Redirect examination of Ronald Phillips (part 3)

📄 Redirect examination of Ronald Phillips (part 3) — Friday, February 17, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\17\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-RONALD.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 21 of 167

◀ Recross-examination of Ronald Phillips Cross-examination of Ronald Phillips (part 4) ▶

Witness: Det. Ronald Phillips
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Friday, February 17, 1995 • Utterances: 10

Marcia Clark asked Detective Phillips a single follow-up question explaining why no photographs were taken of the four lead detectives' shoes. Phillips clarified that Detective Lange's request was specifically to photograph officers who had walked through the crime scene before the detectives arrived — implying the bloody shoeprints were already present when the detectives got there. The exchange ended with courtroom banter about Clark's promise of 'truly one question.'

# 1 THE COURT:

MISS CLARK.

# 2 MS. CLARK:

TRULY ONE QUESTION. REALLY.

FURTHER REDIRECT EXAMINATION

# 3

BY MS. CLARK:

# 4 Q:

DETECTIVE PHILLIPS, WHY WERE THERE NO PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF THE SHOES OF THE FOUR DETECTIVES; THAT IS YOURSELF, DETECTIVE VANNATTER, FUHRMAN AND LANGE?

# 5 A:

BECAUSE THE REQUEST I RECEIVED FROM DETECTIVE LANGE WAS TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF OFFICERS THAT ARRIVED AT THAT LOCATION THAT HAD GONE AROUND THAT CRIME SCENE LOCATION BEFORE THE DETECTIVES SHOWED UP.

KEY QUOTE

# 6 Q:

BY THE TIME YOU GOT THERE, YOU SAW THE BLOODY SHOEPRINTS. THEY WERE ALREADY THERE?

# 7 A:

YES.

# 8 MR. COCHRAN:

THAT'S TWO.

# 9 THE COURT:

HERE COMES THREE.

# 10 MS. CLARK:

LET ME SEE IF MY EMINENT PARTNER CAN TALK ME OUT OF IT.

Temperature

light

Key Quotes (3)

Ronald Phillips

BECAUSE THE REQUEST I RECEIVED FROM DETECTIVE LANGE WAS TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF OFFICERS THAT ARRIVED AT THAT LOCATION THAT HAD GONE AROUND THAT CRIME SCENE LOCATION BEFORE THE DETECTIVES SHOWED UP.

Explains the logic behind the selective shoe photography — the detectives were not suspects for having contaminated the scene because they arrived after the shoeprints existed.

Johnnie Cochran

THAT'S TWO.

Cochran keeping public score on Clark's promise of 'truly one question,' adding levity and mild pressure.

Lance A. Ito

HERE COMES THREE.

Judge joining the banter, signaling the collegial atmosphere at the end of this short redirect.

Evidence (2)

Informal

Bloody shoeprints at the Bundy crime scene

discussed — Phillips confirms they were present before the four lead detectives arrived

Informal

Photographs of first-responder officers' shoes

discussed — Phillips explains the scope of Lange's photo request excluded the detectives themselves

Notable Exchanges (1)

Marcia Clark•Johnnie Cochran•Lance A. Ito

After Clark promised 'truly one question,' Cochran counted aloud when she asked a second, and Ito joked 'here comes three' as Clark appeared to consider a third.

light

Light Moments (2)

Johnnie Cochran / Lance A. Ito

Cochran counts Clark's questions aloud ('That's two') after she promised only one, prompting Judge Ito to join in ('Here comes three').

Marcia Clark

Clark refers to Cochran as her 'eminent partner' while joking that he might talk her out of asking a third question.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 4891 • 10 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103