Hannah Graham Missing Update, Jodi Arias Media Blackout & Miss America Hazing

Police in Charlottesville, Virgina recently issued a new search warrant for the apartment of Jesse Matthew, the man believed to be the last person seen with missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham.

Criminal defense attorney Michael Cavalluzzi talks about the continued focus on Matthew in the case and also comments on the emotional reaction toward him by Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo during a press conference. “In fact I believe that Jesse Matthew was the last person she was seen with before she vanished off the face of the earth, because it’s been a week and we can’t find her,” Longo told reporters as he raised his voice.

“I think the chief of police here clearly is extremely emotional. This is a very, very sad and urgent story – he wants to do whatever he can to find Hannah Graham,” Cavalluzzi said about Longo’s publicly naming Matthew even though he hadn’t been charged in the disappearance of the 18-year-old student.

“I think it’s a step too far, to be consistently connecting her with Jesse Matthew and you don’t really have evidence that he is really, truly connected with her disappearance. And I think that it’s a little bit overly emotional and skirts beyond the bounds or real professionalism,” he added.

Reports have said that Matthew came into the police station with relatives and asked for a lawyer and remained for a few minutes before police had a chance to get him a lawyer. He then left and sped off in his car and now there’s an arrest warrant for him for reckless driving.

“My understanding is that Jesse Matthew did speak briefly with the lawyer at the station, and after speaking with the lawyer briefly, he then turned around and left,” said Cavalluzzi. He also points out that police only issued a warrant for Matthew based solely on the reckless driving for his alleged speeding away.

“But they have not issued a warrant for any crime connected with the disappearance of Hannah Graham, which to me is a strong statement on how scant the evidence really is against Jesse Matthew,” Cavalluzzi said. “Most lawyers would advise clients if they are subject to an investigation, to keep their mouths shut,” he added.

The conversation also delves into the retrial penalty phase of convicted murderer Jodi Arias and discusses the decision by the judge not to allow cameras in the courtroom during upcoming proceedings. Arias has already been convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriend, but previously the jury was deadlocked over whether or not she should receive the death penalty.

While Cavallucci believes there are valid reasons for allowing cameras in the courtroom to let the public know what is going on, he also believes the atmosphere can quickly get out of hand. “So I think the judge made the right decision, in keeping it from becoming a media circus.”

But he says the bigger issue for him is why the prosecutors are staging a retrial of the penalty phase at all.

“My main issue is that this is a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars. Now all of this money is being spent to retry her on the penalty phase… Either you’re going to fail again for a second time and waste taxpayer dollars… or you’re going to succeed with the death penalty and start a series of very costly appeals.”

Addressing the calls for the newly crowned Miss America Kira Kazantsev to step down and give up her crown after evidence that she caused injuries to pledges during sorority hazing incidents, Cavalluzzi said he found it interesting that the allegations were so recent, and also that her platform actually focused on domestic violence.

“People in glass sorority houses maybe shouldn’t throw stones. It seems to me that she engaged in her own form of domestic violence,” he said.

Watch the video to also hear more discussion about a new report shifting blame in the Ray Rice abuse video case, as well as an update on a retrial in the loud-music killing case involving the shooting of 17-year-old Jordan Davis by Michael Dunn.