📄 Requests for admissions — Thursday, December 5, 1996
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C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1996\DEC\5\REQUESTS-FOR-ADMISSIONS.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 26 of 57

Requests for admissions

Date: Thursday, December 5, 1996 • Utterances: 8
Plaintiff's counsel read a series of requests for admissions (numbers 484 and 493–501) to the jury, all admitted by the defense. The admissions establish that hair microscopically consistent with Nicole Brown Simpson, Ronald Goldman, and OJ Simpson was found on key LAPD evidence items, and that fibers consistent with the Bronco's interior were found on items linked to the crime scene. The defense attached qualifications to each admission, narrowing the meaning of 'consistent with' and 'same microscopic characteristics' to limit their evidentiary weight.
1 MR. PETROCELLI:

Okay. Your Honor, that concludes the witnesses.

We have some requests for admissions to read to the jury. I would ask that, as we did before, in the interest of time, that we read the defense qualification at the beginning and at the end of the set.

2 THE COURT:

You may.

3 MR. PETROCELLI:

Thank you.

4 MR. GELBLUM:

This is request 484.

The crime scene at 875 South Bundy, as found by the Los Angeles Police Department officers on the night of June 12 through 13, 1994, was consistent with murders committed by a person who was enraged at the time of the murders.

Response: Admit.

For purposes of this request, defendant is defining the term "consistent with" to mean one possible explanation without any limitation or other possibilities and without any implication as to the likelihood of this possibility vis-a-vis any other possibility.

Request for admission number 493.

Head hairs exhibiting the same microscopic characteristics as head hairs of Nicole Brown Simpson were found on the items that were identified in connection with the criminal trial in the matter of People V. Simpson, case number BA097-211, hereafter the criminal trial, as LAPD evidence item 9.

Response: Admit. In admitting this request for admission, the defense will assume that the point in time referred to is the time in item with the number specified by plaintiffs was examined by an outside laboratory, as opposed to the time of collection or any other point in time, and the term "same microscopic characteristics" to mean "similar characteristics," when examined microscopically.

Request for admission number 494:

Head hairs exhibiting the same microscopic characteristics as head hairs of Ronald Goldman were found on the item that was identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 9.

Response: Admit. And then the same qualifications.

Request for admission number 495:

Head hairs exhibiting the same microscopic characteristics as head hairs of Orenthal James Simpson were found on the item that was identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 38.

Response: Admit. Again, with the same qualification.

Request for admission number 496:

Head hairs exhibiting the same microscopic characteristics as head hairs of Orenthal James Simpson were found on item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 81.

Response: Admit.

Each of these that I'm going to read have the same qualification attached to them.

Request for admission number 497:

Fibers consistent with the fibers of the item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 1 were found on the item that was identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 9.

Response: Admit.

Request for admission number 498:

Fibers consistent with the fibers of the item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 81 were found on the item that was identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 37.

Response: Admit.

Request for admission number 499:

Fibers consistent with the fibers of the item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 81 were found on the item that was identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 38.

Response: Admit.

Request for admission number 500:

Fibers consistent with the fibers from the interior of the 1994 white Ford Bronco with California license plate No. 3CWZ788 were found on the item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 9.

Response: Admit.

Request for admission number 501:

Fibers consistent with the fibers from the interior of the 1994 white Ford Bronco with California license plate No. 3CWZ788 were found in the item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 38.

Response: Admit.

5 MR. PETROCELLI:

That's it.

6 MR. BAKER:

That's read --

7 MR. PETROCELLI:

Read the qualification.

8 MR. GELBLUM:

Qualification again is: In admitting this request for admission, the defense will assume that the point in time referred to is the time in item with the number specified with plaintiffs, was examined by an outside laboratory, as opposed to the time of the collection or any other point in time in the -- and the term quote "consistent" quote to mean not excluded from coming from a common source close quote.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Peter Gelblum
The crime scene at 875 South Bundy, as found by the Los Angeles Police Department officers on the night of June 12 through 13, 1994, was consistent with murders committed by a person who was enraged at the time of the murders. Response: Admit.
Defense admitted the crime scene reflected rage, directly supporting plaintiffs' theory of OJ Simpson as the killer.
Peter Gelblum
Fibers consistent with the fibers from the interior of the 1994 white Ford Bronco with California license plate No. 3CWZ788 were found on the item identified in connection with the criminal trial as LAPD evidence item 9. Response: Admit.
Links the Bronco — OJ Simpson's vehicle — to crime scene evidence, corroborating the prosecution's physical evidence narrative.
Peter Gelblum
In admitting this request for admission, the defense will assume that the point in time referred to is the time in item with the number specified by plaintiffs was examined by an outside laboratory, as opposed to the time of collection or any other point in time.
The defense qualification is a strategic hedge — admitting the facts while preserving a chain-of-custody challenge by limiting the time reference to lab examination, not collection.

Evidence (6)

LAPD evidence item 1
Item with fibers found on item 9; identity not specified in this proceeding
discussed
LAPD evidence item 9
Item bearing Nicole Brown Simpson's head hairs, Ronald Goldman's head hairs, Bronco-consistent fibers, and item-1-consistent fibers
discussed
LAPD evidence item 37
Item bearing fibers consistent with item 81
discussed
LAPD evidence item 38
Item bearing OJ Simpson's head hairs and Bronco-consistent fibers
discussed
LAPD evidence item 81
Item bearing OJ Simpson's head hairs; fibers from it found on items 37 and 38
discussed
Informal
1994 white Ford Bronco, California plate 3CWZ788 — interior fibers found on items 9 and 38
discussed

Notable Exchanges (1)

Daniel PetrocelliPeter Gelblum
Petrocelli cued Gelblum to re-read the defense qualification after Baker appeared about to speak, ensuring the jury heard the full admission framing before the set concluded.
strategic

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 8490 • 8 utterances
Civil Trial
Department 103
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📂 DEC 5, 1996 📄 Requests for admissions
DEC 5, 1996 KRT DvH TD