Peterson Trial; Financial Felons; Robot Reality Check
WHITFIELD: Remember the O.J. Simpson moment, if the glove doesn't fit? Well there's a lesser version of it in the Scott Peterson double murder trial. Reporter Don Knapp of CNN San Francisco affiliate KRON has details.</s>DON KNAPP, KRON-TV REPORTER (voice-over): Besides Laci Peterson's body parts, investigators were looking for objects like this, a homemade concrete anchor from Scott Peterson's boat as they returned again and again to search the bottom of San Francisco Bay. The prosecution alleges Peterson made several anchors and attached them to his dead wife's body before dropping her in the bay. In this prosecution picture, Detective Al Brocchini's hand is seen holding Peterson's boat anchor in a water pitcher, a pitcher that would appear to be the mold used to make the anchor. But in court with dramatic flair, Defense Attorney Geragos held up the pitcher and the anchor and showed the jury what the prosecution already knew, it did not fit. An expert already told prosecutors the anchor was not made in the pitcher.</s>DEAN JOHNSON, LEGAL ANALYST: Well I was kind of thinking this is what the jury was waiting for, finally some concrete evidence. But yes, you know I wouldn't characterize it as an O.J. moment. I would say it's an effective cross-examination, but it doesn't destroy the prosecution's main points.</s>KNAPP: Before smashing the pitcher mold theory, Geragos pointed to images on a work surface prosecutors had suggested were dust patterns made by anchor molds, then rhetorically asked Detective Dodge Hendee if they were the circular patters of a pitcher. Suggesting they were not, Geragos repeated his question six times as prosecutors objected. And the judge ended the demonstration with a sustained, sustained. After the jury was dismissed, the judge watched television news interviews Peterson had done with network and local television stations to determine if they can be eventually used in court. No decision was reached. (on camera): The judge may not allow the prosecution to show jurors the TV interviews unless unedited portions of the tapes are obtained, something television stations have indicated they will fight. In Redwood City, Don Knapp, KRON 4 News.</s>WHITFIELD: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's now about 13 minutes before the hour and here is what's all new this morning. A horrible scene at a girl's school in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a fire started in the kitchen and raced through the school, killing at least 75 children. Twenty-eight children have been hospitalized. The U.S. Senate has approved a $12 billion buyout bill for tobacco farmers. Among the provisions in the legislation, more restrictions on cigarette companies, including a ban on advertising that appeals to children. In money, eBay gets hip. The online business is testing the digital music download market for six months by allowing some record labels to sell music directly to consumers. In culture, a Lewisburg, Pennsylvania theater owner is offering Republicans a free showing tomorrow of the anti-Bush movie "Fahrenheit 9/11." The owner says people must prove they are Republicans to get in. In sports, Marion Jones is going to the Olympics after winning the long jump in spectacular fashion at the U.S. Olympic trials. She jumped 23 feet 4 inches, the second longest jump in the world this year. And there it is. I know she's saying whew -- Chad.</s>MYERS: That's pretty cool. Look at that, you could see that 23- foot mark.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes.</s>MYERS: That was awesome just watching that. I had...</s>WHITFIELD: Impressive jump.</s>MYERS: I was like -- I was like speechless to see all that. Hey, good morning, everybody.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Chad. Well those are the headlines. Martha Stewart may soon join friend and ImClone founder Sam Waksal behind bars. But the two aren't the first or even the most famous to find themselves headed for the slammer as a result of their financial shenanigans. CNN's Jen Rogers takes a look back at some other infamous inmates.</s>JEN ROGERS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were rich, they were smart and they got caught. Hard charging driven business leaders, masters of the universe one day, inmates the next. There is Michael Milken, the former junk bond king who served nearly two years for securities law violations.</s>MICHAEL DOUGLAS, ACTOR: Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.</s>ROGERS: The inspiration for that famous line from the movie "Wall Street" was Ivan Boesky, who also traded in pinstripes for prison stripes for his role in the insider trading scandal. And Charles Keating, a name synonymous with the savings and loan scandal, served time for convictions that were eventually overturned. He later plead guilty to a bankruptcy charge and was sentenced to time served. After the excesses of the go-go '80s, the next decade delivered its own batch of bad boys as well. Rogue trader Nic Leeson, blamed for the collapse of Britain's oldest bank, did time in a Singapore prison. He was released early for good behavior. Steve Madden is up for an early exit as well. The shoe designer is currently serving a 41-month sentence for securities fraud. More recently, Alfred Taubman, the former Sotheby's chairman, was behind bars for his role in a price fixing conspiracy. And Sam Waksal, ImClone founder and Martha Stewart friend, went from the penthouse to the big house last summer for insider trading.</s>SAM WAKSAL, IMCLONE FOUNDER: I have made some terrible mistakes and I deeply regret what has happened. I was wrong.</s>ROGERS: High profile business women have also found themselves on the wrong side of the law.</s>LEONA HELMSLEY, REAL ESTATE TYCOON: If I were a man, they'd say I'm a good executive.</s>ROGERS: The Queen of Mean herself, Leona Helmsley, was convicted for tax evasion.</s>HEIDI FLEISS, HOLLYWOOD MADAM: Getting caught is my biggest regret, you know it, come on.</s>ROGERS: But even the oldest profession in the world has its own CEO star. The Hollywood madam, Heidi Fleiss, she went to prison too. Jen Rogers, CNN Financial News, Los Angeles.</s>WHITFIELD: Well the summer sci-fi thriller "I, Robot" opens in theaters today. So this is a good time for a robot reality check. Our technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg has the real deal.</s>DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The promise of technology. In 2035 "I, Robot" offers the world's first fully automated domestic assistant. And of course all is well until the robots try to kill you. Fantasy can be frightening. But in reality, we can all breath easy. While bots can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks, most of them couldn't think themselves out of a wet paper bag. Here's what they can do. Starting in the 1970s, robotic workers became ubiquitous on assembly lines. And later, we sent them out to explore other worlds and more of our own. Robots help doctors perform surgery and soldiers clear caves in Afghanistan. And on to more important matters, domestic robots can vacuum your floors, mow your lawn and even keep you company without messing up the carpet. But when autonomous bots, those are machines built to think for themselves, attempt more complex tasks, well that's where they run into problems. Not a single brainy bot in the DOD's million-dollar race last March completed the 150-mile trek through the Mojave Desert. The most successful machine made it a whopping seven miles. The bottom line, robots just aren't that smart yet. Honda's ASIMO can dance and kick a ball, but most of its brain power is concentrated on keeping it upright and balanced. Balance is something we mere mortals take for granted, but it's no small feat for a robot. No, this bionic prototype won't be watching your kids anytime soon. And do we even want robots to look human? Perhaps in the spirit of "Stepford Wives," in which deranged men replace their spouses with happy homemaker bots, graduate student David Hanson has created lifelike robotic heads that resemble his girlfriend, Kristen. The faces have 24 motors to generate countless expressions and cameras for eyes. The problem here of course is that they can be a little creepy. So it's a debate among scientists whether human-like bots are repulsive or if machines that mimic our mortal movements put us at ease. But at the end of the day, no matter what the robot looks like, its promise depends on brainpower.</s>WILL SMITH, ACTOR: They don't get hungry, they don't sleep.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do. I have even had dreams.</s>SIEBERG: And the brainiest bots are still on the big screen. Daniel Sieberg, CNN.</s>WHITFIELD: No, too creepy for me. Well in the next hour of DAYBREAK, a family's testimony on the sacrifice of the war. One soldier's touching story straight ahead.