📂 Thursday, November 14, 1996 — Day 15
◀ Civil Trial
📅 Thursday, November 14, 1996 31 proceedings 2301 lines
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C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1996\NOV\14
TRIAL
▲ Day 15 of 57

Day 15 — Thursday, November 14, 1996

DNA Evidence Dominates as Defense Presses Reliability Challenges
Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki • Civil Trial • 31 proceedings • 2301 lines
tense

Robin Cotton, Renee Montgomery, and Gary Alan Sims testified about DNA testing from Bundy, Rockingham, the Bronco, the glove, and the socks. Cotton said the sock blood was well-preserved and almost certainly did not come from Nicole Brown's degraded autopsy reference sample; Montgomery reported Simpson-consistent results at Bundy and Rockingham while excluding him from most glove areas; and Sims reported high-frequency matches and a Bronco console mixture consistent with Simpson and Goldman. On cross-examination, Blasier challenged RFLP and D1S80 methodology, contamination risks, and statistical interpretation, and argued that Cellmark's two false positives in roughly 100 proficiency samples outweighed the reported match frequencies; he also established that no blood consistent with Simpson was found on either victim's clothing.

  • Robin Cotton testified that sock blood was well-preserved and almost certainly did not originate from Nicole's autopsy sample, undermining the contamination defense
  • Blasier established that only 3 of 10 RFLP bands were identical yet all counted equally toward statistical match frequencies
  • Blasier cited two Cellmark false positives in roughly 100 proficiency-test samples and argued that this error rate swamped Cotton's statistical frequencies
  • Blasier elicited that the Bronco steering wheel stain (item 29) contained an unidentified DNA contributor
  • Nicole Brown Simpson's reference sample contained a faint B allele identified as Simpson's type
  • Renee Montgomery admitted D1S80 testing is relatively new and not highly discriminating, with population alleles ~30% common
  • No objective standards exist for distinguishing 'hint' from 'trace' in DNA analysis—a distinction determining inclusion or exclusion
  • No blood consistent with Simpson was found on either victim's clothing, while testing identified cross-contamination between the victims' clothing
  • Simpson's DNA on the Rockingham glove appeared only in the wrist area, not in the fingers or palm
  • Baker said an off-hand comment by Judge Fujisaki signaled bias against the defense; the judge apologized and agreed to apologize before the jury
Day 15 • 31 proceedings • 2301 lines
Civil Trial
Department 103
📂 Day 15 — NOV 14, 1996
NOV 14, 1996