Direct examination of Rosa Maria Lopez (part 2)

📄 Direct examination of Rosa Maria Lopez (part 2) — Thursday, March 2, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\2\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-ROSA-MAR.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 29 of 167

◀ Sidebar: Sylvia witness disclosure Cross-examination of Rosa Maria Lopez (part 1) ▶

Witness: Rosa Lopez
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Defense • Date: Thursday, March 2, 1995 • Utterances: 22

Cochran wraps up his direct examination of Rosa Lopez by preemptively addressing potential bias — establishing she received no payment for her testimony, though she did receive unsolicited donations from the public across the country and clothing and flowers from her attorneys. The entire examination takes only a few exchanges before Cochran passes the witness.

# 1 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD IN OPEN COURT:)

# 2 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. MR. COCHRAN, YOU MAY CONTINUE.

# 3 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU VERY KINDLY, YOUR HONOR.

# 4 Q:

NOW, MISS LOPEZ, HAVE YOU BEEN PROMISED ANYTHING AT ALL OF A MONETARY NATURE FOR YOUR TESTIMONY HERE?

# 5 A:

NO, SIR.

# 6 Q:

HAVE YOU EVER -- HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM ANY PERSON FOR YOUR TESTIMONY HERE AND ON LAST TUESDAY?

# 7 A:

NO, SIR.

# 8 Q:

HAVE YOU RECEIVED, HOWEVER, SOME FUNDS IN THE MAIL AND THROUGH WESTERN UNION FROM OTHER PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES SINCE YOU TESTIFIED LAST FRIDAY?

# 9 MR. DARDEN:

OBJECTION, IRRELEVANT.

# 10 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 11 ROSA LOPEZ:

YES, SIR.

# 12 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: HAVE YOU ALSO RECEIVED SOME FUNDS AND SOME HELP FROM YOUR LAWYER, MR. JONES, AND MISS HAMBURGER?

# 13 THE INTERPRETER:

I'M SORRY, MR. COCHRAN, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT QUESTION, PLEASE?

# 14 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: FROM MR. CARL JONES AND FROM MISS MAYA HAMBURGER?

# 15 A:

SHE HAS PURCHASED MY CLOTHES.

KEY QUOTE

# 16 Q:

HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THAT?

# 17 A:

FLOWERS.

# 18 Q:

AND WHO DID YOU GET THE FLOWERS FROM?

# 19 A:

MANY PEOPLE. I DON'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW.

# 20 Q:

THEY WERE NOT FROM YOUR LAWYERS; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 21 A:

NO, NO.

# 22 MR. COCHRAN:

VERY WELL. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER AT THIS POINT, YOUR HONOR. THANK YOU.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Rosa Lopez

SHE HAS PURCHASED MY CLOTHES.

Lopez discloses that her attorney Maya Hamburger bought her clothes — a detail Cochran surfaces himself to defuse any cross-examination about improper gifts or coaching.

Rosa Lopez

FLOWERS.

A disarmingly simple answer that reveals Lopez received gifts from many unknown supporters, underscoring her public profile as a high-profile witness.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Johnnie Cochran•Christopher Darden

Darden objects as irrelevant when Cochran asks about funds Lopez received from members of the public after her testimony. The objection is overruled, allowing Cochran to establish that public sympathy — not defense money — explains any financial support she received.

strategic

Light Moments (1)

Rosa Lopez

Lopez's one-word answer 'FLOWERS' when asked what else she received lands with a certain guileless charm given the weight of the proceedings.

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Rosa Lopez

preemptive disclosure of gifts/bias

Cochran proactively elicits testimony about clothing purchased by her attorney and unsolicited donations from the public, inoculating the jury against a future cross-examination attack suggesting she was compensated for favorable testimony.

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 5121 • 22 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103