Direct examination of Willie Ford (part 3)

📄 Direct examination of Willie Ford (part 3) — Thursday, July 20, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\20\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-WILLIE-F.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 119 of 167

◀ Sidebar: expert witness scheduling Cross-examination of Willie Ford (part 1) ▶

Witness: Willie Ford
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Defense • Date: Thursday, July 20, 1995 • Utterances: 42

Cochran resumes direct examination of Willie Ford, an LAPD videographer who filmed the crime scene. The key revelation is that Ford was instructed by Detective Harper to turn off the audio recording on his camera before filming, meaning any conversations captured on video — including any exchange with Dennis Fung — are unrecorded. Cochran also establishes that Ford never discussed Fung's presence in the hallway at 4:12–4:13 with prosecutors Darden or Lewis prior to his testimony.

# 1 THE COURT:

Let's proceed. Let's proceed.

# 2 (The following proceedings were held in open court:)

# 3 MR. COCHRAN:

May I have just a second, your Honor?

# 4 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)

# 5 MR. COCHRAN:

May I have just a second, your Honor?

# 6 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

Thank you very kindly, your Honor. I apologize to the Court.

# 8 MR. COCHRAN:

Mr. Ford, with regard to this indication about seeing or talking to Dennis Fung at some point, that video camera you had had some kind of audio capacity, did it not?

# 9 MR. FORD:

Yes, it did.

# 10 MR. COCHRAN:

So--and the audio was on, was it not?

# 11 MR. FORD:

No, sir.

# 12 MR. COCHRAN:

You had it turned off?

# 13 MR. FORD:

Yes.

# 14 MR. COCHRAN:

And why did you have it turned off?

# 15 MR. FORD:

I was told to turn it off.

KEY QUOTE

# 16 MR. COCHRAN:

Who told you to turn it off?

# 17 MR. FORD:

I think it was Detective Harper.

KEY QUOTE

# 18 MR. COCHRAN:

Harper told you to turn it off?

# 19 MR. FORD:

Yes.

# 20 MR. COCHRAN:

So then if Fung said to you and you said something to him, if the audio had been on we could pick that up, couldn't we?

KEY QUOTE

# 21 MR. FORD:

That's correct.

# 22 MR. COCHRAN:

Before--you were told before you started shooting to turn that off?

# 23 MR. FORD:

Yes.

# 24 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you turn--did you keep it turned off during the entire time?

# 25 MR. FORD:

Yes.

# 26 MR. COCHRAN:

And when you spoke with Mr. Darden and Ms. Lewis on Monday, did you talk to them about Dennis Fung appeared in that hallway at some point?

# 27 MR. DARDEN:

Objection.

# 28 MR. COCHRAN:

4:12 or 4:13?

# 29 MR. DARDEN:

This is hearsay, your Honor.

# 30 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 31 MR. COCHRAN:

Did the subject matter of Dennis Fung being in the hallway of Mr. Simpson's house at about 4:12 or 4:13 come up in your conversation at any time with Mr. Darden or Miss Lewis, the subject matter?

# 32 MR. DARDEN:

Same objection, your Honor.

# 33 THE COURT:

Overruled. You can answer the question.

# 34 MR. FORD:

I don't--

# 35 MR. COCHRAN:

You never discussed it with them at all at any time?

# 36 MR. FORD:

No, no.

# 37 MR. COCHRAN:

Never prior to today; is that right?

# 38 MR. FORD:

That's correct.

# 39 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Do you have any other videotape of any of the proceedings that took place that day--

# 40 MR. FORD:

No, sir.

# 41 MR. COCHRAN:

--with you today? You do not?

# 42 MR. FORD:

That's correct.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Willie Ford

I was told to turn it off.

Establishes that the audio suppression was not Ford's initiative — it was an instruction from above, raising the question of why conversations at the scene were not preserved.

Willie Ford

I think it was Detective Harper.

Names Harper as the person who ordered the audio disabled, potentially implicating LAPD command decisions in what was and wasn't recorded.

Johnnie Cochran

So then if Fung said to you and you said something to him, if the audio had been on we could pick that up, couldn't we?

Cochran frames the disabled audio as a lost opportunity to verify or challenge Fung's account of his own movements at the scene.

Willie Ford

No, no.

Ford denies ever discussing Fung's presence in the hallway at 4:12–4:13 with prosecutors before today, suggesting the prosecution may not have fully vetted this detail.

Evidence (1)

Informal

Videotape of crime scene proceedings filmed by Willie Ford

discussed — specifically the absence of audio due to Harper's instruction

Notable Exchanges (2)

Johnnie Cochran•Willie Ford

Cochran methodically establishes that (1) the camera had audio capability, (2) it was turned off on Harper's orders, (3) it stayed off the entire time, and (4) Ford had no prior discussion with prosecutors about Fung's hallway appearance.

strategic

Christopher Darden•Lance A. Ito

Darden objects twice to questions about Ford's pre-testimony conversations as hearsay. First objection sustained; second overruled after Cochran reframed to ask only about subject matter rather than content.

procedural

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ LAPD crime scene investigation

omission / procedural irregularity

Cochran highlights that a detective ordered the audio disabled on the crime scene video, preventing any record of conversations between personnel — including Fung — that occurred during the investigation.

Objections

2 objections (1 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 6970 • 42 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103