Recross-examination of Sukru Boztepe

📄 Recross-examination of Sukru Boztepe — Wednesday, February 8, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\8\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-SUKRU-B.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 15 of 167

◀ Redirect examination of Sukru Boztepe (part 1) Redirect examination of Sukru Boztepe (part 2) ▶

Witness: Sukru Boztepe
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 • Utterances: 32

Cochran conducts a brief recross of Sukru Boztepe focused on the demeanor of Albert Schwab during his early-morning police interview. Cochran establishes that the officer was friendly, the interview was conversational, and Schwab was coherently responding to questions despite being sleepy at 5am. The proceeding ends with a light exchange between Cochran and the judge about the brevity of the examination.

# 1 MR. COCHRAN:

ONE LAST QUESTION.

# 2

RECROSS-EXAMINATION

# 3

BY MR. COCHRAN:

# 4 Q:

MR. BOZTEPE, WHEN THE POLICE OFFICERS BROUGHT YOU BACK HOME -- THEY BROUGHT YOU AND YOUR WIFE BACK HOME; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 5 A:

CORRECT.

# 6 Q:

AND THE POLICE OFFICER WAS BEING -- WAS HE CONDUCTING THESE INTERVIEWS IN A RATHER FRIENDLY MANNER? HE WASN'T BEING HOSTILE OR ANYTHING, WAS HE?

# 7 A:

HE WAS PRETTY FRIENDLY.

# 8 Q:

HE WAS PRETTY FRIENDLY?

# 9 A:

SURE.

# 10 Q:

AND WHEN YOU OBSERVED MR. SCHWAB TALKING TO THE POLICE OFFICER, WAS IT PRETTY MUCH A CONVERSATION LIKE YOU AND I ARE HAVING, THE OFFICER WOULD ASK QUESTIONS AND MR. SCHWAB WOULD RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS?

# 11 A:

CORRECT.

# 12 Q:

MR. SCHWAB DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANGRY OR ANYTHING, DID HE, AT THAT POINT?

# 13 A:

NO.

# 14 Q:

SEEMED TO BE LIKE NORMAL TO YOU AT THAT TIME?

# 15 A:

I THOUGHT HE WAS SLEEPY WHEN HE WAS TALKING.

# 16 Q:

OTHER THAN BEING SLEEPY, HE SEEMED TO BE NORMAL?

# 17 A:

AS NORMAL AS YOU CAN BE.

# 18 Q:

ALL RIGHT. AS NORMAL AS ONE COULD BE?

# 19 A:

AS NORMAL AS YOU CAN BE AT 5:00 O'CLOCK.

KEY QUOTE

# 20 Q:

YOU COULD UNDERSTAND -- HE HAD BEEN SLEEPING, BUT YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING WHEN HE RESPONDED TO THE OFFICER'S QUESTIONS; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?

# 21 A:

CAN YOU REPEAT IT, PLEASE?

# 22 Q:

YES. WE UNDERSTAND IT WAS 5:30 OR SO IN THE MORNING. BUT YOU COULD UNDERSTAND MR. SCHWAB'S RESPONSES TO THE OFFICER'S QUESTIONS, COULDN'T YOU, THE PART YOU LISTENED TO?

# 23 A:

WELL, HE WAS RESPONDING, BUT I WASN'T LISTENING.

KEY QUOTE

# 24 Q:

BUT HE WAS RESPONDING TO WHAT THE OFFICER ASKED HIM; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 25 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION. CALLS FOR SPECULATION.

# 26 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 27 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: CAN YOU ANSWER THAT?

# 28 A:

YES, HE WAS RESPONDING.

# 29 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

# 30 THE COURT:

ONLY 11 QUESTIONS.

# 31 MR. COCHRAN:

THAT WAS LIKE ONE LONG QUESTION.

KEY QUOTE

# 32 THE COURT:

OKAY. MISS CLARK, ANYTHING MORE FOR MR. BOZTEPE?

Temperature

light

Key Quotes (4)

Sukru Boztepe

AS NORMAL AS YOU CAN BE AT 5:00 O'CLOCK.

Wry, human qualifier that softens Cochran's point — Boztepe concedes Schwab was normal but can't resist noting the circumstances.

Sukru Boztepe

WELL, HE WAS RESPONDING, BUT I WASN'T LISTENING.

Limits the weight of his testimony — he could observe Schwab responding but claims not to have actually heard the content.

Lance A. Ito

ONLY 11 QUESTIONS.

Judge's dry commentary on the brevity of the recross, prompting a quip from Cochran.

Johnnie Cochran

THAT WAS LIKE ONE LONG QUESTION.

Cochran's self-aware humor about his meandering recross style.

Notable Exchanges (2)

Johnnie Cochran•Sukru Boztepe

Cochran attempts to pin down Schwab's coherence during the 5am police interview; Boztepe concedes Schwab was responding but undercuts it by noting he wasn't actually listening to the exchange.

strategic

Lance A. Ito•Johnnie Cochran

After Cochran passes the witness, the judge deadpans 'only 11 questions,' and Cochran jokes it was really 'one long question.'

light

Light Moments (2)

Sukru Boztepe

'AS NORMAL AS YOU CAN BE AT 5:00 O'CLOCK' — Boztepe's dry qualifier gets a laugh of recognition.

Lance A. Ito

Judge notes 'ONLY 11 QUESTIONS' after Cochran's promised 'one last question' turned into a series; Cochran deflects by calling it 'one long question.'

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Albert Schwab

witness observation

Cochran uses Boztepe to establish that Schwab was sleepy but coherent and responsive during his early-morning police interview, preempting any challenge to Schwab's account based on his mental state.

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 4766 • 32 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103