Juror 8: "I think He's Guilty of Murder"; NFL's Growing Image Problem; Unconscious Baby Saved in Highway Rescue
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me. Wild, closed-door discussions, shouting, that's how juror number eight describes the tension during the deliberations in the "Loud Music" murder trial of Michael Dunn. Now that juror is speaking exclusively to CNN. Alina Machado has more for you.</s>CRESHUNA MILES, JUROR 8, DUNN MURDER TRIAL: I never thought about -- this is a black kid, this is a white because that was -- that wasn't the case.</s>ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So people who say you know here is another white guy who got away with shooting and killing a black kid, what would you tell them?</s>MILES: I would tell them that they really should (inaudible) based on the law.</s>MACHADO: Creshuna Miles is setting the record straight.</s>MILES: I just wanted to bring justice to whoever it was.</s>MACHADO (voice over): The 21-year-old was juror number 8 in the Michael Dunn trial. She sat down exclusively with CNN to talk about the case and the heated deliberations. (on camera): What was it like inside that deliberations room?</s>MILES: It was wild.</s>MACHADO: Wild as --</s>MILES: Like, it was shouting. There was a lot of yelling.</s>MACHADO (voice over): Miles even shared her impressions about Michael Dunn and explained the partial verdict the jury returned. (on camera): What did you think of Michael Dunn?</s>MILES: I honestly think he was a good guy. I think he's a good guy. I don't think he hates everybody. I don't think he walks around wanting to shoot everybody. I think that he made bad decisions.</s>MACHADO: You still think he's guilty of murder, though?</s>MILES: Yes. I really think he's guilty of murder but not the guilty as charged.</s>MACHADO: First degree? You don't think he's guilty of first degree?</s>MILES: I think he's guilty of second degree.</s>MACHADO: How difficult was it for you to come back into that courtroom knowing that Jordan Davis' parents were there and that you couldn't agree on a charge related to his death?</s>MILES: It was -- we were confident and cool with it but when you (inaudible) back, we got really nervous because we didn't know if this was going to throw out the whole case or he's going to retrial or is the court satisfied with just what happened? Is she going to do more? Is Jordan ever going to get justice? We did not know. And walking back into there, I got so nervous because I'm just like, what do we -- what if we completely messed up.</s>MACHADO: Do you feel like you messed up? Do you feel like the jury messed up?</s>MILES: No. I feel like we did what we was supposed to.</s>MACHADO: What would you tell Jordan's family?</s>MILES: I would tell them that, from my end, I tried. I really did try. I tried to fight for their son. I saw his dad's face when we were on the stand. And I know it hurts. And it's like, oh, you have this wound and then somebody slices it open again because they have to go through the whole process all over again.</s>MACHADO: Now, if there is a retrial, Miles says she hopes the jury in that case will be able to agree on the murder charge and come with a verdict -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: Alina Machado reporting live for us, thanks so much. Despite unprecedented popularity in revenues the NFL has a major image problem this morning. The league's reputation is becoming battered and bruised. A star running back accused of beating his fiancee unconscious at a New Jersey casino. A former all pro safety suspected of raping at least eight women in five states. Andy Scholes is here now. Andy, toss in the bullying scandal and the concussion scandal and the NFL has got a mess.</s>ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Yes, they certainly do Carol. You know many thought last off season PR wise was the worst ever for the NFL. 31 players from 19 different teams were arrested for a variety of offenses. Now the most notable of course was Aaron Hernandez being arrested for murder. Now the NFL continues to try to clean up their image but this off season already off to a pretty rough start.</s>SCHOLES: The video is jarring. Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice caught on tape dragging his seemingly unconscious fiancee out of an elevator. TMZ says the shocking footage shows the aftermath of a fight between the couple last week inside an Atlantic City casino. According to police, Rice and his fiancee both struck each other; Rice's blow knocking Janay Palmer out cold. Both have pleaded not guilty to simple assault charges. The Baltimore Ravens are reviewing their disciplinary options and released a statement to CNN that reads in part, "We have seen the video. This is a serious matter and we are currently gathering more information." And a former NFL player also finding himself in legal trouble. Yesterday NFL Network analyst Darren Sharper pleaded not guilty to charges of rape in a Los Angeles court. According to an affidavit Sharper allegedly drugged two women before raping them. Sharper is now under investigation in five states in connection with a total of eight rape cases according to authorities in both Los Angeles and Miami. This is the latest in a seemingly endless string of high- profile arrests this year of both current and retired NFL players.</s>LZ GRANDERSON, ESPN SENIOR WRITER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: When you think about the fact that you've had these recent incidents of domestic violence or these accusations of domestic violence we do have high- profile crimes that have occurred when we have this history in terms of medical history that's questionable and some of the other same things that impact the game, you know like possible addiction to painkillers and things like that, then, yes, absolutely the NFL does have a bit of an image problem. Except it's still the most popular sport in the country.</s>SCHOLES: Arrests numbers for active players skyrocketed in the 2013 off season up 75 percent from the year before. Those arrests included Aaron Hernandez who was charged with the murder and the shooting death of a friend. He's also under investigation for a separate case of double murder. Yesterday at the NFL Combine, Miami Dolphins' head coach Joe Philbin face a barrage of questions stemming from the NFL's most recent investigation in the bullying allegations.</s>JOE PHILBIN, MIAMI DOLPHINS, HEAD COACH: Some of the facts, the behavior, the language that was outlined in the report is inappropriate and it's unacceptable.</s>SCHOLES: The report released last week concluded that Jonathan Martin was taunted and ridiculed almost daily by fellow player Richie Incognito. Martin claim Incognito who was suspended by the team used racial slurs and physically threatened him the team has since fired its offensive line coach and head trainer.</s>SCHOLES: And even though we continue to hear about players getting in trouble all the time, it should be noted Carol that NFL players, according to a study actually are arrested 75 percent less than men age 22 to 34 in the general population. We just hear about it.</s>COSTELLO: But that doesn't make it much better.</s>SCHOLES: It doesn't feel any better if we just always hear about stories (ph).</s>COSTELLO: So is the NFL planning to do something about at least the perception of this?</s>SCHOLES: Well, you know Roger Goodell he's really started to come down hard on players that you know get arrested in and end up getting in trouble with the law. The suspensions have been increased and increased. But it's hard to say if they can ever do anything that will really put a stop these players in the off season just getting in trouble.</s>COSTELLO: Andy Scholes thanks so much. Two Florida women making their mark as they save the life of a baby on the side of the road. With her 5-month-old nephew dying in her arms, Pamela Rauseo jumped from her car, screamed for help and frantically started giving the infant who had turned blue CPR. Fighting tears, the aunt and a good Samaritan named Lucila got the baby breathing again.</s>LUCILA GODOY, ADMINISTERED CPR TO 5-MONTH OLD: All of a sudden I see her and she's screaming and you know she's holding the baby and she's putting it up and down. Like knowing what you know she was desperate. I just stopped the car and jumped out of the car. And I asked her what was going on and we tried to start working as a team at that time when I see it. And we start doing CPR to the baby and the police officer help with the chest compressions and the baby finally started breathing.</s>COSTELLO: A local hospital says the boy is currently in stable condition. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Chris Christie ripped by fellow Republicans for getting too chummy with the President. He broke ranks then but you won't break bread now. We'll talk about that next.