Former Sen. Doug Jones breaks down the next steps in the case against Joran van der Sloot

SENATOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON. SO SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WE’VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT JORAN VAN DER SLOOT OVER THE YEARS. IT’S A HIGH PROFILE CASE, BUT BUT IT’S ALSO KIND OF BY THE BOOK YOU WERE SAYING IT’S BY THE BOOK. IT’S GOING TO BE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CASE. IT’LL BE DOCKETED. HE’S GOING TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE TOMORROW. I THINK THEY LIKELY TO HAVE AN ARRAIGNMENT IN WHICH HE’LL PLEAD NOT GUILTY. THEY’LL EITHER DO THAT TOMORROW OR AT SOME OTHER POINT. OBVIOUSLY, HE WILL NOT GET ANY KIND OF BOND OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO THAT’S NOT AN ISSUE. AND ONCE HE HAS ENTERED A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY, WHICH IS WHAT HE WILL DO, THIS CASE WILL MOVE ALONG THE DOCKET, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CASE, YOU WILL SEE. HE WILL GET A LAWYER, MOST LIKELY THE FEDERAL DEFENDER’S OFFICE, AND THEN THEY WILL MOVE INTO THE DISCOVERY PHASE AND MOTIONS THAT WILL BE FILED. REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST THIS IS AN EXTORTION CASE. THIS IS A FRAUD CASE. THIS US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE HAS DONE THESE CASES TIME AND TIME AGAIN OVER THE YEARS. SO THAT’S HOW THIS WILL MOVE. HE’S NOW IN ALABAMA SOIL. THIS IS A FEDERAL CASE THAT A MOVE LIKE EVERY OTHER CASE, WHAT KIND OF PREPARATION IS GOING TO GO IN FROM THE DEFENSE SIDE ONCE THEY START MEETING WITH VANDERSLOOT, WHAT WILL THEY BE LOOKING TO DO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO GET READY FOR TRIAL? WELL, THE FIRST THING THEY’RE GOING TO BE DOING IS FILING MOTIONS TO GET THE DISCOVERY FROM THE GOVERNMENT. THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THE TAPE RECORDINGS, IF THEY’RE TAPE RECORDINGS THAT ARE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS TO OFFER, THAT THEY’VE EITHER USED TO GET THIS INDICTMENT, THAT THEY WILL ENTER IN TRIAL OR HOWEVER THEY CAN GET THEIR HANDS ON IT. SO IT’S THAT DISCOVERY PHASE. IT’S REALLY GOING TO LET A GROUP OF LAWYERS WHO HAS NEVER REPRESENTED HIM BEFORE START TO GET THE CASE. THEN THEY’LL OBVIOUSLY WANT TO TALK TO HIM, GET HIS SIDE OF THE STORY, SEE HOW THINGS ARE SHAKING OUT. BUT THIS IS A CASE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO REALLY HAVE TO DIG IN ON WHAT THE GOVERNMENT GIVES THEM, BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE EVIDENCE IS GOING TO BE, HOW MUCH COULD THE DISAPPEARANCE ITSELF OF HOLLOWAY PLAY INTO THIS CASE? WELL, IT’S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO PLAY A LOT. THE DISAPPEARANCE ITSELF IS GOING TO PLAY NOW, THE FACTS OF THE DISAPPEARANCE AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED MAY OR MAY NOT PLAY INTO EVIDENCE. IF THEY’VE GOT SOMETHING TO TRIAL, OF COURSE, PROSECUTORS COULD CROSS-EXAMINE IF HE WAS EVER TO TAKE THE WITNESS STAND. BUT REMEMBER, THIS IS A FRAUD CASE. THIS IS AN EXTORTION CASE. SO WHILE THAT IS AN ELEMENT, IT’S A PART OF THIS. THE DETAILS OF THAT ARE NOT THE SAME AS IF YOU WERE PROVING A MURDER AND REAL QUICK WITH A FRAUD AND AN EXTORTION CASE. HOW LONG DO THOSE TYPICALLY LAST? IT DEPENDS. YOU KNOW, THIS THIS CASE COULD BE RELATIVELY SIMPLE BECAUSE THERE WAS A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THERE WAS COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTACT WITH NATALEE HOLLOWAY FAMILY. BUT IT’S GOING TO DEPEND ON THE EXTENSIVE NESS OF ANY EVIDENCE THAT THAT THEY’VE GOT. YOU KNOW, THE THING I THINK THAT FOLKS ARE LOOKING FOR HERE IS THAT THEY ARE JUST WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THEY WOULD LOVE TO SEE. WE MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT. I’M HOPING FOR THE NATALEE HOLLOWAY FAMILY AND FOR THIS COMMUNITY THAT THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIND OUT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THAT’S WHAT THAT’S WHAT BRINGS THE HEALING, NOT THE CLOSURE. ABSOLUTELY. FORMER SENATOR DOUG JONES OUT