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From: Jasper
Date: 10/29/03
Time: 10:37:16 PM
Remote Name: 68.73.203.122
Charley,
With DeBello’s testimony, the point is whether his statement about seeing the Brown’s eating dinner sometime before 6:45 fits within the established facts (the reservation time and the server assigned to the table). If it fits he can’t be lying. It does fit.
The reason that you see a pattern of time estimates that very by half an hour is because that’s the way people bracket time when they aren’t sure of the time within fifteen minutes or so. They say, “between 7:00 and 7:30,” “8:30 or 9:00” or they pick a time closest to the half hour mark they believe an event occurred. When they have less of an idea about the time they say “between 7:00 and 8:00,” “7 or 8” or the pick a time closet to the hour they believe an even occurred. When they think they can bracket the time closer they use fifteen minute intervals, Ten minute intervals, Five, minute intervals, etc. You will find all of these patterns, too.
All experienced prosecutors and police detectives are aware of these patterns. That’s why Marcia could cherry-pick her timeline witnesses to fit her theory of O.J. committing the murders before 10:30. That’s why Fuhrman said in Murder in Brentwood that it was essential to keep the timeline flexible. You can always find timeline witnesses who match your theory. That’s why you have to judge the validity of each witness’s estimates against fixed and independently verifiable measures of time.
By the way, the Paul Revere Middle School was on 1450 Allenford Ave a few blocks southwest of O.J.’s home. He left to get the flowers soon after he arrived at the recital and saw other fathers giving flowers to there children after their performances. He got them at a flouriest on Gorham and San Vicente. He would have been gone for ten or fifteen minutes. –Jasper