📂 Thursday, April 13, 1995 — Day 56
◀ Criminal Trial
📅 Thursday, April 13, 1995 33 proceedings 2172 lines
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\APR\13
TRIAL
▲ Day 56 of 167

Day 56 — Thursday, April 13, 1995

Videotapes Challenge Fung's Account of Simpson Blood-Sample Handling
Judge Lance A. Ito • Criminal Trial • 33 proceedings • 2172 lines
devastating

Barry Scheck used Rockingham videotapes and documents to challenge Dennis Fung's recollection and handling of Simpson's blood sample. Fung distinguished two departures, identified a black plastic bag as his best recollection, and acknowledged that he lacked independent recollection of several key events outside the videotapes. After a time-coded tape corroborated the defense's sequencing theory, the prosecution withdrew its objection to the Vannatter footage. The examination also raised item-number and checklist-page discrepancies; Scheck accused Fung of destroying the original page 4. A missing checklist page was later located in Fung's notebook, prompting a dispute over whether its production violated discovery that Judge Ito deferred until the next morning.

  • Judge Ito accidentally erases five seconds of KTLA tape while reviewing it in chambers
  • Videotapes reveal Detective Vannatter's car absent during first Rockingham departure but present during second
  • Scheck uses video to show Fung leaving Rockingham with empty hands, contradicting prior accounts of carrying blood vial
  • Page 4 of the crime scene checklist lacked staple holes, raising a question about whether it was the original page
  • Item number discrepancy discovered: blood vial labeled as item 17 in Fung's report but item 18 in lab records
  • Missing crime scene checklist page located in Fung's personal notebook, triggering heated discovery violation dispute
  • Fung admits having no independent recollection of key events—only memory from watching videotapes
  • Scheck directly accuses Fung of destroying original page 4 to conceal departure time inconsistent with Vannatter's timeline
Day 56 • 33 proceedings • 2172 lines
Criminal Trial
Department 103
📂 Day 56 — APR 13, 1995
APR 13, 1995