Robert Shapiro questioned knife-store owner Allen Wattenberg about the difference between collectible and hunting knives, Simpson's reported interest in a hunting knife, and the store's sales records. Wattenberg conceded that the store retained no itemized record proving that the particular knife was sold for a particular price on the claimed day, although he said a police-purchased exemplar was identical apart from minor variations in its bone handle.
# 1 THE COURT: Thank you. Mr. shapiro?
# 2 MR. SHAPIRO: Yes. Thank you very much, your Honor.
# 5 Q: Good afternoon, Mr. wattenberg.
# 6 A: good afternoon, sir.
# 7 Q: You described this knife as a collectable?
# 9 Q: What is a collectable?
# 10 A: A collectable is generally a finely crafted knife, that collectors would be interested in.
# 11 Q: Are there different categories of knives that you carry in your store?
# 13 Q: What are those categories?
# 14 A: We carry cooks' knives, butcher knives, general purpose kitchen knives, pocket knives of every size and description that you could think of, hunting knives. You know, the list could go on and on. There's many, many different categories of knives.
# 15 Q: How would you differentiate a hunting knife from a collectable knife?
# 16 A: A hunting knife could also be a collectable knife. It would depend on who made it, and the quality involved.
# 17 Q: What is the main purpose of a hunting knife?
# 18 A: The main purpose of a hunting knife is fishing and hunting.
# 19 Q: And to use for what purpose?
# 20 A: Generally for a cutting tool.
# 21 Q: Are those usually single edge or double edge?
# 22 A: Most hunting knives are with a single edge.
KEY QUOTE # 23 Q: Did Mr. simpson, at any time, ask to see a hunting knife?
# 24 A: I believe that he did, yes, sir.
# 25 Q: And you showed him numerous knives, did you not?
# 26 A: Myself personally, I did not.
# 27 Q: Mr. Camacho, to your knowledge, did?
# 28 A: Yes, sir, he did.
# 29 Q: Do you maintain books and records in the course of your business?
# 31 Q: Do you maintain an inventory of your business?
# 32 A: We carry, not a complete inventory. We do an inventory like annually, you know, for the city requirement, or whatever.
# 33 Q: Do you keep a record of sales, in the normal course of your business?
# 34 A: We generally ring up items on a cash register. And at the end of the day, we take a total. We keep a total of repairs, because repairs are nontaxable. At the end of the day, we fill out a daily cash sheet, which indicates the total of sales and the total of repairs.
# 35 Q: Does your receipt have the -- does your cash register record individual purchases for items that are sold in a given day?
# 36 A: Generally not, sir.
# 37 Q: Have you checked your receipts for this particular day?
# 39 Q: Did they keep a list of the individual purchases?
# 40 A: No. This sale was just a cash sale, which was rung up on the cash register.
KEY QUOTE # 41 Q: When a sale is made in the normal course of your business, is a receipt given?
# 42 A: There are times when a receipt is given, if a customer requires it, or if it's something that's being, like, mailed, that we need a record of, you know, for mailing purposes. Or if an item is put on layaway, there are receipts made out. But if a sale is made, just a cash sale, it is rung on the cash register.
# 43 Q: Are duplicate receipts made?
# 44 A: No, sir, they're not.
# 45 Q: Just one copy of one receipt?
# 47 Q: That goes to the customer; is that correct?
# 48 A: That's correct, sir.
# 49 Q: what you are telling us, you have no record, whatsoever, to establish that this particular item for this particular price, was sold on this particular day?
KEY QUOTE # 50 A: That would be correct, sir.
KEY QUOTE # 51 Q: Regarding the exhibit that you've been shown, and that was purchased by the Los Angeles Police Department, about a week ago --
# 53 Q: -- Except for the handle, you would say the knife is the identical knife?
# 54 A: Yes, sir, that's correct.
# 55 Q: And the handle will vary in design and color?
# 56 A: There could be slight difference in color and texture of the bone.
KEY QUOTE # 57 MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you. Nothing further.