Cross-examination of Tom Lange (afternoon, part 2)

📄 Cross-examination of Tom Lange (afternoon, part 2) — Monday, March 6, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\6\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-TOM-LANGE.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 31 of 167

Witness: Det. Tom Lange
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Monday, March 6, 1995 • Utterances: 28

Cochran resumes cross-examination of Detective Tom Lange, focused narrowly on the envelope containing eyeglasses found at the Bundy crime scene. After withdrawing a prior question at the judge's request, Cochran methodically establishes what Lange actually observed — that he peered into an already-open envelope lying face-down and saw what appeared to be eyeglasses — and pins down that Lange could not determine the number of lenses and never followed up with the glasses' owner.

# 1 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. ALL RIGHT. MR. COCHRAN, ARE YOU GOING TO WITHDRAW THE LAST QUESTION AND ANSWER REGARDING THE ENVELOPE? MR. COCHRAN, ARE YOU GOING TO WITHDRAW THE LAST QUESTION --

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

YEAH, I WILL, YOUR HONOR. JUST FOR CLARITY, I'M GOING TO MOVE THIS MATTER ALONG.

# 3 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE JURY IS TO DISREGARD THE LAST QUESTION AND ANSWER.

# 4 Q:

BY MR. COCHRAN: WITH REGARD TO THE ENVELOPE THAT WAS FOUND AT THE SCENE THAT CONTAINED THE EYEGLASSES, DO YOU RECALL SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK?

# 5 A:

YES.

# 6 Q:

CAN YOU TELL US WHAT DATE IT WAS THAT YOU HAD OCCASION, IF ANY, TO LOOK INSIDE THAT ENVELOPE?

# 7 A:

I PEERED INSIDE AN OPENING OF THE ENVELOPE ON THE MORNING OF THE 13TH.

KEY QUOTE

# 8 Q:

ALL RIGHT. AND WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU PEERED INSIDE AN OPENING IN THE ENVELOPE AT THAT TIME?

# 9 A:

WELL, STANDING -- BASICALLY STANDING OVER IT.

# 10 Q:

AND THAT WAS IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR BUNDY CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION?

# 11 A:

YES.

# 12 Q:

AND WHEN YOU SAID THERE WAS AN OPENING, DID YOU MAKE AN OPENING TO IT OR WAS THERE ALREADY AN OPENING IN THE ENVELOPE AT THAT POINT?

# 13 A:

NO. THERE WAS A SMALL OPENING THAT I COULD PEER INTO.

# 14 Q:

WAS THE ENVELOPE -- HOW WAS IT LAYING? WAS IT LAYING -- WAS THERE SOME WRITING ON THAT ENVELOPE?

# 15 A:

THERE WAS WRITING ON THE UNDERSIDE, THE BOTTOM SIDE.

# 16 Q:

ALL RIGHT. SO THAT THE PART WITH THE WRITING WAS LYING -- WAS AGAINST THE GROUND; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 17 A:

YES.

# 18 Q:

ALL RIGHT. AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE AS YOU STOOD ABOVE THE ENVELOPE AND YOU -- AND DID YOU PEER INSIDE OF IT?

# 19 A:

YES.

# 20 Q:

AND WHEN YOU LOOKED INSIDE, WHAT DID YOU SEE, DETECTIVE LANGE, IF ANYTHING?

# 21 A:

WHAT APPEARED TO BE A PAIR OF EYEGLASSES.

# 22 Q:

AND DID YOU NOTICE AT THAT TIME HOW MANY LENSES THAT THESE EYEGLASSES HAD?

# 23 A:

NO. I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT.

KEY QUOTE

# 24 Q:

SO AT THIS POINT, YOU CAN'T TELL US WHETHER IT WAS ONE LENS OR TWO LENSES; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 25 A:

THAT'S CORRECT.

# 26 Q:

DID YOU EVER IN THE COURSE OF YOUR INVESTIGATION GO BACK AND ASCERTAIN WHEN THE GLASSES WERE FOUND OVER AT MEZZALUNA HOW MANY LENSES THERE WERE?

# 27 A:

I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

# 28 Q:

SO DID YOU EVER TALK TO THE OWNER OF THE GLASSES WITH REGARD TO THE FACT THAT -- AT SOME POINT, I PRESUME THEY HAD TWO LENSES IN THOSE GLASSES, CORRECT?

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Tom Lange

I PEERED INSIDE AN OPENING OF THE ENVELOPE ON THE MORNING OF THE 13TH.

Establishes the specific timing and nature of Lange's observation — he did not open the envelope himself, suggesting the envelope was already compromised or partially open.

Tom Lange

NO. I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT.

Lange admits he could not determine how many lenses the glasses had, limiting what he can actually attest to from direct observation.

Tom Lange

I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

Lange admits he never followed up to confirm details about the glasses found at Mezzaluna, suggesting a gap in the investigation.

Evidence (2)

Informal

Envelope found at the Bundy crime scene containing eyeglasses, lying face-down with writing on the underside

discussed

Informal

Eyeglasses later connected to Mezzaluna restaurant (Nicole Brown Simpson's mother's glasses)

discussed

Notable Exchanges (2)

Lance A. Ito•Johnnie Cochran

Judge Ito twice asks Cochran to withdraw the previous question and answer about the envelope before Cochran complies, then instructs the jury to disregard it.

procedural

Johnnie Cochran•Tom Lange

Cochran methodically walks Lange through his observations of the envelope — how it was positioned, whether he opened it, what he could and could not see — establishing the limits of Lange's firsthand knowledge.

strategic

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Tom Lange

Narrowing scope of observations

Cochran establishes that Lange's observation of the envelope was limited — he couldn't see the number of lenses, didn't open it himself, and never followed up with the glasses' owner — subtly suggesting an incomplete investigation.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 5150 • 28 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103