Return to Transcripts main page

LEGAL VIEW WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

Maryland's Governor Speaks; Orioles Play to Empty House; Baltimore City Councilman Speaks. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired April 29, 2015 - 12:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:37] ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. Welcome to LEGAL VIEW.

We begin with breaking news. People and police once again filling the streets of Baltimore amid the ongoing state of emergency there. But no burning, no looting, as we saw earlier in the week. We're expecting a police briefing that's to come at any moment now. We're going to bring it to you live as it happens.

I want to give you a quick check of the headlines right now and they are ever changing. New arrests overnight. This time, though, the number stands at 10. And that is far fewer than the 235 that police made the night before.

Also, only one police officer hurt last night and that compared to 20 who were injured on Monday. Some very seriously. Two thousand National Guardsmen and 1,000 police officers were on duty on the streets of Baltimore. A curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. remains in place. But god news today, as Baltimore city schools have, in fact, reopened, the students back in class.

The same cannot be said for another institution, and that is Camden Yards. In about two hours, Baltimore Orioles, scheduled to play the Chicago White Sox, but for the very first time in Major League history, there will not be fans watching that game. The ballpark will be empty.

And in just a few minutes, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to hold a free concert because, as it said, quote, "we could all use a little music in our lives right about now."

What the city also needs desperately is answers. Answers about this man and how he died, Freddie Gray. And Friday, police are expected to have a report for the state attorney's office. Don't expect for it to be public right away, though. We're waiting on that.

We also just heard from the Maryland governor. And Athena Jones is standing by live right now in Baltimore. Also joining me, Ryan Young, who is outside the CVS, which was burned and loot and has been a site of a lot of unrest and tension.

Athena, first to you. What is the update, the latest from the governor? ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ashleigh.

Well, we're standing outside an NAACP satellite office that was just opened today. This as a result, something the NAACP asked for to come out of this tragic incident of the death of Freddie Gray. The governor came here to meet with the members, with the volunteers here. He thanked them for their help in helping tamp down the situation, helping prevent a repeat of the violence we saw Monday night, last night. As you know, it was a lot calmer night, a lot fewer arrests. He also asked the NAACP here to continue to help, talk to the community, make sure people don't resort to violence again. And, instead, resort to positive, constructive ways to move forward.

He also talked about a website that he's opened - he's begun, Maryland Unites, which is - allows people to sign up to help clean up Baltimore, to help - do anything to help the community. And so he said a lot of people have been asking about ways they can help and that's one thing that his office has opened up to allow people to do so easily.

Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: All right, let's talk about the governor saying that we've turned a corner dramatically. We've got the banner on our screen. It's in quotation marks. How can we be so sure because we still have another day, another night, and perhaps another curfew to deal with.

JONES: Well, certainly. He wasn't - he couched it a bit. Of course, last night was a positive night, but they have to have a few nights like that stack up and fewer and fewer arrests and more and more people respecting the curfew without even the - that brief but tense standoff we saw last night between some of the folks who were - who were not obeying the curfew at the beginning. So he's - he's cautious about the future.

I asked him, how long will we see this huge law enforcement presence, the 2,000 National Guard troops, the 1,000 police officers from Maryland and surrounding states, how long will they be needed on all these Baltimore streets everywhere we go? And he said, we're going to - we're going to keep them as long as we need them. Last night was a start, but we'll have to wait and see if things continue to be calm and peaceful over the next several days, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And just quickly, Athena, I wouldn't typically think the governor would be keyed into an individual case within the police ranks, but there is a report coming from the police scheduled for Friday on what happened, on effectively what the police have been able to yield from their investigative efforts as to what happened to Freddie Gray. What do we know about Friday, what the police are going to do, what the AG's office is going to do, how the governor is going to handle it and where that information is going to go?

[12:05:15] JONES: Well, Ashleigh, I think it's really important for people to have the correct expectations about what's going to happen on Friday. A lot of people have been talking about May 1st as a big date where something big is going to happen. The fact of the matter is, it's just one step out of many steps in what's likely to be a pretty long process.

The police department here, the Baltimore Police, are going to hand over their preliminary findings, their report to the Maryland's states attorney. That's the office, of course, that will decide whether to file charges. But we shouldn't expect to see a decision on whether they'll file charges or not file charges any time soon. Certainly not on Friday. Probably not next week. They've still got autopsy results to go - autopsy results to go through. There's a lot that has to be done to process the brain and the spinal cord. It's technical, but bottom line here, Friday is just one step along the process. People should not expect to see charges filed on Friday. And we're not even sure we're going to get that report, if that's going to be released to the public.

Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: I mean I think that's it. That's key. And Information is key here, that expectations shouldn't be high so that letdowns aren't dangerous and damaging out on the streets.

Athena, if you could stand by for one moment. Information is key and the words of the governor matter. In fact, as you just talked to him, we've got something we want to play for you. Just a snippet of his latest revelations at least or what he's telling the community as this continuous - situation, you know, develops. Governor Larry Hogan, in his words, have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. LARRY HOGAN (R), MARYLAND: I don't think there's anything I would do differently at all. I think we - when this is over with, we can go back and Monday morning quarterback what happened on Monday night. When we got called on Monday, we executed the executive order 30 seconds after a phone call from the mayor. We had already kind of started early, so we were five hours ahead of schedule. It normally takes eight hours to mobilize the National Huard. We did it in three.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Well, there you have it. And you certainly saw things on the street last night and things were quiet. Not the case the night before when the National Guard was not perhaps mobilized, as most people had criticized it should have been.

I want to go to Ryan Young now who's out on the streets right now.

Ryan, I've been watching your live shot most - most of the morning and, you know, every day is different. We really never know what to expect. And thus, you know, we're trying to be nimble in how we position you, we position our camera crews, the safety issue, but it appears, from this very myopic view I'm seeing, that things are fairly quiet. Is it?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, very quiet. And, first of all, let's start with the safety issues. There really haven't been any safety issues since we've been here. I can tell you, the protesters who were here, the people who were making their voice heard all day yesterday treated us with nothing but respect. We only had one person who tried to get between us and the camera all day long with all that hyped up emotion yesterday. The community was really here to show how they had come together and that's one thing they wanted to make sure that was pointed out. They wanted to make sure that everyone was hearing the message that they wanted to take back their own streets. So that's why we saw community members and police members joining together.

If you look behind me, this is the CVS, and it's a definite change because the police officers who were across the street, who were blocking the road there on north, have now faded to the side. And now it's been replaced with an actual conversation between community members and police officers. Something that we've been seeing in real time all day long. And church members have been showing up to do different works. Actually, right now, I'm going to walk over this way. This is Jeff Teeg (ph).

You guys decided to come out here because you wanted to be a part of the community, but what else did you want to do?

JEFF TEEG: We're here to pray for the community. I've boxed down the street most of my life and I can't see this happening in the community. So we're here just to pray for everybody and we're just praying that more and more churches come out here and join us.

YOUNG: And you see everyone here is of different races and they're actually setting up something for the kids to play on. So it's different all the way around in terms of what 24 hours looked like.

BANFIELD: Well, Ryan Young, he said pray, and there's another group that wants to play. I just want to scoot away from your location for a moment, if I can, and I want to take you to this. This is the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. They are playing for free out on the steps of their location. Let's listen in.

(BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA)

BANFIELD: Again, can I -- so as you're watching this, you should know that the - the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra put out on its Facebook page that it wanted friends and family and all who love the great city of Baltimore to join the musicians of the orchestra outside of their home, which is the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, for this free concert and this is the best in telling statement. "It would seem we could all use a little music in our lives right about now."

[12:10:05] And then came the quote. The quote that has been offed used in history in times of difficulty, starting with the response to the killing of JFK, in which Leonard Bernstein said, "this will be our reply to violence, to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: There is a live picture, folks, in the sunny 70 degree weather of Baltimore, but front and center in your picture, it shouldn't look like that. Camden Yards, empty, despite the fact there is a baseball game that is soon to be played there to no fans.

And, in the streets, these are the images. There are still police presences throughout the neighborhoods there. But this is really a big story, the Baltimore Orioles will be looking at these empty seats as they play the White Sox. It's the third game that is affected by what's been happening in Baltimore. The first two had to be postponed. The third, they said to heck with it, we've got to play it, so we're going to play it with closed gates, no public. It's just not safe.

Still on TV, though. You will hear the crack of the bat. And as strange as it seems, there will be no cheering for a base hit or a big play or hot dogs or singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in the seventh. CNN's Rachel Nichols, anchor of CNN Sports, outside Camden Yard.

[12:15:10] I never thought I would do this story with you. I never thought for a moment they'd be a baseball game played just for the baseball players, but that's exactly what's happening.

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. You're talking about nearly a century and a half that we've had Major League Baseball in this country and this is the first time this has ever happened. Now, they do do this in Europe sometimes, Ashleigh, at the soccer games to combat hooligans, but it's very strange to see here. You can see the plaza behind me. It's usually, at this time for a day game, full of fans. Now it's just empty. A few people going up to the ticket window trying to exchange tickets for a future game.

BANFIELD: How about the players? Have they - have they said anything? I mean I know we've had a couple of big athletes saying very loud things on Facebook, but what about these baseball players who are being directly affected? Have they weighed in publicly?

NICHOLS: Yes. We just heard some very poignant words from the Orioles all-star Adam Jones. He has long been active in the inner city here in Baltimore and he spoke to the youth of this city. He said, I want you to know somebody has your back. I hear you. Your frustration is warranted. But he also added that the violence that he's seen, he said that is never acceptable. And then he tried to lighten the mood a little bit because these guys do want to remind people today as they are watching on TV and listening to the radio, hey, there's still some fun here to be had in this city. He said, hey, I think, you k now, the umpires, they're going to hear everything the players are saying, with no crowd, maybe some of us are going to get ejected.

We also heard a cute tweet from the White Sox, who they're playing today. Their centerfielder, Adam Eaton, if you want to throw that up, he was saying that his team is going to work really hard to take the home crowd (ph) out a bit early, Ashleigh. So -

BANFIELD: So I don't know if you can -

NICHOLS: So they're trying to have a little fun while also talking about the seriousness of the moment.

BANFIELD: I was just going to say, sorry, Rachel, we have that delay between us. I apologize. I'm just looking at the picture beside you on the screen and it's hundreds of people outside, you know, the - what looks like the ticket windows. Is that really what that is, all the folks - you know what, never mind. I apologize. I mixed up two pictures. We're actually looking at the symphony hall, and that is -- hard to tell, but that's actually the free concert that's going on. That is not the ticket goers looking for their money back, which you were mentioning.

NICHOLS: Ashleigh, who would think while a baseball game is going on at Camden Yards -

BANFIELD: I know.

NICHOLS: All the fans would be at the symphony hall and no one's here.

BANFIELD: Well, I kind of like it. I kind of like it. It's awfully nice.

NICHOLS: Yes.

BANFIELD: One last question for you. Any expectations that there will be anger about this? That there still will be protesters who come to Camden Yards and that they will face a problem, albeit outside a locked gate? Is there a police presence?

NICHOLS: Yes, you know what, they don't anticipate that. There has definitely been discussions, should they have closed this game. That maybe the people of Baltimore could have used, again, that light moment, an oasis, in the middle of all this. That is what sports is supposed to do for cities and fans, bring communities together. Adam Jones said at one point he wished the fans could be inside today to participate in the healing process that he thinks that sports brings. So I think there will be discussion about that and controversy going forward, should Major League Baseball have closed this game today, but I don't expect any violence. We haven't seen a heavy police presence nor have we seen any crowds gathering.

BANFIELD: I'll tell you what, Rachel, we'll try to pipe in some of that beautiful symphony music into your IFB (ph) so you don't have to just listen to the choppers overhead constantly as you cover this story from a very empty, soulless location. Rachel Nichols live for us, thank you for that. Appreciate it, Rachel.

You know, a lot of the credit for the relative calm last night in Baltimore goes to a huge show of force by the police and by the National Guard, but it was not a police officer or a soldier who picked up a megaphone at 10:00 p.m. and begged the demonstrators to heed the curfew and get off the streets, it was a 33-year resident of the community that erupted on Monday. You know him as the ten term United States Congressman Elijah Cummings. He did just a masterful job at basically displaying the emotions of what the youth in Baltimore and beyond feel, and not just in his community either, right across the country.

My next guest deals with Baltimore's problems and prospects too every day. Carl Stokes is a Baltimore City counselor who on this network last night took great offense at the mayor and the president's description of some of the protesters who they both called thugs and criminals. And Carl Stokes joins me now live.

Sir, I heard you really get into a tangle with Erin Burnett.

CARL STOKES, BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL: Hi, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: I'm glad that you've joined me today.

STOKES: Of course.

BANFIELD: I heard you get into the tangle with her last night about the characterization of those who burned, looted, stole, endangered and really just behaved horribly and was - it besmirched the character of your fine city. And then I heard you use the "n" word and equate it. And I want to know if you have rethought that, if you really truly believe it's just like calling those people who were out there performing these criminal acts the "n" word or if you feel differently about that today?

[12:20:06] STOKES: Thanks, Ashleigh. I got a few things here to say. And let me start by saying that I - like everyone else in this town, was appalled that people were throwing things at our police officers who we very much support and were trying to injure them. We think that the people - I think that the people who were doing that were absolutely wrong and criminal behavior. They should be punished. They should receive fines. Maybe some should get jail. We are absolutely condemning the acts of so many people.

Just a few hundred people, though. There are thousands of citizens in this town who came out yesterday and acted like a normal day, as we do the day, as we did for the week before. We cleaned our city. We worked with our police officers and others.

But, on that bad evening, there were a few dozen young people, high school students, 12th graders, 11th graders, 9th graders, who were being misled, misdirected, who were angry, who were frustrated, who have been disengaged. And so my comments were about, let us condemns the actions of these young people and older people, but let us not be so slashing in terms of our language to the young people themselves as individuals.

You know, they have been stereotyped and for all of their young lives have been called very bad stereotypical names, the "n" word, thugs, a bunch of names that they don't deserve. And these children are redeemable. That's what we need to do, engage them. You don't start the healing process by going to people and calling them bad names. You do condemn their behavior. You put it down. You tell them it's wrong. You explain why it's wrong. But in terms of healing, which we have not begun in many ways in this town, you don't start by calling them names.

BANFIELD: OK. I appreciate - I appreciate your clarification. I also appreciate you not using the word on this program. I was watching Erin's show last night and I was livid, I have to say. You're a leader and I just think, you know, so many people have said don't say it in rap, don't say it so loosely, don't assume you can say it because you're one color if another color can't. It's just so painful to hear it no matter what color we are and I'm glad you decided not to use it on this show.

And I want to move on to some of the root causes that you're talking about, because they're critical here.

STOKES: Sure.

BANFIELD: Moving forward, we're going to have another city just like this if nothing changes for the very reasons you've outlined.

STOKES: Yes.

BANFIELD: And let me throw up a few statistics about the neighborhood where Freddie Gray lived and how sad it is in terms of just the crisis that it's in. It's got the highest incarceration rate in the state of Maryland. It's got a median household income of less than $25,000. The unemployment rate is way above any state or national average at 20 percent. The truancy rate for high school is 45 percent. It's bad for middle schoolers too. Somewhere around 20 percent. And domestic violence is 50 percent above the city average. That is just devastating to see. So here's my question to you, councilman -

STOKES: OK, I'm listening.

BANFIELD: If that is going to be fixed and this root cause is going to change -

STOKES: Right.

BANFIELD: And those young people and young adults, because many of them were upwards of 30 years old, up to 200 or so who were arrested were upwards of 30 years old, if that is to change, then investment and changes need to happen with those statistics. And you are part of the leadership. And Stephanie Rawlings and I'll throw up all the leaders, many of whom are black, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the City Council President Bernard Young, the Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby, half of Baltimore's police force, black. What are you going to do about this problem? How are you going to help these people who desperately need your help?

STOKES: We have failed, obviously, and we are continuing to fail just by calling - name calling, rather than spending a more positive time in our community engaging the young people, engaging the people. Twenty-five percent of Baltimore City is living in poverty. They earn $12,000, maybe $14,000 a year. Yes, we have to change that. We have to stop giving all of our time, our efforts, our money, to part of our city, ignoring the rest of our city. We throw tens of millions of dollars at developers around the harbor of the city. The harbor we very much appreciate. But it can grow on its own without a dime of real investment from city government.

We have to invest in the communities, the outer harbor of our city, where the children live, where adults live, who are living in poverty. This is a tremendous - if you would come to Baltimore, we need folks to come into Baltimore and to zero your cameras in on what is going on in the communities. Let America see what is going on in our communities, much, much better that happens every day and every night that doesn't just happen one day a week or one night a week. We have to stop talking about it and do it with an action plan.

[12:25:16] BANFIELD: Councilman Stokes, I'm going to take that as an invitation and I'm going to leave this set after this program and I'm going to come to your city and I'm going to invite you on our program tomorrow and I am going to come to Baltimore and I am going to see what you mean and I am going to get this feeling, as many of our CNN anchors have in those streets, and we'll see where we go from here.

STOKES: God bless you.

BANFIELD: Thank you. God bless. And thank you so much for being on the program today.

STOKES: Thank you. God bless. We appreciate you, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Thank you.

And I just want to alert our viewers that the images on the right-hand side of your screen, those are live images that are happening outside of the state attorney's office. Here's why this is so critical, because that's the office that's about to get a big report day after tomorrow. It's the report from the police who have investigated the death of Freddie Gray. Will this make a difference? Will it cause problems? Will we even find out what's in it? That's coming next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Now been 10 days since Freddie Gray's mysterious death in the custody of the Baltimore Police. The tension boiling over into the streets as protesters demand to know how Freddie died. The Baltimore Police Department is expected to be handing prosecutors a preliminary report on this death. It's supposed to happen on Friday. The state's attorney then could decide whether criminal charges are warranted.

[12:29:58] Want to bring in CNN's justice correspondent, Evan Perez, in Baltimore to discuss this highly anticipated report. But first, before we even do that, Evan, I saw a picture of you during the commercial break with some pretty significant police presence behind you. Is it National Guard? Is it police? Is it both?