📄 Opening remarks — Friday, September 15, 1995
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\15\OPENING-REMARKS.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 155 of 167

Opening remarks

Date: Friday, September 15, 1995 • Utterances: 82
The court reconvenes out of the jury's presence for pre-session housekeeping before resuming William Bodziak's testimony. Key topics include the disappearance of the Stockdale tape (a recording of OJ Simpson that the prosecution wanted to play for the jury to demonstrate his voice and demeanor), logistics around the Whitehurst memo and transcript, a resolved juror financial hardship, and exhibit-hunting for the afternoon's footwear evidence presentation.
1 (Appearances as heretofore noted.)
2 (Janet M. Moxham, CSR no. 4855, official reporter.)
3 (Christine M. Olson, CSR no. 2378, official reporter.)
4 (Pages 45994 through 46009, volume 223A, transcribed and sealed under separate cover.)
5 (The following proceedings were held in open court, out of the presence of the jury:)
6 THE COURT:

All right. Good morning, counsel. Back on the record in the Simpson matter. Mr. Simpson is again present before the court with counsel, Mr. Shapiro, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Blasier, Mr. Neufeld, Mr. Scheck, People are represented by Miss Clark, Mr. Darden and Mr. Goldberg. Good morning, counsel.

7 MS. CLARK:

Good morning, your Honor. Very briefly.

8 THE COURT:

We're about ready to reconvene with Mr. Bodziak and conclude his testimony.

9 MS. CLARK:

Yes, your Honor. I have him here. I'm ready to go and I'll conclude I believe in half an hour with direct. I wanted to raise with the court the issue of the Stockdale tape. I had a conversation with Mr. Shapiro this morning. He was very helpful in explaining to me the circumstances of the Stockdale tape. I have in my possession now from Mr. Shapiro a copy of the affidavits filed under 1054.7 with the court. I haven't had a chance to read them, but counsel already told me what's in them. It is the bottom line that the tape is no longer in existence. The issue then now to be litigated is what is the remedy for the People. Miss Stockdale is not an adequate substitute for the tape itself, which would be--

10 THE COURT:

All right. I think if you peruse the affidavits--my recollection from my last reading of them was that there is a transcript that was prepared.

11 MS. CLARK:

Right. That's not going to--that will not satisfy--what the People wanted from the tape is the Defendant's demeanor, his tone of voice, how he sounded. The words are almost irrelevant to what is more important to us, which is the sound of the voice, the tone and the demeanor of the voice, and that's why Miss Stockdale herself, even if she could give us a verbatim memory of the words, would be inadequate. We need--we needed to hear and let the jury hear his voice, and we cannot do that. So, I mean, that's the issue to be framed. I assume--

12 THE COURT:

So--

13 MS. CLARK:

I'm sorry.

14 THE COURT:

I'm just sort of anxious to get started this morning.

KEY QUOTE
15 MS. CLARK:

Yes. And that's exactly what I was going to say, your Honor. Why don't we just get started and calendar this argument for some future time not too long in the future.

16 THE COURT:

Okay.

17 MS. CLARK:

And tell me the court's pleasure in that, and we're ready.

18 THE COURT:

All right.

19 MR. SHAPIRO:

That's acceptable to us, your Honor.

20 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, counsel. Because if it appears that if we're going to finish with Mr. Bodziak today, my understanding, Miss Clark, is that that is the last major witness you intend on offering in rebuttal; is that correct?

21 MS. CLARK:

Correct.

22 THE COURT:

All right. Then we may have some additional time in the court day then to discuss those other issues. Also, as a matter of planning for scheduling, counsel, I've received requests from the interested parties regarding the Jewish holidays that are upcoming later in this month, and as soon as I determine certain sundown times, we'll--I'll issue a modified schedule as far as that's concerned. And I think we need to set the record straight about our conversations in chambers yesterday at the conclusion of the court day concerning the concerns that one of our jurors had about her financial situation as it was impacted by jury service, and that has been concluded successfully to her satisfaction without the necessity of the expenditure of any county funds. So that is a non-issue at this point.

23 MR. SHAPIRO:

Our previous statements on the record--

24 THE COURT:

Stand.

25 MR. SHAPIRO:

--stands.

26 THE COURT:

Yes. All right. All right. Are we ready to proceed?

27 MS. CLARK:

May I make one inquiry?

28 THE COURT:

Yes.

29 MS. CLARK:

Is the court already in possession of the memo from Mr. Whitehurst and the transcript that Mr. Neufeld provided us with of Mr. Whitehurst?

30 THE COURT:

I believe so.

31 MS. CLARK:

Okay. I had copies brought down to furnish to the court. Mr. Blasier and I discussed the fact that it would be more expeditious if we could give this to the court to let it begin reading even in advance of the interview scheduled for tomorrow.

32 THE COURT:

All right. I have the memo. I don't believe I have the--was given a copy of the four page per page transcript. I think we copied it, but I don't think I had a copy of it.

33 MS. CLARK:

Is it all right if I--may I give it to the court?

34 MR. YOCHELSON:

Your Honor--

35 THE COURT:

To Mrs. Robertson. Thank you.

36 MR. YOCHELSON:

There was an order by the court, both sides, not to copy these documents. At this point, they seem to be widely disseminated. I wonder if we could have some relief from that so other members of both sides can be more conveniently--

37 THE COURT:

All right. It appears that that is being publicly disseminated in the news media. So I have no objection to counsel making whatever copies they feel it necessary to make preparations for the argument.

38 MR. YOCHELSON:

Thank you, your Honor.

39 MS. CLARK:

May I ask that the court order us to furnish a copy to the court and to each other so that we're all--in view of the fact that there may be some litigation by some party, I don't even know who, I would appreciate it if the court would issue an order indicating that we should furnish to you copies of the transcript and the memo and to share those copies with each other.

40 THE COURT:

All right. Well, that's--it's been offered to the court. There's been no objection. So I--

41 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorney and Defense counsel.)
42 THE COURT:

All right. Hold on. Let me finish my discussion with Miss Clark.

43 MS. CLARK:

Mr. Yochelson reminds me that the court did order it in chambers, to furnish copies to the court of those items.

44 THE COURT:

I think of the memo. I don't believe of the transcript. Because in my pile of documents that I have on this issue, it does not include this transcript. But to my recollection, it was presented to the court in chambers. I directed my staff to make photocopies for the parties, but we did not keep one. All right. I will now put this in my stack of materials on that pile. All right.

45 MR. YOCHELSON:

Thank you.

46 THE COURT:

Thank you, Mr. Yochelson. Mr. Goldberg, anything we need to take up before we conclude with Mr. Bodziak?

47 MR. GOLDBERG:

We're trying to find one of the Defense exhibits, 1337-A we believe it is. May we have permission to look for that after the jury comes in by having Miss Martinez go into the hallway and check--

48 THE COURT:

Why don't you get it right now. What is 1337-A?

49 MS. CLARK:

Defense exhibit.

50 THE CLERK:

It was here yesterday.

51 MR. GOLDBERG:

Oh, okay. Sorry. Mr. Scheck had that. Okay. And can we also have permission to go back to put our magnetic boards together in preparation for Miss Clark's continuing direct examination after the jury comes in?

52 THE COURT:

Why don't we do it right now so that we don't have to wait.

53 MR. SCHECK:

Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing it for the first time.

54 MR. GOLDBERG:

Well, this is a previously marked exhibit.

55 THE COURT:

No. I understand that. Why don't we just bring it out now so that we don't have to be schlepping these things back and forth all day. Why don't we just get the exhibits out that we're going to use.

56 MS. CLARK:

That's our plan. Also, let me indicate, Mr. Fairtlough is home ill today.

57 THE COURT:

Well, Mr. Woodin can ably--

58 MS. CLARK:

Mr. Woodin is going to fill in.

59 MR. SCHECK:

One other issue about that. I was looking through the exhibits. It's my distinct recollection that out of all the different videotapes that the People had initially proffered when Dr. Lee was cross-examined, there was only one that they showed, and that was of the two uniformed officers breaking down the crime scene and walking through the initial area. And my distinct recollection, that was shown to the jury, and Dr. Lee was then asked if the imprints from those--the shoes of those officers could have accounted for 1337-A. And we can't--when we look at the exhibit list, it's not distinctly noted because I think it came off a previously marked exhibit from the People or in fact I think that Mr. Fairtlough had played it off the laser disk. So I was wondering if they could get that because I would like to use it.

60 THE COURT:

I don't think it was played off the laser disk. My recollection, it was videotape because the quality was bad and it was jumping on my monitor. So I think it's videotape.

61 MR. SCHECK:

Mr. Harris recalls it coming off the laser disk, and that's why we can't locate it as a separate exhibit. It wasn't marked. So I was wondering if they could find that because I would like to play that.

62 THE COURT:

Mr. Goldberg, can you help us on that?

63 MR. GOLDBERG:

I'm sorry, your Honor. I missed part of the discussion.

64 THE COURT:

On the--during your cross-examination of Dr. Lee, you played the videotape which shows the two officers winding up the crime scene tape and walking down the walkway. Then you used that to cross-examine regarding the source of possible other footprints, correct?

65 MR. GOLDBERG:

Right.

66 THE COURT:

Do you recollect what exhibit that was?

67 MS. MARTINEZ:

I believe it's 101, your Honor.

68 THE COURT:

101. Do we have 101 available? Now I've lost my clerk.

69 MR. SCHECK:

Well, we'll need some time to just rearrange that.

70 THE COURT:

Well, I'd like to make sure we got it available. Mrs. Robertson, do we have--

71 THE CLERK:

Yes.

72 THE COURT:

All right. She's on top of it.

73 MS. CLARK:

We also have other videotape that we'd like to show, the one, if you recall, that showed--I believe it was hard copy, filmed by hard copy of the Bundy area and--

74 THE COURT:

American Journal.

75 MS. CLARK:

Was it American Journal? That's shone in through the window of the living room of Miss Brown with the candles still burning. Remember that? So I would like to show that snippet as well.

76 THE COURT:

All right. Do you have that cued up?

77 MS. CLARK:

No, but it will be. It'd better be.

78 THE COURT:

It'd be nice if we could finish this morning.

79 MS. CLARK:

I agree. We can begin, your Honor. I don't--

80 THE COURT:

All right. There's 101. All right. Mr. Yochelson, would you give that to Mr. Harris, and you can preview that to see if that's the tape you're looking for. All right. Anything else before we invite the jury to join us? Miss Clark?

81 MS. CLARK:

Yes, your Honor. Let's begin. If we have to at the break, I'll show--

82 THE COURT:

All right. And one further note before we get started today. Counsel, I would recommend that you each, each side get copies of rule 5120, rules of professional conduct, which will become in effect October the 1st, regards out of court statements by counsel in a pending case. I recommend you read that carefully. All right. Let's have the jurors, Deputy Magnera.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Marcia Clark
What the People wanted from the tape is the Defendant's demeanor, his tone of voice, how he sounded. The words are almost irrelevant to what is more important to us, which is the sound of the voice, the tone and the demeanor of the voice.
Reveals the prosecution's strategic goal with the Stockdale tape — not the content of what Simpson said, but how he sounded, framing the tape's destruction as a significant evidentiary loss.
Lance A. Ito
I'm just sort of anxious to get started this morning.
Characteristic Ito impatience; he repeatedly steers the parties away from pre-argument argument and toward getting the jury in the room.
Lance A. Ito
I would recommend that you each, each side get copies of rule 5120, rules of professional conduct, which will become in effect October the 1st, regards out of court statements by counsel in a pending case. I recommend you read that carefully.
An implicit warning shot to both sides about media commentary — notable given the trial's circus atmosphere and the constant jockeying for public opinion.
Lance A. Ito
I don't think we have to be schlepping these things back and forth all day.
Casual, colloquial — illustrates Ito's blunt, no-nonsense courtroom style.

Evidence (5)

Informal
The Stockdale tape — a recording of OJ Simpson; prosecution wanted to play it to demonstrate Simpson's voice, tone, and demeanor. The tape no longer exists; only a transcript remains.
discussed as destroyed/unavailable; remedy to be argued at future hearing
Informal
Whitehurst memo and four-page-per-page transcript (FBI lab analyst Fred Whitehurst's materials, relevant to upcoming evidentiary argument)
submitted to court; parties authorized to copy and share
Defense 1337-A
Defense exhibit related to footprints/shoe impressions at Bundy crime scene, previously used during Dr. Henry Lee's testimony
located and retrieved for use in continuing Bodziak direct examination
People's 101
Videotape showing two uniformed officers rolling up crime scene tape and walking through the Bundy walkway area; used during prosecution cross-examination of Dr. Lee regarding possible alternative sources of shoe impressions
located and made available; Scheck wishes to use it
Informal
Hard Copy (or American Journal) footage filmed through the window of Nicole Brown Simpson's condo showing the Bundy area with candles still burning
Clark intends to show a snippet during Bodziak direct; not yet cued up

Notable Exchanges (3)

Marcia ClarkLance A. Ito
Clark raises the Stockdale tape issue and frames the evidentiary harm — the tape's destruction means the jury cannot hear Simpson's voice. Ito acknowledges the issue but pushes to defer argument until later in the day, after Bodziak's testimony concludes.
strategic
Barry ScheckHank GoldbergLance A. Ito
Scheck asks the prosecution to locate the videotape of the two officers walking through the crime scene (used to cross-examine Dr. Lee about alternative footprint sources). There's mild confusion about whether it was played from videotape or laser disk; clerk Martinez identifies it as Exhibit 101.
procedural
Alan YochelsonMarcia ClarkLance A. Ito
Yochelson raises the court's prior order not to copy the Whitehurst documents, noting they've since been disseminated in the news media. Ito lifts the restriction and Clark asks for a formal order requiring both sides to share copies with each other and the court.
procedural

Light Moments (3)

Marcia Clark
Clark says the Hard Copy footage 'will be' cued up, then catches herself: 'It'd better be.'
Barry Scheck
Scheck, when told exhibit 1337-A is about to be brought out, deadpans: 'Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing it for the first time' — implying the prosecution has been hiding the ball.
Lance A. Ito
Ito tells parties to get exhibits ready now so 'we don't have to be schlepping these things back and forth all day.'

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 7692 • 82 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 SEP 15, 1995 📄 Opening remarks
SEP 15, 1995 KRT DvH TD