Iraq, and a long-time anti-Saddam activist. He told the new cabinet today that progress made to now assures there will be no more dictatorship in his country.

O'BRIEN: This latest political exercise, probably by coincidence, happened on the birthday of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. He turns 68 today. And like his last birthday, he will spend it inside an American run jail cell in Baghdad. Last word from his defense team was Saddam was healthy and in good spirits.

PHILLIPS: Archaeology fans, listen up. Exciting stuff from Egypt has mummy experts shaking in their pyramids. It's a remarkable find. And CNN's Ben Wedeman jumped at the chance to be one of the first people in 2,000 years to get a look at it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In most places, putting your head in the sand won't get you anywhere. Egypt is an exception.

Archaeologists have been digging at Saqqara, site of the famed stepped pyramid, for over 100 years. Until now have only just scratched the dusty surface.

Egypt's top archaeologist, Zahid Luwas (ph), shows off the latest find, an immaculate mummy dating back 2,200 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look. This is the most beautiful mummy ever found in Egypt. We just found it a few days ago.

WEDEMAN: Not a pharaoh or a minister, though someone who clearly possessed the wherewithal to go out in style.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that this is an important person because this -- I haven't seen in my -- you know I found 250 mummies in my excavations at the Valley of the Golden Mummies. I have never found a mummy like this.

WEDEMAN: The mummy is to be left intact but will undergo a CT scan, a three-dimensional X-ray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The CT scan machine will be able to go inside the mummy.

WEDEMAN (on camera): Without actually opening...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without opening anything, without touching it. Without disturbing the mummy.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Archaeology is painstaking, time-consuming work under conditions far from ideal. But despite all this and the best efforts of grave robbers over the centuries, there are still many secrets waiting to be uncovered.

(on camera) The possibility of more discoveries here is pretty good. Each one of these shafts, which number about 45, and are now full of sand and rocks, could also contain more mummies and more surprises.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Saqqara, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM, searching for an abused girl through pictures on the Internet. I'll talk to the lead investigator in the case.

Later on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm an emergency physician. I have a skill that I can give back.

PHILLIPS: Lieutenant Lisa Dewitt healing wounds in the midst of war. Back home and sharing why the stains on her boots are precious.

Also ahead, an elusive woodpecker found. No, not that one. This one, thought to be extinct before we saw these pictures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: When visiting a foreign land be careful what you say or do. A simple gesture could land you in a world of trouble.

At CNN.com/travel, a few helpful tips. If you're traveling through Asia, patting someone on the head is considered an insult. And in other countries, be careful when crossing your legs or pointing with your index finger. Both gestures can be looked at as just plain rude.

Consult your guide book, which may have a chapter on the dos and don'ts of etiquettes. Travel experts say becoming familiar with a country's customs and etiquette will give visitors a better experience when traveling abroad.

So before you pack your bags, take our online quiz. In which country is it considered faux pas to use soap or shampoo in a traditional bathtub? And how about this one? In this country cutting the point off the cheese is considered bad form. For the answers log on and find out.

And last but not least, a few words to the wise. Hello, good- bye, please and thank you. Check out this list of words that should be learned in the language of your destination.

Safe and happy travels from the dot-com desk in Atlanta. I'm Veronica del la Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, some new signs the economy may be slowing down. Should we be concerned? You bet you. Susan Lisovicz, how big a DEFCON should it be? (STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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