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American Morning

Analysis of Laci Peterson Case

Aired May 20, 2003 - 07:08   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.


SOPHIE CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: For more now on these developments in the Peterson case, we turn to CNN legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.
Good morning.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hi.

CHOI: So, what do you think about what Gloria Allred said, saying that the defense will likely come out and attack her client? What does she expect to be said?

TOOBIN: Well, you know, this is a woman who had an extramarital affair. She's a single mother. You can see how there might be some attacks made. But it is certainly peculiar to hold a big press conference to say you're saying nothing. I mean, only Gloria Allred, who is often in the media, would think to hold a press conference to announce that she's not saying anything at all. But there you go.

CHOI: That is peculiar, you're right. Now, why did this lady, Frey, need to hire Gloria in the first place?

TOOBIN: Well, I think it's important to say that a lot of people who did nothing wrong often hire lawyers. She's been inundated with media requests. She's obviously having to deal with law enforcement. So, it's not entirely surprising that she'd have a lawyer.

But, you know, this big announcement and sort of throwing down the gauntlet to the defense may be more of a media stunt than what was necessary.

CHOI: So, what do you think the prosecution thinks about this parade?

TOOBIN: I'm not sure they are too worried about it. The interesting -- the sort of paradox of what she is saying here that she suggests she has this incriminating evidence. Earlier, she said that in the course of her relationship with Scott Peterson, she said that he said he was single. So, what evidence would she have about what his relationship -- with plans for his wife were? That's unexplained there. We won't know until she goes public.

CHOI: Do you think that the defense will use her as part of Scott Peterson's defense?

TOOBIN: They might. I don't know. You know, this case, there is a lot more to come in this case. That's why they're looking in the San Francisco Bay. There's no physical evidence as far as we know, or almost no physical evidence. You know, even though Scott Peterson has been convicted around every water cooler in America, this is not an open-and-shut case. That's why they're still looking for evidence here.

CHOI: And so, the lack of evidence is going to be a big problem for the prosecution, you think.

TOOBIN: Maybe. I don't know. The Modesto police, against all odds and against all of our efforts, have not said what their evidence is. But it is true that as far as we know there is no cause of death been proved, no eyewitness. That's why they're looking for evidence that might somehow tie Scott Peterson to the cause of death, something in an anchor, concrete, a chain, something. But they don't have it yet. That's why they're looking in the bay.

CHOI: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, thank you for your analysis this morning.

TOOBIN: All right.

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 May 20, 2003 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIE CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: For more now on these developments in the Peterson case, we turn to CNN legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.
Good morning.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hi.

CHOI: So, what do you think about what Gloria Allred said, saying that the defense will likely come out and attack her client? What does she expect to be said?

TOOBIN: Well, you know, this is a woman who had an extramarital affair. She's a single mother. You can see how there might be some attacks made. But it is certainly peculiar to hold a big press conference to say you're saying nothing. I mean, only Gloria Allred, who is often in the media, would think to hold a press conference to announce that she's not saying anything at all. But there you go.

CHOI: That is peculiar, you're right. Now, why did this lady, Frey, need to hire Gloria in the first place?

TOOBIN: Well, I think it's important to say that a lot of people who did nothing wrong often hire lawyers. She's been inundated with media requests. She's obviously having to deal with law enforcement. So, it's not entirely surprising that she'd have a lawyer.

But, you know, this big announcement and sort of throwing down the gauntlet to the defense may be more of a media stunt than what was necessary.

CHOI: So, what do you think the prosecution thinks about this parade?

TOOBIN: I'm not sure they are too worried about it. The interesting -- the sort of paradox of what she is saying here that she suggests she has this incriminating evidence. Earlier, she said that in the course of her relationship with Scott Peterson, she said that he said he was single. So, what evidence would she have about what his relationship -- with plans for his wife were? That's unexplained there. We won't know until she goes public.

CHOI: Do you think that the defense will use her as part of Scott Peterson's defense?

TOOBIN: They might. I don't know. You know, this case, there is a lot more to come in this case. That's why they're looking in the San Francisco Bay. There's no physical evidence as far as we know, or almost no physical evidence. You know, even though Scott Peterson has been convicted around every water cooler in America, this is not an open-and-shut case. That's why they're still looking for evidence here.

CHOI: And so, the lack of evidence is going to be a big problem for the prosecution, you think.

TOOBIN: Maybe. I don't know. The Modesto police, against all odds and against all of our efforts, have not said what their evidence is. But it is true that as far as we know there is no cause of death been proved, no eyewitness. That's why they're looking for evidence that might somehow tie Scott Peterson to the cause of death, something in an anchor, concrete, a chain, something. But they don't have it yet. That's why they're looking in the bay.

CHOI: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, thank you for your analysis this morning.

TOOBIN: All right.

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