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ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Attempted Rape Caught on Tape; Lindsay Lohan Claims She`s a Victim

Aired April 25, 2011 - 19:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, they are calling it one of the most terrifying attacks ever caught on tape. A woman`s blood- curdling screams ring out while she frantically fights her attacker. It`s the shocking surveillance video every woman needs to see. And now we`re tracking down the suspect.

And another very, very short stay in jail for Lindsay Lohan. And now she`s accusing the prosecutor of being on a witch hunt against her. But is she the one getting yet another break from our junk justice system? I`ll give you the very latest jaw-dropping twist in the legal saga.

Then a vicious attack against a transgender woman causes a firestorm. Absolutely appalling video appears to show two teen girls punching and kicking the woman so brutally it may have triggered a seizure. Should these girls be charged with a hate crime?

Plus, it`s the story everybody is talking about: the royal wedding just days away. Does the future of the whole monarchy rest on Will and Kate staying married and staying out of trouble? And what does that kind of pressure do to a relationship? And we`re taking your calls.

ISSUES starts right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, blood-curdling screams ring out in a dark Brooklyn neighborhood. A woman yells for help, screams desperately while a man tries to brutally sexually assault her.

It takes cop an entire month -- no, actually more than a month -- to investigate this case, even though one man`s home surveillance camera caught the entire thing, the whole attempted sexual assault on the video.

We`ve got to warn you: the woman`s desperate screams might be disturbing to you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get away from me! Get away from me!

(SCREAMING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Someone help me!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So she fights him off. She manages to get away. She races off. He races in another direction. It would appear that the rape doesn`t happen, that she`s successful in fighting him off. I`m not sure about that. Why am I not sure? Because the cops really didn`t investigate.

The guy with the surveillance video tried to give the tape to cops: "Here, I`ve got the tape. Take it. Look at it." They said they didn`t want it, and they drove off. They said, no victim, no suspect. "If we need it, we`ll come back and get it." Really? Really? They didn`t want to look at this? The police? Somebody hands cops evidence of a brutal crime, like this attempted rape, and they don`t want it? I ask you, poor police work or no police work?

What I suspect is, it`s just another case in the war on women and a justice system that refuses to take rape seriously. Oh, if he`d actually murdered her, they`d probably look at the videotape, wouldn`t they?

Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

Straight out to Ben Chapman, reporter for the "New York Daily News."

Ben, I understand you live in this general vicinity. Are residents scared because of this rapist, would-be rapist, this thug is still on the loose?

BEN CHAPMAN, REPORTER, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": People in the neighborhood are definitely scared. When I was reporting the story and visiting the neighborhood where it happened, people were definitely worried that the police had not picked this guy up and concerned that it could happen again.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This happened over a month ago and we`re just finding out about it now. So for a month -- correct me if I`m wrong, Ben -- women in this neighborhood have been walking around, and unless they heard about it through word of mouth, there was no official news conference or anything saying that there`s a would-be rapist on the loose. Is that correct?

CHAPMAN: That is correct. The gentlemen who had the tape tried to give it to the cops. They didn`t want to pick it up at the time. Said they`d come back for it if they needed it. So...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable.

I don`t want a father looking at this. Look at this. I honestly don`t know if -- if it was a rape or not. It`s hard to really tell whether it happened. His pants were down by his ankles. I pray it didn`t happen, but there it is. You see him picking up his pants.

In terms of fighting back, experts say this woman did everything right. She screamed at the top of her lungs, and she fought hard.

Cops say the suspect is short and stocky and had a difficult time controlling this woman. But you saw that his pants were down around his ankles right before he ran off.

Now, she victim did suffer some minor injuries. She was at a disadvantage because he came up from behind her.

I want to go straight out to Gabrielle Rubin, who is the founder of Female Awareness. You teach self-defense to women in New York City, some of them in Brooklyn. Isn`t screaming -- screaming at the top of your lungs -- one of the most effective things a women can do?

GABRIELLE RUBIN, FOUNDER, FEMALE AWARENESS: Absolutely. I always say that your voice is your greatest weapon. But let`s not forget: we still have our hands and we still have our feet. There`s always more that you can do.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

RUBIN: In this situation she could have stomped on his foot. She could have elbowed him. She could have even just thrown a fist back into his face. But, remember, hands tend to go where there`s pain. She had his hands around her neck, guarantee you that`s where her hands were.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but I`ve got to giver her credit for responding the way she did. A lot of women freeze. They freeze, and they lose their voice. This woman is screaming at the top of her lungs, and she is fighting back against him. I give her an A-plus for that.

RUBIN: Absolutely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What I don`t give her an A-plus for is for not reporting the attack. If you`re watching out there, if you are this woman who so ferociously fought off this guy and then walked off, please, I am begging you right now, report it. Why is that so important? Steve Moore, former FBI agent?

STEVE MOORE, FORMER FBI AGENT: It`s important for what you`ve just seen. Unless you report it, you can`t get this guy off the street. As heroic as this woman was fighting this guy off, she didn`t call the police. She hasn`t gotten involved.

And the police will duck out of things like this, because they`re not just sitting around waiting for crimes. There are more than they can handle. But this guy is now on the street, because the woman didn`t come forward and say, "I will help you find him." This is crucial.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we`ve got some updated information here. The woman has, since the story broke, I guess -- I don`t know -- but she has ultimately come forward. So bravo to her for coming forward and talking to the cops.

MOORE: Excellent.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So now if they do catch this guy, they can prosecute because they had a victim.

But it`s part of that whole reactive system. It`s like we wait as a culture until the really terrible thing happens, and then we pull out all of the stops. But if the woman is smart and wise enough to get away, we don`t do anything because, "Oh, she got away. Therefore, it`s not so serious." Well, yes it is serious.

Let me give you a perfect example. If there`s an attempted rape in a neighborhood, cops need to issue a warning. How many of you remember that female jogger who was attacked by convicted sex offender John Garner right before he proceed to rape and murder another jogger named Chelsea King in the very same area? Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDICE MONCAYO, ATTACKED BY JOHN GARNER: He threw me down to the ground and pinned me to the ground, and I was screaming. And he said, "Shut up."

And I said, "No."

And he said -- he told me to shut up again, and I said, "No." And I said, "Well, you`re going to have to kill me first," because I thought that he was trying to rape me.

And he said, "That could be arranged."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That woman was able to get away from this monster. But nobody -- nobody warned the other joggers in the area, hey, this guy is on the loose.

Now, if there had been a bobcat in the area, they would have posted warnings, but a human predator running around the same area where that woman was attacked, nothing.

So what happened? Chelsea King, a beautiful teenage girl, honor student goes jogging in the same area. She`s raped and murdered by that guy. That`s what I call reactive justice, Casey Jordan, criminologist.

CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: I`m not going to argue with you that. In fact, what bothers me is they keep saying there was no victim, when in fact, what they mean is there was no complainant. They never watched the tape until a month later, the police.

Now statistically, we know. We`ve done studies in criminology. When women fight back against an attack, especially an attempted rape, they are far more likely to be physically injured. It`s true. Sometimes broken bones, punched in the face, but they are far more likely to escape being raped.

So you`ve got to give her a lot of credit. But you`re right. She didn`t come forward immediately to report this, and that left the public at risk that this predator could still be out there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But I don`t care whether she came forward or not. The cop should have looked at this video and found this guy.

Cory, Maryland, your question or thought, ma`am? Cory?

CALLER: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey, go ahead.

CALLER: OK. I would just like to say that this is a terrible, absolutely terrible crime. No woman deserves to be brutally assaulted in this manner. She`s just a normal American woman who`s just trying to live her life on this guy. This thug comes out of nowhere and attacks her. I mean, it`s just absolutely -- where were the neighbors?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The neighbors did come out, Cory. And I know you`re a guy. The neighbors did come out. They did the right thing. It was the cops who showed up and said, "Oh, hasta la vista, buddy. I don`t want to see you. I don`t want to take a look at this tape." That`s what upsets me. They`re not even willing to look at the evidence.

All right. More on this shocking attack in just a moment.

Also, we`ve got another vicious attack caught on tape. This time, two teenage girls are accused of kicking and punching a transgender. What is going on in this country with our culture of violence? We`re taking your calls on this: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The other girl came out and started kicking me in my face and ripping my earrings out of my earlobes. Everyone sat there and watched me get hurt, and nobody did nothing at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: On edge tonight, a man attacked a woman and tried to rape her in front of a row of houses. The whole thing captured on videotape, but cops were not interested in watching that videotape. They drove away even the guy was begging -- the guy who had the tape, "Please, Officer, check it out."

No, they said, "No, we`ll come back if we need it."

So for a whole month this predator was roaming around while no investigation was going on. They didn`t even look at the tape. But I`m going to show you the tape. I have to warn you, it`s disturbing. But it`s important. Watch and listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Someone help me!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, what`s going on?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You can see him pulling up his pants and running away.

NYPD finally acknowledged, quote, "Police should have taken possession of the tape sooner." You think? You think, Steve Moore? You`re a former FBI agent. You speak for law enforcement. What explanation is there?

MOORE: Well, there is no -- there is no explanation I can give you. The patrol officer should have taken that tape.

I will tell you that if the prosecutor isn`t going to prosecute a case, if they say no victim, there`s no complainant, then the detectives say, "Well, why should I spend my time on it?"

This is different. This is somebody who is going to attack again. The patrol officer should have picked up that tape, should have brought it to the detectives. You know, the detectives probably never heard about this case until the press called them. So -- so this is a mistake right at the field level. It should be dealt with at the field level.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me tell you something, because I know, I live in New York City. You park in a meter that`s expired? Oh, boy. They`re there. They`re there like white on rice. You park at a fire hydrant -- because they can make money off of that.

Cassandra, Wisconsin, your question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: Hi. OK, now I can barely hear you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Well, give us your question or thought, Cassandra. Just speak up, ma`am.

CALLER: OK. I`m sorry. We may have a bad connection, because I have my...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s OK. Just give us your question or thought. Last time. Last chance.

CALLER: My -- my thought on this is I`m -- I`m a survivor of an attempted and actual rape. And I really disagree with the fact that the police said that she is not a victim, because she was injured. So she very well was a victim.

My big concern is that this was caught on a home surveillance camera. It didn`t even catch the beginning. So this woman appears to have been drugged down the street, screaming at the top of her lungs. Luckily, she didn`t allow him to take her to a different location...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

CALLER: ... where no one absolutely would even have able to see her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you made some very good points.

Gabrielle Rubin, again, you`re the head of Female Awareness. You teach self-defense. This poor woman who just called, who has been raped, said, wow, she`s lucky she wasn`t dragged somewhere else where you could scream and nobody would hear you. So that often these horrors, these nightmares occur in two parts. One, the abduction, and then later the rape in a place where you can`t scream for help.

RUBIN: Right. I always say whatever`s happening, take care of it right then. It`s -- you never want to get moved to another location. The chance of survival then goes down considerably. I was really surprised that this guy would even attempt to do this right there on the sidewalk.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And that`s what`s so sick to me -- Casey Jordan, you`re a criminologist -- that it`s so primitive that you would go and -- and try to rape some woman, pull down your pants in the middle of the street, and -- and just try to penetrate her in the middle of the street while she`s walking down the street.

It`s -- video does give us an insight into the most brutal behavior, because we are seeing it. We don`t -- we want deniability. We don`t like to think these things can happen, Casey, but this is exactly how it happens.

JORDAN: You`re absolutely right. And here`s what I think. My theory on is this particular attacker, he is so brazen. It`s 11:30 on a Sunday night. It`s not 4 a.m. in the morning on a desolate area. I used to live in Parks Hook (ph). Highly populated.

Jane, I think this guy has probably done this before successfully to a woman who didn`t scream, who also didn`t call the police immediately. I think he`s actually bolstered his confidence from past attacks, and what you`re seeing now on tape is the result of perhaps past attacks that didn`t got reported. No one screamed. Because he has way too much confidence for a first timer.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Ben Chapman, you`re in the general area. Are there neighborhood watchers that are mobilizing, given that the cops didn`t really do anything?

CHAPMAN: I don`t believe there`s anything formal that`s under way as far as neighborhood watches, but the people on that block are definitely a vigilant group of neighbors who are concerned for each other`s well being. So we can be glad that they were paying attention and they came out when this was going down last month.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There`s a difference between being a vigilante and being vigilant. Neighborhood watches are incredible organizations, and they should mobilize to that area.

Thank you, fantastic panel.

We`ve got another vicious attack caught on tape in just a moment. This time, the suspects, two teens; the victim, a transgender. Is this a hate crime?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I know that I was ordered to go once a week, and I wasn`t -- you know, I wasn`t missing a class. I`m not doing anything like that. I was working mostly in Morocco. I was working with children. It wasn`t a vacation. It wasn`t some sort of a joke. And I respect and am taking it seriously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What a drama plea.

Tonight, new outrage over Lindsay Lohan`s legal drama-rama. Even though she was just given another break by the courts, Lindsay has the nerve to claim she is the victim of a witch hunt.

When you pose for a whopping five mug shots, you can`t go throwing the word "victim" around. A judge actually reduced Lindsay`s theft charge from a felony to a misdemeanor on Friday. She was also sentenced to 120 days in jail for violating her drunk-driving probation by getting arrested for that alleged necklace theft back in January, but Lindsay posted bail and, poof, she was out in just a couple of hours. Again.

Sounds like another case of Hollywood justice to me. Straight out to Dylan Howard, senior executive editor for "Star" magazine.

Lindsay`s attorney is appealing the probation violation. I`ve never heard of anybody appealing a probation violation actually. What can we expect next with Lindsay?

DYLAN HOWARD, SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "STAR" MAGAZINE: Well, she`s almost certainly, Jane, headed back to jail. That`s the bottom line. Despite the fact that her high-powered attorney, Shawn Holley, has appealed this sentence of 120 days and community service, as handed down by Judge Stephanie Sautner in a court last Friday, it seems unlikely that that appeal will halt anyway.

So Lindsay Lohan, despite not being convicted of this crime of misdemeanor theft, remains free on bail that was posted, $75,000. And she was released on Friday night from a jail here in Los Angeles after spending five hours behind bars. But it`s a means to an end, because she will end up behind bars, unless Shawn Holley can pull something out of the hat.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And so when might we see her actually go to jail? This appeal probably won`t take very long, right? And she could end up going to jail any day?

HOWARD: Well, some are suggesting that this appeal could take some time, up to months, in fact.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh.

HOWARD: So it remains to be seen how long this probation violation -- how long this case will drag out.

But of course, that`s not the end of the road for Lindsay Lohan. She still faces this misdemeanor theft charge, stemming from the theft of a $250,000 necklace from a Venice Beach, California, jewelry store.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me jump in with this question.

HOWARD: And of course, she says that she was borrowing it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The judge -- the judge said Friday she thinks that Lindsay intentionally swiped this necklace, $2,500 necklace from the jewelry store. The also said that the actress, quote, "thumbs her nose at the court," which I agree 100 percent. Justice never arrives for this drama queen.

Exhibit A: the "F. you" manicure from last summer`s hearing.

So why on earth, Dylan, did the judge reduce the theft charge to a misdemeanor? Why did she get another break?

HOWARD: Well, there were some serious questions about the actual crime itself, including one of those being the value of the necklace.

Now, it was appraised as being less than the two and a half thousand- dollar market price, and that doesn`t constitute a grand theft felony charge. So that was reduced in that element.

But at the same time, the judge who quite rightly pointed out there, Jane, was on record as saying that the video evidence was quite compelling. The first time Judge Sautner saw that video evidence. And it showed Lindsay Lohan leaving the store with that necklace on.

So Lindsay Lohan`s almost certainly headed back to jail for that probation violation and must face this misdemeanor charge.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`re going to see you in a minute. We`ll be talking about the royal wedding, coming up.

Next, culture of violence out of control.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A vicious attack against a transgender woman causes a firestorm. Absolutely appalling video appears to show two teen girls punching and kicking the woman so brutally it may have triggered a seizure. Should these girls be charged with a hate crime?

Plus, it`s the story everybody is talking about; the royal wedding just days away. Does the future of the whole monarchy rest on Will and Kate staying married and staying out of trouble? And what does that kind of pressure do to a relationship? And we`re taking your calls.

Tonight, culture of violence caught on tape: two teenage girls accused of brutally punching, kicking a transgender woman, even spitting on her and dragging her as witnesses watched, laughed, and recorded it on video. Shocking cell phone footage taken at a Baltimore McDonald`s has now gone viral.

You see two girls, ages 18 and 14, relentlessly pummeling 22-year-old Chrissy Polis. Video shows her being punched, kicked and dragged across the floor by her hair. Chrissy says after spitting in her face, the girls begin a savage attack that actually caused her to go into an epileptic seizure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISSY POLIS, ATTACKED BY TWO GIRLS: The other girl came and started kicking me in my face, punching me in my nose, ripped my earrings out of my ear lobes. Everybody in that McDonald`s sat there and watched me get hurt and nobody did nothing at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In the video, you only see one employee and one bystander trying to help the victim. This woman -- see there, she`s an older lady -- comes up and she tries to break up the fight and she was allegedly punched in the face by one of the suspects.

McDonald`s is condemning this attack. They fired the employee who shot the video and they are trying to figure out whether to punish the employees who watched and did nothing.

Here`s the big question. Was Chrissy attacked because she`s different or were these suspects just looking for a fight no matter what and no matter who?

Straight out to attorney, Lisa Bloom, the victim says this is a hate crime. Do you think it should be prosecuted as a hate crime?

LISA BLOOM, THEBLOOMFIRM.COM: Well, it all depends on what the facts are, Jane. And some of the reports I`ve read are that that transgender woman went into the women`s bathroom and that`s what angered these teenage girls. That`s when the attack began.

If those are the fact then yes, it certainly sounds like a hate crime. But we have to find out everything that went on before we know. It`s certainly a horrific beating. Either way, it`s a major felony.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, 18-year-old suspect Teonna Brown was charged with assaulting a woman last summer -- ok, the same suspect. And it happened at the very same McDonald`s. The victim in that case didn`t want to press charges so that case was dropped.

It seems like every other day, we`re seeing video of a brawl at a fast food joint. Here`s a (INAUDIBLE) throwing melee inside a Florida Burger King. The woman was -- in the bikini -- was unhappy with her food. She jumped up on the counter and all hell broke loose.

Another out-of-control customer hurled herself over a counter and hurled herself over a counter at a different Burger King. She claims someone spit in her hamburger. She just totally lost it.

And then just last week a brawl broke out at an Ohio McDonald`s on National Hiring Day. A woman allegedly mowed down a crowd of people in her car. Incredibly, no one was killed.

So I`m wondering, Steve Moore, you`re a former FBI agent. If that could be used as evidence that it`s not a fast -- that it`s not a hate crime, that basically fast food restaurants are becoming hangouts for people looking for a fight. I mean, is this the new version of hanging out in a street corner? Do people just now sit around in fast food restaurants looking for trouble?

STEVE MOORE, FORMER FBI AGENT: Well, violent people have to hang out somewhere. And they hang out in places that are open late at night is the problem. Sometimes they hang out during the day at fast food places.

The point here is that the motivation very likely could have been the transgender status of the person and the Obama administration just passed the Matthew Shepherd Act. So this could be -- and that extended transgender rights to civil rights. So this could be the first FBI prosecution of a transgender attack like this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Interesting. Well, cops say not only did employees warn the suspects to leave before police got there; they allegedly stood by as Chrissy, this transgender woman, convulsed on the floor. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLIS: As I was holding my head like this, because I didn`t want to go into a seizure and I knew I was going to go into one. And when I had a seizure, I remember spitting up blood all over the McDonald`s door.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now, I want to welcome a special guest, Amber Yust. She is a 23-year-old transgender woman who was a victim of some terrible pressure (ph). She went to get a new driver`s license last year to reflect her sex change. The DMV employee who, quote-unquote, helped her at the counter allegedly sent her a hateful and threatening letter a few days later and warned that homosexuality was quote, "an abomination that leads to hell" and that her choice to have a sex change was a very evil decision.

Now, the man, the DMV employee who allegedly sent the letter no longer works at the DMV. But, Amber, given what you went through, what do you make of this horrific beating at the McDonald`s?

AMBER YUST, TRANSGENDER WOMAN SUING DMV: Well, honestly, trans-phobia and discrimination against trans people are something that really --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Can you speak up, my dear? Can you speak up?

YUST: Yes. So discrimination against transgender people is something that, you know, almost all of us are not a stranger to in the trans community because it`s shockingly prevalent among our daily lives. So, you know, this is the kind of thing that we live in fear of every day.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So you`re not shocked by it?

YUST: I`m -- I`m shocked by, you know, like I would any such vicious attack but at the same time it`s not something that we go, how could that ever happen because it`s just something that we`ve sort of come to expect.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa Bloom, do you think those who observe and the 22-year-old employee who has since been fired who allegedly videotaped this on the cell phone, should they be prosecuted as well?

BLOOM: That`s a tough one, Jane; if he simply videotaped it and didn`t otherwise participate, then probably not. Otherwise, any news gathering organization, the videotapes of a violent attack could get caught up in it. You have to be a conspirator. You have to get a confirmative act that helps the violence. I don`t see that here.

And Jane, I just have to add, by the way, the vegetarian places where I eat are very peaceful. I wonder if it`s something in the food in these places.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s a funny thing. I give all the fast food restaurants an opportunity to respond to that. Come on our show and we`ll debate that subject as well. Because it is interesting how we have a lot of fast food places where there`s a lot of violence. What`s going on there?

Did the suspects target Chrissy because she is transgender? Let`s listen to her explain how the whole thing happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLIS: A guy approached me, asked me how I was doing. So I said not now. I want to go use the bathroom, came back out and the girl spit in my face. She said are you trying to talk to my man. And I said, no I didn`t even know that was your man at all.

So the other girl came up and spit in my face and they started ripping my hair, throwing me on the floor, kicking me in my face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s my big issue: freedom to be different. We don`t know at this point exactly what motivated this beating. But it is the perfect opportunity to recognize that we`re all different. There is nothing called normal. It doesn`t exist.

If we start allowing violence and prejudice against any individual because they are different, it opens the door for every individual to be targeted because everybody is different. There is no normal. There is no idealized person walking around in the world that meets every standard of normalcy.

We need to stand up for our freedom as Americans to be different and unique. That`s what our entire country is founded on. It`s founded on the principle of rugged individualism and that we`re all different and that we have the right to be different, Lisa Bloom.

BLOOM: Absolutely, Jane. Hear, hear. And you know, the number one cause of death for transgender people is homicide. This has got to stop because transgender people are some of the bravest people I know. I mean imagine going through what they go through just so that they can live truly as themselves.

I say, "hats off" to transgender people. I wish I had that kind of courage.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go back to Amber Yust. How do you deal with it? Why do you think people are so threatened by transgenders in particular?

YUST: I think mostly I it goes against some of their expectations. They want to, you know, put everyone in a nice, neat little box. And transgender people, you know, tend to break out of some of those boxes. They break out of some of the expectations that, you know, some people are like this, some people are like that and so people are not sure what to do. And so they sometimes lash out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. It`s a reaction as people become confused because, like you say, their assumptions about who we are get thrown. And so it is threatening and sometimes when insecure people are threatened, they lash out.

Thank you, fantastic panel.

By the way, for more on the story, check out Dr. Drew. He`s going to talk to the victim`s mother in an exclusive interview. That`s at 9:00 Eastern here on HLN.

It`s almost here, the royal wedding; it`s just days away, the nerves reportedly kicking in. Does the future of the entire monarchy rest on Will and Kate not only getting married but staying married and avoiding the kind of scandals that have plagued their aunts and uncles and parents? That`s the question. And what kind of pressure does that put on a relationship?

We`re taking your calls, 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m pretty excited. I didn`t want to be here on the day, though, because it would be way too busy. But I`m having my mom tape it for me even though I`m going to be in the UK when it`s on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we`re pretty excited. But like she said, it`s a little too busy, a little too crowded. Probably best to see it today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: I`m actually excited; quite happy when this is over. But no, well, she`s excited and it`s -- we`re looking forward to spending the rest of the times and the rest of our lives together.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Prince William might be excited about his upcoming nuptials but one Buckingham Palace guard apparently is not a big fan of the bride-to-be. He has been booted from wedding guard duty and I hope fired because he dissed Kate bad on Facebook, very un-royal behavior.

The young man called Kate Middleton, quote, "a stupid, stuck-up cow". Now, I love cows and I think they`re wonderful. I don`t take offense to being compared to a cow but I don`t think that`s how Kate Middleton took.

The Facebook basher is one of these guys -- you know, the guys who march around and they stand very still. They`re wearing their red uniforms and those big black hats and they guard the palace. So I guess that doofus can watch the wedding on television.

And then there is the weather. Is it still good luck if it rains on your wedding day? It could rain on their wedding day.

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MARTIN OATS, SENIOR CARRIAGE RESTORER: I`m not sure exactly when the last minute we will be told (INAUDIBLE) will be swapped over but we can swap. We have a weather forecast. Obviously, we will (INAUDIBLE) won`t get wet.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think that the palace guard is really out of line and I`m glad he was punished. But it does seem that a lot of people are not so awestruck by the Royals anymore. Really, they`ve lost their mystique (ph) to a certain degree because of the media scrutiny.

I have to wonder, is the entire monarchy dependent on Kate and William getting married and staying married and avoiding some of the scandals that have plagued their aunts and uncles and mothers and dads?

Give me a call 1-877-JVM SAYS.

Straight out to Diane Clehane who is the author of this fantastic book "Diana: the secrets of her style". Diane, thanks for joining us.

DIANE CLEHANE, AUTHOR, "DIANA: THE SECRETS OF HER STYLE": Thanks. Thanks for having me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is the monarchy, to a certain degree, riding on the success of this marriage?

CLEHANE: Well, for one thing, the British are so reinvigorated by the royal wedding and I think that a lot does depend on it because since Diana has died, there`s been this vacuum. There`s no stars; and Kate and William could be those stars that could reinvigorate everyone and get the interest back up to where it was when Diana was around.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, I`ve got to get back to this knuckle-head, one of these famous Buckingham Palace guards who got the boot from the wedding. And it`s all because of what he wrote about the future queen on Facebook. The young made some vicious and viciously misspelled online rants about Kate Middleton after a royal motorcade happened to pass him by.

Her and William drove past me on Friday, or she, "Her and William drove by me on Friday and all I got was a blank wave while she looked the opposite way for me. Stupid, stuck up cow. Am I not good enough for them? Posh b-word am totally with you on this one. Who really gives an f-word about her?

Oh my gosh. Dylan Howard, by the way, this guy is known as a heavy drinker and a hot-head and he also said things that were racist and anti- Semitic. But it really kind of surprises me that this is the kind of people they have wearing those fabulous outfits?

DYLAN HOWARD, RADARONLINE: Absolutely. Absolutely -- I mean this guy is guilty of stupidity at the absolute very least. Here is someone who is working as part of an institution so steeped in history as the Royal Family and he acts and behaves like that. I mean it`s a good way -- in a lot of ways, it`s good that we won`t see him on this auspicious occasion. I think it`s good that he won`t be there.

But very, very interesting, isn`t it? That someone with a background like this survives what you would imagine would be routine and very serious background checks.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I`m glad they got rid of that guy and it`s a warning for everybody. Let`s maintain our decorum.

But the Brits are known for their decorum. I covered Princess Diana`s funeral in London and there was not one incident or arrest. Everybody was perfectly dressed. Everybody was articulate. Everybody was online. They were serving tea and crumpets from Harrods. It was one of the most impressive things I`ve ever seen.

And I certainly hope and am confident that this royal wedding will be as well.

Marty, Missouri, quick question or thought?

MARTY, MISSOURI (via telephone): Yes, Jane, first of all, I`d like to say I love your show.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

MARTY: And secondly, no, I think the Royal Family is going to be around for quite some time. They`ve gone through previous scandals that you stated and I think we also have to remember that it`s not just riding on William and Kate`s shoulders.

There`s still Prince Charles. He is next in line. If they allow -- if he was allowed to marry the woman he --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Marty, I have to jump in there. On the other side of the break, we`re going to talk about how Will is more popular than his dad.

Stay right there.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s really interesting because in Korea, we don`t have royalty anymore. So to experience it, it`s like London and England is celebrating this event. It`s just really amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve come all the way from New Zealand just for the royal wedding?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, that`s right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, because I`m a royalist, I suppose, and I came like 30 years ago to Prince Charles` wedding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m an Anglophile. I love all of this stuff. The Brits love Will and Kate and guess who they don`t love, Will`s dad, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla. In fact, many have said they would actually prefer William and Kate ascend to the throne instead of Charles and Camilla; essentially, leapfrogging over them.

So Diane Clehane, you`re the author of "Diana: the secrets of her style". That`s got to be a lot of pressure for the newlyweds and also kind of awkward to be more popular than your dad.

CLEHANE: Well, I think that the conversations are going to get very interesting around the dinner table once William and Kate are married and the popularity continues to surge. But there is a line of succession and Charles will be king. He probably will be very old because the royals hang around forever, but that doesn`t stop William and Kate from sort of being the marquee players of the family. And I think that`s what`s really going to happen.

But there is -- it`s very, very true that there is no love lost, in many factions, people love William and Kate far more than they care for Charles and Camilla. I mean the idea of Queen Camilla is something that a lot of people just really don`t want to accept. But it could very well be.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Because of the inherent conflict with the memory of Princess Di who was a rock star and revered.

CLEHANE: True.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: My big issue tonight, are the odds stacked against Will and Kate? We wish them all the best but the facts are the royals have had their share of bad marriages, to wit, the obvious comparison with Princess Diana. She had no idea what she was in for when she married Prince Charles at the tender age of 19. And then, of course, Diana`s doomed sister-in-law Fergie, who not only divorced Prince Andrew but proceeded to do infomercials and ultimately got caught on tape trying to sell access for her husband for $750,000.

Milly, California, your question or thought, ma`am?

MILLY, CALIFORNIA: About the officer, I think he has a right to form his own opinion.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What?

MILLY: -- on what he said about Kate.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, wow, there`s a caller saying, the guard can say whatever he wants. I don`t think so. Sorry.

HOWARD: Well, good luck trying to find a job somewhere at Buckingham Palace, sir, because you have no right to work at Buckingham Palace. But interesting enough, the Royal Family is fighting for its legitimacy at the moment. And the big question is, where will they survive?

As you can tell by my accent, I come from Australia as a member of the Commonwealth. And in that country the Royal Family still is our head of state. The Queen is our head of state. And it`s fighting for legitimacy there. Many people wanted it to become independent nation. Now, of course, in Britain it`s a very different story.

But you`re very right to suggest that Camilla and Charles are a little bit on the nose, if you`d like, and in a lot of ways Kate and William are embodying the absolute faith that people have in the monarchy and they hope that that love will survive and carry over so that people become proud of the British institution.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And in fact, Will has said I hope this marriage lasts forever. He does not want to make the same miss stakes that his aunts and uncles have made. And he wants to stay married. He wants this to be a real marriage and not something that is destroyed by the paparazzi and the scrutiny.

Thank you, fabulous panel.

Keep it here on HLN for our royal wedding coverage. We`re going to all over it next.

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VELEZ-MITCHELL: Finally, we have a solid development on a story we`ve been covering here on ISSUES for months now, the Long Island serial murders. And now there is a profile of this very sick individual.

As cops discover eight bodies in Suffolk County, New York and possibly two others in a nearby county, a chilling description is coming together. Experts tell the "New York Times" this murderer is most likely a white male, in his mid-20s to 40s. He is married or has a girlfriend, is well- educated and well-spoken enough to persuade at least four of the identified female victims to meet him on his terms.

He`s financially secure, has a job, and probably lives or lived in the very area where these bodies were dumped. In other words, this psychopath looks like your Average Joe but under the surface he`s a sadistic and calculated killer and we`ve got to find him.

Nancy Grace is up next.

END