📄 Jury recall — Thursday, July 20, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\20\JURY-RECALL.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 119 of 167

Jury recall

Date: Thursday, July 20, 1995 • Utterances: 39
Before recalling the jury, counsel addressed scheduling for defense expert Dr. Rieders (EDTA testimony) and FBI Agent Martz. Clark argued she needed more time to prepare cross-examination, citing the complexity of EDTA quantification science and the defense's last-minute reordering of witnesses. Judge Ito was unsympathetic, pressed Clark on why she couldn't be ready by July 24th, and fined her $250 for an implied personal attack on defense witness Rieders.
1 (The following proceedings were held in open court, out of the presence of the jury:)
2 THE COURT:

All right. Back on the record in the Simpson matter. Defendant is again present before the Court with his counsel, People are represented. The jury is not present. All right. Counsel, anything we need to take up before we start with the next witness?

3 MR. COCHRAN:

Couple things.

4 MR. BLASIER:

Scheduling for Dr. Rieders.

5 THE COURT:

Yes. I did review the reports, including all of the liquid chromatograph tracings from the FBI. I evaluated the literature that was there. It is a relatively complex issue. Dr. Rieders is available what? Monday?

6 MR. BLASIER:

Yes.

7 THE COURT:

How long do you anticipate the direct examination for his testimony?

8 MR. BLASIER:

Two to three hours. Maybe less. Same with Agent Martz.

9 THE COURT:

All right. Miss Clark.

10 MS. CLARK:

Well, the problem is, your Honor, that regardless of the length of the direct examination, it can be very brief and entirely misleading and confusing. I anticipate that it will be. And that means that the cross-examination will have to be extensive and detailed.

11 THE COURT:

But don't we have a pretty fundamental difference in the types of results that the parts per million that you're likely to get in a reference sample is a gazillion parts per million whereas these trace amounts are significantly less? I mean, isn't that something that's relatively simple to cross-examine on?

12 MS. CLARK:

One would think, wouldn't one? I did too when I first looked at it, and I spoke to Agent Martz about that, and I thought, show him the graph, show him the chart. It should be really apparent. But from what I am told, there are a lot of machinations that can occur. Comparing relative quantities on different days, which should not be done, but which we know the Defense intends to do. And we will have 402 motions on their charts which are misleading and confusing because what they will attempt to do is compare amounts that are quantified and--amounts that are quantified on one day to amounts that are quantified on another day to show relative degrees that they will attempt to assert prove the presence of EDTA, not just the kind that may be present in all of us right now as we sit here at a low level, but the kind of amount that would be indicative of coming from the preservative ii. And the problem that is engendered by that is that it is inappropriate to do so for a number of reasons, not the least of which that is on any given day that the column will register high or low depending on how it's been used that particular day. Furthermore, the method of testing employed by Agent Martz was not meant to be for the purpose of precise quantification.

13 THE COURT:

Well, Miss Clark, let's assume that I agree with you that it is a complex scientific process. The question is, today is the 20th of July. Why can't you be ready by the 24th of July?

14 MS. CLARK:

Because that gives me exactly a half day on Friday to prepare and tonight.

15 THE COURT:

Yeah. But professional attorneys are paid to work 24 hours a day when they're in trial.

KEY QUOTE
16 MS. CLARK:

And I would be glad to approach sidebar to explain to the Court why the weekend is unavailable to me. But--

17 THE COURT:

Well, is there somebody else on your team who can do this?

18 MS. CLARK:

No, your Honor.

19 THE COURT:

Why not? I mean, you have several lawyers who are very skilled, very knowledgeable.

20 MS. CLARK:

At this point in time, I'm the one designated to do this. And I anticipated that we would have more time than this because it looked from the scheduling of things that he would be coming up at the very earliest, late next week after Agent Martz testified. They have now completely rearranged the order, and not only that, but decided not to call Agent Martz until afterwards. Now, Agent Martz is available. He could testify today, but they refuse to call him. That's their trial strategy. But it's--when they use their trial strategy to deliberately prevent us from being prepared to cross-examine, that's another matter, and that's what they have done. And so perhaps--see, the Defense has indicated that Dr. Rieders will not be available until August 2nd if he's not called to testify on Monday. And I don't see any problem with Dr. Rieders testifying on August 2nd. I don't see what the problem is.

21 THE COURT:

No. I thought it was longer than that.

22 MR. BLASIER:

It's longer than that.

23 MS. CLARK:

When is it?

24 MR. BLASIER:

He's leaving the 30th to go to Vienna for a week. Your Honor, the Prosecution was advised last Saturday that we were calling Martz and Rieders this week. I can't believe that Miss Clark says she's ready for Martz, but she's not ready for Rieders.

25 MS. CLARK:

Oh, come on. I think--that's so obvious, it doesn't even bear addressing. You know, Agent Martz is going to be an honest witness who's going to testify truthfully to the results. That's a little easier--

26 THE COURT:

Miss Clark, earlier today I cautioned you about personal attacks.

27 MS. CLARK:

Okay. I'm sorry, your Honor.

28 THE COURT:

I've warned you already. Sanction is $250. Don't leave court without writing a check.

29 MS. CLARK:

Your Honor, Dr. Rieders would be available then I take it on the 7th of August; is that correct?

30 MR. BLASIER:

I don't know what his plans are for coming back from Vienna. We anticipate being done by the 7th of August. I want to call him Monday because of his health.

31 THE COURT:

All right. Counsel, approach with the court reporter, please.

32 (Pages 38124 through 38133, volume 191-A, transcribed and sealed under separate cover.)
33 (The following proceedings were held in open court, out of the presence of the jury:)
34 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, counsel. Mr. Cochran, are you prepared to call the Defense's next witness?

35 MR. COCHRAN:

Yes, we are, your Honor.

36 THE COURT:

All right. Let's have the jury, please.

37 MR. SCHECK:

Your Honor, while we are waiting for the witness, when Detective Mulldorfer comes to testify, before testifying, we have a motion in limine.

38 THE COURT:

All right.

39 (The following proceedings were held in open court, in the presence of the jury:)

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (5)

Lance A. Ito
Yeah. But professional attorneys are paid to work 24 hours a day when they're in trial.
Ito's blunt dismissal of Clark's preparation concerns, revealing his impatience with prosecution scheduling requests.
Marcia Clark
When they use their trial strategy to deliberately prevent us from being prepared to cross-examine, that's another matter, and that's what they have done.
Clark accuses the defense of intentionally sandbagging the prosecution's cross-examination preparation by reordering witnesses.
Marcia Clark
Agent Martz is going to be an honest witness who's going to testify truthfully to the results. That's a little easier--
Implied attack on Rieders' credibility — the statement that triggered Ito's $250 sanction.
Lance A. Ito
Sanction is $250. Don't leave court without writing a check.
Ito follows through on his earlier warning, sanctioning Clark for the veiled personal attack on defense witness Rieders.
Robert Blasier
I can't believe that Miss Clark says she's ready for Martz, but she's not ready for Rieders.
Blasier highlights the inconsistency in Clark's position, undermining her stated need for more preparation time.

Evidence (2)

Informal
FBI liquid chromatograph tracings and related literature reviewed by Ito regarding EDTA testing
discussed
Informal
Defense charts comparing EDTA quantities measured on different days
challenged — Clark previews 402 motions arguing charts are misleading

Notable Exchanges (3)

Lance A. ItoMarcia Clark
Ito pressed Clark on why she couldn't be ready by July 24th, suggesting the science was simpler than she claimed and that professional lawyers work around the clock during trial. Clark pushed back with a detailed explanation of the EDTA quantification complexities and requested to approach sidebar about personal matters preventing weekend preparation.
tense
Marcia ClarkRobert Blasier
Blasier pointed out Clark was advised the previous Saturday about the witness order and challenged her claim that Rieders required more prep than Martz. Clark responded with the implied suggestion that Rieders was less credible than Martz, drawing a sanction.
heated
Lance A. ItoMarcia Clark
Ito sanctioned Clark $250 for an implied personal attack on Rieders, referencing an earlier warning he had already given her that day.
tense

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Fredric Rieders
implied bias/credibility
Clark implicitly contrasted Rieders with Martz by saying Martz 'is going to be an honest witness who's going to testify truthfully,' suggesting Rieders would not. Ito sanctioned her $250 for this remark.

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 6978 • 39 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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