📄 Sidebar: evidence objections — Monday, March 20, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\20\SIDEBAR-EVIDENCE-OBJECTIONS.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 41 of 167

Sidebar: evidence objections

Date: Monday, March 20, 1995 • Utterances: 20
A brief sidebar in the civil trial where Darden lodges preemptive objections to two pieces of potential defense evidence: items seized by Judge Wong and a search warrant offered by Detective Vannatter. Shapiro defuses both objections by confirming neither will be used in the current session. The sidebar briefly devolves into a procedural squabble between Cochran and Ito over courtroom decorum.
1 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD AT THE BENCH:)
2 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. WE ARE OVER AT THE SIDEBAR. MR. DARDEN.

3 MR. DARDEN:

I WANTED TO LODGE AN OBJECTION IN ADVANCE TO ANY ATTEMPT BY THE DEFENSE TO PRESENT TO THE JURY THE ITEMS SEIZED BY JUDGE WONG.

KEY QUOTE
4 MR. SHAPIRO:

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT.

5 THE COURT:

MR. SHAPIRO HAD INDICATED THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO USE ANY EXHIBITS FOR THIS SEGMENT. SO I ASSUME --

6 MR. SHAPIRO:

THAT'S CORRECT.

7 MR. DARDEN:

IN ADDITION, IN ADVANCE, I'D LIKE TO LODGE AN OBJECTION TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE SEARCH WARRANT THAT DETECTIVE VANNATTER OFFERED.

8 MR. SHAPIRO:

THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THIS SESSION EITHER. LET'S GO.

KEY QUOTE
9 MS. CLARK:

I THINK WE OUGHT TO ADDRESS IT AT SOME POINT BEFORE MR. SHAPIRO --

10 THE COURT:

ONE PERSON.

11 MR. DARDEN:

AT SOME POINT, WE OUGHT TO ADDRESS IT BEFORE MR. SHAPIRO ATTEMPTS TO PRESENT IT TO THE JURY.

12 MR. COCHRAN:

THEY SHOULD READ THE RULE --

13 THE COURT:

ONE PERSON.

14 MR. COCHRAN:

THIS IS ON ANOTHER MATTER. THEY'RE NOT STANDING UP WHEN THEY'RE OBJECTING.

KEY QUOTE
15 THE COURT:

NO. HE IS.

16 MR. COCHRAN:

HE DIDN'T.

17 THE COURT:

HE'S DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES.

18 MR. COCHRAN:

WELL --

19 MR. SHAPIRO:

CAN WE PROCEED, YOUR HONOR?

20 THE COURT:

LET'S PROCEED.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Christopher Darden
I WANTED TO LODGE AN OBJECTION IN ADVANCE TO ANY ATTEMPT BY THE DEFENSE TO PRESENT TO THE JURY THE ITEMS SEIZED BY JUDGE WONG.
Reveals prosecution concern about defense use of evidence from a separate judicial seizure — flagging a contested evidentiary battle before it begins.
Robert Shapiro
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THIS SESSION EITHER. LET'S GO.
Shapiro efficiently neutralizes both objections, keeping the trial moving and signaling the defense is managing its own timeline.
Johnnie Cochran
THIS IS ON ANOTHER MATTER. THEY'RE NOT STANDING UP WHEN THEY'RE OBJECTING.
Cochran uses a procedural complaint about courtroom decorum as a deflection tactic during an already-resolved sidebar.

Evidence (2)

Informal
Items seized by Judge Wong
challenged preemptively by prosecution
Informal
Search warrant offered by Detective Vannatter
challenged preemptively by prosecution

Notable Exchanges (1)

Johnnie CochranLance A. Ito
Cochran complains prosecution attorneys are not standing when objecting; Ito pushes back and says they are, leading to a brief back-and-forth before Shapiro redirects everyone.
petty/strategic

Light Moments (1)

Robert Shapiro
Shapiro cuts off all argument with 'THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THIS SESSION EITHER. LET'S GO.' — deflating both Darden's objections instantly.

Objections

2 objections (0 sustained, 0 overruled)
Proceeding 5330 • 20 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 MAR 20, 1995 📄 Sidebar: evidence objections
MAR 20, 1995 KRT DvH TD