Lab Protocols Manuals Sops

A three-page SID handout titled “Collection and Preservation of Body Fluids,” presented as Defendant's 1084, Deft's 1118, and Defense 1319. Its instructions included collecting distinct stains separately and collecting as much stain as possible when DNA analysis might be needed; it was shown to Dennis Fung and used during the examinations of Andrea Mazzola and Michele Kestler.

A draft crime scene field unit protocol and procedures manual begun by the LAPD Scientific Investigation Division in 1992 but never formally implemented, attributed in part to the departure of a supervising criminalist before completion. The document existed in binder form and was referenced as not constituting binding policy as of 1995; witnesses variously confirmed they had never seen it or had only partially reviewed it.

LAPD Special Order No. 21, dated November 17, 1993 and signed by Chief Willie Williams, requiring immediate notification when a death falls within the coroner's purview; introduced and later admitted as Defense 1018.

Roche/Perkin Elmer AmpliType user guide for DQ-Alpha PCR typing, a copy of which was identified as Defendant's or Defense 1215. Testimony referenced the guide as a basis for laboratory procedures and discussed section 6.2.3 on cross-hybridization; the court later limited use of its mixture section to relevant 1.2-mixture pages.

The LAPD DNA unit protocol and procedures manual, including Section 4 on evidence handling and walk-in procedures, Sections 15 and 16 on yield gels and slot-blots, and Section 25 on quality assurance. During cross-examination, Scheck used these provisions to challenge Yamauchi's handling of reference and evidentiary samples.

Volume 4, section 238.46 of the LAPD Manual, setting out coroner-notification obligations for investigating officers in enumerated circumstances, including suspected criminal homicide. The 1994 provision was introduced as Defense 1016, with section 238.46 admitted and the remainder redacted, and was used during the examinations of Dave Rossi and Ron Phillips.

Defense 1014, a one-page LAPD manual document titled “General Reporting Instructions” and specifically addressing “Conducting the Investigation.” It was displayed during Dave Rossi's testimony; Marcia Clark questioned Rossi about its provisions, and F. Lee Bailey used it to challenge Rossi's claimed ignorance of investigative duties.

Defense 1221, a two-page hair-examination checklist derived from a Connecticut State Police manual and used to question Douglas Deedrick about examination methodology. A later admissibility record described the second page as apparently containing Robert Blasier's notes and recorded an agreement to redact the document's bottom portion.

A handout from the LAPD SID mini academy covering crime scene investigation procedures, shown to a criminalist who could not confirm whether it was the specific handout she had received.

A two-page handout on forensic photography. Mazzola acknowledged receiving some such handout but could not confirm that this was the specific document she received.

Instructions included in blood collection kits provided to homicide detectives, introduced and discussed during civil-trial testimony.

A document titled 'Golden Rule of Homicide Investigation,' setting out a standard-of-care statement requiring that nothing at a crime scene be touched, changed, or altered before it is identified, measured, and photographed. Read into the record; the witness agreed with its contents.

Printed photograph or screenshot of a flow chart showing June 13–14 handling procedures, with the evidence processing room circled.

An unsigned 1974 memorandum purportedly from LAPD Chief Darryl Gates, addressed to all LAPD personnel, concerning crime scene protection procedures. Foundation was challenged; the SID director testified she was unaware of the document and that it predated her employment. The court found its current validity unclear.

LAPD Manual 1994/1995, Volume 1, Section 420.40, titled “Responsibility for Release of Information.” The provision states that the news media will be notified, normally by a commanding or senior officer, and that the press relations officer assumes responsibility for releasing information during events of major proportions.

FBI/U.S. Department of Justice publication titled “Guidelines for the Collection and Preservation of DNA Evidence,” identified as authored by Lee, Gaensslen, Kearney, and Bigby. Cotton said she had not read this particular document, Ragle did not believe he had read it, Sims recalled no provision with which he disagreed, and attempts to read provisions during Matheson's cross-examination drew sustained objections.

LAPD Manual section 510.10 was discussed as calling for evidence, including suspect blood samples, to be booked without unnecessary delay; Lange and Fung characterized it as a guide. Counsel also attempted to use manual pages to establish a prohibition on employees personally storing evidence, but authentication and foundation objections impeded that examination.

The LAPD Homicide Manual, containing standards for preliminary homicide investigation, note-keeping, and related procedures. A detective admitted to having read the manual only within the previous six months, shortly before testifying.

LAPD Manual provisions numbered 6525.2 and 525.20 addressed preserving wet stains by allowing wet-blood items to dry at room temperature and prohibiting plastic packaging. Fung testified that the prohibition applied to final dry packaging, not interim transport while wet.

Manufacturer's user guide for the AmpliType PCR kit, including section 2.2.2's precaution to extract high-DNA samples separately from low-DNA samples to minimize sample-to-sample contamination; the precaution was discussed with Dr. Robin Cotton and Gary Sims.

AmpliType PM user guide containing special precautions for separating evidence- and reference-sample extractions and a recommendation to limit each run to approximately 15 samples; both provisions were discussed during Gary Sims's testimony.

ASCLAD accreditation standards and guidelines discussed with Matheson, who testified that LAPD had not applied for accreditation and clarified that the cited pen-versus-pencil standards applied to laboratory reports, not field notes.

The California Department of Justice laboratory protocol, including Section 6.3 governing examination of samples (requiring one item at a time and separation of suspect from victim samples) and the quality assurance manual at page 92, specifying that analysis must be repeated if an allelic control fails.

Cellmark Diagnostics written protocols discussed during Cotton's testimony. Glove-change language was confirmed; Cotton testified that equipment was discarded if disposable or cleaned with bleach or alcohol, and another protocol stated that a test was “inconclusive” when a reagent blank failed.

The LA County Coroner Physical Evidence Policy and Procedures Manual, dated August 1987 and issued in February 1988. Section 8.13.1 on sexual-assault evidence was read into the record, and counsel later cited the manual while disputing whether a kit should have been performed.

An LAPD policy concerning next-of-kin notification in homicide cases. It was invoked to explain the detectives' decision to notify Simpson and later challenged in questioning about efforts to contact Nicole's parents.

Page 40 of Dr. Lakshmanan's 12th-edition “Deputy Medical Examiner and Procedure Manual,” in the “Homicides” section, was read at length into the record to address the standard of care.