Jury return

📄 Jury return — Thursday, July 20, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\20\JURY-RETURN.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 119 of 167

◀ Sidebar: case management Cross-examination of Willie Ford (part 3) ▶

Date: Thursday, July 20, 1995 • Utterances: 9

Judge Ito brings the jury back after a break and addresses them directly, acknowledging he appeared annoyed with the lawyers and clarifying it was personal mood and a desire to move faster — not actual displeasure with counsel. Both Clark and Darden quip 'Message received' in response.

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

# 2 THE COURT:

Back on the record in the Simpson matter. Let's have the jury, please.

# 3 (Brief pause.)

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

# 5 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. The record should reflect that we have been rejoined by all the members of our jury panel. Ladies and gentlemen, when we concluded this morning just, before we took our break, it may have seemed to you that I was a little annoyed with the lawyers, and I want you to know that it is just an expression of my being in a bad mood today and the fact that I wanted to speed up the pace a little. And you should not consider that as my expression of any displeasure with the lawyers themselves and you should ignore any expressions of what appears to be judicial attitude on my part. All right. Mr. Cochran, Mr. Darden. All right. Mr. Ford is again on the witness stand. And Mr. Darden, you may conclude your cross-examination.

# 6 MR. DARDEN:

Thank you, your Honor.

# 7 THE COURT:

You are welcome.

# 8 MS. CLARK:

Message received.

# 9 MR. DARDEN:

Message received.

Temperature

light

Key Quotes (3)

Lance A. Ito

it may have seemed to you that I was a little annoyed with the lawyers, and I want you to know that it is just an expression of my being in a bad mood today and the fact that I wanted to speed up the pace a little

Rare moment of a judge explicitly managing jury perception of his own demeanor mid-trial

Marcia Clark

Message received.

Dry acknowledgment shared by both Clark and Darden, suggesting the lawyers understood the subtext — pick up the pace

Christopher Darden

Message received.

Echoes Clark's response, the two lead prosecutors in sync on reading the judge's mood

Notable Exchanges (1)

Lance A. Ito•Marcia Clark•Christopher Darden

Ito addresses the jury to walk back his visible irritation; Clark and Darden both respond with the same dry 'Message received', suggesting collegial humor beneath the formality

light

Light Moments (1)

Marcia Clark / Christopher Darden

Clark and Darden both independently — or in unison — say 'Message received' after Ito's semi-apology to the jury about his bad mood

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 6972 • 9 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103