O'Reilly vs. Geraldo on Casey Anthony's Murder Acquittal
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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.
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(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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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(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.
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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.
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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 --
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(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.
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(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.
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RIVERA: Because maybe her brain is so distorted by years of abuse she can't think straight.
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O'REILLY: Oh stop it! Stop it!
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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.
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(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.
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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.
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(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: Inappropriate behavior is not murder. That's not child murder.
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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)
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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?
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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)
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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.
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(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.