📄 Sidebar: demonstration authorization — Wednesday, June 21, 1995
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Sidebar: demonstration authorization

Date: Wednesday, June 21, 1995 • Utterances: 27
At sidebar in the civil trial, Cochran renewed his objection to the glove demonstration, arguing that the pristine gloves were not substantially similar to the crime scene gloves because of size variation within extra-large gloves and the degraded condition of the Bundy glove. Judge Ito overruled the objection, then resolved a dispute about which pair of gloves to use by designating the court's pristine pair (People's 401) for the demonstration.
1 (The following proceedings were held at the bench:)
2 THE COURT:

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

3 MR. COCHRAN:

You just said that once you gave me the voir dire opportunity that I could renew my objection. And just that the last question I asked, you know, I just fail to see, if they still want to go forward with it, how this becomes relevant. And I would just like to briefly state it, your Honor, if your Honor would allow me, that there are three different sizes within the extra large.

4 THE COURT:

I heard the testimony.

5 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay.

6 THE COURT:

I heard the testimony.

7 MR. COCHRAN:

That fits 99.5 percent and that he has already told your Honor, that the left glove, the Bundy glove, is down to almost a large size. I mean, there is a significant difference, for whatever reason, with regard to the gloves here, and so I think under the substantial similarity test you laid out the ground rules, but I would just renew my objection. But I don't think it is fair and that is the whole issue. I don't think it is a fair test, but we will see.

8 THE COURT:

Mr. Darden.

9 MR. DARDEN:

Well, obviously the test is substantial similarity and I think the bottom line question is whether or not those gloves could have been worn by the Defendant, okay? Excuse me. Obviously they are extra large gloves. Obviously the Defendant's blood and the victim's blood are on those gloves and obviously those gloves were transported to the murder scene and they were used on the commission of that murder, okay? So obviously those gloves were used during the commission of the murder. They are both extra larges, that is the crime scene gloves and the gloves that we have here, and in fact these gloves may be a little smaller than those were originally. They may not be the exact same size, but that isn't the test, and the fact that they are not perfect extra larges, then that is to the Defendant's benefit. But in any event, we have clearly met our burden in terms of substantial similarity and I don't know why Mr. Cochran is so afraid to have this man put these gloves on. At some point we are going to have a picture of him with the gloves on, so hey, you know, why we are burning up all this paper?

10 THE COURT:

All right.

11 MR. COCHRAN:

I don't want to engage in anything of a personal nature. I'm just doing the best job I can for my client. All I'm saying, and counsel misses the point, last week I invited them and said that is precisely what you said, to put the gloves on. We saw what happened. What I'm talking about now is this example. What he misses is this demonstration here I'm saying is not substantial similarity, doesn't make any difference that 99.5 percent of all men in America could wear those pristine gloves there that are extra large no matter what size. That is the question. That is the relevant question. And so I don't think it makes any difference regarding, your Honor, the condition of the gloves in this case and that was the point I was making.

12 THE COURT:

All right.

13 MR. DARDEN:

I have an additional question.

14 THE COURT:

What is that?

15 MR. DARDEN:

Well, do you want to rule on the objection and then I can make--

16 THE COURT:

All right. I'm going to overrule the objection. I will allow the trying on of the gloves.

17 MR. DARDEN:

Okay. Given that Mr. Cochran has pointed out that there is variance within the extra large gloves, I would ask that the Court instruct Mr. Cochran to surrender his pairs and I will surrender my pristine pair and let's have him try on all three.

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

These gloves--my objection is as we said before, these gloves--first of all, your Honor--well, obviously we will abide by whatever you say, but this is becoming close to silly just for them to redeem and recoup and they are not going to be able to recoup because this is not the same test. And the purpose for the pristine gloves which you asked us about which we complied and we didn't--we had people putting their hands in his gloves and I don't know what they have done and we have tried our gloves on also and that is unfair.

20 MR. DARDEN:

I made the representation about the gloves. Why are you so afraid?

21 MR. COCHRAN:

I am not afraid of anything.

22 MR. DARDEN:

We have a pristine pair of gloves.

23 THE COURT:

Well, the Court has a pristine pair of gloves which is now People's 401. The jury has heard Mr. Rubin's testimony and description of that and I will allow the use of that pair of gloves.

24 MR. COCHRAN:

This pair?

25 THE COURT:

This pair.

26 MR. COCHRAN:

Thank you, your Honor.

27 THE COURT:

All right.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

Johnnie Cochran
I don't think it is a fair test, but we will see.
Cochran signals he believes the demonstration is rigged against his client but concedes he cannot stop it — setting up the defense narrative regardless of outcome.
Christopher Darden
Obviously the Defendant's blood and the victim's blood are on those gloves and obviously those gloves were transported to the murder scene and they were used on the commission of that murder, okay?
Darden ties the gloves directly to guilt, arguing the substantial similarity standard is clearly met and the demonstration is just confirmation.
Christopher Darden
I don't know why Mr. Cochran is so afraid to have this man put these gloves on.
Provocative framing — Darden accuses Cochran of fearing the outcome, echoing criminal trial dynamics.
Johnnie Cochran
What I'm talking about now is this example. What he misses is this demonstration here I'm saying is not substantial similarity, doesn't make any difference that 99.5 percent of all men in America could wear those pristine gloves there.
Core defense argument: even if OJ can wear extra-large gloves, that proves nothing about whether he wore these specific gloves.

Evidence (2)

People's 401
Pristine pair of Aris Isotoner extra-large gloves, same model as crime scene gloves
Designated by Judge Ito as the gloves to be used in the try-on demonstration
Informal
Bundy glove (left glove from crime scene), described as having shrunk to near large size
Referenced by Cochran to argue the crime scene gloves are not substantially similar to pristine pair

Notable Exchanges (3)

Christopher DardenJohnnie Cochran
Darden twice accuses Cochran of being 'afraid' to have Simpson try on the gloves; Cochran flatly denies it and pushes back on the characterization.
heated
Christopher DardenLance A. Ito
After the objection is overruled, Darden pivots immediately to request that all three available glove pairs be used — Cochran's, Darden's, and the court's — to account for size variance Cochran raised.
strategic
Lance A. ItoJohnnie Cochran
Ito cuts through the dispute by ruling the court's own pristine pair (People's 401) will be used, ending the argument cleanly.
procedural

Light Moments (1)

Johnnie Cochran
Cochran calls the escalating glove pair dispute 'close to silly' and accuses the prosecution of trying to 'redeem and recoup.'

Witness Demeanor

(Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)
Proceeding 6488 • 27 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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