Newlywed Bride Under House Arrest
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A newlywed in Boynton Beach, Florida, accused of hiring a hitman to kill her husband. They`d only been married six months. But police say Dalia Dippolito unknowingly hired an undercover cop to do the job. Police then planned this elaborate sting operation, faking her husband`s death, calling her to the staged murder scene. They catch her entire tearful reaction on tape. In the end, she`s arrested and she comes face to face with not only the hitman, but her husband who is alive and well.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a lot of sobbing and her arm wavering and trembling, but there was no wetness in her eyes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was emotional, over the top, hysterical, how you would react, right, if you thought someone was dead. Stone cold, expressionless as she stood before a judge. She`s actually at her mom`s house right now. She went straight to her mom`s house. That`s where she`s going to be on house arrest.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She met this undercover officer, she believed was a hitman, in a car, in a parking lot outside of a CVS. And it was during that encounter she was asked numerous times by this undercover, are you sure you want to do this? At one point, she laughed and said, "I will be very happy."</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here`s a woman who is saying she`s 5,000 percent sure she wants to pay for her husband to be killed. And then at the scene you have a woman who is sobbing uncontrollably because she has just learned that her husband is dead.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She also said: "I`m not going to change my mind. I`m 5,000 percent sure I want it done. When I set my mind to something, I get it done."</s>GRACE: Now, look at all the cops around there. Scratching his head, looking away. See, they`re all in on it. This is a sting. Look at the one in the middle staring at her. He`s like, oh, yes. They`re acting like they`re taking her away to console her, they`re taking her away to book her.</s>GRACE: We are taking your calls live, and tonight you`ll be surprised to know that the defendant in this case, Dalia Dippolito, age 26, is at home with her mother. That`s right. Judge Booras decided, in his wisdom - - the Honorable Ted Booras, Division W129K, Courtroom Nos. 1 and 2 , Criminal Justice Complex, West Palm Beach, Florida, decided she should be allowed on house arrest. OK. I wonder what mommy is cooking for dinner tonight. Out to the lines, Debbie in California. Hi, Debbie.</s>CALLER: Hi, Nancy. I love that you speak up for people who can`t always speak up for themselves. That`s a wonderful trait you`ve got.</s>GRACE: Thank you. I appreciate it. And the reason I`m being a little light-hearted in this case is, nobody is dead, nobody is dismembered, a very shrewd police chief, Matthew Immler, managed to nip this in the bud thanks to a confidential informant, not so confidential anymore, and they got the whole thing on video. And I guarantee you, Debbie in California, and all these phone calls, you know, the assassin would have long phone call conversations with her, I guarantee you she`s not telling me, but that had to be being recorded. So, Debbie, what`s your question tonight?</s>CALLER: I wanted to know, why is this woman, who is accused of murder, out on bail for only $25,000? I would be scared if I was her husband.</s>GRACE: Well, you know what, I asked Chief Matthew Immler that last night, and he is a standup guy. He says the judge is in a much better position to make that legal call than him, he defended the judge. But let`s throw it to the lawyers. Susan Moss, family law attorney, New York; Midwin Charles, defense attorney out of New York; and Daniel Horowitz, famed defense attorney joining us out of San Francisco. Sue Moss?</s>SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: I have no idea. This is crazy. But of course her alleged lover called the cops. On her hit list he`d be next on top. I mean, this woman is sick. Sick, sick, sick. She`s going to be convicted because the evidence is irrefutable. There is no entrapment and luckily soon we`ll get her out of her mother`s house and back into jail where she belongs.</s>GRACE: To Daniel Horowitz, I understand the bond was only about $35,000, which means she puts up $3,500, her mommy probably did that for her too. What I want to see is the workout video from LA Fitness. She`s apparently at fitness enthusiast. And so that`s her alibi. I can just see her up there on the elliptical, headphones, checking the time, is it safe to go home now, is he dead yet? What`s your defense, Daniel Horowitz? I know you`ve got one. Don`t even start up, don`t even tune up with entrapment.</s>DANIEL HOROWITZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know, Nancy, it already puzzles me, why would she need to get the property transferred to her, when, if he dies, it would go to her by inheritance? So everybody is making a big fuss about that, and I think that`s a red herring.</s>GRACE: Put him up there so I look at him actually say that.</s>HOROWITZ: Hi there, Nancy.</s>HOROWITZ: I think it`s a red herring that they transferred the property to her.</s>GRACE: Twenty-four hours after she convinces him for tax purposes and legal purposes that he -- this is a 26-year-old realtor, that she believes he should put it all in her name, she goes on a shopping spree for a hitman, you don`t see the connection, Horowitz?</s>HOROWITZ: Well, I think it`s a very "Keystone Kops" kind of case and I bet she has deep emotional...</s>GRACE: "Keystone Kops."</s>HOROWITZ: ... mental problems. This is...</s>GRACE: She has got problems, all right.</s>HOROWITZ: Yes. She could never have pulled this off.</s>GRACE: OK. Midwin Charles, I know you`ve got something better than that.</s>MIDWIN CHARLES, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, my issue is with this judge who let her just go home for dinner. I just think it`s ridiculous. I mean, I don`t know. Is he like the husband and this alleged lover where he thinks she`s cute? I`m not particularly sure how it is that she could be home tonight having dinner.</s>GRACE: She`s not that cute, OK? We`ll all be right back. We`re taking your calls live too. Tonight`s "Case Alert," a Detroit father of three gunned down hours before his 30th birthday. Tonight, his widow and children need donations for the funeral. Tyrone Rayford shot to death Saturday night. Tonight, his widow and children trying to raise $8,000 for the funeral. To donate, send a check to Truth Missionary Baptist Church, 17541 Oakland Avenue, Detroit, Michigan.