Cross-examination of Allan Park (part 3)

📄 Cross-examination of Allan Park (part 3) — Wednesday, March 29, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\29\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-ALLAN-PAR.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 47 of 167

◀ Jury management Redirect examination of Allan Park ▶

Witness: Allan Park
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, March 29, 1995 • Utterances: 59

Johnnie Cochran cross-examines limousine driver Allan Park about the physical layout of the Rockingham gate driveway, focusing on whether one or two cars were parked there and whether the 28-foot stretch limo could maneuver around them. Cochran also establishes that Park had reviewed a prosecution photograph (People's 136) in Marcia Clark's office before testifying, and that Park himself directed officers Tippin and Carr to search the interior of the limousine on June 15th.

# 1 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. BE SEATED. MR. PARK, WOULD YOU RESUME THE WITNESS STAND, PLEASE.

# 2 (BRIEF PAUSE.)

# 3 THE COURT:

LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN REJOINED BY ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR JURY PANEL. GOOD MORNING AGAIN, MR. PARK. YOU ARE REMINDED YOU ARE STILL UNDER OATH. MR. COCHRAN, YOU MAY CONTINUE.

# 4 MR. COCHRAN:

YOUR HONOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

# 5 Q:

MR. PARK, YOU DESCRIBED FOR US BRIEFLY YESTERDAY THE STRETCH LIMO. HOW LONG IS THAT STRETCH LIMO, SIR, IF YOU RECALL?

# 6 A:

UMM, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT LENGTH. IT IS, I WOULD SAY, APPROXIMATELY 28 FEET.

# 7 Q:

AND IT DOES REQUIRE SOME MANEUVERING WHEN YOU ARE TURNING IT, DOES IT NOT?

# 8 A:

YES.

# 9 Q:

I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT A PHOTOGRAPH AND I WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PHOTOGRAPH. MAY WE SEE I THINK IT IS PEOPLE'S 136. THANK YOU. CAN YOU SEE PEOPLE'S 136 FOR IDENTIFICATION THERE?

# 10 A:

YES.

# 11 Q:

BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THAT PARTICULAR PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE?

# 12 A:

YES, I HAVE.

# 13 Q:

AND COULD YOU HAVE SEEN THAT PHOTOGRAPH IN MISS CLARK'S OFFICE?

# 14 A:

YES.

# 15 Q:

LAST FRIDAY?

# 16 A:

POSSIBLY, YES.

# 17 Q:

AND WE HAVE ALREADY COVERED THE FACT THAT YOU ARE CLEAR ABOUT THE BENTLEY, BUT NOT SO CLEAR ABOUT THE CAR BEHIND, RIGHT?

# 18 A:

CORRECT.

# 19 Q:

AND DOES THAT PHOTOGRAPH COMPORT WITH YOUR PRESENT RECOLLECTION OF HOW THE CARS WERE CONFIGURED THAT NIGHT WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING INTO THE ROCKINGHAM GATE?

# 20 A:

YES.

# 21 Q:

NOW, WITH REGARD TO THE STRETCH LIMO, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO COME OUT THE ROCKINGHAM GATE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME RIGHT DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THOSE TWO CARS DEPICTED IN PEOPLE'S 136 FOR IDENTIFICATION; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 22 A:

YES.

# 23 Q:

AND DO YOU KNOW, AS YOU LOOK AT THAT PHOTOGRAPH, IN RECALLING THAT PARTICULAR DRIVEWAY, WHETHER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO MANEUVER THAT STRETCH LIMOUSINE AROUND TWO CARS AS THEY ARE PARKED AND CONFIGURED THERE?

# 24 A:

I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT.

# 25 Q:

YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, DO YOU?

# 26 A:

NO.

# 27 Q:

DO YOU AGREE IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER IF THAT SECOND CAR WASN'T THERE, TO GET OUT OF THAT DRIVEWAY; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?

# 28 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION. CALLS FOR SPECULATION.

# 29 THE COURT:

OVERRULED. CAN YOU TELL FROM THAT PICTURE?

# 30 ALLAN PARK:

NO.

# 31 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS WAY: WITH REGARD TO THE WAY THE CARS APPEAR THERE, YOU CAN'T TELL WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO MANEUVER THE STRETCH LIMOUSINE AROUND THEM; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?

# 32 A:

FROM THAT PICTURE, NO.

# 33 Q:

HOWEVER, YOU WOULD AGREE, WOULD YOU NOT, THAT IF THERE WERE ONLY ONE VEHICLE THERE IT WOULD TEND TO BE EASIER TO GET AROUND THERE WHERE YOU HAVE TWO VEHICLES PARKED IN TANDEM; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?

# 34 A:

YES.

# 35 Q:

AS WE SIT HERE NOW, DOES THAT PHOTOGRAPH, PEOPLE'S 136, IN ANY WAY REFRESH YOUR RECOLLECTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WERE ONE OR TWO CARS THERE ON JUNE 12TH IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS?

# 36 A:

NO, IT DOESN'T.

# 37 Q:

OKAY. NOW, SIR, WITH REGARD TO THE STRETCH LIMOUSINE, YOU SPOKE WITH OFFICERS TIPPIN AND CARR ON OR ABOUT JUNE 15, 1994; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 38 A:

CORRECT.

# 39 Q:

AND YOU SPOKE TO THEM IN PERSON AND ALSO BY PHONE; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 40 A:

YES.

# 41 Q:

AND WHEN YOU SPOKE TO THEM IN PERSON WAS IT AT THE HARBOR DIVISION OF THE LAPD?

# 42 A:

YES, IT WAS.

# 43 Q:

ALL RIGHT. AND AFTER THEY TALKED TO YOU WERE YOU AWARE OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WENT AND LOOKED INSIDE THE REAR OF THIS -- THE STRETCH LIMOUSINE?

# 44 A:

YES. I -- I TOLD THEM THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA. IT HADN'T BEEN USED SINCE THAT NIGHT.

KEY QUOTE

# 45 Q:

SO THESE TWO OFFICERS, TIPPIN AND CARR, LOOKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE?

# 46 A:

YES.

# 47 Q:

ALL RIGHT. WERE WITH YOU THEM AT THAT POINT?

# 48 A:

NO.

# 49 Q:

ALL RIGHT. YOU TOLD THEM TO DO THAT, RIGHT?

# 50 A:

YES.

# 51 Q:

LASTLY, DID YOU HAVE ANY, AS YOU THINK BACK ON THAT NIGHT, WHEN YOU CAME OUT THE ROCKINGHAM GATE TO THEN GO UP TO SUNSET AND GO TO THE AIRPORT, DID YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE IN GETTING OUT OF THAT DRIVEWAY AND NEGOTIATING THE TURN FROM IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE TO GO OUT THE DRIVEWAY, IF YOU RECALL?

# 52 A:

NO, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE. I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING.

KEY QUOTE

# 53 Q:

WELL, THAT IS THE ULTIMATE TEST, ISN'T IT?

KEY QUOTE

# 54 A:

YES.

# 55 Q:

ALL RIGHT. BUT I WANT YOU TO THINK BACK FOR A MOMENT. DO YOU RECALL ANY PROBLEMS IN NEGOTIATING OR MANEUVERING?

# 56 A:

NO.

# 57 Q:

ALL RIGHT. YOU DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING?

# 58 A:

NO.

# 59 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER OF THIS WITNESS AT THIS POINT, YOUR HONOR.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Allan Park

NO, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE. I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING.

Park's direct answer undercuts any defense suggestion that cars blocked the driveway or that exit was impeded — the limo got out fine regardless of the configuration.

Johnnie Cochran

WELL, THAT IS THE ULTIMATE TEST, ISN'T IT?

Cochran's wry acknowledgment that not hitting anything is the practical measure — a light moment that also concedes the point while pivoting away.

Allan Park

I TOLD THEM THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA. IT HADN'T BEEN USED SINCE THAT NIGHT.

Park volunteered the idea to search the limo interior — Cochran may be laying groundwork for questions about what was or wasn't found inside.

Allan Park

POSSIBLY, YES.

Park admits he may have seen People's 136 in Marcia Clark's office the Friday before testifying — a minor credibility point suggesting witness preparation with prosecution exhibits.

Evidence (1)

People's 136

Photograph showing the Rockingham gate driveway with two cars (including a Bentley) parked in tandem

discussed; used to probe Park's recollection of car configuration that night; Park could not say whether the limo could maneuver around the parked vehicles based on the photo

Notable Exchanges (2)

Johnnie Cochran•Allan Park

Cochran attempts to get Park to admit that one car versus two would make the driveway easier to navigate, but Park repeatedly says he can't determine that from the photograph — ultimately conceding only the logical premise in the abstract.

strategic

Johnnie Cochran•Allan Park

Cochran establishes that Park reviewed People's 136 in Marcia Clark's office before testifying, raising subtle witness-preparation implications.

probing

Light Moments (1)

Johnnie Cochran

After Park says he had no trouble exiting and didn't hit anything, Cochran quips 'Well, that is the ultimate test, isn't it?' — drawing a small moment of levity.

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Allan Park

witness preparation / prior exposure to exhibits

Cochran establishes that Park had seen People's 136 in Marcia Clark's office the Friday before his testimony, suggesting his recollections may have been shaped by prosecution-selected evidence.

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 5477 • 59 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103