The Defense Attacks Criminalist Fung
SANTA MONICA, Nov. 4 (Evening) -- Los Angeles Police Department criminalist Dennis Fung took the stand Monday afternoon in the O.J. Simpson civil trial, taking the jurors through his collection of blood drops at the Bundy and Rockingham crime scenes. The defense, on cross-examination, sought to show that Fung missed collecting crucial evidence, and that the evidence he did collect was contaminated.
Fung will remain on the stand Tuesday morning as defense attorney Robert Blaiser continues his cross-examination. After Fung, criminalist Susan Brockbank, who handled hair and fiber evidence, is set to testify. The plaintiffs will then seek to present witnesses in an effort to try to link O.J. Simpson to the two gloves, including Mark Krueger, who photographed Simpson wearing similar gloves and, via her videotaped deposition, Brenda Vemich, the woman who sold Nicole two pairs of Aris Leather Light gloves, extra-large, at Bloomingdales. Expected later in the week is Harry Scull, the photographer who took the picture that purports to show Simpson wearing Bruno Magli shoes.
On cross-examination Monday afternoon, defense lawyers slammed Fung for inconsistencies with his previous testimony, for allowing a junior criminalist to collect evidence, and for taking directions from detectives that he knew would compromise the crime scene. Det. Tom Lange, Fung testified, told him to bring the glove found at Rockingham over to the Bundy condominium -- a move that could have contaminated the crime scene. Fung also said he didn't collect any blood on Nicole Brown Simpson's back gate because he did not see any. The defense also suggested that the two crime scenes were further cross-contaminated by police officers going back and forth, and from Nicole's Akita running around the Rockingham estate.
Blaiser asked Fung if an officer was assigned to keep the dog away.
No, Fung replied, "when the dog got near the stains we'd shoo him away."
Fung's limited 60-minute direct examination again frustrated defense lawyers who have not been allowed to question the witnesses beyond the scope of what they are asked by the plaintiffs. Late Friday, defense sought an emergency writ from the California state appellate court seeking to stop the civil trial until the appeals court could rule on whether or not this limitation was proper. This afternoon, the appeal was denied.
Gregory Matheson finished testifying earlier in the afternoon. On redirect examination he offered a response to the defense's new theory that rare fibers from Simpson's Bronco ended up on the knit cap and glove found at the Bundy crime scene because of cross-contamination. Matheson told the jury that although the LAPD did indeed keep a piece of Simpson's Bronco carpet in a box with the knit cap and glove from the Bundy crime scene, each piece of evidence was packaged separately.
Simpson was not in court today because he was undergoing routine psychological testing for his child custody trial.
-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
Court TV Reports and Trial Coverage
Documents and Depositions from the Pre-Trial Civil Proceedings
A Look Back at the Criminal Case
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