Direct examination of Judy Telander

📄 Direct examination of Judy Telander — Tuesday, July 11, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\11\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-JUDY-TEL.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 112 of 167

◀ In camera discussion Direct examination of Robert Heidstra (part 1) ▶

Witness: Judy Telander
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 • Utterances: 321

Judy Telander, a friend of prior witness Denise Pilnak, testified that she was at Pilnak's home at 918 South Bundy on the night of June 12, 1994, and left around 10:21–10:25pm. She drove north on Bundy and made a U-turn at Dorothy with her window down and heard no dog barking and no unusual sounds — directly contradicting Pablo Fenjves' preliminary hearing testimony that a dog was wailing at 10:15pm. On cross, Clark pressed her on how many times she coordinated her account with Pilnak; on redirect, Shapiro elicited that Telander had proactively called the DA's office after the preliminary hearing to report her observations but was never called back.

# 1 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. All right. The record should reflect we have been rejoined by all the members of our jury panel. And Mr. Shapiro, you may call your next witness.

# 2 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you very much. Our next witness is Miss Judy Telander.

Judy Telander, called as a witness by the Defendant, was sworn and testified as follows:

# 3 THE COURT:

All right. Miss Telander, would you just stand right there, please. Face the clerk. Right there.

# 4 THE CLERK:

Please raise your right hand. You do solemnly swear that the testimony you may give in the cause now pending before this Court, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.

# 5 MS. TELANDER:

I do.

# 6 THE CLERK:

Please have a seat on the witness stand and state and spell your first and last names for the record.

# 7 MS. TELANDER:

Judy Telander. It is J-U-D-Y T-E-L-A-N-D-E-R.

# 8 THE CLERK:

Thank you.

# 9 THE COURT:

Mr. Shapiro.

# 10 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you very much, your Honor.

DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SHAPIRO

# 11 MR. SHAPIRO:

And good afternoon, Miss Telander.

# 12 MS. TELANDER:

Good afternoon.

# 13 MR. SHAPIRO:

Are you a little nervous today?

# 14 MS. TELANDER:

Little bit.

# 15 MR. SHAPIRO:

We are going to ask a few questions about the day and evening of June the 12th of 1994. Is that date familiar to you?

# 16 MS. TELANDER:

Yes. It was the night of the double homicide.

# 17 MR. SHAPIRO:

And at some time on that day were you in the area of Brentwood?

# 18 MS. TELANDER:

Yes. I was with my friend, Denise Pilnak from two o'clock in the afternoon until about 10:25 in the evening.

# 19 MR. SHAPIRO:

And she is the lady who just testified?

# 20 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 21 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you come to court with her today?

# 22 MS. TELANDER:

Actually we came separately.

# 23 MR. SHAPIRO:

At some time in the early evening did you go and have dinner with her?

# 24 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did.

# 25 MR. SHAPIRO:

Do you recall approximately what time?

# 26 MS. TELANDER:

Umm, it was about 7:30.

# 27 MR. SHAPIRO:

And after dinner did you return to her home?

# 28 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, we did.

# 29 MR. SHAPIRO:

Where did you have dinner?

# 30 MS. TELANDER:

We had dinner at Louise's.

# 31 MR. SHAPIRO:

Who else had dinner with her?

# 32 MS. TELANDER:

Her mother and her husband, so there were four of us.

# 33 MR. SHAPIRO:

And after dinner you returned to her house?

# 34 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, we did.

# 35 MR. SHAPIRO:

And her house is located on Bundy?

# 36 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 37 MR. SHAPIRO:

Do you happen to know the address?

# 38 MS. TELANDER:

918 south Bundy.

# 39 MR. SHAPIRO:

And do you know where that is in relationship to Dorothy, if you might want to use the diagram?

# 40 MS. TELANDER:

It is right below Dorothy on the, I guess it would be the west side.

# 41 MR. SHAPIRO:

Do you have an approximation as to the time you returned to her home that evening?

# 42 MS. TELANDER:

It was around 9:30.

# 43 MR. SHAPIRO:

And did you have some work to complete when you got there?

# 44 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did.

# 45 MR. SHAPIRO:

What type of work were you completing?

# 46 MS. TELANDER:

I was composing a letter to the president of the publishing company that I worked for and I had been working on it all day.

# 47 MR. SHAPIRO:

Do you recall what time you left her residence that evening?

# 48 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 49 MR. SHAPIRO:

What time was that?

# 50 MS. TELANDER:

Well, at 10:18 Denise said to me, "You know I have to leave for aspen in two days so you have to go," and I looked at my watch and it was also 10:18, but we hadn't printed out my letter yet, so we printed out the letter and we printed out two copies of it, and it took like a minute and 25 seconds for each letter, so I would say that took about three minutes. So it was 10:21 when she walked me out to my car. And we stood on the steps for about three to four minutes talking because she was--you know, she was trying to hurry me out, and then she felt, gee, I was probably a little rushed with her, so I didn't want her to feel bad so we talked for a few minutes.

# 51 MR. SHAPIRO:

Where was your car parked?

# 52 MS. TELANDER:

My car was parked on her side of the street facing north on Bundy.

# 53 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you leave her residence alone?

# 54 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did.

# 55 MR. SHAPIRO:

And would you go to the map and show the ladies and gentlemen of the jury the direction you took as you left her home.

# 56 MS. TELANDER:

Okay. We are going up--

# 57 MR. SHAPIRO:

Try to keep your--

# 58 THE COURT:

Miss Telander, could you stand to this side of the diagram because you are standing between the jury.

# 59 MS. TELANDER:

Right here?

# 60 THE COURT:

Thank you.

# 61 MS. TELANDER:

Umm, well, she is over here, (Indicating), right below Dorothy, so I would have turned around at the corner of Dorothy and headed back down Bundy.

# 62 MR. SHAPIRO:

Okay. At the corner--

# 63 MS. TELANDER:

She is--

# 64 MR. SHAPIRO:

At the corner of Dorothy and Bundy you made a U-turn?

# 65 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did.

# 66 MR. SHAPIRO:

So you have indicated to the jury that you were just below Dorothy?

# 67 MS. TELANDER:

Right.

# 68 MR. SHAPIRO:

On Bundy?

# 69 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 70 MR. SHAPIRO:

And that you drove up in a northerly direction and made a U-turn?

# 71 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 72 MR. SHAPIRO:

And then went back?

# 73 MS. TELANDER:

South on Bundy.

# 74 MR. SHAPIRO:

Okay. Where do you live?

# 75 MS. TELANDER:

I live at--well, I lived at the time.

# 76 MR. SHAPIRO:

Just give me the general area.

# 77 MS. TELANDER:

Overland near the west side pavilion.

# 78 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you. Why don't you resume your seat.

# 79 (Witness complies.)

# 80 MR. SHAPIRO:

Would you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what time you were at the intersection of Dorothy and Bundy?

# 81 MS. TELANDER:

Well, if we talked for about three to four minutes, it would have been 10:25 that I made my U-turn.

# 82 MR. SHAPIRO:

Would you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what the conditions were at the intersection at that time.

# 83 MS. TELANDER:

It was very quiet. In fact, Denise and I had commented when we walked out to my car about how quiet and it was that kind of misty kind of L.A. evening where almost like a Halloween night. And I think I made a comment, or she did, that it was almost eerie it was so quiet.

KEY QUOTE

# 84 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you hear the sound of a barking dog at the time you made your U-turn at Bundy and Dorothy?

# 85 MS. TELANDER:

No, and I did have my window down, the driver's side.

# 86 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you hear the sound of a wailing dog?

# 87 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 88 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you hear any unusual noises or sounds that would sound like an argument or a fight?

# 89 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 90 MR. SHAPIRO:

From your testimony it appears that you had talked to your friend about this incident prior to your testimony; is that correct?

# 91 MS. TELANDER:

Well, we are very good friends. We talk everyday.

# 92 MR. SHAPIRO:

And is there any doubt in your mind as to what time you got into your car that evening?

# 93 MS. TELANDER:

No, no, because I know what time I got home and Amelia Earhart was on that night and I saw the last fifteen minutes of it, so I arrived home between 10:40 and 10:45, and it takes me usually fifteen minutes without traffic to get home.

KEY QUOTE

# 94 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you very much. Nothing further, your Honor.

# 95 THE COURT:

Miss Clark.

# 96 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. CLARK

# 97 MS. CLARK:

How long had you been friends with Miss Pilnak?

# 98 MS. TELANDER:

About two years.

# 99 MS. CLARK:

Okay. And in January of 1995 did you sit down with her and try to reconstruct the events of the night of June the 12th?

# 100 MS. TELANDER:

We have definitely sat down and reconstructed the events, yes.

# 101 MS. CLARK:

Well, you have talked to her--I don't mean that--but before January the 25th, 1995, between June the 12th of `94 and January the 25th of `95, you have discussed the events of that night several times, correct?

# 102 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, we have.

# 103 MS. CLARK:

Maybe more than fifteen, twenty times, correct?

# 104 MS. TELANDER:

Probably we have.

# 105 MS. CLARK:

Okay.

# 106 MS. TELANDER:

It became a part of our life.

# 107 MS. CLARK:

Do you recall sitting down to write down with her the itinerary of what occurred on the night of June the 12th?

# 108 MS. TELANDER:

I didn't sit down and write out the itinerary. Denise keeps very precise records. She writes everyday what she does, so she already had the records written down of what had happened that day.

# 109 MS. CLARK:

Oh, is it your testimony that she wrote down an itinerary before January the 25th of 1995?

# 110 MS. TELANDER:

She had written down what she had done that day because she writes down everyday what she does.

# 111 MS. CLARK:

Oh, really. When was it the first time that you saw that?

# 112 MS. TELANDER:

Saw what?

# 113 MS. CLARK:

The itinerary?

# 114 MR. SHAPIRO:

Your Honor, I object as mischaracterization.

# 115 THE COURT:

Rephrase the question.

# 116 MS. CLARK:

Did you see a two-page typed document that Miss Pilnak typed concerning the events of the day of June the 12th, 1994?

# 117 MS. TELANDER:

I don't recall.

# 118 MS. CLARK:

You don't recall if you saw that or not?

# 119 MS. TELANDER:

Are you asking me--would you repeat the question, because I'm not sure what time you are asking me when I saw it.

# 120 MS. CLARK:

That is what I think I would like.

# 121 THE COURT:

Why don't we make sure we are talking about the same thing?

# 122 MS. TELANDER:

Yeah.

# 123 MS. CLARK:

What was it marked?

# 124 THE CLERK:

1238.

# 125 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

# 126 MS. CLARK:

Let me show you Defense 1238. You can look at the monitor to your right.

# 127 MS. TELANDER:

Okay.

# 128 MS. CLARK:

You can look at the monitor to your right. Look down.

# 129 MS. TELANDER:

Oh.

# 130 THE COURT:

There you go.

# 131 MS. CLARK:

Do you see that?

# 132 MS. TELANDER:

Uh-huh.

# 133 MS. CLARK:

Do you recognize that document?

# 134 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I have seen it.

# 135 MS. CLARK:

Yes. When was the first time you saw it?

# 136 MS. TELANDER:

I don't remember the first time I saw it, but I have seen it.

# 137 MS. CLARK:

Do you think that you saw it before January 25th, 1995?

# 138 MS. TELANDER:

I don't remember.

# 139 MS. CLARK:

How many times have you looked at this?

# 140 MS. TELANDER:

I think--I think I have just seen it once.

# 141 MS. CLARK:

And when was that one time you saw it?

# 142 MS. TELANDER:

I don't remember when she showed it to me.

# 143 MS. CLARK:

And did she ask you for your input in editing it or changing anything in it?

# 144 MS. TELANDER:

No, she did not.

# 145 MS. CLARK:

She just showed it to you?

# 146 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 147 MS. CLARK:

And you read it?

# 148 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 149 MS. CLARK:

You read the language, the quotations that she has, for example, at 10:18, correct?

# 150 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 151 MS. CLARK:

And did you look at that document today before you testified?

# 152 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not look at it today.

# 153 MS. CLARK:

When was the last time you looked at it?

# 154 MS. TELANDER:

I don't remember when I last looked at it because I only saw it once.

# 155 MS. CLARK:

Well, was it during this year that you saw it or was it last year?

# 156 MS. TELANDER:

I believe it was this year.

# 157 MS. CLARK:

Okay. You saw the opening statements in this case, correct?

# 158 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 159 MS. CLARK:

And after the opening statements do you recall seeing this document?

# 160 MS. TELANDER:

Are you talking about the preliminary hearing?

# 161 MS. CLARK:

No. I'm talking about the opening statements for this trial.

# 162 MS. TELANDER:

The opening statements for today? I'm not sure what you are--

# 163 MS. CLARK:

There were opening statements made in this case to the jury. Do you recall seeing that on television?

# 164 MS. TELANDER:

No, because I was working.

# 165 MS. CLARK:

And you didn't see anything in the news about that?

# 166 MS. TELANDER:

I'm sure I read--I'm sure I read things about the opening statements.

# 167 MS. CLARK:

Okay. Can you recall whether or not you saw this document before the opening statements occurred?

# 168 MS. TELANDER:

I don't recall.

# 169 MS. CLARK:

All right. Now, you have read--since you have read this is this, in your opinion, an accurate statement of the events that transpired on the night of June the 12th?

# 170 MS. TELANDER:

Can I look it over again for a few minutes?

# 171 MS. CLARK:

Sure.

# 172 THE COURT:

Do you have an actual copy that she can read?

# 173 MS. CLARK:

That might be better. Thank you, your Honor.

# 174 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, please.

# 175 (Brief pause.)

# 176 THE COURT:

Take your time and let us know when you are done.

# 177 (Brief pause.)

# 178 MS. CLARK:

Why don't you just take it up to 10:18. Okay?

# 179 MS. TELANDER:

Okay.

# 180 MS. CLARK:

All right. I just asked you to read up to the entry for 10:15.

# 181 MS. TELANDER:

All right.

# 182 MS. CLARK:

So far up to the entry of 10:18 would you say everything is accurate?

# 183 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 184 MS. CLARK:

All right. You indicate that you went to dinner that night at Louise's?

# 185 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 186 MS. CLARK:

Indicates on the script "Cheesecake factory." Is that wrong?

# 187 MS. TELANDER:

That would be wrong, yes.

# 188 MS. CLARK:

I see. You arrived at two o'clock and you began to type a letter to Mike Wisener, correct?

# 189 MS. TELANDER:

I sat in the sun for a while with her and then I went in and started my letter.

# 190 MS. CLARK:

Now, did you take from two o'clock to seven o'clock that night to type a three-page letter?

# 191 MS. TELANDER:

I wasn't typing the letter. I was composing what I wanted to say, so that does take a lot of time, but I didn't spend the whole time composing the letter because we went to dinner.

# 192 MS. CLARK:

Well, what time did you go to dinner?

# 193 MS. TELANDER:

About 7:30.

# 194 MS. CLARK:

All right. You got there at two o'clock, correct?

# 195 MS. TELANDER:

And I was out in the sun for a couple of hours with her before I started on the letter.

# 196 MS. CLARK:

Okay. That is not included here, is it?

# 197 (No audible response.)

# 198 MS. CLARK:

That you went out and sat in the sun for a couple hours? That is not there?

# 199 MS. TELANDER:

That may not be there.

# 200 MS. CLARK:

Well, why don't you look at it.

# 201 (Witness complies.)

# 202 MR. SHAPIRO:

Your Honor, there would be an objection, motion to strike. She didn't write this.

# 203 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 204 MS. TELANDER:

No, it is not in there, but I did sit out in the sun for a while. It was a beautiful day.

# 205 MS. CLARK:

Okay.

# 206 MS. CLARK:

Now, with respect to the times listed here, did you independently recall that those were the times that those events transpired on the night of June the 12th?

# 207 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 208 MS. CLARK:

Because why? Did you look at your watch at every time indicated there?

# 209 MS. TELANDER:

No, but I know that Denise left at 5:30 for church and the service was an hour. She came back at 6:30, between 6:30 and quarter to 7:00. Then her--

# 210 MS. CLARK:

And where is that indicated on this script here?

# 211 MS. TELANDER:

That she went to church?

# 212 MS. CLARK:

Right.

# 213 MR. SHAPIRO:

Your Honor, I'm going to object.

# 214 THE COURT:

I'm going to sustain this. She is not the author of it.

# 215 MS. CLARK:

On this itinerary--all right. When you went out to the porch you indicated in your testimony that it was 10:21?

# 216 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 217 MS. CLARK:

And you know that because you looked at your watch?

# 218 MS. TELANDER:

I looked at my watch at 10:18 when Denise told me that it was 10:18.

# 219 MS. CLARK:

And you looked?

# 220 MS. TELANDER:

It was time for me to go. Then I look at my watch, and yes, it was 10:18, and then we printed out the letter, and the letter I'm assuming--now I can't be completely accurate, because it had to have been somewhere between a minute and three minutes to print out the letter because there were--we printed it out twice. I know that it was like a minute and 25 seconds to print out one letter, so if you double that, it is about three minutes. So as soon as we printed out the letter she handed me the letter and walked me out to the car.

# 221 MS. CLARK:

You know that it is exactly a minute and 25 seconds to print out a letter, to print out a page on that printer?

# 222 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I do.

# 223 MS. CLARK:

And you conferred with her about that, did you?

# 224 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, we did.

# 225 MS. CLARK:

And how many times did you talk about the events of that night?

# 226 MS. TELANDER:

You know, I don't know. I don't know how many times we talked about it because as I said, it became a part of our lives. It was a very, very tragic experience and we really felt caught up in it.

# 227 MS. CLARK:

Now, you never heard a dog barking that night at all, correct?

# 228 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 229 MS. CLARK:

And so basically you heard and saw nothing on the night of June 12th?

# 230 MS. TELANDER:

I didn't--right.

# 231 THE COURT:

Just a second. Miss Telander, would you allow Miss Clark to finish asking the question before you start to answer.

# 232 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 233 THE COURT:

Thank you.

# 234 MS. CLARK:

Now, you have been waiting in a room with the other Defense witnesses in this case all day, correct?

# 235 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 236 MS. CLARK:

What time did you get here?

# 237 MS. TELANDER:

10:15.

# 238 MS. CLARK:

You were in that room with them until now; is that correct?

# 239 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 240 MS. CLARK:

And in that room for some period of time was Ellen Aaronson; is that right?

# 241 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 242 MS. CLARK:

You didn't see her on the night of June the 12th, 1994, did you?

# 243 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 244 MS. CLARK:

You didn't see any young woman walking down southbound on Bundy wearing white jeans and a beige blazer, correct?

# 245 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 246 MS. CLARK:

And you didn't see any 300ZX going westbound on Dorothy and northbound on Bundy, did you?

# 247 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 248 MS. CLARK:

And you didn't hear any loud voices coming from the intersection of Dorothy and Bundy, did you?

# 249 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 250 MS. CLARK:

And you didn't see any white Ford truck parked at the intersection of Dorothy and Bundy, did you?

# 251 MS. TELANDER:

Not that I recall.

# 252 MS. CLARK:

As a matter of fact, did you see any cars parked on the west side of Bundy between Dorothy and Gorham at all?

# 253 MS. TELANDER:

Not that I recall. I wasn't looking.

# 254 MS. CLARK:

Well, you drove northbound on Bundy for a little ways, didn't you?

# 255 MS. TELANDER:

Uh-huh.

# 256 MS. CLARK:

Is that yes?

# 257 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 258 MS. CLARK:

And you made--and so when you were driving northbound on Bundy for a little ways you were looking ahead of you, correct?

# 259 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 260 MS. CLARK:

And as you made a left turn at this intersection you would have looked at the cars parked in the area where cars would be parked on the west curb of Bundy?

# 261 MS. TELANDER:

You know, there could have been cars parked there, but I don't remember. I don't remember how many or what cars were there.

# 262 MS. CLARK:

Did you see--do you recall at this time seeing any?

# 263 MS. TELANDER:

I'm sure there were cars parked there.

# 264 MS. CLARK:

You are sure?

# 265 MS. TELANDER:

Well, there is always--there is always cars along the street that are parked either on Bundy or off of Bundy. I just don't know how many or--I don't know how many were parked there.

# 266 MS. CLARK:

You have no recollection of whether--well, do you recall--were there any cars parked there? Do you know that for sure, that there were cars parked on that west curb?

# 267 MS. TELANDER:

I'm not sure. I'm really not.

# 268 MS. CLARK:

So there might have been none and there might have been some, you just don't know?

# 269 MS. TELANDER:

I don't know.

# 270 MS. CLARK:

You don't remember?

# 271 MS. TELANDER:

I don't remember.

# 272 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorneys.)

# 273 MS. CLARK:

I have nothing further.

# 274 THE COURT:

Mr. Shapiro.

# 275 MR. SHAPIRO:

Yes. Thank you very kindly, your Honor.

REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SHAPIRO

# 276 MR. SHAPIRO:

Ms. Telander, in response to a question from Miss Clark you told the ladies and gentlemen of the jury that you saw the preliminary hearing in this case?

# 277 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did.

# 278 MR. SHAPIRO:

And was that in June of 1994?

# 279 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, and I heard Pablo's testimony.

# 280 MR. SHAPIRO:

And after hearing that testimony did you contact the Prosecutors?

# 281 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did. I was very--

# 282 MR. SHAPIRO:

Excuse me. Were they the first people you contacted?

# 283 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 284 MR. SHAPIRO:

And why did you contact the Prosecutors after hearing testimony at the preliminary hearing?

# 285 MS. TELANDER:

Because it upset me. I didn't believe the time was 10:15 that a dog was barking.

# 286 MR. SHAPIRO:

And what message did you convey to the Prosecutors?

# 287 MS. TELANDER:

I left a message on the machine giving my name and telling them that I had been at my friend's that evening and that I had left somewhere between 10:21 and 10:25 and that there were--there was no dog barking.

KEY QUOTE

# 288 MR. SHAPIRO:

Did you leave your phone number?

# 289 MS. TELANDER:

Yes, I did.

# 290 MR. SHAPIRO:

And how long did it take for someone from the Prosecutors office to get back to you?

# 291 MS. TELANDER:

No one called me.

# 292 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you. Nothing further.

RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. CLARK

# 293 MS. CLARK:

Who did you call?

# 294 MS. TELANDER:

I called the number of the D.A.'s office.

# 295 MS. CLARK:

And who gave you--

# 296 MS. TELANDER:

Gil Garcetti's office.

# 297 MS. CLARK:

Who gave you that number?

# 298 MS. TELANDER:

I believe I got it from information.

# 299 MS. CLARK:

And when you didn't get a call back did you call the police to try and contact them with your information?

# 300 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 301 MS. CLARK:

You never talked to me, did you?

# 302 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 303 MS. CLARK:

And you never talked to Mr. Darden here, did you?

# 304 MS. TELANDER:

No.

# 305 MS. CLARK:

And you never made an effort to, even though you saw me presenting the preliminary hearing, on the television, correct?

# 306 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not. I left the message and I thought someone would call me back.

# 307 MS. CLARK:

And when they didn't call you back you made no effort to find anybody else to talk to; is that right?

# 308 MS. TELANDER:

That's right.

# 309 MS. CLARK:

And you saw Detective Vannatter testify at the preliminary hearing, didn't you?

# 310 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 311 MS. CLARK:

You never tried to call him either, did you?

# 312 MS. TELANDER:

No, I did not.

# 313 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

FURTHER REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SHAPIRO

# 314 MR. SHAPIRO:

You made the call and you expected that call to be returned, didn't you?

# 315 MS. TELANDER:

Yes.

# 316 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you. Nothing further.

# 317 THE COURT:

Miss Telander, you testified that on this evening you said it was misty, Halloween like. Can you describe that for me?

# 318 MS. TELANDER:

Well--

# 319 THE COURT:

What the weather conditions were like?

# 320 MS. TELANDER:

Well, it was like--it was like the fog was rolling in from the ocean. It was kind of a wet, kind of a misty kind of look to the sky. You know, it was just not cloudy, but just kind of--kind of a wet mist.

# 321 THE COURT:

Okay. Thank you very much. You are excused. All right. Next witness.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Judy Telander

It was very quiet. In fact, Denise and I had commented when we walked out to my car about how quiet it was — that kind of misty kind of L.A. evening where almost like a Halloween night. And I think I made a comment, or she did, that it was almost eerie it was so quiet.

Directly contradicts the barking-dog timeline; the silence at 10:25pm undermines the prosecution's anchor for when the murders occurred.

Judy Telander

I left a message on the machine giving my name and telling them that I had been at my friend's that evening and that I had left somewhere between 10:21 and 10:25 and that there were — there was no dog barking.

Establishes she contacted the prosecution first, before the defense, undermining any suggestion of pure defense-witness bias.

Judy Telander

No one called me.

The prosecution's failure to follow up on an exculpatory tip is a damaging moment — Shapiro stopped there for maximum effect.

Judy Telander

I know what time I got home and Amelia Earhart was on that night and I saw the last fifteen minutes of it, so I arrived home between 10:40 and 10:45, and it takes me usually fifteen minutes without traffic to get home.

Independent corroboration of her departure time via TV schedule, not reliant on Pilnak's document.

Evidence (1)

Defense 1238

Two-page typed document authored by Denise Pilnak detailing her itinerary for June 12, 1994

Shown to witness on monitor and in hard copy; Clark used it to probe coordination between witnesses and surface a discrepancy (document says 'Cheesecake Factory,' Telander says 'Louise's')

Notable Exchanges (4)

Robert Shapiro•Judy Telander

Shapiro elicited that Telander called the DA's office — not the defense — after hearing Pablo Fenjves' preliminary hearing testimony about the dog, left her name and number, and was never called back.

strategic

Marcia Clark•Judy Telander

Clark methodically established that Telander and Pilnak had discussed the events of June 12 potentially more than fifteen to twenty times, had reviewed Pilnak's typed itinerary together, and that Telander could not independently recall when she first saw the document — suggesting their accounts were shaped through repeated joint reconstruction.

probing

Marcia Clark•Judy Telander

Clark established that Telander — despite watching the preliminary hearing on TV and knowing the exact prosecutors involved — made no effort to contact anyone else when her call to Gil Garcetti's office went unreturned.

skeptical

Lance A. Ito•Judy Telander

Judge Ito asked Telander directly to describe the weather conditions, getting her 'fog rolling in from the ocean, wet mist' description — an unusual judicial question that reinforced the atmospheric detail without advocacy.

neutral

Credibility Attacks (3)

⚔ Judy Telander

Witness coordination / joint reconstruction

Clark established that Telander and Pilnak had discussed the events of June 12 at least fifteen to twenty times, jointly reviewed Pilnak's typed itinerary, and even conferred on details like the printer's exact speed (1 minute 25 seconds per page) — suggesting their matching testimonies were the product of collaborative memory rather than independent recollection.

⚔ Judy Telander

Inconsistency with document

Clark used Defense 1238 to surface a factual error: the document says dinner was at the Cheesecake Factory, but Telander testified it was Louise's — raising questions about how carefully either witness had reviewed the itinerary they both vouched for.

⚔ Judy Telander

Failure to follow up

Clark pointed out that after leaving a message at Gil Garcetti's general office number and receiving no callback, Telander made no further effort to reach the police, Detective Vannatter, Clark herself, or Darden — suggesting her claimed urgency about the dog timeline was not as pressing as her testimony implied.

Witness Demeanor

(Brief pause.) — while Telander reviewed Defense 1238 on the stand

Witness was described as 'a little nervous' at the outset and acknowledged it

Objections

3 objections (2 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 6713 • 321 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103