Is that accurate? That's correct. Marcus walked to his evidence table and retrieved a thick folder. I'd like to enter into evidence the official dispatch logs from the Baltimore Police Department for August 24.
Richardson shot up. Objection. Foundation hasn't been established for these documents. Your Honor, these are public records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.
Officer Williams can authenticate them as part of the department's standard operating procedures. Judge Morrison examined the documents. I'll allow it. Continue, Mr. Williams. Marcus approached the witness stand with the dispatch logs in hand.
Officer Williams, according to these official records, the 911 call reporting the robbery was logged at 9:47 p.m. Your arrival at the scene was logged at 10:32 p.m. That's a 45-minute response time, not within minutes as you testified. How do you explain this discrepancy? Officer Williams shifted uncomfortably. Dispatch logs aren't always accurate. Sometimes there are delays in updating the system.
A 45-minute delay in updating a system that tracks emergency response times. It happens. Marcus nodded thoughtfully and moved to his next exhibit. Officer Williams, I'd like you to look at your official incident report from that evening.
You described the suspect as approximately five feet eight inches, thin build, clean shaven. Do you see that description? Yes. Now, I'd like you to listen to the 911 call that initiated your response.
Marcus pressed play on a digital recorder, and Jimmy Davis's voice filled the courtroom.
"911. What's your emergency?"
"I've been robbed. Young Black male, about six feet tall, heavy build, full beard, wearing a red baseball cap."
The courtroom fell silent as the recording ended. The jurors looked from the transcript to Officer Williams, whose face had gone pale. Marcus stepped closer to the witness stand and asked, "Officer Williams, can you explain how a suspect described as six feet tall, heavyset, bearded, and wearing a red baseball cap became someone five feet eight inches tall, thin, clean-shaven, and wearing no hat by the time you wrote your report?"
"Witness descriptions are often inaccurate under stress," Officer Williams answered.
"But you never interviewed Mr. Davis again to clarify those enormous differences, did you?"