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American Morning
Former Sheriff of DeKalb County Looking at Life in Prison
Aired July 11, 2002 - 08:10 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to move to Georgia now, where the former sheriff of DeKalb County is looking at life in prison. Yesterday, a jury convicted Sidney Dorsey of arranging the murder of his elected successor, Derwin Brown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We the jury find the defendant as to count one guilty -- guilty.
As to count 14, guilty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: The sheriff elect was gunned down in his driveway in December of 2000 just days before he was supposed to be sworn in. Brown had promised to clean up the corruption he said plagued the department under Dorsey.
Joining us now from Albany, Georgia, Derwin Brown's widow, Phyllis Brown, and from Atlanta, her attorney, Steven Leibel.
Welcome to you both. Thank you very much for joining us this morning.
PHYLLIS BROWN, VICTIM'S WIDOW: Thank you for having me.
ZAHN: Mrs. Brown, you were in the courtroom and we were looking at the video of you as the verdict came down. You obviously were trembling. Were you afraid that that wasn't going to be the verdict?
BROWN: I really was because I was disappointed in DeKalb County. But I guess, I mean I really can't describe why. I really can't describe it because you never know what human beings are going to do.
ZAHN: I'm just curious, even though this verdict came down this way, that Patrick Cuffy, the star witness who claimed he carried out the killing at Dorsey's request, received immunity for his testimony along with Paul Skyers. And then you've got two other men allegedly involved in the plot who were acquitted of murder charges.
Does that subtract from any victory you might want to enjoy now?
BROWN: No. No. No, because my gut reaction the night that I found Derwin in the driveway was that Sidney did it.
ZAHN: And why were you so sure of that?
BROWN: Like I said, it was just a gut reaction. It was just that initial emotion and after everything is said and done, he was the only person who had a motive to have Derwin killed.
ZAHN: And you always saw the motive as a pretty clear thing, wipe out your husband so the corruption could continue?
BROWN: I really am not sure. I think that it was probably, you know, not that the corruption could continue, but that the depth of the corruption would not be discovered.
ZAHN: We should note that the prosecutors have now said they will not seek the death penalty, which means that Mr. Dorsey could be sentenced to life. What's your reaction to that?
BROWN: At this point the only thing that I really cared about was hearing the word count one, guilty. I leave everything else up to the judge and her wisdom.
ZAHN: Describe to us how you are feeling. Is it a sense of relief? A sense of liberation? What is it?
BROWN: It's a sense basically of relief. You know, it's now I will be able to go to the cemetery and face Derwin and let him know that it's over.
ZAHN: But Mr. Leibel, this really isn't over, is it? I understand you plan to sue the county. Why is that?
STEVEN LEIBEL, BROWN'S ATTORNEY: Well, we're going to sue the county as well as the others responsible for the murder of the sheriff. The county bears great responsibility for the sheriff elect's death. For over 10 years, they were well aware of the problems in the sheriff's office, the problems in the jail, and they allowed this type of atmosphere to fester.
We think that DeKalb County also is responsible because the sheriff was a county officer, a county official and that he set a policy of killing his successor in order for him to keep office. That's a violation of the first amendment rights of people to run for office and the federal government protects people who have the right to run for office. And that's one of the bases for our lawsuit, that will be filed shortly.
ZAHN: Mrs. Brown, one of your husband's goals was to wipe out some of the corruption in the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department. Do you think this verdict in any way will help him realize that goal?
BROWN: I think it will because it puts public officials on notice that people are not just willing to sit back and allow things to continue simply because that's what happened in the past.
ZAHN: Mr. Leibel, a final thought this morning before we let the two of you go?
LEIBEL: We look forward to, we look forward to going forward in this matter because the Brown family never promised immunity to any of the actors in this case. We will go forward. We will find the people who are responsible in the civil setting where they were let go in the criminal setting. We are prepared to go forward and we will go forward.
ZAHN: Steven Leibel, thank you for your thoughts this morning. Phyllis Brown, we really appreciate your dropping by at such a traumatic time of your family's life.
BROWN: Thank you.
LEIBEL: Thank you.
ZAHN: Good luck to both of you.
LEIBEL: Thank you.
BROWN: Thank you.
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