📄 Scheduling and administrative matters — Monday, June 12, 1995
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▲ Day 93 of 167

Scheduling and administrative matters

Date: Monday, June 12, 1995 • Utterances: 57
A brief administrative session before resuming testimony, covering three scheduling matters: the prosecution announced it would drop Dr. Golden as a witness (saving 2-3 days of testimony), the court scheduled a discovery compliance hearing for June 23rd after Lewis pressed for faster action, and the parties discussed the upcoming witness order — likely Bodziak on shoeprints or Bloomingdale's witnesses on glove purchases. Judge Ito expressed hope the prosecution case might wrap up by month's end.
1 (Appearances as heretofore noted.)
2 (Janet M. Moxham, CSR no. 4855, official reporter.)
3 (Christine M. Olson, CSR no. 2378, official reporter.)
4 (The following proceedings were held in open court, out of the presence of the jury:)
5 THE COURT:

All right. Back on the record in the Simpson matter. Mr. Simpson is again present before the Court with his counsel, Mr. Shapiro, Mr. Cochran. The People are represented by Mr. Kelberg and Mr. Lynch. Also present is Mr. Darden and Ms. Lewis.

6 MS. LEWIS:

Good afternoon, your Honor. Your Honor, I'm here just to ask the Court to set a date for a hearing on a discovery motion which I filed this morning. I faxed it to the Defense. I don't know if they have had an opportunity to read that fax. I have also left copies at counsel table for them. It is basically reiterating what we have gone through in the past. I also want to note, your Honor, that we were promised a report from Dr. Gerdes by what Mr. Blasier called the end of next week, which would have been last Friday. We still have not received that. We have not received one single report of an expert of theirs, so we would like this calendared as soon as possible to be heard. There are a couple of legal issues.

7 THE COURT:

All right. We do have two matters already set on the 16th, and Mrs. Robertson, do you want to refresh my recollection why we have June 21st circled?

8 (Discussion held off the record between the Court and the clerk.)
9 THE COURT:

All right. How about the 23rd at 1:30?

10 MR. COCHRAN:

May I say something just a moment? I have not seen the motion but I believe with regard to Dr. Gerdes, I know Mr. Blasier has requested that report. Mr. Blasier is back east and I want to make sure, so he will be handling that, and I'm sure the report will be here. But with regard to the discovery motion, the 23rd will probably be good enough for us.

11 THE COURT:

23rd at 1:30.

12 MS. LEWIS:

Your Honor, my only concern is that we are getting close to--we are not only beyond thirty days before trial, we are practically to the Defense case. Reciprocal discovery becomes meaningless given our lack of receipt of discovery from the Defense.

13 THE COURT:

Counsel, here is the thing. You filed the motion. They are entitled to ten day's notice.

14 MS. LEWIS:

I don't believe they are, your Honor. This is not a pretrial motion. This is a motion to get them to comply with orders of this Court.

15 THE COURT:

You find me a court rule that says that any motion is exempt from the ten day notice and I will reconsider that.

16 MS. LEWIS:

I don't mean to be disrespectful to the Court. It is just that we are very eager for this information.

17 THE COURT:

I understand and I have expressed my concern as well.

18 MS. LEWIS:

Thank you, your Honor.

19 THE COURT:

23rd at 1:30. It is just that we have got so many other things that we would like to get to between now and then and we also have two other extensive motions set on the 16th.

20 MS. LEWIS:

Thank you, your Honor.

21 THE COURT:

Mr. Kelberg, are we ready to resume?

22 MR. KELBERG:

One brief comment for the record because I have already advised Mr. Shapiro and Dr. Wolf as it may affect her schedule. Over the weekend, and in consultation with my colleagues, I have decided that we will not call Dr. Golden, which has the ancillary benefit of providing me with an exit from the courtroom, not that I don't enjoy being down here with this Court and counsel, but I have other matters that I can attend to.

23 THE COURT:

Uh-huh.

24 MR. KELBERG:

But I may get out two or three days early, so I have made that determination. We didn't feel that the jury needed to have two or three days of wasted testimony, in our judgment, because all of the evidence that he could provide is provided by the witness now testifying. So we want to get the case to the jury and that is why we have made that decision. It is my decision ultimately, because I am the lawyer presenting this evidence, so if responsibility is to flow, it flows onto my shoulders.

25 THE COURT:

All right.

26 MR. KELBERG:

Again, we have advised counsel.

27 THE COURT:

Have you given Mr. Cochran and Mr. Shapiro any head's up as to who will be coming then after Dr. Lakshmanan?

28 MR. KELBERG:

Yes. My understanding is that Mr. Bodziak from the FBI concerning shoeprint evidence would be our next witness, presented, I believe, by Mr. Goldman.

29 THE COURT:

Okay. Good afternoon, Mr. Darden.

30 MR. DARDEN:

Good afternoon. I can add this. Mr. Bodziak may not be ready to go immediately after the Coroner. In the event that that is the case, we will call the witnesses relative to the purchase of the gloves at Bloomingdales. That would consist of approximately five witnesses. Counsel has discovery, so they should be ready.

31 THE COURT:

So either the gloves or the shoeprints?

32 MR. COCHRAN:

Yes. With regard to those witnesses--

33 THE COURT:

Excuse me, Mr. Cochran. While I'm still thinking about it, when will Mr. Bodziak be available?

34 MR. DARDEN:

I'm not sure. That will be Miss Clark's witness. It is not just a matter of him being available or being ready as well. We have changed the schedule, the witness schedule, drastically.

35 THE COURT:

Apparently. All right. So we may finish with the Prosecution case this month?

36 MR. DARDEN:

We may.

37 THE COURT:

All right. That would thrill me to death. Mr. Cochran.

38 MR. COCHRAN:

Thrill all of us, your Honor. With regard to the witness that he is talking about with regard to Bloomingdales, I have previously said with Prosecution if we can arrange to meet with the lawyers for the Defense meeting with the lawyers from the Prosecution, because we could save some time as we go over that, so I will try to carve out some time with Mr. Darden with regard to each of these witnesses and see if we can reach--

39 (Discussion held off the record between Deputy District Attorney and Defense counsel.)
40 THE COURT:

Before we get started, Mr. Kelberg, can I ask you to rescue your materials from the railing.

41 MR. KELBERG:

I'm sorry, your Honor. I apologize.

42 MR. SHAPIRO:

Your Honor, one final matter regarding the testimony of Dr. Golden. We would ask the Court to request of Mr. Kelberg that we would like to subpoena Dr. Golden and ask his assistance in that regard and have him here for the beginning of our case in July as our witness.

43 MR. KELBERG:

Your Honor--

44 THE COURT:

Shouldn't be a problem.

45 MR. KELBERG:

--Dr. Golden works every working day. He does not take sick days, as I understand it. His office is very close by. I would anticipate no difficulty. I don't know of any vacation schedule that he may have, but I would anticipate absolutely no difficulty--

46 THE COURT:

Mr. Kelberg, if you would then, after our first break, why don't you talk to Dr. Lakshmanan, make sure that Mr. Golden is available first half of July.

47 MR. KELBERG:

Very well, your Honor.

48 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you very much, your Honor.

49 THE COURT:

I'm sure we can do that informally. All right. Deputy Magnera, let's have the jurors, please.

50 MS. LEWIS:

Your Honor, just briefly, this Friday the two motions that are going to be heard, the first one concerns allegations with regard to jurors. What is the other one?

51 THE COURT:

I also have a 1026 proceeding on another case.

52 MS. LEWIS:

Oh, I see.

53 THE COURT:

A restoration of sanity after a second degree murder.

54 MS. LEWIS:

Mary Ganahl I think is handling that?

55 THE COURT:

Yes, yes.

56 (Brief pause.)
57 THE COURT:

Mr. Fairtlough is back today and Miss Carter is off the hook.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Brian Kelberg
We didn't feel that the jury needed to have two or three days of wasted testimony, in our judgment, because all of the evidence that he could provide is provided by the witness now testifying.
Prosecution drops Dr. Golden, trimming the trial schedule and signaling confidence that Dr. Lakshmanan's testimony covers the same ground.
Lance A. Ito
So we may finish with the Prosecution case this month? All right. That would thrill me to death.
Ito's impatience with the pace of the trial is openly on display — a rare moment of candor from the bench.
Cheri Lewis
Reciprocal discovery becomes meaningless given our lack of receipt of discovery from the Defense.
The prosecution puts on record its frustration that the defense has not produced a single expert report despite being past thirty days before trial.

Notable Exchanges (2)

Cheri LewisLance A. Ito
Lewis pushed for an earlier hearing on the discovery compliance motion, arguing the ten-day notice rule shouldn't apply to a motion to enforce existing court orders. Ito held firm, telling her to find a court rule exempting the motion from notice requirements before he would reconsider.
tense
Robert ShapiroBrian KelbergLance A. Ito
With Golden dropped by the prosecution, Shapiro asked to subpoena him for the defense case in July. Kelberg raised no objection and Ito resolved it informally, asking Kelberg to confirm Golden's availability through Dr. Lakshmanan.
cooperative

Light Moments (3)

Brian Kelberg
Kelberg noted dropping Dr. Golden had 'the ancillary benefit of providing me with an exit from the courtroom, not that I don't enjoy being down here with this Court and counsel, but I have other matters I can attend to.'
Lance A. Ito
Ito told Kelberg to 'rescue your materials from the railing' before resuming — a small housekeeping reminder mid-session.
Johnnie Cochran
Cochran agreed with Ito's enthusiasm about finishing the prosecution case: 'Thrill all of us, your Honor.'

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 6341 • 57 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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📂 JUN 12, 1995 📄 Scheduling and administrative
JUN 12, 1995 KRT DvH TD