http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1306/18/ddhln.01.htmlDR. DREWArias Jurors Make Major Announcement; Trust Fund Kid on Trial;
911 Call Key To Zimmerman Case
Aired June 18, 2013 - 21:00 ET VINNIE POLITAN, HLN ANCHOR: Coming up top of the hour on "HLN After Dark," our first bold question for our jurors, our potential jurors, was George Zimmerman a good neighbor?
RYAN SMITH, HLN ANCHOR: All right. Not only that. Once we saw that one, we`re going to talk about would George Zimmerman have called police if Trayvon Martin were White? Now, you mentioned potential jurors. We`ve got 12. We`re going to get down to six before the show is over.
POLITAN: Which six will make it? You`ll find out top of the hour. "HLN After Dark."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Next, the 911 calls from the night Trayvon Martin died. Exactly who is yelling for the help? They were in court today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re talking about the 911 recording where there`s this -- you`ve heard that tape yourself?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Voices in the background. They say no, that`s George. No, that`s Trayvon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which side do you come under?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I find it hard to believe to tell which is which.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you think he`s yelling help?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. What is --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you remember there being -- do you remember what the take was on that in terms of other than determining whose voice it was?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The point that I remember it, they hadn`t determined who that was.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PINSKY: Back with our co-host, Samantha Schacher. Of curse, that was an edited version of the 911 call. So, who was screaming on the tape? George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman claims self-defense. The prosecution claims it`s Martin yelling for help. The defense says it`s Zimmerman. Expert testimony will undoubtedly come in, I suspect.
The judge has yet to decide whether he or she will allow it. Joining us is Michael Skolnik, editor-in-chief of GlobalGrind.com. He`s on the board of the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Crystal Wright from ConservativeBlackChick.com, attorney, Darren Kavinoky, and Shahrazad Ali, author of "Are You Still A Slave?" Shahrazad Ali, how would you like me to address you?
SHAHRAZAD ALI, AUTHOR, "ARE YOU STILL A SLAVE?": Miss Ali is fine.
PINSKY: Miss Ali is great. OK. So, I`m going to start with Darren. The voice on the 911 call, who does it help?
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: Well, it depends who the jurors decide that voice is. Obviously, if it`s Trayvon Martin who`s calling for help, then that helps the prosecution, because that would show that George Zimmerman is the aggressor, that he`s hunting him down.
If, of course, it`s Zimmerman calming for help, then that helpsthe defense, right, because then it gets to his being in fear, he`s calling for help and that would tend to support the justifiable use of deadly force.
PINSKY: OK. Darren, I --
KAVINOKY: This is the $64,000 question.
PINSKY: Right. I think so, but Michael, I wonder if you agree with that? Does it really make any difference?
MICHAEL SKOLNIK, EDITOR, GLOBALGRIND.COM: It makes a big difference. But I think in this situation, the defense has not shown an expert on their side yet who`ve said it`s George Zimmerman. All they have shown is experts who refute the prosecutors` (ph) experts who say it`s Trayvon martin,
The defense has shown nothing. They can`t even pay somebody to go out there and say it`s George Zimmerman`s voice. They have nothing on their side that prove it`s George Zimmerman. Two experts have come forward already and say it`s Trayvon Martin`s voice.
PINSKY: Miss Ali, a lot of people are saying this has much to do with how Trayvon sort of presented himself. What he was wearing and that sort of thing. Do young people of any color need to be worried about that?
ALI: Well, we`re living in a country where men dress up like women, women dress up like men, and Black young people they want to dress just as silly as everyone else. And so, they want to wear their pants hanging down and the hat on backwards and the hoodies and so forth. And to them, it`s a fad. But these things pass and I think I have to take it back to the parents again.
We, as parents, we fail to do our job in a certain way in this country, because we haven`t told our children that they live in a hostile environment and that there are people out here waiting to kill them for any reason. And so, I think that, you know, that maybe if we did teach them more about how to dress and present yourself because you can`t dress in certain ways to go and apply for a job.
You can`t dress certain ways, you know, to get into college. And so, there are requirements on a dress standard.
PINSKY: Let me go to Crystal and say -- now, is that a parenting thing? Is that an issue of color? Where does that fall?
CRYSTAL WRIGHT, CONSERVATIVEBLACKCHICK.COM: Well, it`s a parenting thing how young men and women dress. And I agree with Miss Ali that, you know, parenting has gone by the wayside. And the fact is when young Black men have images from rappers in Hollywood with chains hanging around their neck, hoodies, calling women you know whats and hos, wearing pants where we can see their boxers.
That`s unacceptable if you`re Black, White, Chinese, purple, green. I don`t care if you`re a Martian. Dressing like that is not going to get you a job, which we know then enables you to participate in society. It`s not going to get you into college. It`s a lack of parenting, but I also think it`s because we now have left society without rules and anything goes.
PINSKY: OK. Now, you guys got to hold your thoughts. Hang on. I have to go to break. You must stop. Is it okay ever to be prejudicial? I`m going to put that question to the panel. I also let them respond in we`ve heard, so far.
And later, a superstar in the kitchen, and now, her husband`s in hot water. We got to go quick to break. Be right back with this panel.
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PINSKY: Gentlemen, I`m up against the clock. Darren, then MICHAEL, then Miss Ali responds. Keep it quick. Darren, go.
KAVINOKY: Yes. Look, we`re collapsing two different -- very different issues here. Of course, people should dress appropriately for job interviews and the like. And that`s just good parenting. But it`s irresponsible to suggest that somebody should be a crime victim or is more likely to be a crime victim because of the way they were dressed.
PINSKY: Got it. Got it.
KAVINOKY: People have freedom to express themselves.
PINSKY: Michael. Michael.
SKOLNIK: -- what he was wearing was menacing is absurd. George Zimmerman profiled him based on what he was wearing and the color of his skin. If Mark Zuckerberg was walking through Sanford with a hoodie on, George Zimmerman would drive and wave to him and said hello.
PINSKY: Miss Ali, spank these boys.
(LAUGHTER)
ALI: Well, we want Zimmerman --
KAVINOKY (ph): Please.
ALI: We want Zimmerman convicted for the crime that we think that he did, but it was a killing that didn`t nobody see. Black people killing each other all day long in every community in this country. And the whole neighborhood see it and don`t nobody tell. So, we`re using killing like the "N" word. It`s OK for us to do it to each other, but we don`t want anybody from outside our community to come in and do it, because then -- all no justice, no peace.
PINSKY: Crystal, finish this off.
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: Here`s the thing. No, let me finish here. Nobody said anybody should die by the way they`re dressed or the color of their skin. And the last time I read about this case, it was dark at night. So, how did George Zimmerman know what color skin Trayvon was?
SKOLNIK: He said it in the 911 call.
(CROSSTALK)
ALI: This is why we can`t make any progress with this.
SCHACHER: Can I please say something really quick?
PINSKY: Samantha, go.
SCHACHER: A hoodie does not equate with us (ph). A guy with tattoos does not equate to somebody that`s a criminal or deviant.
PINSKY: Hold on.
SCHACHER: So, we`re supposed to govern people on what they wear?
PINSKY: Hold on. Miss Ali, finish it up.
WRIGHT: Can I say something?
ALI: This is why we can`t make any progress on this topic, because every time we discuss this issue about race in America, people don`t tell the truth. We have always been territorial about our communities.
(CROSSTALK)
ALI: We have been practicing stand your ground in the Black community way before it was made a law.
PINSKY: Guys, I want you all back tomorrow night. I`ve got to take a break. Crystal, I`m so sorry. I`m dying to hear what you all are saying, but it`ll be tomorrow. "Last Call" is next.