📄 Motion: Rubin letter admissibility — Monday, September 11, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\11\MOTION-RUBIN-LETTER-ADMISSIBIL.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 151 of 167

Motion: Rubin letter admissibility

Date: Monday, September 11, 1995 • Utterances: 30
The defense submitted a July 6th letter from glove expert Richard Rubin to the court, arguing it constituted a final, conclusive report that the gloves were Aris Lights style 70263 — and that the prosecution had misrepresented its contents to the court. Darden countered that Rubin himself confirmed the letter was preliminary and that he still needed more photos. Judge Ito acknowledged the letter contained a conclusion but ruled it was sent after the prosecution rested, so his prior ruling stood.
1 (Pages 44890 through 44900, volume 220B, transcribed and sealed under separate cover.)
2 THE COURT:

All right. Back on the record in the Simpson matter. All parties are again present. Mr. Blasier.

3 MR. BLASIER:

Your Honor, I--

4 MS. LEWIS:

Your Honor, I'm sorry, Mr. Darden and Miss Clark aren't here. Mr. Darden is on his way back from the restroom and Miss Clark on is her way. I would beg the court's indulgence, since I don't know what Mr. Blasier is about to say, and I probably don't have any knowledge about what he is going to address.

5 MR. BLASIER:

I'm going to submit the letter to the court and you may have a chance to look at it and when they come back--

6 THE COURT:

All right. Let me see the letter.

7 (Brief pause.)
8 THE COURT:

Thank you.

9 (Brief pause.)
10 THE COURT:

All right. We have been rejoined by Mr. Darden. And Mr. Darden, for your information, the Defense has offered to the court the letter of July 6th from Mr. Rubin. Mr. Blasier.

11 MR. BLASIER:

Your Honor, this is not what we were told it was. He says in this letter, which is in the form of a report: "On all eight photos none of the detail that can be seen indicates that the gloves could be a style other than 70263, which is the Aris Lights." We just confirmed that with Mr. Rubin that he--it is his opinion, which he expressed back on July 6th, that these are the same kind of gloves. This is not a preliminary indication. This is not an indication--well, I'm not so sure. He says in here that these are the gloves and this is what they were told on July 6th. Now, I still haven't gotten the letter that they sent to him asking him for some findings, but I think that this has been totally misrepresented to the court. This is a final report and they had it before they rested.

12 THE COURT:

All right. Mr. Darden, do you want to make any response to that?

13 MR. DARDEN:

Yes, your Honor. This morning of course the court heard our offer of proof and Mr. Hodgman's and Mr. Yochelson's representations to the court. And after this morning's proceeding I saw Mr. Rubin and I discussed the details of that--of those representations by Mr. Hodgman and Mr. Yochelson. And Mr. Rubin indicated that our representations to the court earlier were correct. Just now I asked Mr. Rubin what he meant by that particular sentence and by this letter in general and he indicated to me just now that he needed to see more information, that he was not stating conclusively that these were 70263's. He needed more information. He needed other photos.

14 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorneys.)
15 MR. DARDEN:

And--

16 MR. BLASIER:

He just told us the opposite.

KEY QUOTE
17 MR. DARDEN:

Anyway, and that this is in fact a preliminary on his part. And once again I would point out that the date of the letter is July 6th. Our representations to the court this morning are consistent with what is contained in the letter and Mr. Rubin confirms that. I should indicate as well that after we received the letter we went about blowing up photos, enhancing photos, attempting to identify those characteristics that are--that are unique to this particular glove so that Mr. Rubin could come to some conclusive opinion at some point.

18 MR. BLASIER:

He says in here: "All other photos appear to be brown, crime scene gloves' color. Photo no. 4 from Robert Lee is the glove." This is not equivocal, your Honor. This is him saying I saw the pictures; that is the glove.

19 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorneys.)
20 MR. DARDEN:

We rested. He sent a letter from I guess New Jersey. Obviously we didn't have this letter. The court will note that the letter is not faxed, the letter was mailed, so obviously we rested with not having this particular information.

KEY QUOTE
21 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)
22 THE COURT:

Mr. Rubin, what manner of communication did you use to send this letter to Mr. Yochelson?

23 MR. RUBIN:

Federal Express.

24 THE COURT:

All right. Was it on the day that the letter was written?

25 MR. RUBIN:

I believe it was.

26 THE COURT:

Mr. Blasier.

27 MR. BLASIER:

I think it is obvious from the letter what has happened here, and I think--I think this evidence should be excluded based on this report.

28 THE COURT:

All right. The court notes the first paragraph at page 2 of Mr. Rubin's letter where the text is as follows: "The key to an accurate identification of the glove would be fastest from no. 3, John Cassidy photo, because the fine edge on the fingers shows the Brossier stitching and three points on the back are flat. "Do you have a clear original?" Question mark.

"No. 4 from Robert Lee is clear enough but black," indicating a desire still to have further photographs. Although this does have a conclusion in it, it was sent after the Prosecution rested, so the ruling stands. All right. Let's go to the issue of Defense motion to strike Detective Fuhrman's testimony.

29 MR. BLASIER:

Your Honor, could I say one thing before we go on? I notice Mr. Rubin is here. I am not prepared to cross-examine him. I can cross-examine the photographers, I have no problems with that, but I am not ready for him.

30 THE COURT:

I understand. Thank you. All right. Mr. Uelmen.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (5)

Robert Blasier
He says in this letter, which is in the form of a report: 'On all eight photos none of the detail that can be seen indicates that the gloves could be a style other than 70263, which is the Aris Lights.' We just confirmed that with Mr. Rubin that he--it is his opinion, which he expressed back on July 6th, that these are the same kind of gloves. This is not a preliminary indication.
Blasier's core argument: the letter was definitive, not equivocal, directly contradicting prosecution's representations to the court.
Robert Blasier
He just told us the opposite.
Blasier interrupts Darden to assert that Rubin gave conflicting accounts to each side moments apart, raising a credibility crisis mid-hearing.
Robert Blasier
'No. 4 from Robert Lee is the glove.' This is not equivocal, your Honor. This is him saying I saw the pictures; that is the glove.
Direct quote from the Rubin letter that Blasier argues is unambiguous identification — undercutting the prosecution's 'preliminary' framing.
Lance A. Ito
Although this does have a conclusion in it, it was sent after the Prosecution rested, so the ruling stands.
Ito's decisive ruling: he acknowledges the letter's conclusory language but disposes of the motion on procedural timing grounds.
Christopher Darden
We rested. He sent a letter from I guess New Jersey. Obviously we didn't have this letter. The court will note that the letter is not faxed, the letter was mailed, so obviously we rested with not having this particular information.
Darden's fallback argument on delivery method — undermined almost immediately when Rubin reveals he sent it Federal Express.

Evidence (2)

Informal
July 6th letter from Richard Rubin regarding photo identification of gloves as Aris Lights style 70263
submitted by defense, disputed as to conclusiveness, ultimately ruled inadmissible on timing grounds
Informal
Crime scene and witness photographs of the glove, including John Cassidy photo no. 3 and Robert Lee photo no. 4
referenced within Rubin letter as basis for identification

Notable Exchanges (2)

Robert BlasierChristopher Darden
Blasier argued Rubin's letter was a final report the prosecution had before resting; Darden claimed Rubin told him just moments prior it was preliminary. Blasier interjected that Rubin told the defense the opposite, creating an open conflict about what the witness said to each side within the same court session.
heated
Lance A. ItoRichard Rubin
Ito directly questioned Rubin about how he transmitted the letter. Rubin confirmed Federal Express — directly contradicting Darden's 'it was mailed' argument about why the prosecution hadn't received it.
revealing

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Christopher Darden / prosecution team
prior inconsistent statement / misrepresentation to court
Blasier argued that the prosecution misrepresented Rubin's July 6th letter as preliminary when it was in fact a final report. He further alleged Rubin gave contradictory accounts to each side within the same session, directly accusing the prosecution of misleading the court.

Witness Demeanor

(Brief pause.) — court reviews letter
(Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorneys.) — twice, as prosecution confers mid-argument
(Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 7571 • 30 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 SEP 11, 1995 📄 Motion: Rubin letter admissibi
SEP 11, 1995 KRT DvH TD