Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Sniper Trials
Aired November 11, 2003 - 08:07 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: Now to the D.C. area sniper trials. The prosecution has rested its case in the trial of sniper suspect John Muhammad. Only 15 miles away, jury selection began yesterday in the trial of his alleged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, now age 18.
Jeanne Meserve is live in Chesapeake, Virginia.
What happens today in the Malvo case?
Jeanne -- good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.
As you know, the case was moved here to Chesapeake in an effort to find a jury that had not been impacted by the sniper shootings. That process continues today. Judge Rausch is hoping to qualify a pool of 28 jurors. Then the prosecution and the defense will each get six strikes, leaving a jury of 12 and four alternates in the case.
They were quizzed yesterday and will be today on questions like the kind of publicity they'd read about this case, about their attitudes towards the death penalty and juveniles, and whether they could keep an open mind to the theory that Malvo might have been brainwashed by Muhammad.
As of the close of business yesterday, seven had been qualified for that pool of 28 -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jeanne, what are we learning about defense strategy? How will they defend Lee Boyd Malvo?
MESERVE: Well, they are going to plead guilty by reason of insanity. They will mount a defense that says he was indoctrinated, that he was very much under the control of John Muhammad. Intriguingly, yesterday the defense attorneys said they would subpoena both John Muhammad and his ex-wife Mildred. Muhammad might well refuse to cooperate and plead the fifth amendment. But Mildred, they said they wanted to talk to, because they felt that she could shed some light on how Muhammad exerted control over people.
Now, the prosecutor in this case, Robert Horan, has dismissed this brainwashing defense as what he calls "the Flip Wilson strategy." That refers to the Flip Wilson character Geraldine, whose famous line was "the devil made me do it." Horan says the jury won't buy the argument. We'll see in the weeks to come.
HEMMER: And, Jeanne, quickly, in the John Muhammad case, bring you up to date with the prosecution's case from yesterday.
MESERVE: The prosecution rested its case yesterday. It put on several community impact witnesses who talked about the cost both economically and psychologically to the communities where the sniper shootings took place. There also was a motion from the defense to dismiss the case. They argued that the prosecution had not provided sufficient evidence that Muhammad pulled the trigger, that he had Malvo under his control or that these were acts of terrorism.
The judge took all of that under advisement. He's expected to make his ruling tomorrow, when that court resumed. It's in recess today because of the Veteran's Day holiday -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jeanne, thanks.
Jeanne Meserve live for us in Virginia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
y
Aired November 11, 2003 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the D.C. area sniper trials. The prosecution has rested its case in the trial of sniper suspect John Muhammad. Only 15 miles away, jury selection began yesterday in the trial of his alleged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, now age 18.
Jeanne Meserve is live in Chesapeake, Virginia.
What happens today in the Malvo case?
Jeanne -- good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.
As you know, the case was moved here to Chesapeake in an effort to find a jury that had not been impacted by the sniper shootings. That process continues today. Judge Rausch is hoping to qualify a pool of 28 jurors. Then the prosecution and the defense will each get six strikes, leaving a jury of 12 and four alternates in the case.
They were quizzed yesterday and will be today on questions like the kind of publicity they'd read about this case, about their attitudes towards the death penalty and juveniles, and whether they could keep an open mind to the theory that Malvo might have been brainwashed by Muhammad.
As of the close of business yesterday, seven had been qualified for that pool of 28 -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jeanne, what are we learning about defense strategy? How will they defend Lee Boyd Malvo?
MESERVE: Well, they are going to plead guilty by reason of insanity. They will mount a defense that says he was indoctrinated, that he was very much under the control of John Muhammad. Intriguingly, yesterday the defense attorneys said they would subpoena both John Muhammad and his ex-wife Mildred. Muhammad might well refuse to cooperate and plead the fifth amendment. But Mildred, they said they wanted to talk to, because they felt that she could shed some light on how Muhammad exerted control over people.
Now, the prosecutor in this case, Robert Horan, has dismissed this brainwashing defense as what he calls "the Flip Wilson strategy." That refers to the Flip Wilson character Geraldine, whose famous line was "the devil made me do it." Horan says the jury won't buy the argument. We'll see in the weeks to come.
HEMMER: And, Jeanne, quickly, in the John Muhammad case, bring you up to date with the prosecution's case from yesterday.
MESERVE: The prosecution rested its case yesterday. It put on several community impact witnesses who talked about the cost both economically and psychologically to the communities where the sniper shootings took place. There also was a motion from the defense to dismiss the case. They argued that the prosecution had not provided sufficient evidence that Muhammad pulled the trigger, that he had Malvo under his control or that these were acts of terrorism.
The judge took all of that under advisement. He's expected to make his ruling tomorrow, when that court resumed. It's in recess today because of the Veteran's Day holiday -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jeanne, thanks.
Jeanne Meserve live for us in Virginia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
y
