Redirect examination of John De Bello

📄 Redirect examination of John De Bello — Thursday, June 30, 1994

Address:

C:\DEPT103\PRELIMINARY\1994\JUN\30\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-JOHN-D.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 1 of 6

◀ Cross-examination of John De Bello Recross-examination of John De Bello ▶

Witness: John De Bello
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Thursday, June 30, 1994 • Lines: 34

On redirect, Marcia Clark clarified an apparent inconsistency in John De Bello's testimony about Karen Crawford's handling of a pair of glasses. De Bello said he personally saw Crawford pick up the glasses and carry them into the restaurant, but he did not see her put them in an envelope and knew that detail only because Crawford later told him.

# 1

REDIRECT EXAMINATION

# 2

BY MS. CLARK:

# 3 Q:

Mr. de Bello, when you just told counsel just now that you -- I believe counsel asked you whether you knew what she did with the glasses?

# 4 A:

At that time, I didn't know. It was told to me by Karen, that she did put them in an envelope.

# 5 Q:

And when you were just asked by counsel if you know what happened to the glasses, did you think he was talking about personally observing what happened to them, after Karen Crawford picked them up?

# 6 MR. SHAPIRO:

I'm going to object. Leading and suggestive.

# 7 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 8

BY MS. CLARK:

# 9 Q:

Did you understand what counsel meant, when he said did you know what happened to the glasses?

# 10 A:

he was asking me basically what she did with them.

# 11 Q:

Did you think he was asking you whether you had actually personally seen what she had done with them?

# 12 A:

No, I didn't.

# 13 Q:

But when you were asked before the grand jury, you were specifically asked in following words, were you not, Sir, "did you see what she did with the glasses after she picked them up?" Do you recall that, as just shown to you by counsel?

# 14 A:

Right. I recall that.

# 15 Q:

And in Response to that, you indicated?

# 16 A:

I didn't -- I didn't see what she did with them.

KEY QUOTE

# 17 Q:

Did you mean to indicate today to counsel, that you did see what had happened?

# 18 A:

As she was picking up the glasses, she brought them back in the restaurant. After that, I didn't see anything.

KEY QUOTE

# 19 Q:

But what were you trying to indicate to counsel then, when he asked you if you knew what happened to the glasses? Were you trying to indicate to him that you had seen what happened to the glasses?

# 20 MR. SHAPIRO:

Objection, leading and suggestive. Motion to strike.

# 21 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 22 JOHN DE BELLO:

Yes, I was.

# 23

BY MS. CLARK:

# 24 Q:

You were trying to tell him that you had seen what she did with the glasses after she found them?

# 25 MR. SHAPIRO:

Your Honor, asked and answered.

# 26 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 27 JOHN DE BELLO:

Yes, I was. I was trying to tell him that I seen her pick the glasses up, and bring them back in the restaurant.

KEY QUOTE

# 28

BY MS. CLARK:

# 29 Q:

But were you also trying to tell him that you saw her put them in an envelope?

KEY QUOTE

# 30 A:

No, I wasn't.

# 31 Q:

Only you were trying to indicate what you knew after the fact?

# 32 A:

That's correct, yes.

# 33 MS. CLARK:

Thank you.

# 34 THE COURT:

Mr. Shapiro, anything else?

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (5)

John De Bello

I didn't -- I didn't see what she did with them.

De Bello confirmed his grand jury testimony that he did not personally witness Crawford's handling of the glasses after their retrieval.

John De Bello

As she was picking up the glasses, she brought them back in the restaurant. After that, I didn't see anything.

This defined the limit of De Bello's firsthand knowledge and reconciled his testimony with his earlier statement.

John De Bello

I was trying to tell him that I seen her pick the glasses up, and bring them back in the restaurant.

De Bello explained that his earlier answer referred only to the portion of the glasses' handling he personally observed.

Marcia Clark

But were you also trying to tell him that you saw her put them in an envelope?

Clark isolated the central chain-of-custody distinction between what De Bello witnessed and what Crawford later told him.

John De Bello

No, I wasn't.

De Bello expressly denied claiming that he personally saw the glasses placed in an envelope.

Evidence (3)

Informal

The glasses Karen Crawford reportedly picked up and carried into the restaurant; De Bello did not personally observe their later handling.

discussed

Informal

The envelope in which Karen Crawford reportedly placed the glasses, according to what she later told De Bello.

discussed

Informal

De Bello's grand jury testimony stating that he did not see what Crawford did with the glasses after she picked them up.

discussed

Notable Exchanges (1)

Marcia Clark•John De Bello•Robert Shapiro•Kathleen Kennedy-Powell

Clark sought to rehabilitate De Bello after an apparent inconsistency about whether he knew what Crawford did with the glasses. Over repeated defense objections, he clarified that he saw Crawford pick them up and bring them into the restaurant, but did not see her put them in an envelope.

strategic

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ John De Bello

prior inconsistent statement clarified on redirect

Clark addressed the apparent conflict between De Bello's grand jury testimony that he did not see what Crawford did with the glasses after picking them up and his testimony suggesting that he knew what happened. He clarified that he personally saw her retrieve the glasses and bring them into the restaurant, but learned from Crawford that she later put them in an envelope.

Objections

3 objections (1 sustained, 2 overruled)

Proceeding 9071 • 34 lines • Prosecution witness

Preliminary Trial

Department 103