Recross-examination of Allan Park (part 2)

📄 Recross-examination of Allan Park (part 2) — Wednesday, March 29, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\29\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-ALLAN-P.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 47 of 167

Witness: Allan Park
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, March 29, 1995 • Utterances: 82

Cochran's recross focused on the custom Swiss Army Brands Limited golf bag — probing whether Park knew anything about its rarity or contents — while Clark's follow-up redirect targeted gaps in Park's observational awareness, notably establishing that a Ford Bronco could have passed unnoticed and that Park never looked at Simpson's hands. The proceeding ended abruptly when Clark's question about Simpson's ability to lift the golf bag was sustained as beyond scope.

# 1 THE COURT:

THANK YOU, COUNSEL. PROCEED.

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU VERY KINDLY, YOUR HONOR.

# 3 Q:

MR. PARK, SIR, WITH REGARD TO THIS BAG, THIS GOLF BAG COVERED WITH A SHEATH OF SOME KIND, ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH CUSTOM MADE GOLF BAGS? HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE BEFORE?

# 4 MR. COCHRAN:

YES.

# 5 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR.

KEY QUOTE

# 6 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 7 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: AND ARE YOU AWARE THAT THIS IS A CUSTOM MADE GOLF BAG?

# 8 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR.

KEY QUOTE

# 9 MR. COCHRAN:

MAY I FINISH?

# 10 Q:

ARE YOU AWARE THIS WAS A CUSTOM --

# 11 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR.

KEY QUOTE

# 12 THE COURT:

FINISH THE QUESTION.

# 13 MS. CLARK:

COUNSEL IS TESTIFYING.

# 14 THE COURT:

FINISH THE QUESTION.

# 15 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: ARE YOU AWARE THAT THIS IS A CUSTOM MADE GOLF BAG BY THE SWISS ARMY BRAND LIMITED?

# 16 THE COURT:

DOES THIS APPEAR TO YOU TO BE?

# 17 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION.

# 18 MR. COCHRAN:

OKAY. YES, YOUR HONOR. STRIKE THAT. THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.

# 19 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 20 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: DOES THIS APPEAR TO YOU TO BE A CUSTOM MADE GOLF BAG BY SWISS ARMY BRANDS LIMITED?

# 21 A:

IT APPEARS TO BE.

# 22 Q:

DO YOU KNOW OR DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY CUSTOM MADE GOLF BAGS WERE MADE LIKE THAT ONE BEFORE YOU THERE BY SWISS ARMY LIMITED?

# 23 A:

I HAVE NO IDEA.

# 24 Q:

DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THESE CUSTOM MADE GOLF BAGS BY SWISS ARMY LIMITED WERE ONLY FOR SPECIAL CUSTOMERS?

# 25 A:

I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER.

# 26 Q:

DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE EVER COMMERCIALLY SOLD?

# 27 A:

NO.

# 28 Q:

NOW, YOU WERE ASKED A SERIES OF QUESTIONS BY MISS CLARK ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THESE VARIOUS BAGS AND YOU HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE AT ALL OF WHAT WAS IN THE BAGS; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?

# 29 A:

NO, I DON'T.

# 30 Q:

AGAIN, YOUR JOB WAS TO GET THE BAGS AND THE CLIENT TO THE AIRPORT; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 31 MS. CLARK:

OBJECTION. ASKED AND ANSWERED NOW FOR THE FIFTH TIME.

# 32 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 33 ALLAN PARK:

YES.

# 34 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: DID YOU SEE THE SKYCAP WHO WAITED ON YOU AND MR. SIMPSON THAT NIGHT OR WAS THERE A SKYCAP WHO WAITED ON YOU?

# 35 A:

UMM, THERE WAS A FEW AROUND. I SAW HIM, BUT I WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM.

# 36 Q:

YOU DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM?

# 37 A:

I MEAN, I WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM NOW IF I SAW HIM.

# 38 Q:

IF YOU SAW WHATEVER THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS -- IT WAS A MALE, I PRESUME?

# 39 A:

YES.

# 40 Q:

AND IF YOU SAW HIM AGAIN YOU WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE HIM? IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT?

# 41 A:

YES.

# 42 Q:

AND WITH REGARD TO YOUR CONVERSATION WITH THE DETECTIVES TIPPIN AND CARR WHEN YOU BECAME AWARE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK IN THE BACK OF THE LIMOUSINE ON OR ABOUT THE 15TH OF JUNE, WHERE WAS THE LIMOUSINE AT THAT TIME?

# 43 A:

IT WAS AT DALE ST. JOHN'S IN THE GARAGE.

# 44 Q:

AND THAT IS WHERE YOU HAD TAKEN IT AFTER YOU DROPPED MR. SIMPSON OFF THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT?

# 45 A:

YES.

# 46 Q:

DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT SWISS ARMY BRAND LIMITED MAKES ANY OTHER DECAL FOR GOLF -- FOR SPECIALLY MADE GOLF BAGS?

# 47 A:

DO I -- I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DO OR NOT. UMM --

# 48 Q:

ALL RIGHT.

# 49 A:

I HAVE SEEN OTHER LABELS.

# 50 Q:

DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY MAKE ANY OTHER DECALS FOR THESE SPECIALLY MADE GOLF BAGS?

# 51 A:

NO.

# 52 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU VERY KINDLY, MR. PARK.

# 53 THE COURT:

MISS CLARK.

# 54 MS. CLARK:

MAY I HAVE ONE MOMENT, YOUR HONOR?

# 55 THE COURT:

SURE.

# 56 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.)

# 57

BY MS. CLARK:

# 58 Q:

MR. PARK, DURING THE TIME THAT YOU SPENT WITH MR. SIMPSON ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE THE 12TH, WERE YOU LOOKING AT HIS HANDS?

# 59 MR. COCHRAN:

ASKED AND ANSWERED, YOUR HONOR.

# 60 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 61 MR. COCHRAN:

IMPROPER REDIRECT.

# 62 THE COURT:

NO. IT WAS ASKED ON RE-RECROSS.

KEY QUOTE

# 63 ALLAN PARK:

NO, I WASN'T.

# 64 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: SO IF HE HAD BEEN WEARING A BAND-AID, WOULD YOU HAVE NOTICED IT THEN?

# 65 A:

NO.

# 66 Q:

DID MR. SIMPSON -- AND WHEN YOU WERE AT THE ROCKINGHAM LOCATION, SIR, BEFORE YOU -- BEFORE YOU SAW THE PERSON WALKING INTO THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE HOUSE AT ABOUT TEN -- BETWEEN 10:54 AND 10:55, HAD YOU BEEN LISTENING FOR FORD BRONCOS?

# 67 A:

I WASN'T LISTENING FOR ANYTHING.

# 68 Q:

SO COULD ONE HAVE DRIVEN BY EITHER ROCKINGHAM OR ASHFORD WITHOUT YOU NOTICING?

# 69 MR. COCHRAN:

CALLS FOR SPECULATION, YOUR HONOR.

# 70 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 71 ALLAN PARK:

REPEAT IT.

# 72 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: COULD A FORD BRONCO HAVE DRIVEN BY ON EITHER ROCKINGHAM OR ASHFORD WITHOUT YOU NOTICING?

# 73 A:

YES.

# 74 Q:

AND DID MR. SIMPSON SEEM TO HAVE ANY TROUBLE LIFTING THAT GOLF BAG --

# 75 MR. COCHRAN:

OBJECT.

# 76 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: -- ONTO THE LUGGAGE CARRIER OR TAKING IT OUT OF THE TRUNK?

# 77 MR. COCHRAN:

OBJECT. CALLS FOR SPECULATION.

# 78 THE COURT:

SUSTAINED. BEYOND THE SCOPE.

# 79 MR. COCHRAN:

BEYOND THE SCOPE.

# 80 THE COURT:

SUSTAINED. SUSTAINED.

# 81 MS. CLARK:

CAN WE APPROACH, YOUR HONOR, ON THE SCOPE ISSUE? IT WAS GONE INTO.

# 82 THE COURT:

OKAY.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Allan Park

YES.

Park confirms a Ford Bronco could have driven past Rockingham or Ashford without him noticing — a concession that undermines the implication that the Bronco's absence from the street proves Simpson was home.

Allan Park

NO, I WASN'T.

Park admits he was not looking at Simpson's hands during their time together, meaning he could not confirm or deny a Band-Aid or cut.

Lance A. Ito

NO. IT WAS ASKED ON RE-RECROSS.

The judge corrects Cochran's objection labeling, a small procedural note revealing how many rounds of examination this witness has endured.

Marcia Clark

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR. ASKED AND ANSWERED NOW FOR THE FIFTH TIME.

Clark's exasperation at Cochran re-establishing that Park didn't know what was in the bags — Cochran kept returning to this point to neutralize Clark's earlier questioning.

Evidence (1)

Informal

Custom Swiss Army Brands Limited golf bag with a sheath/cover, brought to the airport by Park on the night of June 12

discussed — Cochran questioned its rarity and whether it was commercially sold; Park said he had no idea

Notable Exchanges (3)

Johnnie Cochran•Marcia Clark•Lance A. Ito

Cochran repeatedly attempted to ask whether the Swiss Army golf bag was custom-made and rare; Clark objected multiple times that Cochran was testifying; the judge finally made Cochran rephrase to 'does this appear to you to be' — which Park confirmed.

strategic

Marcia Clark•Allan Park

Clark established that Park was not watching for Broncos and that one could have passed on Rockingham or Ashford without his notice — a key concession for the prosecution's timeline rebuttal.

revealing

Marcia Clark•Johnnie Cochran•Lance A. Ito

Clark tried to ask whether Simpson had trouble lifting the golf bag (implying its weight); Cochran objected as beyond scope and speculative; the judge sustained on scope grounds, ending the examination.

strategic

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Allan Park

exposure of observational limits

Clark elicited that Park was not watching Simpson's hands and could not have noticed a Band-Aid, and that a Bronco could have passed unnoticed — limiting the evidentiary weight of his timeline observations.

Objections

9 objections (1 sustained, 7 overruled)

Proceeding 5483 • 82 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103