everyone, i'm tamron hall. the news nation is following breaking news. a pointed moment if the fight for equality in the united states. right now preparations are underway for a rally at what is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement in this country, the stone wall inn in new york city. it was the site of violent riots 44 years ago this very week and even referenced by the president during his inauguration speech. we'll talk about this in a moment. also, coast to coast there have been celebrations after the supreme court struck down the federal defense of marriage act and also allowed same-sex

marriages to resume in california. a short time ago we got reaction from the 84-year-old new york woman who challenged doma after she received a $300,000 estate tax bill when her wife and partner of more than 40 years died. >> we won everything we asked and hoped for. wow. i'm honored and humbled and overjoyed to be here today to represent not only the thousands of americans whose lives have been adversely impacted by the defense of marriage act but those whose hopes and dreams have been constricted by the same discriminatory law. >> earlier today, the two gay couples who challenged california's voter approved ban on gay marriage were cheered as they walked down the steps of the supreme court building moments after the justices issued their ruling. >> today is a great day for american children and families. sandy and i want to say how happy we are not only to be able

to return to california and finally get married, but to be able to say to the children in california, no matter where you live, no matter who your parents are, no matter what family you're in, you are equal, you are as good as your friends' parents and as your friends. >> today is a good day. it's the day i finally get to look at the man that i love and finally say, will you please marry me? [ cheers and applause ] >> and shortly after that, the couples were appearing on msnbc, when they received a call from the president live on television.

>> the white house then released a statement from president obama saying in part, quote, i applaud the supreme court's decision to strike down the defense of marriage act. this was discrimination enshrined in law. joining me now, nbc news supreme court expert and scotus blog founder, tom goldstein. thank you for your time today. let's break it down. first, let's start with doma, the decision to break down the significant portion that you really believe people should wrap their minds around on this big day. >> well, the doma decision as a purely legal matter, you start with the states that recognize same-sex marriage and couples that have such a marriage in those states now get federal benefits. they get all the benefits of being married. for example, for the estate tax. it also has implications for military couples. then you look a little more broadly. this decision doesn't say there's a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, but it does give momentum, i would say, to advocates for that position. it is, in a sense, a validation by a majority of the supreme

court that these marriages are entitled to equal treatment. so i would think that the momentum towards recognizing same-sex marriage in the states is probably going to continue because of this ruling. >> let's look at edie windsor's case. that's the 84-year-old who we focused so much -- if she were married to a man, she would not have had to pay that estate tax here. why, in your opinion, was this the right case for those who oppose doma and wanted to see the ultimate decision handed down by the supreme court? >> that's absolutely right. that was the intention of the law that was passed and signed into law by president clinton. pretty broad majority supporting it at the time. the country has just changed a lot. so have judicial attitudes. edie windsor was a terrific plaintiff, i think, for those advancing the cause that doma is constitutional. it's such a sympathetic case. this is a couple that had been together for decades, was obviously very loving and committed. it was really tremendously unfair she would get this

massive estate tax. i think that they came in front of the supreme court, and it was a moving presentation. five justices agreed. >> to your point, the popularity, if you will, of doma in '96 at the time, nearly 80% of the house supported it. over 85% in the senate supported it at the time. as we know, it was signed by bill clinton. so when you look at it signed into law in 1996 and then 2009 the justice department said it would continue defending doma, but this has been an incredible back and forth. when you think about it, it's almost at lightning speed in perspective of other battles. >> there's no question about it. i think that's really well put. i've never seen another instance where the country has moved so fast. there's no doubt that there are parts of the country that obviously are not in favor of same-sex marriage. it is a divisive question. for the center of the country, it has really changed in its opinions. we see that in all of the polling. then when the president himself got behind the idea that this

federal law was unconstitutional, it really set the stage for today's decision. >> now, let's transition to california's prop 8. we just got word in that lieutenant governor gavin newsome says same-sex marriage in california should resume within 30 days. take us to the justice's decisions. >> this all started with a ruling by a trial judge in california, a federal court, that proposition 8, which bans the recognition of same-sex marriage in california, was unconstitutional. that's the beginning. it then went up to a court of appeals that agreed. then the supreme court agreed to hear the case. today the justices ducked any big ruling on same-sex marriage. they didn't decide that there is that right, there isn't that right. they instead said that no one had the power to take the case from that first trial ruling against proposition 8 up to the court of appeals or up to the supreme court. the reason is that the governor of california refused to defend that statute, the proposition 8. so there was no proper defendant

in the case. now, that's all very technical and everything like that. the upshot is that the only federal court ruling now is that proposition 8 is unconstitutional. that doesn't -- that ruling itself doesn't bind a lot of individuals. it just applies to the parties and the county in that case. its practical effect is very significant. now that the governor is against proposition 8, it should be no trouble for a same-sex couple to get a marriage license. >> for those who might have the impression that the supreme court justices made a broad statement regarding same-sex marriage, that's knot tnot the here. >> that's exactly right. the justices avoided any major decision on that. probably in 10 or 20 years we'll being looking back at today as a significant moment for gay rights because of the underlying message the decision sent. >> tom, thank you so much for your time. we greatly appreciate it. so that you know t here are some

of the changes. couples where one person is employed by the federal government can immediately start receiving benefits. married couples can file federal taxes jointly. as for the estate tax, which was at the heart of this doma case, sa same-sex couples will now be exempt from paying them where their marriage is legal. prior to today's ruling, same-sex couples had to pay more for workplace insurance. that will no longer be the case. the ruling also opens the door for couples where one person is not a u.s. citizen to be treated equally under the law. there are reportedly an estimate between 33,000 and 40,000 lgbt couples unable to take advantage of current immigration procedures. joining me now is brandon pearlberg. he and his partner ben, who is british, were forced to move to the u.k. when ben's visa expired and brandon was unable to sponsor him under doma.

thank you so much for joining me. >> thank you. >> let me first get your reaction to the news the minute you heard it. >> well, i'm just overwhelmed and overjoyed. this is what making history looks and feels like. today's win is not just a win for gay americans. it's a win for all americans, for those of us dedicated to equality. we still have a long journey to go, but this was a big step in it the right direction. >> you were featured in a "new york times" article as one of so many thousands who left their country, the place they love, in a sense for love. take us through your decision and what happened with you and your partner. >> my partner and i had lived together in new york for seven years. i'm the american, he's english. he was living there pursuant to a work-sponsored visa. those visas have expiration dates. the only way you get to stay in the country is with a green card. doma prevented me from sponsoring him for a green card.

that meant at the expiration of his work-sponsored visa, he was going to have to return to the u.k. i was faced with a choice of either living my life in the u.s. with him in the u.k. or going with him to the u.k. i chose the latter. that was the right decision for us, but it opened the door to tremendous hardship because it was difficult enough leaving my life behind in new york but starting a new one from scratch as a foreigner in a new country. well, that was quite a challenge. >> and what now are the steps that you can take if you so choose to come back home? >> well, suddenly as of today, i'm eligible to sponsor my partner for immigration status. we are encage egaged to be marr. there's such a thing as a fiance visa, a green card, if we get married, which we will next year. that's great. it's important to remember that as wonderful as today's decision is, what the supreme court did not do was to wave a magic wand

in the air and undo all of the damage that doma has caused. you know, i can get on a plane bound for new york tomorrow, but my life won't be given back to me. someone else is living in my home. my job isn't available to me. tons of savings have been lost. so this is a great victory, but we should remember how important it is when we are going into voting booths to make sure we elect politicians and lawmakers who believe in equality for all americans. >> brandon, thank you so much for your time. we wish you and your partner the best on your journey. by the way, we are still waiting to doctor democratic congressman from georgia john lewis to join us. he's taking a vote right now. we hope to have him. in the meantime, i'd like to bring in our panel. thank you both for joining us. keith, i'll start off with you here as we wait to hear from congressman john lewis. it's such an interesting day, at least for liberals.

yesterday was seen as devastating. a stake in the heart of the voting rights act. then you have a counter today with this decision on same-sex marriage. >> i think it is a contrast, particularly for people who are progressive. what we saw yesterday was odd. justice scalia basically joined the majority in a decision overturning a 98-0 decision in favor of the voting rights act. today, however, justice scalia comes back and says in his opinion that he's opposed to the idea of the courts getting involved in these congressional decisions, overreaching, you might say. there's a big contrast between the way the court decided the voting rights act case and the way the court decided today's case on doma. >> nia, i have a map of the united states where same-sex marriage is legal. none of these states had same-sex marriage when doma was

signed by clinton. we talk about times have changed. that is the same going back to yesterday's decision regarding voting rights. that is similar remarks we heard from the chief justice, that things had changed. >> and how quickly they have changed. f same-sex marriage didn't exist anywhere in the world. now it exists in not only 12 states, 13 states now with california and the district of columbia, but also in 12 country, including south africa. so we have seen a real, real swift change here. i think we're going to -- we're setting this up, perhaps going forward, for what might look like a red state, blue state divide in terms of which states allow same-sex marriage and which states don't. conservatives are saying this a state's rights issue, not necessarily coming down with some of the harsher language you might have heard years ago. i think we'll also see in the house at least people reintroduce some sort of federal

traditional marriage amendment, essentially evangelical christians are upset with this. i think you'll see a redoubling of efforts. i think the reality here, at least in terms of demographics, you just see a wholesale cultural shift that 15 years ago was unimaginable. >> and it brings me back to -- i mean, i brought this up yesterday. when you look at the national polls, for example, when it came to gun background checks, overwhelming support for it. when you look at the national polls with same-sex marriage a huge transition, even in so-called more conservative communities like the african-american community. i bring that up because obviously we're all black here talking. the bottom line is you do still have people who are in districts that are conservative. they benefit by playing to their constituents, not to say it doesn't match their own convictions or own believes as well. >> that's right. but i think we're going to see a shift. you will see in 2016 every single candidate on the democratic side who's running

for president say marriage is a constitutional right. you didn't see that in 2008. you might see some of that in 2014 too with democrats running. you look at something like kay hagan in a red state or sort of a purple state of north carolina. even she's someone who has come out in favor of same-sex marriage. so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next many years. >> well, interesting too because, correct me if i'm wrong, karl rove said we would eventually -- his party would eventually see a presidential candidate who supports same-sex marriage. >> yeah, over time that'll happen. what's remarkable about today is how swiftly the official establishment, the democratic party establishment came out in favor of this from the white house down. first the president makes a statement. he calls chad griffin. then you have secretary defense chuck hagel who comes out. he issues a statement. he's supporting this. the attorney general immediately issues a statement. he's going to implement it. you have the california governor

jerry brown and the attorney general. they're immediately implementing it out there. there's a swift move here to make this happen, to implement same-sex marriage that is a dramatic shift from where we were just a few years ago. so the democratic party has moved leaps and bounds in just that short amount of time. >> thank you both for joining me. i really appreciate it. joining me as promised now, democratic congressman from georgia, john lewis, who passionately fought against doma when it was voted into law back in 1996. sir, thank you. as always, an honor and pleasure to speak with you. let me get your reaction today from this news from the supreme court. >> well, i must tell you, i was very, very, very pleased to see this decision of the united states supreme court. back in 1996 when it came to the floor, i said it was wrong. i said that you cannot tell two individuals, whether they're two men or two women that fall in

love and want to get married, who they should marry or not marry. you cannot have equality for some and not equality for all. dr. king would be asked from time to time about interracial marriage. he would say over and over again, races don't fall in love and get married, individuals fall in love and get married. my position has been since 1996 that if two women want to fall in love and get married, if two men want to fall in love and get married, it's their business. the supreme court did the right thing today. >> let me play a little bit to remind people of what you said july 11th, 1996. we have an excerpt from the floor. let's play it, please. >> this bill is a slap in the face of the declaration of independence. it denies gay men and women the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

marriage is a basic human right. you cannot tell people they cannot fall in love. i will not turn my back on another american. i will not oppress my fellow human being. i've fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation. >> sir, let me read to you a little bit of what john boehner said today in reaction to the supreme court's decision. he says, while i'm obviously disappointed in the ruling, it is always critical that we protect our system of checks and balances, a robust national debate over marriage will continue in the public square, and it is my hope that states will define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. what do you make of now conservative saying leave this up to the individual states? >> well, i just think this is so wrong.

back in another period in our history, people said it should be left up to the states. in 1954 when the supreme court, when the members of the court said that so-called equal education is equal, the supreme court on may 17th, 1954, said that is inherently unequal. so you cannot have some equality and some inequal. no, that's not right and it's not fair. so i think the speaker will come to that point one day like other leaders of the dock and other leaders in government all across our nation in light of our statements and say, why were we so silly? why didn't we learn? it's better to love than to hate. >> but sir, if today is a step forward, as you see it, yesterday you described it in

blunt terms as a stab in the heart of the voting rights act. now you have eric cantor saying the issue needs to be revisited, meaning the decision made by the supreme court. where do you stand now as far as the next move? >> i think it's important for members of congress, both democrats and republicans, to come together on the house side and the senate side. let's go back and let us fix it. and we can and we will. it is almost sacred. we cannot let one decision keep us from doing what is right. people bled and died for the right to participate in a democratic process. >> congressman lewis, thank you, sir, for your time today. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. coming up, patriots player aaron hernandez arrested at his home after a two-week murder

investigation. official charges could come at any moment. also ahead, the star witness will soon, we're told, testify in the george zimmerman trial. she was actually on the phone with trayvon martin when he was shot. when she takes the stand, we'll bring it to you live. we'll also discuss what's already happened today in court. and this -- >> i would never, never, and i can truthfully say in my life, i have never with any intention hurt anybody on purpose and i never would. >> was it a help or hurt moment? paula deen gives her first live interview since admitting to using racial slurs. hear more of the interview as another company drops did her. and you can join our conversation on twitter. you can find us @tamronhall and @newsnation. we'll be right back. here was a l to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. [ male announcer ] it's called ocuvite.

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we are waiting to hear from a key witness in the george zimmerman murder trial. she's a teenage girl who was on the phone with trayvon martin just prior to his death. now, in previous written statements, she told investigators she heard trayvon martin say to someone, quote, why are you following me, before the phone disconnected. today the prosecution called a neighbor who said she heard two voices arguing before the shooting. she described one of the voices as loud and aggressive and the other as sounding more like a boy's. the state then played her emotional 911 call that night. >> i wish i could have done something for the person. >> from what i can see, we possibly have a person that's responsible, so you don't have to worry about that for now. >> yes, i know, but i -- when

someone yells for help, don't you feel like you wish you could have helped them, you know? i mean, i don't have a gun or anything. >> earlier, the judge ruled that previous calls made from george zimmerman to police to report suspicious behavior will be allowed in court. joining me now, msnbc legal analyst lisa bloom. first, what strikes you about this witness, the person who called 911? >> if we needed any further evidence that this case is real, it's not just something we watch on tv, there's a real 17-year-old boy who died, we hear it through the emotion of this woman who was a stranger and yet saw part of the event and she certainly saw trayvon martin's deceased remains there just outside of her house. she was distraught. she was upset. the 911 operator was almost like a therapist walking her through it. >> this 911 call, she says, i wish i could have done something for the person. from what i can see, we possibly have the person responsible so

you don't have to worry. that's what they said to her. so she's giving some color, if you will, to what, at least from her vantage point, was happening. >> that's right. >> in realtime. >> what the prosecution is doing is they have little piece of a puzzle. eventually they're going to bring them all together in closing argument. there's no one witness who saw everything here who's going to provide everything for them. each one of them has something that's a little bit different than george zimmerman's story. that's what's important. she said, for example, that george zimmerman was on top and that after trayvon martin was shot, george zimmerman got up and walked away. that's important because he say he was on the bottom and he had to push trayvon martin off of him. each witness has a little bit different story. >> and rachel, she's the girl who was on the phone with trayvon martin. so much has been said about her testimony, but she could be the star witness, at least for the prosecution here, depending on what she says. >> she certainly could be an important witness. we know she has an attorney, as witnesses sometimes do in high-profile cases. we know she has an inconsistency in her story where she said she

didn't go to trayvon martin's memorial service because she was in the hospital. turns out there are no hospital records. she was not in the hospital. >> why is that relevant? >> she's going to have to explain that. any time a witness says something that's not true, their credibility can be attacked. >> okay. we'll see what happens next, lisa. thank you. i know you're continuing to monitor this. we'll bring you rachel's testimony from the witness stand if it happens in this hour. thank you very much. coming up, police arrest patriots player aaron hernandez today as part of a murder investigation. the latest details ahead. also, we're learning or hope to learn what he'll be charged with. a court hearing is coming up. we'll have more for you next. [ female announcer ] the best thing about this bar it's not a candy bar. 130 calories 7 grams of protein the new fiber one caramel nut protein bar.

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i want to take you straight to sanford, florida, the courtroom where rachel gentle is now speaking. she was the young lady on the phone with trayvon martin. let's listen in. >> in fact, you go to elementary school with him. >> objection, leading. >> i'll be glad to rephrase it.

while you were in elementary school, did you meet trayvon martin when he was in school with you? >> yes. >> okay. and later, specifically in february of 2012 last year, did you end up having contact with him again? >> yes. >> okay. specifically in february of 2012, did he end up coming by your neighborhood, and did you end up talking to him? >> he came around my area. >> okay. did you ever actually formally go out on a date with him? >> no. we were just friends. >> okay. i want to focus on february 26th of 2012, that sunday. were you living in miami, and were you in miami on that day? >> yes. >> okay. and were you aware that trayvon martin was up in sanford on that

day? >> yes. >> okay. did you talk to trayvon martin that day on the telephone? >> yes. >> and during that day, did you talk to him several times on the phone? >> yes. >> back in february of 2012, was your phone number 786-419-3726? >> yes. >> and was trayvon martin's number 786-312-9558? >> yes. >> okay. having interacted with trayvon martin prior to talking to him that day, do you know what type of phone did he have? did he have a cell phone? >> yes. >> okay. and did he have a cell phone that had -- i don't know what you call -- >> headset? >> headset. >> yes. >> and do you know how that was controlled? >> yes. >> how was it controlled? >> he had a headset right there. >> the plugs go into your ear -- >> a button to talk. like a speaker. >> now, that evening, were you

all talking on the telephone? >> yes. >> and did he describe something to you that occurred? >> yes. >> okay. i want to focus when you were talking to him on the phone d he describe being at a particular place and the weather conditions? >> yes. >> tell us about that. >> what happened at the store or -- >> yes, at the store. >> he was going to the store for his future stepbrother, i think, named chad. >> okay. did he say what he was going to get at the store? >> a candy and an arizona. >> okay. did he tell you the particular story that he was going to? >> no, corner store he said. >> did he describe the weather conditions, whether it was sunny, rainy, snowing? >> it was about to rain when he was going. >> now, did that conversation

with trayvon martin continue throughout and following? >> yes. >> and during your conversations with trayvon martin, at some points did your phone and his disconnect? >> yes. >> okay. and did either he call you back or you called him back? >> he called me back. >> okay. now, at some point did trayvon martin describe going back to it the neighborhood -- i'm sorry, to it the retreat of twin lakes, the complex where he was staying at? >> yes. >> okay. i want to pick up from there. did he describe when he was at the complex something happening? >> yes. >> tell us, if you can, what he described happening. >> a man was watching him. >> when he told you a man was watching him, did you say anything to him? >> no, i didn't think it was a big -- >> i'm sorry. >> i did not think it was a big -- >> judge, i did not think it was -- >> i did not think it was a big

idea. >> what happens is sometimes you've got two microphones, so it might be a little confusing. could you just either move or -- that's all right. just get close. you're doing fine. you have to get close to the microphone so everybody can hear you, especially this lady here in front. she's taking everything down, so she needs to be able to hear you. and did he then say something was happening? >> yeah, he said the man kept watching him. >> okay. tell us what happened then. >> as he was telling me -- he kept complaining that man was just watching him, and i just said how the man looked like -- >> okay. hold on. >> i would object to the narrative form of the testimony. >> i'll be glad to rephrase. >> please. could you please speak up so everybody can hear? thank you. go ahead and wait for the question. >> you've got a very soft voice, but make sure everybody can hear you, both sides. okay? >> yes. >> mr. martin, trayvon martin

complained? >> yeah. >> what was he complaining about? >> that a man just kept watching him. >> i object to the narrative form of the testimony as opposed to the questions of what was said and what the response was. >> okay. if your objection is narrative, it is overruled. you may ask your next question. >> after he said that, did you say anything back to him, or did he say anything back to you? >> yes, i asked him how the man looked like. he just told me the man -- the man looked creepy. >> he said the man looked creepy? >> creepy white, excuse my language, cracker. >> okay. they're having trouble hearing you. take your time. >> creepy ass cracker. >> okay. creepy ass cracker. >> just looking at him. i said, oh. >> okay. i know you grew up in a haitian

family. make sure everybody can hear you. try to speak as clear -- >> can you repeat what your answer was, please? >> creepy ass -- what's the question? >> the question was they want you to repeat your answer. when you said what you asked him -- >> i asked him how the man looked like. he looked like a creepy ass cracker. >> okay. let me make sure we got that. is that what you recall him saying? >> yes. >> okay. that, you mean like a white individual? >> yes. >> what did you say to him, or what did he say to you after that? >> he kept -- he told me the man was looking at him, so i had to think it might be a rapist thing. you know, the area, it might have been a rapist.

>> i'm sorry. i didn't hear the answer. >> okay. she's going to repeat it. could you please repeat your answer? >> go ahead. >> so he kept -- he told me the man was looking at him, so i had to think it might be a rapist. she said something after that, but i didn't hear what she said. >> i'm sorry, madame court reporter. could you repeat your answer? you said -- you told them the man might be a rapist. >> yes. >> okay. >> and what else did you say to him and what did he say to you? >> stop playing with him like that. >> i'm sorry? >> stop playing with him like that. >> he, mr. trayvon martin, told you stop playing with him like that, like joking? >> yeah. >> and then what happened next? >> i told him, okay. then why heing looking at you?

>> okay. did mr. martin say the guy kept looking at him? >> is yeah, and he just told me he just wanted to try to lose him by start walking home, back home because the rain come a little bit down. >> okay. so mr. martin told you he was going to try to lose the man? >> yeah, by start walking home. >> okay. and did you say anything to him? >> no. we were just talking. then he told me the man followed him down. >> the man following him? >> the man kept following him? >> yes. >> okay. >> objection. he misstated the witness' testimony in his question. could we -- >> i'll be glad -- >> just restate your question, and if you could give your answer slowly for us. >> you mentioned trayvon martin told you this man was looking at him. >> yes. >> correct? you told him that -- >> this is leading now.

>> i'm trying to get to the point. >> you're abouti iobjective you understand what she's saying. we're trying to get the answer in. if you could please give us your answer. ask your question. give us your answer as slowly and clearly and loudly as you can. have a seat. >> it's feeling hard for me to see the witness if i'm seated. we have an obstruction in the court. >> this is the first witness you're telling me you're having an issue seeing. if you need to move your seat to another place at the table, you may feel free to do so. >> thank you, your honor. >> thank you. ask your question, please. >> you mentioned that trayvon martin said something to you and you said something back to him. follow up after you said about the man -- >> he started walking home. >> yes. >> he started walking home. he told me -- >> let me stop you.

he said he started walking home? >> yeah, he's going to leave the area where the -- >> say that again. >> he's going to leave the area where he was at. >> mailing area? >> yeah, where you get your mail at. >> i'll make sure that everybody understands what you're saying. did you say he said he was going to leave the mailing area where he's at? >> yes. >> okay. what did you take that to mean? >> that he's leaving the area. he say he's going to start walking home. >> okay. then what happened? >> so then we started talking about something else, about the all-star game -- >> what? >> the all-star game. telling me to go check for him if it's on. >> okay. so mr. martin told you he was leaving the mailing area where he was at. >> yeah, and then -- >> you started talking about something else? >> yeah. >> what did you and mr. martin talk about? >> the all-star game. >> the all-star game meaning what? >> the basketball all-star game that was happening that day.

>> okay. then happened? >> then he said he's still following me now. >> that he's still following him? okay. did he use a word to describe that? >> let's go slowly. now the [ bleep ] still following. >> pardon my language, but did he use the word to describe the man now? >> yes, that slang. >> that slang? >> yeah. >> and he said use the "n" word to describe the man following him still? >> yeah, now following him. >> now following him. >> yeah. >> okay. what i want you to do, rachel -- >> one second, please. yes, ma'am? >> now follow? i'm sorry, i just didn't hear. >> okay. one more time. please give that answer again. >> he said he told me now the man start following him.

>> okay. we can't ask questions. if you can't understand, just raise your hand. >> i apologize, your honor. we have an obstruction view. i'm going to wait for mr. wests to reposition himself. >> your honor, i think the witness changed her answer from the first time. could we have it read back rather than having the answer just repeated differently? >> we are listening into rachel gentle. she was the young lady on the phone with trayvon martin. lisa bloom, give us perspective on what's going on. >> this is a witness who's a little bit hard to understand and hard to follow. so the attorneys are asking her the same question over and over. the defense is sometimes

standing up and trying to get clarity. the story that she's essentially telling is she was on the phone with trayvon martin as he was walking through the community. he said he was being followed and left the mailbox area for another area. that's where we are now. >> we're going to go back, but i want to point out quickly in another case, patriots tying end aaron hernandez was just charged with murder. we'll follow that story. let's go back to court in sanford. >> he just told me -- and i just told him run. >> you told him to run? >> yeah. >> what, if anything, did mr. martin say? >> he said, no, he almost right there. >> he said -- >> he almost right by his daddy fiance house. >> so mr. martin, you told him to run. he said, no, he's almost by his daddy's -- >> i object. it's a misstatement of the -- >> okay. please sit down. could you please give your

answer again? you have to say it slowly and loudly. okay? >> yeah. >> thank you. >> here's what you need to do. move that microphone if you could a little closer. the one in the middle, the smaller one -- you have two of them. i don't know if that's working. >> that's not the one. bobby, could you lift the other one up just a little bit? >> is >> lisa, are these witnesses coached at all by prosecution? >> of course, they are walkinged through their testimony. let me tell you as a practicing attorney for many, many years, we take our witnesses as we find them. we tell people to speak clearly, to stick to the story. they get on the stand and they do what they're going to do. in her defense, she's a 19-year-old girl. i'm sure she's very nervous testifying in a high-profile trial. >> all right. let's listen in. thank you, lisa. >> stop a second. >> wait, wait. he's going to run from the back? >> yeah, run from the back. i said, oh, and then a second

later, he said he might run from the back, then i start hearing wind, then the phone just shut off. i had called back -- >> let me stop a second, make sure everybody's got it. there's some people writing down notes. take your time. >> then the phone just shut off. then i had called back. he answered. >> okay. the phone -- >> wait, wait, wait. the phone just shut off, then i had called back and he answered? >> yes. >> okay. let me interrupt you a second. when you say the phone cut off, meaning your connection with mr. martin? >> cut off. he started running from the back area. >> and do you call him back, or did he call you back? >> i call him back. >> and when you called him back, were you able to start talking to him on the phone? >> yeah. >> did mr. martin when you called him back, did you say something to mr. martin, or did

he say something to you? take your time when you're answering. >> he said -- i asked him where he at. he told me he at the back of his daddy fiance house, like in the area where his daddy fiance buy his daddy fiance house. i said, oh, you better keep running. he said, no, he lost him. >> okay. let me stop you a second. this lady's got to take everything down. so after he said he lost him, what happened then? >> he say he by the area that his daddy house is -- his daddy fiance house is. i told him keep running. he said no, he'll just walk faster. i'm like, oh, and i -- he was breathing hard, so i understand why. >> what happened after that? >> a second later, trayvon say, oh, shit.

>> a couple seconds later -- >> a couple seconds later, trayvon say, oh, shit. >> when you say the words "oh, shit," pardon my language, who said that? >> trayvon. >> he said it to you? >> yeah. >> what happened then? >> he said the [ bleep ] behind me. >> okay. he used the "n" word again and said -- >> told me he almost by his daddy fiance house. i said, oh, and then i just closed my room door that connects to my door in the bathroom. >> let me make sure the jury understands that. you're not talking to mr. martin at that time. you're actually in a room, and you did what in your house? >> i was in my bathroom. i was trying to fix my hair for school the next day.

>> okay. how were you able to talk and fix your hair at the same time? >> on bluetooth. >> you were on bluetooth? >> bluetooth. >> so while you were talking to him, you had a bluetooth connection. >> yes. >> did you say, hold on, i'm going to fix my hair, or you just did it? >> i just did it. the phone just in my pocket. >> okay. what happened then after you went to another room, closed the door, and fixed your hair? >> i just closed the door. >> i'm sorry, you closed the door? >> yeah. >> are you still talking to him at this point? >> yeah. >> okay. tell us what happened then. >> then i say, trayvon, and then he said, why are you following me for? i heard a hard-breathed man come and say, what you doing around here? >> and then i say trayvon, and he said, why are you following me for? then i heard a -- >> hard-breathing man saying what you doing around here? >> a hard-breathing man saying -- >> what you doing around here?

>> is what you just told us a conversation you're having with trayvon or travon is having with somebody else? >> having with somebody else. >> that's what you're hearing. >> yeah. >> okay. then what happened? >> then i started saying, trayvon, trayvon, what's going on? i heard a bump. i had a feeling it was a bump because trayvon had a headset. >> you heard a bump? >> yeah, a bump. >> what did you assume that was? >> the headset. >> okay. what happened then? >> i started hearing wet grass sound. >> what do you mean you heard grass sound? >> like grass, wet grass. >> okay. then what happened? >> then i was called trayvon, trayvon. i started hearing a little bit of trayvon saying get off, get off. >> okay. let me stop you a second. you heard a grass sound, and the you said something. what did you say? >> i was trying to say trayvon, trayvon, what's going on?

>> what did you hear? >> trayvon -- i kind of heard trayvon saying get off, get off. >> then what did you hear? >> suddenly the phone hung up. the phone shut off. >> okay. when the phone shut off, what happened then? >> i had to call him back. >> you called trayvon martin back? >> yes. >> were you able to talk to him again? >> no. >> did he, trayvon martin, ever call you back? >> no. >> did you ever talk to trayvon martin again? >> no. >> at some point you found out trayvon martin had been killed, is that correct? >> yeah.

>> okay. do you recall in relation to that sunday when you had a phone call with him when it was approximately that you found out that something had happened to trayvon martin? >> it was a rumor monday when i went to school. >> i'm sorry, it was a rumor -- >> that sunday he passed. monday it was a rumor going around his school. i have friends that go to his school. saying that he passed away. i didn't believe it. >> let me interrupt you a second. at school people were saying something happened to him? >> yeah, that he died. >> and you did not believe it? >> uh-huh. >> when did you officially find out that he was dead? >> that tuesday afternoon. >> and do you recall how you found out that he died? >> because my friend had sent me -- >> okay.

>> um -- a text of an article. >> okay. so you found out in the media or people told you. >> yeah, my friend send a text of an article saying trayvon name, that he died. and i had asked her what time that he died. i had looked at my phone. my phone said 7:16 that the phone hung up. >> okay. so you found out that trayvon martin was dead, and you were trying to figure out whether in relation to the last time you spoke to him? >> yeah, i was trying to figure out how he died. like, it was just -- >> it was just? >> how he died, you know, just a fight the last time i had talked to him, a fight that broke out. >> you stated a fight broke out. tell us what you mean by that. tell the jury what you mean by that. >> it was just a fight broke

out. it was not -- just a fight broke out. i had thought he was already by his daddy house, that somebody would come help him because you could have heard sounds and stuff. i thought the daddy was there. >> you didn't realize that it the last time he spoke to him was the day he died? >> yeah. >> okay. at some point did trayvon martin's dad call you up and tell you in terms of figuring out you were the last person to have spoken to him on the phone? >> yes. >> now, ma'am, did you find out that trayvon martin had a wake or a funeral too? >> yes. >> okay. and you did not go to that, correct? >> no. >> okay. when trayvon martin's dad called

you up, did you tell him that you were the last person to have talked to him? are you all right? do you need to take a break? >> no, no. >> okay. do you want some water or something? >> no. >> okay. at some point you found out that people wanted to talk to you about this case, about what you had heard. >> when his father called? >> yes. >> really, i did not know if i was any way in this case. my friend jacob tell me, and they say they had got the man. i said okay. >> you'll have to repeat the last part. >> she went to the wake. >> a friend of yours went to the wake? >> yeah, like some of my friends went to the wake.

they said his body was there, that his body -- he dead, he dead. >> okay. why didn't you go to the wake and to the funeral? >> i didn't want to -- >> i'm sorry, what? >> i didn't want to see the body. >> you didn't want to see the body? >> no. >> you ended up speaking to trayvon martin's mother and to parents, right? >> yes. >> okay.

and -- did you end up lying about not going, why you didn't go to the wake, the funeral? >> yes. >> and why did you lie about not going to the funeral or to the wake? >> i felt guilty. >> felt guilty about what? >> by them finding out i was the last person who -- that i was the last person who talked to they son. >> say it again. >> that i was the last person to talk to they son. and i didn't go to the wake --

>> since that time, have you heard a recording, telephone recording where there's cries for help and then a shot? have you heard that on tv and stuff? >> yes. >> okay. the cries for help, are you able to say whose voice that is or voices that is? >> trayvon. it sound like trayvon's. >> if i could have a moment, your honor. i don't have any further questions. thank you. >> thank you. cross? >> at this time we would like to take a short break for pempb. >> you okay with we take a short break? >> yeah. >> okay. ladies and gentlemen, we'll take a 15-minute recess. >> okay. we're seeing now a short break.

this is the 19-year-old, as you heard there, who was the last person to speak with trayvon martin. you may have heard the tail end of the questioning, where she was asked to explain why she lied about not going to the wake. this will be relevant in the cross-examination. lisa bloom says that the attorneys representing george zimmerman will hone in on this because this is a credibility question. this young lady did not give an honest answer when asked why she did not attend the wake. she told investigators she was actually at the hospital when in fact you heard her testify that she felt guilty that she did not attend to pay her respects, so she made up this story. cross-examination will start. in the meanwhile, i'll send it over to my colleagues at "the cycle." [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. 100% vegetable juice, with three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle.