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American Morning

Michael Jackson a Free Man This Morning; First Men Arrested in Natalee Holloway Case Now Going Free

Aired June 14, 2005 - 07:00   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: I'm Bill Hemmer. Michael Jackson a free man this morning, acquitted on all 10 counts, but jurors still questioning his behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Jackson probably has molested boys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: So why then did the jury find him not guilty. Inside the Jackson verdict this morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Soledad O'Brien. A developing story overnight in Iraq. A devastating attack. A suicide bomber wearing explosives kills 19 people, injured more than 80 others. We're live in Baghdad ahead.

Also, the emotional scene in Aruba. The first men arrested in the Natalee Holloway case now going free. And reaction from the missing girl's mother. She is our guest on this AMERICAN MORNING.

HEMMER: 7:00 on a Tuesday morning. Good morning to you.

A few people talking about this Michael Jackson verdict from yesterday, talking about it this morning.

O'BRIEN: Yes, they are. You know, you could have a heard a pin drop in the courtroom before the verdict, and of course today everybody is still talking about what happened. It was an amazing scene on Monday, and it's going to be very busy at the Neverland Ranch today.

HEMMER: That it will. In fact, that's where we start this morning. Michael Jackson wakes up a free man this morning. The jury in his trial acquitted him of all wrongdoing yesterday. Now we've yet to hear from Jackson. That may happen in some form today.

Chris Lawrence starts our coverage live outside the Neverland Ranch.

Chris, good morning to you. What is the latest from there that you're hearing?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Well, Michael Jackson's got to be relieved. He spent the night here at home resting with his family, and now he's got to move on. He's got to rebuild his life and his image.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): After almost four months on trial, Michael Jackson leaves court physically and financially weaker, but he goes home a free man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's famous. We don't really convict famous people. He's Michael Jackson. He sang "Beat It." I mean, come on.

LAWRENCE: The jury's verdict left no doubt to the 10 counts against him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We the just in the above-entitled case find the defendant not guilty of a lewd act performed on a minor child.

(CHEERING)

LAWRENCE: Conspiracy, not guilty. Molesting a child, not guilty. Giving alcohol to a minor, not guilty.

JUROR NUMBER 10: We expected probably better evidence, you know, something that was a little more convincing, and it just wasn't there.

LAWRENCE: Jurors said they questioned the credibility of the accuser and his mother, because she let her son spend so much time in Jackson's bedroom.

JUROR NUMBER 10: What mother in her right mind would allow that to happen or, you know, just freely volunteer your child, you know, to sleep with someone.

LAWRENCE: Prosecutors say they're disappointed, but won't apologize for bringing the case.

THOMAS SNEDDON, PROSECUTOR: We don't select our victims, and we don't select the families they come from.

LAWRENCE: One of the jurors told CNN he can't believe Jackson slept in the same bedroom with children for so many days without anything happening.

RAYMOND HULTMAN, JUROR NUMBER ONE: I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys. I cannot believe that, after some of the testimony was offered, I can't believe that this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn. I mean, that doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case, and that's where we had to make our decision.

LAWRENCE: And with that decision final, defense attorney Tom Mesereau left court quickly.

THOMAS MESEREAU, DEFENSE ATTY: Justice was done. The man's innocent. He always was.

LAWRENCE: Having convinced the jury that Jackson did nothing wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: And several of the jurors made a point to say they were really put off by the accuser's mother, specifically how she talked directly to them, and kept snapping her fingers to make a point.

HEMMER: Chris, do you expect the family to go public in any form today?

LAWRENCE: Well, you know, about a week ago, we spoke privately with Jermaine Jackson. He said not matter if Michael Jackson was acquitted, he expected his brother to become a recluse and feel that he couldn't trust people. We'll have to see if that was maybe said in the heat moment, and now that Michael Jackson has been acquitted, perhaps that will change, and he will come out to make a public statement.

And we'll watch that Web site, too, throughout the day.

Chris, thanks. Chris Lawrence at the Neverland Ranch in California.

In a few moments here, we'll also check in with CNN's senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin. Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner. She's back with us in California. She's been inside that trial everyday. And then in our next half hour talk with Jackson juror number one, Raymond Hultman, and a bit later in our broadcast, we'll talk with Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau.

O'BRIEN: Well, two men were released from custody last night in Aruba. They were the first suspects named in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Three other men are still being held. Abraham Jones talked to CNN just after he was released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Were you surprised when you heard the news tonight you would be going on?

ABRAHAM JONES, RELEASED SUSPECT: Not really. I know I had a good lawyer, and I was telling the truth and I'm innocent. So it didn't come as much of a surprise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba lies just off of Venezuela.

John Zarrella is live in Palm Beach, Aruba this morning.

John, good morning to you. What exactly happened. Why were the two security guards released?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, there had been mounting pressure for days and days now to release these two men. There never apparently was any real evidence to hold them. Even Natalee Holloway's family had insisted publicly that it was time to let them go. There was supposed to be a hearing today to discuss their release. Well, that hearing wasn't necessary. The two men were released late last night. They had originally been fingered by the two Surinamese youths and the Dutch boy who are now in custody, being held for questioning. They had fingered the two security guards.

Now one of the two security guards told CNN last night upon his release that while he was in jail, he was in jail with at least one of the Surinamese brothers, and that Surinamese brother admitted to him, the security guard, that in fact they had lied.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICKEY JOHN, RELEASED SUSPECT: He told me he's sorry, because he's telling a lie. I'm into that mess.

QUESTION: But he's innocent? He told you he's innocent?

JOHN: He told me he's innocent because he dropped the Dutch guy with the missing girl close to the Marriott.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: So the Surinamese youths are at least according to the security guard, saying -- pointing the finger at the Dutch teenager, saying they dropped him and Natalee Holloway off at a hotel not too far from the Marriott Hotel here. So at this point, Soledad, remains confusing, at best, as to what happened, and as far as searches go, they are still continuing, the family is still continuing to search for Natalee Holloway, saying they will continue until they're satisfied that every stone has been turned here on the island -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Yes, confusing is probably unfortunately a very good word to use here.

John Zarrella for us, updating us this morning.

We should mention that we're going to be talking to Natalee Holloway's mother. She is still on the island, still searching for her daughter. That's just ahead this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: Now seven minutes past the hour. From Iraq this morning, two dozen people have been killed in different insurgent attacks there. The attacks were in Baqubah and Kirkuk. Both cities north of Baghdad. A suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up, killing at least 19 in Kirkuk. Eighty-nine other injured, most of them waiting outside a bank for their paycheck. A car bomb and a mortar attack appeared to be coordinated in Baqubah. A police station the target there. Five people dead, four wounded in that town. And for the first time in nearly a year, Saddam Hussein has been seen in court. A silent videotape, no audio, a silent videotape released on Monday. To Baghdad now and Jennifer Eccleston.

Jennifer, how much more can we learn through this videotape about what the former dictator is doing today?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we learned is that the Iraqi tribunal is continuing its investigation of the former president, Saddam Hussein, and that it is an ongoing process. We also can glean from those attacks you mentioned earlier that many of the insurgents responsible for these types of vicious attacks across the country are believed to be loyalists to the former president, Saddam Hussein, who just yesterday, as you said, we saw for only the second time in almost a year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ECCLESTON (voice-over): Who is right about what this new video of Saddam Hussein tells us? Does the former Iraqi dictator look relaxed and confident, as one observer wrote, or does it show a man who appears a shadow of his former self, as another wrote?

There does seem to be agreement on one aspect of his appearance. When you examine the last video we saw of him nearly a year ago last July, and put that side by side with these latest pictures, on the right, there's a difference in the face. He now has heavy bags under his eyes. Back then, he seemed tan. He looked physically fit, healthy. So healthy many Iraqis said he looked too good, perhaps living a better life than they were.

His demeanor was at times combative, feisty, often referring to himself as the current president of Iraq. Is he still combative? Hard to know, since this time, the audio was not released, although one lip-reader detected the judge saying, "Answer the question, answer the question."

And speaking of the judge, Rod Juhi (ph) is no longer making any effort to protect his identity. In last July's video, we only caught glimpses of him, but pictures of his face got out. Anyone in Iraq determined to harm him knows who he is. But Judge Juhi is open about his identity for another reason. "There is something very good," he was quoted last summer, "in Iraqis being able to see that Saddam has to face the authority of the judge of an ordinary man like me."

And so from his days in power to the moments after his capture 18 months ago, to his first court appearance last July, to this latest videotaped appearance, Iraqis and the world await the next phase, the beginning of the actual trial. And that is still a mystery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ECCLESTON: Many Iraqi legislators expressed an interest, Bill, in starting a trial soon. They hope a speedy trial would shore up public faith in Iraq's new political order, while dealing a psychological blow to the insurgency -- Bill. HEMMER: Next hour we'll talk to one of the attorneys for Saddam Hussein, Jennifer Eccleston this hour in Baghdad. Thanks -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, some people had to spent the night in shelters after a DC-3 Plane crash-landed on Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The plane narrowly missed a busy intersection as it came on a residential street. You'll see some of the damage there. The copilot says engine trouble forced the pilots to land the World War II-era cargo plane among several homes and buildings. Three people on board, and two more on the street were injured. Nobody, though, was killed.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Back to the verdict in Michael Jackson's case in a moment. A look at where the prosecution went wrong and why the jurors had such a strong reaction to the accuser's mother when she was on the stand.

O'BRIEN: Also juror number one says he still thinks Jackson probably has molested boys. We're going to ask him why he decided the singer wasn't guilty in this case.

HEMMER: Also the next big problem facing Jackson is the issue of money. Could a comeback in Vegas be the answer for him? That's ahead this hour. Back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RODRIGUEZ, JACKSON JURY FOREMAN: We just couldn't buy the story of the mother for one, and the corresponding stories of the children. They were too much like the mother's. Although, you know, it's almost like they rehearsed it in so many ways, and anyway, some of the timelines weren't matching up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: There you have it. That was the jury foreman in the Michael Jackson case with some of the reasons why the jury found Michael Jackson not guilty. Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner in Santa Maria, California this morning. She was in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

Good morning.

ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY.: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: And CNN senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin, a former U.S. prosecutor. He's in Washington D.C. this morning. It's nice to see you both. Good morning to you as well.

Anne, let's begin with you. You could have heard a pin drop in that room right before the verdict came down. How was it?

BREMNER: Well, I think there's a kind of hush, you know, when this whole case started and Michael Jackson came into the courtroom, and that's the way this case ended. We had so many people outside, it was just zany, and everyone had such anticipation for these verdicts. When we knew there were verdicts, we knew it wasn't a mistrial or hung jury, but there was speculation on both sides, would it be a guilty, would it be a not guilty? And, frankly, either verdict would have been rationally based on the evidence in this case. So it was a cliffhanger to the end.

O'BRIEN: Yes, Jeff, in fact, one of the jurors said that this was not a slam dunk in any way, shape or form. Are you surprised by the verdict at the end of the day, Jeff?

TOOBIN: Well, I would say I was surprised, but not shocked. I certainly wasn't surprised that Jackson was acquitted of count one, which was the conspiracy count, which was a terrible albatross, a terrible decision to bring that charge by the prosecution. As for the molestation count, you know, I thought it was weak all along, but when I watched the summations a week and a half ago, you know, I thought prosecutor Ron Zonin really did a very good job of tying the accusation in this case to the prior allegations of abuse. But the jury simply didn't believe the accuser and the accuser's family.

O'BRIEN: Yes, speaking of the accuser's family, the mother, according to jurors, really was a big problem.

Let's listen to what some of the jurors had to say about her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUROR NUMBER 10: What mother, in her right mind, would allow that to happen? You know, just freely volunteer your child, you know, to sleep with someone? And not just so much Michael Jackson, but any person, for that matter.

JUROR NUMBER 4: A lot of the witnesses looked over at us from time to time, but then they'd look back, but she didn't take her eyes off of us, so that was a very uncomfortable feeling.

JUROR NUMBER 5: I disliked it intensely when she snapped her fingers at us. That's when I thought, don't snap your fingers at me, lady.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Jeff, could you have done the case without the mother?

TOOBIN: Absolutely. If you had tried this case as a straightforward child-molestation case, you wouldn't have needed more than the accuser, the boy, his brother, who saw some of the acts, and that's it. The mother, not only was the conspiracy count simply false, I mean, I really don't believe Jackson was involved in a conspiracy based on the evidence I saw, but it dragged down the other counts as well, because it allowed the prosecution -- the defense to say, look at this woman, look at how she made all these false allegations in the past against J.C. Penney, against her ex-husband. She's doing the same thing again here. They could have done it without the mother, and they certainly should have.

O'BRIEN: And did you hear what juror number one to say about Michael Jackson and what he believed about him? this is Raymond Hultman. Let's listen to what he says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HULTMAN: I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys. I cannot believe that, after some of the testimony was offered, I can't believe that this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn. I mean, that doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case. And that's where we had to make our decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: In light of the fact that they found him not guilty, it's pretty surprising, I think, or shocking thing to say. Do the other jurors agree with his sentiments, Anne?

BREMNER: There was some agreement, I think from the foreperson, but he didn't express it outright like juror number one did. And you know, Soledad, we've talked about through this whole trial how many misfires there were with witnesses in the twilight zone of this Michael Jackson case, including the mother. And you know, I did the international pool briefings out here as a legal analyst. And I said, I don't want to say I told you so, but I said before she testified, she should not be called as a witness, and let the conspiracy go.

Finally, where there's smoke there's fire, that's what these jurors are saying, at least number one, and potentially number two. But the fire wasn't there. They said he's probably a pedophile, probably a molester, but they couldn't find that beyond a reasonable doubt, because they didn't believe this family and the mother beyond a reasonable doubt.

TOOBIN: You know, Soledad, there was a civics lesson for cynics like me who think that jurors don't really follow jury instructions. This is what the jury -- the judge told them to do, and said, you know, don't judge him by the other allegations. Judge him by what's the charge in this case, and that's apparently what this jury did, and in that respect, it was kind of inspiring.

O'BRIEN: Civic lessons and many other lessons, I think it's fair to say, were learned as well on both sides there.

Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner in Santa Maria, and CNN senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin joining us this morning.

Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

TOOBIN: So long, Soledad.

BREMNER: Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: Now that the trial is over, Michael Jackson is free to tackle his next big problem, cash flow. A look at what Jackson must do to avoid a financial crisis. That's next after a break on a Tuesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. GM workers getting ready for major health cutbacks. That story breaking in Detroit this morning.

Also early check of Wall Street with Gerri Willis working for Andy Serwer today, "Minding Your Business."

Good morning, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Good to see you.

GM, tough news for union workers there. They're giving the UAW until the end of the month to deliver concessions on health care costs. You know, this company is reeling. It lost over a billion dollars in the first quarter alone. They're debt has been downgraded to junk. And now they're telling workers they're going to have to pony up some money.

Another big story, obviously, with GM this week, is the 25,000 job cuts that the company has already announced to be taken by 2008.

Look at some of these numbers. Their health care costs for 2005, some $5.6 billion. Look at that per vehicle, some $1,500. The company, Bill, saying that they want to deliver concessions that would require hourly workers to pay as much as salaried workers for their health care.

HEMMER: So the employees are going to have to pay more to get the same benefits, the same health care coverage. Has the company said how much they can save if they go this route?

WILLIS: Well, apparently billions and billions of dollars over time. You know the big story with a lot of the companies, aging workforces; the companies are having to pay more and more money to sponsor those benefits.

HEMMER: That's remarkable. We'll follow that from Detroit.

What's happening with the markets today, Gerri?

WILLIS: Looks like the markets could trade higher here. Oil prices are looking better this morning. As you can see, the stock market did pretty good yesterday, so we'll see if it can follow on.

HEMMER: Green arrows, just slightly, but still green arrows.

Thank you, Gerri. Good to see you. Gerri Willis here for Andy -- Soledad. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Michael Jackson acquitted on all 10 counts, but there's one juror who says he still thinks Jackson probably has molested boys before. Juror number one is our guest up live, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 14, 2005 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Bill Hemmer. Michael Jackson a free man this morning, acquitted on all 10 counts, but jurors still questioning his behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Jackson probably has molested boys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: So why then did the jury find him not guilty. Inside the Jackson verdict this morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Soledad O'Brien. A developing story overnight in Iraq. A devastating attack. A suicide bomber wearing explosives kills 19 people, injured more than 80 others. We're live in Baghdad ahead.

Also, the emotional scene in Aruba. The first men arrested in the Natalee Holloway case now going free. And reaction from the missing girl's mother. She is our guest on this AMERICAN MORNING.

HEMMER: 7:00 on a Tuesday morning. Good morning to you.

A few people talking about this Michael Jackson verdict from yesterday, talking about it this morning.

O'BRIEN: Yes, they are. You know, you could have a heard a pin drop in the courtroom before the verdict, and of course today everybody is still talking about what happened. It was an amazing scene on Monday, and it's going to be very busy at the Neverland Ranch today.

HEMMER: That it will. In fact, that's where we start this morning. Michael Jackson wakes up a free man this morning. The jury in his trial acquitted him of all wrongdoing yesterday. Now we've yet to hear from Jackson. That may happen in some form today.

Chris Lawrence starts our coverage live outside the Neverland Ranch.

Chris, good morning to you. What is the latest from there that you're hearing?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Well, Michael Jackson's got to be relieved. He spent the night here at home resting with his family, and now he's got to move on. He's got to rebuild his life and his image.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): After almost four months on trial, Michael Jackson leaves court physically and financially weaker, but he goes home a free man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's famous. We don't really convict famous people. He's Michael Jackson. He sang "Beat It." I mean, come on.

LAWRENCE: The jury's verdict left no doubt to the 10 counts against him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We the just in the above-entitled case find the defendant not guilty of a lewd act performed on a minor child.

(CHEERING)

LAWRENCE: Conspiracy, not guilty. Molesting a child, not guilty. Giving alcohol to a minor, not guilty.

JUROR NUMBER 10: We expected probably better evidence, you know, something that was a little more convincing, and it just wasn't there.

LAWRENCE: Jurors said they questioned the credibility of the accuser and his mother, because she let her son spend so much time in Jackson's bedroom.

JUROR NUMBER 10: What mother in her right mind would allow that to happen or, you know, just freely volunteer your child, you know, to sleep with someone.

LAWRENCE: Prosecutors say they're disappointed, but won't apologize for bringing the case.

THOMAS SNEDDON, PROSECUTOR: We don't select our victims, and we don't select the families they come from.

LAWRENCE: One of the jurors told CNN he can't believe Jackson slept in the same bedroom with children for so many days without anything happening.

RAYMOND HULTMAN, JUROR NUMBER ONE: I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys. I cannot believe that, after some of the testimony was offered, I can't believe that this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn. I mean, that doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case, and that's where we had to make our decision.

LAWRENCE: And with that decision final, defense attorney Tom Mesereau left court quickly.

THOMAS MESEREAU, DEFENSE ATTY: Justice was done. The man's innocent. He always was.

LAWRENCE: Having convinced the jury that Jackson did nothing wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: And several of the jurors made a point to say they were really put off by the accuser's mother, specifically how she talked directly to them, and kept snapping her fingers to make a point.

HEMMER: Chris, do you expect the family to go public in any form today?

LAWRENCE: Well, you know, about a week ago, we spoke privately with Jermaine Jackson. He said not matter if Michael Jackson was acquitted, he expected his brother to become a recluse and feel that he couldn't trust people. We'll have to see if that was maybe said in the heat moment, and now that Michael Jackson has been acquitted, perhaps that will change, and he will come out to make a public statement.

And we'll watch that Web site, too, throughout the day.

Chris, thanks. Chris Lawrence at the Neverland Ranch in California.

In a few moments here, we'll also check in with CNN's senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin. Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner. She's back with us in California. She's been inside that trial everyday. And then in our next half hour talk with Jackson juror number one, Raymond Hultman, and a bit later in our broadcast, we'll talk with Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau.

O'BRIEN: Well, two men were released from custody last night in Aruba. They were the first suspects named in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Three other men are still being held. Abraham Jones talked to CNN just after he was released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Were you surprised when you heard the news tonight you would be going on?

ABRAHAM JONES, RELEASED SUSPECT: Not really. I know I had a good lawyer, and I was telling the truth and I'm innocent. So it didn't come as much of a surprise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba lies just off of Venezuela.

John Zarrella is live in Palm Beach, Aruba this morning.

John, good morning to you. What exactly happened. Why were the two security guards released?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, there had been mounting pressure for days and days now to release these two men. There never apparently was any real evidence to hold them. Even Natalee Holloway's family had insisted publicly that it was time to let them go. There was supposed to be a hearing today to discuss their release. Well, that hearing wasn't necessary. The two men were released late last night. They had originally been fingered by the two Surinamese youths and the Dutch boy who are now in custody, being held for questioning. They had fingered the two security guards.

Now one of the two security guards told CNN last night upon his release that while he was in jail, he was in jail with at least one of the Surinamese brothers, and that Surinamese brother admitted to him, the security guard, that in fact they had lied.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICKEY JOHN, RELEASED SUSPECT: He told me he's sorry, because he's telling a lie. I'm into that mess.

QUESTION: But he's innocent? He told you he's innocent?

JOHN: He told me he's innocent because he dropped the Dutch guy with the missing girl close to the Marriott.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: So the Surinamese youths are at least according to the security guard, saying -- pointing the finger at the Dutch teenager, saying they dropped him and Natalee Holloway off at a hotel not too far from the Marriott Hotel here. So at this point, Soledad, remains confusing, at best, as to what happened, and as far as searches go, they are still continuing, the family is still continuing to search for Natalee Holloway, saying they will continue until they're satisfied that every stone has been turned here on the island -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Yes, confusing is probably unfortunately a very good word to use here.

John Zarrella for us, updating us this morning.

We should mention that we're going to be talking to Natalee Holloway's mother. She is still on the island, still searching for her daughter. That's just ahead this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: Now seven minutes past the hour. From Iraq this morning, two dozen people have been killed in different insurgent attacks there. The attacks were in Baqubah and Kirkuk. Both cities north of Baghdad. A suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up, killing at least 19 in Kirkuk. Eighty-nine other injured, most of them waiting outside a bank for their paycheck. A car bomb and a mortar attack appeared to be coordinated in Baqubah. A police station the target there. Five people dead, four wounded in that town. And for the first time in nearly a year, Saddam Hussein has been seen in court. A silent videotape, no audio, a silent videotape released on Monday. To Baghdad now and Jennifer Eccleston.

Jennifer, how much more can we learn through this videotape about what the former dictator is doing today?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we learned is that the Iraqi tribunal is continuing its investigation of the former president, Saddam Hussein, and that it is an ongoing process. We also can glean from those attacks you mentioned earlier that many of the insurgents responsible for these types of vicious attacks across the country are believed to be loyalists to the former president, Saddam Hussein, who just yesterday, as you said, we saw for only the second time in almost a year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ECCLESTON (voice-over): Who is right about what this new video of Saddam Hussein tells us? Does the former Iraqi dictator look relaxed and confident, as one observer wrote, or does it show a man who appears a shadow of his former self, as another wrote?

There does seem to be agreement on one aspect of his appearance. When you examine the last video we saw of him nearly a year ago last July, and put that side by side with these latest pictures, on the right, there's a difference in the face. He now has heavy bags under his eyes. Back then, he seemed tan. He looked physically fit, healthy. So healthy many Iraqis said he looked too good, perhaps living a better life than they were.

His demeanor was at times combative, feisty, often referring to himself as the current president of Iraq. Is he still combative? Hard to know, since this time, the audio was not released, although one lip-reader detected the judge saying, "Answer the question, answer the question."

And speaking of the judge, Rod Juhi (ph) is no longer making any effort to protect his identity. In last July's video, we only caught glimpses of him, but pictures of his face got out. Anyone in Iraq determined to harm him knows who he is. But Judge Juhi is open about his identity for another reason. "There is something very good," he was quoted last summer, "in Iraqis being able to see that Saddam has to face the authority of the judge of an ordinary man like me."

And so from his days in power to the moments after his capture 18 months ago, to his first court appearance last July, to this latest videotaped appearance, Iraqis and the world await the next phase, the beginning of the actual trial. And that is still a mystery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ECCLESTON: Many Iraqi legislators expressed an interest, Bill, in starting a trial soon. They hope a speedy trial would shore up public faith in Iraq's new political order, while dealing a psychological blow to the insurgency -- Bill. HEMMER: Next hour we'll talk to one of the attorneys for Saddam Hussein, Jennifer Eccleston this hour in Baghdad. Thanks -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, some people had to spent the night in shelters after a DC-3 Plane crash-landed on Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The plane narrowly missed a busy intersection as it came on a residential street. You'll see some of the damage there. The copilot says engine trouble forced the pilots to land the World War II-era cargo plane among several homes and buildings. Three people on board, and two more on the street were injured. Nobody, though, was killed.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Back to the verdict in Michael Jackson's case in a moment. A look at where the prosecution went wrong and why the jurors had such a strong reaction to the accuser's mother when she was on the stand.

O'BRIEN: Also juror number one says he still thinks Jackson probably has molested boys. We're going to ask him why he decided the singer wasn't guilty in this case.

HEMMER: Also the next big problem facing Jackson is the issue of money. Could a comeback in Vegas be the answer for him? That's ahead this hour. Back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RODRIGUEZ, JACKSON JURY FOREMAN: We just couldn't buy the story of the mother for one, and the corresponding stories of the children. They were too much like the mother's. Although, you know, it's almost like they rehearsed it in so many ways, and anyway, some of the timelines weren't matching up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: There you have it. That was the jury foreman in the Michael Jackson case with some of the reasons why the jury found Michael Jackson not guilty. Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner in Santa Maria, California this morning. She was in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

Good morning.

ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY.: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: And CNN senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin, a former U.S. prosecutor. He's in Washington D.C. this morning. It's nice to see you both. Good morning to you as well.

Anne, let's begin with you. You could have heard a pin drop in that room right before the verdict came down. How was it?

BREMNER: Well, I think there's a kind of hush, you know, when this whole case started and Michael Jackson came into the courtroom, and that's the way this case ended. We had so many people outside, it was just zany, and everyone had such anticipation for these verdicts. When we knew there were verdicts, we knew it wasn't a mistrial or hung jury, but there was speculation on both sides, would it be a guilty, would it be a not guilty? And, frankly, either verdict would have been rationally based on the evidence in this case. So it was a cliffhanger to the end.

O'BRIEN: Yes, Jeff, in fact, one of the jurors said that this was not a slam dunk in any way, shape or form. Are you surprised by the verdict at the end of the day, Jeff?

TOOBIN: Well, I would say I was surprised, but not shocked. I certainly wasn't surprised that Jackson was acquitted of count one, which was the conspiracy count, which was a terrible albatross, a terrible decision to bring that charge by the prosecution. As for the molestation count, you know, I thought it was weak all along, but when I watched the summations a week and a half ago, you know, I thought prosecutor Ron Zonin really did a very good job of tying the accusation in this case to the prior allegations of abuse. But the jury simply didn't believe the accuser and the accuser's family.

O'BRIEN: Yes, speaking of the accuser's family, the mother, according to jurors, really was a big problem.

Let's listen to what some of the jurors had to say about her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUROR NUMBER 10: What mother, in her right mind, would allow that to happen? You know, just freely volunteer your child, you know, to sleep with someone? And not just so much Michael Jackson, but any person, for that matter.

JUROR NUMBER 4: A lot of the witnesses looked over at us from time to time, but then they'd look back, but she didn't take her eyes off of us, so that was a very uncomfortable feeling.

JUROR NUMBER 5: I disliked it intensely when she snapped her fingers at us. That's when I thought, don't snap your fingers at me, lady.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Jeff, could you have done the case without the mother?

TOOBIN: Absolutely. If you had tried this case as a straightforward child-molestation case, you wouldn't have needed more than the accuser, the boy, his brother, who saw some of the acts, and that's it. The mother, not only was the conspiracy count simply false, I mean, I really don't believe Jackson was involved in a conspiracy based on the evidence I saw, but it dragged down the other counts as well, because it allowed the prosecution -- the defense to say, look at this woman, look at how she made all these false allegations in the past against J.C. Penney, against her ex-husband. She's doing the same thing again here. They could have done it without the mother, and they certainly should have.

O'BRIEN: And did you hear what juror number one to say about Michael Jackson and what he believed about him? this is Raymond Hultman. Let's listen to what he says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HULTMAN: I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys. I cannot believe that, after some of the testimony was offered, I can't believe that this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn. I mean, that doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case. And that's where we had to make our decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: In light of the fact that they found him not guilty, it's pretty surprising, I think, or shocking thing to say. Do the other jurors agree with his sentiments, Anne?

BREMNER: There was some agreement, I think from the foreperson, but he didn't express it outright like juror number one did. And you know, Soledad, we've talked about through this whole trial how many misfires there were with witnesses in the twilight zone of this Michael Jackson case, including the mother. And you know, I did the international pool briefings out here as a legal analyst. And I said, I don't want to say I told you so, but I said before she testified, she should not be called as a witness, and let the conspiracy go.

Finally, where there's smoke there's fire, that's what these jurors are saying, at least number one, and potentially number two. But the fire wasn't there. They said he's probably a pedophile, probably a molester, but they couldn't find that beyond a reasonable doubt, because they didn't believe this family and the mother beyond a reasonable doubt.

TOOBIN: You know, Soledad, there was a civics lesson for cynics like me who think that jurors don't really follow jury instructions. This is what the jury -- the judge told them to do, and said, you know, don't judge him by the other allegations. Judge him by what's the charge in this case, and that's apparently what this jury did, and in that respect, it was kind of inspiring.

O'BRIEN: Civic lessons and many other lessons, I think it's fair to say, were learned as well on both sides there.

Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner in Santa Maria, and CNN senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin joining us this morning.

Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

TOOBIN: So long, Soledad.

BREMNER: Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: Now that the trial is over, Michael Jackson is free to tackle his next big problem, cash flow. A look at what Jackson must do to avoid a financial crisis. That's next after a break on a Tuesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. GM workers getting ready for major health cutbacks. That story breaking in Detroit this morning.

Also early check of Wall Street with Gerri Willis working for Andy Serwer today, "Minding Your Business."

Good morning, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Good to see you.

GM, tough news for union workers there. They're giving the UAW until the end of the month to deliver concessions on health care costs. You know, this company is reeling. It lost over a billion dollars in the first quarter alone. They're debt has been downgraded to junk. And now they're telling workers they're going to have to pony up some money.

Another big story, obviously, with GM this week, is the 25,000 job cuts that the company has already announced to be taken by 2008.

Look at some of these numbers. Their health care costs for 2005, some $5.6 billion. Look at that per vehicle, some $1,500. The company, Bill, saying that they want to deliver concessions that would require hourly workers to pay as much as salaried workers for their health care.

HEMMER: So the employees are going to have to pay more to get the same benefits, the same health care coverage. Has the company said how much they can save if they go this route?

WILLIS: Well, apparently billions and billions of dollars over time. You know the big story with a lot of the companies, aging workforces; the companies are having to pay more and more money to sponsor those benefits.

HEMMER: That's remarkable. We'll follow that from Detroit.

What's happening with the markets today, Gerri?

WILLIS: Looks like the markets could trade higher here. Oil prices are looking better this morning. As you can see, the stock market did pretty good yesterday, so we'll see if it can follow on.

HEMMER: Green arrows, just slightly, but still green arrows.

Thank you, Gerri. Good to see you. Gerri Willis here for Andy -- Soledad. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Michael Jackson acquitted on all 10 counts, but there's one juror who says he still thinks Jackson probably has molested boys before. Juror number one is our guest up live, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

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