📄 Sidebar: expert witness scheduling — Thursday, July 20, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\20\SIDEBAR-EXPERT-WITNESS-SCHEDUL.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 119 of 167

Sidebar: expert witness scheduling

Date: Thursday, July 20, 1995 • Utterances: 39
A bench sidebar covers two issues: Cochran reads Dennis Fung testimony into the record to establish a timeline for the socks collection (between 4:30–4:40 AM), and the parties dispute scheduling for Dr. Rieders, a defense expert with a heart condition and travel commitments. The sidebar ends with Clark requesting a jury admonition after a defense witness, Meraz, admitted to watching television in violation of the court's order.
1 (The following proceedings were held at the bench:)
2 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, I asked Mr. Blasier to pull this up. I will read this for the record as an offer of proof. "Question by Mr. Goldberg: In this case I take it that the number in the photograph also corresponds to the number--to the item number that was eventually assigned; is that correct. "Answer: Yes. "Question: Approximately what time was item no. 12 collected?" Item no. 12, your Honor, is the blood spots in the foyer. "Answer: That was collected at approximately 4:30. "Question: All right. Now, after collecting item no. 12 did you go upstairs in the location? "Answer: Yes, I did. "Question: Do you recall what was the next item of evidence that you collected? "Answer: The next item was a pair of socks in the master bedroom." So your Honor, the testimony, so that it is clear--I didn't have Dennis Fung before. That Dennis Fung said he went upstairs after collecting the items downstairs. They collected the items downstairs in the foyer at 4:30 and so we know also from the log--

3 THE COURT:

Uh-huh.

4 MR. COCHRAN:

--that the spots or whatever in the bathroom were collected at 4:40. The socks were collected between 4:30 and 4:40. Take that along with the testimony of Mazzola things were logged sequentially at the time they happened, with the exception of the 15 and 16, the things that were outside, the tags or whatever--

5 THE COURT:

Uh-huh.

6 MR. COCHRAN:

--I have a good faith to ask him if Dennis Fung indicated he went upstairs and collected the socks after 4:30 would he be wrong or not telling the truth?

KEY QUOTE
7 THE COURT:

I will sustain the objection as being argumentative. That is argumentative, counsel. That is argument.

8 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. While we are up here, on scheduling, I asked Bob to come up for two reasons because we don't want to have any delays in this case so can we shift gears. I'm almost finished. Can we shift gears now with regard to the witnesses? He has argued it so I will ask you to listen to him on scheduling so we can move forward on this case.

9 MR. BLASIER:

Dr. Rieders has a medical--he has a heart problem. He was hospitalized recently. He has a medical appointment next Wednesday. He is leaving for Vienna the following Monday. He can come back this Monday. I will--I told Lisa Kahn, who I'm dealing with on this issue, that I would make him available to talk to her right now with Agent Martz. They will know what the issues are. They can prepare. They will have all the time until Monday to prepare and we will call him Monday and we will call Martz after.

10 MS. CLARK:

That doesn't give us nearly enough time.

11 MR. BLASIER:

Lisa Kahn told me last night that Miss Clark was very well aware of the issues, was really prepared on that.

12 MS. CLARK:

That is the biggest bald face lie we have heard yet in this case. Miss Kahn cannot make that representation; it is not true.

KEY QUOTE
13 THE COURT:

Miss Clark.

14 MS. CLARK:

I am not prepared for Dr. Rieders, your Honor.

15 THE COURT:

I don't need the characterization as people lying and that sort of thing. I don't think that is appropriate. Let's see. Today is the 20th. If he has to leave on the--

KEY QUOTE
16 MR. BLASIER:

He has to leave on Tuesday to get back for his medical appointment on Wednesday.

17 THE COURT:

And then he is leaving for where?

18 MR. BLASIER:

Vienna the following Monday for a week, but we should be done by then.

19 MS. CLARK:

I can't imagine how you guys are going to be done by then, given the number of witnesses.

20 MR. BLASIER:

Well, that is what we want to do.

21 THE COURT:

They may be short witnesses or no witnesses.

22 MS. CLARK:

Yeah.

23 MS. CLARK:

I would only ask that the Court require the testimony to come at the end of the case, whenever that is, and that would probably be when he will be back from Vienna.

24 MR. COCHRAN:

Can I comment on that, your Honor? I don't think so. And the Court is aware--

25 THE COURT:

Let's do this. Let's do this. Give me a copy of the report. I will look at it and see how complex it is and we will see--

26 MS. CLARK:

The problem is--

27 MR. COCHRAN:

Today?

28 THE COURT:

Yes.

29 MS. CLARK:

I should give the Court then also Agent Martz' reports because Dr. Rieders' report is short and it is obviously a lot less than he is prepared to testify to.

30 THE COURT:

Give me both of these things and I will look at them over the noon hour.

31 MR. COCHRAN:

The reason I'm bringing this up, we are trying not to run out of witnesses. Make sure Mulldorfer is here.

32 MR. DARDEN:

These are your witnesses. You make sure they are here. I can't police them for you and make sure they don't watch TV I'm not accepting that responsibility.

KEY QUOTE
33 MR. COCHRAN:

Let me also bring up--

34 MR. DARDEN:

So I'm going to please ask Mr.--

35 THE COURT:

I'm sure that will come out on cross-examination.

36 MR. COCHRAN:

That is the violation of your order up in their office.

37 THE COURT:

This guy is on the line, whether or not he is one of the witnesses that is included here.

38 MR. COCHRAN:

On the line, your Honor?

39 MS. CLARK:

Let me remind counsel while we are here that Mr. Meraz admitted watching television. I'm going to ask for a jury admonition concerning his testimony and his credibility as a result of that, not to mention other witnesses that I know will be called.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

Marcia Clark
That is the biggest bald face lie we have heard yet in this case. Miss Kahn cannot make that representation; it is not true.
Clark's explosive denial of Blasier's claim that she was 'very well aware of the issues' and prepared for Dr. Rieders — drawing an immediate judicial rebuke.
Lance A. Ito
I don't need the characterization as people lying and that sort of thing. I don't think that is appropriate.
Ito shuts down Clark's rhetoric, illustrating his tight control over courtroom decorum.
Johnnie Cochran
I have a good faith to ask him if Dennis Fung indicated he went upstairs and collected the socks after 4:30 would he be wrong or not telling the truth?
The core of Cochran's offer of proof — using Fung's own prior testimony to challenge the socks collection timeline and imply fabrication.
Christopher Darden
These are your witnesses. You make sure they are here. I can't police them for you and make sure they don't watch TV. I'm not accepting that responsibility.
Darden draws a sharp line on responsibility for defense witness misconduct, anticipating the TV-watching issue Clark then raises formally.

Evidence (3)

Informal
Prior testimony of Dennis Fung (from Goldberg examination) regarding collection of item no. 12 (blood spots in foyer) at approximately 4:30 AM and subsequent collection of socks in the master bedroom
read into record as offer of proof
Informal
Dr. Rieders' expert report
requested by court for review over noon recess
Informal
Agent Martz's reports
Clark offers to provide alongside Rieders' report for court review

Notable Exchanges (3)

Robert BlasierMarcia Clark
Blasier claims Lisa Kahn told him Clark was 'very well aware of the issues' and prepared for Dr. Rieders; Clark flatly calls it 'the biggest bald face lie' in the case and insists she is not prepared.
heated
Marcia ClarkChristopher DardenJohnnie Cochran
Clark reveals that defense witness Meraz admitted watching television in violation of a court sequestration order; Clark requests a jury admonition on his credibility. Darden refuses responsibility for policing defense witnesses.
strategic
Lance A. ItoRobert Blasier
Scheduling negotiation over Dr. Rieders: hospitalized recently, medical appointment Wednesday, departing for Vienna the following Monday. Court agrees to review reports over lunch before ruling.
procedural

Credibility Attacks (2)

⚔ Meraz (defense witness)
misconduct / violation of court order
Clark discloses Meraz admitted watching television in violation of the court's sequestration order and requests a jury admonition regarding his credibility.
⚔ Dennis Fung
prior inconsistent statement / timeline contradiction
Cochran uses Fung's own prior testimony to argue the socks were collected between 4:30–4:40 AM, framing any deviation from that timeline as Fung being 'wrong or not telling the truth.'

Objections

1 objections (1 sustained, 0 overruled)
Proceeding 6969 • 39 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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