📄 Closing argument — Marcia Clark (part 3) — Friday, September 29, 1995
📅 Sep 29 — Day 164
🏛️ Marcia Clark
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▲ Day 164 of 167

Closing argument — Marcia Clark (part 3)

Date: Friday, September 29, 1995 • Utterances: 7
Marcia Clark corrects what she characterizes as defense misrepresentations of expert testimony. She reads back Dr. Lee's actual words to show he could not give a scientific time estimate for the struggle, and disputes the claim that Dr. Baden testified the perpetrator would be covered in blood. She then deploys the defense's own expert MacDonell against them, using his 'absence of evidence is not evidence of absence' principle to explain the limited blood evidence.
1 (The following proceedings were held in open court:)
2 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, counsel.

3 MS. CLARK:

It was also represented that Dr. Lee and Dr. Baden both agreed that the amount of struggle would have been a very long one. Dr. Lee didn't say that. He said something a lot less certain than that, and I will read to you what he said. "Question: Can you tell us blow by blow what happened here? "Answer: No, I cannot. That is a good question. "Question: All right. Thank you. And doctor, would it be fair to say if we cannot tell blow by blow what happened here, you cannot tell blow by blow what happened, then it is difficult to give any kind of a scientific estimate of time? "Answer: That's correct." That is what Dr. Lee said. Now, with respect to Dr. Baden, it was represented to you that Dr. Baden said the perpetrator would have been covered in blood. That is not true. You can have all of Dr. Baden's testimony read back. I went and looked at it. It is not there. He didn't say that.

4 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, I object to the form.

5 MS. CLARK:

He didn't say it. Not only that, but their own expert, Mr. MacDonell--

6 THE COURT:

Overruled.

7 MS. CLARK:

--had some interesting things to say about what kind of blood or how much blood you would ever expect to find, and as a matter of fact, we read the title into the record, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.". This makes sense. A crime can happen in many different ways. Use your logic and use your common sense. If you are standing behind somebody cutting their throat, they are bleeding out and they are not bleeding on you, so you will get some on your hands, maybe you will get a little bit of the spatter, but you are not going to be covered in blood and you are certainly not going to be covered in the kind of blood in the Bronco because it is not on your back. When you think about this, think about it logically, but don't let the record mislead you. If you want it read back, they will do it for you. They will do it for you. Don't hesitate to ask, ladies and gentlemen. Most important is that you base your decision on what is there, what is really there, not on what some lawyers tells you is there or not on what you wish was there, but what is on really there. I know you will do that. Take a break?

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

Henry Lee (read by Marcia Clark)
Question: Can you tell us blow by blow what happened here? Answer: No, I cannot. That is a good question. Question: And doctor, would it be fair to say if we cannot tell blow by blow what happened here, you cannot tell blow by blow what happened, then it is difficult to give any kind of a scientific estimate of time? Answer: That's correct.
Clark uses Lee's own words to undercut the defense's characterization that he supported a long struggle timeline.
Marcia Clark
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Clark turns the defense's own expert MacDonell against them to explain why limited blood on Simpson does not exonerate him.
Marcia Clark
If you are standing behind somebody cutting their throat, they are bleeding out and they are not bleeding on you, so you will get some on your hands, maybe you will get a little bit of the spatter, but you are not going to be covered in blood.
Clark reconstructs the mechanics of the murders to explain the blood evidence pattern and counter the defense's argument about expected blood transfer.
Marcia Clark
Base your decision on what is there, what is really there, not on what some lawyers tells you is there or not on what you wish was there, but what is really there.
Closing appeal to juror independence from lawyer spin — a direct shot at Cochran's rhetorical style.

Evidence (4)

Informal
Dr. Henry Lee's trial testimony regarding ability to reconstruct the struggle blow by blow
read back verbatim to correct defense mischaracterization
Informal
Dr. Michael Baden's trial testimony on expected blood coverage of perpetrator
disputed — Clark asserts Baden never said the perpetrator would be covered in blood
Informal
Herbert MacDonell's testimony and principle: 'Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence'
cited against the defense who called him as their own expert
Informal
Blood in the Bronco
discussed in context of explaining blood spatter mechanics and transfer patterns

Notable Exchanges (1)

Marcia ClarkJohnnie Cochran
Cochran objected to the form of Clark's argument while she was asserting Baden never said the perpetrator would be covered in blood. Ito overruled it.
strategic

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Johnnie Cochran / defense team
direct transcript rebuttal
Clark reads back the actual testimony of Dr. Lee and asserts Dr. Baden's testimony record does not contain what the defense claimed, framing the defense's closing as factual misrepresentation to the jury.

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)
Proceeding 7885 • 7 utterances
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 SEP 29, 1995 📄 Closing argument — Marcia Clar
SEP 29, 1995 KRT DvH TD