◆ SpookStack

LF Bozanich stated in his affidavit to Judge Wenke that despite the 1971 controversy regarding irregularities by the County Clerk, and the steps purportedly taken to insure that no further mishaps _ would occur, the clerk in 1974 apparently failed to comply with these express mandates. Therefore, requested Bozanich, Judge Wenke should conduct an evidentiary hearing designed to determine the present integrity and utility of the Sirhan exhibits, and whether or not meaningful data regarding the assassination of Senator Kennedy could be obtained by testing of these Sirhan exhibits. Nevertheless, all petitioners were solidly opposed to any hearing on the utility of the exhibits, and Judge Wenke denied the petition by the District Attorney's Office for such an evidentiary hearing. Finally, after weeks of negotiation, Judge Wenke signed a court order on September 18, 1975, granting the examination and re- testing of the Sirhan exhibits. It should be emphasized that this final court order was the result of several weeks of negotiation and compromise by all parties and attorneys involved, and that the final order, although signed by Judge Wenke, reflected the working compromise of the several attorneys. Inherent in the order for retesting was a detailed procedure for comparison microscopic examination of the various bullets and exhibits. Seven firearms experts chosen by the attorneys would work independently of each other and submit individual and joint reports. The Attorney General's Office selected Cortland Cunningham of the FBI from Washington D.C. The County Counsel's Office selected private criminalist Stanton 0. Berg of Minneapolis, Minn. The District Attorney's Office selected Alfred Biasotti, of the California Department of Justice, from Sacramento, California. CBS selected Lowell Bradford, from San Jose, California. Paul schrade selected Ralph Turner, from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Godfrey Isaac, attorney for Sirhan, selected Charles Mortin, independent forensic scientist from Oakland, California; and all attorneys acting in unison selected Patrick Garland from the Tide Water Regional Laboratory in Norfolk, Virginia, as a seventh and independent choice. Preliminary to the actual test procedure was a court hearing in which L.A.P.D. criminalist DeWayne Wolfer was subpoeaned to determine whether the various bullets originally introduced into evidence in 1968 and 1969 were still, in fact, the same bullets. Additionally, as part of the court's subpoena power, Wolfer was to bring all materials relating to tests performed by or under his direction. Wolfer was to be examined by all parties and counsel as to the identity and procedures of the tests he performed with respect to the bullets, the revolver, and any of the other exhibits. ~ 49 -