Verdict reached

📄 Verdict reached — Monday, October 2, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\OCT\2\VERDICT-REACHED.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 165 of 167

◀ Jury recess Morning administrative matters ▶

Date: Monday, October 2, 1995 • Utterances: 22

The jury notified the court they had reached a verdict after receiving verdict forms. With key attorneys Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran absent from the courtroom, Judge Ito adjourned the reading of the verdict until the following morning, October 3, at 10:00 A.M. The sealed verdict forms were collected from the jury foreperson and placed in the overnight custody of court clerk Mrs. Robertson.

# 1 (At 2:17 P.M. the jury resumed their deliberations.)

# 2 (At 2:51 P.M. the following proceedings were held in open court, out of the presence of the jury:)

# 3 THE COURT:

All right. Back on the record in the Simpson matter. Deputy Trower, let's have the jurors, please.

# 4 (Brief pause.)

# 5 (The following proceedings were held in open court, in the presence of the jury:)

# 6 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. Let the record reflect that we have been rejoined by all the members of our jury panel, including our two alternates. Good afternoon again, ladies and gentlemen.

THE JURY: Good afternoon.

# 7 THE COURT:

Ladies and gentlemen, while we were taking our brief recess Mrs. Robertson advised me that you buzzed three times and indicated that after receiving the verdict forms that you have reached a verdict in this case. Is that correct, Madam Foreman?

# 8 JUROR NO. 1:

Yes.

# 9 THE COURT:

All right. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to ask that--I've asked already that your foreman place the verdict forms--and ma'am foreman, have you signed and dated one set of verdict forms?

# 10 JUROR NO. 1:

Yes, I have.

# 11 THE COURT:

All right. And those have been placed in an envelope and sealed, correct?

# 12 JUROR NO. 1:

Yes, it has.

# 13 THE COURT:

Do you have that with you?

# 14 JUROR NO. 1:

No, I don't.

# 15 THE COURT:

Did you leave it in the jury room?

# 16 JUROR NO. 1:

Yes, I did.

# 17 THE COURT:

That is not a good place for it. All right. Deputy Browning, would you escort the Foreperson to get the verdict forms, please.

KEY QUOTE

# 18 (Brief pause.)

# 19 THE COURT:

All right. Then if you would, madam foreman, would you hand the sealed envelope to Deputy Trower, please.

# 20 (Brief pause.)

# 21 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you very much. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, we are missing, as you can tell, several of the attorneys. Predominantly we are missing Miss Clark and Mr. Cochran. And I indicated to the attorneys that I would give them a reasonable opportunity to be here for the announcement of the verdict and I have indicated to them that I will accept the verdict from you tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. That will give you the opportunity to pack up and take care of those things over back home, as you've called it. And so we will stand in recess until tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. And then what we will do tomorrow morning, madam foreman, is I will return this sealed envelope to you. I'm going to ask you to examine the verdict forms to make sure they are the same ones that you have signed, that they are in the same order and have not been changed. They will be in the custody of Mrs. Robertson overnight. And then if everything is appropriate, then we will accept the verdict from you tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, have your last pleasant weekend--evening, and we will see you tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. All right. We will stand in recess until tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.

# 22 (At 2:55 P.M. an adjournment was taken until, Tuesday, October 3, 1995, 10:00 A.M.)

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Lance A. Ito

That is not a good place for it.

Dry admonishment after the foreperson admitted she left the sealed verdict envelope in the jury room rather than bringing it to court.

Lance A. Ito

Predominantly we are missing Miss Clark and Mr. Cochran. And I indicated to the attorneys that I would give them a reasonable opportunity to be here for the announcement of the verdict.

Explains the one-day delay — the two lead attorneys on opposing sides were both absent when the verdict came in.

Juror No. 1

Yes, I have.

Foreperson's confirmation that the verdict forms are signed, dated, and sealed — the verdict is complete.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Lance A. Ito•Juror No. 1

Ito walks through the chain of custody for the sealed verdict envelope, discovers the foreperson left it in the jury room, and sends a deputy to retrieve it.

procedural with a brief note of mild exasperation

Light Moments (2)

Lance A. Ito

Foreperson admits she left the sealed verdict envelope back in the jury room, prompting Ito's understated rebuke: 'That is not a good place for it.'

Lance A. Ito

Ito catches himself mid-sentence: 'have your last pleasant weekend--evening' — a small slip as the historic moment approaches.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 7895 • 22 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103