CNN's Nancy Grace Under Fire Online

Did She Go Too Far In Questioning A Mother Who Then Killed Herself?

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CNN's Nancy Grace is sparking a firestorm of criticism in the blogosphere over the way she questioned Melinda Duckett, the mother of a missing boy. Duckett shot herself to death, a day after she was grilled by Grace. Plus, bloggers have much to say about former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's "Confession." And, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's trip to Iowa has bloggers abuzz. Find out why.


The State of Grace

The family of a missing Florida boy said CNN's Nancy Grace and others in the media helped push the child's mother over the edge. Investigators say Melinda Duckett shot herself to death the day after she was grilled by Grace in a telephone interview, and hours before the interview aired.

Did Grace go too far? She says no, but many bloggers think differently.

For some background, it all began when Duckett's 2-year-old son, Trenton, disappeared late last month. Duckett had said she found his crib empty one night. Investigators have been looking into Duckett's movements just before the boy vanished. In the CNN Headline News interview, Grace grilled Duckett, at one point demanding to know, "Why aren't you telling us where you were that day?"

Many bloggers say Grace's unrelenting questions may have gone too far. "…Maybe when someone is as emotionally fragile as Melinda was, it's probably not a good idea to tear into her on national television," AowL blogs. "It was like watching one of those Law & Order-type shows where she was trying to pull a confession out of a hostile witness."

Others say that's typical Grace fare. "The few times I've watched Grace, I've found her whole act pretty tasteless," a blogger at News From Me writes. "She seems to operate off the premise that a person who's under suspicion of a crime is probably guilty and once they're arrested, you can remove that bothersome 'probably' qualifier and get on with the sentencing."

Fat Doctor agrees, and echoes the sentiment of some bloggers who says they will no longer watch Grace's program. "I used to really like Nancy Grace. Now, I'm not so sure I can stomach her anymore," Fat Doctor writes.

But Slate's Dahlia Lithwick says emphatically that Grace isn't responsible for Duckett's death. However, she says Grace's show raises a larger issue. "Nancy Grace didn't kill Melinda Duckett, but she is aiding and abetting the death of public confidence in the law," Lithwick writes. "Grace dresses like a lawyer and talks like one, but the only thing she seems to feel for the court system is contempt."

Amsterdam Man agrees television programs such as Grace's are not helping society. "When nothing is 'sacred'; when nothing commands a token of respect any longer; when life is cheapened to a greater concern for ratings on a TV or the internet or even merely in ones social circle, ladies and gentlemen the bell is tolling ..." he writes on MySpace.


McGreevey's 'Confession'

As "The Confession," the autobiography of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, officially hit bookshelves on Tuesday, he was already being pelted with criticism in the blogosphere.

As you may recall, McGreevey resigned in a nationally televised announcement in August 2004, with his wife by his side, declaring, "I am a gay American." At the time of Mr. McGreevey's resignation, lawyers for the governor said Golan Cipel, New Jersey's homeland security adviser, was threatening to file a sexual harassment lawsuit.

McGreevey's publisher had hoped that people would view his story as an inspirational tale about the virtues of honesty and self-awareness, the New York Times reported. You can read excerpts here and judge for yourself. But, so far, many bloggers are far from sympathetic.

Some bloggers say McGreevey stands out among corrupt politicians. "NJ has a long and illustrious history of corrupt and criminal politicians but, Mr. McGreevey ranks as one of the worst. Let me be clear, it's not his homosexuality that is troubling but the narcissism that counted everyone but himself far down the list of importance," Jerry at Common Sense and Wonder writes.

Juan Galis-Menendez agrees. "People's sexual lives are not the state's business, but putting your 'main squeeze' on the public payroll for a six figure salary, so you can have little 'afternoon delight' whenever you want it, that's not so cool," he writes at Critical Vision.

Others lament that McGreevey's words will reflect poorly on the gay community. "Jim McGreevey makes me sick. He's using our community for all it's worth, and making us all look like creeps," Jeege writes. "The faster he gets out of the news, the better for all of us."

But others were more understanding of McGreevey's actions. "This is what happens when you feel you cannot be true to yourself. There's a domino effect of bad choices and broken hearts," Letters From Bobby Rivers writes.


Obama Watch Starts Up, Again

Never mind the rampant Hillary speculation out there, thoughts on whether Sen. Barack Obama is pondering a 2008 presidential bid have taken over the blogosphere this week after the Illinois Democrat hit Iowa this past weekend.

Adding to Sunday talk show fodder was that, as the Washington Post's The Fix first reported, Obama was accompanied by Steve Hildebrand, "considered one of the major 'gets' for candidates eyeing the 2008 race." Hildebrand is extremely skilled as a field organizer and campaign manager. As the Post notes, in 2000, Hildebrand managed Vice President Al Gore's Iowa caucus victory over New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley. Four years earlier he ran the Midwest for the Clinton-Gore reelection effort.

Hildebrand hasn't signed on, but calls Obama a "star." And he may have a point. As The New York Times' Caucus blog notes, Obama was followed like a rock star on his recent trip to Africa.

"I'm honored to be joining Senator Obama in Iowa at the Harkin Steak Fry," Hildebrand said. "With a record crowd in attendance, the more than 2,000 Iowa Democrats will get a real treat when they hear from the biggest star in American politics."

Some bloggers say it's Obama's celebrity Democrats are after. "It's probably worth adding that organizers sold more tickets to this year's steak fry than ever before, suggesting, once again, that Obama has real star power," Steve Benen at The Carpetbagger Report adds. "I still think it's unlikely, but I'll be curious to see if this talk continues, and what effect, if any, it has on Obama."

Others are more certain. "This solidifies Obama's position as at least a Veep hopeful in '08," The Sun State Activist writes at Political Buzz.

And, if the Iowa trip was not sufficiently fueling speculation, Obama's one-time rival for his Senate seat, Illinois State comptroller Dan Hynes, "wants him to run for president in 2008," the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The newspaper says that "in a letter, Hynes urged Obama to run and said the advice was 'deliberately timed' to coincide with the senator's trip to Iowa."

Intriguing, perhaps, but not all pundits are sure this translates into a 2008 presidential run for Obama. "To me, this indicates that Obama is seriously looking at how to build infrastructure and momentum in Iowa," a blogger at Political Forecast writes. "I don't think he'll decide to run in 2008 but he'll use Hildebrand's advice and discussion to groom folks for a potential 2012 or 2016 run."


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[pannohome]

People like Nancy Grace are doing a grave diservice to their audience when they rant and rave and do not bother to find out the truth and instead harrass people. In my opinon she ranks right up there with Rush Limbaugh.

[sclarner]

It was a cruel and terrible thing that happened to this woman and her family to have a child abducted from her home but to have someone accuse you of committing a crime is appauling. The law is everyone is innocent until proven guilty, I only suggest Ms. Grace that those like yourself who live in glass house's shouldn't throw stones, unless you were there you have no clue to what happened to that child and to make any sort of assumption anything is just an unprofessional statement on Ms. Grace's behalf.
Unfortunately you have proven to the public you did not kill this woman but contributed to it, how can you live with yourself after this. I'ts people like you that have no care for other peoples feeling and accuse without merit, get proof first them made a judgement.

[cntrygrllst]

"Judge not least ye be judged"

Words to live by for all of us

[gmond]

Grace is a perfect example of a loudmouthed fool, and nobody in their right mind should watch her show or appear on it.

[vmgarretson]

I get so nauseated watching and listening to Nancy Grace. I despise people who act like she does by belittling and verbally harassing all those on her show. She appears to me to be one in great need of a lot of attention - very narcissistic. While most of us agree she should be very ashamed of the way she treated Ms. Duckett and should feel responsible for her death, Nancy's type personality feels that they do no wrong and it will never happen. My deepest sympathies go out to Melinda Duckett's family.

[tiny7812]

First of all, it was obvious since the beginning that Melinda Duckett was guilty. Nancy Grace asked the right questions in her interview with Melinda Duckett and didn't sugar coat anything. An innocent mother wouldn't plan her response to the questions she was being asked, work her way around answering questions, refuse to take the polygraph test, get defensive when being asked questions, post "depressing" blogs, invite 2males over at night for 2movies in a row, throw her childs toys-pictures-shoes in the garbage and complain about being "in her shoes" along with asking for divorce. During her interview with Nancy Grace it seemed as if she was trying to prove her innocence rather than looking for her child. HOW MUCH MORE OBVIOUS CAN IT BE?!? Nancy Grace asked the correct questions and got to the point. Nancy does her job well and more people should be like her when investigating...NO BS! I have no sympathy for Melinda Duckett, although I hope Trenton is found safely and doing well.

[tampapirate2]

Nancy Grace and CNN were not hired by police investigators or the FBI to obtain witness testimony or solve the case. What Nancy did was attack a mother suffering a loss. We do not know if Melinda Duckett committed the crime. She may very well have done it, but that is not for us to decide. If Grace cared about Trenton she would have focused on finding him not attacking the mother. Her attacks diverted the attention from Trenton who is suppose to be the number one priority.

What she did makes for good TV, but does nothing to help find Trenton, instead it has complicated the case considerablly now that a main suspect has ended their life. Proponents of Nancy Grace seem to be rabid in their defense of her. They remind me of ancient Roman's sitting in the coliseum waiting for the Ceasar to decide on a gladiators fate.

[northzerk]

Nancy had nothing to do with this woman's death.
She is a lawyer, HELLO! Her questions were right on....Melinda Duckett has done something with her own child. Miss Grace will eventually get to the bottom of all of it too. The only person in this I feel sorry for is little "Trenton". How very SAD! northzerk 8:AM Sept.21-06

[search4truth-2009]

Obama is just another "pretty face" that doesn't have the experience to be president, just the celebrity.

[kanghi1967]

Nancy Grace is like all the other prosecuters. Even though she CLAIMS to be a former prosecuter. All prosecuters believe people are GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.
What happened to INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY????
She doesn't sound like a person I would waste my time watching or listening to on television or the radio.
She IS a publicity hound, pure and simple.
CNN please get her off the air!!!

[dowhatisrigh]

I believe that Nancy Grace should be taken off the air. She has little care for anyone's feelings, she is to snobbish, egotistical, narcissic. I will turn her off every time she comes on and will boycott CNN from this time on.

[ann26-2009]

I dont believe that the questioning by Nancy Grace was a factor in the death of Melinda. If anyone has ever watched Nancy Grace on t.v. before knows her style of interviewing, I dont agree with it but Melinda Duckett made the choice to go on her show, no one forced her. I know that I would never go on her show because even if you a innocent she will make you look guilty as hell on her show.

[laurelleigh]

Nancy Grace did what police had wanted to do. Why on earth would a mother that had just had her child 'abducted' act like Melinda Duckett did. Given that Ms. Duckett is now the ONLY SUSPECT in the case (and dead, I might add), I guess Ms. Nancy Grace did in fact help out. Melinda Duckett knew when she talked to Nancy that she had something to do with her child's disappearance. Lets hope to God that he is alive and well. Sadly though, the statistics are against little Trenton Duckett. His mother took the cheap way out by avoiding prosecution. She had a free will to do with her life what she wanted to, including taking it. Nancy Grace had nothing to do with Melinda Duckett taking her own life. What about her little boy? Is anyone thinking of him? I guarantee you he will wash up on some shore just like Laci Peterson did.

I will defend Nancy Grace any day of the week. She is brash and very straight forward but she loves the system and has a passion for justice.

Frankly, this issue is worn out. The chips will fall where they may. The only problem people have with Nancy Grace is that she speaks and practices the truth.

[texcop1]

God bless Nancy, she has brass balls, not many people have what it takes to stand up to a criminal. Thats whats wrong with this country, to many spinless people running it. All Nancy did was show concern for the child, now some people believe that she had a hand in the mother's death. She already had her mind made up. As for the child I believe he will be found in a landfill.

In situtation such as this, the most important objective is to get the child home safe. The child can not care for himself. Yes, it would have been nice to have mother to cooperate with law enforcement and provide important details such as her whereabouts. More importantly if she would have said where the child was.

It would not matter to some poeple if jesus christ himself were to investigate this crime or any crime for that matter. There will always be some stupid son of a *** that knows more, done it faster or could done have it better, collected all the facts and evidence he needed from the news media to find a person guilty or not in the same day. And this person mostlikely has never seen the inside of a police car, and does all this from his easy chair.

So I say Rock on Nancy. DONT LOOK BACK. I believe your heart was in the right place. If the boy is alive he needs us now , not her.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU
TRENTON IS IN OUR PRAYERS

RNP 134

[moda2929]

I've been following the case of Trenton Duckett on CNN's Nancy Grace(whom I thoroughly enjoy). I have reserved making judgement on Melinda being a mother myself and all the facts weren't in. However, after hearing more of the findings in this case, things look more and more likely to point to Melinda.
Firstly let me say, I am aware that a polygraph
ISN'T always accurate, nor admissable in court. That being said, if my child was missing, as insulted as I%u2019d be, I%u2019d take the polygraph so F.B.I./investigators could move on to find the real perpetrator(s). Generally speaking, it%u2019s a red flag for investigators if you refuse to cooperate(though its by no means an admission of guilt), and may imply you have something to hide.
Secondly, to take her own life instead of staying around to see her child return just doesn%u2019t make sense. No matter what scrutiny you're put under by press/society, if you%u2019re not guilty certainly you want to have the satisfaction of your innocence coming out. Also you%u2019d want to be strong for your child, and appeal to all involved by doing EVERYTHING humanly possible, providing any shred of information to make that happen. I%u2019m guessing the %u201Ccoup de grace%u201D for Melinda was she hadn%u2019t done everything in her power and just couldn%u2019t fathom possibly being found guilty and possible prison time or worse.
Lastly, when Melinda committed suicide, in my opinion, she became her own judge, jury, and executioner.

[moda2929]

I've been following the case of Trenton Duckett on CNN's Nancy Grace(whom I thoroughly enjoy). I have reserved making judgement on Melinda being a mother myself and all the facts weren't in. However, after hearing more of the findings in this case, things look more and more likely to point to Melinda.
Firstly let me say, I am aware that a polygraph
ISN'T always accurate, nor admissable in court. That being said, if my child was missing, as insulted as Id be, Id take the polygraph so F.B.I./investigators could move on to find the real perpetrator(s). Generally speaking, its a red flag for investigators if you refuse to cooperate(though its by no means an admission of guilt), and may imply you have something to hide.
Secondly, to take her own life instead of staying around to see her child return just doesnt make sense. No matter what scrutiny you're put under by press/society, if youre not guilty certainly you want to have the satisfaction of your innocence coming out. Also youd want to be strong for your child, and appeal to all involved by doing EVERYTHING humanly possible, providing any shred of information to make that happen. Im guessing the coup de grace for Melinda was she hadnt done everything in her power and just couldnt fathom possibly being found guilty and possible prison time or worse.
Lastly, when Melinda committed suicide, in my opinion, she became her own judge, jury, and executioner.

[thenate3]

Nancy Grace has a record of unethical conduct going back to her days as a prosecutor. Her primary crediential is her sensationalized story about her fiance's murder, and savvy jouralists have pointed out discrepancies between how hte recounts the even and how it actually happende. She has no respect among the legal community and deserves none among the viewing public.

Grace is shrill, abusive, prone to hyperbole, dishonest, ignorant of rhetorical ethics, a questionable expert on any subject, and blonde. She is the Ann Coulter of the legal system.