YOUR HONOR, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE. IT IS THE ELEVATOR SITUATION. ONLY FOUR ELEVATORS COME TO THE 18TH FLOOR THAT STOP HERE ON THE 9TH. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES TO GET HERE. A NIGHTMARE. IT IS KILLING ME, JUDGE.
SOMETIMES WE WAIT TEN, TWELVE, THIRTEEN MINUTES FOR AN ELEVATOR. IT REALLY ISN'T OUR FAULT.
KEY QUOTEPLUS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS, THAT KEY IT PAST US. YOU KNOW, WHAT IS GOING UP IS NOT COMING DOWN.
COUNSEL, I WANT TO TAKE UP A COUPLE OF MATTERS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY INVITE THE JURY TO JOIN US. MR. SHAPIRO, OVER THE BREAK, OVER THE 15-MINUTE BREAK, ADVISED ME OF A PROBLEM, SOMETHING THAT IS BEING REPORTED. MR. SHAPIRO, DO YOU WANT TO ENLIGHTEN THE PROSECUTORS ABOUT THIS?
COUNSEL, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR WITNESS HAVE A SEAT BECAUSE IT WILL BE A BIT BEFORE WE GET THERE.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, MR. SHAPIRO -- THIS IS SOMETHING I NEED TO PUT ON THE RECORD AT THIS POINT. YOU HAVE INDICATED TO THE COURT THAT APPARENTLY THE CHIEF OF POLICE HAS MADE SOME INDICATION THAT HE HAS RECEIVED A COMMUNICATION FROM THIS COURT.
NO. I HAVE -- IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THERE WERE SOME NEWS REPORTS, NOT DIRECTLY FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE, BUT FROM SOME OTHER MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA, THAT THERE WERE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT THE CHIEF OF POLICE SHOULD MAKE ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS CASE. I THOUGHT IT INCUMBENT UPON MYSELF, AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, TO INFORM YOUR HONOR IN CASE YOU HAD NOT HEARD THOSE. YOUR HONOR HAS ASSURED ME, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I ANTICIPATED WAS THE CASE, THAT YOU HAVE NOT TALKED WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THESE RUMORS ARE OUT IN THE PRESS AND THEY ARE REPORTED TO ME, IF THEY ARE REPORTED TO OTHERS, THAT IT IS SOMETHING YOUR HONOR WOULD AND SHOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT.
I THINK PERHAPS THIS IS A MISINTERPRETATION. IF YOU RECALL, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH THE LEAKS PROBLEM, AT THE REQUEST OF BOTH PARTIES AND WITH THE CONSENT OF BOTH PARTIES I SENT A LETTER TO CHIEF WILLIAMS ASKING HIM TO DO WHATEVER HE COULD TO INVESTIGATE THE LEAKS AND STOP ANYTHING THAT WAS LEAKING OUT FROM HIS DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THE RECORD IS CLEAR AND THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE ANTICIPATED AND I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PRESS ACCURATELY REPORT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION, MR. SHAPIRO. THERE IS ONE OTHER MATTER --
I NOTICED THAT MISS TRACIE SAVAGE -- GOOD MORNING, MISS SAVAGE -- IS PRESENT IN COURT TODAY AS A MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE AND I RECALL THAT SHE IS ON THE DEFENSE LIST WITNESS AND THERE IS A WITNESS EXCLUSION ORDER AT THIS TIME. AND I WONDERED WHAT THE PARTY'S POSITION WAS ABOUT MISS SAVAGE REMAINING.
SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, SHE CAN'T WATCH TELEVISION, YOUR HONOR. MAY WE APPROACH FOR A MOMENT, PLEASE?
YES. GOOD MORNING, YOUR HONOR. YOUR HONOR, IN THE MATTER INVOLVING MISS SAVAGE, WHO IS WITH US TODAY AND IN A REPORTING CAPACITY, WE DISCUSSED IT WITH MR. SIMPSON AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT SHE HAS A JOB TO DO AND I BELIEVE THAT ON THE ISSUE WITH REGARD TO THE SOCKS WHERE WE THINK HER TESTIMONY WOULD BE RELEVANT, IF SHE -- I WOULD SUGGEST TO CHANNEL 4 THAT SHE NOT COVER, NOT BE IN HERE COVERING THOSE DAYS, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO ASK HER TO BE EXCUSED. FOR TODAY WE HAVE NO PROBLEM. I BELIEVE WITH REGARD TO SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL MATERIAL, MISS CLARK AND I WILL BE ABLE TO STIPULATE BECAUSE IT WAS A DATE IN WHICH SHE AND I MUTUALLY CALLED FOR AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THERE WAS THESE LEAKS AND RESULTS WHEN THE SOCKS WERE STILL THERE, SO OUR POSITION IS THAT SHE COULD STAY HERE NOW. WE WAIVE THE COURT'S ORDER SO SHE CAN STAY HERE TODAY, AND ASK ONLY THAT CHANNEL 4 BE FAIR IN THEIR REPORTING.
THAT'S CORRECT, YOUR HONOR. THE PEOPLE HAVE NO OBJECTION. TO A LARGE EXTENT I THINK THAT THE MATTERS THAT COUNSEL IS GOING TO BE SEEKING TO PUT BEFORE THE JURY ARE A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD, IF NOT ACTUALLY A MATTER OF VIDEOTAPE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN BROADCAST, AND I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH MISS SAVAGE REMAINING.
ALL RIGHT. THEN OBJECTIONS HAVING BEEN WAIVED, WE WILL ALLOW MISS SAVAGE TO REMAIN FOR THOSE PORTIONS OF THE PROCEEDINGS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH DNA TESTING. HOWEVER, MISS SAVAGE, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR STATION MANAGER REASSIGN YOU WHEN WE GET TO THE DNA ISSUES. ALL RIGHT. ALSO, YOU ARE NOT TO WATCH ANY TELEVISION COVERAGE OF THE ISSUES. ALL RIGHT. LET'S HAVE THE JURORS, PLEASE.
YOUR HONOR, SO WE ARE CLEAR, YOUR LAST COMMENT REGARDING NOT WATCHING ANY DNA COVERAGE, THAT WAS NOT A JOKE? I THINK SOME PEOPLE WERE LAUGHING, BUT THAT IS NOT A JOKE?
KEY QUOTESOMETIMES WE WAIT TEN, TWELVE, THIRTEEN MINUTES FOR AN ELEVATOR. IT REALLY ISN'T OUR FAULT.
THEY HAVE STAIRS, JUDGE, THAT ALSO WORK.
I SENT A LETTER TO CHIEF WILLIAMS ASKING HIM TO DO WHATEVER HE COULD TO INVESTIGATE THE LEAKS AND STOP ANYTHING THAT WAS LEAKING OUT FROM HIS DEPARTMENT. THAT WAS THE ONLY COMMUNICATION THIS COURT HAS HAD WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
YOUR HONOR, SO WE ARE CLEAR, YOUR LAST COMMENT REGARDING NOT WATCHING ANY DNA COVERAGE, THAT WAS NOT A JOKE? I THINK SOME PEOPLE WERE LAUGHING, BUT THAT IS NOT A JOKE?