GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. BACK ON THE RECORD IN THE SIMPSON MATTER. MR. SIMPSON IS AGAIN PRESENT WITH HIS COUNSEL, MR. SHAPIRO, MR. COCHRAN, MR. DOUGLAS, MR. BAILEY. THE PEOPLE ARE REPRESENTED BY MISS CLARK AND MR. DARDEN. THE JURY IS NOT PRESENT. COUNSEL, JUST A COUPLE THINGS BEFORE WE BEGIN. THE RECORD SHOULD REFLECT THAT I HAD RECEIVED FROM THE DEFENSE A 1335 MOTION WHICH WE WILL DEEM FILED AS OF TODAY, MRS. ROBERTSON. AND MR. COCHRAN, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE RESUME WITH THE JURY?
YES, YOUR HONOR, IF I MIGHT APPROACH THE PODIUM. THE COURT I BELIEVE RECEIVED A COPY OF A LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO MY OFFICE LAST NIGHT FROM MARK PARTRIDGE, THE LAWYER WHO WAS ON THE PLANE FROM CHICAGO TO LOS ANGELES WHO SAT NEXT TO MR. SIMPSON. I WOULD LIKE, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS RELEVANT, TO READ THIS LETTER INTO THE RECORD, IF I MIGHT. THE LETTER, YOUR HONOR, IS DATED JANUARY 30, 1995, SENT TO THE LAW OFFICES OF JOHNNIE L. COCHRAN, JR.
YOUR HONOR, MAY I OBJECT? THE LETTER SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. COUNSEL CAN SIMPLY FILE IT WITH THE CLERK AND MAKE IT A PART OF THE RECORD.
"ATTENTION PAT MC KENNA," YOUR HONOR, ONE OF THE INVESTIGATORS. "DEAR PAT: I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN TODAY THAT I AM ONE OF THE WITNESSES THE PROSECUTION CLAIMS WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED. ON THE FRIDAY MR. SIMPSON WAS ARRESTED I CALLED THE LAPD TO IDENTIFY MYSELF AS THE PERSON WHO SAT NEXT TO HIM ON HIS RETURN FLIGHT FROM CHICAGO TO LOS ANGELES. I BELIEVE I SPOKE TO A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE. I WAS TOLD THEY KNEW WHO WAS ON THE FLIGHT AND WOULD GET TO ME LATER. HE DID NOT ASK FOR MY ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER. "ON OCTOBER 6, 1994, RICHARD CROTSLY," CROTSLY, "AN LAPD DETECTIVE, CALLED ME. HE SAID HE HAD RECEIVED A WITNESS STATEMENT ABOUT ME FROM THE DEFENSE. I TOLD HIM MY STORY. HE TOLD ME TO SEND MY NOTES. HE GAVE ME THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT ROBBERY/HOMICIDE DIVISION ROOM 321, 150 NORTH LOS ANGELES STREET, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90012. I SENT MY NOTES (THE SAME NOTES I SENT YOU) TO OFFICER CROTSLY IN EARLY DECEMBER, 1994. "THESE FACTS SEEM INCONSISTENT WITH MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROSECUTION'S CLAIMS ABOUT UNDISCLOSED WITNESSES OR WITNESS STATEMENTS. I THOUGHT I SHOULD BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION IN CASE IT IS RELEVANT TO THE PROCEDURE IN THE CASE. "I ALSO WANT TO YOU KNOW THAT I AM SCHEDULED TO BEGIN A THREE- TO FOUR-WEEK TRIAL IN CHICAGO ON JUNE 5TH, 1995, AND WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO TESTIFY DURING THAT TIME. I AM AWAY FROM MY OFFICE UNTIL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST, BUT CAN BE REACHED AT" AND HE GAVE HIS PHONE NUMBER, "SINCERELY, MARK PARTRIDGE." I WANTED TO READ THAT FOR THE RECORD, YOUR HONOR.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, THE REAL ISSUE -- I THINK PERHAPS MR. PARTRIDGE MISUNDERSTANDS THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE WAS, WAS THE JULY, 1994, STATEMENT THAT HE GAVE TO THE DEFENSE TURNED OVER TO THE PROSECUTION. THAT IS THE ISSUE.
ALL RIGHT. COUNSEL, LET ME ASK YOU ONE OTHER QUESTION BEFORE WE START WITH THE JURY. DURING THE COURSE OF OUR DISCUSSION OF EXPERT WITNESSES NOW DESIGNATED BY THE DEFENSE, IF YOU RECALL, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT ONE OF OUR JURORS HAS AS ONE OF HER PHYSICIANS ONE OF THE DOCTORS THAT IS NOW ON THE DEFENSE WITNESS LIST.
SO I WANT YOU TO CONTEMPLATE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT AND WE WILL DISCUSS IT TOMORROW.
ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. JUST SO THE GROUNDRULES ARE CLEAR, COUNSEL, I'M GOING TO ADVISE THE JURY THAT I HAVE ALLOWED THE PROSECUTION A BRIEF REOPENING OF THEIR OPENING STATEMENT TO DEAL WITH THREE SPECIFIC ISSUES, AND THAT THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE TIME LIMIT OF TEN MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. LET'S PROCEED. DEPUTY MAGNERA.
ON THE FRIDAY MR. SIMPSON WAS ARRESTED I CALLED THE LAPD TO IDENTIFY MYSELF AS THE PERSON WHO SAT NEXT TO HIM ON HIS RETURN FLIGHT FROM CHICAGO TO LOS ANGELES. I BELIEVE I SPOKE TO A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE. I WAS TOLD THEY KNEW WHO WAS ON THE FLIGHT AND WOULD GET TO ME LATER.
FOR THE RECORD ALSO, YOUR HONOR, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SUCH THING.
THE ISSUE WAS, WAS THE JULY, 1994, STATEMENT THAT HE GAVE TO THE DEFENSE TURNED OVER TO THE PROSECUTION. THAT IS THE ISSUE.
I'M GOING TO ADVISE THE JURY THAT I HAVE ALLOWED THE PROSECUTION A BRIEF REOPENING OF THEIR OPENING STATEMENT TO DEAL WITH THREE SPECIFIC ISSUES, AND THAT THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE TIME LIMIT OF TEN MINUTES.