tv Politics Nation MSNBC February 18, 2014 3:00pm-4:01pm PST
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illustrates the intensity and the passion that is behind this issue. and i do think, and i'll talk more about this next week when i come back from nebraska that this is going to have an impact on the midterms, if the decision comes before the mid terms. joe romm, thanks for your time the. that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. the retrial of michael dunn. as both sides get ready for what could be a second murder trial, we're learning more about what dunn was thinking and saying while he was in jail. newly released phone calls and letters reveal some disturbing comments dunn made after he shot and killed jordan davis. dunn repeatedly says he fired in self-defense, and insisted he was the victim. here is part of one phone call
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to his fiancee. >> i'm the victim here. i was the one that was being preyed upon, and i fought back. >> right. >> and, then, you know, it's not quite the same, but it made me think of like the old tv shows and movies where, like, how the police used to think when a chick got raped. oh, it was her fault because of the way she was dressed. >> right. and i'm like -- so it's my fault because i asked them to turn their music down. >> he is comparing himself to a rape victim who was blamed for what happened? and that wasn't the only time he called himself a victim. >> you know, i was thinking about that today. i'm the [ bleep ] victim here. i was the one who was victimized. i mean, i don't know -- how i'm
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to put it. like they attacked me. i'm the victim. i'm the victor, but i was the victim too. >> i'm the victor, but i was the victim too. what about jordan davis, who would have turned 19 years old this week? jordan's parents certainly think he's the victim in this case. and here is what dunn said about his fellow inmates. >> so being in a room by myself kind of sucks, but i guess it'd be better than being in a room with them animals. >> well, you know, they probably wouldn't think too highly about what is going on. and so it is best, but i can only imagine. >> he called the other people in jail animals, and that's not all. in a letter from jail, dunn wrote, quote, we were talking about how racist the blacks are up here. the more time i'm exposed to
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these people, the more prejudiced against them i become. and, quote, this gangster rap ghetto talking thug culture that certain segments of society flock to is intolerable. these phone calls and letters are shocking, but none of them were part of the trial. the judge ruled they were irrelevant because they came after the shooting. but prosecutors say they'll pursue a new trial. does that mean we could see a new ruling? what about new arguments, new strategies? how will both sides adjust to a new jury? joining me now are former prosecutor faith jenkins, florida criminal defense lawyer ken padowitz, and former prosecutor marcia clark. she is also the author of "killer ambition." thank you all for being here. >> thank you, reverend. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> faith, let me good to you first. lawyers may understand why the
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judge would not let jurors see these letters and hear these phone calls. but to regular everyday people, it seems to defy common sense. can you explain this, why the judge wouldn't let the jurors hear and read this? >> well, yes. prior to the trial, dunn's attorney filed a motion to address these issues with the judge and try to keep all of the statements and phone calls out of court. he said that they were too inflammatory. they would be unfairly prejudicial, and it would be impermissible character evidence against dunn. the judge essentially made a judgment call here. the prosecutors argued that these statements went to michael dunn's state of mind even on the night of the shooting when he used the term "thug music" before he started shooting. so they argue that these statements were evidence of a certain racial animus and bias that he held. and therefore he wanted to use them. the judge ruled that the
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prosecutors could use some statements and not others. and they gave them an opportunity to perhaps use them on cross-examination if dunn took the witness stand and testified and somehow opened the door. but in the end, the judge decided that allowing all of that evidence in would probably be unfairly prejudicial, and he went and erred on the side of caution and not having this issue that could be brought up on appeal, essentially. >> marcia, other quotes from letters that dunn wrote from jail letter are now public. he says, quote, this jail is full of blacks, and they all act like thugs. another quote. this may sound a bit radical, but if more people would arm themselves and kill these idiots when they're threatening you, eventually they may take the hint and change their behavior. arm themselves and kill these idiots, marcia. >> yes. >> don't comments like this shed some light on dunn's state of mind when he shot and killed
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jordan davis, who was not armed? >> that would certainly be my argument, reverend. this shows a state of mind that is actually helpful to prove premeditation. it might even be a state of mind helpful to prove a hate crime. and perhaps the prosecution will rethink the charges that they bring if they go back and they go for a retrial, they can add charges, especially if they florida procedure and add a hate crime. this seems to indicate there is some basis for it, but at a bare minimum. it certainly shows a state of mind that is highly relevant to premeditation and deliberation. they should arm themselves and kill these thugs, and he is talking about thug music. let's not forget, he is the one who provoked this confrontation. when i hear him say he was the victim, excuse me? you're the one, sir, who went over to the car and started complaining about the music. they didn't go to you. so don't talk to me about a victim. and certainly don't compare yourself to a rape victim. >> now, ken, this young man was
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unarmed as far as we know. of course we're told by mr. dunn, he had a gun, no one ever found a gun, no one corroborated a gun and he never told anyone, including his fiancee about a gun. so how he comes back as a victim, we don't know. prosecutors charged dunn with first-degree murder. but they needed in charging him with first-degree murder to prove premeditated design. to cause the death and convince 12 people of the jury of that. for second-degree murder, they need to show proof of depraved mind, but no premeditation. and in florida, there would have been only six people on the jury. should angela corey change the charge to just second-degree murder or manslaughter? >> well, the state attorney in jacksonville, angela corey held a press conference, and she defended her charges in this
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case from the grand jury and defended the first-degree murder charge. you know, she can defend all she wants. this isn't open to argument anymore. it's already settled. 12 people sitting on a jury sent her a message. we might as well put it in blinking lights in times square in new york that message is count 2, count 3, count 4, we're not buying attempted first-degree murder. we're coming back lesser. we find a reasonable doubt on attempted first-degree murder. so they came back with the lesser crime, the lesser included attempt of second-degree murder. so the message is clear the state attorney's office in jacksonville overcharged this case. they could have charged second-degree murder. they would have gotten a conviction for second-degree murder. and the jury has already sent a verdict and the message to angela corey, you've overcharged on counts 2, 3, and 4. we're coming back attempted second-degree murder, not attempted first-degree murder that you got an indictment for. so it's clear here. angela corey is probably not going to change the charges at
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this point in time. she is going to maintain that she made no error, and she is going to go forward on the charges that were originally placed before this jury. >> now, faith, state attorney angela corey did say she hopes to speak with some of the jurors. watch. this. >> you all heard the judge say the jurors are at liberty to speak with whomever they please. so we hope to hear on them on what we could do better. well frequently have had cases where a juror will call the office and say i'd like to call you what we talked about back there. >> now, how could talking with the jury and the jurors affect with a she goes in the second case, faith? >> you have another opportunity here, essentially a second bite at the an toll get justice for jordan davis. so they should absolutely talk to the jurors and find out what the hangup was for this hung jury. did some jurors actually buy into and credit dunn's story of self-defense? or is it perhaps as what ken just discussed, was it a
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discussion or a debate between first degree, second degree or manslaughter? so you want to get into the minds of those jurors, find out where the conflict was, what was the reason that they couldn't come to an agreement. why did the jury hang on that top count and make a decision and perhaps adjust your strategy going forward into the second trial. >> marcia, i'd be very interested in your thoughts on this. you've been a prosecutor. would you try it again on murder one, or would you drop to murder two, or would you have stayed at murder two in the first place? >> reverend, i would certainly proceed with murder one. i think there is ample evidence here for murder one. i disagree with ken. i don't think that the verdict finding attempted second-degree murder is a dismissal of the first -- murder in the first degree because the intent is different. the intent that he had with respect to davis, the actual victim and the one that he fought with is one thing. the intent he had with respect to others in the car whom he confronted belatedly and probably didn't realize were
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there is a different thing. the fact that the jury did not acquit him of first-degree murder is telling. i'd like to know what the count was. i'd like to know how the jury hung. was it 11-1? was it 11-1 for conviction on first degree? we don't know that. but the fact that the jury left the first degree on the table and did not acquit him of it is to me evidence that they should proceed wit. i certainly would. >> now, ken, what do you think the defense will do differently? if you were defending dunn, what would you do differently? >> well, they're definitely going to do the same exact thing the prosecutors are going to do. they're going to wait to hear and see if any of the jurors speak up. if they give a window to both the prosecution and the defense as to what was going on in that jury room and in the minds of the jurors. what evidence was important to them, what cross-examination or direct was important? what was said in opening statements during the trial that they hung on to or that they rejected? so all these things are a good
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defense attorney is going to examine closely if one of the jurors speak out in public and tell what's was going on in there. and they're going to dissect their case and adjust it accordingly if they get that information. >> faith, the state attorney corey has said, quote, we intend to fully push for a trial right here in jacksonville, duval county, florida. everyone in jacksonville knows about the case. everyone in duval county knows about the case and probably has an opinion. should she move for a change in venue for the retrial? >> it's something that she will consider, and i'm sure that corey will consider it as well. the ultimate question will be can they find jurors that are fair and impartial and decide the case on the evidence in spite of all the media coverage. and that's going to be the judge's decision and up to the judge to use his disskregz in determining that. if she has the confidence that there are people in the community that can come in, listen to the evidence, listen to the arguments, and they need to be really careful in jury
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selection this next time around. they have an opportunity here to really vet these jurors. they know how that there are going to be some issues that come up, some stereotypes and some narrative that is going to be formed by the defendant to these jurors. they need to be very careful now with selecting jurors this next time around. if they believe that they can get jurors that are fair and impartial and decide the case based on the evidence which is overwhelmingly in favor of the prosecution, then they have no reason to leave jacksonville and that county. >> faith jenkins, ken padowitz and marcia clark, thank you all for your time tonight. >> thank you. coming up, fighting to stop the injustice of stand your ground. will michael dunn's mistrial finally end this unfair law? and a deeper look at our criminal justice system. we'll talk live to a man freed after six years in prison for shooting a man who attacked him with a knife. why didn't the jury accept his claim of self-defense?
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also, big developments in the christie bridge scandal. i'll talk to the lawmaker leading the investigation. and my meeting with president obama and civil rights leaders today. what we are doing to advance the dream. it's a big show ahead. stay with us. body pain? back pain? try bayer back and body. it's bayer aspirin plus a special pain relief booster, to relieve sore backs and soothe aching muscles fast. get moving again, with bayer back and body. every second -- we chip away. at advancing safety with technology, like seeing every curve, even when you don't, being a second set of eyes, or having stopping power when you need it most. it's not intuition, it's intelligence. this is the new 2014 jeep grand cherokee. it is the best of what we're made of.
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after the michael dunn verdict, americans are looking once again at the stand your ground law. it's confusing, confounding, unfair, and unjust. even many judges and lawyers are against it. and now there is a new fight to roll it back in the state where it all began, florida. that's next. you stopped by the house? uh-huh. yea. alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape?
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in the aftermath of the michael dunn verdict, everyone i see is asking me how did we get here? how did we get a law that says if you reasonably feel threatened, you have no duty to retreat before using deadly force? here is how. the law was actually created by the national rifle association. yes, the nra is the driving force behind the law. in fact, florida legislators admitted they, quote, lifted the law's language from a proposal crafted by marion hammer, a former nra president.
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here is the photo of then florida governor jeb bush signing the law. and who is next to him? marion hammer, then president of the nra. so florida was the first state to add the stand your ground language to its books in 2005. since then, it quickly spread across the country to 24 other states. but in florida alone, i think you can say inconsistencies in the application of the law. so what do we do? how do we fight for change? we've seen peaceful protests, including this one at the jacksonville gas station where jordan davis was gunned down. and in response to the dunn trial, one florida lawmaker is already working to repeal the law. joining me now is that florida state representative, allen williams, and lisa bloom, legal
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analyst for avo.com and author of "suspicion nation: the inside story of the trayvon martin injustice and why we continue to repeat it." >> thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> representative williams, what have you done in response to the dunn mistrial? >> well, i will tell you today we had a groundbreaking development in what we believe will hopefully change the moment here in the state of florida. today the vice-chairman of the task force that governor scott commissioned about a year and a half ago when the lieutenant governor was also named the chairman, the vice-chairman of that committee, reverend r.b. holmes here in tallahassee has called for a repeal of the law. before that task force came out that. >> talked about some recommendations that the governor had provided no leadership on, even in past
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session. so today reverend holmes, along with attorney benjamin crump, we stood together in front of the governor's office calling on the governor for him to provide leadership. if this bill cannot be repaired, if this law cannot be repealed, we need to repair it. you know, we cannot wait to go to the ballot box to change the law, because we got too many folks that are being placed in casket boxes here in florida. so it's up to the governor to provide leadership. you know, a few years ago when the casey anthony trial was on display in front of the world, less than a year later we had caylee's law. and the legislature and the governor asked. so we're asking for the governor to do the same thing now. he can use his bully pulpit to make sure. >> and that's a major development, because reverend holmes was on the committee that they had looking for this. i know him very well, have worked with him, and work with him. and for him who had been part of
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that task force to come out, should at least be something the governor cannot ignore. >> well, you know, last year they put a bill out, senator simmons, who is the state senator for where the tragedy took place in sanford. he put the bill out. our governor provided no leadership. never called a speaker, never called the senate president to say move this bill forward. he did that for a number of other bills, but he didn't do it for the bill for the task force that he commissioned. and so, you know, we're just fed up here in florida. we're tired of politics as usual. we know that young men are -- don't even make it to their 18th birthday, reverend al. so we're trying to make sure that these young men there is a voice for them. and that's what we're doing every day here in the legislature. i will say there is some movement in the florida house, and there is some movement in the florida senate to at least repair the law. my colleagues, senator chris smith, along with representative
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bruce antone from orlando, they're working to do just that. >> now, let me ask you, lisa, i want to show you a graph that really caught my eye. it shows justifiable homicides after stand your ground. here are the murders in florida from 2000 to 2005. in april of 2005, stand your ground was signed into law. check out the spike in homicides after stand your ground became law, lisa. tell me what the graph shows you. >> yes. well, it shows the huge increase in justifiable homicides. translation, people shooting and killing other people and getting away with it, without any legal accountability. and i have a chapter about this in my book. it's not just florida. you see that pattern repeated in all the stand your ground states. and you don't see it in the nonstand your ground states where the numbers stay roughly flat. so we are talking about a real body count here. >> so let me stop you right
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just satisfy our macho impulses and have the feeling that we can walk around with a gun and shoot back if we feel somebody is aggressive towards us? because that's what stand your ground allows. >> and even lawyers and judges are questioning this law. state representative alan williams, and lisa bloom, i'm going to have to leave there it. thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you for having me, reverend al. we're going keep fighting to make sure this law gets changed. >> yes, sir. still ahead, i'll talk to man freed after more than six years in prison for shooting a man who attacked him with a knife. why didn't a jury accept his claim of self-defense? where is the justice in our criminal justice system? also, big developments in the chris christie bridge scandal. two former christie allies are refusing to cooperate. we'll talk to the lawmaker leading the investigation, live. [ fishing rod casting line, marching band playing ]
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we cannot have a law on the books that i believe emboldens people into confrontation. i call stand your ground a shoot first, ask questions later law. what kind of message does it send to potential shooters? what kind of message does it send to our kids? this political cartoon in the miami herald really struck a cord with me. it called standing their ground, and it shows a cemetery with phrases like "wore a hoodie"," played music too loud," looked like a thug, looked threatening. that's not justice. somethings that to be done to change this law. so the timing could not have been better for meet agent the white house today with civil rights leaders.
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i brought up the stand your ground law and how we must protect our kids, all kids in america. more on the meeting ha and what we'll do moving ahead on many fronts, ahead. [ female announcer ] crest presents: crest 3d white whitestrips vs. a whitening pen. i feel like my lips are going to, like, wash it off. these fit nicely. [ female announcer ] crest 3d white whitestrips keep the whitening ingredient in place, guaranteeing professional level results. crest whitestrips. the way to whiten. guaranteeing professional level results. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain.
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if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. the michael dunn mistrial has once again shined a light on self-defense laws and whether they are applied fairly or unfairly. take the case of john mcneil. he claims self-defense, but was sentenced to life in prison for shooting brian epp, a contractor who threatened mcneil and his family. it all began in 2005 when john mcneil and his wife hired epp's construction company to build their new house. over time, mcneil says epp became increasingly threatening. one day john mcneil's 15-year-old son called to say that a man was on their property, threatening him with a box cutter. mcneil recognized that man's voice over the phone.
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it was epp. he told his son to go inside and wait while he called 911 and headed home. when mcneil arrived home, epp was next door grabbing something from his truck and stuffing it in his pocket. mcneil jumped out of the car and fired a warning shot at the ground, insisting that epp back off. instead of retreating, epp charged at mcneil. mcneil fired again, this time fatally striking epp in the head. witnesses confirmed the story. and police ruled the shooting self-defense. but 274 days later, the local d.a. charged mcneil with murder. he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. for years, his wife fought for his release, despite her own battle with breast cancer. >> i stand here today because my husband is not a murderer.
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he is a homeowner. he is a homeowner who knows his right to protect our home. he is a homeowner and a father who knows his right to protect their child. and he is a citizen, an african american citizen, an american who lost the right to protect and defend himself on our own property. >> john mcneil was eventually given a plea deal, making him a free man after more than six years behind bars. but his release came just ten days after the death of his beloved wife. >> i'm breathing love. i'm breathing family. i'm breathing sun, friends, breathing, getting myself back together, getting back to establishing to the communities. i lost my best friend.
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my lover, my wife, my everything. >> john mcneil won his freedom, but he paid the price. and now we're all wondering what happened to the justice in our criminal justice system? where was john mcneil's right to self-defense? joining me now is john mcneil and irving joyner, a law professional who acted as an adviser to the mcneil legal team. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> thank you for having us. >> there mr. al sharpton for having us. and i want to also thank the north carolina naacp and the georgia state naacp as well for their fight along with my late wife, anita mcneil. you're looking at a miracle here. and i believe that if it hadn't been for these guys fighting and believing in me and my family
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and what was done unjustly to me and my family, i wouldn't be sitting before you right now, speaking with you. >> well, reverend william barber from north carolina has certainly been on me about this case. let me ask you first of all. we're certainly sorry about your loss. it's exactly one year since your release. how you doing? how are you coming back? >> it's still hard. i can sit here before you right now and say going into a difficult situation such as being incarcerated and coming out and acting as if you can jump right back into society, it's hard. i'm sitting here before you telling it's hard. and it's still hard even to this day. >> now, do you think you got equal treatment under the law in this case? did self-defense claim get as much respect as someone else's? >> i don't really feel -- if we
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get over talking about the logistics of it, i would have to ask the lawyer, mr. joyner to comment. but i don't think justice was served. >> let me ask you, irving. this seems like a clear case of self-defense. why were charges pursued? first police said it was self-defense. then 274 days later, the d.a. comes in. why do you think the d.a. didn't charge sooner? why 274 days later, irving? >> well, the was very clear that john mcneil acted in self-defense. and there is probably not a more perfect case of self-defense than what we have here. we don't know what factors led the d.a. to eventually bring these murder charges, but they did. and the system was spewed with racism throughout. we ended up with a jury of ten
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whites and two blacks, and they just ignored what was obviously a perfect self-defense and john mcneil should never have spent a day in jail or in prison. >> now other people who hired epp had testify they'd were scared of him. one said, quote, it got to the point where my wife and i were in total fear of this man. and just as a precaution, i carried a gun. irving, wouldn't this have been important in proving mr. mcneil's belief that he felt threatened? >> yes. it would have. but that wasn't even necessary in this case, because all of the witnesses who observed what had occurred concurred with mr. mcneil in his scenario of how he was threatened, how he was placed in fear and apprehension from a man charging at him, and
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that his only option was to use a fatal force. >> charging at him with a knife? >> with a box cutter. >> john, given your own experience, do you feel as if self-defense laws have protected people fairly, regardless of race? >> no, i do not. because if it had, i would have never went to prison in the first place. and also, looking at what had took place you would have thought if there was the law and it was on the books, it should apply to every american, not just one side american or one culture. >> let me ask you this, john, before we run out of time. your wife showed great culture. never gave up, fought all the way to the end. tell us in america something about the courage of this woman. >> well, you're looking at a
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legendary, she was an angel. she believed in this fight, and she believed in me as her husband, as a human being. and she also believed in herself and she believed in her family. her thing was if you don't support family and you can't protect your family, then what good is america? it's supposed to be for everybody, not just one-sided. and she believed in it and she died for it. that's the one thing that hurts me more and more to know that she fought as hard as she fought and that she gave up the fight before i could get a chance to thank her personally. and i got out on the 10th -- i mean, on the 12th, excuse me. and i got to visit her in the funeral home on the 13th. and then we laid her to rest on valentine's day on the 14th. you know, that's the way to remember somebody who worked so hard and fought so hard and i couldn't get the opportunity to thank her while she still was living.
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>> john mcneil, irving joyner, thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> thank you. >> and john, thanks for sharing your story with us tonight. >> thank you so much, mr. sharpton. >> we'll be right back. no two people have the same financial goals. pnc investments works with you to understand yours and helps plan for your retirement. talk to a pnc investments financial advisor today. ♪
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[prof. burke] at farmers,we make you smarter e. [bell rings] about your insurance,because what you don't know can hurt you. what if you didn't know that home insurance can keep your stuff covered,even when it's not at home? or that collisions with wildlife on the road may not be covered. and what if you didn't know that you could be liable for any accidents on your property? the more you know,the better you can plan for what's ahead. talk to farmers and get smarter about your insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum - pa - dum, bum - bum - bum - bum♪ the chris christie bridge scandal exploded over one month ago with that notorious e-mail, "time for some traffic problems in ft. lee." we still don't know why it was
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sent, and who else knew. today big news involving the author of that e-mail. former christie deputy chief of staff bridget kelly, under pressure to hand over documents. her lawyer once again says she won't comply with the subpoena. we also learned bill stepien, christie's former campaign manager is refusing to comply. they're both potentially critical figures to unlocking this mystery. and yet both are still taking the fifth. however, lawmakers are getting more information from david wildstein, the official who ordered the lane closing. newly uncensored messages are currently under review by the investigatory committee. 45 pages of documents wildstein originally submitted contained redactions. a month after this broke, it's still a mystery. where is this investigation headed? and what's next for those
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refusing to cooperate? joining me now, new jersey democratic assemblyman john wisniewski, the co-chair of the select committee investigating the bridge scandal. thank you for being here, assemblyman. >> thank you, reverend. >> how will you respond to bridget kelly and bill stepien refusing to comply? >> well, we've sent them our message that we reviewed their objections and that our counsel has reviewed those objections, and that while we understand that their lawyers are doing their job, that those objections are not objections that the committee will except, and we expect compliance. we heard from one of the person's attorney today. we heard from mr. stepien's counsel. and we expect that ultimately we'll get these documents. but i think the process has to work itself out. >> what will you do next? contempt charges? what happens next? >> well, our next step is to
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advise them that we insist on the production. we don't have any expectation based on the letter we received today that that's going do it. so we're going to consult with counsel and take the next appropriate legal steps that the committee feels is going to result in us getting the documents. look, i understand why their attorneys are making the objections they're making. we just don't believe that ultimately those objections really stand up to scrutiny, and that the documents are important for the committee's investigation. they help answer a very basic question, which is why on earth would bridget kelly send the e-mail that she did. it doesn't make sense. somebody else had to have been involved in nose discussions. we just don't know who. well don't know for what purpose, and we would like to find out. >> in rejecting the subpoena demand, bill stepien's lawyer wrote that the matter should go to court. let me quote him. i respectfully suggest seeking a judicial determination. is this headed to court,
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assemblyman? >> it may ultimately head to court. i think if there can't be agreement between counsel, if there can't be agreement between the parties, it's going to have to be resolved in that fashion. i don't want to prejudge anything and predict where this is going to wind up. my hope is that we can reason with their attorneys and convince them of the importance, the vast public importance in us getting this material so we can solve this mystery. but ultimately, we'll have to pursue the legal remedies that are available to the committee if they refuse to cooperate. >> now let me move to david wildstein a minute. >> sure. >> have you seen the unredacted documents from david wildstein? and can you tell us what is in these documents? >> well, let me tell you where we're at. counsel has reviewed them, and under an agreement with mr. wildstein's attorney, he has reviewed those documents and has expressed to mr. wildstein's attorney that while many of the redactions make sense from the standpoint that they're either outside the time frame of material the committee sought or
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outside subject matter the committee sought, there are a number of documents we believe should be part of the committee's record, and we're in discussions with mr. wildstein's council. we're hopeful that we'll get those documents, that he'll agree to voluntarily turn them over. so i don't want to prejudge exactly what is going to happen there. but i think the dialogue is productive, and we're hopeful that we'll get those documents as part of our record very soon. >> david wildstein will talk with the immunity he says. where does that stand? >> well, it's been pointed out, and pointed out by mr. wildstein's attorney that his concern was what federal investigators may take a position on or perhaps what the state attorney general may take a position on. so his concern was not so much with regard to the committee, but with regard to other investigatory agencies. i'm sure that he is having discussions. i'm not aware of them. but i think that is something that he is looking for from, for instance, the u.s. attorney, not from this committee.
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>> now, there are new questions about the role of state senator kevin o'toole. >> sure shirks a republican on your committee. >> right. >> "the bergen record" reports on what happened after bill baroni's november 5th testimony about a traffic study. quote, baroni texted wildstein afterward looking for feedback from officials in trenton. during that exchange, wildstein told baroni o'toole's statement ready. so it appears senator o'toole was communicating david wildstein, communicating with him the very day bill baroni testified before your committee. >> right. senator o'toole had an opinion piece that appeared in an online blog site several hours after mr. baroni's testimony concluded that day. i'm aware of the controversy that has been raised by that and some of the calls that have been made about his service on the committee. look. i've got to work with -- >> but that same day,
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assemblyman, there was a critical piece on the -- o'toole's website criticizing the hearing. >> correct that piece that is on his website also appeared in a new jersey political blog that carried that piece. but my point is. this i've got to work with senator o'toole. he is a member of the committee. i don't do the appointing of the member to the committee. as long as he is a member of the committee, i have to work with him. i'm aware of the controversy. my hope is senator o'toole can clear this up by explaining what happened and providing all the cooperation the committee seeks. >> assembly man john wisniewski, thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend. ahead, more on my meeting with president obama and other civil rights leaders today. and here is jimmy! jimmy fallon takes the tonight show stage. and with the help of will smith, brings us the evolution of hip-hop. that's next. so ally bank really has no hidden fees on savings accounts?
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♪ >> we hope the first lady michelle obama brings her best dance moves this thursday when she is a tonight show guest. we'll be watching. well, i found this new thing called... [ dennis' voice ] allstate quickfoto claim. [ normal voice ] it's an app. you understand that? just take photos of the damage with your phone and upload them to allstate. really? so you get [dennis' voice] a quicker estimate, quicker payment, [normal voice] quicker back to normal. i just did it. but maybe you can find an app that will help you explain this to your...father. [ vehicle approaches ] [ dennis ] introducing quickfoto claim.
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with limited availability in select markets. ♪ but then it goes to the closet...to die. so try glow unstopables. they fill your closet with scents so fresh they last for 12 weeks! downy unstopables. try with downy infusions. this is mike. his long race day starts with back pain... ...and a choice. take 4 advil in a day which is 2 aleve... ...for all day relief. "start your engines" finally tonight, advancing the dream. earlier today, i was at the white house with other civil rights leaders meeting with president obama and attorney general holder. we covered a range of concerns, fighting for jobs, training worker, boosting the minimum
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wage, fighting for voting rights. and the issue of the criminal justice problems in america. three days after the dunn mistrial, we had an opportunity to talk about the issues facing our community. i brought up the stand your ground law and the message it sends. after the zimmerman verdict last summer, the president talked about his own personal experiences with race. >> there are very few african american men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping at a department store. that includes me. there are very few african american men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. that happens to me, at least before i was a senator. >> my colleagues of other civil rights organizations as they're
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being presidents and a president of mine firmly laid out our concerns. the president firmly took his positions and the administration's record in jobs, in training, in health care, in issues of civil rights as we continue to move forward to secure and sustain and protect civil rights for all americans. just remember, really maintaining civil rights does not just come from the white house. it comes by and it comes from what you and i do in our houses as well. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. bullying the witnesses? let's play "hardball." >> good evening. i'm chris
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