Marcia Clark begins the direct examination of LAPD patrol officer Robert Riske, establishing his background, experience, and his initial response to the call at 875 South Bundy on the night of June 12, 1994. Riske describes being flagged down by a couple walking a large white dog, who directed him to the scene, where he discovered a woman in a black dress lying in a pool of blood on the walkway. The proceeding ends mid-examination as a sidebar is requested regarding display of crime scene photographs.
# 3 Q: GOOD MORNING, OFFICER.
# 5 Q: CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
# 6 A: I'M A POLICE OFFICER FOR THE RECORD THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.
# 7 Q: WHERE ARE YOU ASSIGNED, SIR?
# 9 Q: AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SO ASSIGNED?
# 10 A: I HAVE BEEN A POLICE OFFICER FOR FOUR YEARS AND TEN MONTHS. I HAVE BEEN AT WEST L.A. THREE YEARS AND SIX MONTHS.
# 11 Q: AND IN YOUR CAPACITY AS A POLICE OFFICER AT THE WEST L.A. DIVISION WHAT ARE YOUR DUTIES?
# 12 A: I'M ASSIGNED TO PATROL. WE RESPOND TO RADIO CALLS, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND CRIME PREVENTION, BASICALLY.
# 13 Q: DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU ARE IN A BLACK AND WHITE CAR?
# 15 Q: AND YOU PATROL THE AREA OF WEST L.A.?
# 17 Q: AND THAT AREA THAT YOU PATROL, DOES THAT ENCOMPASS 875 SOUTH BUNDY?
# 19 Q: PRIOR TO BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER WHAT DID YOU DO?
# 20 A: I WAS IN THE NAVY FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS.
# 21 Q: AND THEN DID YOU TRAIN TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER?
# 23 Q: AND WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF YOUR TRAINING?
# 24 A: SIX MONTHS IN THE LOS ANGELES POLICE ACADEMY, DID A YEAR OF PROBATION.
# 25 Q: IN THE COURSE OF YOUR TRAINING, SIR, AT THE ACADEMY, WERE YOU TRAINED IN CRIME SCENE PRESERVATION?
# 26 A: THEY KIND OF GLOSS OVER IT; THEY DON'T REALLY TRAIN YOU.
KEY QUOTE # 27 Q: DID YOU LEARN IT AT SOME POINT IN YOUR DUTIES?
# 28 A: ON-THE-JOB TRAINING.
# 29 Q: ON-THE-JOB TRAINING?
# 32 A: MEANING WHEN YOU ARE ON PROBATION YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO A TRAINING OFFICER. WHEN YOU GO TO A CRIME SCENE THEY TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AND YOU DO IT; IDENTIFICATION, PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE, SETTING UP THE CRIME SCENE.
# 33 Q: IN THE COURSE OF YOUR DUTIES IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND TEN MONTHS, HOW MANY CRIME SCENES HAVE YOU HAD TO PROTECT OR PRESERVE?
# 34 A: I WOULD ONLY BE ESTIMATING; TWENTY.
# 35 Q: AND HOW MANY OF THOSE INVOLVED HOMICIDES?
# 36 A: PROBABLY MORE THAN HALF; FIFTEEN.
# 37 Q: NOW, AS OF JUNE THE 12TH OF 1994, YOU WERE ASSIGNED TO PATROL FOR THE WEST L.A. DIVISION?
# 39 Q: AT APPROXIMATELY 12:09 A.M. DID YOU RECEIVE A CALL DIRECTING YOU TO THAT GENERAL LOCATION?
# 40 A: TO 874 SOUTH BUNDY, YES.
# 41 Q: WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE CALL THAT SENT YOU TO 874 SOUTH BUNDY?
# 42 A: IT CAME OUT AS A BURGLARY SUSPECT AND THE STATEMENTS OF THE CALL SAID IT WAS UNKNOWN PERSON KNOCKING ON THE VICTIM'S DOOR.
# 43 Q: AND RINGING THE DOORBELL?
# 45 Q: AND IN RESPONSE TO THAT PARTICULAR CALL DID YOU GO TO THE LOCATION?
# 47 Q: TELL US WHAT HAPPENED.
# 48 A: AS WE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WE WERE FLAGGED DOWN BY TWO WITNESSES AND A DOG. THEY DIRECTED US TO 875 AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A DEAD LADY ON THE WALKWAY.
KEY QUOTE # 49 Q: TWO WITNESSES? WERE THEY MEN, WOMEN?
# 50 A: IT WAS A MALE AND A FEMALE.
# 51 Q: AND THEY HAD A DOG WITH THEM?
# 53 Q: WHAT DID THAT DOG LOOK LIKE?
# 54 A: IT WAS WHITE AND PROBABLY TWO AND A HALF THREE FEET TALL.
# 55 Q: DID THEY HAVE IT ON A LEASH?
# 57 Q: ALL RIGHT. DIRECTING YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS THAT HAS BEEN MARKED AS PEOPLE'S 40, CAN YOU TELL US IF YOU RECOGNIZE WHAT IS SHOWN IN THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS?
# 58 A: THAT LOOKS LIKE THE DOG THAT THE WITNESSES HAD.
# 59 Q: AND THEY WERE STANDING WHERE IN RELATION TO 875 SOUTH BUNDY WHEN YOU SAW THEM?
# 60 A: WHEN WE APPROACHED THEY WERE COMING DOWN A DRIVEWAY OF 868 SOUTH BUNDY.
# 61 Q: WAS THAT ON THE SAME SIDE OR THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET?
# 62 A: IT WAS ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET AS 874.
# 65 Q: IS THAT ACROSS THE STREET FROM 875?
# 67 Q: AND WHAT TIME WAS IT WHEN YOU GOT THERE AND MADE CONTACT WITH THAT COUPLE WITH THE DOG?
# 69 Q: AND THEY TOLD YOU THEY HAD SEEN A DEAD WOMAN IN FRONT OF 875 SOUTH BUNDY?
# 71 Q: AND AFTER THEY TOLD YOU THAT, WHAT DID YOU DO?
# 72 A: MY PARTNER AND I CROSSED THE STREET AND WENT TO THE WALKWAY AND WHAT I OBSERVED A FEMALE WHITE IN A BLACK DRESS LAYING IN A PUDDLE OF BLOOD ON THE WALKWAY.
# 73 MS. CLARK: CAN I HAVE 38.
# 75 MS. CLARK: CUT THE FEED, YOUR HONOR.
KEY QUOTE # 76 THE COURT: I'M SORRY?
# 77 MS. CLARK: CUT THE FEED, PLEASE.
# 79 MS. CLARK: THANK YOU.
# 80 Q: BY MS. CLARK: CAN YOU LOOK AT YOUR MONITOR, SIR, AND TELL US IF YOU RECOGNIZE WHAT IS DEPICTED IN THAT PHOTOGRAPH?
# 81 A: YES. THAT IS WHAT WE SAW WHEN WE APPROACHED.
# 82 Q: NOW, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE DESCRIBE FOR ME, WHEN YOU APPROACHED THAT LOCATION, THAT PARTICULAR WALKWAY, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT WAS THE LIGHTING LIKE THERE?
# 83 A: IT WAS VERY DARK.
# 84 Q: SO IF YOU WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY LOOKING UP THAT WALKWAY WOULD YOU HAVE SEEN THE BLOOD, THE BODY OR ANYTHING ELSE?
# 85 MR. COCHRAN: OBJECT TO THE FORM OF THAT QUESTION, YOUR HONOR. THAT CALLS FOR SPECULATION.
# 86 THE COURT: SUSTAINED.
# 87 MR. COCHRAN: THANK YOU.
# 88 Q: BY MS. CLARK: CAN YOU TELL US, SIR?
# 89 MR. COCHRAN: EXCUSE ME, COUNSEL. I'M SORRY. MAY WE APPROACH, YOUR HONOR? I HAVE A QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE MONITOR, WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE AND WHAT WE SEE UP HERE. MAY WHAT I APPROACH?