Cross-examination of Roderic Hodge (part 1)

📄 Cross-examination of Roderic Hodge (part 1) — Wednesday, September 6, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\6\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-RODERIC-H.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 148 of 167

◀ Direct examination of Roderic Hodge Sidebar: Hodge cross-examination ▶

Witness: Roderic Hodge
Examiner: Christopher Darden
Called by: Defense • Date: Wednesday, September 6, 1995 • Utterances: 12

Darden begins cross-examining Roderic Hodge, a witness who testified about prior contact with Mark Fuhrman, establishing that Hodge lived on Corning Avenue and was arrested by Fuhrman and Vettraino in January 1987. When Darden attempts to clarify the date by asking whether Hodge was arrested only once by those officers, Cochran objects as beyond the scope and is sustained, prompting a sidebar before the examination can continue.

# 1 THE COURT:

People.

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. DARDEN

# 2 MR. DARDEN:

Mr. Hodge, thank you for coming, sir. Sir, you used to live on Corning Avenue, was it?

# 3 MR. HODGE:

Yes, sir.

# 4 MR. DARDEN:

And you were arrested by Vettraino and Fuhrman on January 13, 1987; is that right?

KEY QUOTE

# 5 MR. HODGE:

I'm unable to recall the exact date, sir.

KEY QUOTE

# 6 MR. DARDEN:

By the way, did you--were you only arrested once by Vettraino and Fuhrman and placed in a police vehicle?

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, object. Beyond the scope.

# 8 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 9 MR. DARDEN:

Trying to establish the date, your Honor.

# 10 THE COURT:

The date of January, `87, is close enough.

KEY QUOTE

# 11 MR. DARDEN:

Perhaps I should approach then.

# 12 THE COURT:

All right. Let me see you over here at side bar with the court reporter.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Christopher Darden

And you were arrested by Vettraino and Fuhrman on January 13, 1987; is that right?

Establishes the factual basis for Hodge's testimony about Fuhrman — the cross is aimed at the circumstances of that prior contact.

Roderic Hodge

I'm unable to recall the exact date, sir.

Witness hedges on the specific date, giving Darden an opening to try to pin down the timeline or number of encounters.

Lance A. Ito

The date of January, `87, is close enough.

Ito cuts off the line of questioning before it reaches what Darden was really after — the number of arrests.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Christopher Darden•Johnnie Cochran•Lance A. Ito

Darden tries to ask if Hodge was arrested by Fuhrman and Vettraino more than once, apparently to narrow the date or challenge the specifics of the encounter. Cochran shuts it down as beyond scope and Ito agrees, then calls a sidebar.

strategic

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Roderic Hodge

prior inconsistent statement / factual precision

Darden attempts to establish the exact date and circumstances of Hodge's arrest by Fuhrman — likely groundwork to challenge or narrow the account Hodge gave on direct — but is cut off before getting there.

Objections

1 objections (1 sustained, 0 overruled)

Proceeding 7538 • 12 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103