A New Theory of Sloppy Police Work Unveiled
SANTA MONICA, Nov. 4 (Noon) -- Gregory Matheson, the LAPD crime lab supervisor, took the stand this morning in the O.J. Simpson civil trial, testifying on a very limited scope about the collection and analysis of evidence from the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. But on cross-examination, the defense began to lay ground for a new theory of police ineptitude that would explain how rare fibers from Simpson's Bronco were found on the knit cap and bloody glove recovered from the Bundy crime scene.
Matheson, in response to questions from defense attorney Robert Blaiser, admitted that a piece of carpet cut out of Simpson's Bronco was placed in a box along with the bloody glove and knit cap. The defense's conclusion: Maybe those fibers landed on the knit cap and glove while in police custody. Simpson's criminal lawyers never had to deal with the Bronco fibers because Judge Lance Ito forbid the prosecutors to introduce them because of a discovery violation.
Blaiser also probed Matheson about why the police changed the evidence number assigned to Simpson's blood sample. Simpson gave the sample to police on June 13, 1994, and police testified it was booked that same day. Blaiser, however, pointed out that the vial's original number was 18, but was changed to 17. The piece of evidence first numbered 17 was booked on June 14. The defense is trying to show that if Simpson's blood was kept a day later, the police would have had time to plant some of it.
On direct examination, the plaintiffs chose not to ask Matheson specifically about most of the testing his office performed. However, Matheson did tell the jury that after conducting four basic blood tests, only one in 550 to 570 people would have matched some of the blood at the crime scene. Simpson's blood, Matheson said, did match. Matheson only briefly testified about Simpson's dark socks, telling the jury that when he saw them on June 29, he did not see any blood on them.
Simpson was not in court today. Lawrence Schiller, who wrote "American Tragedy," was among the visitors. Matheson is expected to testify for another hour in the afternoon session before criminalist Dennis Fung takes the stand.
-Robert SchmidtFind out about Court TV's coverage of the civil trial, and take a look at the witness lists provided by both sides.
Rob Schmidt's Reporter's Notebook
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