O'Reilly vs. Geraldo on Casey Anthony's Murder Acquittal

O'Reilly vs. Geraldo on Casey Anthony Verdict

Justice served? The two Fox News hosts have very different views on stunning acquittal

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," July 5, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera scored a huge interview with Casey Anthony's attorney Jose Baez.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE BAEZ, CASEY ANTHONY'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You're saying I didn't expect this. We're not saying that at all. We always felt very strongly about our case and we always felt that - - that this case was built on -- it was built on nothing. And the jury saw through all of the fantasy and forensics and they saw through a lot of the lies that were presented before that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: "The fantasy of forensics."

Ok, joining us now from Orlando, Geraldo who obviously is way out in front in this case. Are you as angry as I am tonight? We've known each other a long time; we've covered a lot of this kind of stuff. I'm so angry about this verdict. Are you?

GERALDO RIVERA, HOST OF "GERALDO AT LARGE": I -- I can see that and - - and I see the seething and I think that you accurately Bill, reflect the sentiment certainly of my wife. I heard from Erica and she said that she was with other mothers at the -- at the summer camp and they were all feeling a sense of disgust. And I totally understand that.

But you have to understand that I see this in two ways. I see it as a citizen and as a father. Three of my five children are girls as you know. I relate to this poor victim, this child. I -- I'm absolutely scornful and -- and feel a great sense of disdain for the accused, the former accused, Casey Anthony. I think she clearly lied and did a lot of things here that were absolutely reprehensible.

But there's a couple of things that people forget and that where I think people have to understand now and be honest with themselves and figure a couple of things out. Number one, there was not one bit of evidence that this mother ever in any way neglected or abused this child.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Let me -- let me stop you there. Let me stop you there.

RIVERA: Ok.

O'REILLY: Ok, let me stop you. How can you stand there and say that in front of millions of people all over the world when a two-year-old goes missing and the mother doesn't even call 911? You're telling me the mother never neglected the child and she is missing and doesn't call 911? That's neglect, Geraldo.

RIVERA: You are confusing two issues. One is what happened leading up to that awful moment when this child died by all accounts --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: You said -- no wait a minute Geraldo -- you said there was no evidence.

(CROSSTALK)

GERALDO: Then it is --

O'REILLY: Wait, wait, wait. You said Casey Anthony, there was no evidence she ever neglected her child and I'm telling you that's bull. She neglected her child by failing to report the child's disappearance.

RIVERA: That's from June 16th on. That's post-mortem that's after the child is dead. Whether --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: You don't know that.

RIVERA: -- she was abused --

O'REILLY: You don't know when -- look, the mother has the two-year- old in the house. The two-year-old is gone. The mother says nothing and lies about it. Come on that's neglect.

RIVERA: What if this? What if it's the baby's daddy that you don't know who he is and where he's from --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: All right, stop with the "what ifs", Geraldo. Let's just go with the record.

RIVERA: What if he did something, how -- the record suggests, that's exactly what I'm trying to say here Bill, the record is conclusive. This was a good mother. You see the videos.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Oh, bull! This is so much bull I can't stand it! A good mother? How does a good mother go to a wet body contest when her baby is missing? How does that happen? A good mother? Come on.

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: Because maybe her brain is so distorted by years of abuse she can't think straight.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Oh stop it! Stop it!

RIVERA: Maybe she is mentally ill.

O'REILLY: Maybe? Maybe?

RIVERA: Maybe she's psychotic, who knowS? but that is not the crime of murder.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: You can't say she was a good mother or she wasn't neglectful and you are. You can't say it.

RIVERA: If -- if Casey Anthony had gone to church every day after June 16th and was a spiritual person in the way -- couple of murderers, Andrea Yates was a spiritual religious person, you would not be so -- so harsh in your judgment. You would say well, wait, what happened here, maybe this religious woman who is clearly grieve stricken was victimized in some way we don't understand.

But because of her in her own attorney's words her sluttiness, was judge she is guilty then. A hot body contest --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Geraldo, I don't care about that, it's inappropriate behavior. That's what it is.

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: Inappropriate behavior is not murder. That's not child murder.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Look, and I didn't come to the conclusion, I didn't come -- yes, and you're right about that. I didn't come to my conclusion that she is guilty of killing her daughter based on that. I came to the conclusion from the forensics. Chloroform in the car. Do you have chloroform in your car, Geraldo? Do you have chloroform in your car?

RIVERA: Extremely -- the fantasy of forensics in Jose Baez words --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Is that real or not? Was there chloroform in the car or not?

RIVERA: No DNA. No fingerprints.

O'REILLY: No, was there chloroform in the car or not?

RIVERA: Never -- any statement -- there are -- there are inconsistent experts -- dueling experts on that very point.

O'REILLY: I don't think there is a --

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: The computer search, were there 84 computer searches for chloroform or was there only one that lasted four or three minutes.

O'REILLY: It doesn't matter about that. The authorities proved beyond a reasonable doubt there was chloroform residue in the car.

RIVERA: They did not. They clearly did not.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: All right, then you don't want to believe. I believe the jury didn't want to believe. It's almost like the O.J. Simpson thing. They didn't want to believe it.

I will give you the last word.

RIVERA: I think however hurtful it is to every parent out there, this is the judgment 12 men and women presented to us based on the evidence as they heard it in a court of law.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: So I want to talk to them.

RIVERA: They have rendered their judgment.

O'REILLY: Ok.

RIVERA: Now, Caylee Marie we should remember her and -- and sanctify her memory but that is --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: But she didn't get justice, Geraldo. She's an American citizen, two years old and didn't get justice. And I would like to talk to the jury members.

RIVERA: Justice and retribution are different, justice and revenge are different. Well, we shall interview them.

O'REILLY: All right, Geraldo thanks very much we appreciate it.