Redirect examination of Laura Hart McKinny (1 of 2)

📄 Redirect examination of Laura Hart McKinny (1 of 2) — Wednesday, September 6, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\6\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-LAURA-.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 148 of 167

◀ Cross-examination of Laura Hart McKinny Sidebar ▶

Witness: Laura Hart McKinny
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Defense • Date: Wednesday, September 6, 1995 • Utterances: 36

Cochran uses redirect to rehabilitate McKinny and reinforce that the racist language on her tapes belonged entirely to Fuhrman, not to her. He attempts to introduce Fuhrman's cover-up comments but is cut off by a sustained 352 objection, ending the examination abruptly with Cochran demanding to be heard.

# 1 THE COURT:

Mr. Cochran.

REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. COCHRAN

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

Miss McKinny--

# 3 MS. MCKINNY:

Yes.

# 4 MR. COCHRAN:

--you don't like racism, do you?

# 5 MS. MCKINNY:

No.

# 6 MR. COCHRAN:

But you understand that racism exists in the world? Are you aware of that?

# 7 MS. MCKINNY:

Yes, I am aware of that.

# 8 MR. DARDEN:

Object, your Honor. This is--

# 9 MR. COCHRAN:

And the fact--

# 10 THE COURT:

These are argumentative and leading. Proceed.

# 11 MR. COCHRAN:

The fact that Mark Fuhrman used the "N" word more than 42 times--

# 12 MR. DARDEN:

Objection. That misstates the testimony.

# 13 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 14 MR. COCHRAN:

--did that make you agree with him when he was using those words?

# 15 (No audible response.)

# 16 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you agree with him when he was using those words in that base, vile manner?

# 17 MS. MCKINNY:

Of course not.

# 18 MR. COCHRAN:

You have described for us that you were working as a journalist at the time; is that correct?

# 19 MS. MCKINNY:

That's true.

# 20 MR. COCHRAN:

And with regard to your screenplay, Men Against Women, you told us yesterday that racism was not one of the--not even a subplot; is that correct?

# 21 MR. DARDEN:

Objection, misstates the testimony.

# 22 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 23 MR. COCHRAN:

Is that correct?

# 24 MS. MCKINNY:

That's true.

# 25 MR. COCHRAN:

And so when these words, these vile insulting words came up, you weren't saying these words, were you?

# 26 MS. MCKINNY:

No.

# 27 MR. COCHRAN:

Who was saying these words?

# 28 MS. MCKINNY:

Officer Fuhrman.

# 29 MR. COCHRAN:

Who was expressing these views of cover-ups?

# 30 MS. MCKINNY:

Officer Fuhrman.

# 31 MR. DARDEN:

Motion to strike. Objection.

# 32 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 33 MR. COCHRAN:

With regard to cover-up, he talked to you, did he not?

# 34 MR. DARDEN:

Objection, there is a 352.

# 35 THE COURT:

Sustained, sustained, sustained.

# 36 MR. COCHRAN:

Well, your Honor, I need to be heard. I certainly do.

KEY QUOTE

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

Johnnie Cochran

The fact that Mark Fuhrman used the 'N' word more than 42 times--

Cochran plants the number in the jury's mind over Darden's objection that it misstates testimony — a rhetorical move as much as an examination question.

Laura Hart McKinny

Of course not.

Clean, emphatic distancing of McKinny from the content of Fuhrman's words — exactly what Cochran needs the jury to hear on redirect.

Laura Hart McKinny

Officer Fuhrman.

Repeated twice in succession — once attributing the racist words, once attributing the cover-up views — Cochran choreographs the answer to land like a drumbeat.

Johnnie Cochran

Well, your Honor, I need to be heard. I certainly do.

Cochran refuses to let the sustained 352 objection on cover-up be the last word, signaling he will fight to get that testimony in front of the jury.

Evidence (2)

Informal

McKinny's screenplay 'Men Against Women' — confirmed racism was not even a subplot

discussed

Informal

Fuhrman tapes — Cochran references Fuhrman using the N-word 'more than 42 times'

discussed

Notable Exchanges (2)

Johnnie Cochran•Christopher Darden

Darden objects that '42 times' misstates the testimony; Ito overrules and Cochran lands the number anyway.

strategic

Johnnie Cochran•Lance A. Ito•Christopher Darden

Cochran's attempt to elicit Fuhrman's cover-up comments is cut off by a triple-sustained 352 objection, and Cochran immediately pushes back demanding to be heard.

heated

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Christopher Darden

rhetorical framing over objection

Cochran slips '42 times' into a question despite Darden's misstatement objection, effectively using the examination itself as argument.

Witness Demeanor

(No audible response.) — when asked if she agreed with Fuhrman's use of the N-word

Objections

5 objections (1 sustained, 3 overruled)

Proceeding 7523 • 36 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103