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CNN Saturday Morning News
Palfrey, The 'DC Madam' Is Selling Her Little Black Book; Bush Refuse To Respond To Chavez's Taunts, Latin Americans Protesting His Tour; Sex Offender May Get Green License Plates in Ohio
Aired March 10, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Good morning, from the CNN Center, on this Saturday morning. I'm Melissa Long.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY: And I'm Don Lemon. Both Betty and T.J. have the day off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): To pay for her defense, Palfrey is raising money on her website and she's offering to sell the contact information of her former customers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: The alleged madam is threatening to expose Washington's playboys. Her client list, rumored to hold up to 15,000 names. So will she go public?
LEMON: And a new tactic to guard against sexual offenders. One state wants predators to drive and show their criminal status on their license plate. Is this going too far?
LONG: And chants of "gringo go home!" President Bush is facing even more protests as he continues his trip across Latin America.
LEMON: And take a look at this. That's an SUV smashing through the doors of a shopping mall. We'll get to the bottom of that story straight ahead, right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
But first, we want to get you to live pictures this morning from the latest stop of President Bush's visit to Latin America. The president is in a Inturia (ph) Park, Uruguay. He's meeting with that country's president at a retreat similar to Camp David.
Now the two leaders are discussing trade issues. President Bush is trying to spread a message of U.S. compassion for that region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(PROTESTORS CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And as we continue to monitor those live pictures, we'll tell you about protests over President Bush's visit. It's spreading across Latin America. And demonstrators took to the streets in Uruguay after the president's arrival, and across the river in Argentina.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez staged a huge anti- demonstration. Chavez lead the crowd chanting "gringo go home." President Bush has refused to respond to the attacks and taunts from Chavez. We'll get you back to that live event and check back in and monitor it for you here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
LONG: Who is on that list? It is a question that has Washington buzzing this morning. The woman dubbed the "DC Madam" claims she ran a legitimate business. Legal or not, she's now threatening to open her little black book, that could have close to 15,000 names on it. CNN's Brianna Keilar has our next story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Alleged madam Deborah Jean Palfrey left the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., Friday after entering a not guilty plea on racketeering and money laundering charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The firm Pamela Martin & Associates operated as a legal high-end erotic fantasy service.
KEILAR: Palfrey says she made her employees sign a contract that said they would not engage in illegal activities while employed at her company, Pamela Martin & Associates, but the federal indictment against Palfrey says she was heading up a large-scale prostitution ring from 1993 to 2006; and that as part of the hiring process, Palfrey had male testers audition prospective employees to determine the ability of those women to perform the appropriate prostitution activities.
The government has seized Palfrey's assets. Montgomery Blair Sibley, the lawyer for her civil case, says his client is broke. To pay for her defense, Palfrey is raising money on her website, and she is offering to sell the contact information of her former customers.
MONTGOMERY BLAIR SIBLEY, PALFREY'S ATTORNEY: There are telephone records from 1994 until August of 2006 detailing every call in and out of the service. It conservatively is 10,000, if you do the math, it may be closer to 15,000 telephone calls in and out.
KEILAR: Palfrey has already released a sample page of phone numbers online which CNN blacked out for this story. Her attorney says there are 12 parties who are "seriously interested in buying the records in their entirety." Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Going on, on this Saturday morning, the search for a missing boy in southern Georgia. Police are looking for six-year-old Christopher Michael Barrios, Jr. He was last seen Thursday night playing on a swing set near his home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got to be around somewhere. He's going to turn up, you know. I came home from work yesterday to a child missing. That's very difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Police have been using special heat sensors mounted on a helicopter to search the area around Brunswick, on the Georgia coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SCREAMING)
LEMON: Wow, that is real. Look at these cell phone pictures. It's a frightening attack at a grocery store in Las Vegas. A man with a knife, running after store employees and customers, and being chased. Witnesses say the assailant didn't say a word as he slashed at several people.
Las Vegas police say the attack appeared random. A suspect is in custody this morning with bail set at $250,000. Four people were injured in that incident.
Well, the U.S. is preparing for what could happen in Miami when Cuban leader Fidel Castro dies. But CNN's Susan Candiotti shows us what did happen during a practice drill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We saw this a lot.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At her colorful store selling all things that remind you of Cuba --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the favorite things we sell in the store, which is the Cuban toilet paper, that has Castro. And this is says, "Make your wish come true."
CANDIOTTI: Maria Vasquez sells party kits for the day Fidel Castro dies. It's no joke that the Bush administration is worried about a free-for-all when Castro's gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are going to be people trying to go back to, you know, find their families. And there are going to be a lot of people taking advantage of all the confusion and all the commotion to come over.
CANDIOTTI: U.S. authorities warn, don't even try, you'll be stopped. The Department of Homeland Security staged a two-day drill this week in Miami to rehearse what it might be like. Coast Guard players mimicked boaters trying to get to Cuba, and others trying to get out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are united that there will be no tolerance for uncontrolled borders. CANDIOTTI: During the practice, 40 Cuban migrants landed on shore -- for real. Few experts think there will be a huge exodus when Castro dies. The last mass exit came in 1994 when Cuban rafters filled the Florida straits. One exile activist who's attempted several so- called freedom flotillas to Cuba says when Castro dies, no one should be openly celebrating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we going to celebrate that we still have hundreds of political prisoners in Cuba's prison? That there are still executions taking place in Cuba, that the families are divided, that we have a 50-year dictatorship in power?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That report from CNN's Susan Candiotti.
LONG: Another death from that tragic bus crash in Atlanta. The fifth baseball player from Ohio university has passed away of his injuries from that March 2nd charter bus crash. Freshman Zach Ahrend (ph), who had been in critical condition. His family has been by his bedside and they were there when he died Friday morning.
Four other players were killed when their bus careened off an overpass into the interstate below. The team had been on its way to a tournament in Florida. Also killed, the bus driver, the bus driver's wife. More than two dozen others were injured.
Moments after that crash, help was on the way, witnesses and survivors of the accident were dialing 911. Here is the emergency call made by one of the passengers.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911 Emergency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we've just been in a bus accident. I don't know where we're at.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need location.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where we at, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're on 75 South.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 75 South.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got somebody coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, we've got somebody coming. OK, lot of people, please hurry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What all is going on, sir. Talk to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's going on? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, a lot of people laying down on the ground, different places.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About how many? Give me an estimate so we know how many ambulances. How many?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh, we're talking 50 -- not 50, at least -- 33 -- 33 on this bus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, ya'll on the expressway or you on the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we fell off the expressway. We hit a road and fell off the actual bridge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-huh? The bus fell over the bridge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, we got help coming out there now. They'll be out there shortly, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I gotta get outta here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, bye-bye.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LONG: Tough to listen to that. Now federal investigators have gone over that crash scene, but so far, no definitive cause has been identified. Well, this weekend, CNN's "Special Investigations Unit" will be retracing that final journey. Drew Griffin is the host. Hope you'll join us for that special program tonight at 8:00 Eastern and then Sunday night only on CNN television.
LEMON: This is outrageous video that you just have to see. Just a quiet Wednesday night outside a mall in Augusta, Georgia. Then an SUV -- in the mall surveillance video, you can see that -- what's up with that? Well, he's about to take a joy ride through the closed mall. Why? Well, nobody knows.
First this way, then that way through the mall court, and then the food court, and then finally, another set of locked doors. Mall security was waiting outside for him, though. The man is now sitting in jail, charged with DUI and a number of other offenses.
LONG: Trying to think about, what was the purpose there?
LEMON: Who knows.
LONG: A story we'll continue to follow here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Also a mystery this morning after the lead singer of the group Boston is found dead. That story ahead this morning.
LEMON: We'll follow that one and a new idea, special license plates for sex offenders. A way to keep your children safe so they know who to avoid. Will this work and is it fair?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR, OPEN HOUSE: Coming up at 9:30 a.m. Eastern "Open House," why going green at home can cut your budget. And how a boot camp in North Carolina has nothing to do with the military and everything to do with protecting your home. That's "Open House," the show that saves you money, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The defendant is guilty of murder in the first-degree, as charged in the --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: A Florida jury spent four hours this past week in finding John Couey guilty of raping and killing nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford. Now the sentencing phase for Couey starts on Tuesday. The convicted sex offender could get the death penalty.
Before Jessica's murder in 2005, Couey had multiple run-ins with the law, including attempted molestation of a five-year-old in 1991. This Couey case helped spark new legislation in Florida and also on the federal level. Florida now requires a minimum prison sentence of 25 years to life for sex offenses against children under the age of 12. Jessica's father spoke to Larry King about his fight for tougher penalties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: Gives me more reasons to go out and try to help other states understand that they need to pass tougher legislation like Jessie's Law, or to be in compliance with the federal bills that have been passed, Adam Walsh Act.
And for legislators to know we need more, I mean, we need bills that will produce money for these other bills that we've already passed so that U.S. Marshals, the FBI, local law enforcement, prosecutors can get the tools that they need to get more prosecutions, and put these guys away longer so we're not doing murder trials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, when it comes to warning the public about convicted sex offenders, some Ohio lawmakers are proposing a new approach -- tagging the vehicles of criminals. Eve Mueller from affiliate WBNS has that story for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Kristen Jackson was convicted up by convicted sex offender Joel Yacky (ph), as she walked to the Wayne County Fair in the fall of 2002. He raped, then killed her. Now nearly five years later, the pain is still real for her parents, now fighting for Kristen's law, bright green license plates for convicted sex offenders.
SHARON JACKSON, KRISTIN'S MOTHER: It's been such a difficult time. It's a struggle every day, you know. This, we can represent Kristen in a way, just her life will go on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Under the proposal, while driving around, the worst sex offenders would have to display the plate for five years. Habitual sex offenders, predators, and any who have child victims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is too late for us, but we're concerned about your five-year-old. It's not too late for her. And this is just a small tool that these animals can be identified with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Offenders face a criminal charge if they're caught without the plate and enablers who loan vehicles to known offenders face criminal charges, too. Moving out of state means no plate, but earns a green sticker. Ohio stands to be the first state in the nation to require such a visual label.
For the spirit of their angel, this couple hopes the movement won't stop there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want this to go national, absolutely, absolutely. Because they're not just, they're not just here in Ohio, they're everywhere.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Joining us to discuss the Ohio initiative is a registered sex offender, Jake Goldenflame, also the author of "Overcoming Sexual Terrorism: 60 Ways to Protect Your Children From Sexual Predators."
You have a problem with this. Why?
JAKE GOLDENFLAME, AUTHOR, REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER: Well, in the first place, I fear it's going to touch off-road rage, that when people see individuals with these very colorful license plates, they're going to act out their anger toward them on the road. And as they try and get away, we could have traffic accidents on the highway, and on the freeway that's going to injure other innocent people in nearby cars, some of which may be carrying children. I think it's a very dangerous idea.
LEMON: To most people, you know, with all due respect, that's going to sound a little far-fetched. I understand what you're saying, but don't you think that the bigger picture, the larger picture is more important to this, keeping children safe from sex offenders?
GOLDENFLAME: Of course, it is, but to go and do it this way is to risk causing damage to other people who are innocent. When you're talking about people in moving cars, at high speeds on highway, on intersections and in cities --
LEMON: But you're talking about people in moving cars at high speeds. Are people in moving cars really going to have enough time to pay attention to the color of a license plate and take out revenge on it? It could happen, but it sounds a little far-fetched.
Are you saying this is --
GOLDENFLAME: What would be the point of this law, if it wasn't to make these cars highly noticeable?
LEMON: Well, OK, it's not to make it highly noticeable in a driving situation. This is for people who are in neighborhoods, kids around schools, on the playgrounds and that sort of thing.
GOLDENFLAME: OK, sure, sure.
LEMON: You know, I don't see where driving in traffic or on an interstate would make that much of a difference. I think that's a little far-fetched.
GOLDENFLAME: OK, leaving that aside, it's a branding law. That's really what it is. It's the same thing as putting a brand mark on a person's forehead. I don't think it will survive constitutional scrutiny. I think it violates the Eighth amendment's ban against cruel and unusual punishment.
LEMON: You're saying this is a new scarlet letter, and that's what many critics --
GOLDENFLAME: That's exactly what it is. And the Supreme Court has been very clear about this. Megan's Law is a wonderful tool. I support Megan's law. I've supported it since it goes on the books.
And the Supreme Court has told us in two cases already, it's a law that is to be used merely for administrative purposes. That is to compile a list the public can have. You may not use this law to punish the people who are listed on this, in any way. And when you go ahead and fix a brand on their car, you're damaging their property, their safety, themselves, when they're out there on the road. It becomes a stigma that amounts to a punishment against them, and that violates the Eighth Amendment.
LEMON: But in some areas of Ohio, Mr. Goldenflame, there are already special colored license plates for people who have drunk driving convictions.
GOLDENFLAME: I saw that. But you know, it's an altogether different thing to put it on the car of a person who has a drunk driving conviction. Even that may be challengeable, however.
LEMON: OK, let me ask you about this. You are -- you said it wrongly punishes family members, right?
GOLDENFLAME: Pardon me? LEMON: You said it wrongly punishes family members who may want to use the car. But what about, what about sex offenders who have preyed on kids for years, and there is no way of finding them. And there is except for maybe a car in the neighborhood, and they use cars to cruise these neighborhoods. I don't understand, why are you thinking this is such a bad idea?
GOLDENFLAME: I think our whole policy in handling sex offenders could not be more mistaken. I think it is the worst policy we could have come up and that's why so many children are facing things like they face like poor little Jessica Lunsford faced.
LEMON: Let me ask you this, we heard from Jessica Lunsford's father earlier this week. And he says, according to any sex offender, some of which I have interviewed, many us in the media have interviewed, they say there is no cure. You're simply in recovery.
GOLDENFLAME: Let's stop --
LEMON: Let me ask you, do you agree -- before you answer that, do you agree with that?
GOLDENFLAME: Yeah.
LEMON: You do?
GOLDENFLAME: No, I do not. I think that's inaccurate terminology, because when you say there's no cure, you're talking as if there's an illness. There's no illness, that's why there's no cure. That is just a propaganda slogan. What you have are people who have compulsions, and that's not an illness, it has no cure.
LEMON: Can that compulsion be ever fixed, do you think? Or is that something that you struggle with always?
GOLDENFLAME: That compulsion can be managed.
LEMON: Managed?
GOLDENFLAME: You're taught to manage it, just like a dope addict manages his, and the narcotics, a cure regimen. Just like an alcoholic learns to manage his. Compulsions can be placed under control. I've been out 16 years re-offense free.
LEMON: OK. We're going to have to leave it at that. So, thank you. We appreciate you joining us this morning on CNN SATUDAY MORNING.
GOLDENFLAME: Thank you.
LEMON: Thanks a lot. Good luck to you.
GOLDENFLAME: Sure. Thank you.
LEMON: Now what are some other ways sex offenders are tracked? Well check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no intention to make this thing non- removable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you wanted to cut and run, you could do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But we're going to know about it in a hurry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A demonstration of high-tech monitoring to protect your children, ahead in the CNN Newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Good morning once again. All this morning we've been talking about keeping track of sex offenders, keeping your children safe. One method is putting ankle bracelet monitors on convicted predators. John Zarrella shows us how that system works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT POSAVEC, COO, PROTECH: What I'm going to do is size this up.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For a couple of hours, I played the role of a convicted felon just out of prison. One condition of my probation is to wear this ankle bracelet monitoring system.
POSAVEC: There is no intention to make this thing non-removable.
ZARRELLA (On camera): Wow.
POSAVEC: If you wanted to cut and run --
ZARRELLA: Right.
POSAVEC: You could do that. But we're going to know about it in a hurry.
ZARRELLA (voice over): To find out how they work, we went to one of the companies that makes them, ProTech, which has a contract with Florida's Department of Corrections.
(On camera): And these pins you're putting in?
POSAVEC: These are retaining pins. And the idea of these retaining pins are so that you just can't accidentally have this thing pop open on you. ZARRELLA (voice over): In Florida alone, 1600 people are being monitored by the company's system. Many are convicted sex offenders and predators. For the demonstration, I head out for a ride with company boss Steve Chapin. I've got my ankle bracelet on, which is connected wirelessly to this tracking device.
(On camera): So now as long as I'm carrying this with me, then I'm fine, right? As long as I don't go into any hot spots.
(Voice over): The courts have determined I shouldn't go near schools or parks. Those are the hot spots, or hot zones, that have been programmed into the system. They show up as boxes on the computer screen at the company's call center.
Only when I do something wrong will a human be notified. That's about to happen. The elementary school down the road is off limits, but I drive by anyway. Almost immediately, the tracking device sounds. The system automatically notifies my probation officer for the day.
STEVE CHAPIN, PRESIDENT, PROTECH: It just received a page, indicating that John committed a violation. The violation in this case was that he violated a rule called Trinity Elementary.
ZARRELLA: He immediately sends a message back to me through the tracking device, "Leave area now".
(On camera): So now my best bet is to get out of here as quick as I can.
POSAVEC: You go up an U-iey.
ZARRELLA: And then I've got some explaining to do.
POSAVEC: That's right.
ZARRELLA: Through the tracking device and using global positioning satellites, my location is recorded every minute. Now I'm about to make a big mistake. I would never be without the bracelet and tracker unless I planned to violate the terms of my probation.
POSAVEC: You can't make anything tamper-proof, completely tamper-proof. That's impossible. So what we do is we incorporate tamper detection. So if you do anything to that bracelet to try and take it off, it will send out immediately an alarm.
ZARRELLA (On camera): Which is exactly what happens next. Now I'm going to cut the bracelet off. This changes everything. It is an irreversible violation. Bottom line -- I'm signing my arrest warrant.
(Voice over): As soon as it's cut, the system sounds. My probation officer is notified and police would immediately be sent to my last location recorded by the system. Police say, short of keeping them in prison, this is the only way to keep constant tabs on sex offenders and predators. John Zarrella, CNN, Odessa, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: Talking presidential politics with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Do you think that Barack Obama is the answer to George Bush?
LOUIS FARRAKHAN, LEADER, NATION OF ISLAM: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And wait until you hear what he has to say about Senator Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. My conversation with Louis Farrakhan, ahead at 10:00 a.m.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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