Let me reask the question. I think I started with a question. Doctor, what are you and Dr. Baden doing in this photograph?
I have no recollection of exactly what I might have been doing with that particular procedure. I think that what we did there was, as I said, he and Dr. Lee were present on the 17th, and basically just to make sure that the correct photographs were taken--and, again, they're the ones that were going to handle what the cuts were, what they meant, how to age them--the entire hand was rephotographed. And I believe, if I had to take a guess what was going on, this was just a picture I believe taken by Dr. Lee that was the start of this whole process of reexamining his entire body with those two specialists there. Again, no one wanted to rely on--that wasn't really my role. And so at this point, they were rephotographing his entire hands as well as his entire body.
Let me ask Mr. Fairtlough then if he would please put your rough sketch, 514, back up. Now, doctor, let's--let me ask you if there is anything inconsistent from your examination that the injuries that you've identified in this drawing could have been caused by different sources at different times.
I think it's possible. But again, it was difficult because the injuries were of quite different nature as I explained before. And so while they could all have been incurred at the exact same moment, they also could have been at a slightly different time. Again, the time frame of one or two days certainly with my expertise would be very difficult for me to tell the difference when you have cuts that have different entry angulation and, therefore, different healing rates. You also--of course, the healing is dependent on how much laxity there is in the skin. So depending on where the laceration is in the finger in terms of, is there motion on that joint, is it an area where there's really no motion, is it an area over the third finger where there's swollen joints, and so obviously the skin will be pulled back, all those factors, even if everything were cut exactly the same moment, it could appear I would think absolutely difficult and the healing rate could be quite different. I think all of us have had the experience where you get multiple cuts and some heal much quicker than others. Typically the ones over your joint will be the one that just keeps breaking open and bleeding, you know, for extended periods.
Doctor, would it be then fair to say though that given the different nature of appearance between the three cuts that are identified in this hand-drawn sketch, that that is suggestive that the injuries may have been caused by different sources?
It's very difficult to say. It's very difficult to say, but there is various theories because if you take--take a hand where the majority of the injuries are right here (Indicating), right here and right here on the left hand and then as we discussed before, there is a fine abrasion right here and you kind of had some system like that and the injuries are kind of along this gray, it could be possible that they were all caused at the same time by the same substance as well.
For the record, the doctor took his left hand and with the palms up, he made an up and down motion I think several times, your Honor, with that forearm and hand as if, doctor, to represent striking some surface; is that correct?
Now, doctor, if that had been the situation, wouldn't you expect to see contusions to the areas along the knuckles that come in contact with the hard surface in the action that you just demonstrated?
Again, it's very difficult depending on the force of the blow and, no. 2, depending on whether, you know, someone strikes something that is sharp right up front or somebody basically rubs their hand over the sharp surface. That's a tough call.
Your Honor, I have another photograph. May this be marked--a color photograph, what appears to be the left hand. May this be marked as 516?
And I'll ask Mr. Fairtlough--and perhaps reduce the glare in some fashion. And I'm going to be asking you, Mr. Fairtlough, if you could focus more on the wrist area for the moment. Exactly. That's perfect. And if you can also do some kind of carrot. Exactly. If you move it straight down, straight down, please, and now to the left and--a little more and down just a tad. Right there.
You testified at the end of your direct examination by Mr. Shapiro that you did identify a couple of abrasions. You described them as punctate abrasions; is that correct?
There were a number of abrasions. I believe the punctate ones were more--you can see them right on--as I look at this picture, on the left-hand side, you can see a dot and then another dot. Those are the punctate lesions, and then there were several other--these other small abrasions which were, you know, more in the I think something like a quarter by an eighth inch and an eighth by an eighth (Indicating).
First of all, let me ask you if this was your testimony, page 366, of the real time transcript. "Other than those on the 15th," referring to the cuts that you've already testified to, "There was no other evidence of any trauma except for several very small little punctate abrasions that were also on the back of his left palm, but they were--appeared to be basically zigzag areas of maybe several sonometers which were very superficial irritation scrapings of some sort." Do you recall that testimony?
That did include those areas. There's a straight area you can't see on this picture and then there are these several dots, and then there are these other two areas, yes.
Well, let's assume Dr. Lakshmanan has testified that blunt force trauma is a category of certain kinds of injuries which includes abrasions, contusions, lacerations. Any reason to disagree with that analysis?
If Dr. Lakshmanan testified that blunt force trauma is a generalized category of types of injuries that includes abrasions, contusions and lacerations, would you have any reason to disagree with that?
And as he also testified and I'll ask you to assume that an abrasion is a scraping type action. Is that consistent with what you identified on what appears to be the lateral side of the little finger where--of the area near the little finger's base of the left wrist?
Right. It's actually over the carpal bones on the left side, the ulnar side of the carpal bones, yes.
And did that appear to be of the same vintage age wise as the cuts that you were looking at on the third and fourth fingers of Mr. Simpson's left hand?
The finger cuts were still open and this appeared to be somewhat more healed on the 15th.
And so the fact that a cut is open is not relevant to the degree of healing of an abrasion; isn't that correct?
All right. If Mr. Fairtlough can--can you circle that, please, Mr. Fairtlough? So we'll call that abrasion no. 1 just for keeping a count if we could. Mr. Fairtlough, would you move the arrow to the right, along the--oh, okay. You do it that way. Little further. Right there.
And in fact, in your diagram--is this going to really--Mr. Fairtlough--no. I'll tell you what. Before we get to the diagram, did it appear to be of about the same vintage as the first abrasion?
Doctor, showing you this diagram that we already had up from exhibit 507, did you write in on that form the location and description of those two things we're looking at on this photograph, exhibit 515?
What was your measurement of what we've described here as abrasion no. 1, the one that is closer to the fingers?
And one sonometer you said on Friday you thought was 2.2 centimeters to the inch and I think--
Doctor, in your opinion, was each of those consistent with some kind of scraping such as, for example, a fingernail?
Didn't appear to be a fingernail, but obviously, if you catch a fingernail flush, that would be a possibility. But typically you're looking for some kind of a curve. You know, we see obviously a lot of fingernails in the eyeball. I guess that's where I've had the most experience where you can see that characteristic curvature and, you know, usually scrapes on the skin are a little wider than, you know, the scrape he had. But that certainly was something that I entertained.
Well, doctor, let me ask you hypothetically to assume that Dr. Lakshmanan testified that he identified on Mr. Goldman's neck two superficial incise wounds semiparallel in nature running along the front of his neck. All right?
Assume that? And further, that he offered an opinion that those two superficial incise wounds were consistent with being inflicted by a person holding a knife in the right hand who had Mr. Goldman from behind controlled with a left arm around the chest area. Do you have a pretty good picture of that?
And in such a situation, doctor, would it be accurate to say that the area that you see, the two abrasions in this photograph, would be exposed to the outside if it's in the position that I've got right here, a bar arm type of hold across the chest?
I think that is a possibility. You'd really have to rotate it out because you see this ulnar styloid is sticking out right here (Indicating), and so, you know, you really have to--let's see. You're saying--
It will take me a little time to work this out. I'm not just going to do this instantly.
And, doctor, if you will take on a role that I played a little earlier in this trial and perhaps you could face the jury, and I'm going to represent Dr. Lakshmanan by putting my arm--I don't have as long a arm as he has--around your chest. And that he then with his right arm holding--appearing to hold a knife made some slashing gestures with his right hand to represent how quanting type of parallel cuts could be inflicted. You with me so far?
Now, in this position that I'm in, would it be correct to say--I've got a watch on. Let me take the watch off. Would it be correct to say, doctor, that the area of Mr. Simpson's hand and wrist and arm where we see those two abrasions would be in this position to the outside of Mr. Goldman (Indicating)?
It's possible. But if you just--in this position, I still feel your ulnar styloid sticking out a little bit right here (Indicating). So I still think you could abrade this area, but then why didn't you abrade this area if you've got this area because you almost have to be like this somehow to get both those. If you're coming in curving toward me, you're sticking out this ulnar styloid.
What if I'm not curving, doctor, but I've got you like I got you now where I'm applying the pressure, and I think you'll verify the pressure is being applied right here, is it not, and this area is up (Indicating). I just want to ask you--
The question, doctor--and this is the only question--is this area that is on the outside of your body the area that is depicted in the photograph that's up on the elmo?
And, doctor, if Mr. Goldman was trying to get the knife or the arm that's holding the knife at his throat away from him and he's grappling to try and get free, would you agree, doctor, that if he rubs along the left edge of the left hand of the perpetrator, if that position of the perpetrator's arm was as I demonstrated, that that could be a source for such abrasions?
Certainly abrasions could be caused by that type of a motion. Whether or not they would be in that exact location, again, I would have to look at the exact dimensions of Mr. Simpson's arm. And, you know, this is like a lot of medicine, you have to do a test, you know. That's what science is all about.
KEY QUOTEYou have to do a test. What test did you do to see Mr. Simpson ever attempt to run to see how well he could run? Did you ever ask him to run at any time?
KEY QUOTEAnd that would be the best test, would it not, to see how well he could run given his arthritic condition as you found it?
I have another photograph that appears to show the left arm. May that be marked as that designation? And I've written it on the back of that photograph.
He told me he could not run and you're right, I took him at his word.
Certainly abrasions could be caused by that type of a motion. Whether or not they would be in that exact location, again, I would have to look at the exact dimensions of Mr. Simpson's arm.
You have to do a test. What test did you do to see Mr. Simpson ever attempt to run to see how well he could run?
He's a wrestler, counsel.