Recross-examination of Christian Reichardt (part 1)

📄 Recross-examination of Christian Reichardt (part 1) — Tuesday, August 22, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\AUG\22\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-CHRISTI.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 140 of 167

◀ Redirect examination of Christian Reichardt (part 1) Redirect examination of Christian Reichardt (part 2) ▶

Witness: Christian Reichardt
Examiner: Christopher Darden
Called by: Defense • Date: Tuesday, August 22, 1995 • Utterances: 66

Darden recrosses Reichardt on two fronts: OJ's relationship troubles with Nicole Brown, and OJ's knee injury. Darden elicits that Nicole was unhappy in the relationship and that this was a recurring topic between OJ and Reichardt. He also probes whether OJ was secretly seeing other women in May 1994, including a named woman (Gretchen Stockdale) and a Victoria's Secret model, though those questions were largely shut down.

# 1 THE COURT:

Recross, Mr. Darden.

# 2 MR. DARDEN:

Thank you, your Honor.

RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. DARDEN

# 3 MR. DARDEN:

Mr. Reichardt, was the Defendant dating Nicole and Paula at the same time?

# 4 DR. REICHARDT:

I don't believe so.

# 5 MR. DARDEN:

Do you know that for a fact?

# 6 DR. REICHARDT:

I don't know that for a fact.

# 7 MR. DARDEN:

Now, in talking to you about Nicole Brown, isn't it true that on many occasions that you and the Defendant would often--that you would often talk about the problems the Defendant was having with Nicole Brown?

# 8 MR. COCHRAN:

Object to the form of that question, your Honor.

# 9 THE COURT:

Sustained. It is vague.

# 10 MR. DARDEN:

Okay. Well, you and the Defendant would go out on occasion, right?

# 11 DR. REICHARDT:

That's correct.

# 12 MR. DARDEN:

And on those occasions you and he would talk about your respective relationships, correct?

# 13 MR. COCHRAN:

That is hearsay, your Honor. Objection.

# 14 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 15 MR. DARDEN:

Correct?

# 16 DR. REICHARDT:

Correct.

# 17 MR. DARDEN:

He would talk to you about his relationship with Nicole Brown; is that correct?

# 18 DR. REICHARDT:

That's correct.

# 19 MR. DARDEN:

And he told you how hard--

# 20 MR. COCHRAN:

Object to the form.

# 21 MR. DARDEN:

--he had been trying to make Nicole Brown happy?

# 22 MR. COCHRAN:

Object to the form of this as beyond the scope of direct examination, hearsay.

# 23 THE COURT:

Overruled. Overruled.

# 24 MR. DARDEN:

He told you how hard he had been trying to make Nicole Brown happy; is that correct?

# 25 DR. REICHARDT:

That's correct.

# 26 MR. DARDEN:

And he told you that she--she wasn't happy in that relationship, didn't he?

# 27 DR. REICHARDT:

At times, yeah.

# 28 MR. DARDEN:

And in fact this was a recurring theme in conversation you had with the Defendant, wasn't it?

# 29 MR. COCHRAN:

Object to the form of that question, "Recurring theme."

# 30 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 31 MR. DARDEN:

You told us a moment ago that you treated the Defendant for his knee; is that correct?

# 32 DR. REICHARDT:

That's right.

# 33 MR. DARDEN:

You are not a medical doctor?

# 34 DR. REICHARDT:

No, I'm not.

# 35 MR. DARDEN:

You saw the Defendant and you felt he had a problem with his knee?

# 36 DR. REICHARDT:

It was pretty obvious, yeah.

# 37 MR. DARDEN:

Okay. But you didn't stop him from doing that exercise video in late may, 1994, did you?

KEY QUOTE

# 38 MR. COCHRAN:

Object to the form of that.

# 39 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 40 DR. REICHARDT:

No.

# 41 MR. DARDEN:

Were you present during the shooting of that video?

# 42 DR. REICHARDT:

No, I wasn't.

# 43 MR. COCHRAN:

Beyond the scope.

# 44 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 45 MR. DARDEN:

You weren't present at that video to make sure the Defendant didn't injure himself?

# 46 THE COURT:

He has already indicated he wasn't there.

# 47 DR. REICHARDT:

No, I wasn't there.

# 48 MR. DARDEN:

Did you ask to be there so that you could--

# 49 MR. COCHRAN:

Object to the form, your Honor, argumentative and immaterial.

# 50 THE COURT:

Sustained. Sustained.

# 51 MR. DARDEN:

Are you--strike that. Do you know a woman named Gretchen Stockdale.

# 52 MR. COCHRAN:

Objection, beyond the scope.

# 53 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 54 DR. REICHARDT:

I don't believe so.

# 55 MR. DARDEN:

Were you ever introduced by the Defendant to a woman who was a lingerie model for Victoria's Secret?

KEY QUOTE

# 56 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, I object.

# 57 THE COURT:

Sustained. Sustained.

# 58 MR. DARDEN:

Okay.

# 59 MR. DARDEN:

To the best of your knowledge was the Defendant seeing anyone else during may, 1994, that is, other than Nicole Brown and Paula Barbieri?

# 60 MR. COCHRAN:

I object. This is all immaterial, your Honor.

# 61 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 62 DR. REICHARDT:

Can you repeat the question?

# 63 MR. DARDEN:

Was the Defendant seeing anyone else, any other woman, during may, 1994, in addition to Paula Barbieri or Nicole Brown Simpson?

# 64 DR. REICHARDT:

Not that I know of.

# 65 MR. DARDEN:

Thank you.

# 66 MR. COCHRAN:

Just a couple other questions if I may, your Honor.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Christian Reichardt

At times, yeah.

Reichardt concedes that Nicole was unhappy in the relationship — useful for Darden's domestic tension narrative despite the witness being called by the defense.

Christopher Darden

But you didn't stop him from doing that exercise video in late may, 1994, did you?

Challenges the defense implication that OJ's knee was too injured to commit the murders — if his own trainer didn't stop him from an exercise video, his mobility wasn't severely limited.

Christopher Darden

Were you ever introduced by the Defendant to a woman who was a lingerie model for Victoria's Secret?

Attempt to suggest OJ was seeing other women besides Nicole and Paula in May 1994, implying a more complicated romantic life that the defense had downplayed.

Christian Reichardt

Not that I know of.

Carefully hedged answer — Reichardt doesn't deny OJ was seeing others, only that he personally doesn't know of it.

Evidence (1)

Informal

Exercise video filmed in late May 1994 featuring OJ Simpson

discussed — used to challenge claim that OJ's knee was severely impaired

Notable Exchanges (3)

Christopher Darden•Christian Reichardt

Darden gets Reichardt to admit Nicole was unhappy in the relationship and that this came up repeatedly in conversations with OJ.

strategic

Christopher Darden•Lance A. Ito

Darden's questions about Gretchen Stockdale and a Victoria's Secret lingerie model were sustained — the court blocked this line of questioning as immaterial.

procedural

Christopher Darden•Christian Reichardt

Darden establishes Reichardt is not a medical doctor, then uses that to undercut the weight of his testimony about OJ's knee condition.

strategic

Credibility Attacks (2)

⚔ Christian Reichardt

qualification challenge

Darden establishes Reichardt is not a medical doctor, undermining his authority to assess OJ's knee injury and physical limitations.

⚔ Christian Reichardt

inconsistency / scope limitation

Darden shows Reichardt was not present at the exercise video shoot, meaning he cannot actually speak to whether OJ's knee limited his activity in May 1994.

Objections

11 objections (3 sustained, 8 overruled)

Proceeding 7398 • 66 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103