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CNN Live Event/Special

Strawberry Begins Probation Violation Hearing

Aired May 04, 2001 - 10:07   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to take you to Tampa, Florida now, where former baseball player Darryl Strawberry could be learning of his future. That is a picture of Judge Florence Foster. She will decide the fate of Darryl Strawberry. He is coming before her for a violation of his parole. He had a four day absence from a Tampa drug treatment center last month where he was under house arrest. Prosecutors are asking for drug time. They want Darryl Strawberry to complete his drug treatment program in prison. Maximum in this situation is five years.

Let's go ahead and listen in to the judge.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JUDGE FLORENCE FOSTER: I don't, I'm not sure. Connie (ph), do we have that letter in the file?

JOSEPH FICARROTTA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I'm pretty sure. I think it was a cover letter that I did. We had (OFF-MIKE). But I'll hand this to the court now.

FOSTER: All right.

FICARROTTA: Also a letter from Pastor Randy White (ph) at the Without Walls International Church dated May 3, and this is Mr. Strawberry's and Charise's (ph) pastor. And also a letter from Nicholas A. Pace, M.D. (ph), assistant professor of medicine at the New York University Medical Center addressed to the court.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was also in there (OFF-MIKE)

FOSTER: Now, this is one of the things that came across on the Internet that was totally unsolicited, a very nice letter from a lady in Clearwater and I provided a copy to Mr. Ficarrotta and to Mr. Wetter (ph) previously. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Your honor, may I have one minute to speak (OFF-MIKE)

MCDERMOTT: Of course.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Thank you, your honor.

FOSTER: Sure. All right, because this is a revocation hearing, I think Mr. Wetter, perhaps you should go first. Unless you'd rather for Mr. Figroda to go first. I don't think there's any rule about who makes the first presentation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I just want to suggest the defense go first. It's been indicated that they're going to admit the violation and if that's, in fact, the case, then we will not need to have a hearing other than rebuttal.

FOSTER: Well, sentencing basically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, yeah.

FOSTER: All right. And I was going to ask Ms. Thomlansen (ph) if she brought an extra copy of her report with her or perhaps Mr. Pappy (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (OFF-MIKE)

FOSTER: Don't bother. I know what it says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your honor, I left that on your desk.

FOSTER: That's where it is. It's right here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I left it up here.

FOSTER: Oh, you did leave it up here? Thank you so much because I read it, a copy of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's right on top of your calendar there.

FOSTER: Well, you know what? When I came in here and I did all those other cases, I bet it's right here. Ah, right here.

KAGAN: It sounds like they're in the administrative part of this hearing today. We will go back to this when they get to other parts of today's hearing. Once again, Darryl Strawberry facing the violation of his probation. In 1999 he was convicted on charges of drug and prostitution violations. Four times he has violated his probation in that case. The last time March 29, walking away from a drug treatment center only to be found four days later telling his friends and officials that he had been on a four day drug binge.

We'll check back in with Darryl Strawberry and this hearing a bit later.

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