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Rochester Police Department Accused of Racism; Polygamist Warren Jeffs Sent to Prison for Life; Accused Murderer Used Gay Panic Defense; Judge Sentenced in Cash-for-Kids Conviction; Memphis Police Accuse 17-Year-Old Boy of Murder
Aired August 13, 2011 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to Ames, Iowa, everyone, where voting has just ended in the closely watched GOP straw poll.
I am Don Lemon, it is a beautiful, yet windy day here on the campus of Iowa State University. You can see the crowd of supporters are gathering around, they have been here all day, or they have been here all week getting ready for this. You know, this is one of the earliest tests for the Republicans seeking the oval office in 2012. I want to tell you who voters are choosing from right now.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul, businessman Herman Cain, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. That is definitely a mouthful, you know, it's not a caucus. It's not a primary, the chemists reserve space and paid to have people bussed in to Ames just to vote. You know, it's not very scientific, but the straw poll can make or break a campaign. And many of the candidates today made their final pitch to the crowd. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have an opportunity here today to send a message, to send a message that Iowa doesn't want what New York and Washington and the rest of the elite media want.
REP. RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The home work is done much better without the federal government down on our backs and in our wallets. It's time we restored freedom to America.
TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We know what America needs, but unfortunately, Barack Obama has absolutely no clue. He is like a manure spreader in a windstorm.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All that we need to do to take the country back in 2012 is right here in this room, in Ames, Iowa, we are going to do it together.
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are America, we are the greatest nation in the world. And we don't have to apologize for it either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So some candidates are taking the straw poll very seriously, others like Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, well, they aren't even in the state right now. And even, then there is Texas Governor Rick Perry stealing some of the thunder by announcing his own candidacy just as the straw poll gets underway. Perry this evening is traveling to New Hampshire where CNN's senior political editor Mark Preston is standing by live for us. We're going to get to Mark in just a second. But first, I want to go to CNN Jim Acosta, he's standing by for us in Charleston South Carolina, an early primary state where Perry made his announcement today. And Jim, did he kind of steal some of the thunder today?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, you know, you have heard a lot of folks say this week that you're in the center of the political universe, but there were some Republicans here in Charleston, South Carolina today who might say you were missing the lone star in that constellation, Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas who announced he is running for president today and he gave a speech that was pure Tea Party, he went right after the President, almost from the get go, blaming Mr. Obama for the recent downgrade of the U.S. Credit rating. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: Get America working again and that's why with the support of my family and unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I declare to you today as a candidate for president of the United States. For three years, President Obama has been downgrading American jobs. He's been downgrading our standing in the world. He's been downgrading our financial stability, he's been downgrading our confidence, and downgrading the hope for a better future for our children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: So there you heard Rick Perry there, really going after the president and, you know, Don, he has his work cut out for him. I mean he made a strong speech today, there were conservatives coming out of the room saying, hey, wait a minute, this is the speech that conservatives have been waiting for. They see Rick Perry is the guy who could be more conservative than Mitt Romney and more electable than Michele Bachmann, but it all remains to be seen. Rick Perry while he is the longest serving governor in Texas history has not been tested on the national stage, that process begins right now. He is headed as you said to New Hampshire right now to talk to Republicans later this evening. He will then go to Iowa where by the way, he'll be talking to voters in the very same spot that Michele Bachmann was announcing her campaign at just a few short weeks ago, so Rick Perry is prepared to throw some elbows in those races. We'll see whether or not he can take those punches when they come in his direction as well -- Don.
LEMON: Hey, Jim. (INAUDIBLE) the people in the room. I want you to take a listen to some of Rick Perry's supporters in the room today, and then I got a question for you.
ACOSTA: Sure.
LEMON: So tell me about the people in the room today, the supporters, they seemed to be pretty ruckus, they seem to be with him, do you get the feeling that Perry is the candidate that GOP voters have been waiting for?
ACOSTA: You know, Don, I think a lot of Republicans have been waiting for Rick Perry, this event was held at the red state conference here in Charleston, put on by our very own Eric Erickson, of CNN political contributor and pretty influential conservative, but they could have called this the red meat conference because Rick Perry was dishing out the red meat and the conservatives in this crowd were eating it up. There really is an opportunity in this field for an electable Tea Party conservative and that is, if you listen to a lot of the people on that this conference what Rick Perry brings to the show -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Jim Acosta, thank you very much. Don't go far away, we'll be getting back to you. You know, Governor Perry is leading one early primary for another state, we're talking about New Hampshire. And our senior political editor Mark Preston is standing by there in the town of Greene, and so, Mark, what is Perry up to in New Hampshire?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, you know, Don, this is his first introduction here in the granite state, just about an hour or so, right behind me, he's going to address about 100, 150 people. This is a really, you can tell that the campaign operation is very sharp, it's put together very, very tightly. Tomorrow, he will have two events before jetting off to Iowa perhaps to heal some of the wounds by not going to the straw poll. But Don, just how serious is Rick Perry about running for president? He's then goes down to South Carolina but we expect him back here in New Hampshire later in the week. We're told by some of his advisors that he has a full packed scheduled. So, Rick Perry, as Jim was just saying could be that credible Tea Party conservative that could win the nomination -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Mark Preston, thank you very much for that. You know, there is still one republican name looming large in Iowa and she's not even in the race right now, we're talking of course about Sarah Palin who paid a visit to Iowa, but insisted she wasn't there to take any attention away from her fellow Republicans who have already declared. Here's what she told me yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I don't think I'm stealing any spotlight, in fact I'm saying, go, go find the other folks and say hello. I'm very thankful to have been invited to the state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. I'm joined now by political reporter Peter Hamby, she's not on the ballot, but she is here in Iowa, she's saying she's not taking, you know any spot light. She doesn't believe, what's the theme of her being here? Why is she so visible?
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: This is vintage Sarah Palin, she knows how to grab attention and jump into the spotlight. I mean, you saw there in the last bus tour in New Hampshire, she showed up in the state on the same day, Mitt Romney announced his presidential campaign. So, she says she's not here to steal the spotlight but she knows the entire political media complex is right here in Iowa and the television cameras will be there with her. So, you know, she told both of us yesterday that she's still contemplating a presidential bid but she says, September is now the deadline. So, as you said just now, she's the one unanswered question about this race which is finally, this republican field which is finally beginning to take place.
LEMON: She's still contemplating, right? She didn't say she will announce in September, she's still contemplating.
HAMBY: She'll be back here over Labor Day to give a speech to a Tea Party event here in Des Moines. She told us by then, she won't be a candidate, so she will not be in the race by Labor Day, but later in September, she will be and she admitted yesterday, you know, I have supporters, I know they're out there but I don't want to string them along in this process. So, she knows that she's got to jump in the race, and you know, smart political people will tell you that, too. And people here in Iowa, that you know, that time is running out to join the race. Rick Perry jumps in, he could potentially sap a lot of the support that she appeals to, Tea Party people. So, you know, we shall see, but you know, she is seriously contemplating it. I put the odds at 50/50 that she still could get in the race.
LEMON: Fifty-50, that's pretty safe, Peter Hamby. You know, it's interesting though, if you want to know...
HAMBY: A lot of people are saying that she's out.
LEMON: Yes.
HAMBY: A lot of people in Washington think, she will not run, but that's not the case.
LEMON: I hear people say, it's better to be the king maker sometimes than it is to be the king and maybe she'll come back and do it when there's even more supporters behind her. But if you want to know where Sarah Palin is, all you have to do is look for the crowds and the cameras and the medias where the media is and that's where Sarah Palin is.
HAMBY: Yes. And Tim Pawlenty, whose you know, campaign is on the line here in Ames, has walked around the State Fair variously and largely unnoticed. And Sarah Palin shows up in a cattle barn hundreds of reporters just, you know, swarm her more than an hour.
LEMON: Yes, all right.
HAMBY: There you go. LEMON: Thank you. More Peter Hamby later and much, much more. Thank you very much. CNN will bring you, live coverage of the Iowa straw poll, results as soon as we get them and be sure to join me, and "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley. A CNN News and special report in the Iowa straw poll results, that's begin at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. But again, we will bring you the poll results live when they happen. Regardless of when they come in, we're going to bring it to you right here on CNN.
Much more from Ames, Iowa. Still ahead this hour in the CNN Newsroom. Next, Candy Crowley joins me live to break down the speeches today from the candidates and how Rick Perry's entry into the race for president could be a game changer for the GOP.
Also, it's a story we have been following very closely for you. A Rochester, New York woman arrested after videotaping a police incident while standing in her own front yard. The fallout from this story has been incredible. Police are showing tickets over at what many say are petty violations. Plus, another arrest to tell you about.
Coming up, we're breaking this news down in this case for you, the mayor, a city councilman and the police senior representative joins us live here. And many of you are asking for information on social media, you can reach us out on twitter, on Facebook, at CNN.com/Don, and on Foursquare, as well. We're back in moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, Texas Governor Rick Perry officially declaring his presidential candidacy today, but his timing steps all over the Iowa straw poll where other republican candidates are trying to make their mark. We're waiting the results of the straw poll that should happen in just moments ago which wrapped up, just a few minutes ago. Let's bring in now, our chief political correspondent Candy Crowley, the host of "State of the Union." OK, Candy, so did he really steal the thunder from the straw poll here you think?
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Anything new on a news day, is you know A, takes away the lead generally. And B, people are interested in. And look, this has been a slow tease for Rick Perry and I think that means, you know, obviously he wanted maximum exposure. Number one, you want that when you get in late, which he's doing.
LEMON: But if you want maximum exposure, why not do it here? There's too many other people here?
CROWLEY: Risky.
LEMON: Risky.
CROWLEY: Yes, you know, he hasn't set foot here. So, you know, you've got to get into Iowa, you have to meet people, you have to get here. Now, look, we know there are various folks who support Rick Perry who have been out and about and saying hey, come on to the straw poll and vote for him. So, they've loved to have a vote that was impressive.
LEMON: Yes.
CROWLEY: But you don't want to stake the future of your candidacy on something that you haven't put it a big effort into.
LEMON: OK. Could it hurt him, though? Could people hear Perry sort of slide to the Republicans, feel slighted by this, and say, hey he didn't join the rest of the crowd and do what everyone else did?
CROWLEY: I think not and here's why. I talked to a number of folks leading Republicans in Iowa and they said, they still, you know, January is the caucuses, take a time, Mitt Romney's got time to make this up. He didn't play hard here, either. His name is on the ballot, but he didn't buy a booth, he didn't play hard in this. He skipped the Iowa caucuses. You know, in the end Iowans take this pretty darn seriously and they don't hold it against you if you didn't show up for the straw poll.
LEMON: As we can see behind us, right? They say, they take it pretty seriously. You guys take this seriously? Oh yes, oh yes, good, we're glad that you're here. I watched his speech intently as getting dressed to come in and I sat there and watch it. And I thought he sounded and looked presidential. He hit the president hard. I am paraphrasing, he said, you know, we have to repeal this one size fits all health care plan. He said, half of the people in the country don't pay taxes and now they're asking us to pay more. And I said, were you admitting that you're in the high tax record and that you shouldn't pay -- but it was interesting to watch and a good speech.
CROWLEY: It was and it shows -- look, Rick Perry is a good campaigner. I have seen him campaign, he's very good, he connects as we like to say, he brings to the table some pretty positive things and it shows you why he's made such a big stir. And that is he's a social conservative as Michele Bachmann and, you know, Mike Huckabee in previous elections. But he's also a fiscal conservative with a record in Texas. He created jobs when the rest of the country was losing jobs and so there's a lot in his record that he can ballyhoo. There's a lot of stuff that, you know, I can assure you, Democrats will pick on and other Republicans. But he brings together both the social conservatives as well as the fiscal conservatives, so he starts from a power position. By the way, he's got the money on the way.
LEMON: He got the money which matters a lot.
CROWLEY: Yes.
LEMON: Thank you. You and I are going to be together a lot this evening. And thank you. Let's thank these guys.
CROWLEY: Thank you, guys.
LEMON: So who's going to win the straw poll? There you go, it's definitive. OK, all right, thank you, guys. Make sure you stay with CNN and these guys throughout the evening for coverage of the Iowa straw poll, we'll break down the results for you as soon as we get them. And coming up at 7:00, we'll have a one-hour special to break down the results and we'll take a really hard look at who probably will, you know, get into this campaign and live another day and who's likely to pack it up and go home. We'll have that for you here on CNN.
Plus this, coming up, you have heard this, 40 is the new 30, 50 is the new 40, and on and on and on, what about when you're 80-years-old? You can pretty much do whatever you want to do I think when you're 80- years-old. This 83-year-old woman looks fantastic, right? Well, she just got breast implants and we'll talk about that with someone about plastic surgery. Should they be off limits for someone that old? That's moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE CLARK, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER: This is a child, she's a little girl and it's not appropriate. It's pedophile imagery for pedophiles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That is former model and documentary filmmaker Nicole Clark talking about this photo spread in Vogue Paris. As you heard, it's not the child's beauty that's turning heads but her age that's raising eyebrows. We'll get to that story in just a moment.
But first, the disturbing story of a 17-year-old Tennessee student charged with stabbing his principal to death at small private religious school. Memphis police say Eduardo Marmolejo plotted all summer to kill Suzette York who was 40 because she had put him in a class that he didn't like.
So, we'll turn out to our human behavior expert, Dr. Wendy Walsh. Wendy, good to see you. Police say there were no red flags, that this boy was dangerous. Can parents do anything to prevent a child acting out like this boy is accused of doing?
DR. WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: I find it hard to believe that there were no red flags. I think the red flags just weren't recognized. I mean, people are reporting that he plotted all summer for this murder, well, was he telling people? You've got to pay, take it very seriously if someone is getting anti-social or showing signs of depression or anxiety or even joking about violence or murder. These are all clear signs that trouble could be coming. So, the red flags I think were there, Don.
LEMON: All right. I want to go to a "New York Times" report about an 83-year-old grandmother, her name is Marie Kolstad. It's at Orange County, California. She just received breast implants, you know, when you're in your 80s, I don't know, isn't any surgery a serious risk here? Do you see anything wrong here that this kind of vanity is a much deeper level. I have to say, I think when you're 83, you can pretty much do whatever the heck you want. I'm a little bit biased here, Doctor. WALSH: Yes, there are post types to consider. I called Dr. Dean Orden (ph) from the television show, "The Doctors," and he said, he's operated on women in their 80s before and given them implants. And his feeling is the same as my entire Facebook following today, which is, when you're in your 80s, you can do whatever you want with your body as long as you're healthy. So they do check to make sure their heart is healthy enough to undergo anesthetic of course. But I'm sorry to say the grandfather heroin addict and little miss sunshine. I mean, if you lived that long, can't you just keep everyone else out of your body and do whatever you want at that point?
LEMON: All right. Agreed. You know, let's go to the story of 10- year-old Thylane Blondeau. She's the girl in this picture, some French Vogue, Wendy, what are your concerns for a child and what are your concerns for a young people seeing these photos of her like this. You know, it kind of reminds me, remember Brooke Shields back in the '70s and 80s when she had these very adult looking photographs and even movies where she seem to be pretty growing up.
WALSH: Fortunately for Brooke, she's a highly intelligent woman and got herself really educated, but remember, she was 14, this is 10. And all of it is disturbing to me as a mother of girls. I think this is sexualizing a young girl and it is sort of fostering pedophilia in our culture. You know, we get upset when these, you know, private and public people are found with child porn on their computers, we talked about that last week, Don. And now we're just basically putting a version of child porn out in mainstream media and on newsstands, it just bewilders me.
LEMON: Dr. Wendy. Thank you very much. Have a great evening.
WALSH: Good to see you.
LEMON: Coming up, the story that shows just how much power police can have. Remember this video of a woman arrested after she was videotaping police in Rochester, New York? Well, now one city councilman says officers are out of control, the man in charge of the people who keep streets safe is responding, now - chief joins me live on the other side of this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY GOOD, ARRESTED AFTER VIDEOTAPING POLICE: I'm allowed to stand in my yard.
UNIDENTIFIED POLICEMAN: I'm going to ask one more time. We don't feel safe with you standing right behind us while we're doing a traffic stop, I'm going to ask you to go into the house.
GOOD: I was standing in my front yard and I was concerned about what was going on in my neighborhood and you're arresting me, what the hell is going on?
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: This is a video clip that ignited a serious debate across the online world. Rochester police in New York arrested 28-year-old Emily Good in May after she was filming them in her pajamas and barefoot right in her front yard. The criminal case is over, the civil case has just begun. This week Good's attorney filed legal notice, she is planning to sue. What's more a letter from a Rochester City councilman indicates her arrest is not unusual. It's first line says, "The city of Rochester has lost control of its force."
Adam McFadden sent the letter to Rochester's mayor and police chief, and Adam McFadden joins us live. Also joining us is police James Sheppard. And the head Rochester's Police Union Mike Mazzeo is on the phone traveling back to Rochester from Boston.
So, Adam, I'm going to start with you. You were pretty hardcore in your letter, what did you say?
ADAM MCFADDEN, ROCHESTER CITY COUNCIL: I'm basically talked about my experience of being on a council in eight years, the types of calls that I have received from constituents complaining about the level of service that we were providing as it relates to our police force and they felt as if, you know, there's been a disconnect between our relationship with them and our community in terms of arrests and how they were treated.
LEMON: So councilman, this letter is based on what you've been hearing from your constituents for years, I understand that you actually had the city figure out how many possible unfair arrests officers made in the last year. What did you find out?
MCFADDEN: Well, I'm calling them petty arrests. What we've saw in 2000 that blacks in the City of Rochester, non-Hispanics made up about 68 percent of the arrests and then in 2010, they made up about 72 percent of the arrest in a city where we are only 39 percent of the population. So, there seems to be an increase there and then when you look at the ages of African-American male with the ages of between 16 and 30, that there were spikes there as well and there was a significant decrease of white males arrested in the same ten-year span. Mind you, we have a declining population, but there should be no reason why those percentages are moving that far.
LEMON: All right. Councilman, I want you to stand by. James Sheppard, I want to bring you on. Are you worried about the lawsuit, the prosecutor did drop the charges against Emily Good, do you think she's owed an apology? And would you ever apologize to her?
CHIEF JAMES SHEPPARD, ROCHESTER POLICE: I think it's a matter of she filed her civil claim, it will go through the courts and we'll see where it ends up at that time.
LEMON: All right. Mr. Mazzeo, what's your response to this parking ticket incident, you know the one that happened after Emily Good had supporters show up and they ticketed these -- a number of officers sent out. And they ticketed people who were parked too far away from the curb, it sounds unusual to send that many officers out and to have those sorts of citations, what is your response to that? MIKE MAZZEO, PRESIDENT, ROCHESTER POLICE UNION: Well, the officers were obviously, you know, enforcing the parking in that area. There has been complaints from the neighborhood that when they do have these large meetings at that location, that parking is a problem, so they were within their rights certainly. And I think, you know, it was done in the aftermath of the episode that you're discussing and the fact that the, you know, the officer involved as well as other officers were -- had threats made against them on the Internet and web sites and I think the whole situation -- the whole situation kind of blew up out of control.
LEMON: OK. Gentlemen, I want you to stay with us because we're going to come back after the break.
There's a major development that we're going to report to you. Perhaps, perhaps, there's a happy ending here, we hope. The details are coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: I want to check your headlines right now on CNN. Texas Governor Rick Perry is officially seeking President Obama's job. Perry, a Republican, offered a scathing indictment of the Obama candidacy as he announced his candidacy before a gathering of conservatives in South Carolina today. He called the president rudderless. The White House fired back saying Perry stands for preserving tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while getting rid of Medicare and eroding Social Security.
Perry's announcement comes on the same day as the Iowa straw poll. Although it's non-binding, the poll is the first real test for the Republicans who are already campaigning. The balloting ended about 30 minutes ago. We'll have the results for you, live, as soon as we can get them for you.
Be sure to join me and "State of the Union" host, Candy Crowley, for a "CNN NEWSROOM" special report on the Iowa Straw Poll, on the results. It's coming up at 7:00 p.m. eastern. Again, we'll bring you the poll results, live, when they happen, regardless of when they come in. If we have to break into programming or something else, we're doing it. We're going to bring it to you.
We're going to turn our attention now overseas. Pakistani police are searching for an American kidnapped at his home in Lahore earlier today. The victim is Warren Winestein, a world-renowned development expert who works for a U.S.-based consulting team. His abductors snuck into the house by posing as neighbors bringing food to share for the traditional meal before the Ramadan fast. Police say there's been no claim of responsibility.
It's not clear what made a Greyhound bus overturn on the Pennsylvania Turnpike around dawn. 20 to 25 people were hurt but none of the injuries is critical. The bus was traveling from New York City to St. Louis, Missouri. A total of 28 people were on board. Four people were able to get on another bus and continue traveling. In Shreveport, Louisiana, American flags and a police motorcade for a fallen hero. 32-year-old Chief Petty Officer Robert Reeves was one of 22 Navy SEALs killed last weekend in Afghanistan when their helicopter was shot down. In all, 30 American servicemembers lost their lives. It was the war's single deadliest incident to date. You can learn much more about Reeves and all of the other men who made the ultimate sacrifice at CNN.com.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIE LIGHTFOOT, MONROE COUNTY LEGISLATOR: I mean, I believe that the way that the police department treats African-Americans, especially in this community, as opposed to Caucasians, is a different approach. They're much more aggressive than they are when they're approaching a Caucasian resident as opposed to an African-American resident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Back now to our Rochester police story. Willie Lightfoot -- that's who you saw right there -- says he was treated like a thug after this arrest caught on surveillance. He's a county lawmaker, a firefighter and a businessman in the community. It's just another complaint of abuse of power by the Rochester police force.
But, you know, tonight a major development to report here. There's progress in this police controversy.
So joining me again is Councilman Adam McFadden, who's among those pushing for reform. Also here, Rochester police chief, James Sheppard. And, on the phone, we have Rochester's police union president, Mr. Mike Mazzeo.
Mr. Mazzeo, what is your response to the way officers treated Willie Lightfoot.
MAZZEO: I think what we're hearing from Mr. Lightfoot is a politician, who was arrested and convicted in court on the charges, admitted in court he had been drinking and admitted that he had charges against him, and now he's up for election and he's taking the spotlight away from his -- what he did and directing it in a different direction. That's how I feel about Mr. Lightfoot.
LEMON: OK. We had a little bit of trouble hearing you there. I imagine you're on a cell phone. But do you think Mr. Lightfoot is owed an apology at all?
MAZZEO: No, I think Mr. Lightfoot owes the officers that he engaged when they were making a lawful arrest, he owes them an apology I think. And I think he owes the whole department and certainly the community an apology for the comments he's made relative to what I believe is his own responsibility and the actions he took that night.
LEMON: Councilman McFadden, tell us what the city of Rochester is planning in light of your letter now. ADAM MCFADDEN, ROCHESTER CITY COUNCILMAN: We have -- on Monday, we are going to be announcing a 15-member commission to review the citizen police complaint process. We are hoping to revamp what we are currently doing to improve the process, make it more transparent for both community and police who go through it. We're hoping also to try to do some other adjustments on how we provide service. We're not in the policing business. We're in the people business as the city of Rochester. And so we will improve the relationship between police and this community.
LEMON: So, Chief, I know you don't agree with Councilman McFadden that officers are out of control, so why are you agreeing to this plan?
JAMES SHEPPARD, CHIEF, ROCHESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT: Well, number one, I just want to stress the fact that the Rochester Police Department focuses on reducing violence. And I do know that, in the city of Rochester, where that violence occurs, is between us, against us. And so that is where we focus all our efforts. So a lot of times, in terms of what we do proactively, what we do in terms of engagement, is trying to prevent that violence from occurring.
Relative to moving forward and trying to improve the process, a lot of concerns have been brought to our attention in terms of our internal process. And we'll be open to review and any suggestions that may help improve it.
LEMON: Mr. Mazzeo, what's your reaction to what's going to happen?
MAZZEO: Well, I agree with some of the comments that Councilman McFadden made. Part of the problem in terms of police-community relations in Rochester is institutional. We used to have our police sections within the neighborhoods. We used to have youth officers. And both of those have been eliminated. So I think when you eliminate those types of conditions, you're going to have the strain on the relationship. We need to get back into the neighborhood and we need to develop youth officers to work with the youth because, as Mr. McFadden has stated, there seems to be more interaction with a younger generation now than in the past. And I agree with those points. I also agree that our disciplinary process, there's some room for improvement, certainly on due process and transparency in those investigations.
LEMON: Yes, this is a very important story that we have been following on this very program here on CNN. We're going to continue to follow it, gentlemen. So we'll be checking back in with you throughout the weeks and months and years to see if, what actually you say is going to happen, happens.
So thank you, Mr. Mazzeo, Mr. McFadden and Mr. Sheppard.
I want to turn now to CNN's Jacqui Jeras at the CNN Severe Weather Center.
Jacqui, it's cool where I am, but I understand some other folks are getting a needed break from the heat as well. JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You're talking about Dallas and parts of Texas, I'm sure.
(LAUGHTER)
(WEATHER REPORT)
JERAS: But, yes, Don, that weather in Ames 76 degrees right now, right there at my alma mater. I'm jealous of you today, my friend. Have fun.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: We can switch spots like they do on "Star Trek." Beam me up, Scotty.
JERAS: All right.
LEMON: All right, thank you very much for that, Jacqui.
(LAUGHTER)
We're awaiting straw poll results here in Iowa. I'll have that for you soon, as soon as they are announced.
Also ahead, Warren Jeffs, the polygamist convicted of raping young girls, now behind bars for the rest of his life. Our legal expert, Holly Hughes, joins me with the disturbing audiotape of Jeffs preparing his young victims for sex, right after the break.
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WARREN JEFFS, POLYGAMIST ACCUSED OF RAPE (voice-over): You'll always come in my area, always showered, already ready in case you're called to assist.
LEMON: The disturbing voice of polygamist, Warren Jeffs, instructing young girls on having sexual relations with him. Jeffs will spend the rest of his life in prison because of it, after being convicted of sexual assault of two under-aged girls. After listening to these audio tapes, many people might feel the punishment is not harsh enough.
Let's bring in Holly Hughes. She joins us now from Atlanta.
So, Holly, we know you're a criminal defense attorney and a former prosecutor. These audiotapes of Warren Jeffs, as a predatory pedophile, are absolutely chilling to listen to. I want to play one for you and then get your reaction.
JEFFS (voice-over): Now I reveal to you that the lord has required of me and this family, that the fullness of the law of Sarah is for quorums of wives to be with me, to assist me, to be a comfort. Yes, even physically, where more than one woman is with me at a time.
(LAUGHTER) LEMON: Holly, go ahead.
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: You know, it's not a legal term, Don, but "creepy" is what comes to mind. I mean, this man has betrayed trust on a level that is almost inexplicable because he has hidden behind religion to practice pedophilia. And that's what we have been talking about this whole time. This trial was never about religion, Don. Remember, this is about felonious behavior against children. Remember when he's making these tapes, he's talking to little girls, 12 and 13 and 14, and taking them as his wives. This is sexual assault. This is aggravated sexual assault on the 12-year-old. This is rape. And people are incensed. And hearing those tapes --
LEMON: Yes.
HUGHES: -- it brings it into the courtroom. As trial attorneys, Don, by the time we get to court, it's sanitized. You're not looking at a bloody crime scene. You're looking at a photo, which doesn't have the same effect. But when prosecutors were able to play that man's voice for this jury as he's instructing these young girls on how to take being raped, that was the nail in his coffin. And I understand why people are so incensed. There are some states that have the death penalty for rape, and I know Texas wishes they were one right now.
LEMON: Yes, you said it was creepy. I'll say it's sick, vile and disgusting.
But let's move on to a new topic. A teenager is on trial for murder in Oxnard, California, Holly, for the fatal shooting of a gay classmate in 2008, while they both were in middle school. Now we're hearing about a so-called gay panic defense? Tell us about this case and this defense strategy. Have you ever heard about this?
HUGHES: Yes. As a matter of fact, this became famous in the Matthew Shepard case, which we've all heard about. They've made movies about it -- out in Laramie, Wyoming. And what happens is the person who kills a gay victim will get into trial and will say, well, I was so scared and so offended because this gay person put the moves on me that I had no choice but to react so violently. I had to kill them. And it's called the gay panic defense. And it is just an insidious pack of lies because, think about it this way, Don, if an unwanted sexual advance were justification for murder, then the straight male population of this country would be in big trouble. Because every time they called somebody "baby," or asked them to be their valentine, the woman could, what, take a gun and shoot them? And that's what happened here, Don. A 14-year-old man took a gun to school and put two bullets in the back of his classmate's head because this young man called him "baby" the day before. That's it, a name, no touching, a name, Don.
LEMON: Enough said on that subject.
I want you to listen to this now. Back in February, a mother confronting a Pennsylvania judge. Take a listen.
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SANDY FONZO, MOTHER OF TEEN WHO KILLED SELF: My kid's not here. He's dead because of him. He ruined my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) life. I would like him to go to hell and rot there forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, come on.
FONZO: No. You know what he told everybody, to Clark? They need to be held accountable for their actions. You need to be? Do you remember me? Do you remember me? Do you remember my son? An all- star wrestler? He's gone. He shot himself in the heart. You scumbag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This judge received cash for sending kids away for minor offensives. And she said her teenage son killed himself as a result. What do you think, Holly?
HUGHES: We were talking about Warren Jeffs betraying trust. This is the ultimate betrayal of trust. Don, when your children get caught up in the juvenile justice system, the whole purpose of that system is to try and stop anything worse from happening. You want to bring the children in. You want to be able to rehabilitate them at that young age and stop any future behavior coming up. What this judge did was, he betrayed his oath of office. He betrayed the people that put him there. He betrayed his community. And because he was selling these children to juvenile detention centers, to line his pockets, we have a tragedy of epic proportion. A young boy, who should have never been sent to that facility, could not recover and killed himself. That's a horrible, horrible thing.
LEMON: The judge got a 28-year sentence and also all of the boys convict under him will be set free.
Thank you very much, Holly.
Much more on this cash-for-kids travesty coming up tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. eastern on CNN. Sandy Fonzo, whom you saw screaming at the judge, will join us with her reaction to the judge's 28-year sentence.
We're getting closer to the announcement of the results of the Iowa Straw Poll and we'll bring then to you to as soon as we get them.
But first, I want to tell you this. You're about to meet someone who has helped serve millions of meals to the needy in Knoxville, Tennessee. She's well into her golden years. She's providing a lifeline for the hungry and homeless. Helen Ash is her name and she's this week's "CNN Hero."
(CNN HERO)
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LEMON: All right. Thank you very much, Sanjay.
I'm Don Lemon in Ames, Iowa. I'll be back in about three minutes with the latest from here, as we await the results from the GOP straw poll.
In the meantime, Wolf Blitzer straight ahead in "The Situation Room".
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