(9 Jun 1995) English/Nat
The OJ Simpson trial continued Friday with the Los Angeles County Coroner Friday detailing the struggle that murder victim Ronald Goldman faced as he met his attacker on the night of 12 June 1994.
The autopsy photos of the body of Goldman played on the emotions of the entire courtroom, leading Judge Ito to move back the easel that holds the pictures.
It was more of the same graphic details Friday in the OJ Simpson double murder trial as defence attorney Johnnie Cochran pleaded with Judge Ito before the start of the proceedings to warn jurors about the "gruesome" autopsy photos.
SOUNDBITE:
"If these photos have had an affect on the jury they have been disturbing and gruesome and they are gruesome and won't quarrel over any adverbs, but they are gruesome and disturbing. Those are factual statements to use the courts words."
SUPER CAPTION: Johnnie Cochran, Defence Attorney
Cochran's sentiments lead Judge Ito to tell the jurors not to get caught up in emotion when viewing the harsh photos.
SOUNDBITE:
"I want to instruct you that you must not be influenced by mere sentiment, conjecture, sympathy, passion, prejudice, public opinion or public feeling."
SUPERCAPTION: Judge Lance Ito.
When testimony resumed, Prosecutor Brian Kelberg and Coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran detailed for the court the last moments of Ronald Goldman's life.
He described how Goldman was grasped by his attacker at knife-point, in a violent struggle, before the assailant slit his jugular vein.
Dr. Lakshmanan said Goldman's attacker could have slashed him in less than a minute.
SOUNDBITE:
"You are talking about several seconds for an injury. It doesn't take that long to do a sharp force injury with a sharp knife."
SUPERCAPTION: Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran - Los Angeles County Coroner.
The coroner also said the element of surprise and motivation of the killer could have played a part in the Goldman slaying.
In Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran opinion, the injuries sustained could have been in rapid succession.
SOUNDBITE:
"Or less than a minute those were your actual words."
"Yes, Yes, If you take a knife..If you take any knife and go home and just plunge it quickly and you will see you can do about 15 thrusts in about 15 seconds."
SUPERCAPTION: Brian Kelberg, Prosecutor and Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, Los Angeles County Coroner]
Kelberg described in great detail a knife wound that penetrated Goldman's ear.
SOUNDBITE:
"The knife going thorough and exiting the ear where you believe the injury of number 2 actually exists exiting the head and cutting the ear in the area of the pena as indicated in the photograph."
SUPERCAPTION: Brian Kelberg - Prosecutor.
The trial remained on its normal Friday schedule, recessing before lunch.
Testimony will resume again Monday afternoon, the anniversary of the brutal slaying deaths of OJ Simpson's ex-wife and Ronald Goldman.
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18 сен 2024
