Johnnie Cochran cross-examined neighbor Elsie Tistaert, who had called 911 after midnight on the night of the murders. Cochran focused almost entirely on her inability to recall specific times — when she started bookkeeping, when she called the police, how long she was on the 911 call — effectively neutralizing her as a reliable timeline witness. The examination was brief and ended amicably after Cochran established she couldn't pin down any precise times.
# 1 THE COURT: MR. COCHRAN.
# 2 MR. COCHRAN: THANK YOU VERY KINDLY, YOUR HONOR. CROSS-EXAMINATION
# 4 Q: GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS TISTAERT. HOW ARE YOU?
# 5 A: FINE, THANK YOU, I THINK.
# 6 Q: AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US, YOU NEVER CAME OUT OF YOUR HOUSE THAT NIGHT FROM THE TIME YOU MADE THE CALL TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THEN THE CALL AFTER THAT TO 911? YOU STAYED INSIDE THE HOUSE?
# 7 A: THAT IS WHAT I RECALL, YES, EXCEPT TO GO IN THE BACK TO BRING MY DOG IN.
# 8 Q: ALL RIGHT. YOU WENT --
# 10 Q: IN YOUR BACKYARD?
# 12 Q: YOU DIDN'T COME OUT THE FRONT, HOWEVER, THOUGH?
# 13 A: SINCE THE OFFICERS TOLD ME NOT TO, I DID NOT DO SO.
# 14 Q: I UNDERSTAND. AND YOU HAVE LIVED IN THIS PARTICULAR HOUSE FOR 51 YEARS?
# 15 A: (NO AUDIBLE RESPONSE.) I'M SORRY?
# 16 Q: ARE YOU TUNING ME OUT?
# 17 THE COURT: WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THOSE?
KEY QUOTE # 18 MR. COCHRAN: ONLY IF YOU DO IT FOR BOTH SIDES, YOUR HONOR.
# 19 Q: BY MR. COCHRAN: CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
# 21 THE COURT: GREAT STRAIGHT LINE.
# 22 MR. COCHRAN: TOUCHE.
# 23 Q: WITH REGARD TO THE EVENTS OF THAT EVENING, LET ME ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS, IF I MIGHT. I BELIEVE YOU INDICATED THAT YOU HAD CALLED 911 SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 25 Q: AND THEY KEPT YOU ON THE PHONE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 27 Q: CAN YOU TELL US HOW LONG YOU WERE ON THE PHONE BEFORE YOU ULTIMATELY HUNG THE PHONE UP?
# 28 A: I CAN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE I DIDN'T WATCH THE TIME AND AT THIS POINT OF TIME I CAN'T RECALL.
# 30 A: IT WOULD JUST BE GUESSWORK.
KEY QUOTE # 31 Q: WE DON'T WANT YOU TO GUESS. SO YOU CAN'T TELL US HOW LONG IT WAS?
# 33 Q: BUT YOU TALKED TO 911. THEY GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO GO INTO YOUR BACKYARD AT SOME POINT, RIGHT?
# 34 (NO AUDIBLE RESPONSE.) # 37 Q: THE POLICE OFFICERS DID THAT?
# 39 Q: OKAY. SO WHEN THE POLICE OFFICERS CAME TO YOUR DOOR, YOU HUNG UP THE PHONE AT THAT POINT FROM 911?
# 40 A: WHEN THEY CAME TO THE DOOR WHAT?
# 41 Q: WHEN THE POLICE OFFICERS CAME TO YOUR DOOR -- WHEN THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS CAME ACROSS THE STREET TO YOUR DOOR, DID YOU THEN HANG UP THE 911 OPERATOR?
# 42 A: PROBABLY. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME. PROBABLY.
# 43 Q: I UNDERSTAND. YOUR BEST RECOLLECTION, RIGHT. AND HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN DOING YOUR BOOKKEEPING THAT PARTICULAR EVENING?
# 44 (NO AUDIBLE RESPONSE.) # 45 Q: DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU STARTED?
# 46 A: PROBABLY SIX OR SEVEN HOURS.
# 47 Q: SIX OR SEVEN HOURS?
# 48 A: YES. I HAD A LOT TO CATCH UP ON.
# 49 Q: OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. NOW, WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK YOU STARTED THAT BOOKKEEPING?
# 50 A: I HAVEN'T ANY IDEA.
# 51 Q: OKAY. WHAT TIME DID YOU FINISH?
# 52 A: I STOPPED AT JUST -- AT JUST ABOUT TWELVE O'CLOCK.
# 53 Q: ALL RIGHT. SO IF YOU STOPPED AT ABOUT TWELVE O'CLOCK AND YOU DID IT FOR SIX OR SEVEN HOURS, YOU MAY HAVE STARTED AS EARLY AS FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 54 A: MAYBE. IT IS POSSIBLE I STARTED AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. THERE IS NO TELLING. I SOMETIMES WORK TWELVE HOURS OR FOURTEEN HOURS A DAY SOMETIMES WHEN I HAVE BOOKWORK LIKE THAT.
KEY QUOTE # 55 Q: I UNDERSTAND. AND HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE 911 TAPE WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING TO THE --
# 57 Q: YOU HAVE NOT HEARD THAT TAPE?
# 58 A: NO. THAT IS WHAT I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IT.
# 59 Q: DOES MRS. CLARK HAVE THAT TAPE?
# 62 MS. CLARK: AM I TESTIFYING NOW?
KEY QUOTE # 63 MR. COCHRAN: I WASN'T ASKING YOU; I WAS ASKING HER.
# 64 Q: DO YOU KNOW IF MISS CLARK HAS THAT TAPE?
# 66 Q: DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT MISS CLARK HAS THAT 911 TAPE?
# 68 Q: ALL RIGHT. NOW, BEFORE YOU CALLED 911, YOU HAD CALLED WEST LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT?
# 70 Q: AND THEY HAD ASKED YOU TO CALL ANIMAL CONTROL?
# 72 Q: DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT WAS, APPROXIMATELY?
# 73 A: NO, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.
# 74 Q: YOU CAN'T GIVE US A TIME ON THAT EITHER?
# 76 Q: YOU WERE JUST WORKING INSIDE AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE TIME, RIGHT?
# 77 A: MORE OR LESS, YES.
# 78 Q: ALL RIGHT. WERE YOU WEARING A WATCH THAT NIGHT?
# 80 Q: WERE YOU WEARING A WATCH THAT NIGHT?
# 81 A: PROBABLY, BUT I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IT TOO OFTEN. NOW AFTER ALL THIS TIME THERE ARE THINGS I CAN'T RECALL.
# 82 MR. COCHRAN: I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER, YOUR HONOR.