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CNN NEWSROOM

DOJ to Review Baltimore Police Department Practices; Scott Walker Leads GOP Contenders in New Quinnipiac Poll. Aired 10:30-11:00a ET.

Aired May 6, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:30:30] JOEY JACKSON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Pat, frisk but not to arrest. The big issue here is when they did pat frisk and they found that knife, should they have arrested based upon the knife? If the defense gets that knife thrown out, suppressed, not coming into court, in light of the fact that, you know what? It was - it was a legal knife. It was - it was illegal and the police had a basis, it could void the false imprisonment charge but it certainly doesn't explain the injuries and that's the problem.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: OK. So, let's move on to this U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Baltimore City Police Department. It's called - they're going to review a pattern of - it's called the pattern of practice review. What does that mean?

JACKSON: Pattern and practice. What happens, Carol, is that it's important to know, first of all they're dealing with a crisis here. The public clearly does not trust the police department and it didn't occur yesterday. It's based upon apparently historically how the relationship has been with that community. So, what the justice department does is they go in and they investigate who are you stopping? When were you stopping them? Why are you stopping them?

And when I saw who, who are the people? If they are people of color was it disproportionately, we're they being stopped versus other people in the community? Did you have a basis to do it? Were you doing it legally? Were you doing it properly? And so, what they'll do is they'll go back and they'll look at the patterns, they look at the practices to see whether or not they were acting in accordance with the law. And if they were not, then of course there will be reforms that will be recommended to the institute.

COSTELLO: Now, maybe the police commissioner will welcome this because he told Evan Perez that there are problems within the police department. Let's listen.

ANTHONY BATTS, BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER: It's clear the day that I stepped on ground here in Baltimore that there's a lack of trust within our community and the police department in certain parts of our community. So, we're - we've been trying to do that from day one by being transparent, by being open. When we make mistakes, I think we're going in the right direction is what I'm trying to say. By every metric that you measure a police department on, we've hit a home run and we're going in the right direction. There is a lack of trust within this community period bottom

line. That's going to take healing. That's going to take us acknowledging as a police department, not just here in Baltimore, but law enforcement as a whole that we've been part of the problem.

COSTELLO: OK. So, the police commissioner has instituted his own reforms. He's been working on this for the past year, right? And now the U.S. Justice Department is coming in. I mean, I wonder why he wasn't standing beside the mayor.

JACKSON: Well, I mean, I think there's a reason for that. And more so than that, Carol, you mean during when she --

COSTELLO: Announced the partnership.

JACKSON: Right, announced the partnership. That's a very good question. But I also think that everyone kind of wants to maintain their independence. The mayor wants to maintain her independence from the county attorney. He wants to do that as Batts wants to maintain his, you know, independence from the mayor and from the county country also.

So, and this all goes to the critical issue of trust, right? The community now, based upon this crisis, they wants to know who to trust. Now, we could say that, "Batts, you're doing an investigation. We trust you apparently not if the Department of Justice is coming in." If the public ultimately is made to buy into it, if the public believes that the federal government is in there and in their interest they're looking at patterns, they're looking at the practices and something is going to be done by manner of reform and the public can buy into that and trust it, then I think everybody is in a better place and in a better space and that's what they're searching to do here.

COSTELLO: All right. Joey Jackson, thanks for your insight. I appreciate it. I do. I'll be right back.

[10:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We could find out a lot more today about the federal supermax prison where convicted Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may spend the rest of his - might spend the rest of his days if he is sentenced to life in prison. CNN's Alexandra Field has been covering the trial, she joins us live now. Good morning.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Carol. The defense has been telling the jury that they will show them what the alternative to the death sentence is, what Dzhokhar's life would like behind bars if he sentenced to prison for the rest of his life. But right now, they're focusing on what Tsarnaev's life was like before April 15th, 2013. Marathon Monday. They are talking a lot about his family background. They called witnesses to testify about how his mother became progressively more religious much to the shock and surprise frankly of friends and family.

They are talking about the mental health issues, that his father suffered from, saying that he was being treated for various psychiatric and physical issues. That he was suffering from panic, anxiety, depression, PTSD and they're talking a lot about Tamerlan Tsarnaev as they have throughout the course of this trial. Taking about how his interest in Islam grew, how those who knew him testified to how he became rapidly more extreme and more religious. How he was abandoning activities he had liked like boxing and music feeling that they conflicted with his beliefs in Islam.

And at the same time we're hearing a little bit about Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man in the middle of this case. He's heard from a wrestling teammate who had nice things to say saying that Dzhokhar was something of a mentor, we heard from classmates, multiple family members who say he was a quiet, a shy, a studious kid. His former brother-in-law is testifying right now remotely via videoconference from Kazakhstan saying he really remembers Dzhokhar as a kid always with his books, his mother proudly posting his school assignments and his high grades on the fridge. And, Carol, of course the defense is hoping that those are humanizing moments that will resonate with the jury but on the flip side, the prosecution seizes on moments like that saying these are signs that this is a kid who had love and support and confidence and still chose to make the decisions that he made and that is why the prosecution says that the death sentence is the only just sentence, Carol.

COSTELLO: Is anyone on the jury giving away as to how all of this is going over?

FIELD: You know, it's very tough to tell. Unlike the first phase of this trial, the verdict phase of the trial, and unlike the first phase of the penalty phase when the prosecution called forth those witnesses, they have a lot of witnesses, victims, survivors, who were speaking very emotionally in great detail about the pain and the suffering that had been inflicted on them. So, at those times you would see the jury really have an emotional and (advisable) reaction. The defense, they don't have those kinds of witnesses to draw from. They are just trying to look for these humanizing moments, moments in which somebody will see Dzhokhar as a human, he should be sentenced to life in prison and not the death penalty. But we certainly don't see these extreme emotional reactions from the jury that we have seen at various points earlier in the trial, Carol.

[10:40:40] COSTELLO: All right. Alexandra Field reporting live from Boston. Still to come in the Newsroom, to say there's a crowded Republican field in the race for the party's presidential nod. Well, that would be an understatement. And look at what the candidates could do to stand out from the crowd, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Jeb Bush has been called a Republican presidential front runner by pundits and prognosticators but a new poll shows he faces a steep hurdle when it comes to winning over voters in the critical Iowa caucus. Bush coming in seventh, in a new Quinnipiac survey. Scott Walker actually leads the pack with 21 percent. Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee are fighting for second place. Ben Carson ranked sixth. Joining me from Iowa to parse the number, CNN's Sara Murray. Good morning.

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Like you said, Jeb Bush is really struggling in these early polls here in the state and Scott Walker is having his moment. He is at 21 percent among likely Republican caucus goers. That's a pretty big number and I think what Iowa voters seem to really like about him is they have this narrative of Scott Walker as a fighter. He is the guy who took on unions in Wisconsin and he won. But the other thing about Iowa voters is they don't like the conventional candidate. And Jeb Bush right now is conventional wisdom. Like you said, pundits call him the front runner. And so, Iowa voters don't want to just hand him Iowa.

[10:45:00] COSTELLO: For some reason that still shocks me. And I understand exactly what you said but he's dead last in Iowa.

MURRAY: It is amazing. Not only is he dead last but 25 percent of likely caucus goers said they definitely would not support Jeb Bush. I think that's a tough number for him. The other tough number is his unaffordability number, it's at 45 percent. So the thing that you can do when you buy ads as Jeb Bush can buy a lot of great ads talking about his biography, talking about how he's different from the other Bushes people might be familiar with, but it is hard to bring those unfavorable numbers down. And Iowa voters just do not seem onboard with the Jeb Bush campaign.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Sara Murray, thanks. Interesting, right? So that latest poll showing - well, it also shows Carly Fiorina also faces a challenge among Iowa voters. Sixty-six percent say they haven't heard enough about her to even make up their minds. And in a possible bid to boost her profile, Fiorina, she sat down with comedian Seth Myers.

SETH MEYERS, COMEDIAN: Now, but the question is since there's - everyone and the Republican field also thinks that, how do define your self --

CARLY FIORINA, AMERICAN POLITICIAN: They look crowded, the Republicans.

MEYERS: You're a crowded group. And it seems like one thing you would all agree on is, running against Hillary at some point ideally, so how does that define you from the other candidates when you sort of start with the Hillary part?

FIORINA: Well, look, everything about me is different, you know. For one, I'm on your show. Let's just start with that.

MEYERS: Yes. Absolutely, yes. We don't have enough chairs for all of you.

FIORINA: I know. I know.

COSTELLO: He ran out (inaudible) of chairs. Fiorina and other GOP hopefuls considered long shots for the nomination but could a presidential run pay off in other ways? Let's talk about this with Tera Setmayer, CNN political commentator and former communications director for Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Ron Christie, former special assistant to President George W. Bush. You guys have long titles but very impressive.

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Very detailed.

COSTELLO: OK. So first of all, I just - I just want to center on the sheer number of Republican candidates because according to Larry Sabato, the number could hit 21, Tera, 21 candidates. Seriously?

SETMAYER: Well, it goes to show you that there will never be a dull moment, that's for sure, throughout this whole thing. But it also shows the diversity of the Republican Party and why so - what's going on in this country? A lot of people have a lot of concern and a lot of - the Republicans are actually showing some depth here, unlike the - unlike the Democrats. The Democrats are concerned about just a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders who really doesn't have much choice.

COSTELLO: I totally get that but one on one candidates?

SETMAYER: I think it's to - I mean, it's a little much when you're talking about debates and from logistics. And that's going to be whittled down. But I think that most people welcome the different perspectives because we're at a crossroads and this election is crucial for the future of this country. So, given the - when you start to break it down by tiers, you'll see that about five or six candidates will be the main candidates. We're still very, very early out. I mean, I think, Ron, if you remember at this point last time around, you know, you had Giuliani or in 2008 you had Giuliani with this point. You know, Donald Trump in 2011 was one of the front runners. I mean, it's going to change as people get to know these candidates and you start to have debates, different forums. It will change.

COSTELLO: Let me run this. The New Yorker calls it running for president to build your brand. And the New Yorker writes in part quote, "For some, there's a genuine call to serve... for a number of the candidates, however, the chances of actually securing the nomination don't appear to factor into the decision to run." The article goes on to say "after the race some candidates can earn hefty speaking fees, get book deals and even TV shows."

RON CHRISTIE, FORMER SPECIAL ASST., PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH: This almost sounds like Hillary Clinton.

SETMAYER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Well, but I mean, doesn't the New Yorker have a point, a small point? Because some of these candidates know they can't win.

CHRISTIE: They might have a point to a certain extent. I think 20 is a lot. But let's look --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: But let's be honest about it. Some of these candidates know they don't have a chance.

CHRISTIE: Well, I don't know if - I don't know if I would say that. I would say in this open field when you - I'm not going to name names, but when you look at the coronation on the Democratic Party of Hillary Clinton which I think is a mistake, I think if the Democratic Party is really about democracy, they have a vibrant field. The Republicans have a number of governors, they have a number of senators, they have a lot of people with a lot of experience.

COSTELLO: I'm not saying there are not vibrant candidates because there certainly are. You're right about diversity.

SETMAYER: Right, --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: It's nice to see a diverse field. I'm talking about the candidates who know they don't have a chance.

CHRISTIE: Well, they might believe they have a chance, but we might think otherwise. I think it's good for democracy to have these folks out, to have their voices heard, to articulate a positive message about why the last eight years have been bad for America. And what they would do differently. I welcome that debate.

COSTELLO: OK. So, can 21 people on a stage articulate that in a way that the American voters can embrace?

[10:50:00] SETMAYER: Probably, not at all at one time, no. But what the presidential platform gives you is that, it gives you the platform, it is the bully pulpit. And for people who may believe that, you know, "I don't have a chance," but they think they have a message that's important for people to hear, this gives them the ability to do that. Are some financially motiveted? Probably. I mean, that's - this is politics. (You some a hew verses) and there's no shortage of that either. So - but, you know, I think this is an - a very interesting thing. Unprecedented if I understand. And, yes.

CHRISTIE: Right.

COSTELLO: But we through - we thought actually it would be kind of fun to see - do a kind of where are they now from 2012.

CHRISTIE: Oh, no. Way to go, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, I don't know. Post-election life, they are involved in a variety of activities. Herman Cain, right, he's now a radio talk show host and Fox News contributor. Michele Bachmann, she left congress last year after eight years. Ron Paul, founded the Ron Paul institute for peace and prosperity. He also established the Ron Paul channel, right? Mike Huckabee had a talk show, made millions of dollars on Fox News. So, it is lucrative to run for president.

CHRISTIE: Sure is. And I look back at the 2008 cycle and I think back to one Hillary Clinton. We've seen the Clintons have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the Clinton foundation. So, what goes on the Republican side, goes to the Democratic side.

COSTELLO: Agree. I'm not - I mean, it's not party specific, but it's the way America operates right now when it comes to presidential politics.

CHRISTIE: Which I think is great, Carol. I think it's great that these folks have had exposure to the American people and that they've been rewarded for their experience and their message.

SETMAYER: And if there's a free market for them, then so be it, I mean, that's American way.

CHRISTIE: Yes.

COSTELLO: This is America.

SETMAYER: Absolutely. (Just testing) a really quick point about the polling.

COSTELLO: Sure.

SETMAYER: I found a couple of interesting things. The reason why Jeb Bush isn't polling well in Iowa is because it's a retail politics state. You have to show up, you have to talk to people. I mean, you know, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker and these guys, they're in people's living rooms, they're in the local churches. That's the way caucuses work. It's why Iowa is so unique in the way that people campaign there. And Jeb Bush has not shown up there.

CHRISTIE: Yes.

SETMAYER: And he can't expect to have any support.

CHRISTIE: He (hasn't appeared) yet.

SETMAYER: That's true too. But even though Scott Walker has either, but he's in Iowa plenty so in that poll you saw that Scott Walker was ahead somewhat because he spent time there, but Marco Rubio has a 10 percent more favorability rating 69 percent versus Scott Walker 59, which I thought is interesting, which means that Rubio is going to creep up there, I think, on Walker and has a great shot at winning Iowa.

COSTELLO: I have to leave it there. Tera, Ron, thanks for being with me.

CHRISTIE: (Thank you.)

COSTELLO: I appreciate it. One of those candidates of the crowded GOP field will be on The Lead at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Jake Tapper will ask former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, how he plans to stand out against all of those Republican opponents. That's today 4:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. I'll be right back.

[10:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you. Fifty-five minutes

passed after more than a 50-year ban, the White House green-light - the White House green-lighted ferry services between the United States and Cuba. Several Florida based companies say they've already received licenses to operate. U.S. Citizens wanting to make that trip however still must meet certain criteria set by the Obama administration.

In drought play California, unprecedented water restrictions. The governor ordering watering agencies statewide to cut water use by 25 percent. The emergency mandate is the first in the state's history. Cities or water agencies that don't meet requirements can be fined up to $10,000 a day.

The case of fraud and deceit. The city of Los Angeles suing Wells Fargo for opening up accounts and credit cards in customers' names without them even knowing it. According to the lawsuit, employees have been opening the accounts in order to meet unrealistic sales goals and quotas. The company could be on the hook for a $2,500 fine for each account and have to pay back its customers.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. At This Hour's Berman and Bolduan, after a break.