Redirect examination of Officer Thompson (2 of 2)

📄 Redirect examination of Officer Thompson (2 of 2) — Tuesday, October 29, 1996

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1996\OCT\29\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-OFFICE.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 5 of 57

◀ Redirect examination of Officer Thompson Recross-examination of Officer Thompson ▶

Witness: Donald Thompson
Examiner: Edward Medvene
Called by: Plaintiff • Date: Tuesday, October 29, 1996 • Utterances: 13

Medvene conducts a brief redirect of Officer Thompson, focused on two areas: confirming that no one tampered with or entered the Bronco during the hours it was parked at Rockingham, and rehabilitating the description of the blanket Thompson retrieved for Detective Lange. Thompson describes the blanket as clean and neatly folded, consistent with the organized state of the entire linen closet.

# 1 Q:

Between your arrival at Rockingham about 8 o'clock in the morning, and the towing of the Bronco at approximately 3:30, did you observe anyone open the door, or attempt to open the door of the Bronco?

# 2 A:

No.

# 3 Q:

Did you observe anyone in the Bronco?

# 4 A:

No.

# 5 Q:

Did you ever observe anyone pouring any blood in the Bronco?

# 6 A:

No.

# 7 Q:

Now, you were asked about an object that Detective Lange asked you to get for him. Could you please describe what you brought?

# 8 A:

It was a white, tightly knit, very thin blanket, with a light texture to it. It was white; it was clean; it was neatly folded.

KEY QUOTE

# 9 Q:

You said it was in a linen closet?

# 10 A:

Yes.

# 11 Q:

Can you describe as best you can the other objects in the closet?

Did they appear to be neatly folded and clean or dirty?

# 12 A:

Everything in the linen closet was clean. I saw blankets, washcloths, and everything was neatly folded and clean.

KEY QUOTE

# 13 MR. MEDVENE:

Nothing further.

RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. P. BAKER:

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Officer Thompson

It was a white, tightly knit, very thin blanket, with a light texture to it. It was white; it was clean; it was neatly folded.

Detailed description of the blanket retrieved for Lange — the emphasis on cleanliness and neat folding appears designed to counter any suggestion the item was improperly handled or contaminated.

Officer Thompson

Everything in the linen closet was clean. I saw blankets, washcloths, and everything was neatly folded and clean.

Establishes orderly, undisturbed condition of the linen closet, bolstering chain-of-custody integrity for the blanket.

Evidence (2)

Informal

White blanket retrieved from linen closet at Rockingham for Detective Lange

described

Informal

The Bronco parked at Rockingham between ~8:00 AM and ~3:30 PM

discussed

Notable Exchanges (1)

Edward Medvene•Officer Thompson

Three rapid denials — no one opened the Bronco, no one was in it, no one poured blood into it — clearly rehabilitating against cross-examination implications of evidence planting or contamination.

strategic

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 8081 • 13 utterances • Plaintiff witness

Civil Trial

Department 103