📄 Motion: sanctions — Monday, April 3, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\APR\3\MOTION-SANCTIONS.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 50 of 167

Motion: sanctions

Date: Monday, April 3, 1995 • Utterances: 42
A brief administrative hearing in which Judge Ito scheduled argument on the defense's request for sanctions and monetary sanctions for the following day, after plaintiff's counsel Cheri Lewis noted she had only received the motion that morning. Several exhibits were also admitted for purposes of an upcoming hearing on the coroner's testimony and photographs, with witness Dennis Fung and display boards en route to the courtroom.
1 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. I HAVE BEFORE ME A DEFENDANT'S REQUEST FOR SANCTIONS AND INCLUDING MONETARY SANCTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JURY. I WILL HEAR ARGUMENT.

2 MS. LEWIS:

YOUR HONOR, I DO WANT TO MAKE -- NOTE THAT I JUST RECEIVED THIS AT A QUARTER OF 9:00 THIS MORNING. I BARELY HAD TIME TO READ IT, LET ALONE TO CONFER WITH OTHER COUNSEL ON THE CASE IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO IT. SO I WOULD REQUEST AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND, A PERIOD OF TIME DURING WHICH TO CONFER WITH MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE RESPONDING.

3 MR. COCHRAN:

I HAVE NO OBJECTION. IT WAS FILED THIS MORNING, YOUR HONOR.

4 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THEN I WILL HEAR ARGUMENT. HOW ABOUT AT 4:30?

5 MR. COCHRAN:

WELL, 4:30 TODAY MAY BE A LITTLE TOUGH, YOUR HONOR, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

6 THE COURT:

OH, I FORGOT.

7 MR. COCHRAN:

4:30 WILL BE TOUGH TODAY. 1:30 OR -- 4:30 IS A BAD DAY.

KEY QUOTE
8 THE COURT:

YOU ARE RIGHT.

9 MS. LEWIS:

THERE IS ANOTHER HEARING, I BELIEVE, AT 1:30.

10 THE COURT:

RIGHT, AND WE NEED TO BE SOMEWHERE AT 5:40.

11 MR. COCHRAN:

YES.

12 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT.

13 (BRIEF PAUSE.)
14 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. TOMORROW THEN WE WILL TAKE IT UP.

15 MR. COCHRAN:

WHEN WAS THAT?

16 THE COURT:

TOMORROW.

17 MS. LEWIS:

IN THE MORNING, YOUR HONOR?

18 THE COURT:

WE HAVE THE MOTION ON THE CORONER'S TESTIMONY AND MOTION ON CORONER'S PHOTOGRAPHS TODAY AT 1:30.

19 MR. COCHRAN:

1:30 TODAY?

20 THE COURT:

YEAH.

21 MR. COCHRAN:

DO YOU WANT TO DO IT AT 1:30 ALSO?

22 THE COURT:

LET'S DO THAT TOMORROW.

23 MR. COCHRAN:

ALL RIGHT.

24 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE INVITE THE JURORS TO REJOIN US?

25 MS. LEWIS:

OH, YOUR HONOR. I WOULD MOVE THAT PEOPLE'S 159 BE ADMITTED INTO EVIDENCE FOR PURPOSES OF THIS HEARING AND DEFENSE 1006 BE CONSIDERED FOR THE HEARING.

26 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THEY WILL BE.

27 MS. LEWIS:

AS WELL AS PEOPLE'S 158.

28 THE COURT:

THEY WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MOTION.

29 (PEO'S 159 = IN EVID)
30 (PEO'S 158 = IN EVID)
31 (DEFENSE 1006 = IN EVID)
32 MR. NEUFELD:

YOUR HONOR, I THINK YOU WANT TO TAKE UP THE BOARDS ALSO BEFORE THEY ARE INTRODUCED TO DENNIS FUNG.

33 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WHO IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING MR. FUNG?

34 MS. LEWIS:

HANK GOLDBERG WILL BE AND I BELIEVE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING HIM. AND I ALSO OFFER DEFENSE 1068 FOR PURPOSES OF THIS HEARING.

35 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT.

36 (DEFT'S 1068 = IN EVID)
37 MS. LEWIS:

HE AND THE BOARDS ARE ON THE WAY, YOUR HONOR.

38 THE COURT:

WHAT IS THE ETA?

39 MS. LEWIS:

THE LENGTH OF TIME THE ELEVATORS TAKE, WHICH CAN BE FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT MINUTES.

KEY QUOTE
40 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. MADAM REPORTER, DO WE NEED TO CHANGE?

41 REPORTER OLSON:

YES, SIR.

42 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. LET'S CHANGE COURT REPORTERS AND THEN WE WILL START WITH THE BOARDS.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Cheri Lewis
I JUST RECEIVED THIS AT A QUARTER OF 9:00 THIS MORNING. I BARELY HAD TIME TO READ IT, LET ALONE TO CONFER WITH OTHER COUNSEL ON THE CASE IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO IT.
Establishes that the sanctions motion was filed the same morning, giving plaintiffs no meaningful preparation time.
Johnnie Cochran
4:30 WILL BE TOUGH TODAY. 1:30 OR -- 4:30 IS A BAD DAY.
Reveals the court's packed schedule, with multiple concurrent hearings and an obligation at 5:40.
Cheri Lewis
THE LENGTH OF TIME THE ELEVATORS TAKE, WHICH CAN BE FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT MINUTES.
A mundane but telling moment — the pace of the trial was constrained by courthouse logistics as much as legal maneuvering.

Evidence (5)

People's 159
Admitted for purposes of the sanctions/coroner motion hearing
admitted
People's 158
Admitted for purposes of the sanctions/coroner motion hearing
admitted
Defense 1006
Admitted for purposes of the hearing
admitted
Defense 1068
Offered by Cheri Lewis for purposes of the hearing
admitted
Informal
Display boards related to Dennis Fung's upcoming testimony
referenced, en route to courtroom

Notable Exchanges (2)

Lance A. ItoJohnnie Cochran
Ito proposed 4:30 for argument; Cochran reminded him that time was unavailable due to other obligations, and Ito admitted he had forgotten.
collegial
Peter NeufeldLance A. Ito
Neufeld flagged that the display boards for Dennis Fung needed to be reviewed before Fung took the stand, prompting Ito to ask who was handling Fung's examination.
strategic

Light Moments (1)

Lance A. Ito
Judge Ito proposed 4:30 as a hearing time, then immediately said 'Oh, I forgot' when Cochran pointed out the conflict — apparently having forgotten the evening's other commitment.

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 5574 • 42 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 APR 3, 1995 📄 Motion: sanctions
APR 3, 1995 KRT DvH TD