Marcia Clark cross-examines William Blasini Jr., a Viertel's auction employee who had testified for the defense that he saw no blood in OJ Simpson's Bronco during a June 21st inspection. Clark methodically establishes that Blasini's inspection was cursory — no flashlight, no close examination of the console or steering wheel — and gets him to concede he cannot say blood was absent, only that he didn't see it. She then introduces a June 14th photograph (People's 528) showing visible print dust on the Bronco's doorjamb, which Blasini admits he did not observe despite looking for it.
# 1 THE COURT: Miss Clark.
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. CLARK
# 2 MS. CLARK: Mr. Blasini, how many years have you known Bob Jones?
# 3 MR. BLASINI: About three years. Maybe a little less.
# 4 MS. CLARK: And you saw him what; once a week?
# 5 MR. BLASINI: Every Tuesday.
# 6 MS. CLARK: So you'd seen him for somewhere between two and a half to three years every week?
# 7 MR. BLASINI: Well, off and on because sometimes other people would come and do the auction.
# 8 MS. CLARK: He knew you?
# 9 MR. BLASINI: Yes, ma'am.
# 10 MS. CLARK: You knew him?
# 11 MR. BLASINI: Yes, ma'am.
# 12 MS. CLARK: You spoke to him, on the average, every week for almost three years?
# 13 MR. BLASINI: Yes, ma'am.
# 14 MS. CLARK: Did you think it unusual that he would let you look at a car without standing over you?
# 15 MR. COCHRAN: Object to the form of that question, your Honor. Speculation.
# 16 THE COURT: Overruled. Overruled.
# 17 MR. BLASINI: Can you repeat the question, ma'am?
# 18 MS. CLARK: Was there some reason you felt that Bob Jones should not trust you to look at the car without him supervising you?
# 19 MR. BLASINI: No. No reason at all.
# 20 MS. CLARK: So when he left you alone, you did not find that to be improper or unusual?
# 22 MR. COCHRAN: Object to the form of the question.
# 23 THE COURT: Sustained. Rephrase the question.
# 24 MS. CLARK: Bob Jones had every reason to believe that you would be--you would not do anything improper inside that vehicle, correct?
# 25 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 26 MS. CLARK: So when he walked away from you and let you be, you did not find that to be unusual?
# 27 MR. BLASINI: Not at that time.
# 28 MS. CLARK: Now, were you--you said you were looking for print dust?
# 30 MS. CLARK: Why were you looking for print dust?
# 31 MR. BLASINI: Because it was known that there was print--that the vehicle was printed. There was blood in the vehicle, and that's basically what we heard and we just took it for granted. Vehicles that are in restricted areas usually have print dust on them.
# 32 MS. CLARK: All right. And you saw print dust on the exterior of the car; did you not?
# 33 MR. BLASINI: I didn't.
# 34 MS. CLARK: You didn't. You didn't see any print dust on the outside of the vehicle, right? Is that right?
# 35 MR. BLASINI: Right. Correct.
# 36 MS. CLARK: Now, the vehicle was inside the building of T-2, correct?
# 37 MR. BLASINI: Yes, ma'am.
# 38 MS. CLARK: It was not out in the sun?
# 39 MR. BLASINI: No, it wasn't.
# 40 MS. CLARK: And when you got into that car, were you carrying a flashlight?
# 41 MR. BLASINI: No, ma'am.
# 42 MS. CLARK: Were you--you're not a criminalist, correct?
# 43 MR. BLASINI: No, ma'am.
# 44 MS. CLARK: Now, in the cases where you said you saw blood in cars on previous occasions, those were cases where the car had been in an accident; is that right?
# 45 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 46 MS. CLARK: And so someone had either died or been severely injured inside that car, correct?
# 47 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 48 MS. CLARK: And you saw big globs of blood; is that correct?
# 49 MR. BLASINI: Well, sometimes you see big globs and sometimes you see very little.
# 50 MS. CLARK: And in this particular case, you were expecting to see big globs of blood, weren't you?
# 51 MR. BLASINI: No, I wasn't.
# 52 MS. CLARK: You weren't. But you said that you read in the newspaper that there had been lots of blood?
# 53 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 54 MS. CLARK: That's what you read; isn't that right?
# 55 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 56 MS. CLARK: So you expected to see lots of blood; isn't that right?
# 57 MR. COCHRAN: Asked and answered, your Honor.
# 58 THE COURT: Overruled.
# 59 MR. BLASINI: I expected to see blood that I could see, yes.
KEY QUOTE # 60 MS. CLARK: Now, you did not get down and inspect the driver's door panel with a flashlight, did you?
# 61 MR. BLASINI: No, ma'am.
# 62 MR. COCHRAN: Just a moment, your Honor. Assumes a fact that a flashlight was necessary. Assumes facts not in evidence.
# 63 THE COURT: Overruled. Overruled.
# 64 MS. CLARK: And you did not, when you got into the passenger side of the vehicle, bend down to inspect the console closely, did you?
# 65 MR. BLASINI: Not underneath, no.
# 66 MS. CLARK: And when you were sitting in the passenger side of the car, your leg was parallel with the console; isn't that right?
# 68 MS. CLARK: Now, when you were looking at the steering wheel, sir, what effort did you make to inspect it carefully for blood?
# 69 MR. BLASINI: I didn't.
# 70 MS. CLARK: And you can not tell this jury that there was not blood on that steering wheel when you looked in it on June 21st, can you?
# 71 MR. BLASINI: I didn't see any.
# 72 MS. CLARK: You cannot tell them it wasn't there?
KEY QUOTE # 73 MR. BLASINI: Correct. Not on the steering wheel.
# 74 MS. CLARK: Now, on the driver's door, you indicated that you looked at a certain portion, but not the other. Do you recall that?
# 75 MR. BLASINI: The driver's--
# 76 MS. CLARK: A certain portion of the driver's door panel.
# 77 MR. BLASINI: I didn't see the outside of the door. I saw the inside because it was open as I was coming towards it.
# 78 MR. BLASINI: Your Honor, can I have some water?
# 79 THE COURT: I need a water brigade deputy. Thank you. Forgive the lack of hospitality.
KEY QUOTE # 80 MR. BLASINI: I didn't think I was going to make it.
# 81 MS. CLARK: Now, you told us you were looking for print dust on the Bronco; is that right?
# 82 MR. BLASINI: Yes, ma'am.
# 83 MS. CLARK: I take it that means you've seen print dust before?
# 84 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 85 MS. CLARK: You indicated in fact you had seen it before in the restricted area of Viertel's, correct?
# 86 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 87 MS. CLARK: And the area that the Bronco was parked in was a restricted area; was it not?
# 88 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 89 MS. CLARK: I have a photograph, your Honor, that has been previously marked and shown as People's 528.
# 90 MR. COCHRAN: Can I see it?
# 91 THE COURT: Miss Clark, you want to show that to Mr. Cochran?
# 92 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorney and Defense counsel.) # 93 THE COURT: All right. Proceed.
# 94 MS. CLARK: All right. Can you see this on the monitor?
# 95 MR. BLASINI: Yes, I can.
# 96 MS. CLARK: All right. Did you observe the trial testimony of Mr. John Meraz, an employee of Viertel's?
# 97 MR. BLASINI: Part of it, I did.
# 98 MS. CLARK: Did you see him testify to the location in which this Bronco is in this photograph, the print shed?
# 99 MR. BLASINI: I don't remember.
# 100 MS. CLARK: Are you familiar with that location, sir?
# 101 MR. BLASINI: The print shed? No, ma'am.
# 102 MS. CLARK: This photograph taken on June the 14th was shown to Mr. Meraz during his testimony. Do you see the exterior of the driver's door?
# 103 MR. BLASINI: I sure do.
# 104 MS. CLARK: Do you see something around the doorjamb?
# 105 MR. BLASINI: I sure do.
# 106 MS. CLARK: What does that look like to you?
# 107 MR. BLASINI: It looks like print dust to me.
KEY QUOTE # 108 MS. CLARK: And you're telling us, sir, that you did not see that on June the 21st?
# 109 MR. BLASINI: I did not see it.
# 110 MS. CLARK: Doesn't mean it wasn't there, does it, sir?
# 111 MR. BLASINI: Correct.
# 112 MS. CLARK: Your Honor, I need--I need Mr. Wooden's help with this. It's a little heavy. These are magnetized, your Honor, so I'm going to ask that the board be marked--
# 113 MR. COCHRAN: May I see these, your Honor?
# 114 MS. CLARK: These are the photographs that have been previously--
# 115 THE COURT: Which exhibit is this? Why don't you show them to Mr. Cochran really quickly, please. Mr. Cochran.
# 116 (Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorney and Defense counsel.) # 117 THE COURT: Which exhibit is this, counsel?
# 118 MS. LEWIS: It's a blank board.
# 120 MR. COCHRAN: May we approach, your Honor?
# 121 THE COURT: All right. With the court reporter, please.