Internal Affairs clarification

📄 Internal Affairs clarification — Tuesday, March 7, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\7\INTERNAL-AFFAIRS-CLARIFICATION.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 32 of 167

◀ Motion: Reopen redirect examination DNA and fingernail evidence ▶

Date: Tuesday, March 7, 1995 • Utterances: 7

Johnnie Cochran raised a conflict-of-interest concern on the record regarding Judge Ito's spouse, whose occupation apparently had some connection to law enforcement after the start of the year. Ito clarified that his wife had no connection to the Internal Affairs investigation of Mark Fuhrman, resolving the matter to Cochran's satisfaction.

# 1 MR. COCHRAN:

YOUR HONOR, CAN WE TAKE UP A COUPLE OTHER ISSUES --

# 2 THE COURT:

SURE.

# 3 MR. COCHRAN:

-- THE COURT HAD ASKED US TO POINT OUT TO THE COURT? WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUE OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION --

# 4 THE COURT:

YES.

# 5 MR. COCHRAN:

I INDICATED TO THE COURT JUST OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, BECAUSE OF YOUR HONOR'S SPOUSE'S OCCUPATION I GUESS AFTER THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR, I THOUGHT THE RECORD SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR WITH REGARD TO HER INVOLVEMENT OR LACK OF INVOLVEMENT WITH REGARD TO THESE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED ON FUHRMAN, MARK FUHRMAN TODAY, AND I INDICATED TO THE COURT WE WOULD DO THAT AND THE COURT SUGGESTED WE SHOULD DO THAT.

KEY QUOTE

# 6 THE COURT:

RIGHT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS, MY WIFE HAS NO CONNECTION WITH THIS INVESTIGATION REGARDING DETECTIVE FUHRMAN.

KEY QUOTE

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

VERY WELL, YOUR HONOR. THANK YOU FOR THE REPRESENTATION, YOUR HONOR.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Johnnie Cochran

I INDICATED TO THE COURT JUST OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, BECAUSE OF YOUR HONOR'S SPOUSE'S OCCUPATION I GUESS AFTER THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR, I THOUGHT THE RECORD SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR WITH REGARD TO HER INVOLVEMENT OR LACK OF INVOLVEMENT WITH REGARD TO THESE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED ON FUHRMAN

Cochran formally preserves the record on a potential judicial conflict of interest tied to the Fuhrman internal affairs investigation.

Lance A. Ito

MY UNDERSTANDING IS, MY WIFE HAS NO CONNECTION WITH THIS INVESTIGATION REGARDING DETECTIVE FUHRMAN.

The judge discloses and disclaims any spousal conflict of interest on the record, clearing the issue.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Johnnie Cochran•Lance A. Ito

Cochran raises the question of whether Judge Ito's spouse had any involvement in the Fuhrman Internal Affairs investigation; Ito responds directly on the record that she does not.

strategic

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 5179 • 7 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103