📄 Recross-examination of Willie Ford — Thursday, July 20, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\20\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-WILLIE-.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 119 of 167

Recross-examination of Willie Ford

Witness: Willie Ford
Examiner: Christopher Darden
Called by: Defense • Date: Thursday, July 20, 1995 • Utterances: 57
Darden conducts a brief recross of LAPD videographer Willie Ford, establishing that Ford failed to capture the Rockingham glove, the socks, or the blood on the driveway on video. The examination is largely overtaken by a comedic back-and-forth about whether an ornate lamp near the glove was a Tiffany lamp made of crystal, culminating in Judge Ito gently mocking Darden's lamp expertise and shutting the line of questioning down.
1 THE COURT:

Mr. Darden.

2 MR. DARDEN:

Just a couple minutes.

RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. DARDEN

3 MR. DARDEN:

How many times can you say that you didn't see the socks, Mr. Ford? You didn't see the socks, right?

4 MR. FORD:

That's correct.

5 MR. DARDEN:

Okay, geez.

6 THE COURT:

That is 11.

7 MR. DARDEN:

That is not 11, that is 21.

8 MR. DARDEN:

Mr. Ford, you didn't videotape the glove found outside, the one found on the outside of the house; is that correct?

9 MR. COCHRAN:

Assumes a fact not in evidence that that is correct.

10 THE COURT:

Overruled. You didn't photograph any socks outside, did you--I mean gloves outside?

11 MR. FORD:

That's correct.

12 MR. DARDEN:

Okay. And the socks that you have seen in the photograph, do you know how much those socks cost?

13 MR. COCHRAN:

Object, your Honor.

14 THE COURT:

Sustained. That is irrelevant.

15 MR. DARDEN:

You didn't videotape the blood on the driveway?

16 MR. FORD:

No, I didn't.

17 MR. DARDEN:

Okay. And when you were videotaping the area near the glove, there is a lamp next to that glove, correct?

18 MR. FORD:

That's correct.

19 MR. DARDEN:

Did that appear to be an expensive lamp to you?

20 MR. FORD:

Yes, sir.

21 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, I object. Irrelevant and immaterial.

22 THE COURT:

Overruled.

23 MR. FORD:

Yes, sir.

24 MR. DARDEN:

Tiffany lamp?

25 MR. FORD:

I don't know what it is called, but pretty lamp.

KEY QUOTE
26 MR. DARDEN:

Crystal?

27 MR. FORD:

Was it made out of crystal?

28 MR. DARDEN:

Yeah.

29 MR. FORD:

I don't know.

30 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorneys.)
31 MR. DARDEN:

Expensive pieces of crystal, I'm told. Did you notice any expensive--

32 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, I object.

33 THE COURT:

Sustained.

34 MR. DARDEN:

Did you notice any expensive pieces of crystal on that lamp, right? Did you?

35 THE COURT:

Do you know anything about tiffany lamps, counsel?

KEY QUOTE
36 MR. DARDEN:

Me?

37 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorneys.)
38 THE COURT:

It looked like a nice lamp?

KEY QUOTE
39 MR. FORD:

Yes.

40 THE COURT:

We will leave it at that.

KEY QUOTE
41 MR. DARDEN:

All right.

42 MR. DARDEN:

And the glove, the glove you saw there, was that an Aris Isotoner glove?

43 MR. FORD:

I--I don't know.

44 MR. DARDEN:

Would you notice that the glove was a large and not an extra large?

45 MR. FORD:

Didn't enter my mind.

KEY QUOTE
46 MR. DARDEN:

All right. Did you see the mate to that glove?

47 MR. FORD:

No, sir.

48 MR. DARDEN:

You don't know how that glove got there, do you?

49 MR. FORD:

No, sir.

50 MR. DARDEN:

You don't know who owned that glove, do you?

51 MR. FORD:

No.

52 MR. DARDEN:

Did you think it was unusual that there would be a glove there, only one glove, rather, there?

53 MR. FORD:

No.

54 MR. DARDEN:

And just so it is clear, there are crystal objects directly next to the glove in the video also, right? Do you recall that?

55 MR. FORD:

I don't know--yeah, there are some objects there, looks like crystal.

56 THE COURT:

Counsel, I think the jury saw the videotape for a significant period of time and they know what was on that end table at the end of the couch.

57 MR. DARDEN:

I will stop if he will stop.

KEY QUOTE

Temperature

light

Key Quotes (5)

Willie Ford
I don't know what it is called, but pretty lamp.
Witness deflects Darden's attempt to establish the lamp as a Tiffany by simply calling it pretty — inadvertently comic and unhelpful to both sides.
Lance A. Ito
Do you know anything about tiffany lamps, counsel?
Judge openly questions Darden's command of the subject matter, undercutting the line of questioning in front of the jury.
Lance A. Ito
It looked like a nice lamp? We will leave it at that.
Ito personally concludes the lamp inquiry, signaling Darden has gone as far as he is allowed.
Christopher Darden
I will stop if he will stop.
Darden's parting shot at Cochran — a rare moment of open pique toward opposing counsel in front of the judge.
Willie Ford
Didn't enter my mind.
Ford's response to whether he noticed the glove size — reinforces that critical details went undocumented or unobserved by the videographer.

Evidence (3)

Informal
Ford's videotape of the Rockingham crime scene, including the area near the glove on the end table
discussed
Informal
The glove found at Rockingham — type, size, and location discussed
discussed
Informal
The socks found in the bedroom (photographed but not by Ford at the scene)
discussed

Notable Exchanges (3)

Christopher DardenWillie FordLance A. Ito
Darden attempts to establish that expensive crystal objects and a Tiffany lamp were adjacent to the glove, presumably to argue OJ's wealth or the careful staging of evidence. Ford says it was a 'pretty lamp' but can't identify it. Ito intervenes twice, first to mock Darden's lamp knowledge and then to personally close the inquiry with 'We will leave it at that.'
light/absurd
Christopher DardenLance A. Ito
Judge corrects Darden's count of how many times Ford said he didn't see the socks: 'That is 11.' Darden disputes: 'That is not 11, that is 21.'
light
Christopher DardenJohnnie Cochran
Darden closes with 'I will stop if he will stop' — a pointed reference to Cochran's objections throughout the recross.
tense/sniping

Light Moments (4)

Willie Ford
Ford describes an ornate lamp as simply 'pretty lamp' when Darden presses him on whether it was a Tiffany.
Lance A. Ito
Ito asks Darden point-blank 'Do you know anything about tiffany lamps, counsel?' after Darden fumbles the line of questioning.
Lance A. Ito
Judge resolves the lamp debate by personally ruling it 'looked like a nice lamp' and declaring 'We will leave it at that.'
Christopher Darden
Darden and the judge dispute the exact number of times Ford said he didn't see the socks — Darden insists it was 21, not 11.

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Willie Ford
omissions in documentation
Darden establishes a series of things Ford failed to videotape: the Rockingham glove, the socks, and the blood on the driveway — suggesting the crime scene documentation was incomplete.

Witness Demeanor

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

Objections

4 objections (2 sustained, 2 overruled)
Proceeding 6975 • 57 utterances • Defense witness
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 JUL 20, 1995 📄 Recross-examination of Willie
JUL 20, 1995 KRT DvH TD