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CNN Saturday Morning News
Chante Mallard is Sentanced to 50 Years in Jail
Aired June 28, 2003 - 07:02 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: Well, the jury in the windshield murder case took just two and a half hours to decide what price Chante Mallard would pay one day after finding her guilty of murder.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, the jury, having found the defendant, Chante Shawan (ph) Mallard, guilty of the offense of murder, assess her punishment at confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a period of 50 years...
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chante Mallard told the jury she deserved to be punished, but her attorneys were clearly hoping for a lighter sentence.
JEFF KEARNEY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Obviously, as a young lady who had no criminal record, had never been in trouble before, and did something horrible, and was hoping that they would give her a chance to have some life, you know, in the future, and I don't think -- I mean, the jury's given her no chance.
LAVANDERA: Mallard's defense couldn't answer the most nagging question, why she never called for help after driving into Greg Biggs. Prosecutors say Mallard almost got away with the perfect crime.
RICHARD ALPERT, PROSECUTOR: At a certain level, I think it's just selfishness to a level I've never seen before, because the questions of what would you do -- people may not know what they would do, but I don't think there's anyone else that was thinking, Well, I think I would driven the body home in the garage and let it die there.
LAVANDERA: Twenty-year-old Brandon Biggs organized his father's funeral back in October 2001, and this week he listened to the gruesome testimony of how his father was killed. Despite all that, he still reached out to Chante Mallard and her family.
BRANDON BIGGS, SON OF VICTIM: I personally would like to say that I would accept your apology. And in return, I have a -- that you would accept my forgiveness.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Chante Mallard's family left the courthouse without making a statement. Mallard now begins serving a 50-year sentence. She'll have to serve at least half that before she's eligible for parole, and by then she'll be 52 years old.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Fort Worth, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 June 28, 2003 - 07:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the jury in the windshield murder case took just two and a half hours to decide what price Chante Mallard would pay one day after finding her guilty of murder.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, the jury, having found the defendant, Chante Shawan (ph) Mallard, guilty of the offense of murder, assess her punishment at confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a period of 50 years...
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chante Mallard told the jury she deserved to be punished, but her attorneys were clearly hoping for a lighter sentence.
JEFF KEARNEY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Obviously, as a young lady who had no criminal record, had never been in trouble before, and did something horrible, and was hoping that they would give her a chance to have some life, you know, in the future, and I don't think -- I mean, the jury's given her no chance.
LAVANDERA: Mallard's defense couldn't answer the most nagging question, why she never called for help after driving into Greg Biggs. Prosecutors say Mallard almost got away with the perfect crime.
RICHARD ALPERT, PROSECUTOR: At a certain level, I think it's just selfishness to a level I've never seen before, because the questions of what would you do -- people may not know what they would do, but I don't think there's anyone else that was thinking, Well, I think I would driven the body home in the garage and let it die there.
LAVANDERA: Twenty-year-old Brandon Biggs organized his father's funeral back in October 2001, and this week he listened to the gruesome testimony of how his father was killed. Despite all that, he still reached out to Chante Mallard and her family.
BRANDON BIGGS, SON OF VICTIM: I personally would like to say that I would accept your apology. And in return, I have a -- that you would accept my forgiveness.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Chante Mallard's family left the courthouse without making a statement. Mallard now begins serving a 50-year sentence. She'll have to serve at least half that before she's eligible for parole, and by then she'll be 52 years old.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Fort Worth, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
