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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Margaret Jones

Aired September 22, 2002 - 11:06   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.


KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Many have been following the woman accused of beating her child in a shopping center parking lot, says what she did was wrong, very emotional. But Madelyne Gorman Toogood says her child should not pay for her mistake. CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us now live from Mishawaka, Indiana, with the latest on this.
So, Gary, at least thus far, little Martha appears to be at least physically OK.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so far, she looks physically OK, but the examinations will continue.

Now, her mother, 25-year-old Madelyne Toogood. Last night, she came here, she talked to us. It was the first time we heard from her, and she says a lot of this is not fair. This is the woman who we have seen on the videotape beating her child. This happened on September 13, nine days ago. She made the decision to surrender. She came in yesterday. She went to jail. She bonded out on $5,000 bond.

As she was walking out, she was angry. She was scared. She was silent. She was angry because she feels that her child should not have been taken away and put in the custody of a foster family. She knew that it was possible she wouldn't be able to have her child for a while, but she was hoping her child would be put in the custody of her husband, her mother or her mother-in-law. So she was not very happy with that decision. And she clearly, when talking with us, made it clear that she wasn't happy with authorities for doing that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADELYNE GORMAN TOOGOOD, MOTHER: Nobody has a right to strike their child. I shouldn't have did it. I'm paying for it and my entire family is paying for it over my mistake. Everybody is paying for it, and my baby is somewhere with people she don't know, thinking right now holding on to my husband's hat, because my husband had to leave it, because he wouldn't let her leave the room -- she wouldn't let him leave the room unless he left his baseball hat and said that he was going to come back for it. He thinks right now he is on his way back to get his baseball hat and her. I -- nobody -- why is my child paying? It is my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it. It was my mistake. She shouldn't pay for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: With us right now is Maggie Jones. She is the case prosecutor. She is the person who will be dealing with this from now on. When you watch that, do you feel bad for her in any way, shape or form?

MARGARET JONES, PROSECUTOR: I feel bad for her daughter, as I have from the first time I saw the first video. My sympathies do not go to Madelyne at all.

TUCHMAN: She is saying that she feels it's unfair that the child has not been placed in the custody of family members. Why wasn't that possible?

JONES: These are the same family members who after they witnessed the beating on the video refused to bring the child forward for medical assessment or medical treatment.

TUCHMAN: There is a questioning with this woman yesterday. I know you can't tell us the exact details of it, because it will be used in court, but what was her demeanor when police and prosecutors were questioning her yesterday?

JONES: I will say that initially, she did shed some tears. Why? I really don't know. Whether she was just afraid of being actually arrested or confronted with this, I'm unsure. She did do some crying, but then she came around and had -- gave a lengthy interview.

TUCHMAN: And I know you saw 4-year-old Martha. How did she look to you?

JONES: Martha appears to be just a normal, delightful 4-year- old.

TUCHMAN: Are you surprised that she didn't have bruises or cuts or abrasions that you could see after this attack?

JONES: It was eight days after the attack. She is a child. Bruises could have healed. As far as cuts, I don't know that there were any cuts. Like I said, the bruising, the swelling, the red marks, after eight days, there would be a good chance those would be gone anyway.

TUCHMAN: Finally, I want to ask you, you have hundreds of calls come here, people praising you, people offering help, but you told me that you also got calls from people attacking you for trying to prosecute this woman. What did people say to you?

JONES: I considered those people to be something of fanatics. They seem to think that -- there is a handful of people who called me personally, and they seem to think that it was OK to beat your child. Unfortunately, that's for them -- that's not the case in Indiana, or anyplace else in this country.

TUCHMAN: Maggie Jones, thanks for the time out in talking with us.

JONES: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: The arraignment of this woman could come as early as tomorrow, and she faces the possibility on this felony battery charge of up to three years in prison.

Kris, back to you.

OSBORN: Thank you, Gary.

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 September 22, 2002 - 11:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Many have been following the woman accused of beating her child in a shopping center parking lot, says what she did was wrong, very emotional. But Madelyne Gorman Toogood says her child should not pay for her mistake. CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us now live from Mishawaka, Indiana, with the latest on this.
So, Gary, at least thus far, little Martha appears to be at least physically OK.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so far, she looks physically OK, but the examinations will continue.

Now, her mother, 25-year-old Madelyne Toogood. Last night, she came here, she talked to us. It was the first time we heard from her, and she says a lot of this is not fair. This is the woman who we have seen on the videotape beating her child. This happened on September 13, nine days ago. She made the decision to surrender. She came in yesterday. She went to jail. She bonded out on $5,000 bond.

As she was walking out, she was angry. She was scared. She was silent. She was angry because she feels that her child should not have been taken away and put in the custody of a foster family. She knew that it was possible she wouldn't be able to have her child for a while, but she was hoping her child would be put in the custody of her husband, her mother or her mother-in-law. So she was not very happy with that decision. And she clearly, when talking with us, made it clear that she wasn't happy with authorities for doing that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADELYNE GORMAN TOOGOOD, MOTHER: Nobody has a right to strike their child. I shouldn't have did it. I'm paying for it and my entire family is paying for it over my mistake. Everybody is paying for it, and my baby is somewhere with people she don't know, thinking right now holding on to my husband's hat, because my husband had to leave it, because he wouldn't let her leave the room -- she wouldn't let him leave the room unless he left his baseball hat and said that he was going to come back for it. He thinks right now he is on his way back to get his baseball hat and her. I -- nobody -- why is my child paying? It is my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it. It was my mistake. She shouldn't pay for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: With us right now is Maggie Jones. She is the case prosecutor. She is the person who will be dealing with this from now on. When you watch that, do you feel bad for her in any way, shape or form?

MARGARET JONES, PROSECUTOR: I feel bad for her daughter, as I have from the first time I saw the first video. My sympathies do not go to Madelyne at all.

TUCHMAN: She is saying that she feels it's unfair that the child has not been placed in the custody of family members. Why wasn't that possible?

JONES: These are the same family members who after they witnessed the beating on the video refused to bring the child forward for medical assessment or medical treatment.

TUCHMAN: There is a questioning with this woman yesterday. I know you can't tell us the exact details of it, because it will be used in court, but what was her demeanor when police and prosecutors were questioning her yesterday?

JONES: I will say that initially, she did shed some tears. Why? I really don't know. Whether she was just afraid of being actually arrested or confronted with this, I'm unsure. She did do some crying, but then she came around and had -- gave a lengthy interview.

TUCHMAN: And I know you saw 4-year-old Martha. How did she look to you?

JONES: Martha appears to be just a normal, delightful 4-year- old.

TUCHMAN: Are you surprised that she didn't have bruises or cuts or abrasions that you could see after this attack?

JONES: It was eight days after the attack. She is a child. Bruises could have healed. As far as cuts, I don't know that there were any cuts. Like I said, the bruising, the swelling, the red marks, after eight days, there would be a good chance those would be gone anyway.

TUCHMAN: Finally, I want to ask you, you have hundreds of calls come here, people praising you, people offering help, but you told me that you also got calls from people attacking you for trying to prosecute this woman. What did people say to you?

JONES: I considered those people to be something of fanatics. They seem to think that -- there is a handful of people who called me personally, and they seem to think that it was OK to beat your child. Unfortunately, that's for them -- that's not the case in Indiana, or anyplace else in this country.

TUCHMAN: Maggie Jones, thanks for the time out in talking with us.

JONES: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: The arraignment of this woman could come as early as tomorrow, and she faces the possibility on this felony battery charge of up to three years in prison.

Kris, back to you.

OSBORN: Thank you, Gary.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com