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American Morning
Chante Mallard Trying to Avoid Life Sentence
Aired June 27, 2003 - 09:10 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now that she's been convicted of murder in the windshield death trial, as we have been calling it, Chante Mallard is trying to avoid a life sentence. The penalty phase of the trial resumes this morning and when it's over, the jury that decided her guilt, in short order, will decide her future.
Ed Lavandera joins us now live from Fort Worth -- hello, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Well, in an attempt to do that, Chante Mallard took the witness stand yesterday afternoon, testifying for about two hours. Defense attorneys questioned her as she described the events that led up to her killing Greg Biggs back on October 26th of 2001, and also the nagging question out there as to why she didn't call anyone to get help for Greg Biggs and instead called friends to help her figure out what to do.
And about a dozen times Chante Mallard answered that question by saying that she just didn't know, it was a haze of drinking and doing drugs that night that clouded her best judgment, although prosecutors didn't take too kindly to that excuse and they really said, hey, if you had the ability to make the decision to drive your car home, you should have had the decision -- the capability of making the decision to get help for Greg Biggs.
The most emotional part for Chante Mallard was when she took the time to apologize to Greg Biggs' son Brandon, who was sitting in the courtroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHANTE MALLARD, GUILTY OF MURDER: I have ruined lives of other people. I have ruined my family's life. I have put people through pain. And I am so truly sorry. I am so sorry, Brandon. I am so sorry for what I have caused your family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: About a dozen of Chante Mallard's family and friends also took the witness stand before her yesterday, and defense attorneys just ran through them quickly, basically asking them if they will be there for Chante Mallard when she gets out of prison to help her get back into society.
Clearly, family and friends that are expecting that Chante Mallard will at least spend some sort of time in prison. Defense attorneys haven't finished their punishment phase testimony just yet. They'll return to the courtroom here shortly this morning and then later on this afternoon presumably the jury will decide Chante Mallard's future -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ed, just a word on that testimony. Does it seem to be getting through to the jury?
LAVANDERA: Well, you know, I think for the most part this jury has just kind of sat there listening intently to what's been going on or what she was saying yesterday. So it's, you know, it's hard to get a gauge of what exactly they're thinking about her.
O'BRIEN: All right, Ed Lavandera -- we'll find out soon enough -- we appreciate it, live from Fort Worth.
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 27, 2003 - 09:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now that she's been convicted of murder in the windshield death trial, as we have been calling it, Chante Mallard is trying to avoid a life sentence. The penalty phase of the trial resumes this morning and when it's over, the jury that decided her guilt, in short order, will decide her future.
Ed Lavandera joins us now live from Fort Worth -- hello, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Well, in an attempt to do that, Chante Mallard took the witness stand yesterday afternoon, testifying for about two hours. Defense attorneys questioned her as she described the events that led up to her killing Greg Biggs back on October 26th of 2001, and also the nagging question out there as to why she didn't call anyone to get help for Greg Biggs and instead called friends to help her figure out what to do.
And about a dozen times Chante Mallard answered that question by saying that she just didn't know, it was a haze of drinking and doing drugs that night that clouded her best judgment, although prosecutors didn't take too kindly to that excuse and they really said, hey, if you had the ability to make the decision to drive your car home, you should have had the decision -- the capability of making the decision to get help for Greg Biggs.
The most emotional part for Chante Mallard was when she took the time to apologize to Greg Biggs' son Brandon, who was sitting in the courtroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHANTE MALLARD, GUILTY OF MURDER: I have ruined lives of other people. I have ruined my family's life. I have put people through pain. And I am so truly sorry. I am so sorry, Brandon. I am so sorry for what I have caused your family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: About a dozen of Chante Mallard's family and friends also took the witness stand before her yesterday, and defense attorneys just ran through them quickly, basically asking them if they will be there for Chante Mallard when she gets out of prison to help her get back into society.
Clearly, family and friends that are expecting that Chante Mallard will at least spend some sort of time in prison. Defense attorneys haven't finished their punishment phase testimony just yet. They'll return to the courtroom here shortly this morning and then later on this afternoon presumably the jury will decide Chante Mallard's future -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ed, just a word on that testimony. Does it seem to be getting through to the jury?
LAVANDERA: Well, you know, I think for the most part this jury has just kind of sat there listening intently to what's been going on or what she was saying yesterday. So it's, you know, it's hard to get a gauge of what exactly they're thinking about her.
O'BRIEN: All right, Ed Lavandera -- we'll find out soon enough -- we appreciate it, live from Fort Worth.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
