📄 Direct examination of Bill Renken (part 2) — Monday, September 11, 1995
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▲ Day 151 of 167

Direct examination of Bill Renken (part 2)

Witness: Bill Renken
Examiner: Robert Blasier
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Monday, September 11, 1995 • Utterances: 63
Outside the jury's presence, the court conducted a foundation hearing for a newly marked videotape (People's 607) showing the January 6, 1991 Bengals-Oilers playoff game. Renken confirmed he was present when the video was shot and that it depicted the same game during which he took his previously admitted photographs (606-A through J). After brief voir dire by defense attorney Blasier — who notably misidentified the teams as 'Kansas City, Buffalo' — Judge Ito found sufficient foundation and prepared to admit the exhibit before the jury.
1 (The following proceedings were held in open court, in the presence of the jury:)
2 THE COURT:

All right. Ladies and gentlemen, there's something I need to take a look at out of your presence. Let me ask you to just step back in the jury room. We'll call you out in probably five or 10 minutes. And, Mr. Renken, just stay down.

3 (The following proceedings were held in open court, out of the presence of the jury:)
4 THE COURT:

Let the record reflect all the jurors have withdrawn from the courtroom, and Mr. Bill Renken is still on the witness stand. Miss Clark, you indicated that you had a videotape--

5 MS. CLARK:

Yes, your Honor.

6 THE COURT:

--that you were going to play for Mr. Renken to see if he can identify what's on the videotape?

7 MS. CLARK:

Correct.

8 THE COURT:

All right. And how long is this videotape?

9 MS. CLARK:

How long is the videotape?

10 MR. FAIRTLOUGH:

It's probably about 7,000, 8,000 frames. So about--

11 THE COURT:

That tells me a lot.

KEY QUOTE
12 MR. FAIRTLOUGH:

It's about four minutes.

13 THE COURT:

Okay. 2,000 a minute? Okay. All right. We'll mark the videotape then Prosecution next in order, 607.

14 (Peo's 607 for id = videotape)
15 THE COURT:

All right. Let's see the videotape. Mr. Fairtlough.

16 (At 2:28 P.M., People's exhibit 607, a videotape, was played.)
17 (At 2:32 P.M., the playing of the videotape concluded.)
18 THE COURT:

All right. Miss Clark.

19 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

Bill Renken (402), called as a witness by the People, pursuant to evidence code section 402, having been previously sworn, testified as follows:

DIRECT EXAMINATION BY Ms. CLARK

20 MS. CLARK:

Mr. Renken, do you recognize the videotape that is shown in this segment, sir?

21 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, I do.

22 MS. CLARK:

And can you tell us if you were present when the film was being shot?

23 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, I was.

24 MS. CLARK:

With relation to the photographs that you've testified to previously, 606-A through J, were these photographs taken during the game depicted in that videotape?

25 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, they were.

26 MS. CLARK:

And do you recognize the videotape shown as being the game you were present at on January 6th, 1991 when you took the photographs you've already testified to, sir?

27 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, I do.

28 THE COURT:

Mr. Blasier, any voir dire as to this issue?

29 MR. BLASIER:

May I have a minute, your Honor?

30 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)
31 MR. BLASIER:

Mr. Renken, have you ever seen this video before today?

32 MR. RENKEN:

No, I haven't.

33 MR. BLASIER:

Had you ever told you were going to be shown a videotape?

34 MS. CLARK:

Objection. What's the relevance, your Honor?

35 THE COURT:

Overruled.

36 MR. RENKEN:

No, I haven't.

37 MR. BLASIER:

Now, was this video being taken while you were taking your pictures?

38 MR. RENKEN:

Uh-huh. Yes, sir.

39 MR. BLASIER:

And how do you know that?

40 MR. RENKEN:

How do I know?

41 MR. BLASIER:

Yes.

42 MR. RENKEN:

Because I was there.

43 MR. BLASIER:

Well, but--but how did you know this was the Kansas City, Buffalo game that you were at?

44 MR. RENKEN:

Excuse me. That was the Bengals, Oilers game.

KEY QUOTE
45 MR. BLASIER:

All right. Bengals, Oilers.

46 MR. RENKEN:

Excuse me?

47 MR. BLASIER:

How did you know that was the game you were taking pictures at?

48 MR. RENKEN:

I was present.

49 MR. BLASIER:

How do you know that--

50 MR. RENKEN:

The videotape?

51 MR. BLASIER:

Yes.

52 MR. RENKEN:

By the--well, for example, there were Bengal players running behind the Defendant during the interview.

KEY QUOTE
53 MR. BLASIER:

No. I'm asking how, do you know it was the same game you were at versus some other Bengals versus Houston game?

54 MR. RENKEN:

Because it was a play-off game and the weather conditions.

55 MR. BLASIER:

And what tells you about it on this video that this is a play-off game?

56 MR. RENKEN:

Because of the nature of what the Defendant's wearing, the total atmosphere of the video.

57 MR. BLASIER:

The atmosphere. What do you mean by the atmosphere?

58 MR. RENKEN:

People behind it. The weather conditions.

59 MR. BLASIER:

That's all the questions I have.

60 THE COURT:

All right. Counsel, I think there's a sufficient foundation at this point. It appears to be the same game. The post-game interviews with the coach and the quarterback appear to be the same individuals that appear to be positioned in the same manner, appears to be the same point in time as a post game. It appears to be a video at the same time as these photographs were taken. So I think there's a sufficient foundation for the videotape. All right. Let's have the jurors again, please. And, Miss Clark, we'll go to 3:00 o'clock.

61 MS. CLARK:

Okay.

62 THE COURT:

Do you have another witness available after Mr. Renken?

63 MS. CLARK:

Oh, yes, your Honor. We have several.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Bill Renken
Excuse me. That was the Bengals, Oilers game.
Renken corrects Blasier's misidentification of the teams, subtly undermining the defense's command of the facts while reinforcing his own credibility as an eyewitness.
Bill Renken
By the--well, for example, there were Bengal players running behind the Defendant during the interview.
Renken identifies OJ Simpson as 'the Defendant' visible in the video, directly linking the footage to Simpson and the prosecution's timeline evidence.
Lance A. Ito
That tells me a lot.
Dry judicial wit in response to a technical staffer describing the tape's length in frames rather than minutes.
Lance A. Ito
The post-game interviews with the coach and the quarterback appear to be the same individuals that appear to be positioned in the same manner, appears to be the same point in time as a post game. It appears to be a video at the same time as these photographs were taken. So I think there's a sufficient foundation for the videotape.
Ito's ruling laying out his own independent visual analysis of why the foundation is met — effectively doing the prosecution's work for them.

Evidence (2)

People's 607
Videotape of the January 6, 1991 Bengals-Oilers AFC playoff game, approximately four minutes long
marked, played in court, foundation established
People's 606-A through J
Photographs taken by Renken at the same playoff game, previously admitted
referenced to establish that the videotape depicts the same event

Notable Exchanges (2)

Robert BlasierBill Renken
Blasier attempts voir dire to undermine Renken's ability to authenticate the video, asking how he could know it was the same game. Renken answers simply and directly ('Because I was there'), then corrects Blasier's misidentification of the teams. Blasier's questioning produces nothing damaging.
strategic, deflated
Lance A. ItoMr. Fairtlough
Fairtlough describes the tape's length as '7,000 or 8,000 frames,' prompting Ito's deadpan 'That tells me a lot' before Fairtlough translates: 'It's about four minutes.'
light

Light Moments (1)

Lance A. Ito
When told the videotape is '7,000 or 8,000 frames,' Judge Ito responds drily: 'That tells me a lot.'

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Bill Renken
foundation challenge / ability to authenticate
Blasier pressed Renken on how he could know the videotape depicted the same game as his photographs, since Renken had never seen the tape before. Renken held firm, citing his presence at the game, the Bengals players visible on screen, the playoff game atmosphere, and weather conditions. The attack failed; Ito found sufficient foundation.

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)
Proceeding 7593 • 63 utterances • Prosecution witness
Criminal Trial
Department 103
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📂 SEP 11, 1995 📄 Direct examination of Bill Ren
SEP 11, 1995 KRT DvH TD