'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for March 16
Read the complete transcript to Tuesday's show
Updated: 10:45 a.m. ET March 17, 2004
Guests: Steve Coll; John Q. Kelly, Eric Peoples, Ken McClain
...
KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST: The Michael Jackson case: How about Lisa Marie Presley testifying to the grand jury? How about Jackson himself? How about somebody explaining why there is a grand jury if the charges have already been filed?
...
OLBERMANN: Next here, COUNTDOWN‘s No. 4 story. What did she see and what does she know? A grand jury could force Lisa Marie Presley Jackson Presley to tell all about her marriage to Michael Jackson.
No, don‘t make her do it. Please, no.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
OLBERMANN: Going to write a letter, going to mail it to my local M.J. Our forth story in the COUNTDOWN: Forgiving the rewriting of Chuck Berry hit, “Roll Over Beethoven” the district attorney of Santa Barbara, California, has sent Michael Jackson‘s attorneys a letter offering their client a chance to testify voluntarily before a grand jury.
It‘s your entertainment dollars in action, day 120 of the Michael Jackson investigations. Our fourth story and a source close to the Jackson defense team, confirms to MSNBC and NBC News, the receipt of the letter. The same source also confirming the expected that no way, no how will Jackson go voluntarily before a grand jury. Though somewhat startling to those of us outside the maelstrom, the letter is considered par for the course in such cases.
In California, such contact, in which the defense claims to have evidence that clears its client and, the prosecution kind of wants to know what the evidence is. Even has its own name, a “Johnson Letter.” We‘ll just skip the implications of that and move instead into the bizarre reappearance of Jackson‘s bizarre ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, in all of this.
Elvis‘s daughter will not get a Johnson Letter from D.A. Tom Sneddon, but she might wind up testify to that very grand jury to which Sneddon refers. All because of her appearance on an Australian interview show with the kind title tells you in advance don‘t go on it. It was called “Enough Rope” with Andrew Denton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA MARIE PRESLEY, MICHAEL JACKSON‘S EX WIFE: Seeing things going on that I couldn‘t do anything about–you know, and don‘t ask me what sort of things, because I‘m not going to answer. It was just stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OLBERMANN: Just when this gets weirder by the moment, quotient in this story seems to be drooping in the Jackson case, it perks right up. To help us assess just how weird and just how perky, I‘m joined now by noted attorney John Q. Kelly who represented the family of Nicole Brown-Simpson in the O.J. Simpson civil case.
Mr. Kelly, good evening.
JOHN Q. KELLY, FORMER O.J. SIMPSON PROSECUTOR: How you doing, Keith.
OLBERMANN: Well, what does this mean? Are Michael Jackson and/or Lisa Marie Presley going to wind up testifying in front of a grand jury in Santa Barbara, California?
KELLY: Michael Jackson absolutely will not testify before the grand jury. I think the district attorney‘s office may try to interview Lisa Marie Presley if they feel she has something relevant, they may call her before the grand jury.
OLBERMANN: If there are already charges against Jackson, I and feeling this is a layman asking a stupid question: He‘s been charged, he‘s been booked, he‘s danced on top of a convertible, he‘s already out on bail. Why is there a grand jury still working on this case?
KELLY: Well no, it‘s a good question, Keith. But, he was just originally arraigned on the criminal complaint, the original arrest–piece of paper that was introduced against him. But now to proceed to the trial stage they either have to have a preliminary hearing, like we‘ve seen in, say Scott Peterson or Kobe Bryant and have probable cause found, or they can present evidence to a grand jury and have an indictment issued and he get as arraigned and tried on that charge.
OLBERMANN: As to the other subject here, as an attorney familiar with people being in the public eye in these circumstances. If Lisa Marie Presley had come to you and asked for your advice and she told you I‘m planning to go on a TV show called “Enough Rope” would you have suggested maybe she should just cancel?
KELLY: I‘d have pause there, and tell her to think twice about it and insist, basically, she not go on the show.
OLBERMANN: Thus things can in fact dribble out of the media into the courts.
KELLY: Well, sure. And if not–even if they don‘t use exactly what they said, she‘s now opened herself up where they‘re going to want to talk to her and possibly compel her to testify in front of the grand jury.
OLBERMANN: Teach her to do Australian television. John Q. Kelly helping flesh out tonight‘s No. 4 story on the COUNTDOWN, which the show we think has never led anybody down being called in front of a grand jury. Many thanks, sir.
KELLY: See you, Keith.
OLBERMANN: Up next, those stories that know no COUNTDOWN number, but still find a place in our hearts and in our shows, anyway: “Oddball” is just around the corner. You may not want to see that one, I‘ve got to confess.
And later, the lure of popcorn: The delicious, buttery smell, and now concerns about dangers. A jury has just awarded $20 million in damages because popcorn butter has ruined one man‘s lungs, the details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4547399/
Read the complete transcript to Tuesday's show
Updated: 10:45 a.m. ET March 17, 2004
Guests: Steve Coll; John Q. Kelly, Eric Peoples, Ken McClain
...
KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST: The Michael Jackson case: How about Lisa Marie Presley testifying to the grand jury? How about Jackson himself? How about somebody explaining why there is a grand jury if the charges have already been filed?
...
OLBERMANN: Next here, COUNTDOWN‘s No. 4 story. What did she see and what does she know? A grand jury could force Lisa Marie Presley Jackson Presley to tell all about her marriage to Michael Jackson.
No, don‘t make her do it. Please, no.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
OLBERMANN: Going to write a letter, going to mail it to my local M.J. Our forth story in the COUNTDOWN: Forgiving the rewriting of Chuck Berry hit, “Roll Over Beethoven” the district attorney of Santa Barbara, California, has sent Michael Jackson‘s attorneys a letter offering their client a chance to testify voluntarily before a grand jury.
It‘s your entertainment dollars in action, day 120 of the Michael Jackson investigations. Our fourth story and a source close to the Jackson defense team, confirms to MSNBC and NBC News, the receipt of the letter. The same source also confirming the expected that no way, no how will Jackson go voluntarily before a grand jury. Though somewhat startling to those of us outside the maelstrom, the letter is considered par for the course in such cases.
In California, such contact, in which the defense claims to have evidence that clears its client and, the prosecution kind of wants to know what the evidence is. Even has its own name, a “Johnson Letter.” We‘ll just skip the implications of that and move instead into the bizarre reappearance of Jackson‘s bizarre ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, in all of this.
Elvis‘s daughter will not get a Johnson Letter from D.A. Tom Sneddon, but she might wind up testify to that very grand jury to which Sneddon refers. All because of her appearance on an Australian interview show with the kind title tells you in advance don‘t go on it. It was called “Enough Rope” with Andrew Denton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA MARIE PRESLEY, MICHAEL JACKSON‘S EX WIFE: Seeing things going on that I couldn‘t do anything about–you know, and don‘t ask me what sort of things, because I‘m not going to answer. It was just stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OLBERMANN: Just when this gets weirder by the moment, quotient in this story seems to be drooping in the Jackson case, it perks right up. To help us assess just how weird and just how perky, I‘m joined now by noted attorney John Q. Kelly who represented the family of Nicole Brown-Simpson in the O.J. Simpson civil case.
Mr. Kelly, good evening.
JOHN Q. KELLY, FORMER O.J. SIMPSON PROSECUTOR: How you doing, Keith.
OLBERMANN: Well, what does this mean? Are Michael Jackson and/or Lisa Marie Presley going to wind up testifying in front of a grand jury in Santa Barbara, California?
KELLY: Michael Jackson absolutely will not testify before the grand jury. I think the district attorney‘s office may try to interview Lisa Marie Presley if they feel she has something relevant, they may call her before the grand jury.
OLBERMANN: If there are already charges against Jackson, I and feeling this is a layman asking a stupid question: He‘s been charged, he‘s been booked, he‘s danced on top of a convertible, he‘s already out on bail. Why is there a grand jury still working on this case?
KELLY: Well no, it‘s a good question, Keith. But, he was just originally arraigned on the criminal complaint, the original arrest–piece of paper that was introduced against him. But now to proceed to the trial stage they either have to have a preliminary hearing, like we‘ve seen in, say Scott Peterson or Kobe Bryant and have probable cause found, or they can present evidence to a grand jury and have an indictment issued and he get as arraigned and tried on that charge.
OLBERMANN: As to the other subject here, as an attorney familiar with people being in the public eye in these circumstances. If Lisa Marie Presley had come to you and asked for your advice and she told you I‘m planning to go on a TV show called “Enough Rope” would you have suggested maybe she should just cancel?
KELLY: I‘d have pause there, and tell her to think twice about it and insist, basically, she not go on the show.
OLBERMANN: Thus things can in fact dribble out of the media into the courts.
KELLY: Well, sure. And if not–even if they don‘t use exactly what they said, she‘s now opened herself up where they‘re going to want to talk to her and possibly compel her to testify in front of the grand jury.
OLBERMANN: Teach her to do Australian television. John Q. Kelly helping flesh out tonight‘s No. 4 story on the COUNTDOWN, which the show we think has never led anybody down being called in front of a grand jury. Many thanks, sir.
KELLY: See you, Keith.
OLBERMANN: Up next, those stories that know no COUNTDOWN number, but still find a place in our hearts and in our shows, anyway: “Oddball” is just around the corner. You may not want to see that one, I‘ve got to confess.
And later, the lure of popcorn: The delicious, buttery smell, and now concerns about dangers. A jury has just awarded $20 million in damages because popcorn butter has ruined one man‘s lungs, the details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4547399/