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ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Pressure Increasing on Misty Croslin in Haleigh Cummings Case

Aired May 24, 2010 - 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, fast-breaking news in the desperate search for Haleigh Cummings. We`ll play the shocking new jailhouse tapes. Misty Croslin cries her eyes out as her dad begs her to come clean.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t be holding nothing back from anybody.

MISTY CROSLIN, EX-WIFE OF RON CUMMINGS: Daddy, I`m not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get it out there. Let it out. Tell the truth.

CROSLIN: I swear on everything I`ve told the truth, Dad. There`s nothing else -- I don`t know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: With everyone around her making deals, are the walls finally closing in on Misty Croslin?

From Cannes to the courtroom, Lindsay Lohan finally faces justice. And this time the judge wasn`t messing around, ordering the paparazzi princess to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet 24/7, sending a clear message: no drinking, no drugs, no excuses. But was Lindsay drinking on the flight over?

And blood-boiling new developments in the "Survivor" murder mystery. The hot-shot reality producer`s wife was found dead at a lavish Mexican resort. Cops ordered him to stay in Mexico. Well, now he`s back in Los Angeles and demanding custody of his kids. Is he taunting the cops?

Plus, a royal scandal caught on tape. Fergie, the Duchess of York, busted on camera selling access to the royal family for hundreds of thousands of dollars. We`ll have the shocking undercover video that has sparked an international uproar.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, stunning, brand-new jailhouse tapes. An emotional Misty Croslin breaks down, her voice cracking. Her dad begs her to tell the truth about what really happened to missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Are the walls finally closing in on the last person known to see little Haleigh alive?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t be holding nothing back from anybody.

MISTY CROSLIN, EX-WIFE OF RON CUMMINGS: Daddy, I`m not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get it out there. Let it out. Tell the truth.

CROSLIN: I swear on everything I`ve told the truth, Dad. There`s nothing else -- I don`t know. And that`s the truth, you know?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Misty was babysitting little Haleigh the night she vanished. Investigators say they are sure now that that precious child has been murdered.

Cops have turned up the heat, pressuring the 18-year-old, Misty, to talk. They brought her to the dock where Misty`s brother says Haleigh`s tiny body was dumped. They have also gotten Haleigh`s dad, Ron Cummings, reportedly the love of Misty`s life, to turn against her. In exchange for a lesser sentence, Ron will testify against Misty in their drug trafficking case.

Now, Misty says she`s going crazy in lockdown. In these brand-new tapes just released, Misty reads from a newspaper about her case. Her voice is shaking so badly she can barely talk. She constantly breaks down in tears. Is this teenager close to cracking?

I want to hear from you at home. What do you think? Call me: 1-877- JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

Straight out to my fantastic expert panel. Criminal defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh; psychotherapist Robi Ludwig; and ArtHarris.com, investigative journalist Art Harris.

Art, I understand you have just gotten off the phone with Misty`s attorney. What is he telling you?

ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Jane, just a few minutes ago I spoke with Robert Fields, Misty Cummings -- Misty Croslin`s lawyer, who says she has revealed everything she knows to police. They have her story on tape. And they are now just waiting to hear back from law enforcement. He says, quote, "It`s like a garage sale. We`ve put it all out there, and we`re just waiting for someone to buy it."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, what have they -- what has she revealed, Art? I mean, at first she said she was sleeping in the trailer and woke up, and Haleigh was gone, and the door was open and a light was on. Now, according to her grandma, Flo, she`s told another story about Tommy and Cousin Joe taking Haleigh down to the river and tossing her in the water. But we haven`t heard that -- the real story out of her mouth from the jailhouse tapes.

If she`s telling everything she knows, why doesn`t she tell her dad on the jailhouse tapes, "Dad, here`s what happened"?

HARRIS: Well, the jailhouse tapes are a little delayed, Jane. They were made between, you know, March and April. And some of them, the phone calls were the last couple of weeks in April.

So the lawyer is telling me he has seen her, you know, in court, and he`s spoken with her extensively about the story. And she says that night, Tommy and Joe come over to get the gun. Joe was angry. We`ve heard this before. She takes little Junior and hides under the covers and hears Haleigh screaming and keeps the covers over her head. And all of a sudden, they`re gone. She hears the door slam, presumably the door to the blue van that was used to take Haleigh`s body to the river.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And didn`t she also reportedly say she heard screams coming from the other room?

HARRIS: She sure did. And, you know, she claimed she was so frightened, she was paralyzed that Joe had threatened to kill her and her family and put a knife to her throat. And if this is true, this is the story that she`s been telling.

Unfortunately, she has not been able to pass a lie detector test. She talks about those tests on these tapes, Jane. Misty, in fact, at one point tells her father she`s angry, because at ArtHarris.com we broke the secret police lie detector test that she took and flunked miserably, February 26.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, what I don`t understand is Cousin Joe has been interviewed by cops. This is Ron Cummings, of course. But Cousin Joe in Tennessee has been interviewed by cops. They are not arresting him. They`re not calling him a suspect. And he says he`s completely innocent and being framed. That is Cousin Joe right there. And he says that he`s got a couple of lying cousins who are trying to frame him for their own convenience.

All right. Linda, D.C., your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.

CALLER: First, thank you so much for calling people presumed innocent, because not all the folks do that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

CALLER: But my question is -- has Cousin Joe ever taken a polygraph?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow, interesting. Got to go back to Art Harris on that one.

HARRIS: I don`t think so, Jane. He`s got an attorney. He lawyered up early on after the first visit by an FDLE agent named Jason Jolliker (ph) up there in Antioch, Tennessee. And he has had an attorney ever since then who has denied his accusations.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Misty was wailing about being on lockdown and about being isolated from the general population. Just as she was having a full- on pity party in these brand-new tapes, her dad snaps her back to reality. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: No one knows how I feel. No one`s ever had to walk in my shoes. None of these people. Keeping my locked down like this is not what I need.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don`t care what you need, Misty. They`re trying to punish you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark Eiglarsh, is Misty finally coming out of denial and starting to crack as she realizes everybody around her is cutting deals and she could go to prison for most of the rest of her natural life just on the drug trafficking charges, unless she cuts a deal and basically tells the cops what really happened to Haleigh that night?

MARK EIGLARSH, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That`s exactly what`s happening. My God, I was listening to the sound. I was wondering whether that was Casey Anthony. It`s the same thing. After a while they all have the pity parties.

What`s going on -- it`s not unlike most of my clients, who at first, they`re ten-foot tall and bulletproof: "Nothing can stick to me." Later, as the defense lawyers say, "You know what? We`ve got audio. We`ve got video. We`ve got busloads of nuns all saying that you did this," all of a sudden now when you`re looking at over 100 years in prison and everybody`s now flipping against you, your psychology does start to change, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, here`s my big issue tonight. Are the walls finally closing in on Misty?

Misty`s grandma tells us Misty is still in love, deeply in love, with Ron Cummings. She`s allegedly been writing him love letters from behind bars and even got a tattoo of his name on her lower back. Well, now Misty says she can`t stop thinking about him on these tapes. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: And Ron will just keep coming into my head. Like I go to sleep and I wake up in the middle of the night crying because of him. I don`t know. I`m just so tired of this. I barely slept last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, psychotherapist Robi Ludwig, Ron has agreed to testify against Misty in their drug-trafficking case. Is that going to be the final straw that causes her to break?

ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Well, I mean, it sounds like this is a woman who only focuses on herself, which is not a good sign. I mean, she - - she`s a victim of life. So, you know, obviously, if this man turns against her, it`s not going to be good for her mental health.

But she sounds very sociopathic. She is only considering herself. And that`s a danger sign, I think, when it comes to a person who is being alleged of a crime. They tend to have that type of psychology going on. "Oh, people are coming after me or -- Ron`s making me think about him." She doesn`t take any responsibility for her life.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. In fact, so often -- and I`m not saying she`s a criminal -- but so often criminals do consider themselves victims, which is precisely how they justify doing some of the terrible things that they do, because it`s them against the rest of the world. Life is a zero-sum game.

Now, there have been so many stories about what happened to Haleigh. There was this one theory that Misty was partying the night little Haleigh vanished and that the little girl may have gotten a hold of some kind of pill and overdosed. Misty says that is not what happened. So this is new information. Listen carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s somebody going around saying that stuff happened; it supposedly happened at a party. And they know it`s true. And they put her body into the -- put her body in -- into the -- that pond.

CROSLIN: Dad, that`s a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) lie. I don`t give a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). There was no party. I didn`t go to no (EXPLETIVE DELETED) party.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know, Misty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You can hear the exasperation in Misty`s father`s voice. Unbelievable.

Debbie, Georgia, your question or thought?

CALLER: Yes, my thought is Misty is saying -- I mean, you can`t -- everything she says is a lie. She says that the -- y`all just come down. She got scared, too, she and the little boy and covered their heads. She`s in their screaming. Well, if she`s any type of mother figure, why would she allow that, first of all?

And second of all, if she didn`t know anything, how did she know where to take the police to, out at the water?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you raise a very good point. And in fact, it`s Tommy who says he didn`t do anything wrong, didn`t do anything wrong. How did he know to lead cops down to the water? We`re going to try to answer that question in just a moment.

Fantastic panel, stay right where you are. More on these fascinating new, brand-new jailhouse tapes. We`re going to play more of them as Misty`s dad begs her to come clean. What does Misty`s know about little Haleigh`s disappearance and presumed death?

We are taking your calls on this: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586- 7297,

Plus, Lindsay Lohan finally faces a judge. Take a look at that face. She`s been ordered not to drink a drop of hooch. But can she stay clean and sober, or will she end up in the slammer?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to comply. Ms. Lohan wishes to comply. We are just hoping that, instead of a SCRAM bracelet, she can permit to drug and alcohol testing, rather than whatever manner you`re looking for (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you know anything that can help yourself, help yourself, man. Don`t be (EXPLETIVE DELETED) holding up and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CROSLIN: That`s the thing. I don`t.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, but somebody knows. Somebody knows something.

CROSLIN: I know. But it`s not me. You think if I`d -- I`d be sitting in here, in this place like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe you. I know. But just doesn`t make no sense, baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It sure doesn`t. Misty Croslin`s dad begging Misty, tell the truth about what happened the night little Haleigh Cummings vanished. He says, please, please, please help yourself or you could go to jail for the rest of your natural life, almost, on the drug-trafficking charges. Tell them everything you know.

But even thought Misty`s own brother, Tommy, has admitted he knows exactly what happened to the little girl, Misty still insists she doesn`t know a thing about Haleigh`s disappearance.

Now, we`re going to go straight out to Levi Page, host of the "Levi Page Show" on Blog Talk Radio.

You`ve been listening to all this. What are your thoughts on Misty`s attitude in these new tapes?

LEVI PAGE, HOST, "LEVI PAGE SHOW": She`s a spoiled brat, Jane. And you know, what is interesting, listening to all of this, is that Misty came out in one of the earlier conversations that`s just been released with her father, and she says that she`s not too sure that Joe had anything to do with it. And she says that people have been putting it in her head, so that`s a major setback if the police were looking at Joe.

But I don`t think they are. I think they got onto the fact that Joe`s a red herring and that Misty and Tommy are throwing him out there to get the police off of themselves.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. You raise a very interesting point.

Now, Misty`s Grandma Flo made some shocking allegations. She claims Misty confided in her, telling her that her brother, Tommy Croslin, and her cousin, Joe Overstreet, tied Haleigh to a brick and threw her into the St. John`s River.

Misty`s dad now says Tommy is furious that Misty allegedly pointed the finger at him. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tommy`s mad at you for bringing his name up and said he (EXPLETIVE DELETED) doesn`t know nothing about it. He was never there. He don`t know why you`re saying that about him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Art Harris, Tommy`s attorney told us Tommy knows what happened, was not involved, however, in any way, shape, or form in Haleigh`s disappearance.

So here`s my question. How could Tommy know what happened to Haleigh if he wasn`t in any way, shape, or form involved? How does he know?

HARRIS: Tommy claims that he went with Joe when Joe dumped the body in the river off a dock. And then Misty says that they were walking one day when Tommy pointed out the dock it happened on. And that`s why police took her down there to try to identify that very dock.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hmm.

EIGLARSH: If that`s true, Jane, then mere presence is not enough. If he didn`t participate, if he didn`t do anything at all.

Now we don`t know whether this is true. They`re all pointing the finger, and I don`t believe any of these people, particularly those who are facing 100 years in prison. But if that`s true, he`s not guilty of anything.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now here`s more from the brand-new jailhouse tapes. Misty begging her brother Tommy, who is also behind bars on drug charges. Begging to see him. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: I don`t want to be in here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, baby. Don`t -- don`t, please. I`m tired of you being in there myself. Tired of seeing both you guys in here.

CROSLIN: I wish I could see Tommy. I wish they`d let me see him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, at one point she even screams, "I want to speak to Tommy! He`s my blood!"

Mark Eiglarsh, do you think Misty -- this is what occurred to me. Is she desperate to talk to Tommy because perhaps they agreed on a story, and she wants to make sure her brother isn`t deviating from that story?

EIGLARSH: That`s very, very possible. Obviously, there were discussions for a long time when she was under investigation. You know that they were discussing things. Again, assuming she did anything.

But this video clearly goes to show you how clients should never, ever, speak while they`re under investigation. The Anthonys are looking pretty bright right now. Now you know why they don`t go see their daughter. They want to show this videotape in court with all the cussing, with all the denials. She looks horrible.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I`ve got to say, this young lady that we`re looking at here is an enigma. I can`t figure her out. I don`t know how if she does know something more, how she`s able to keep that information inside, given the pressure she`s under, going to jail for pretty much for rest of her adult life on drug-trafficking charges. They`ve got her on tape. It`s a fascinating mystery, and we`re going to stay on top of it.

Fantastic panel, thank you so much.

A royal nightmare. The Duchess of York caught red-handed, selling access to her ex-husband, the prince, for a bag of cash.

Plus a shocking new twist in the "Survivor" murder mystery. The hot- shot reality producer at the center of his wife`s murder investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Outrage and shock tonight from the family of a woman murdered in Cancun. Her hot-shot TV producer husband is back in Los Angeles and says he plans to get custody of their two children. But nobody is saying exactly where he is, although published reports say he was spotted coming out of his attorney`s office.

Mexican authorities are calling his departure from Mexico suspicious. Mexican police have called Bruce Beresford-Redman a person of interest in his wife Monica`s murder. He`s a former producer of the reality show "Survivor."

His wife, Monica, was found dead last month in a sewer at a very fashionable Cancun resort. The couple had gone there, reportedly, to save their marriage. Mexican police say they now have the results of the forensic tests in this case and could make an arrest in a matter of days.

Do the results point to the victim`s husband, and how do they arrest somebody who has now left the country, if so?

Straight out to Maxine Page, senior editor for Radar Online.

Maxine, I had read over and over again that he was supposed to stay in Mexico. What happened?

MAXINE PAGE, SENIOR EDITOR, RADAR ONLINE: That`s correct. He had his passport taken from him, and he was ordered to stay in Mexico. So, you know, as far the attorney general`s concerned, of Mexico, and as far the police who are investigating the case, he should still be in Mexico. So we have no idea how they got back.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So this is fascinating. Bruce and Monica were married for 11 long years, and your organization, Radar Online, dug up this video of them in much happier times. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK, now again, as you say, He was supposed to stay in Mexico, according to everything we were told. Mexican authorities say that this guy dropped off the radar several days ago, and now his own father says he doesn`t know exactly where he is, although published reports say he was spotted coming out of his attorney`s office, presumably in the Los Angeles area.

Now, here`s the thing: this couple, one of them`s dead. The other`s a person of interest. They have two young children. His wife`s sisters are very worried that he`s going to take off with the couple`s two kids, who were given by the courts, at least temporarily, to the person of interest`s parents. Which is why I asked a couple of weeks ago -- why give the kids to the parents of the person of interest, Maxine?

M. PAGE: It`s -- it`s crazy. It`s absolutely crazy. Apparently, she changed her will to say that she wanted the godfather to have custody of the children. The godfather said he didn`t want the custody and passed it to Bruce, who then decided that he wanted the custody to go to his parents.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now I would assume that Monica`s family -- they were already outraged over and devastated over her murder -- are completely outraged that he crossed the border, apparently without a passport, into the United States. Can the police here in the United States arrest him for crossing the border without a passport?

M. PAGE: That`s -- that`s something we need to look into. I mean, he`s obviously broken the law. He`s not had a passport. Whether he had a forced (ph) document or whether he just smuggled himself over is yet to be found out. We`re still looking into that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Maybe he should go to Arizona, because they`ll definitely arrest him there, right?

Maxine, thank you so much.

No more excuses. Lindsay Lohan finally has her day in court. This time she didn`t get a free pass, but she did get a brand-new fashion accessory. We`re going to show it to you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: From Cannes to the courtroom, Lindsay Lohan finally faces justice. And this time the judge wasn`t messing around. Ordering the paparazzi princess to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet 24/7, sending a clear message -- no drinking, no drugs, no excuses. But was Lindsay drinking on the flight over?

Plus, a royal scandal caught on tape. Fergie, the Duchess of York, busted on camera selling access to the royal family for hundreds of thousands of dollars. We`ll have the shocking undercover video that has sparked an international uproar.

Jaw-dropping developments tonight in the Lindsay Lohan court case. After failing to appear Thursday, Lindsay finally sauntered into court today. The judge was so annoyed, you can almost see smoke coming out of her ears. She ordered Lindsay to wear an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet and stay in the City of Angels for random drug tests until July. Will Lindsay be able to stay clean and sober for more than an entire month?

A mob scene of media converged on Lindsay at the L.A. courthouse this morning. In true Lindsay fashion, she showed up late, and wearing, well -- take a look at the cleavage there.

The judge had to delay her own vacation just to handle Lindsay`s case. And this judge handed down some tough, new bail conditions. No alcohol, random drug testing, alcohol education classes, and the all-too- familiar Hollywood fashion accessory, the SCRAM Bracelet.

The anger on Lindsay`s face was clear. Take a look at that. As if, oh, my gosh, somebody is telling me something I don`t want to hear. How is that happening? Look at that expression.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARSHA N. REVEL, JUDGE IN LINDSAY LOHAN`S CASE: Conditions for accepting them?

SHAWN CHAPMAN HOLLEY, LINDSAY LOHAN`S ATTORNEY: Could I have a moment?

REVEL: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Her escapades in Cannes haunted her in the courtroom today. But Lindsay told Hollywood TV she is not -- not, not, not -- lying about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I was stuck in Cannes. I had my passport stolen so I had no option but to stay there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lindsay will not be allowed to leave California until her next hearing July 6. This judge has had enough of Lindsay`s antics. But will Lindsay listen and take her punishment? What do you think?

Call me -- 1-877-JVM-SAYS; that`s 1-877-586-7297.

Straight to my fantastic panel: criminal defense attorney Darren Kavinoky who also does interventions -- too bad you can`t be shipped down there to wherever she is right now, try Chateau Marmont, perhaps you would find her and you could do an intervention; psychotherapist Robi Ludwig back with us; Maxine Page senior editor at RadarOnline.

And we begin with "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" host, Brooke Anderson. Brooke you were at the courthouse today. Where do we begin? How about that insane mob scene outside the courthouse and Lindsay walking in with that cleavage, the sunglasses, and how late was she?

BROOKE ANDERSON, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Yes, let`s talk about her being late. Can you even believe it, Jane? The nerve, the arrogance. Here we were looking at our watches and I`m thinking there`s no way she`s going to be late. No way, no way, no how.

And sure enough, she pulls up in her dark windows tinted SUV about four or five minutes late. Then she proceeds to sit in her car for another few minutes before she decides to sashay into the courtroom where the judge was waiting silently for Lindsay to enter.

So she was showing obvious disrespect for this judge, for the court of law. And she looked like a petulant child when she was being told that she can`t have any alcohol. She has to submit to random drug testing. She has to go to these weekly alcohol counseling sessions. It`s like she didn`t realize the ramifications of her actions until now.

And it was sinking in a little bit, but I`ve got to tell you, Jane, she better be on her best behavior because if she so much as breathes in the wrong direct, she`s possibly headed for incarceration.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. And remember, the judge had to cancel her own vacation to be here.

ANDERSON: yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You don`t want to do that to a judge. Look at that face, by the way. I mean, that face tells quite a story. That`s a beautiful girl, 23 years old, but she looks a lot older than her biological age, her chronological age and we have to wonder why.

Lindsay`s worn the alcohol-detecting SCRAM bracelet before. Here she is sporting one in 2007. Boy, that`s quite the look, huh?

Lindsay`s attorney tried her best to get Lindsay out of wearing it again, but the judge was not swayed. Listen to this fascinating exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REVEL: I do have a question. And that is she needs to submit to random drug testing here, not in Texas. There is no excuse if she`s in Texas to say I can`t show up because then it`s not random. So I`m afraid she`s going to have to delay that for now because that would prevent her from complying with the court`s order.

HOLLEY: I believe that there is probably a way that would satisfy the court and counsel. I`m sure that there is drug testing at reputable labs in Texas.

REVEL: It`s going to be drug testing here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now, she wanted to go to Texas to do a movie. The judge said basically, no, you`re going to have to have your random drug testing here. You have to stay here in L.A. And she also didn`t want to wear the ankle bracelet, saying it would interfere with her photo shoots.

Give me a break. These are consequences when you break the law and you fail to show up for a mandatory hearing.

Darren Kavinoky here`s my big question. I wonder, given that they`ve got this bracelet on her, they put it on her before she left court, which will tell if she has a drop of alcohol. And she`s got to do random drug testing, if she`s going to be able to stay clean and sober until her next court hearing July 6. That`s a long time if she is not sober now. If she`s an addict, in her disease, that`s going to be very hard.

DARREN KAVINOKY, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes. You`re wondering -- it`s a fair one, Jane. But she`s got a lot hanging over her head at this point. Remember, she`s on probation for two different cases; a first offense and a second offense, DUI, both happening out of that Beverly Hills court. Her exposure for any violation of probation is up to six months in jail, on the first offense DUI, and up to one year in jail on the second offense. Less credit for time that she`s already served which didn`t amount to much, in all candor.

So there`s both the carrot of compliance and stick of noncompliance. It could be very, very severe.

But you`re absolutely right. We`ve seen it over and over again. I don`t know whether or not Lindsay is an addict or an alcoholic. Although you can make some compelling arguments or draw some strong inferences --

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: "The Daily News" reported -- "The Daily News" reported that she was caught or spotted drinking wine on the flight to London after she missed Thursday`s court hearing. I have no idea whether that`s true. But if it is true, why the heck didn`t they just test her when she got to court today? Or when she landed in the United States, Darren?

KAVINOKY: Fair questions, but here`s the deal Jane. We both know many people go into sobriety kicking and screaming and that the seemingly worst events in their lives turn out to be the best thing that ever happens to them.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. My big issue tonight, lame excuses; instead of the dog ate my homework, it was my passport was stolen. Lindsay has even tried to use her uncle`s death as a reason for not attending alcohol education class but the judge wasn`t buying it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLLEY: Miss Lohan`s uncle, her mother`s brother, died last week and that was the reason that she missed the session --

REVEL: You`re going into it now. Did she go to the funeral? I`m sorry? Did she go to the funeral?

HOLLEY: She did not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Robi Ludwig, I have to say, it`s tragedy when somebody dies but that was a funny exchange. That she -- she offered this excuse, and then the judge asked a very smart question, well, "Did she go to the funeral?" She did not.

ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: It`s like the dog ate my homework. Do you have a dog? No.

It`s just that -- what concerns me here, though, is I really think Lindsay Lohan is somebody who is on the verge. She is somebody who`s very self-destructive. And hopefully when she hits rock bottom she won`t die.

But this is a person who is not emotionally ready to give up anything. And Jane, you know from your own experience, you know, whether people are ready to give up alcohol or not. She does not seem like she`s ready to change her lifestyle. And it could be really, really very dangerous for her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. There`s high bottoms and there`s low bottoms.

LUDWIG: That`s right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Maxine Page, RadarOnline. You`ve just found something out about the plane ticket. Tell us.

MAXINE PAGE, SENIOR EDITOR, RADARONLINE: Yes. Amazingly, her lawyer said in court today that she had evidence that she had a plane -- she had a plane ticket and had a flight booked. We found out from the prosecutor there was no such thing. All she had was a printed itinerary with her flight details on it. That was it. There was no plane ticket, nothing was booked.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Charity, Indiana, quick question or thought.

CHARITY, INDIANA (via telephone): Hi, Jane. I`m a recovering addict. I know when I wasn`t ready to quit, they would make me take random drug screens. And to play devil`s advocate, I got away with all of my using during that time because I wasn`t ready to quit. How do we know that she`s not going to get by on those drug screens?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Charity you make an excellent point. There are scams and systems that addicts use to get away and fool the drug tests. And I don`t have time to go into them now, but we`re going to have to wait and see.

If you got away with it, maybe somebody else can, especially somebody who`s famous and has a lot of resources, if you know what I mean.

Fabulous panel. Thank you so much.

Tragedy in Tinseltown. Brittany Murphy`s husband found dead just 5 months after his beautiful died inside the very same home.

Plus, a shocking scandal ripping through Britain as we speak. Fergie, the Duchess of York, caught on tape basically selling access to her ex-husband, the Prince, for a bag of cash; a big bag of cash. Why is she so desperate for money? And is she being vulgar, vulgar, vulgar?

We`re taking your calls on this one 1-877-JVM-SAYS, that`s 1-877-586- 7297.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ISSUES goes international.

Fergie, the Duchess of York, caught red-handed on tape taking bags of money for access to her royal ex-husband. That`s next.

But first, "Top of the Block" tonight.

And a sad one, a bizarre tragedy in Hollywood: Brittany Murphy`s husband has been found dead inside his California home. Simon Monjack was only 39 years old.

Of course, you remember his wife, a Hollywood starlet, died inside that very same home just five months ago. Monjack`s body was discovered by Brittany`s mom. Imagine what she`s been through.

This heartbroken husband spent the last days of his life fighting for Brittany`s honor, lashing out against any drug allegations, declaring Brittany died of natural causes alone.

Here he is talking to NBC`s "The Today Show" back in January.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON MONJACK, BRITTANY MURPHY`S HUSBAND: Hollywood is a village. And once you upset the villagers, they talk. And they gossip, and they rumor, and they have blood on their hand. And I hope they wash them in very hot water because the way they treated Brittany Murphy when she was alive was terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And here`s a heartbreaking twist. Reports say Monjack was all set to undergo heart bypass surgery, but he pushed the surgery back so he could attend a fundraising gala for Brittany`s foundation. The surgery was rescheduled for this summer.

We don`t know for sure how either of them died, but we do know that Simon was right about one thing -- Hollywood is a tough town.

And that is tonight`s "Top of the Block".

And tonight, scandal catches up with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, again. A British tabloid caught the ex-wife of Great Britain`s Prince Andrew apparently promising access to the Prince in exchange for money -- put it right -- put it right here -- a quarter of a million bucks.

Here is a clip from one of two secretly-recorded meetings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: We want to do a big deal with Andrew, then that`s the big one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do. Of course. Ok no, of course. So you need $500,000 pounds.

FERGUSON: But that`s in wire transfer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That has to be in wire transfer I mean obviously.

FERGUSON: That`s a wire transfer that`s completely above board and that goes straight to wire transfer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who do we send that to?

FERGUSON: Then that -- then you open up all the channels whatever you need, whatever you want, and then that`s what and then you meet Andrew and that`s fine. And that`s when you really open up whatever you want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is the Duchess so strapped for cash that she`s making shady deals, brokering access to her ex? Now she says she deeply regrets the situation. The situation is what she calls it. Her entire reaction in just a moment.

As for the tabloid newspaper, why did they set up this incredibly brilliant sting? The answer to that in a moment, as well.

This is just the latest in a slew of scandal brought on by the Duchess. You may remember that infamous 1992 toe-sucking incident. I could never forget that one.

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

Straight out to my fantastic all-British panel of royal watchers -- I am so excited -- still with us, Maxine Page, senior news editor of RadarOnline; via Skype, Melanie Bromley, West Coast editor of "Us Weekly"; and by telly, royal commentator and former editor of international "Who`s Who", Richard Fitzwilliams.

Melanie, I know you can`t crawl into Sarah`s head, but what in God`s name was she thinking?

MELANIE BROMLEY, WEST COAST EDITOR, US WEEKLY (via Skype): I think what we can definitely say is that these are the actions of a very desperate woman. This is somebody who we know last year, her New York company folded because of debt. We also know that her London office was getting threatening letters because she was owing people money.

And so we know that she was in some sort of financial difficulty. But also Sarah is somebody who also spends a lot of money. She was a real compulsive shopper. And so she needed money fast.

And we can tell from what she`s done here that this is somebody who was desperate and willing to do anything to get her hands on some cash.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now here is what the Duchess of York says about this incident. Quote and listen, my British accent is not as good as anybody on this panel, but I`m going do my best, ok. "I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused. It is true that my financial situation is under stress however, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment. And I am very sorry that it has happened.

I can confirm that the Duke of York was not aware or involved in any of the discussions that occurred. I am sincerely sorry for my actions. The Duke has made a significant contribution to his business role over the last ten years and has always acted with complete integrity."

All right.

That wasn`t so good. But in any case, Richard Fitzwilliams, royal commentator, over there in jolly old England, what is the reaction in Great Britain? Because I know the British people are so proud of their Royal family for the most part, and this has got to be an embarrassment.

Richard? He`s so embarrassed he can`t even answer the question.

All right. We`re going to Maxine Page from RadarOnline for that one.

MAXINE PAGE, SENIOR EDITOR, RADARONLINE: I think you`ll find there`s absolute outrage. I spoke to my parents earlier, and they -- it`s like the biggest story. Like everyone is talking about it. It`s on all the papers. It`s absolute outrage.

People do love the Royal family. And she`s just been an embarrassment time and time again. And this scandal -- I mean, she`s basically implicating her husband -- I`m sorry, her ex-husband, as well. I mean, it`s just outrageous.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, one of the most glaring questions is, what did Prince Andrew know, if anything, about this transaction? Listen to this from "News Of The World".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERGUSON: And -- and as Andrew said, listen, if he`s going to be kind enough to want to play, then Andrew will play.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s right.

FERGUSON: And he says let`s play, we`ll play, as long as it`s nothing to do with him

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, it`s nothing to do with him. I understood it completely; understood exactly where you`re coming from.

FERGUSON: Yes, because if there`s anything near him --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t want to get anybody in trouble or --

FERGUSON: But you will be his friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great.

FERGUSON: I will listen to the friendship talk between you two.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Everybody, stay right where you are.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even though you`ve been around the Royal family all your life, all of a sudden becoming a Royal yourself, were you prepared for the press attention, for the worldwide press attention? Is anybody ever prepared for it?

FERGUSON: But I was sincerely in love with my man. So forget that. Who was going to look and worry about these sort of things. I married the most wonderful, handsome prince and a sailor to boot in a great uniform. I wasn`t thinking about all of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sarah Ferguson still has a Royal title. Wouldn`t you think by now she`d have better judgment? The Duchess of York caught in a sting on tape demanding a quarter of a million bucks to a fake tycoon for access to here ex Prince Andrew who is an ambassador for trade to Britain.

We`re going to go to Richard Fitzwilliams in London. He`s with us now. What`s the reaction Richard in London?

RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYAL COMMENTATOR (via telephone): I think people are absolutely astonished. Nobody, I suspect, has ever actually seen anything like this interview. If you read the transcript which appeared in the tabloid, "The News of the World" which organized this sting, and you read the duchess, I would almost call her delusional.

She doesn`t very often make a great deal of sense in what she says. And this leads me to suppose that it`s the actions of somebody who is very, very desperate and the actions of somebody who seems to have lost herself-control.

We know that she is very profligate, and we also know that she is in financial dire straits. And we also know that she has been unable, apparently, to curb her spending.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s a prescription for disaster. Richard, I`m going to play another clip from "News of the World". Let`s check it out. This is the sting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve got an American account or how does it work?

FERGUSON: Well no it will be HSBC.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve got a British account?

FERGUSON: Yes, I know that`s fine. It`s completely --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure, Ok.

FERGUSON: But then that opens up everything that ever you, you would ever wish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great. Great. Let`s go and make some more money.

FERGUSON: We can do so much.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: "News of the World" report claims that the Duchess was boasting about her title and privileges during their meetings, quote, "I`m a complete aristocrat."

Here`s my big issue. Is this a case of aristocracy-hypocrisy? Say that three times. The notion that due to some accident of birth or marriage it makes you somehow superior? For years the British Royal family has been the center of this heated debate. So could this hurt the monarchy?

And I`m going to go to Maxine Page on that one.

PAGE: I think possibly it could. I think a lot of damage was done after the death of Diana and the way the Queen reacted or didn`t react initially. And you know, it`s obvious though out of touch with the English public.

I think this, once again is not going to do them any favors. I think people are getting sick of the monarchy and privileged people.

FITZWILLIAMS: I disagree. I have to say that I do think this will be desperately harmful for the Duchess`s reputation both with Britain and internationally she`s been humiliated. but I most emphatically don`t think that this is in any way remotely comparable say to what happened to Diana and that it will actually help the institution of monarchy because remember the duchess has not got her royal title.

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have to leave it there. Royal friend, love you. You`re watching issues.

END