📄 Motion: DNA evidence foundation — Wednesday, May 10, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAY\10\MOTION-DNA-EVIDENCE-FOUNDATION.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 71 of 167

Motion: DNA evidence foundation

Date: Wednesday, May 10, 1995 • Utterances: 12
Defense attorney Peter Neufeld raised a foundation objection to Dr. Cotton's upcoming DNA testimony, arguing that negative controls used by the lab either failed or were not applied to items 78, 56, 52, 47, and 12, meaning the lab did not use 'generally accepted methods.' Prosecutor George Clarke countered that Dr. Cotton had already described correct procedures consistent with the court's prior order. Judge Ito overruled the objection but left open the possibility of a motion to strike later.
1 (The following proceedings were held in open Court, out of the presence of the jury:)
2 THE COURT:

All right. Counsel, are we ready to proceed?

3 MR. NEUFELD:

One other preliminary matter which I couldn't articulate because we took that rest break, and that is, your Honor, based on the testimony yesterday by Dr. Cotton--I'm sorry, could the witness just step outside for one minute, your Honor?

4 THE COURT:

No. What?

5 MR. NEUFELD:

All right. Based on the testimony of Dr. Cotton yesterday, your Honor, I believe as a matter of foundation, there is a foundation objection to her--any testimony that she will give in the immediate future as to either a match or a statistical probability for item 78, 56, 52, 47 and 12 for the following reasons: The one thing they still have to--whether or not the Frye issues were deemed waived by the Court, the foundation issues remain, the fundamental foundation issues. And they have to demonstrate when the witness takes the stand that they use the generally accepted methods in this particular case in this particular instance, and--

6 THE COURT:

Well, we haven't gotten to that yet.

7 MR. NEUFELD:

She did. She testified to the methods she used yesterday, your Honor, and what she testified to was that they have three negative controls that they use in their case work. The first negative control being testing--

8 THE COURT:

I was here. I heard it.

KEY QUOTE
9 MR. NEUFELD:

Okay. What you should know is that we now know from her direct testimony that one of these three negative controls wasn't used at all mainly on the substrates, that the reagent control, that is the very initial control that is used, failed with respect to the various item numbers that I have just given, and that the amplification blank, which is the only remaining control, occurs further on down the line, such that if the initial control fails, that trumps any subsequent control, so consequently you have a failure of the controls or an absence of the control. And you have the laboratory in this particular case not using the generally accepted methods to arrive at a result. And so on purely foundational grounds we would object to the introduction of any evidence as to those particular items.

10 THE COURT:

Mr. Clarke.

11 MR. CLARKE:

Yes. I think the testimony has already demonstrated the witness described the procedures used, they were correct procedures in her opinion, and in fact as I think the testimony will--already has demonstrated, that complies with the Court's order dated several weeks ago about what was necessary in terms of the foundation and the use of correct procedures. The witness has described her opinion and the Court has heard no contrary evidence up to this point.

12 THE COURT:

All right. The objection is overruled subject to a motion to strike at a later time. All right. Let's have the jury.

KEY QUOTE

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Peter Neufeld
you have a failure of the controls or an absence of the control. And you have the laboratory in this particular case not using the generally accepted methods to arrive at a result.
Core of the foundation objection — Neufeld argues the lab's own controls invalidate the DNA results before they can be presented to the jury.
Lance A. Ito
I was here. I heard it.
Ito cuts off Neufeld's recap, signaling impatience with re-argument of testimony already heard.
Lance A. Ito
The objection is overruled subject to a motion to strike at a later time.
Ruling preserves the defense's ability to revisit the challenge while allowing testimony to proceed.

Evidence (1)

Informal
DNA test items 78, 56, 52, 47, and 12 — specific evidence samples tested by Dr. Cotton's lab
challenged on foundational grounds; testimony about match results and statistical probability objected to

Notable Exchanges (1)

Peter NeufeldLance A. Ito
Neufeld attempts a detailed technical recap of Dr. Cotton's prior day testimony on negative controls; Ito cuts him off with 'I was here. I heard it,' then still lets him finish his legal argument.
terse

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)
Proceeding 6007 • 12 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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📂 MAY 10, 1995 📄 Motion: DNA evidence foundatio
MAY 10, 1995 KRT DvH TD