F. Lee Bailey resumes cross-examination of Sergeant Rossi, challenging his estimate of the distance between the West LA police station and the Bundy crime scene, then questioning whether Rossi knew of coroner notification by 5:00 a.m. and whether he was familiar with laws or a code section concerning coroner notification. Rossi says he did not personally know of anyone having notified the coroner by 5:00 a.m. and was unfamiliar with such a law or section.
# 1 THE COURT: ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, SERGEANT ROSSI. YOU ARE REMINDED THAT YOU ARE STILL UNDER OATH. MR. BAILEY, YOU MAY CONTINUE WITH YOUR CROSS-EXAMINATION.
# 2 MR. COCHRAN: MAY I APPROACH THE WITNESS, YOUR HONOR?
# 4 CROSS-EXAMINATION (RESUMED)
# 6 Q: SERGEANT ROSSI, I HAND YOU WHAT HAS BEEN MARKED DEFENSE 1013 FOR IDENTIFICATION AND ASK YOU TO LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN TELL ME THAT THAT REPRESENTS A MAP OF THE AREA SHOWING BOTH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND 875 SOUTH BUNDY AT THE INTERSECTION OF DOROTHY?
# 8 (DEFT'S 1013 FOR ID = BUNDY MAP) # 9 Q: BY MR. BAILEY: DO YOU SEE A SCALE ON THAT MAP?
# 11 Q: WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ESTIMATE OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN -- BY ROAD -- THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE POLICE STATION AT 1663 BUTLER AVENUE AND 875 SOUTH BUNDY?
# 12 A: THREE TO FIVE MILES.
KEY QUOTE # 13 Q: THREE TO FIVE MILES?
# 15 Q: HOW ABOUT ONE MILE, 2842 FEET?
# 16 MS. CLARK: OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR. OBJECTION. IS COUNSEL TESTIFYING?
# 17 THE COURT: THAT IS A LEADING QUESTION.
# 18 Q: BY MR. BAILEY: DOESN'T IT LOOK MORE LIKE A MILE AND A HALF?
# 19 A: IT LOOKS A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT TO ME, SIR.
# 20 Q: OKAY. WHEN WE ADJOURNED YESTERDAY, SERGEANT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE CORONER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AS OF 5:00 A.M. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU PERSONALLY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANYONE HAVING NOTIFIED THE CORONER OF THESE HOMICIDES BY 5:00 A.M. --
# 21 MS. CLARK: YOUR HONOR, OBJECTION.
# 22 Q: BY MR. BAILEY: -- IS THAT CORRECT?
# 23 MS. CLARK: THIS IS THE SAME OBJECTION AS YESTERDAY. THIS WITNESS DOESN'T --
# 24 THE COURT: OVERRULED.
# 25 SGT. DAVID ROSSI: YES, SIR, THAT'S CORRECT.
# 26 Q: BY MR. BAILEY: OKAY. NOW, IS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT THAT YOU, AS A POLICE OFFICER, HAVE SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE LAWS REGULATING THE CONDUCT OF HOMICIDE INVESTIGATIONS?
# 29 A: IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, THE LAWS REGULATING THE CONDUCT OF THE INVESTIGATORS THAT ARE HANDLING THE CASE?
# 30 Q: NO. IS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT THAT YOU HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH THE LAWS THAT REGULATE HOMICIDE INVESTIGATIONS?
# 31 A: YES. LAWS OF THE STATE, YES.
# 32 Q: ALL RIGHT. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ANY LAW THAT DICTATES WHEN THE CORONER SHOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN A DEATH HAS OCCURRED?
# 33 A: NO, I'M NOT, SIR.
# 34 Q: YOU NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A LAW?
# 36 Q: DID YOU EVER HEAR OF SECTION 10250 OF THE CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE?
# 37 MS. CLARK: OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR. OBJECTION. MAY WE APPROACH?
# 38 THE COURT: NO. YES OR NO. ARE YOU AWARE OF THE CODE SECTION?
# 39 SGT. DAVID ROSSI: NO, SIR.
# 40 Q: BY MR. BAILEY: DO YOU KNOW THAT IT IS --
# 41 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN DEFENSE COUNSEL.) # 42 MR. BAILEY: I'M SORRY. I'M TOLD I MISSPOKE. NOT THE CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
KEY QUOTE # 43 Q: DO YOU KNOW THERE IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE?
# 45 Q: HAVE YOU EVER REVIEWED THAT CODE?
# 46 A: THE ENTIRE CODE, NO, SIR.
# 47 Q: ANY SECTIONS OF THE CODE THAT MIGHT PERTAIN TO YOUR WORK?
# 49 Q: ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH A SECTION THAT DEALS WITH THE NOTIFICATION OF THE CORONER IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER DEATH?
# 51 MS. CLARK: OBJECTION. THAT IS NOT THIS WITNESS' JOB.
KEY QUOTE