Media access determination

📄 Media access determination — Sunday, February 12, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\12\MEDIA-ACCESS-DETERMINATION.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 17 of 167

◀ Scene walk logistics and preparation Jury entry ▶

Date: Sunday, February 12, 1995 • Utterances: 14

A media representative (Ms. Ford) sought clarification on whether press would be permitted at the Bundy Drive property during the jury's scene view. Judge Ito ruled that since both the Brown family (represented by Gloria Allred) and the Simpson family objected to media presence on or in the property, he would honor those objections. The judge confirmed media counsel could intervene during the proceeding if they wished to challenge the ruling.

# 1 MS. FORD:

YES, YOUR HONOR. I'M FORCED INTO A POSITION OF ACTING AS SOME SORT OF SURROGATE MESSENGER ON YOUR RULING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MEDIA WILL BE ALLOWED INTO THE BUNDY LOCATION. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE COURT'S RULING AND I NEED TO UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO CONVEY OR DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT I NEED TO CONVEY SOME INFORMATION TO OUR COUNSEL.

# 2 THE COURT:

THE BROWN FAMILY, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, MISS ALLRED, OBJECTS TO THE NEWS MEDIA BEING ON THE PROPERTY OR IN THE PROPERTY?

# 3 MS. ALLRED:

YES, YOUR HONOR.

# 4 THE COURT:

ON OR IN?

# 5 MS. ALLRED:

BOTH.

# 6 THE COURT:

BOTH. MISS FORD, IT IS THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RIGHT. WE ARE GOING TO THE SCENE WITH THE PERMISSION OF BOTH PROPERTY OWNERS, BOTH THE BROWN FAMILY AND THE SIMPSON FAMILY, AND WE CAN ONLY IN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES CIRCUMVENT THEIR OBJECTION. AND SINCE THEY HAVE OBJECTED, I'M GOING TO HONOR THAT OBJECTION ON BOTH SIDES.

KEY QUOTE

# 7 MS. FORD:

OKAY. IN THE EVENT -- I'M GOING TO SIMPLY CONVEY THAT INFORMATION TO OUR LAWYERS. IN THE EVENT THAT THEY WANT TO ADDRESS THE COURT AND MAKE SOME ASSERTION, WILL WE HAVE SOME TIME TO DO THAT? MAY I BE ALLOWED TO CALL OUR COUNSEL?

# 8 THE COURT:

BE MY GUEST. CALL ANYBODY YOU LIKE. WE WILL BE -- WE ARE IN A COURT SESSION THE ENTIRE TIME WE WILL BE IN THIS PROCEEDING.

# 9 MS. FORD:

SO AT ANY TIME, THEY MIGHT INTERVENE?

# 10 THE COURT:

THEY MIGHT.

# 11 MS. FORD:

I MEAN WILL THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE?

# 12 THE COURT:

IF IT COMES TO MY ATTENTION AND IT'S A LOGICAL PLACE, YES.

# 13 MS. FORD:

OKAY. YES.

# 14 THE COURT:

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. LET'S HAVE THE JURY, PLEASE.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Lance A. Ito

IT IS THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RIGHT. WE ARE GOING TO THE SCENE WITH THE PERMISSION OF BOTH PROPERTY OWNERS, BOTH THE BROWN FAMILY AND THE SIMPSON FAMILY, AND WE CAN ONLY IN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES CIRCUMVENT THEIR OBJECTION.

Ito's core legal rationale — property owner consent governs media access, not press freedom arguments.

Gloria Allred

BOTH.

Allred confirms the Brown family objects to media being on AND in the property — no partial access.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Lance A. Ito•Gloria Allred

Ito clarified the scope of the Brown family's objection — on or in the property — and Allred confirmed both.

procedural

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 4770 • 14 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103