Joran Van Der Sloot Going on a Plea Deal
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Van Der Sloot calls it an impulsive act.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: "It was an impulsive act, after I received a hit in the head."</s>JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": She hit him, he says, on his left temple.</s>BROOKS: And he took his right elbow and hit her in her nose and he said that there was blood everywhere.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you`re describing is impulsive and anything can set him off.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s open and shut.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His version that it was an impulsive act.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: "I remember what I was doing but not the motive."</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: It`s like you hear a gun go off, you open the door, there`s a gun smoking and there`s someone lying there dead, it`s over and out.</s>BROOKS: Premedication can be made in a blink of an eye.</s>CASAREZ: He knew he had to flee. He knew he had to leave.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: "I feared that she would go to the police and they could detain me for what was an impulsive act."</s>GRACE: We are hearing that there is a possibility Joran Van Der Sloot could walk in as little as three to five years. This after being involved in not one, but two alleged murders including the murder of American girl Natalee Holloway. To David Lohr, crime reporter, AOLnews.com. What do you know, David?</s>DAVID LOHR, CRIME REPORTER, AOLNEWS.COM: Well, Nancy, Van Der Sloot is now allegedly saying that he`s willing to plead guilty to the May 30th slaying of Stephany Flores but there`s a catch. He`s willing to plead guilty to the lesser charge of violent emotion. And basically what he`s trying to do is get a ridiculously light sentence by claiming temporary insanity in the case.</s>GRACE: To Jean Casarez. Jean, what do you know about the case?</s>CASAREZ: Nancy, I`ve got the motion right here. This is the defense motion. "In Session" got it minutes ago. And this motion says that they want this first-degree murder case to be pleaded down to a manslaughter case. He would serve three to five years. And why, Nancy? Because the violent emotion of Joran Van Der Sloot came after Stephany Flores, the victim, attacked him.</s>GRACE: To Dr. Panchali Dhar. Dr. Dhar, thank you for being with us. He is now essentially by suggesting he will plead guilty admitting that he did it. But I don`t understand how that type of a beating can be something that happened in just a second. She had a brutal beating. Then after that, we can tell by the way she bled and bruised, her neck was broken after a brutal beating. That had to take a period of time. How could that be in a flash?</s>DR. PANCHALI DHAR, M.D., INTERNAL MEDICINE, AUTHOR OF "BEFORE THE SCALPEL": No, he beat her to a pulp for a couple of hours. He didn`t kill her that quickly. I mean, obviously there was a struggle going on and she was trying to defend herself. And as far as this temporary insanity, does anybody not realize that he is a textbook case of anti-social personality disorder? Somebody who is manipulative, violent, impulsive, synonymous with criminal disregard with right and wrong, can`t see the difference between good and evil. Nothing like that. He has a mental problem.</s>GRACE: He may have a mental problem in that he`s a psychopath, that he cannot empathize with other people`s hurting, their suffering, but it`s not going to rise to insanity. I can promise you that. At least not here in the states it wouldn`t. To Michael Griffith, international criminal defense attorney. Michael, what do you think of what`s happening? Is there a possibility he could walk in three to five years?</s>MICHAEL GRIFFITH, INTERNATIONAL LAW ATTORNEY/CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY (via phone): Nancy, I don`t believe it` because there were no plea bargains down in Peru. He has to have a trial first and then after the trial and then he gets sentenced. But Nancy, I`m going to tell you something. I`ve represented Americans in foreign countries for many years. We should rejoice. We should open up the champagne if he only gets three to five years because there`s an extradition warrant that will then bring him back to Alabama that will not only get him on the extortion charge but you know under passive personality principles of U.S. -- of international law, the U.S. has jurisdiction over any of its citizens that are killed or injured overseas like in the Nairobi case, or in the piracy case in Somalia. And we can then -- we can then prosecute him for the death of Natalee Holloway so let`s get him home here where we can take good care of him.</s>GRACE: You know what, now that you put it like that, Michael Griffith, maybe you`re right. Out to the lines. Sandra in Colorado. Hi, Sandra.</s>SANDRA, CALLER FROM COLORADO: Hi, Nancy. It`s so good to talk to you.</s>GRACE: Likewise. What`s your question, dear?</s>SANDRA: Hey, well, Michael just answered it pretty much but I was wondering if -- since he is in that prison overseas if, you know, that three to five deal is because it`s overseas. Because if he was in the states there is no way with that horrible beating and how she died that he was going to get three to five years for that.</s>GRACE: What do you think, Jean Casarez?</s>CASAREZ: Murder in Peru is a minimum of 15 years. It`s a maximum of about 35. They don`t even give life. So three to five would follow suit for a manslaughter.</s>GRACE: To the lines. Katie in Wyoming. Hi, Katie.</s>KATIE, CALLER FROM WYOMING: Hi, Nancy. I just have a comment. I mean, it doesn`t matter if -- to me if the other girl was American or not. I don`t understand how it can be -- they can say it`s an emotional defense when he`s murdered two women. Obviously he`s pre-dispositioned to murder. He`s a violent person. How can they say it`s just emotion and he can only get three to five years?</s>GRACE: How can they say that, Peter Elikann?</s>ELIKANN: Nancy, I don`t think there`s any chance at all that this is going to be successful. I mean people hate the insanity defense. It really works. Temporary insanity defense, like I`m normal all the time and I got a little crazy in the middle, perhaps, particularly when he`s accused of doing it before, I just think this is what we call a Hail Mary pass. And I just don`t think it`s going to fly at all.</s>GRACE: What about it, Gloria Allred? Do you agree with Peter, Gloria?</s>GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIM`S RIGHTS ATTORNEY, CHILD ADVOCATE: Well, I mean, he`s desperate. He`s got to try something because after all apparently he`s admitting that he did it.