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American Morning

Murder Trial Begins in Windshield Death Case

Aired June 24, 2003 - 07:05   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back in this country now, we want to shift our focus to this case that has provoked shock and anger, now being played out in a courtroom in Texas. Chante Mallard accused of hitting a man with her car, and then leaving him to die tangled inside of the broken windshield. Opening statements started Monday in her murder trial. Mallard could face life in prison if she is convicted.
Dave Levinthal of "The Dallas Morning News" is in that courtroom. He's with us live today from Fort Worth.

Good to have you, Dave. Good morning to you.

I understand this attorney is saying, don't get my client for murder. She may be guilty for not giving aid but not murder. How did that play out yesterday at the beginning?

DAVE LEVINTHAL, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS": Well, that's exactly the direction that the defense is going in. They're basically saying that she's had a rough life, she's a troubled woman, but that's a lot different than actually murdering a person. The prosecution, on the other hand, is saying she is a cold-blooded murderer, she hit the man, she drove to her house, he was entangled in her windshield, and she left him there to die.

HEMMER: Yes, two of her friends have essentially turned on her. One of them was on the witness stand for the greater part of yesterday. Her name is Ms. Fry (ph). What did she have to say about what happened that night and the following morning?

LEVINTHAL: Well, the prosecution would have you think that this is very incriminating evidence, and it was very graphic and very detailed. This woman, Ms. Fry (ph), was with Ms. Mallard during many of the hours before and after she hit the Mr. Biggs, the man who ultimately died. And she said that Chante Mallard, among other things, was high on Ecstasy and marijuana before she hit him. And afterwards, she tried to cover up evidence.

HEMMER: What explanation did she provide, if any, as to why the police were not called?

LEVINTHAL: Well, the defense basically is saying at this point that Ms. Mallard was -- because of her intoxication and because of being high on drugs, simply had no capacity to understand what was going on, and for lack of a better term, freaked out. She tried to call friends. She tried to do everything except seek aid.

The prosecution on the other hand is saying she had every opportunity in the world to go to police or go to a fire department and settle this immediately and possibly avoid prosecution altogether.

HEMMER: Dave, is it true, though, that at one time this witness on the stand from yesterday lied at one time?

LEVINTHAL: Yes. And the prosecution in essence cut a deal with her, so that she could avoid perjury, to testify against her former best friend, as she described her, and ultimately was put on the stand, testified against her. And it remains to be seen whether this evidence or this testimony that Ms. Fry (ph) gave will indeed be, you know, the undoing of Chante Mallard.

HEMMER: What about Chante Mallard? How did she respond yesterday and react in court?

LEVINTHAL: She was very quiet. She didn't say a word. She couldn't -- she didn't cry from all that we could tell. Pretty much had her head down the entire court case yesterday and was very somber looking.

HEMMER: Dave Levinthal, "The Dallas Morning News" in Fort Worth, thanks for talking. And, again, as this trial progresses, we'll probably talk again. Thank you today.

LEVINTHAL: Appreciate it. Thank you.

HEMMER: You got it.

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 June 24, 2003 - 07:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back in this country now, we want to shift our focus to this case that has provoked shock and anger, now being played out in a courtroom in Texas. Chante Mallard accused of hitting a man with her car, and then leaving him to die tangled inside of the broken windshield. Opening statements started Monday in her murder trial. Mallard could face life in prison if she is convicted.
Dave Levinthal of "The Dallas Morning News" is in that courtroom. He's with us live today from Fort Worth.

Good to have you, Dave. Good morning to you.

I understand this attorney is saying, don't get my client for murder. She may be guilty for not giving aid but not murder. How did that play out yesterday at the beginning?

DAVE LEVINTHAL, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS": Well, that's exactly the direction that the defense is going in. They're basically saying that she's had a rough life, she's a troubled woman, but that's a lot different than actually murdering a person. The prosecution, on the other hand, is saying she is a cold-blooded murderer, she hit the man, she drove to her house, he was entangled in her windshield, and she left him there to die.

HEMMER: Yes, two of her friends have essentially turned on her. One of them was on the witness stand for the greater part of yesterday. Her name is Ms. Fry (ph). What did she have to say about what happened that night and the following morning?

LEVINTHAL: Well, the prosecution would have you think that this is very incriminating evidence, and it was very graphic and very detailed. This woman, Ms. Fry (ph), was with Ms. Mallard during many of the hours before and after she hit the Mr. Biggs, the man who ultimately died. And she said that Chante Mallard, among other things, was high on Ecstasy and marijuana before she hit him. And afterwards, she tried to cover up evidence.

HEMMER: What explanation did she provide, if any, as to why the police were not called?

LEVINTHAL: Well, the defense basically is saying at this point that Ms. Mallard was -- because of her intoxication and because of being high on drugs, simply had no capacity to understand what was going on, and for lack of a better term, freaked out. She tried to call friends. She tried to do everything except seek aid.

The prosecution on the other hand is saying she had every opportunity in the world to go to police or go to a fire department and settle this immediately and possibly avoid prosecution altogether.

HEMMER: Dave, is it true, though, that at one time this witness on the stand from yesterday lied at one time?

LEVINTHAL: Yes. And the prosecution in essence cut a deal with her, so that she could avoid perjury, to testify against her former best friend, as she described her, and ultimately was put on the stand, testified against her. And it remains to be seen whether this evidence or this testimony that Ms. Fry (ph) gave will indeed be, you know, the undoing of Chante Mallard.

HEMMER: What about Chante Mallard? How did she respond yesterday and react in court?

LEVINTHAL: She was very quiet. She didn't say a word. She couldn't -- she didn't cry from all that we could tell. Pretty much had her head down the entire court case yesterday and was very somber looking.

HEMMER: Dave Levinthal, "The Dallas Morning News" in Fort Worth, thanks for talking. And, again, as this trial progresses, we'll probably talk again. Thank you today.

LEVINTHAL: Appreciate it. Thank you.

HEMMER: You got it.

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