MARK McEWEN, co-host:

Unless an appeal reduces or overturns a jury's decision, the "Jenny Jones" show and its owner, Warner Bros., will have to pay $ 25 million to the family of Scott Amedure. The Michigan man was shot to death by Jonathan Schmitz, after he admitted on a "Jenny Jones" segment that he had a crush on another man. To a lot of people, the verdict raises important issues of media responsibility and First Amendment guarantees of free expression. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger represented the Amedure family in the trial. He joins us from Detroit. Geoffrey, good morning.

Mr. GEOFFREY FIEGER (Amedure Family Attorney): Good morning, Mark. Good to talk to you.

McEWEN: Good to talk to you as well. There are people who say this ruling sets a dangerous precedent, Geoffrey, holding the media and these shows responsible for the behavior of the people they put on the air. Is this dangerous ground?

Mr. FIEGER: No. In comparing free speech to the "Jenny Jones" show is like comparing a prostitute to what the queen of England does. It's nonsense. This is--th--these are nothing more than carnival impresarios, freak show empressarios. And if you abuse people, if you misuse them, if you lie to them, if you deceive them, if you embarrass and humiliate them for other people's--as a form of entertainment, for other s--people's entertainment and somebody gets hurt, Mark, you can be held responsible in this country and that has nothing to do with free speech.

McEWEN: But, Geoffrey, the J--the "Jenny Jones" show did not pull the trigger that skilled--killed Scott Amedure. Jonathan Schmitz did.

Mr. FIEGER: That's right.

McEWEN: Why should the "Jenny Jones" show be held responsible?

Mr. FIEGER: Because they're one of the causes. They solicited the victim. They picked the murderer. They provided a motive. They did everything but pick the tri--pull the trigger, and in America more than one cause can be responsible for an injury.

McEWEN: Now kids go on a rampage, as they did at Columbine High School. Should the record companies or video companies that allegedly influenced them be put on trial as well?

Mr. FIEGER: Well, that's an entirely different case. The record companies didn't solicit a mentally ill young man from Detroit to come to Chicago. The record companies didn't lie and deceive him. The record companies didn't subject him to an obscene sexual fantasy in front of a hooting and hollering audience. And, by the way, this isn't about a gay man expressing his affection to another man. This is about the "Jenny Jones" show setting up these stereotypical sex shows and having people say things to other people that you couldn't say s--within the confines of an office or you'd be sued for sexual harassment.

McEWEN: At what point should people take responsibility for their actions?

Mr. FIEGER: Always. And I'm in--and I'm not in any way diminishing the responsibility of Jon Schmitz. Remember, I represent the family of Scott Amedure, and we firmly believe he should be behind bars. But I--we also firmly believe that if it wasn't for the "Jenny Jones" show, Scott would be alive today and Jonathan Schmitz wouldn't be in jail. So many lives have been hurt or lost because of this show. It's about time they stand up and take the heat for what they do.

McEWEN: Geoffrey Fieger, thanks for being with us this morning.

Mr. FIEGER: Thanks, Mark.

McEWEN: Take care.

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