Administrative matters: bench warrant

📄 Administrative matters: bench warrant — Friday, March 31, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\31\ADMINISTRATIVE-MATTERS-BENCH-W.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 49 of 167

◀ In-chambers: Westec security and videotape Jury greeting and opening remarks ▶

Date: Friday, March 31, 1995 • Utterances: 23

Two quick administrative matters were handled before the jury was brought in. First, a bench warrant for Marguerite Simpson Thomas (OJ's first wife) was continued to May 5th by agreement of counsel. Second, Cochran informed the court that because Westec security testimony the previous day had publicly exposed details of Simpson's home security system, the system had been completely revamped overnight and armed guards were added — at Simpson's own expense.

# 1 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. BACK ON THE RECORD IN THE SIMPSON MATTER. DEFENDANT IS AGAIN PRESENT BEFORE THE COURT WITH COUNSEL, MR. SHAPIRO, MR. COCHRAN, MR. NEUFELD, MR. DOUGLAS, PEOPLE REPRESENTED BY MISS CLARK AND MR. DARDEN. THE JURY IS NOT PRESENT. COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO TAKE UP BEFORE WE --

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

I WOULD, YOUR HONOR.

# 3 THE COURT:

-- ASK THE JURY TO JOIN US? MR. COCHRAN.

# 4 MS. LEWIS:

YOUR HONOR, THERE'S AN EVEN QUICKER MATTER. THERE'S ANOTHER ATTORNEY HERE WHO IS REPRESENTING MARGUERITE SIMPSON THOMAS. THERE WAS A BENCH WARRANT ISSUED AND HELD UNTIL TODAY, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING MR. DARDEN AND THAT ATTORNEY WHOSE NAME ESCAPES ME HAVE AGREED ON MAY 5TH.

# 5 THE COURT:

MS. HAMBURGER. MAY 5?

# 6 MS. LEWIS:

MAY 5.

# 7 THE COURT:

CINCO DE MAYO?

# 8 MS. HAMBURGER:

YES.

# 9 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. BENCH WARRANT -- IS THAT DATE AGREEABLE TO YOUR CALENDAR, COUNSEL?

# 10 MS. HAMBURGER:

YES, THAT WOULD BE FINE. THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.

# 11 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. BENCH WARRANT WILL CONTINUED TO BE HELD -- ISSUED AND HELD TO THAT DATE.

# 12 MS. HAMBURGER:

THANK YOU.

# 13 THE COURT:

THANK YOU, COUNSEL.

# 14 MR. COCHRAN:

MAY I ADDRESS THE COURT, YOUR HONOR?

# 15 THE COURT:

MR. COCHRAN. GOOD MORNING.

# 16 MR. COCHRAN:

GOOD MORNING, YOUR HONOR. YOUR HONOR, YESTERDAY, THERE WAS A WITNESS CALLED BY WESTEC; AND IN THE COURSE OF THE PROCEEDINGS, MUCH WAS MADE OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM IN MR. O.J. SIMPSON'S HOME. AND AS THE COURT KNOWS, IN THIS CASE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WATCHING IN. AND WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE CONCERNED, SOME OF WHOM WERE EVEN IN STATE PRISON ABOUT KNOWING ABOUT MR. SIMPSON'S SECURITY SYSTEM. AND I WANTED TO INDICATE FOR THE RECORD THAT DUE TO THIS TESTIMONY REGARDING WESTEC, MR. SIMPSON'S SECURITY SYSTEM HAS NOW BEEN TOTALLY CHANGED AND THERE ARE ARMED GUARDS ON THE PROPERTY. I MENTION THIS BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE CONCERN FOR SECURITY. THE COURT KNOWS THERE ARE STILL OCCUPANTS OF THAT HOME, AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE KNOW THAT AT HIS OWN EXPENSE, MR. SIMPSON HAS DONE THIS AND HE HAS A STRONG DESIRE TO NOT HAVE HIS PROPERTY INVADED OR INTRUDED AND THAT HIS RIGHTS OF PRIVACY ARE PROTECTED AND HE HAS PAID OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET TO HAVE THAT ENTIRE SYSTEM REVAMPED AND RECONFIGURED AS OF LAST NIGHT. SO I GUESS IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BURGLARS BEWARE IF THE COURT PLEASES.

# 17 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNSEL.

# 18 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU.

# 19 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. MR. DARDEN, GOOD MORNING. ARE YOU READY TO PROCEED WITH YOUR NEXT WITNESS?

# 20 MR. DARDEN:

YES, YOUR HONOR.

# 21 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO TAKE UP BEFORE WE INVITE THE JURORS TO JOIN US?

# 22 MR. COCHRAN:

NO, YOUR HONOR.

# 23 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. DEPUTY MAGNERA, LET'S HAVE THE JURORS, PLEASE.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Lance A. Ito

CINCO DE MAYO?

A rare moment of levity from Judge Ito, noting the date of the continued bench warrant.

Johnnie Cochran

I GUESS IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BURGLARS BEWARE IF THE COURT PLEASES.

Cochran's characteristic rhetorical flair closing a statement that was partly practical (security concern) and partly public record-making about Simpson's conduct and expenses.

Johnnie Cochran

WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE CONCERNED, SOME OF WHOM WERE EVEN IN STATE PRISON ABOUT KNOWING ABOUT MR. SIMPSON'S SECURITY SYSTEM.

A striking detail illustrating the extraordinary public attention on the trial — even incarcerated individuals were following closely enough to call the defense team.

Notable Exchanges (2)

Lance A. Ito•Ms. Hamburger

Bench warrant for Marguerite Simpson Thomas continued to May 5th by agreement between Darden and Ms. Hamburger (Thomas's counsel). Ito quipped 'Cinco de Mayo?' before confirming the date.

routine

Johnnie Cochran•Lance A. Ito

Cochran placed on the record that Simpson's security system was overhauled overnight following Westec testimony that had publicly revealed details of his home's security setup.

strategic

Light Moments (2)

Lance A. Ito

Judge Ito quipped 'Cinco de Mayo?' upon hearing the May 5th continuation date for the bench warrant.

Johnnie Cochran

Cochran closed his security statement with 'I guess it's kind of a little burglars beware if the court pleases.'

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 5525 • 23 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103