📄 Direct examination of Bill Renken (part 3) — Monday, September 11, 1995
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C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\11\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-BILL-REN.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 151 of 167

Direct examination of Bill Renken (part 3)

Witness: Bill Renken
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Monday, September 11, 1995 • Utterances: 49
Marcia Clark resumes direct examination of sports photographer Bill Renken by playing a newly marked videotape (People's 607) of OJ Simpson doing sideline commentary at the January 6, 1991 Bengals-Oilers playoff game in Cincinnati. The examination focuses on what the video reveals about the gloves Simpson was wearing — specifically whether raindrops are visible on the glove and whether any flesh is exposed at the wrist — tying the video evidence to the still photographs (606-A through J) Renken previously identified.
1 (The following proceedings were held in open court, in the presence of the jury:)
2 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you very much, counsel. Miss Clark, you may continue.

3 MS. CLARK:

Thank you, your Honor. At this time, your Honor, I would like to mark the video clip as next in order, 607.

4 THE COURT:

7.

Bill Renken, having been previously sworn, resumed the stand and testified further as follows:

DIRECT EXAMINATION (RESUMED) BY Ms. CLARK

5 MS. CLARK:

Excuse me. Before I do, first of all, Mr. Renken, I'm going to ask you to look at this video and tell us if you recognize what's being--what is depicted in it.

6 MR. RENKEN:

Uh, it's the Defendant doing a commentary about I imagine probably the first half scores, stats, overall commentary the first half of the game.

7 MS. CLARK:

When you say "The game," sir, what game are you referring to?

8 MR. RENKEN:

That was the play-off game with the Bengals vers Oilers.

9 MS. CLARK:

And where was that?

10 MR. RENKEN:

At Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati.

11 MS. CLARK:

And is this the same game from which you took--you previously identified still photographs that you took in 606-A through J?

12 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, they are.

13 MS. CLARK:

Okay. So this is the videotape of the game that we have the still photographs for from you?

14 MR. RENKEN:

Correct.

15 MS. CLARK:

Can you tell us, noting the umbrella in the Defendant's hand in this frame, sir, what time--at what point in the game this video's shot?

16 MR. RENKEN:

Again, it's at half time and could be 2:45, around that area, 3:00 o'clock.

17 MS. CLARK:

Thank you, sir. I'm going to play the rest of this video, sir, and ask you at the end--at the conclusion of the videotape to--some further questions concerning what you see.

18 MR. RENKEN:

Sure.

19 (At 2:39 P.M., People's exhibit 607, a videotape, was played.)
20 MS. CLARK:

Can we stop right there?

21 MS. CLARK:

Directing your attention to the Defendant's left hand holding the microphone, sir, can you tell us if you see what appear to be raindrops on that glove?

22 MR. RENKEN:

Yes.

23 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

24 (The videotape continues playing.)
25 MS. CLARK:

Do you see rain or what may be rain or some kind of mild snow on the hat and jacket of--what's his last name?

26 THE COURT:

Esiason.

27 MS. CLARK:

I was going to say boomer.

KEY QUOTE
28 THE COURT:

All right. This is at frame 5439.

29 MS. CLARK:

Thank you, your Honor.

30 MS. CLARK:

Do you see--

31 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, I do.

32 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

33 (The videotape continues playing.)
34 MS. CLARK:

Stop. Back up one. Right there.

35 MS. CLARK:

Can you see the wrist area of the Defendant's left hand in this frame, 6775, sir?

36 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, I can.

37 MS. CLARK:

Can you see an area of his flesh exposed underneath that wrist area, sir?

38 MR. RENKEN:

No, I don't.

39 MS. CLARK:

That's on the Defendant's right hand, sir.

40 MR. RENKEN:

No. It looks dark in nature.

41 MS. CLARK:

Keep going.

42 (At 2:44 P.M., the playing of the videotape was concluded.)
43 MS. CLARK:

All right. Do you recognize that--do you recognize that video clip, sir?

44 MR. RENKEN:

Yes, I do.

45 MS. CLARK:

And that's a clip of?

46 MR. RENKEN:

Bengals, Oilers play-off game, January 6th, 1991 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

47 MS. CLARK:

Thank you, sir. I have nothing further. If I may ask that Mr. Fairtlough hold up People's 606 so the jury can see it, I think that--

48 THE COURT:

All right.

49 (People's 606 is exhibited to the jury.)

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Bill Renken
Yes, I can. No, I don't. It looks dark in nature.
When Clark asks if flesh is visible at Simpson's wrist in frame 6775, Renken answers no — the area looks dark, consistent with a glove fully covering the wrist. This is the evidentiary point Clark was driving toward.
Bill Renken
Yes. [raindrops visible on the glove]
Confirms visible moisture on Simpson's left-hand glove during the game, establishing the gloves were worn in wet conditions — relevant to the prosecution's glove timeline argument.
Marcia Clark
I was going to say boomer.
Clark nearly referred to Boomer Esiason only by his nickname; Judge Ito supplied the last name 'Esiason' — a small humanizing moment in an otherwise methodical proceeding.

Evidence (3)

People's 607
Videotape of OJ Simpson doing halftime commentary at the Bengals vs. Oilers playoff game, January 6, 1991, Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
marked, played, identified by witness
People's 606-A through J
Still photographs previously taken by Renken at the same Bengals-Oilers game
referenced to connect still photos to the videotape
People's 606
Full photo exhibit from the game, displayed to the jury at conclusion
exhibited to jury

Notable Exchanges (2)

Marcia ClarkLance A. Ito
Clark asks about rain visible on 'boomer's' hat and jacket; Ito supplies the last name 'Esiason' and notes the specific frame number (5439), effectively assisting Clark in real time.
collegial
Marcia ClarkBill Renken
Clark asks about flesh exposed on the 'left hand' wrist but then corrects herself, saying 'That's on the Defendant's right hand, sir.' Renken had already answered no — the area looks dark — so the correction did not change his testimony.
mildly confused, quickly resolved

Light Moments (1)

Marcia Clark / Lance A. Ito
Clark nearly referred to NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason only by his nickname; Judge Ito supplied 'Esiason' before she could finish, prompting Clark to admit she was just going to say 'boomer.'

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 7595 • 49 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