Cross-examination of Miguel Terrazas (morning)

📄 Cross-examination of Miguel Terrazas (morning) — Monday, October 28, 1996

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1996\OCT\28\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-MIGUEL-TE.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 4 of 57

◀ Direct examination of Miguel Terrazas (part 2) Jury instruction: lunch recess ▶

Witness: Officer Miguel Terrazas
Examiner: Robert Baker
Called by: Plaintiff • Date: Monday, October 28, 1996 • Utterances: 78

Robert Baker cross-examines first responding Officer Terrazas about his arrival at the Bundy crime scene on the night of June 13. Baker establishes the massive scale of the blood evidence — a 'river of blood' from Nicole's body down the walkway to the sidewalk — and methodically pins down exactly where Terrazas walked, including that he stepped on the foliage to the left of the walkway. The examination ends with Terrazas denying he ever entered the condominium or followed Riske into the kitchen.

# 1 Q:

Officer Terrazas, what was the temperature out that night on the 13th?

# 2 A:

I don't know what the temperature was.

# 3 Q:

Around 60 degrees?

# 4 A:

That would be fair to say, sir.

# 5 Q:

And the let me go back. Just a minute, you suggested that when you got there, you walked up the left side of the walkway towards the front of the house, correct, with your partner?

# 6 A:

Yes, sir.

# 7 Q:

And you both shined your flashlight in the area and you saw the body of Ron Goldman, correct?

# 8 A:

Yes, sir.

# 9 Q:

You also saw the glove, you saw the hat, it's a knit cap, right?

# 10 A:

Yes, sir.

# 11 Q:

And the scene was awash in blood; was it not?

# 12 A:

Yes, sir.

# 13 Q:

And the blood that it was washed in went all the way from when you first observe the blood you were -- Strike that. When you first observed the scene, you were down by the sidewalk, correct?

# 14 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 15 Q:

And you looked up there and you saw the body of the of Nicole Brown Simpson up by the steps?

# 16 A:

That's correct.

# 17 Q:

Didn't have any problem observing that, did you?

# 18 A:

No, sir.

# 19 Q:

It was light enough for you to see it?

# 20 A:

Yes, sir.

# 21 Q:

And then, the blood that was from Nicole Brown Simpson or from the murders, if you will, went all the way down the trial walkway in the grout of that trial walkway to the sidewalk, correct?

# 22 A:

That's correct.

# 23 Q:

And there was -- from where you were standing in front of walkway, there was -- blood went all across the sidewalk, right?

# 24 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 25 Q:

And there was paw prints that went south on -- on Bundy, correct?

# 26 A:

That's correct sir.

# 27 Q:

And after, in fact, when you saw it, you thought that this was a river of blood coming down from the body of Nicole Brown Simpson down to the sidewalk, true?

KEY QUOTE

# 28 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 29 Q:

Was it -- it was an enormous amount, true?

# 30 A:

Yes, sir.

# 31 Q:

Okay. And then you and your partner, Officer Riske, he was standing there observing exactly what you were observing as far as you could tell?

# 32 MR. MEDVENE:

Objection. Calls for conclusion.

# 33 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 34 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) He was standing there around -- you were both looking up the walkway towards the body of Nicole Brown Simpson true?

# 35 A:

Yes, sir.

# 36 Q:

And then what you did is you then went to the left of the walkway because you didn't want to disturb the blood that was coming down the walkway and that's why you walked in the foliage to the left, correct?

# 37 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 38 Q:

And as you went up the walkway, you then shined your lights over to the right or to the north and saw the evidence that you've described, true?

# 39 A:

No, sir. I never saw the evidence --

KEY QUOTE

# 40 Q:

Okay.

# 41 A:

-- From the foliage area, I never saw from there.

# 42 Q:

Okay. Now, as you got towards the house, did you go all the way up to the gate, the gated area I'm talking about the first time that you went towards the house if you done understand my questions he?

# 43 A:

I don't understand sir.

# 44 Q:

Let me have -- no, it's 89 I believe. . Pill.

MR. P. BAKER: 81. That's it.

# 45 MR. BAKER:

Now, can everybody see that? Can you focus that any better? It's really bad.

MR. P. BAKER: That's about as good as I can get it.

# 46 MR. BAKER:

That's a little better, thank you.

# 47 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) Now, when you and Officer Riske arrived and after you were informed about the fact there was a person across the street at 875, that's what occurred; isn't it? Not, you went across, answered a call at 874?

# 48 A:

Yes, sir a prowler suspect now called there, sir.

# 49 Q:

And you had some communication with a man and a woman on woman who had a dog on a leash, right?

# 50 A:

Yes, sir.

# 51 Q:

And then you crossed. Your car was parked on the east side. Your black and white unit was parked on the east sides of --

# 52 A:

That's correct.

# 53 Q:

-- Of Bundy?

# 54 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 55 Q:

You walked across the street on the east side of Bundy to the west side of Bundy; is that true?

# 56 A:

That's correct.

# 57 Q:

Is that true, you walked up the walkway, correct?

# 58 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 59 Q:

You looked up the walkway before you ever set foot on the sidewalk because there was blood on it, correct?

# 60 A:

To the best of my recollection, yes, sir.

# 61 Q:

And then you what you see depicted -- is this 32?

MR. P. BAKER: Yes.

# 62 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) What you see depicted in , that's a representation of the scene that you saw when you arrived?

# 63 A:

Yes, sir.

# 64 Q:

And the blood was trailing down through the grout and trial, threw?

# 65 A:

Yes, sir.

# 66 Q:

And there were prints of blood in the front of the walkway area, correct?

# 67 A:

Yes, sir.

# 68 Q:

And you and your partner, to be careful not to contaminate the scene or to destroy evidence, walked up through the area of the plants on the left of exhibit 32; is that correct?

# 69 A:

We were very careful, sir.

# 70 Q:

But regardless of your degree of being careful, sir, you walked on the plants that we see on the left side of 32; is that right?

# 71 A:

Yes, sir. I walk on this area. It would be more towards the left.

KEY QUOTE

# 72 Q:

Okay. And you got up to the area. Did you, after you had got up towards the gate, did you then -- did you then gone into the house?

# 73 A:

Sir, I walked up to the foliage. My partner then walked over and in went into that gated area as I stood by on the foliage.

KEY QUOTE

# 74 Q:

Did you ever, on the night of June 13, , go into the condominium ever?

# 75 A:

No, sir.

# 76 Q:

Did you ever follow Officer Riske into the kitchen to use the phone in the condominium?

# 77 A:

No, sir.

# 78 MR. BAKER:

Is this a good place, Your Honor?

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Robert Baker

And after, in fact, when you saw it, you thought that this was a river of blood coming down from the body of Nicole Brown Simpson down to the sidewalk, true?

Baker uses the officer's own characterization to establish the overwhelming scale of blood at the scene, relevant to blood evidence and chain of custody arguments.

Miguel Terrazas

Yes, sir. I walk on this area. It would be more towards the left.

Admission that officers walked on the planted foliage, laying groundwork for contamination or scene disturbance arguments.

Miguel Terrazas

Sir, I walked up to the foliage. My partner then walked over and in went into that gated area as I stood by on the foliage.

Terrazas distinguishes his own movements from Riske's, establishing he stayed in the foliage while Riske entered the gated area.

Miguel Terrazas

No, sir. I never saw the evidence -- From the foliage area, I never saw from there.

Contradiction of Baker's framing — Terrazas clarifies he did not see the evidence (glove, cap) while in the foliage, only after moving closer.

Evidence (3)

Exhibit 32

Photograph depicting the Bundy walkway and blood trail as it appeared the night of June 13

displayed and used to confirm witness's account of scene and officers' path

Informal

Ron Goldman's body, Nicole Brown Simpson's body, glove, and knit cap observed at the scene

discussed to establish what Terrazas observed on arrival

Informal

Blood trail running from Nicole's body through the grout of the walkway to the sidewalk, including paw prints going south on Bundy

described in detail to establish scene conditions

Notable Exchanges (3)

Robert Baker•Miguel Terrazas

Baker asks if Terrazas saw the evidence (glove, cap) while still in the foliage; Terrazas pushes back and clarifies he did not see the evidence from that position.

clarifying

Robert Baker•Miguel Terrazas

Baker establishes that despite being careful, Terrazas did in fact step on the plants/foliage to the left of the walkway.

strategic

Robert Baker•Miguel Terrazas

Baker closes by confirming Terrazas never entered the condominium and never followed Riske into the kitchen to use the phone.

routine

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Miguel Terrazas

contradiction

Baker attempted to have Terrazas confirm he saw the physical evidence from the foliage area; Terrazas corrected the record, slightly undermining Baker's framing but showing attentiveness.

Objections

1 objections (1 sustained, 0 overruled)

Proceeding 8049 • 78 utterances • Plaintiff witness

Civil Trial

Department 103