📄 Sidebar: presentation objections — Thursday, July 6, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\6\SIDEBAR-PRESENTATION-OBJECTION.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 109 of 167

Sidebar: presentation objections

Date: Thursday, July 6, 1995 • Utterances: 18
Defense counsel Bailey raised a sidebar to get a ruling on one disputed slide in Blasier's presentation. The slide stated 'No hair consistent with O.J. Simpson on Rockingham glove.' Clark objected that this was misleading because hairs of black origin — which include Simpson — were found on the glove, even if not formally 'consistent' under FBI examiner terminology. Ito overruled the objection, allowing the slide.
1 (The following proceedings were held at the bench:)
2 THE COURT:

All right. We are over at the side bar. Mr. Bailey.

3 MR. BAILEY:

Mr. Blasier prepared a very short slide presentation as he used in cross-examining with one of his prior witnesses, and we showed it to Miss Clark. There is one objection that she has that we need your Honor to rule on.

4 THE COURT:

All right.

5 MR. BAILEY:

I don't believe any of these were the subject of objection, but down here, (Indicating).

6 MS. CLARK:

This one, Lee.

7 MR. BAILEY:

"No hair consistent with O.J. Simpson on Rockingham glove."

8 MS. CLARK:

There is two problems with it. In the Rockingham glove you have limb hair of black origin, which obviously includes Mr. Simpson. You also have a head hair that is of black origin but was not suitable for further comparison. But the racial conclusions are clear. Those are substantiated. So both include Mr. Simpson, so that is misleading and incorrect, misstates the testimony basically because there is hair consistent with him. Now, it is not on the level of the usual hair examiner terminology, which uses "Consistent" as their means of identification, but it is misleading to a jury who doesn't--are not that facile with the significance of the use of the term "Consistent." So I would ask that that entry be stricken and the rest of it is fine.

9 MR. BAILEY:

If it please the Court, the Prosecution defined three possible findings with respect to hairs which came right out of the FBI book; "Consistent with," "Different than" and "Inconclusive." There are no hairs on the glove identified as "Consistent with" Mr. Simpson as that term has been used here. "Inconclusive" doesn't count for anything. And the mere fact that it is a black limb hair, when they never drew any of his, or a fragment too small, doesn't put it in the "Consistent" category. All we are saying that is none of the hairs of the type found on the cap deem consistent were found on the glove and that is his testimony.

10 THE COURT:

All right. Any other comment?

11 MS. CLARK:

Just that it is misleading and confusing as phrased. If it is deleted, counsel can certainly ask the questions on cross-examination to elicit the fact that nothing was positively linked to Mr. Simpson, but to put it up on a screen as though there was nothing found that included Mr. Simpson is false and it is in derogation of the testimony given.

12 THE COURT:

All right.

13 MS. CLARK:

To the contrary.

14 MR. BAILEY:

That is for redirect.

15 THE COURT:

The objection is overruled.

16 MR. COCHRAN:

May we have just a second, Judge, to make sure we have covered everything so that we don't have to come back up here? Can we have just a second?

17 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)
18 MR. COCHRAN:

Thank you, your Honor. I think that is all.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (3)

Marcia Clark
In the Rockingham glove you have limb hair of black origin, which obviously includes Mr. Simpson. You also have a head hair that is of black origin but was not suitable for further comparison.
Clark reveals the prosecution's counterargument — that racial classification of the hairs implicated Simpson even without a formal 'consistent with' finding.
F. Lee Bailey
The Prosecution defined three possible findings with respect to hairs which came right out of the FBI book; 'Consistent with,' 'Different than' and 'Inconclusive.' There are no hairs on the glove identified as 'Consistent with' Mr. Simpson as that term has been used here.
Bailey anchors the defense position in the prosecution's own framework, turning the technical FBI terminology against Clark's objection.
Marcia Clark
To put it up on a screen as though there was nothing found that included Mr. Simpson is false and it is in derogation of the testimony given.
Clark frames the slide not merely as misleading but as factually false — a stronger objection than ambiguity alone.

Evidence (1)

Informal
Rockingham glove — hair evidence, specifically limb hair of black origin and an inconclusive head hair fragment
discussed in context of slide presentation accuracy

Notable Exchanges (1)

Marcia ClarkF. Lee Bailey
Dispute over whether 'no hair consistent with OJ Simpson' was accurate given FBI hair examiner terminology vs. racial classification of found hairs. Bailey used the prosecution's own three-category FBI framework to rebut Clark's objection.
strategic

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)
Proceeding 6651 • 18 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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📂 JUL 6, 1995 📄 Sidebar: presentation objectio
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