Recross-examination of Mike Farrell

📄 Recross-examination of Mike Farrell — Tuesday, January 31, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JAN\31\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-MIKE-FA.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 9 of 167

◀ Redirect examination of Mike Farrell (part 2) Evidence marked, jury recessed ▶

Witness: Det. Mike Farrell
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Tuesday, January 31, 1995 • Utterances: 17

Cochran conducted a brief recross of Detective Farrell, confirming that Farrell had been given broad instructions by the City Attorney to do his best searching for prior domestic violence calls at the Simpson residence in the five years before January 1989. The only result of that search was a letter from Mark Fuhrman, a point Cochran underscored before passing the witness.

# 1 THE COURT:

ANY RECROSS?

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

YES, YOUR HONOR, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

# 3

RECROSS-EXAMINATION

# 4

BY MR. COCHRAN:

# 5 Q:

DETECTIVE FARRELL, WHEN YOU WERE ASKED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER CALLS IN THE FIVE YEARS OR SO THAT PRECEDED JANUARY 1ST, 1989, DID THEY GIVE YOU KIND OF A BLANKET INSTRUCTION TO DO THE BEST THAT YOU COULD?

# 6 A:

YES.

# 7 Q:

AND YOU IN THE COURSE OF TRYING TO CARRY OUT THEIR REQUEST, YOU DID THE BEST THAT YOU COULD; DID YOU NOT?

# 8 A:

YES.

# 9 Q:

AND YOU THEN REPORTED BACK TO THEM AFTER YOU HAD DONE THE BEST THAT YOU COULD; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 10 A:

YES, I DID.

# 11 Q:

AND IN DOING THE BEST THAT YOU COULD, YOU GOT THIS ONE LETTER FROM MARK FUHRMAN; IS THAT CORRECT?

KEY QUOTE

# 12 A:

YES.

# 13 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU VERY KINDLY. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

# 14 THE COURT:

MR. DARDEN.

# 15 MR. DARDEN:

NOTHING FURTHER, YOUR HONOR.

# 16 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, DETECTIVE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I AM GOING TO EXCUSE YOU FROM FURTHER TESTIMONY. PLEASE DON'T DISCUSS YOUR TESTIMONY WITH ANYBODY ELSE EXCEPT THE ATTORNEYS IN THE CASE.

# 17 DET. MIKE FARRELL:

THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Johnnie Cochran

AND IN DOING THE BEST THAT YOU COULD, YOU GOT THIS ONE LETTER FROM MARK FUHRMAN; IS THAT CORRECT?

Cochran closes the recross by anchoring Fuhrman's name to the search results — the implication being that Fuhrman's singular documented involvement is noteworthy or suspicious.

Detective Farrell

YES.

The repeated one-word confirmations throughout frame Farrell as a cooperative witness whose search was genuinely limited, not selective.

Evidence (1)

Informal

A letter from Mark Fuhrman, produced as the sole result of Farrell's search for prior domestic violence calls at the Simpson residence in the five years preceding January 1, 1989

discussed

Notable Exchanges (1)

Johnnie Cochran•Detective Farrell

Cochran used a tight series of leading questions to establish that Farrell followed instructions, did his best, and the only thing his best produced was a single letter from Mark Fuhrman — leaving the jury to draw their own conclusions about what that means.

strategic

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 4605 • 17 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103