Defense Grills Pathologist
SANTA MONICA Nov. 12, (Noon) -- Defense attorney Robert Baker finished a mostly hostile cross examination of pathologist Werner Spitz Tuesday morning in the O.J. Simpson civil trial. Through his questions, Baker worked to cast doubt on Spitz's opinions that Simpson had fingernail marks on his hands, that the two victims briefly struggled with the attacker, and that the assailant would not have been covered in blood.
This afternoon, Spitz will remain on the stand for his redirect examination by plaintiffs lawyer Edward Medvene. The next scheduled witness is Federal Bureau of Investigation hair and fiber expert Douglas Deedrick.
Although Baker constantly mocked and belittled Spitz's testimony, there were a few lighter moments in the courtroom. In one exchange, Baker suggested that Ronald Goldman's fingernails were too short to wound an assailants' hands. Spitz noted that his fingernails were about the same size as Goldman's--and offered to demonstrate on Baker. "Sure, gouge me," Baker replied, rolling up his sleeve.
But Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki refused to let the demonstration take place. "Mr. Baker, I'm not going to have any gauging of flesh out in my courtroom," Fujisaki said.
Baker spent much of his cross-examination trying to show that Spitz was wrong in his conclusion that the struggle lasted more than a minute. Pointing to blood stains on Goldman's pants, Baker noted, that Goldman would have needed to be standing longer for all the blood to have dripped down.
The defense also tried to point out that an attacker would have suffered a number of bruises after struggling with Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. Goldman, Baker noted, had substantial bruises on his body, which likely came during a struggle. While Spitz said the bruises were consistent with hitting something, he could not be sure it was the assailant.
"He wasn't fighting the fence, he was fighting his attacker," Baker said mockingly.
Spitz was asked why there was not more noise at the crime scene during the struggle.
"Somebody would need to explain to me how Nicole Simpson could scream with her throat cut," Spitz said.
O.J. Simpson was not in court today. He is attending his child custody trial in Orange County.
Robert Schmidt
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