[Malveaux:] Time to reveal today's "Choose the News" choices. Text 22360 for the vote, the story you'd like to see. First, shining shoes may be a dying business, but one New Yorker is trying a unique way to keep the industry alive. See his unique hard sell that is turning heads and feet his way. Second, it is called the 787 Dreamliner. It's supposed to revolutionize air travel. The plane was recently unveiled, and we'll show you why it's drawing so much attention. Or third, 13,000 miles, 14 countries, an ultra marathoner attempts to run from the North Pole to the South Pole. So you can vote by texting 22630. Text 1 for "Shoe Shine Worker"; 2 two for "Dreamliner Unveiled"; or 3 for "Ultra Marathoner." Our winning story is going to air later this hour. Well, Texas authorities have just released a new mug shot of Warren Jeffs. He is the polygamist leader who was sentenced yesterday to life in prison, plus 20 years. He was found guilty of sexually assaulting two girls he claimed were his spiritual wives. In New York, a legal battle that you might not expect. Caught in the middle of this is a Golden Retriever named Rosy. She is a therapy dog, and she was allowed to be in the witness box to comfort a teenage girl who was testifying that her father had raped and impregnated her. The man was convicted, and now his lawyers plan an appeal, claiming that the dog may have influenced the jury. Sunny Hostin, she is a legal contributor for "In Session" on CNN sister network truTV. She joins us from New York. Sunny good to see you. You know, first of all, I've never heard of a dog being allowed to be present at a court proceeding other than a guide dog. How common is this? Is this something new?
[Sunny Hostin, Legal Contributor, Trutv:] It is not something new. I wouldn't say it's unique, but it isn't uncommon. This started about in 2003, and that's about the time, Suzanne, that I left the U.S. Attorney's Office. And as you know, I used to try child sex crimes, and there was a movement when I was at the U.S. Attorney's Office to try to figure out a way to make child victims, witnesses, more comfortable, because one of the most difficult things when you are prosecuting these kinds of cases is to get a child victim on the witness stand, in a courtroom, to face the person that has been abusing them sexually and physically. And so, typically, there are child victim witness advocates in the courtroom, but they are not seated right next to the witness, they are seated in the courtroom. And many children have reported that that made all the difference. Well, this, I think, is probably a natural extension of it. So, it is used in a lot of courts. It's used in Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana. And it started in around 2003. And it's sort of that natural extension of victim witness advocates. And also, believe it or not, there have been court cases about children holding teddy bears. And in 1994, a court said that that was OK. And so while I think this is probably news to so many of our viewers, it is a growing trend.
[Malveaux:] Sure. And Sunny, does the lawyer who is appealing now, does he have a case, do you think, when he says this might have influenced the jury, sympathy from the jury in some way?
[Hostin:] I think he really does, actually. And this is the first time that a therapy dog has been allowed in New York. As I've mentioned, it is allowed in other jurisdictions, but courts have grappled with this, because a defendant's constitutional rights when accused are typically paramount. And there have been some studies done that viewers rather, jurors do have some empathy towards victims when they see this sort of dog therapy, a therapy dog with a witness. And so there is I think a valid legal argument. Who knows how the court will decide? But I will say this this is an extremely important, important case for victims, victims' rights.
[Malveaux:] Well, let us know how it turns out. Thank you very much, Sunny. Appreciate it.
[Hostin:] I will.
[Malveaux:] Well, turning to tough budget decisions. We now know the names of nine of the 12 members Congress' new debt super committee. We're going to talk with former Republican senator Alan Simpson about whether he thinks that the bipartisan group is going to be able to find a compromise. But first, what if the super committee fails to reach agreement or Congress fails to pass whatever the committee recommends? Well, then what happens? We're going to tell you.