Direct examination of Thano Peratis

📄 Direct examination of Thano Peratis — Thursday, July 7, 1994

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C:\DEPT103\PRELIMINARY\1994\JUL\7\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-THANO-PE.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 5 of 6

◀ Recalled direct examination of Tom Lange Cross-examination of Thano Peratis ▶

Witness: Thano Peratis
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Thursday, July 7, 1994 • Lines: 66

Registered nurse Thano Peratis identified O.J. Simpson as the person from whom he drew blood on June 13, 1994. He described using sterile collection procedures, placing the blood in a rubber-stoppered test tube, and handing the tube to Detective Vannatter, establishing the beginning of the sample's chain of custody.

# 1 MS. CLARK:

People call Thano Peratis. On his way down, Your Honor.

# 2 THE COURT:

Okay. Face the clerk, sir, and raise your right hand.

# 3 THE CLERK:

You do solemnly swear the testimony you may give in the cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

# 4 THANO PERATIS:

I do. THANO PERATIS, called as a witness by and on behalf of the People, having been duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:

# 5 THE CLERK:

Please be seated.

# 6 THE COURT:

Right up here, sir.

# 7 THE CLERK:

State and spell your name for the record.

# 8 THANO PERATIS:

tHANO PERATIS. T-h-a-n-o, p-e-r-a-t-i-s.

# 9 THE COURT:

You may inquire.

# 10 MS. CLARK:

Thank you, Your Honor.

# 11

DIRECT EXAMINATION

# 12

BY MS. CLARK:

# 13 Q:

Mr. Peratis, sir, can you tell us what you do for a living?

# 14 A:

I'm a registered nurse.

# 15 Q:

You're a registered nurse?

# 16 A:

Yes, Ma'am.

# 17 Q:

And are you qualified to draw blood from people?

# 18 A:

Yes.

# 19 Q:

How long have you been a registered nurse?

# 20 A:

About 40 years.

# 21 Q:

And where are you employed as a registered nurse?

# 22 A:

Parker Center jail.

# 23 Q:

At Parker Center jail?

# 24 (No response.)

# 25 Q:

Is that "yes"?

# 26 A:

Yes, Ma'am.

# 27 Q:

Were you so employed on the date of June the 13th, 1994?

# 28 A:

Yes.

# 29 Q:

Have you received some training in the medically approved manner of taking blood from people in a way that does not contaminate the blood?

# 30 A:

Yes.

# 31 Q:

And did you on June 13th, 1994, remove a blood sample from someone you recognize today HERE in court?

# 32 A:

Yes.

# 33 Q:

Would you please point that person out.

# 34 A:

The gentleman over there.

# 35 Q:

What's he wearing right now?

# 36 A:

I didn't hear you.

# 37 Q:

What is he wearing right now, for the record?

# 38 A:

A black suit.

# 39 THE COURT:

Are you referring to the defendant here, Mr. Simpson?

# 40 THANO PERATIS:

Oh, the defendant? Maybe I misunderstood you.

# 41

BY MS. CLARK:

# 42 Q:

Yes. Who are you referring to that you took blood from in this courtroom?

# 43 A:

Oh, yes. The defendant.

KEY QUOTE

# 44 Q:

Thank you.

# 45 THE COURT:

Thank you. Mr. Simpson.

# 46

BY MS. CLARK:

# 47 Q:

And how did you do that?

# 48 A:

Oh, I put a tourniquet on his arm and cleaned the arm with zephiran and took a syringe with a needle and withdrew the blood, then put the blood into a test tube.

KEY QUOTE

# 49 Q:

Was that a sterile test tube?

# 50 A:

Yes, Ma'am.

# 51 Q:

And how did you seal the test tube?

# 52 A:

The tube was sealed. It had a rubber stopper on it.

# 53 Q:

It already had a rubber stopper on it?

# 54 A:

Yes.

# 55 Q:

How did you get the blood into it?

# 56 A:

Stuck the needle into it and injected.

# 57 Q:

And then you just withdrew the needle?

# 58 A:

And withdrew the needle and syringe.

# 59 Q:

And did that leave the test tube then secure with the blood in it?

# 60 A:

Yes.

# 61 Q:

And what did you do with that vial of blood?

# 62 A:

I handed the tube to Detective Vannatter.

KEY QUOTE

# 63 Q:

Thank you, sir.

# 64 MS. CLARK:

I have nothing further.

# 65 THE COURT:

Mr. Shapiro.

# 66 MR. SHAPIRO:

Yes.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Thano Peratis

Oh, yes. The defendant.

After briefly misunderstanding the identification question, Peratis confirmed that O.J. Simpson was the person whose blood he drew.

Thano Peratis

Oh, I put a tourniquet on his arm and cleaned the arm with zephiran and took a syringe with a needle and withdrew the blood, then put the blood into a test tube.

Peratis described the collection procedure and the precautions used to obtain the blood sample.

Thano Peratis

I handed the tube to Detective Vannatter.

This established the first transfer in the chain of custody for Simpson's reference blood sample.

Evidence (3)

Informal

A blood sample drawn from O.J. Simpson on June 13, 1994, then transferred to Detective Vannatter.

discussed

Informal

The sterile test tube or vial, secured with a rubber stopper, into which Simpson's blood was injected.

discussed

Informal

The tourniquet, Zephiran cleanser, syringe, and needle used by Peratis to draw Simpson's blood without contamination.

discussed

Notable Exchanges (2)

Marcia Clark•Thano Peratis•Kathleen Kennedy-Powell

Peratis initially pointed ambiguously to “the gentleman over there” and appeared confused when the judge asked whether he meant Simpson; Clark clarified the question, and Peratis identified the defendant.

awkward but routine

Marcia Clark•Thano Peratis

Peratis explained how he drew Simpson's blood, placed it in a sterile rubber-stoppered tube, and handed it to Detective Vannatter.

procedural

Witness Demeanor

(No response.)

Peratis briefly appeared confused while identifying the person whose blood he drew and needed the question clarified.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 9141 • 66 lines • Prosecution witness

Preliminary Trial

Department 103