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American Morning
Interview with Amber Frey's Attorney, Gloria Allred
Aired August 11, 2004 - 07:03 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Amber Frey's expected to be on the witness stand for at least a week.
Gloria Allred is Amber Frey's attorney. She's joining us this morning, from Redwood City, California, with the Redwood City, California, with the very latest on what happened yesterday and what's to come.
Gloria, thanks for being with us.
I want to begin with this...
GLORIA ALLRED, AMBER FREY'S ATTY.: Thank you.
COLLINS: I want to begin with this, Amber Frey says, as we heard yesterday, as we heard yesterday in some of those recorded conversations, that Scott Peterson called her while he says was in Paris for New Year's Eve, said he was with a friend there -- I believe the names were Francois and Pascal. That night, though, he went to a candlelight vigil for his missing wife, Laci. Obviously, this makes him appear to be, what we've heard before, the words of a cad, and someone who's not telling the truth.
But did Amber Frey actually say anything that would implicate him as a murderer?
ALLRED: Well, absolutely, her testimony was very strong evidence for the prosecution in support of their theory that she was a motive for murder. He, for example, said that he lost his wife. These would be the first holidays without her, and that's before Laci ever went missing. Now, was that just a coincidence, or was that premeditation for the murder of Laci?
Also, Amber asked him as he, you know, sobbing and stomach is churning and he's telling her about how painful it is that he lost his wife, she asked him, are you ready for a relationship with me? And he said, absolutely. He assured her they would have future together, and it was just -- as just was pointed out in your setup piece for this, absolutely he talked about not being able to see her until the end of January, but then, in addition, she testified that he said that then he would have more time for her. Now, was that because Laci would no longer be there?
And what kind of husband calls from the vigil that is being set up for his missing, pregnant wife, and is on the phone with his woman friend, Amber, and has this ebullient, man about town, bon vi vont (ph) conversation with her, lighthearted, on New Year's Eve, where he's saying to her, I miss you, and you hi, sweetheart. And I'm at the Eiffel Tower, and I'm in Paris. Now does that sound like a grieving husband who's missing his pregnant wife? I don't think so. And I think it was totally inappropriate, and I think the jury could find from that, that perhaps he wasn't a grieving husband at all.
COLLINS: Gloria, obviously, were you in the courtroom as her attorney, but how do you think Amber Frey did on the stand? Was she nervous?
ALLRED: She was a little bit nervous. That would be natural in such a high-pressure situation. She did very, very well. She was very specific, Heidi, in her recollection of events. She gave great detail. And, of course, she was so important, because she did agree to assist law enforcement by tape-recording those telephone calls with Scott Peterson after Laci disappeared. So some of that was played yesterday. We're going to hear probably hear more calls played today. So we will hear Scott Peterson's own voice on those recorded telephone calls, and we will hear what he has to say about Amber, and the jury will be able to judge whether or not he was planning a future with Amber. And, if so, then I think they can find that he had a motive for murder.
COLLINS: Let me ask you quickly about something that one of our correspondents is actually reported Ted Rowlands out there covering this for us, that you may try to limit what the defense can ask about Amber Frey's sexual history. Is that, indeed, your plan?
ALLRED: Well, Heidi, I'm hopeful that the prosecution will seek to limit the questioning that the defense can do on cross-examination with Amber, if it would unduly interfere with her privacy rights, which are protected by the California constitution. I think what the defense should have to do is if they want to go into prior sexual history with other than the -- or subsequent sexual history, with other than the defendant, then they should go into chambers and make an offer of proof to the judge to show that what they want to inquire about is directly relevant to the defense. And if it's not directly relevant, then they should not be able to ask her questions that are oppressive, that would be meant solely to harass, that would unduly invade her privacy. They should be prohibited from that kind of questioning, because just because Scott Peterson is on trial for murder doesn't mean that she should have to sacrifice her privacy rights.
COLLINS: Gloria Allred, Amber Frey's attorney in the Scott Peterson case. Thanks so much for your time this morning, Gloria,
ALLRED: Thank you, Heidi.
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 August 11, 2004 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Amber Frey's expected to be on the witness stand for at least a week.
Gloria Allred is Amber Frey's attorney. She's joining us this morning, from Redwood City, California, with the Redwood City, California, with the very latest on what happened yesterday and what's to come.
Gloria, thanks for being with us.
I want to begin with this...
GLORIA ALLRED, AMBER FREY'S ATTY.: Thank you.
COLLINS: I want to begin with this, Amber Frey says, as we heard yesterday, as we heard yesterday in some of those recorded conversations, that Scott Peterson called her while he says was in Paris for New Year's Eve, said he was with a friend there -- I believe the names were Francois and Pascal. That night, though, he went to a candlelight vigil for his missing wife, Laci. Obviously, this makes him appear to be, what we've heard before, the words of a cad, and someone who's not telling the truth.
But did Amber Frey actually say anything that would implicate him as a murderer?
ALLRED: Well, absolutely, her testimony was very strong evidence for the prosecution in support of their theory that she was a motive for murder. He, for example, said that he lost his wife. These would be the first holidays without her, and that's before Laci ever went missing. Now, was that just a coincidence, or was that premeditation for the murder of Laci?
Also, Amber asked him as he, you know, sobbing and stomach is churning and he's telling her about how painful it is that he lost his wife, she asked him, are you ready for a relationship with me? And he said, absolutely. He assured her they would have future together, and it was just -- as just was pointed out in your setup piece for this, absolutely he talked about not being able to see her until the end of January, but then, in addition, she testified that he said that then he would have more time for her. Now, was that because Laci would no longer be there?
And what kind of husband calls from the vigil that is being set up for his missing, pregnant wife, and is on the phone with his woman friend, Amber, and has this ebullient, man about town, bon vi vont (ph) conversation with her, lighthearted, on New Year's Eve, where he's saying to her, I miss you, and you hi, sweetheart. And I'm at the Eiffel Tower, and I'm in Paris. Now does that sound like a grieving husband who's missing his pregnant wife? I don't think so. And I think it was totally inappropriate, and I think the jury could find from that, that perhaps he wasn't a grieving husband at all.
COLLINS: Gloria, obviously, were you in the courtroom as her attorney, but how do you think Amber Frey did on the stand? Was she nervous?
ALLRED: She was a little bit nervous. That would be natural in such a high-pressure situation. She did very, very well. She was very specific, Heidi, in her recollection of events. She gave great detail. And, of course, she was so important, because she did agree to assist law enforcement by tape-recording those telephone calls with Scott Peterson after Laci disappeared. So some of that was played yesterday. We're going to hear probably hear more calls played today. So we will hear Scott Peterson's own voice on those recorded telephone calls, and we will hear what he has to say about Amber, and the jury will be able to judge whether or not he was planning a future with Amber. And, if so, then I think they can find that he had a motive for murder.
COLLINS: Let me ask you quickly about something that one of our correspondents is actually reported Ted Rowlands out there covering this for us, that you may try to limit what the defense can ask about Amber Frey's sexual history. Is that, indeed, your plan?
ALLRED: Well, Heidi, I'm hopeful that the prosecution will seek to limit the questioning that the defense can do on cross-examination with Amber, if it would unduly interfere with her privacy rights, which are protected by the California constitution. I think what the defense should have to do is if they want to go into prior sexual history with other than the -- or subsequent sexual history, with other than the defendant, then they should go into chambers and make an offer of proof to the judge to show that what they want to inquire about is directly relevant to the defense. And if it's not directly relevant, then they should not be able to ask her questions that are oppressive, that would be meant solely to harass, that would unduly invade her privacy. They should be prohibited from that kind of questioning, because just because Scott Peterson is on trial for murder doesn't mean that she should have to sacrifice her privacy rights.
COLLINS: Gloria Allred, Amber Frey's attorney in the Scott Peterson case. Thanks so much for your time this morning, Gloria,
ALLRED: Thank you, Heidi.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
