Briant Gumbel decries jack booted fascist thugs in the Texas Criminal Justice system:
Bryant Gumbel on Monday morning insulted and made
fun of the prosecutor in a Texas death penalty case,
repeatedly cutting him off as he tried to tell CBS viewers
what the defendant did to deserve the penalty. "We can't recall
all the facts of the case," Gumbel told the prosecutor even
though in two segments Gumbel had yet to offer any more
details than saying the case involved "killing the father of a
prominent federal judge during a car jacking back in 1994."
After the 7am half hour interview, Gumbel showed his disgust
with the death penalty in the case as he tossed his glasses on
the desk and declared: "Real hard to see why it was a fair trial." Several minutes later, after an
unrelated segment, Gumbel mocked the prosecutor's monotone southern drawl and he tried to
impersonate his voice in thanking a CBS reporter at the end of her stock market update:
"Thank you for those facts, Ms. McGinnis."
Up front Gumbel had revealed his bias as he set up the segments by stating: "Even in
Texas, where executions are frighteningly common, the case of Napoleon Beazley has
attracted special attention." After noting how he was convicted of killing a man during a car
jacking, Gumbel added: "Beazley was only 17 at the time and an honor student with no
criminal record."
Before getting to the prosecutor, Gumbel interviewed the murderer's parents. Without any
prompting from them, out of the blue Gumbel pushed his agenda on them: "How big a factor do
you think was race in your son's sentence?"
Since CBS and Gumbel wouldn't allow viewers to learn what Beazley did, here's how the
crime was described in a Dallas Morning News story by Ed Timms posted on August 14:
"According to authorities, Mr. Beazley set out to steal a luxury car in April 1994. He and
two friends spotted a 1987 Mercedes-Benz driven by Tyler resident John Luttig, who was
returning from Dallas with his wife, Bobbie Luttig.
"After the Luttigs arrived home, authorities said, Mr. Beazley and his two friends, brothers
Cedric and Donald Coleman, tried to steal the car at gunpoint.
"'Beazley fired one round from his pistol, hitting Mr. Luttig in the side of the head, leaving
him alive, but stunned.... Beazley next ran around the car where Mrs. Luttig was getting out of
the vehicle and fired at her at very close range,' a statement from Texas Attorney General John
Cornyn's office recounted. 'Although he missed her, she fell to the ground. Beazley then
returned to Mr. Luttig, raised his gun, took careful aim, and fired point blank into Mr. Luttig's
head.'"
Gumbel set up the August 13 Early Show segments brought to my attention by MRC
analyst Brian Boyd:
"Even in Texas, where executions are frighteningly common, the case of Napoleon Beazley
has attracted special attention. Beazley is scheduled to die in two days for killing the father of
a prominent federal judge during a car jacking back in 1994. Beazley was only 17 at the time
and an honor student with no criminal record. Although prosecutors have called Beazley a
ruthless killer, human rights groups and even the DA from his hometown have pleaded for
mercy."
Gumbel then talked with Beazley's parents, Rena and Ireland, from Houston. He asked
when they last spoke to their son, about his state of mind and if he doesn't deny the charge,
why doesn't he deserve this fate? Ireland Beazley answered that the trial was unfair and
because of his age at the time of the crime, 17.
Then, without either parent having raised race, Gumbel decided he had to do it himself:
"How big a factor do you think was race in your son's sentence?" The father replied: "It was
very much so. I think having that all white jury was a factor there and mostly the jurors not
being jury of his peers, things like that I feel like was very instrumental in him getting the death
penalty."
Gumbel moved on to another issue raised by defense attorneys: "What about the
involvement of John Luttig's son, Jay Michael Luttig, who is a fairly prominent federal judge?"
Ireland Beazley: "Yeah, yes sir, I think it played an important part in that, too. You know,
he orchestrated the courtroom the way he wanted it orchestrated to get what he wanted done."
Gumbel: "Because of that do you think Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from
considering your son's fate because Judge Luttig played such a role in his confirmation
process?"
Beazley: "I'm afraid I don't know much about the details about what you are talking about
there, Bryant."
(In fact, Thomas, as well as Justices Souter and Scalia, recused themselves from a
Monday Supreme Court ruling which by a 3-3 vote fell a vote short of delaying the execution.)
Gumbel proceeded to ask the parents what they "realistically" expect from the parole board
and if they have anything to say to the prosecutor.
Gumbel then moved on to Jack Kane, the District Attorney of Smith County. Gumbel
demanded: "Why do you feel so strongly that this death sentence should be carried out?"
Skeen replied that Beazley deserved the penalty because of the facts of case in which
Beazley and two co-defendants drove around, while armed, looking for a car to car jack.
Gumbel jumped in: "No, I understand. So it was premeditated is what you're telling me."
Skeen picked up from where he was interrupted, recounting how Beazley followed Luttig to
his home, took a gun to the garage, jerked Lutting out of his car, shot him in the head, fired
two shots at Mrs. Luttig. Over Gumbel yelling "Mr. Skeen, Mr. Skeen," a discerning viewer
could make out Skane saying "and then came back around and shot Mr. Luttig at point black
range. So it's important to understand-"
Gumbel cut him off: "Mr. Skeen, Mr. Skeen, I understand but we can't recall all the facts of
the case. Let me ask you something-"
Skeen paid Gumbel back, cutting him off and continuing: "Mr. Gumbel, if I could just
explain that what is important about the facts of the case is that the facts of the case are what
form the main basis for the death penalty and the death penalty was sought by the
prosecutors in the case."
Gumbel lectured: "I understand that but we don't need, we don't have the time to recall all
the facts of the case, sir. Let me ask you isn't it uncommon for a first time offender to be
executed?"
Skeen maintained there's nothing uncommon given the facts of what the defendant did --
pre-meditated execution in front of the victim's wife combined with the defendant's future
danger to the community.
A disgusted Gumbel frowned and he ended the segment: "Jack Skane, thank you, it's 14
past, let's check the weather."
Mark McEwen soon wrapped up his weather report: "It's starting to rain, I'm coming inside."
Gumbel used McEwen's terminology to take a shot at Skane: "Yeah, come on inside, it's
been raining in here for about the last five minutes. [Tosses glasses on desk, turns to Jane
Clayson] Real hard to see why it was a fair trial, right? Up next, an update on Steve Fosset's
high-flying journey around the world. We're back in a moment after this."
But Gumbel wasn't done insulting Skane. Several minutes later, after the interview about
Fosset's attempt to circle the earth and the "CBS Marketwatch" report from Susan McGinnis,
Gumbel impersonated Skane's monotone southern drawl: "Thank you for those facts, Ms.
McGinnis."
Jane Clayson played along: "Back to you, Mr. Gumbel."
Gumbel: "Yeah, what a, what a beauty."
++ This afternoon the MRC's Andy Szul will post, on the MRC home page, a RealPlayer
clip of Gumbel's encounter with Skane.
mrc.org |
