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American Morning

Two Florida Brothers Starting Their Prison Sentences

Aired November 15, 2002 - 07:34   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: Back to another story, this one out of Florida this morning. The two Florida brothers who confessed to killing their father are starting their prison sentences. One month after a judge threw out their second degree murder convictions, 14- year-old Derrick King and 13-year-old Alex King actually admitted to the killing and were spared possible life terms.
Yesterday, a Florida judge read the older brother's statement describing the crime and the involvement of a neighbor, Rick Chavis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE FRANK BELL, ESCAMBIA COUNTY FLORIDA CIRCUIT: On the night of my dad's death, Alex told me that Rick was going to come by and pick us up at midnight. Alex suggested that I kill dad. I murdered my dad with an aluminum baseball bat. I set the house on fire from my dad's bedroom. We went to the Easy Serve on the corner of Muskogee Road and called Rick, who came right away and picked us up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Derek was sentenced to eight years, Alex got seven. Chavis was cleared of the crime in a separate trial but is still being held on related charges.

So how was this deal reached and do the sentences fit the crime?

Joining us now from Pensacola, Florida, Derrick King's attorney, Sharon Potter. Also joining us this morning, the prosecutor in the case, David Rimmer.

Welcome to you both.

Miss. Potter, I want to share with our audience what your co- counsel, Dennis Corder, had to say about this deal yesterday right after it was struck.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS CORDER, DEREK'S ATTORNEY: Well, we're very happy with what happened today. We think the outcome was fair. We think that it's something that all the parties can live with. And we think that for someone who a month ago was facing first degree murder and a mandatory life sentence to be sentenced to a situation where by the time he's able to drink his first beer he's going to be out of prison is an amazingly fortunate consequence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Miss. Potter, was that kind of an unfortunate analogy to make, to this kid being out of jail by the time he's able to drink his first beer? Is that the right way to say that?

SHARON POTTER, DEREK KING'S ATTORNEY: I'm not sure. That's a tough question to answer.

ZAHN: What do you think about the appropriateness of the sentence?

POTTER: Of the sentence? I think as Mr. Corder said, as Dennis said, it was probably, we're as happy with it as we could be. I think happy is a tough word to use in this kind of a case. But I think we're satisfied we, it was the best we could work out.

ZAHN: David Rimmer, the best you could work out?

DAVID RIMMER, PROSECUTED KING BROTHERS: Well, yes, under the circumstances, and when you look at the totality of everything that happened in the case, the factors that were involved, the sympathetic appearances that the boys made. You know, my main goal was to get the truth. I wanted the truth. I finally got the truth. The sentence, although it's not as severe as I would have liked, I think it's appropriate under the circumstances, especially in light of the fact that the judge granted the new trial.

ZAHN: So you thought Terry King got justice yesterday?

RIMMER: Well, you know, justice is a relative term. I think, like I said, based on the unique aspects of this case, I think it way to settle the case and get the truth out, you know, because of all the factors involved.

ZAHN: I know, Miss. Potter, you've said you thought this was sort of the best deal that could be worked out, and yet your client's mother made it very clear she wasn't so thrilled with the outcome and almost intimated that she felt that her sons in some way were misled.

Let's listen to what she had to say yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY MARINO, MOTHER OF KING BOYS: They were told this is like a, almost like a youth camp or something, to go to with other kids, you know? They were told this is prison, it's going to be for whatever amount of years. Well, what my children probably heard was you're going to get to get out of this cell here, you know? You're going to get to go out with other kids and play and you're going to get to run out in sunshine and all this, and it's going to be fun.

That's what they're looking forward to there, you know, because they've been in a cell. They were told if they'd plead to this that, you know, they'd get to go have fun with other kids and everything else. They don't know the seriousness of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Do you think that is true, that 14-year-old Derrick King never really understood what was being signed onto here?

POTTER: If I felt that way, I would not have been in court with him yesterday to enter the plea. I think Ms. Marino, I believe she spent about 15 minutes with them the other night discussing that. I think she has no understanding at all of what her own son understands.

ZAHN: And why do you think that is?

POTTER: She abandoned them when they were, when Derrick was about five. She has had little to no contact with them and in the past year I believe she's made five jail visits and spent a total of less than five hours with them. She doesn't know her sons.

ZAHN: So what you're basically accusing her of is a false show of compassion here?

POTTER: No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying I don't believe she understands her sons.

ZAHN: Mr. Rimmer, in closing this morning, are you satisfied that these young men understood what was agreed to here?

RIMMER: Oh, yes. I, of course, have had no personal contact with them, as their attorneys did. But I'm confident that their attorneys did have enough information and enough contact with the boys to know that they did understand. There's nothing, no information that I have that indicates they did not understand what they were doing. And they did because they even admitted when they killed their dad they set the house on fire to destroy the evidence. And they took measures to avoid being caught. So they understood the crime, they understood the consequences and therefore I have no reason to believe they didn't understand what they were doing yesterday.

ZAHN: Sharon, a final question -- Miss. Potter, a final question for you. Given the very complicated circumstances surrounding this murder, who do you think is to blame for the murder of Terry King?

POTTER: I don't think that's a fair question for me to have to answer.

ZAHN: Is there a better way to phrase that?

POTTER: I think what I can tell you is I believe Terry King would be alive were it not for Ricky Chavis.

ZAHN: I think you just answered that first question.

Sharon Potter, thank you very much for your time. David, Rimmer, as well.

Best of luck to both of you. Appreciate your spending a little time with us this morning.

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 November 15, 2002 - 07:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to another story, this one out of Florida this morning. The two Florida brothers who confessed to killing their father are starting their prison sentences. One month after a judge threw out their second degree murder convictions, 14- year-old Derrick King and 13-year-old Alex King actually admitted to the killing and were spared possible life terms.
Yesterday, a Florida judge read the older brother's statement describing the crime and the involvement of a neighbor, Rick Chavis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE FRANK BELL, ESCAMBIA COUNTY FLORIDA CIRCUIT: On the night of my dad's death, Alex told me that Rick was going to come by and pick us up at midnight. Alex suggested that I kill dad. I murdered my dad with an aluminum baseball bat. I set the house on fire from my dad's bedroom. We went to the Easy Serve on the corner of Muskogee Road and called Rick, who came right away and picked us up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Derek was sentenced to eight years, Alex got seven. Chavis was cleared of the crime in a separate trial but is still being held on related charges.

So how was this deal reached and do the sentences fit the crime?

Joining us now from Pensacola, Florida, Derrick King's attorney, Sharon Potter. Also joining us this morning, the prosecutor in the case, David Rimmer.

Welcome to you both.

Miss. Potter, I want to share with our audience what your co- counsel, Dennis Corder, had to say about this deal yesterday right after it was struck.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS CORDER, DEREK'S ATTORNEY: Well, we're very happy with what happened today. We think the outcome was fair. We think that it's something that all the parties can live with. And we think that for someone who a month ago was facing first degree murder and a mandatory life sentence to be sentenced to a situation where by the time he's able to drink his first beer he's going to be out of prison is an amazingly fortunate consequence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Miss. Potter, was that kind of an unfortunate analogy to make, to this kid being out of jail by the time he's able to drink his first beer? Is that the right way to say that?

SHARON POTTER, DEREK KING'S ATTORNEY: I'm not sure. That's a tough question to answer.

ZAHN: What do you think about the appropriateness of the sentence?

POTTER: Of the sentence? I think as Mr. Corder said, as Dennis said, it was probably, we're as happy with it as we could be. I think happy is a tough word to use in this kind of a case. But I think we're satisfied we, it was the best we could work out.

ZAHN: David Rimmer, the best you could work out?

DAVID RIMMER, PROSECUTED KING BROTHERS: Well, yes, under the circumstances, and when you look at the totality of everything that happened in the case, the factors that were involved, the sympathetic appearances that the boys made. You know, my main goal was to get the truth. I wanted the truth. I finally got the truth. The sentence, although it's not as severe as I would have liked, I think it's appropriate under the circumstances, especially in light of the fact that the judge granted the new trial.

ZAHN: So you thought Terry King got justice yesterday?

RIMMER: Well, you know, justice is a relative term. I think, like I said, based on the unique aspects of this case, I think it way to settle the case and get the truth out, you know, because of all the factors involved.

ZAHN: I know, Miss. Potter, you've said you thought this was sort of the best deal that could be worked out, and yet your client's mother made it very clear she wasn't so thrilled with the outcome and almost intimated that she felt that her sons in some way were misled.

Let's listen to what she had to say yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY MARINO, MOTHER OF KING BOYS: They were told this is like a, almost like a youth camp or something, to go to with other kids, you know? They were told this is prison, it's going to be for whatever amount of years. Well, what my children probably heard was you're going to get to get out of this cell here, you know? You're going to get to go out with other kids and play and you're going to get to run out in sunshine and all this, and it's going to be fun.

That's what they're looking forward to there, you know, because they've been in a cell. They were told if they'd plead to this that, you know, they'd get to go have fun with other kids and everything else. They don't know the seriousness of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Do you think that is true, that 14-year-old Derrick King never really understood what was being signed onto here?

POTTER: If I felt that way, I would not have been in court with him yesterday to enter the plea. I think Ms. Marino, I believe she spent about 15 minutes with them the other night discussing that. I think she has no understanding at all of what her own son understands.

ZAHN: And why do you think that is?

POTTER: She abandoned them when they were, when Derrick was about five. She has had little to no contact with them and in the past year I believe she's made five jail visits and spent a total of less than five hours with them. She doesn't know her sons.

ZAHN: So what you're basically accusing her of is a false show of compassion here?

POTTER: No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying I don't believe she understands her sons.

ZAHN: Mr. Rimmer, in closing this morning, are you satisfied that these young men understood what was agreed to here?

RIMMER: Oh, yes. I, of course, have had no personal contact with them, as their attorneys did. But I'm confident that their attorneys did have enough information and enough contact with the boys to know that they did understand. There's nothing, no information that I have that indicates they did not understand what they were doing. And they did because they even admitted when they killed their dad they set the house on fire to destroy the evidence. And they took measures to avoid being caught. So they understood the crime, they understood the consequences and therefore I have no reason to believe they didn't understand what they were doing yesterday.

ZAHN: Sharon, a final question -- Miss. Potter, a final question for you. Given the very complicated circumstances surrounding this murder, who do you think is to blame for the murder of Terry King?

POTTER: I don't think that's a fair question for me to have to answer.

ZAHN: Is there a better way to phrase that?

POTTER: I think what I can tell you is I believe Terry King would be alive were it not for Ricky Chavis.

ZAHN: I think you just answered that first question.

Sharon Potter, thank you very much for your time. David, Rimmer, as well.

Best of luck to both of you. Appreciate your spending a little time with us this morning.

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