Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Biden: Ukraine Can Hit Russia with Long-Range U.S. Weapons; G20 Leaders Talk Trade, Climate Change, War in Gaza and Ukraine; Hong Kong Sentences 45 Democracy Leaders to Prison; Maori Protest in New Zealand; Questions Swirl Around Gaetz Ethics Committee Investigation; Trump Confirms He'll Declare National Emergency on Immigration. Aired 4:00-4:30a ET

Aired November 19, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been working at the same restaurant for four years. I've been a waiter, I've been a bus driver, I've been a bar back. All the taxes, they f*** you up, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys both vote for Trump?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: There's no indication that the royal family were targeted, but the incident does show another security breach surrounding the royals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's beautiful to see everyone here holding their flags up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my first, and it won't be my last. What's good for Maori, it's good for everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Christina Macfarlane.

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers. Joining us from around the world, I'm Christina Macfarlane. Max is off for the day.

It's Tuesday, November 19th, 9 a.m. here in London and 6 a.m. in Rio de Janeiro, where U.S. President Joe Biden is attending his final G20 summit. The second and final day of meetings begins just a few hours from now. Leaders at the summit are highlighting the human suffering being caused by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

That came in a joint statement issued on Monday, which also calls for cooperation on climate change. Of course, these talks are just taking place two months before Donald Trump becomes the next U.S. president, is expected to enact massive changes to U.S. policy, including towards Ukraine. Trump has been highly critical of continuing aid for Ukraine and has promised to end the war there.

But at the G20, current President Joe Biden encouraged the group to keep up its support of Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States strongly supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around this table will, in my view, should as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: On Monday, President Biden authorized Ukraine to use long- range American weapons to strike inside Russia. And President Emmanuel Macron, French President, praised that decision at the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): I think that, indeed, it is essential to proceed with this decision. I believe it is a decision that is entirely right. I understand that it was also triggered by a profound change in this conflict that should not be underestimated, which is the involvement of North Korean troops alongside Russia on European soil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well Mr. Biden's shift on U.S. policy comes as Russia ramps up its strikes on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at least 10 people, including a child, were killed in a drone strike in the Sumy region Monday night. He went on to say that each new Russian strike confirms Vladimir Putin's true intentions, that he wants the war to keep going.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The desperately familiar scramble to find survivors after Russian missiles slammed into the border town of Sumy on Sunday night. Less usual, the death toll of 11. Two children, a residential block hit.

And just hours later, another 10 killed in a strike on Odesa. Horrifically, this is now the norm for Ukraine, the weekend seeing a particularly large nationwide attack after nearly a thousand days of war.

Donald Trump's election may have made diplomacy a likelihood again, but Ukraine's Zelenskyy clear how the strike showed, quote, what Russia is really interested in, only war. He visited two frontline towns under intense Russian pressure Monday, Pokrovsk, key to Ukraine's entire southeastern front, and Kupiansk, a town Russia was kicked out of in late 2022. All signs of the war, for months, has not been going Ukraine's way. Perhaps behind the stark and significant U.S. policy change Sunday, sources telling CNN President Joe Biden has finally permitted Ukraine to use long range American missiles to strike inside Russia, something Zelenskyy has for months begged for.

The plan to strengthen Ukraine is the victory plan I had presented to partners, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Long range possibilities for our army is one of its major points. Missiles will speak for themselves, he added.

One U.S. official said the missiles would focus on Kursk, the part of Russia Ukraine invaded in August, where Moscow is due to make a counterattack and a key bargaining chip if peace talks begin.

[04:05:00]

Biden's decision process familiar. Like with HIMARS missiles, he said no, while Ukraine struggled to push Russia back in 2022 and then relented. And with Abrams tanks, he paused. So they arrived too late to help in 2023's counteroffensive.

And F-16 jets had first rejected and now helping Ukraine push Russia's advances back. The ATACMS won't change Ukraine's war overnight. There are not enough of them.

But it is a move Biden refused to make for months, saying it was too escalatory, but now endorses, entangling the U.S. deeper into the war just months ahead of Trump taking office.

The fear, how Putin will react. When the idea first emerged, he said it would be a stark escalation. This will mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries are fighting Russia, he said.

In Russia, the news is being reported on state TV. But so far, Putin has not reiterated his earlier threat to respond in kind.

Putin's spokesperson Monday said Biden was throwing, quote, oil on the fire of the conflict. It'll burn brighter as both sides seek to maneuver ahead of the Trump presidency.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: CNN's Clare Sebastian joining me here to discuss. And Clare, I mean, the big question in all of this is what response we are likely to see from Moscow militarily. There's been a lot of rhetoric in the last 24 hours.

And actually, in the last few minutes, we've had some more reaction from the Kremlin making mention of nuclear weapons. CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so I think obviously, this was a big part of the U.S. calculus in delaying the decision on ATACMS. There was serious concern a couple of years ago in this war, even that Russia came close to using a tactical nuclear strike. So obviously, this is the lever that Russia pulls in these instances.

And this morning, President Putin has signed a decree, essentially enshrining some changes, some updates into Russia's nuclear doctrine. Now, he proposed these back in September, which is, of course, the month after Ukraine launched the Kursk incursion. We're sort of still going through the details of this. It's just come out.

But what it seems to be on the surface is an expansion of the list of threats, which could constitute enough of a threat to Russia, for Russia to use a nuclear strike. Now, the doctrine already allowed Russia to use a first strike if it felt its very existence was threatened, even with conventional weapons.

So it's now saying that aggression from any non-nuclear state, but with the participational support of a nuclear country, would be considered a joint attack against Russia. So that seems to be a thinly veiled reference to Ukraine with, you know, partnerships from the United States, the U.K., France, other nuclear-powered countries.

They say that Belarus is now also sort of under this umbrella. So an attack on Belarus would be considered the same as an attack on Russia. A massive launch of military aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and other aircraft crossing the Russian border would also be considered a threat.

So on the face of it, I think it's still debatable as to how much this would lower the bar for a first strike, but certainly highly significant that they would do this now after, of course, we got the reports coming out of the U.S. that Biden had granted permission for Ukraine to use those U.S. long-range missiles on Russian soil.

MACFARLANE: Yes, definitely an escalation of what was previously outlined. As Nick was saying in that package, I mean, it's obviously it's significant that these ATACMS have been supplied at this time by the United States, but it is likely that Ukraine will not have enough. We were talking to a Ukrainian parliamentary member yesterday who was actually calling on the United States to provide more in terms of sanctions, in terms of further support, further military action.

Time is running out for President Biden. How likely are they to receive that, especially in the face of some of these comments coming from the Kremlin?

SEBASTIAN: So, I mean, the U.S., the Biden administration has certainly been trying to front-load aid for Ukraine during this transition now, of course, as you say, with less than two months before Trump takes office. I think, look, they might. I think there is a question of actual availability of these talks when it comes to ATACMS.

Specifically, one big question that we have about this U.S. permission is, does this provide enough political cover for the U.K. to follow suit and allow them to use the Storm Shadows on Russian territory? Keir Starmer, the U.K. prime minister, was asked about this at the G20. He said, look, you know, we urge everyone to double down on their support for Ukraine, but he refused to go into operational details. And that is one thing to watch.

And, of course, there are analysts who question the utility of these weapons when it comes to actually being a game changer in this war. Russia predictably moved, according to the U.S., many of its highest value targets, the aircraft that drop those glide bombs, out of range.

[04:10:00]

But I think, certainly for Ukraine, this is a big moment because up until now, as they felt, the U.S. was effectively operating a no-fly zone over that sort of 300-kilometre radius from the Ukrainian border, even as we see this uptick in attacks on the Sumy region right across the border from Kursk.

MACFARLANE: All right, Clare. For now, obviously, we'll be tracking this in the hours ahead. Thank you.

More now on the final day of the G20 Summit, where Ukraine has been a big topic, as we're saying. They're also discussing the war in Gaza, as well as climate change and fighting global hunger.

But on the sidelines, there was a rare meeting between the U.K. Prime Minister and the Chinese President. CNN's Marc Stewart is live in Beijing with more on that meeting. Concerns that Keir Starmer shared with Xi Jinping. Marc, what can you tell us?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Christina, good morning. As you well know, this issue of human rights is one of the most delicate topics facing China on the world stage. Now, diplomats certainly do talk about it.

But in this case, it was raised in this very public setting in front of cameras and the world's attention. Let's take a quick listen to what some of the remarks made by Keir Starmer in Rio. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I'm very pleased that my foreign secretary and Foreign Minister Wang met recently and discussed respective concerns, including human rights and parliamentary sanctions, Taiwan, South China Sea, and our shared interest in Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: And on the topic of Hong Kong, the Prime Minister brought up the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai. He is a well-known figure in Hong Kong, a member of that pro-democracy movement who is now serving a prison term. That's been a big concern for the Prime Minister as well.

All of this as China tries to show the world that amid the changing political landscape in the United States, China should be thought of as a stable force.

I should also point out that President Xi Jinping met with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. These two nations have also had some tension in the past. There is a diplomatic stalemate. There are a lot of issues with trade, but things have moved forward and progress has been made.

But Christina, as we talked about throughout the week so far, a lot of the headlines from the G20 and other summits like this often happen on the sidelines, as was the case here.

MACFARLANE: That they do. Marc Stewart live in Beijing. Thanks, Marc.

Now to Hong Kong, where 45 pro-democracy figures have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years on subversion charges. This comes after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security crackdown four years ago. Among those sentenced, legal scholar Benny Tai, who received the longest prison term of 10 years and former student leader Joshua Wong, who will be jailed for four and a half years.

More than 300 people gathered outside the court Tuesday morning to show their support for the defendants. The U.S., Australia and Amnesty International are among those who condemned the sentences. Beijing has hit back at international criticism, accusing some Western countries of interfering in China's internal affairs.

CNN's Ivan Watson joining me now live from Hong Kong. So Ivan, this verdict has really dealt a hammer blow to any hopes of democracy now in Hong Kong. And it includes sentences, as we were saying there, for some pro-democracy activists who were already in prison, such as Joshua Wong.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure, and if you look, I mean, this was a massive case, Christina. The combined sentences that the judges handed down for the 45 defendants add up to more than two centuries worth of prison time. In fact, more than 240 hours, our team has kind of added it all up, of how much prison time all of these 45 defendants will have to serve.

And the top judicial official here in the Hong Kong government has actually set on the record since then that he is going to weigh whether or not to appeal and make these sentences harsher for some of the individual cases here. The judges ruled back in May that the defendants were convicted that they were guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion. And that if their scheme had worked out, the adverse consequences quote, would be far reaching and no less serious than overthrowing the government.

What was it that they did? Well, back in 2020, these individuals participated in an unofficial primary election. They were trying to find the strongest candidates to compete in what were expected to be city elections for a city legislature. And that is what they're accused of having been a plot to basically undermine the stability of Hong Kong as a whole.

[04:15:02] The defendants include, you know, journalists, former opposition lawmakers who had already served in the city legislature, activists, protest leaders, union leaders, a whole range of different kinds of people.

Among them, as you pointed out, Joshua Wong, who had been a youth protest leader after he was sentenced to more than four years in jail on his way out of the courtroom, he yelled out, I love Hong Kong.

The arrest of this large group of opposition pro-democracy activists really signaled a sharp change in the political culture of this former British colony, which used to allow opposition lawmakers to be elected to the city legislature. It used to see independent newspapers. Those have all closed down in the last four to five years.

It used to see protests in the streets. Well, look what happened when a single woman tried to hold up a banner outside the courthouse today during the proceedings. Police quickly grabbed her and put her into a police van. That is really what happens today in contemporary Hong Kong. If somebody tries to hold up a political sign, it is not tolerated anymore, a signal of the changes here.

So among the critics that have come out, they don't come from within Hong Kong society really because those voices have really been silenced. Instead, they're human rights groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the U.S. Consulate here in Hong Kong, which put out this statement, strongly condemning the sentencing and calling on China and the Hong Kong authorities to, quote: Cease politically motivated prosecutions of Hong Kong citizens and to immediately release all political prisoners.

The Hong Kong government, the Chinese national government, they reject this kind of criticism as meddling in Hong Kong's internal affairs. And they justify the crackdown that we've seen in the last four years in this city, saying that it has succeeded in bringing back stability to this international financial hub -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: A devastating impact on any political dissent moving forward. Ivan Watson there with the latest in Hong Kong. Thank you, Ivan.

Now a nine-day march on New Zealand's North Island has reached the capital in an effort to stop a bill that reinterprets a 184-year-old treaty with the indigenous Maori people. Police say about 42,000 people have taken part in one of the country's biggest protests in recent decades. Opponents of the bill says it undermines the rights of the Maori who make up a fifth of the population.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suppose the real necessity of this particular gathering is to let all New Zealanders, whether you are Maori, Tangata whenua, Tangata treaty, Tangata moana, Maori New Zealanders, Islanders that know that when we march for unity, we can do it. The purpose of it is to stand up against the atrocities of not just this government, but governments of the past as well, and the discrepancies that have happened over the years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well proposed by the ACT New Zealand Party, the bill is not expected to be passed into law -- and we'll have more on that in the days to come.

Still to come, though, an ominous message from Donald Trump on border security. Why his immigration policies could be even more hardline in his second term?

Plus, huge debt, massive losses, and now bankruptcy. How Spirit Airlines filing will impact passengers?

And major concerns following a burglary at Britain's Windsor Castle. We'll tell you if anything was stolen.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Hi, welcome back. Donald Trump continues to name names for cabinet posts as his second term nears. He's tapped former Congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation. The role is currently filled by Pete Buttigieg. If the Senate confirms Duffy, he'll inherit a department plagued with challenges. He'll be responsible for facing multiple aviation issues as well as union strikes and policies affecting electric vehicle.

And sources tell CNN Donald Trump has also personally made calls to senators trying to secure support for former Congressman Matt Gaetz, his pick for Attorney General. That choice has appalled many in Washington since Gaetz was being investigated on allegations of sex trafficking and more.

An attorney for two women who testified to the House Ethics Committee spoke with CNN's Erin Burnett. And he said one of the women's claims she saw Gaetz having sex with a minor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOEL LEPPARD, ATTORNEY FOR TWO WOMEN WHO TESTIFIED TO HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE: She was invited to a party in July of 2017. She testified to the House that as she was walking out to the pool area, she turned to her right and she witnessed her client -- I'm sorry, her friend having sex with Representative Gaetz and her friend at that time was 17.

But she testified to the House that Representative Gaetz did not know her friend's age at the time they had sexual intercourse. And when he found out about her age, that Representative Gaetz stopped having sexual intercourse with her. And he only started the sexual intercourse interactions later on once she turned 18.

The testimony before the House was yes, that Representative Gaetz paid my client, both of my clients for sexual favors throughout the summer of 2017, all the way to the beginning of 2019.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Now the question at top of mind is whether the Ethics Committee's report will ever be released. House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to keep it under wraps, saying it's no longer important since Gaetz resigned from Congress.

CNN's Paula Reid has details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: We're learning new information about what investigators on the Hill have learned during their ethics investigation into former Congressman Matt Gaetz. A civil lawsuit brought by one of Gaetz's clients as associates down in Florida has provided a roadmap for investigators, in addition to a trove of new evidence, including a deposition with a woman who is just 17, when she allegedly had sex with Gaetz. Her deposition is under seal, but lawyers, or at least one of the people who were sued in this lawsuit, used portions of her sealed deposition in their questions that are now public record, including saying that the underage woman said that she had sex with Gaetz on an air hockey table.

Now, a lawyer for women who were interviewed in the ethics investigation say that they, at least one of his clients, testified that they saw Gaetz having sex with a minor. Of course, Gaetz is no longer in Congress. It's unclear if this ethics report will see the light of day.

But in a statement, Gaetz said, quote: These allegations are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress. These false smears follow a three-year criminal investigation and should be viewed with great skepticism.

But pressure is mounting for lawmakers to release that report. Lawyers, including an attorney for that girl who was allegedly just 17 when she had sex with Gaetz, have called for the report to be released immediately.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Well, Trump is also pushing ahead with his mass deportation plans and has signaled his intent to declare a national emergency on immigration. Promises to crack down on undocumented migrants were at the top of his America First agenda during the campaign. And now he's working to put in place, starting with day one of his second term.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he is preparing a national emergency declaration to fulfill his campaign promise of mass deportation.

[04:25:00]

It's a telling move, one that indicates just how resource-intensive any type of plan to detain and deport migrants at large scale would be.

Now, it also may sound familiar. Of course, Donald Trump in his first term used a national emergency declaration to unlock Pentagon funds for his border wall. Now, that faced numerous lawsuits and it's possible that they may happen again.

But sources tell me that this time, a national emergency declaration would be used to use and shore up Pentagon resources and military assets again for detention spaces and also to follow through on those deportations. What they say is that this would not be to bring U.S. military to arrest immigrants in the United States.

Now, all of this, of course, is because they are trying to build deportation up to scale. And that also includes, according to sources, regional capability and looking at where they can expand detention facilities already in the United States.

Now, in addition to all of this, sources say that other plans are underway. That includes executive actions like bringing back Remain in Mexico, revising asylum restrictions, or, for example, making more immigrants eligible for removal.

Taken together, it would amount to a far more hardline approach to immigration, one similar to Donald Trump's first term in office.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Well, while Trump's plans sound extreme, if not merciless, Arizona's attorney general says it's not guaranteed they'll all happen. Speaking with CNN, she said there is a border security issue in the United States, but measures this sweeping aren't needed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRIS MAYES, ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL: We still have laws in this country. We still have due process in this country. And I don't know that our military wants to be involved in mass deportations.

We need border security. We need more DEA agents. We need more Border Patrol agents. We do need to take control of the border.

Look, you know, Donald Trump is responsible for some of the chaos at the border because he is the one who tanked the bipartisan border bill. Do we need to deport criminal, illegal immigrants or criminals who have engaged in crimes in the United States? You bet we do. But that's not 15 million people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Well, CNN senior political analyst Ron Bernstein says the Latino community may not be prepared for how aggressive the rollout of Trump's immigration crackdown is. And the irony is that many Latino voters flipped their support to the Republican this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Donald Trump ran on an explicit program of the largest deportation program in American history with a military component, with internment camps, and he improved his share of the vote among Latino voters who either didn't prioritize it or believed, as polling said toward the end of the election, that it would not mean them.

I wrote many times during the fall that if he won reelection and improved among Latinos while making these very explicit pledges or threats, depending upon your point of view, he would feel no political constraint about moving down this road and I think what he is sending the clearest signal through his language and through the appointments that he's made, Tom Holman, Stephen Miller, that this in fact is going to be a very aggressive implementation of what he promised. Don't forget, there are 4 million U.S. citizen children, Latino U.S. citizen children with at least one undocumented parent.

Tom Holman, when asked how he was going to avoid family separation and mass deportation, said, we're going to deport the kids too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: A second day of testimony has wrapped in the murder trial for the illegal migrant accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley at the University of Georgia. Key evidence detailing the timeline of events came out in court on Monday. The man accused of killing the 22- year-old sat emotionless throughout the testimony.

CNN's Rafael Romo has more on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On day two of the trial for the man accused of murdering Laken Riley, an FBI special agent testified Jose Ibarra's cell phone was at the same location as Laken Riley's GPS for about 20 minutes. And at the time of the killing on February 22.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say that they are very close.

ROMO (voice-over): Riley's smartwatch data presented in court in this star graph capture her final moments as it shows her heart rate spiking and slowing down and then dramatically stopping according to court testimony from a UGA police officer and a digital forensics expert.

SHEILA ROSS, PROSECUTOR: Her heart rate is still going until 9:28 a.m.

[04:30:00]

Her encounter with him was long. Her fight with him was fierce. And that is what the Garmin data shows.

ROMO (voice-over): The state played a jailhouse call in Spanish between suspect Jose Ibarra and his estranged wife, Layling Franco, in which she asked him what happened with the girl.

ABEISIS RAMIREZ, TRANSLATING COMMENTS FROM JOSE IBARRA'S ESTRANGED WIFE: She tells him that he has to know something and he just continues to tell her, like, Layling, enough, Layling, enough.

ROMO (voice-over): Body camera video played in the courtroom showed the moment officers found Ibarra. It was late February, the morning after Riley was killed as she jogged on the University of Georgia campus. A UGA police officer on scene testified Ibarra and his brothers seemed to be in a good mood.

CPL. RAFAEL SAYAN, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: It seemed very relaxed. There was a lot of laughing, giggling.

ROMO (voice-over): But another officer noticed something wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the man.

ROMO (voice-over): He told the court Ibarra's injuries looked like defensive wounds, including fingernail scratches and a puncture.

SGT. JOSHOA EPPS, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: I could see like wet flesh, like almost like it was fresh.

SAYAN: I could see there was a little bit of pus in it.

ROMO (voice-over): Ibarra has pleaded not guilty. He waived his right to a jury so the judge will decide his fate.

ROMO: The prosecution said in open court they expect to wrap up their case on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the defense says it should take them less than half a day to present their testimony. The trial resumes Tuesday at 8:30 in the morning here at the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Athens, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:30:00]