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| Written By Rick
Ellis, Sunday, March 18th, 2007 Ashleigh Banfield hosts "Disorder In The Court 2," a special which highlights some of the most outrageous courtroom video you've ever seen. We spoke with her about the special, her family and the reasons why she is just so darn happy. Q: I think that many people who have only been exposed to legal circuses like the O.J. Simpson case or the recent Anna Nicole Smith hearing tend to think of courtrooms as often being out of control. Do you think that's the case? A: Honestly, not at all. Courtrooms are generally very stoic, very stately environments. Sure, some heavily publicized trials seem to be a bit over the top, but that represents just a very small percentage of trials. Q: And yet, here are you promoting a second edition of "Disorder In The Court." A: That's true. But the fact that these examples are so rare is what makes the special interesting. If these kind of incidents were commonplace, there wouldn't be a need for the show. Q: This special is highlighting 20 memorable incidents. Do they all have some things in common, or are these situations caused by random events? A: They don't have one cause, but there is an underlying theme to many of them. You're dealing with life and death issues in a courtroom, and the importance of that brings a lot of raw emotion up to the surface. These are moments that are going to impact someone's life forever, and that can sometimes lead to some violent situations. Q: Are there any incidents in this special that stand out for you? Any that just shocked you once you saw them? A: All of the clips are memorable in some way. There's one of an attorney in Las Vegas who shows up drunk for a trial. It's pretty unbelievable ton watch, and I will say that I've never seen anything like it. There's also footage of a trial in Kentucky where a man who is literally in a chain gang attempts to escape. Unfortunately for him, he's chained to four prisoners at the time. A lot of the moments that stand out have to deal with the raw emotion of victim's families. One of the really sad moments is watching this father listen to this 911 call where he could hear his daughter screaming. He lost control and attacked the defendant, and it's not something you'll easily forget. Q: I wanted to talk a bit about your time at CourtTV. I think a lot of people might have thought that this was an unexpected move for you. Before you came here, you were primarily doing hard news, and you're not a lawyer, so I get the feeling your decision surprised a lot of people. A: I'm still a hard news junkie. I have CNN on in the office all day. But I've done just about every type of journalism over the years, and the chance to work here was really an attractive one to me. I work every in a building with some of the smartest people in television. This is the finest place to work I can imagine, and there's a pure editorial sense that's refreshing. Plus, this building is full of lawyers, and we do some of the most intense research on television. We can't afford to have a single error, and I love that. Honestly, I've never been happier. It's a treat working here, and all of my co-workers have been wonderful to me. My co-host Jack Ford has been especially gracious to me, and always takes the time to answer any legal questions I have. It really is a great time for me. Q: Do you miss doing the traditional hard news type of journalism? A: Sure, there are times when I miss the hard news beat, or traveling to Iraq to cover a breaking story. But that's not really as an easy an option with a husband and son. And I'm seven months pregnant. But I'm okay with that. I love my work and my life, and I wouldn't change anything. The difference between being here and some of my previous work is that
I can't say that you feel 100% proud all of the time when you're doing
cable news. And I don't have that problem here. If we're covering Anna
Nicole Smith, it's not for any reason except that she's involved in
some very serious legal questions. There aren't some of the pressures
here that I've felt other places, and that's refreshing. A: "America's Next Top Model." I'm currently seven months pregnant and 160 pounds, so it's reassuring to see these skinny women in bathing suits looking so fabulous. Q: But although they're thin, they're also unhappy a lot, which is also a reassuring thing. A: That's true too. It definitely makes the show more fun to watch. I also love "American Idol." That's a show that's on my Tivo every week. But my favorite show - and I'm not sure I would call it a guilty pleasure - is "The Daily Show." That show is required viewing for me, and Jon Stewart is a genius. He's able to distill a serious subject, and entertain people while still being thought-provoking. "Disorder In The Court 2" premieres on Court TV on Monday,
March 19th, 2007. |
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