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CNN Live Event/Special

Sister of Bonny Bakley Holds Press Conference

Aired June 27, 2002 - 14:11   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to turn our attention to the high-profile murder case involving actor Robert Blake.

As we said all day today, he is scheduled to be in court today for perhaps a bond hearing. Well, right now, you're looking at the image of Margery Bakley. She's the sister of Bonnie Bakley, who was murdered in that case, and she's talking now in Van Nuys, California. We want to go there right now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

MARGERY BAKELY, BONNY LEE BAKLEY'S SISTER, BONNY LEE BAKLEY'S SISTER: ... the Washington, D.C. police and FBI this entire year. It's been run for free. Right now, there's a small charge to go on it, but the money, just to maintain the site, well, that's incredibly high, but we're taking a portion of that and we're giving it to a great cause.

My sister was a runaway when she was a teenager, came to Hollywood, looking for the great life. She has no great life here -- not on the streets, not for these kids. And if I can help these kids to realize something more than drugs and being beaten up on the streets, that's what I'd like to do.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) you've chosen here and now...

BAKELY: Right.

QUESTION: ... to announce this. My question is, what's the objective of choosing now...

BAKELY: Well, you guys are already here.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) to Robert Blake's hearing this afternoon.

BAKELY: Well, I was going to be here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, I coordinated it with city news service, and they said since everybody was going to be here anyway, that we didn't have to make a whole separate event on another day and have everyone come down. We were here anyway and everybody -- the media is always contacting us to ask a lot of questions, so we put this together to... QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) want, you've got to come first from this Web site yourself...

BAKELY: Right.

QUESTION: Why now do you want to charge others to (OFF-MIKE)

BAKELY: Well, everybody's been running it for free. We've got like 10 volunteers who maintain these sites. The cost is incredibly high. I believe it's something like $60,000 just to run the chatroom for CNN. So you can imagine, with all the hits that it gets -- it's a very expensive thing. And it's been done for free all year, and now it's just out of necessity that they need to charge to maintain the site, and to donate to a good cause.

I mean, what could be better than taking care of kids who need help?

QUESTION: Will you be hiring another lawyer?

QUESTION: Margery, are you going to get any revenues from this yourself? And how exactly does this Web site work again?

BAKELY: Well, I'm not going to receive anything. What I've asked for is money to be donated to My Friend's Place.

I don't really know -- I'm not very computer savvy, so you could ask Sidney how exactly this runs.

Go ahead, Sid.

QUESTION: Margery, what do you think of this guy who (OFF-MIKE) TV movie with her (OFF-MIKE)

WHITFIELD: You've been listening to Margery Bakley. She's the sister of Bonnie Lee Bakley, who was killed last year, and now as a victim in the center of the high-profile murder investigation of actor Robert Blake.

Our Charles Feldman is following this story, and you're following the end of this scheduled bond hearing for Robert Blake, correct?

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely correct. And let me move a little bit out of the way so we don't pick up some sound from this press conference with her sister, Margery Bakley.

And, yes, in about, oh, two hours or so, there is going to be a hearing to determine whether or not Robert Blake is going to be freed on $1 million bail.

When he was arrested, you may recall, two months ago, he was arrested under a California statute that actually prohibited him from getting bail. But his attorney has said that it is unconstitutional, it is vague, and is prepared to make that argument today in court in the hopes of getting his client out on bail. His co-defendant in this case, by the way, Earl Caldwell, has already been out on bail since April, and that's because Robert Blake himself put up $1 million of his own money in order to get him out.

The other things that are going to happen today at this hearing, a date will be set for a preliminary hearing. That's when a lot of the evidence will actually be shown in court, when the prosecutor, in effect, will show his cards. That will probably be not until November. And then the actually trial could be months away from that, so we're looking at maybe a year until this thing ever goes to trial -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Charles Feldman from Van Nuys, California. Thank you very much.

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