Direct examination of Teresa Ramirez (part 2)

📄 Direct examination of Teresa Ramirez (part 2) — Wednesday, September 13, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\13\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-TERESA-R.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 153 of 167

◀ Sidebar: videotape evidence Redirect examination of Teresa Ramirez ▶

Witness: Teresa Ramirez
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, September 13, 1995 • Utterances: 64

Marcia Clark concluded her direct examination of Teresa Ramirez, a videographer who taped a deposition of prosecution witness Phillip Vannatter (or more likely Dennis Fung/Collin Yamauchi) — actually Thaddeus Peratis, the nurse who drew OJ's blood. Ramirez confirmed the videotape of Peratis was very brief after a 14-minute break, consisting of only one question and one answer. Clark also established that she and Darden had only located Ramirez at 4:00 PM that very afternoon, catching her just as she was leaving for a dentist appointment, and that the defense had a full half-hour to speak with Ramirez before her testimony.

# 1 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you. Miss Clark, you wanted to show 1375 to conclusion at this point?

# 2 MS. CLARK:

Yes, your Honor.

# 3 THE COURT:

All right. Let's proceed.

# 4 (At 5:08 P.M., Deft's exhibit 1375, a videotape, continues playing.)

# 5 (At 5:10 P.M., the playing of the videotape was concluded.)

# 6 MS. CLARK:

Is that the end?

# 7 THE COURT:

That was it?

# 8 MS. CLARK:

That's it.

# 9 MS. CLARK:

Let me ask you, Miss Ramirez, is that the segment that was taped after the 14-minute break?

# 10 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes. But it looks like--it didn't--like the end is missing at least from this copy.

# 11 MS. CLARK:

Okay. Do you know how long you went--for how long you videotaped after the 14-minute break?

# 12 MS. RAMIREZ:

No. I don't remember.

# 13 MS. CLARK:

Do you remember if it was one minute versus half an hour? Was it a long time that you went--

# 14 MR. NEUFELD:

Your Honor, leading and speculation. She says she doesn't remember.

# 15 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 16 MS. RAMIREZ:

I remember that it was only one question. So it was very short. I can't tell how long.

KEY QUOTE

# 17 MS. CLARK:

So Hank Goldberg asked one question and Mr. Peratis gave that one answer?

# 18 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 19 MS. CLARK:

And that's all that happened?

# 20 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 21 MS. CLARK:

Now, was Mr.--did Mr. Goldberg give a set of questions or any written materials to Mr. Peratis during the questioning?

# 22 MS. RAMIREZ:

No.

# 23 MS. CLARK:

And during the 14-minute break, did he hand Mr. Peratis any written materials or any kind of questions written down on paper?

# 24 MS. RAMIREZ:

No.

# 25 MS. CLARK:

And did you do anything--did you do any other tape with Mr. Peratis besides this one?

# 26 MS. RAMIREZ:

No.

# 27 MS. CLARK:

Was there a reason for that?

# 28 MS. RAMIREZ:

I don't know.

# 29 MS. CLARK:

Did Mr. Goldberg convey to you any concern about Mr. Peratis?

# 30 MR. NEUFELD:

Objection. Hearsay.

# 31 MS. RAMIREZ:

No.

# 32 MS. CLARK:

Did you discuss with anybody Mr. Peratis' physical condition?

# 33 MS. RAMIREZ:

I don't remember.

# 34 MS. CLARK:

Do you remember whether you discussed Mr. Peratis' physical condition with Hank Goldberg?

# 35 MS. RAMIREZ:

I don't remember.

# 36 MS. CLARK:

Now, today, did Mr. Darden and I go to your office and locate you?

# 37 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 38 MS. CLARK:

And was that at about 4:00 o'clock today?

# 39 MS. RAMIREZ:

I think so.

# 40 MS. CLARK:

Where were you--were you on your way to go somewhere?

# 41 MS. RAMIREZ:

I had a dentist appointment. Yes. I was leaving.

# 42 MS. CLARK:

Had we ever contacted you and asked you to testify before 4:00 o'clock this afternoon?

# 43 MS. RAMIREZ:

No.

# 44 MS. CLARK:

If we had gotten there at 4:05, would you have been gone to the dentist?

KEY QUOTE

# 45 MS. RAMIREZ:

Perhaps.

# 46 MS. CLARK:

Okay. Have we--after we--did we speak to you for about 10 minutes?

# 47 MR. NEUFELD:

Objection. Leading.

# 48 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 49 MS. CLARK:

How long did we speak to you for? Mr. Darden and I up in your office, how long did we speak to you for?

# 50 MS. RAMIREZ:

It was short. I can't remember. I got really nervous when I saw you.

# 51 MS. CLARK:

Why was that?

# 52 MR. NEUFELD:

Objection, your Honor. It's irrelevant and immaterial.

# 53 MS. RAMIREZ:

I'd like to be--

# 54 THE COURT:

Hold on. Let's move on.

# 55 MS. CLARK:

All right. I'm sorry.

# 56 MS. CLARK:

And after that, Miss Ramirez, did we bring you down to the courtroom?

# 57 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 58 MS. CLARK:

And did you sit and speak with Mr. Neufeld and Mr. Cochran for about half an hour?

# 59 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 60 MS. CLARK:

Did they ask you all the questions they wanted to ask?

# 61 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 62 MS. CLARK:

And you answered all those questions?

# 63 MS. RAMIREZ:

Yes.

# 64 MS. CLARK:

I have nothing further.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Teresa Ramirez

I remember that it was only one question. So it was very short. I can't tell how long.

Confirms the post-break portion of the Peratis videotape was extremely brief — just one question and one answer — relevant to defense claims about the completeness and integrity of the recording.

Teresa Ramirez

I got really nervous when I saw you.

Candid admission that suggests the witness was not well-prepared or coordinated with the prosecution, reinforcing Clark's narrative that Ramirez was found only by chance that afternoon.

Marcia Clark

If we had gotten there at 4:05, would you have been gone to the dentist?

Clark dramatizes how last-minute the witness contact was, preemptively countering any defense suggestion of coaching or coordination.

Evidence (1)

Defense 1375

Videotape of Phillip Peratis deposition, including the segment recorded after a 14-minute break

played to conclusion

Notable Exchanges (2)

Marcia Clark•Teresa Ramirez

Clark establishes she only located Ramirez at 4:00 PM that day as she was about to leave for a dentist appointment, having never previously asked her to testify.

strategic

Marcia Clark•Peter Neufeld

Neufeld objected when Clark tried to elicit why Ramirez got nervous upon seeing the prosecutors; Ito cut it off as irrelevant rather than ruling formally.

procedural

Light Moments (1)

Teresa Ramirez

Ramirez reveals she got 'really nervous' when Clark and Darden showed up at her office, and nearly missed testimony entirely due to a dentist appointment.

Objections

4 objections (1 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 7651 • 64 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103