📄 Direct examination of Douglas Deedrick (part 5) — Wednesday, July 5, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\5\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-DOUGLAS-.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 108 of 167

Direct examination of Douglas Deedrick (part 5)

Witness: Douglas Deedrick
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, July 5, 1995 • Utterances: 57
FBI hair and fiber expert Douglas Deedrick testified about blue-black cotton fibers found on three pieces of evidence: OJ Simpson's socks, the Rockingham glove, and Ron Goldman's shirt. Clark attempted to get Deedrick to opine that all three items had contact with the same garment — likely a dark sweatsuit worn by the defendant — but was repeatedly shut down by sustained objections until she finally got the key opinion through.
1 MS. CLARK:

Mr. Escobar is assisting me. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

2 MS. CLARK:

Now, sir, we spoke earlier about it being common to find fibers of one item of clothing on another item of clothing worn at the same time by the same person. Do you recall that?

3 MR. DEEDRICK:

I do.

4 MS. CLARK:

And I think you discussed it in the context of having found fibers from Ron Goldman's shirt or fibers consistent with Ron Goldman's shirt on his jeans.

5 MR. DEEDRICK:

Right.

6 MS. CLARK:

Okay. The blue black cotton fiber that you have just described as having been found on the Defendant's socks, what reasonably logically can you infer about how that fiber came to be transferred onto the Defendant's socks, based on your expertise?

7 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation.

8 THE COURT:

Sustained.

9 MS. CLARK:

All right. Is the finding of the blue black cotton fiber you found on the Defendant's socks consistent with the Defendant having worn an item of clothing made of such blue black cotton fibers at the time he wore the socks?

10 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation.

11 THE COURT:

Overruled.

12 MR. DEEDRICK:

It is certainly not inconsistent with it. He could have come in contact with an outfit, that is how the fibers got there, or some other way.

13 MS. CLARK:

And what other way would that be?

14 MR. DEEDRICK:

Walked on the fiber.

15 MR. BAILEY:

Object, your Honor, speculation.

16 THE COURT:

Sustained.

17 MS. CLARK:

Okay.

18 MS. CLARK:

You also found the blue black cotton fibers on the Rockingham glove. Is that finding consistent with the Defendant having worn a dark--dark blue to black cotton sweatsuit at the time he wore that glove?

19 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation.

20 THE COURT:

Sustained.

21 MS. CLARK:

How many fibers of the blue black cotton fibers did you find on the Rockingham glove?

22 MR. DEEDRICK:

I don't recall. I believe there were several.

23 MS. CLARK:

And if the Defendant were wearing a dark blue black cotton sweatsuit at the time he wore the Rockingham glove, would that account for the transfer of those fibers, the blue black cotton fibers, onto that glove where you found them?

24 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation.

25 THE COURT:

Sustained.

26 MS. CLARK:

Is the finding of the blue black cotton fibers on the Rockingham glove consistent with the same phenomena you described earlier when you found--when you testified that you found fibers consistent with Ron Goldman's shirt on his jeans?

27 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation.

28 THE COURT:

Overruled.

29 MR. DEEDRICK:

No. That would be the same if you are assuming then that the individual who wore the gloves also had the dark sweatsuit on at the same time. The same principles are taking place, that is, in--in the process of wearing an item of clothing loose fibers are going to be present making contact with that item of clothing with the glove or whatever could result in a transfer, yes.

30 THE COURT:

All right. Counsel, I think we have gone over the manner in which fibers or hairs are transferred now about eight times.

KEY QUOTE
31 MS. CLARK:

Okay. Let me just ask you this then, sir:

32 MS. CLARK:

Given all that you have told us about fibers and the manner in which they are transferred and how easily they are moved and lost, what is the significance of your findings concerning the blue black cotton fibers which exhibit the same microscopic characteristics on three different pieces of evidence; one, at Rockingham, the Rockingham glove, Defendant's socks and Ron Goldman's shirt?

33 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation, compound.

34 THE COURT:

Sustained. He can form an opinion as to any possible relationship between the three.

35 MS. CLARK:

What, if any, opinion do you have concerning the significance of your finding the blue black cotton fiber on the Defendant's socks, on the Rockingham glove and on Ron Goldman's shirt?

36 MR. BAILEY:

Objection.

37 THE COURT:

Sustained. Rephrase the question. The issue is, is there a relationship between the three?

38 MS. CLARK:

I understand.

39 MS. CLARK:

What opinion, sir, do you have as to the relationship of the blue black cotton fibers you found on the Defendant's socks, the Rockingham glove and Ron Goldman's shirt?

40 MR. BAILEY:

Objection. It is for the jury.

41 THE COURT:

Overruled.

42 MR. DEEDRICK:

I had previously stated that persistence is a phenomena that is very important here as well as how fibers can be transferred. The fibers that you find on a particular item of clothing often reflect--reflect last contacts. If all three items have--have fibers that are alike microscopically, that would suggest that all three items had last physical contact with an item of clothing that had exactly the same fibers in it. It could be one item, I'm not saying it is, but it could be one item of clothing.

43 MS. CLARK:

And the blue black--how many blue black cotton fibers did you find on Ron Goldman's shirt?

44 MR. DEEDRICK:

There were more. There were a number of fibers. Again, I don't have an exact count on that. The population was greater.

45 MS. CLARK:

Does the presence of that number of fibers found on Ron Goldman's shirt indicate to you what--what does it indicate to you with respect to the manner in which it could have been transferred to that shirt?

46 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, speculation.

47 THE COURT:

Sustained.

48 MS. CLARK:

Does the number of those blue black cotton fibers found on Ron Goldman's shirt indicate there was some contact between Ron Goldman's shirt and someone wearing a fabric comprised of that kind of fiber?

49 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, leading.

50 THE COURT:

Leading, counsel.

51 MR. BAILEY:

Same question.

52 THE COURT:

We have established the transfer and all of that.

53 MS. CLARK:

Does the number of fibers found on Ron Goldman's shirt of the blue black cotton variety indicate anything of significance to you with respect to the nature of the contact that transferred them to his shirt?

54 MR. BAILEY:

Objection, same question.

55 THE COURT:

Overruled.

56 MR. DEEDRICK:

The more rigorous the contact, the longer the duration. The more forceful contact often results in greater fiber exchanges up to a certain number. Again, it just depends on the nature of the fibers. It depends on the nature of the contact, but the greater force, the more surface area coming into actual physical contact in the common sense kind of, but they show this through studies, that you will transfer more fibers that way. Just like if you walk through the mud, the more you walk through the mud, you get more mud on you. It is kind of all the same principle.

KEY QUOTE
57 MS. CLARK:

Thank you. I have nothing further.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Douglas Deedrick
If all three items have--have fibers that are alike microscopically, that would suggest that all three items had last physical contact with an item of clothing that had exactly the same fibers in it. It could be one item, I'm not saying it is, but it could be one item of clothing.
The culminating opinion Clark spent the entire examination trying to elicit — linking the socks, glove, and Goldman's shirt to a single garment potentially worn by the defendant.
Douglas Deedrick
The more rigorous the contact, the longer the duration. The more forceful contact often results in greater fiber exchanges... Just like if you walk through the mud, the more you walk through the mud, you get more mud on you.
Deedrick implies the number of fibers on Goldman's shirt reflects forceful, prolonged contact — consistent with a struggle.
Lance A. Ito
All right. Counsel, I think we have gone over the manner in which fibers or hairs are transferred now about eight times.
Ito's exasperation with Clark's repetitive questioning — a notable moment of judicial frustration that also signals how hard Clark was working to get a clean answer into the record.

Evidence (4)

Informal
Defendant's socks — blue-black cotton fibers found on them
discussed
Informal
Rockingham glove — blue-black cotton fibers found on it
discussed
Informal
Ron Goldman's shirt — blue-black cotton fibers found, described as greater in number than on other items
discussed
Informal
Ron Goldman's jeans — previously used as example of same-garment fiber transfer (Goldman's shirt fibers found on his own jeans)
referenced for analogy

Notable Exchanges (2)

Marcia ClarkF. Lee BaileyLance A. Ito
Clark attempted five successive variations of the same question — asking Deedrick to opine that the blue-black cotton fibers on all three items came from the same garment. Bailey objected as speculation each time; Ito sustained most of them, intervened to reframe the permissible question, and finally allowed the answer when Clark asked about 'relationship' rather than causation.
strategic/grinding
Lance A. ItoMarcia Clark
Ito broke in to note the fiber transfer mechanism had been covered 'about eight times,' then stepped in to reframe the permissible question for Clark himself — effectively coaching the prosecution on how to get the answer in.
impatient/pragmatic

Light Moments (1)

Lance A. Ito
Ito's dry observation that fiber transfer had been explained 'about eight times' drew an implicit acknowledgment from Clark ('Okay. Let me just ask you this then') — a rare moment of levity in an otherwise grinding exchange.

Objections

13 objections (8 sustained, 3 overruled)
Proceeding 6642 • 57 utterances • Prosecution witness
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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📂 JUL 5, 1995 📄 Direct examination of Douglas
JUL 5, 1995 KRT DvH TD