📄 In chambers: Rosa Lopez statement review — Monday, February 27, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\27\IN-CHAMBERS-ROSA-LOPEZ-STATEME.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 26 of 167

In chambers: Rosa Lopez statement review

Date: Monday, February 27, 1995 • Utterances: 103
Defense counsel disclosed to Judge Ito that two different investigator reports existed about Rosa Lopez — one from July 29 and one from August 18, 1994 — and that only the August 18 version had been turned over to the prosecution. The key difference between the reports was the omission of a witness named 'Sylvia,' an undocumented worker who had also observed Simpson's Bronco parked at Rockingham. The judge ruled the earlier July 29 report was discoverable and ordered it turned over, triggering Marcia Clark's visible frustration and a recess to allow the prosecution to review it before Lopez's testimony.
1 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD IN OPEN COURT:)
2 (A CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT THE BENCH, NOT REPORTED.)
3 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD IN OPEN COURT:)
4 (BRIEF PAUSE.)
5 (A CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN CAMERA.)
6 (JANET M. MOXHAM, CSR NO. 4855, OFFICIAL REPORTER.)
7 (CHRISTINE M. OLSON, CSR NO. 2378, OFFICIAL REPORTER.)
8 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD IN CAMERA:)
9 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE IN CHAMBERS. COUNSEL, YOUR APPEARANCES.

10 MR. COCHRAN:

JOHNNIE COCHRAN, YOUR HONOR, ALONG WITH BOB SHAPIRO, F. LEE BAILEY, ROBERT KARDASHIAN AND CARL DOUGLAS.

11 MS. HAMBURGER:

MAYA HAMBURGER FOR CARL JONES --

12 THE COURT:

WHAT'S --

13 MS. HAMBURGER:

-- FOR ROSA LOPEZ.

14 THE COURT:

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

15 MR. COCHRAN:

ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE READY TO PROCEED, YOUR HONOR. WHAT I -- THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE DISCOVERY APPARENTLY -- I DON'T KNOW THE DATES BECAUSE IT WAS DONE BY SARA CAPLAN. A REPORT WAS TURNED OVER TO THE PROSECUTION AUGUST 18TH, 1994 INVOLVING AN INTERVIEW WITH ROSA LOPEZ, AND APPARENTLY THAT'S THE REPORT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HAVING DOT, DOT. WE APPROACHED THE BENCH. THERE IS ANOTHER REPORT -- I LOOKED AT THE FILE, AND THERE'S ANOTHER REPORT DATED JULY 29. I AM NOT SURE IT'S EVER BEEN TURNED OVER. WHEN I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE TWO REPORTS, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN THE REPORTS ARE THAT -- AND I CAN SHOW YOU THE TWO REPORTS. IN THE REPORT FROM JULY 29TH, BOTH -- THE REPORT FROM PAVELIC TO SHAPIRO IS IN THE FIRST REPORT. THERE IS A -- WELL, LET ME JUST READ IT TO YOU. THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO DO IT. IN THE -- LET ME TAKE THE 29, JULY 29TH REPORT. "MISS LOPEZ STATED THAT ON JUNE 12TH, 1994, AT APPROXIMATELY 2030 TO 2100 HOURS, SHE OBSERVED O.J. AND A PASSENGER DRIVE OFF IN HIS ROLLS ROYCE. SHE DISTINCTLY RECALLED SEEING SIMPSON'S BRONCO PARKED NEAR THE ROCKINGHAM GATE. "SHORTLY AFTER HE LEFT, HER FRIEND SYLVIA CAME BY, AND THEY HAD A CUP OF COFFEE. THEY SPENT TOGETHER APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 MINUTES, AND MISS LOPEZ DROVE SYLVIA TO HER HOUSE A COUPLE MINUTES AWAY. "WHEN SYLVIA OBSERVED SIMPSON'S BRONCO, SHE MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE WAY IT WAS PARKED. MISS LOPEZ STATED THAT O.J. ALWAYS PARKS HIS CAR THAT WAY. "AFTER DROPPING OFF HER FRIEND SYLVIA AND WHILE O.J. AND HIS PASSENGER WERE OUT, SHE HEARD A PROWLER ALONGSIDE HIS AND HER RESIDENCE FENCE. MISS LOPEZ ESTIMATED THE TIME TO BE AROUND 2120 OR 2130 HOURS." AND THEN SHE GOES ON TO SAY: "SHE HEARS FOOTSTEPS." THE REPORT OF AUGUST 18TH, THIS IS HOW IT'S WORDED. "MISS LOPEZ STATED THAT ON JUNE 12TH, 1994 AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 TO 2030 HOURS, SHE OBSERVED O.J. SIMPSON'S BRONCO PARKED AT THE ROCKINGHAM GATE, DOT, DOT, DOT, DOT, DOT, AND THAT THE BRONCO REMAINED PARKED THERE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. MISS LOPEZ HAS SEEN THE BRONCO PARKED IN THE SAME SPOT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. "MISS LOPEZ STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 HOURS, SHE OBSERVED O.J. SIMPSON AND UNKNOWN PASSENGER DEPART THE ROCKINGHAM ESTATE IN MR. SIMPSON'S ROLLS ROYCE." AND THEN SHE GOES ON TO SAY: "APPROXIMATELY 2000 TO 2030, WHILE O.J. WAS OUT, MISS LOPEZ HEARD A PROWLER WALKING NEAR THE RESIDENCE." SO THE DIFFERENCE IN THESE TWO REPORTS IS THIS PERSON SYLVIA. SO AGAIN, THE REASON WHY WE'RE IN CAMERA, I ASKED TO HAVE THE TWO REPORTS BEFORE ME NOW. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN THE ONE FROM THE 18TH. I'VE SEEN THE OTHER ONE. THE INDICATION WAS THAT SYLVIA APPARENTLY IS AN UNDOCUMENTED WORKER AND APPARENTLY SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED OR WHATEVER. BUT WE TALKED ABOUT IT BACK THERE, AND AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, WE HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS -- THAT THERE IS THIS OTHER PERSON WHO MAY OR MAY NOT COME FORWARD. I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE NEVER INTERVIEWED SYLVIA OR WHATEVER. BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE --

16 THE COURT:

BUT YOU ARE QUESTIONING THEN WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE THAT FIRST REPORT?

17 MR. COCHRAN:

YEAH. GIVE THEM THE FIRST REPORT, THE JULY 29TH REPORT, THAT TALKS ABOUT SYLVIA.

18 MR. DOUGLAS:

BECAUSE, YOUR HONOR, WE DON'T INTEND TO GO INTO SYLVIA ON OUR DIRECT OF HER.

19 MR. COCHRAN:

SO WE WOULD JUST USE THE REPORT THAT WE HAVE, THE 18TH -- IS THAT THE 18TH?

20 MR. DOUGLAS:

IT'S THE 18TH.

21 MR. COCHRAN:

THERE IS THE 29TH REPORT WHERE SYLVIA IS MENTIONED. THEY MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT SYLVIA OR WHATEVER. I CAN TELL YOU AS AN OFFER, MISS LOPEZ SAYS THAT SYLVIA IS UNDOCUMENTED. HER EMPLOYER SAYS, "YOU WERE NEVER DOWN THERE, YOU DON'T KNOW HER," OR, "YOU CAN'T GET INVOLVED IN THIS OR WHATEVER." APPARENTLY SHE'S UNDOCUMENTED. NOW, BUT THIS IS -- I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU.

22 THE COURT:

DO YOU HAVE ANY SIMPLE PROBLEMS FOR ME TODAY?

KEY QUOTE
23 MR. COCHRAN:

NO. THIS CAME UP AND WE THOUGHT THAT WE'D BETTER BRING IT IN HERE.

24 THE COURT:

SO THIS IS A 1054.7 IN CAMERA REVIEW OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU FEEL THIS IS DISCOVERABLE?

25 MR. COCHRAN:

YES, DISCOVERABLE. AND NOW, KEEP IN MIND ALSO THE OTHER THING THAT FURTHER COMPLICATES IT. THESE ARE -- THIS IS NOT ROSA LOPEZ' REPORT. I'M GLAD TO GIVE YOU BOTH OF THEM. THIS REPORT IS FROM PAVELIC TO SHAPIRO.

26 MR. DOUGLAS:

SHE DIDN'T SIGN IT.

27 MR. COCHRAN:

AND NEVER SAW IT. AND FURTHER, TO FURTHER MESS IT UP, NEITHER, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, PAVELIC OR MC NALLY SPEAKS SPANISH. IS THAT RIGHT, BOB?

28 MR. BAILEY:

THAT'S RIGHT.

29 MR. COCHRAN:

THEY DON'T SPEAK SPANISH. SO WHATEVER THEY TALKED TO HER ABOUT, IT'S CLEARLY NOT -- MC NALLY IS NOT ON THE CASE ANYMORE. I DON'T THINK PAVELIC SPEAKS SPANISH. HE DOESN'T SPEAK IT VERY WELL. THERE'S SOME OTHER CONFLICT IN THIS THING THAT I DON'T -- THERE'S THINGS HE HAS IN THIS REPORT -- THIS IS NOT WHAT I'M GOING TO USE.

30 THE COURT:

WHY WOULD THIS NOT BE DISCOVERABLE SINCE IT DOES ENCAPSULATE A PRIOR STATEMENT ON THE SAME SUBJECT MATTER?

31 MR. COCHRAN:

IT MAY BE. WE WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW. THE PROBLEM IS -- I GUESS THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS A STATEMENT THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY TAKEN BY PAVELIC AT A TIME EARLIER THAN THE AUGUST 18TH STATEMENT AND IT HAS -- THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THIS WITNESS SYLVIA.

32 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS IS LIKELY TO DO. IT'S GOING TO SEND THE PROSECUTION BALLISTIC IN CLAIMING THAT NOW THERE ARE MORE REPORTS AND THAT I SHOULD PRECLUDE YOU FROM CALLING THIS WITNESS BECAUSE OF THE DISCOVERY DELAY.

KEY QUOTE
33 MR. COCHRAN:

WELL --

34 THE COURT:

JUST SO YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS WE GO OUT THERE AND TELL THEM THIS IS HERE, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WHICH IS GOING TO DELAY OUR GETTING STARTED WITH MISS LOPEZ THIS MORNING.

35 MR. COCHRAN:

WELL, IT MAY, BUT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION UPON DISCOVERY --

36 THE COURT:

ABSOLUTELY.

37 MR. COCHRAN:

I MEAN THIS IS NOT ANYTHING THAT WE KNEW ABOUT. THIS WAS ALL TURNED OVER IN AN EARLIER REPORT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WERE AWARE OF. WE JUST DISCOVERED IT.

38 THE COURT:

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENT?

39 MR. BAILEY:

CAN I MAKE AN OBSERVATION, YOUR HONOR?

40 THE COURT:

SURE.

41 MR. BAILEY:

IF MR. PAVELIC HAD FOLLOWED HER INSTRUCTIONS IN HIS INITIAL REPORT AND NOT MENTIONED SYLVIA AS SHE ASKED, WOULD THERE BE ANYTHING FRAUDULENT ABOUT THAT REPORT THAT SHE WAS LEFT OFF? I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS REDACTING BY WRITING A NEW REPORT OMITTING THAT NAME TO PREVENT HER FROM BECOMING INVOLVED IN IT.

KEY QUOTE
42 THE COURT:

STILL, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT CORROBORATES, I THINK THE PROSECUTION IS ENTITLED TO IT.

43 MR. BAILEY:

THEY'VE INTERVIEWED HER. SHE SAID SHE WAS NEVER THERE. I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANY --

44 THE COURT:

MR. DOUGLAS.

45 MR. DOUGLAS:

THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO SAY, YOUR HONOR, WHEN I HAD EARLIER GONE THROUGH AND DISGORGED, I WAS DEALING ONLY WITH THE FIRST JULY 29 STATEMENT THAT WAS THE INTERVIEW OF ROSA LOPEZ THAT I HAD ASSUMED HAD BEEN TURNED OVER TO THE PROSECUTION. TODAY, I JUST HAPPENED TO CHECK MY NOTEBOOK THAT IS IN THE COURTHOUSE ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUAL STATEMENT WAS, AND I SAW THAT IT WAS THE AUGUST 18TH STATEMENT AND NOT THE JULY 29TH STATEMENT THAT HAD BEEN THE STATEMENT THAT WAS TURNED OVER. UP UNTIL THIS MORNING, I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS THE JULY THE 29TH STATEMENT AND THAT THEY IN FACT WERE ONE AND THE SAME. AND I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS IN FACT THIS OTHER STATEMENT WHERE THE MENTION OF SYLVIA HAD BEEN DELETED AND THAT WAS THE ONE THAT HAD BEEN TURNED OVER AND NOT THE JULY 29TH STATEMENT.

46 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. OKAY. COUNSEL, I'M GOING TO REQUIRE YOU TO DISCLOSE THE ADDITIONAL PREVIOUS REPORT TO THE PROSECUTION.

47 MR. BAILEY:

CAN WE REDACT THE INFORMATION?

48 THE COURT:

I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.

49 MR. COCHRAN:

CAN WE HAVE A CLEAN COPY OF THIS?

50 MR. DOUGLAS:

WE DON'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT HANDWRITING.

51 MR. COCHRAN:

JUDGE, WE NEED TO GET A CLEAN COPY OF THE JULY 29TH REPORT. YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO STEP OUT? YOU WANT DEIRDRA?

52 THE COURT:

YEAH. WOULD YOU INVITE THE PROSECUTORS TO JOIN US, PLEASE. THANK YOU.

53 MR. COCHRAN:

I CAN GET A CLEAN COPY THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME.

54 THE COURT:

UH-HUH. GOT ANY MORE TWISTS AND TURNS FOR ME THIS MORNING?

55 MR. COCHRAN:

NO. WE JUST DISCOVERED THIS.

56 THE COURT:

MISS HAMBURGER, WELCOME TO OUR -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT AT THIS POINT.

57 (BRIEF PAUSE.)
58 (MS. CLARK, MR. DARDEN AND MS. LEWIS ARE NOW PRESENT IN CHAMBERS.)
59 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THE RECORD SHOULD REFLECT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY MISS CLARK, MR. DARDEN AND MISS LEWIS. COUNSEL, DEFENSE COUNSEL ASKED ME TO CONDUCT A 1054.7 IN CAMERA REVIEW OF ITEMS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE DISCOVERABLE, AND THOSE ITEMS HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED TO ME AND I'VE DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE IN FACT DISCOVERABLE AND I AM GOING TO ORDER THEM TO TURN OVER A COPY TO YOU. THEY INDICATE THEY ONLY HAVE ONE COPY HERE RIGHT NOW THAT HAS THEIR WRITING ON THE SIDE IN THE MARGINS. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THEM TO WITE THAT OUT, THEIR COMMENT AND THEN GIVE YOU A COPY. YOU MAY WANT TO REVIEW THAT. AND IT HAS TO DO WITH ROSA LOPEZ' TESTIMONY TODAY.

60 MS. CLARK:

THIS IS A SUBSEQUENT STATEMENT THAT WAS TAKEN FROM HER?

61 THE COURT:

PREVIOUS STATEMENT.

62 MS. CLARK:

PREVIOUS STATEMENT?

63 THE COURT:

OR REPORT. MAYBE IT'S THE SAME STATEMENT.

64 MR. COCHRAN:

I THINK WHAT IT IS, MARCIA, IS, IT'S A STATEMENT TAKEN -- IT'S A STATEMENT FROM PAVELIC TO SHAPIRO THAT YOU JUST ASKED ME ABOUT THIS EARLIER ONE. IT PREDATES THAT ONE. WE DISCOVERED THAT.

65 THE COURT:

MRS. ROBERTSON, DO YOU HAVE SOME WITE-OUT?

66 MS. CLARK:

IF IT PREDATES AUGUST, WHY ARE WE ONLY HEARING ABOUT IT NOW?

67 THE COURT:

WELL, COUNSEL, I'M SURE -- TAKE A LOOK AT IT FIRST TO SEE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF IT. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF IT, DISCOVERY VIOLATION ISSUE OF IT, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. OKAY. AT THIS POINT, LET ME JUST MAKE -- I'VE DETERMINED THAT IT'S DISCOVERABLE AND WE'LL GET YOU A COPY OF IT AS SOON AS THE WITE-OUT DRIES BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT ON MY XEROX MACHINE. AND WE'LL PROCEED. TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED.

68 MS. CLARK:

ARE WE GOING TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH HER TESTIMONY?

69 THE COURT:

IT LOOKS TO ME THAT GIVEN THAT WE'RE 21 MINUTES UNTIL THE NOON HOUR, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE AT LEAST THE NOON HOUR TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE FIVE MINUTES FOR THE WITE-OUT TO DRY. SO -- CARL, ARE YOU WITING?

70 MR. DOUGLAS:

I'M WITING.

71 THE COURT:

HE'S WITING. OKAY.

72 MS. CLARK:

THEN I TAKE IT THE COURT IS NOT AT THIS TIME ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF SANCTIONS OR DELAY.

73 THE COURT:

TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK. I DON'T KNOW -- YOU KNOW YOUR CASE. UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF IT WOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO YOU. IT MAY, IT MAY NOT.

74 MS. CLARK:

OKAY. I'M A LITTLE PERTURBED ABOUT A STATEMENT TAKEN SO LONG AGO.

KEY QUOTE
75 THE COURT:

I'M NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT YOU MIGHT BE PERTURBED.

76 MS. CLARK:

BUT THE DEGREE OF PERTURBNESS WILL BE ADDRESSED LATER.

77 THE COURT:

WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATEMENT, SEE WHETHER OR NOT YOU --

78 MR. COCHRAN:

AND BEFORE YOU GET TO THE DEGREE OF PERTURBNESS, LOOK AT THE STATEMENT AND THEN LET ME TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU GET PERTURBED. THIS CAME UP WHILE WE DID THIS TODAY.

79 THE COURT:

I WOULD SAY, GIVEN THIS LATEST TURN OF EVENTS JUST NOW, WE'LL JUST STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 1:30. OKAY. AND WE ARE QUITTING AT 3:00 TODAY UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE ONE OF THE JURORS HAS A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT AT 4:00.

80 MR. COCHRAN:

DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THE NEW SCHEDULE?

81 THE COURT:

IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER.

82 MR. COCHRAN:

IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THEM. IF YOU HAVE --

83 THE COURT:

I AM GOING TO CUT THEM LOOSE. THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN START A CONDITIONAL EXAMINATION AT 1:30 AND -- NEVER MIND.

84 MR. SHAPIRO:

CAN WE USE THIS TIME FOR SOME OF THE OTHER PROBLEMS?

85 THE COURT:

SUCH AS?

86 MR. SHAPIRO:

WITH THE JURORS?

87 THE COURT:

NO, BECAUSE THEY'RE -- LET'S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY. YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORRY ABOUT 620 AND THIS OTHER PROBLEM PROBABLY NOT UNTIL WEDNESDAY FRANKLY, BECAUSE I'M SURE THIS IS GOING TO SLOP OVER TO TOMORROW.

88 MS. CLARK:

SO YOU'LL BRING THE JURY BACK ON WEDNESDAY?

89 THE COURT:

NO. I'LL BRING THEM BACK TOMORROW. WE COULD GET TO THEM TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

90 MS. CLARK:

YOU THINK?

91 THE COURT:

I'M OPTIMISTIC. MIGHT AS WELL GET THEM OUT, GET THEM DRESSED. IN FACT, IF YOU WANT TO -- WELL, WE CAN -- I'VE GOT WINDEX. WE CAN CLEAN IT OFF. MISS CLARK, MARCIA, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. IN FACT, WHY DON'T YOU SIT DOWN RIGHT HERE -- MISS CLARK, WHY DON'T YOU SIT DOWN AND JUST READ THAT REAL QUICK, AND THEN MAYBE YOU AND MR. COCHRAN CAN CHAT ABOUT IT. SEE IF MY PREDICTION IS RIGHT OR WRONG.

92 (BRIEF PAUSE.)
93 (A CONFERENCE WAS HELD, NOT REPORTED.)
94 THE COURT:

YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO TALK, COME BACK AT 1:30 OR COME BACK AT 1:00?

95 MR. DARDEN:

DO WE HAVE A LAST NAME FOR SYLVIA?

96 MR. COCHRAN:

NO, I DON'T. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.

97 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. LET'S TAKE A BREAK AT THIS POINT. MISS CLARK, DO YOU WANT TO CHAT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES FIRST AND CHAT WITH MR. COCHRAN?

98 MS. CLARK:

YEAH.

99 THE COURT:

WHY DON'T WE CALL IT AT 1:30.

100 MR. COCHRAN:

AFTER YOU TALK TO THEM, MARCIA, LET ME TALK TO YOU. IT MIGHT SAVE SOME TIME.

101 THE COURT:

MISS ROBERTSON, WE'LL STAND IN ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 1:30. THANK YOU. WHY DON'T YOU TALK WITH CHERI AND CHRIS, THEN COME BACK. AND ACTUALLY, WE'LL TOSS EVERYBODY OUT AND YOU GUYS CAN TALK.

102 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD IN OPEN COURT:)
103 (AT 11:40 A.M., THE NOON RECESS WAS TAKEN UNTIL 1:30 P.M. OF THE SAME DAY.)

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

F. Lee Bailey
IF MR. PAVELIC HAD FOLLOWED HER INSTRUCTIONS IN HIS INITIAL REPORT AND NOT MENTIONED SYLVIA AS SHE ASKED, WOULD THERE BE ANYTHING FRAUDULENT ABOUT THAT REPORT THAT SHE WAS LEFT OFF? I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS REDACTING BY WRITING A NEW REPORT OMITTING THAT NAME TO PREVENT HER FROM BECOMING INVOLVED IN IT.
Bailey essentially acknowledged that the August 18 report was a deliberate rewrite to excise Sylvia's name — a candid admission that raised serious discovery concerns.
Lance A. Ito
YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS IS LIKELY TO DO. IT'S GOING TO SEND THE PROSECUTION BALLISTIC IN CLAIMING THAT NOW THERE ARE MORE REPORTS AND THAT I SHOULD PRECLUDE YOU FROM CALLING THIS WITNESS BECAUSE OF THE DISCOVERY DELAY.
The judge accurately predicted the prosecution's response and the risk to the defense's ability to call Lopez at all.
Marcia Clark
I'M A LITTLE PERTURBED ABOUT A STATEMENT TAKEN SO LONG AGO. BUT THE DEGREE OF PERTURBNESS WILL BE ADDRESSED LATER.
Clark's carefully measured language telegraphed that she was reserving her sanctions argument — a strategic pause rather than immediate objection.
Lance A. Ito
DO YOU HAVE ANY SIMPLE PROBLEMS FOR ME TODAY?
Dry judicial humor in response to Cochran's increasingly complicated disclosure — captured the tone of the session.

Evidence (2)

Informal
Pavelic investigator report to Shapiro dated July 29, 1994 — includes mention of witness 'Sylvia' observing Simpson's Bronco parked at the Rockingham gate on the night of June 12, 1994
Disclosed to prosecution by court order after in camera review
Informal
Pavelic investigator report to Shapiro dated August 18, 1994 — revised version omitting Sylvia, previously turned over to prosecution
Compared to July 29 report; court determined prior report also discoverable

Notable Exchanges (4)

Johnnie CochranLance A. Ito
Cochran proactively brought the two-report discrepancy to the judge's attention, framing it as a discovery obligation the defense discovered that morning. The judge accepted the disclosure but immediately flagged the consequences.
strategic
F. Lee BaileyLance A. Ito
Bailey attempted to argue the July 29 report need not be disclosed since Sylvia was undocumented and the prosecution had already interviewed her (she denied being there). The judge rejected the redaction request outright.
probing
Marcia ClarkJohnnie CochranLance A. Ito
After prosecutors were brought into chambers, Clark questioned why a report predating August was only surfacing now. The judge deflected, telling her to read the document first before deciding whether to pursue sanctions.
restrained but adversarial
Carl DouglasLance A. Ito
Douglas physically applied Wite-Out to the defense's annotated copy of the July 29 report so it could be photocopied and handed to the prosecution — Ito explicitly declined to run a Wite-Out-wet document through his copier.
procedural and slightly absurd

Light Moments (4)

Lance A. Ito
Judge asked 'Do you have any simple problems for me today?' after Cochran laid out the multi-layered discovery tangle involving two reports, an undocumented witness, and investigators who didn't speak Spanish.
Lance A. Ito
Ito greeted Rosa Lopez's attorney with 'MISS HAMBURGER, WELCOME TO OUR -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT AT THIS POINT,' acknowledging the chaos of the session.
Lance A. Ito
Judge noted he had Windex available as an alternative to Wite-Out for removing defense margin notes before photocopying.
Lance A. Ito
Real-time Wite-Out status update: 'Carl, are you Witing?' / 'I'M WITING.'

Credibility Attacks (2)

⚔ Rosa Lopez (by implication)
Prior inconsistent investigator reports
The two Pavelic reports recorded different timelines — the July 29 version placed the Bronco sighting at 2030-2100 with Sylvia present; the August 18 version placed the Bronco sighting at 2000-2030 with no mention of Sylvia, and stated the Bronco remained parked until the following day. The prosecution now had ammunition to challenge the reliability of the underlying statements.
⚔ Pavelic (investigator)
Language barrier / report reliability
Cochran noted that neither Pavelic nor McNally spoke Spanish, raising questions about the accuracy of any statements they recorded from Lopez.

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 4970 • 103 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 FEB 27, 1995 📄 In chambers: Rosa Lopez statem
FEB 27, 1995 KRT DvH TD