Redirect examination of Fred Goldman

📄 Redirect examination of Fred Goldman — Monday, December 9, 1996

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1996\DEC\9\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-FRED-G.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 28 of 57

Witness: Fred Goldman
Examiner: Daniel Petrocelli
Called by: Plaintiff • Date: Monday, December 9, 1996 • Utterances: 78

Robert Baker cross-examines Fred Goldman briefly, probing his relationships with detectives Vannatter and Lange (attending their retirement parties), his family's contacts with prosecution witnesses, and a $450,000 book deal. Baker attempts to establish bias and financial motive, and stumbles twice — once on Sharon Rufo's funeral attendance and once confusing FBI agent Deedrick with Bodziak.

# 1 MR. BAKER:

Thank you.

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. BAKER:

# 2 Q:

I've got a few questions.

Now, as I understand it, Sharon Rufo was the mother of Ron; is that correct?

# 3 A:

That's correct.

# 4 Q:

And Sharon Rufo, to the best of your knowledge, had not seen your son 13 or 14 years before -- for a period of 13 or 14 years before Ron's death; is that correct?

# 5 A:

That's correct.

# 6 Q:

And you have seen her in this courtroom, have you not?

# 7 A:

Yes.

# 8 Q:

She did not, however, make it out to Ron's funeral, did she?

# 9 A:

I didn't hear you.

# 10 Q:

I apologize.

She did not attend Ron's funeral. Was she --

# 11 A:

She was here for Ron's funeral.

# 12 Q:

Now, in terms -- in your deposition you indicated I thought that she had not.

# 13 MR. PETROCELLI:

I don't think so, Mr. Baker.

# 14 MR. BAKER:

Okay. I apologize.

# 15 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) In terms of your notification, the LAPD did not notify you of your son's demise?

# 16 A:

We were notified by the coroner's office I believe.

# 17 Q:

And you were notified by the coroner's office at about 5 p.m. on June 13, 1994; is that correct?

# 18 A:

Correct.

# 19 Q:

Now, in terms of Nicole Brown Simpson, you -- you didn't know that your son even knew her at the time he was murdered, correct?

# 20 A:

That's correct.

# 21 Q:

You did find that her phone number was in his apartment when it was cleaned up?

# 22 A:

As I recall, there was a phone directory that had the name Nicole in it. I don't recall the number or anything like that.

# 23 Q:

And just on another area, you -- since the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and your son, you have become friends with Detectives Vannatter and Lange, correct?

# 24 A:

You said friends?

# 25 Q:

Friends.

# 26 A:

No, I don't --

# 27 MR. PETROCELLI:

Outside the scope, Your Honor.

# 28 FRED GOLDMAN:

Should I answer?

# 29 THE COURT:

Yes.

# 30 A:

No, I don't know that friends is accurate.

I mean I -- I consider friends someone you constantly spend a lot of time with. That's not the case.

KEY QUOTE

# 31 Q:

Did Detective Vannatter spend -- was he at any of the fund raisers that you gave?

# 32 THE COURT:

Mr. Baker, if you're going to proceed on this, you're not going to call this witness on your direct.

# 33 MR. BAKER:

I understand.

# 34 MR. PETROCELLI:

I have an objection to scope.

# 35 THE COURT:

Overruled. Treat this as defense witness called out of order.

# 36 MR. BAKER:

Under 767?

# 37 THE COURT:

776.

# 38 MR. BAKER:

That's right.

# 39 A:

I'm sorry, you asked --

# 40 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) You invited Detective Vannatter -- Mr. Vannatter to funds raisers that you put on, did you not?

# 41 A:

No, that's not true.

# 42 Q:

You went to Detective Vannatter's retirement party, did you not?

# 43 A:

We -- our family, my wife, my daughter and I went to Detective Vannatter's retirement party, correct.

KEY QUOTE

# 44 Q:

Went to Detective Lange's retirement party?

# 45 A:

Correct.

# 46 Q:

You became friends with FBI agents Deedrick and Bodziak, correct?

# 47 A:

No.

# 48 Q:

How is it Detective Bodziak -- you have his picture with Detective Bodziak and Kim, do you know?

# 49 MR. PETROCELLI:

That's Deedrick.

# 50 MR. BAKER:

I apologize. It was Deedrick.

# 51 A:

If you're talking about the picture that was testified to --

# 52 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) Yes.

# 53 A:

-- I assume -- I don't recall, but I assume that was taken at -- at one of the retirement dinners.

# 54 Q:

Now, when Detective Vannatter was -- did Detective -- Deedrick come out for one of the retirement dinners?

# 55 A:

It was either there or it was at the police -- at the D.A.'s office. There's only a handful of places that it could have been. More likely it was at the D.A.'s office.

# 56 Q:

And in fact, after the criminal trial, you participated in a news conference with the detectives, as well as the district attorney, indicating your displeasure with the jury verdict?

# 57 MR. PETROCELLI:

Irrelevant, Your Honor.

# 58 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 59 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) Does your daughter call Mr. Vannatter Uncle Phil, ever refer to him as that?

# 60 A:

No.

# 61 Q:

Now, you've talked to Detective -- Mr. Tippin and Mr. Marlow, have you not, relative -- when they were on the LAPD investigating this case?

# 62 A:

As I recall, the only time I talked to Detective Tippin was when we went to Ron's apartment.

# 63 Q:

You've talked to Detective Marlow certainly after this case as a civil (sic) case has been prosecuted, have you not?

# 64 A:

I don't recall ever talking to Detective Marlow.

# 65 Q:

Mr. Goldman, since the trial started, how many press conferences have you held, since this trial started in September? We started jury selection on September 18, 1996.

# 66 A:

Press conferences?

# 67 Q:

Press conferences.

# 68 A:

As I recall, there was one when I announced my new job.

# 69 Q:

And you also had one out here on the front lawn of the -- of the court house after you appeared on "Larry King Live"; is that true?

# 70 MR. PETROCELLI:

Your Honor, this is really irrelevant.

# 71 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 72 Q:

(BY MR. BAKER) And you -- you have now signed a book deal that -- that was discussed in your deposition; is that correct?

# 73 A:

My family in total is writing a book, that's correct.

# 74 Q:

And the guaranteed advance on that book, Mr. Goldman, is how much?

# 75 MR. PETROCELLI:

It's irrelevant.

# 76 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 77 A:

The total advance is 450,000. Out of that, my family gets approximately half.

KEY QUOTE

# 78 MR. BAKER:

That's all I have.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (3)

Fred Goldman

No, I don't know that friends is accurate. I mean I -- I consider friends someone you constantly spend a lot of time with. That's not the case.

Goldman carefully pushes back on Baker's framing of his relationship with Detective Vannatter, revealing a close but officially arm's-length connection.

Fred Goldman

The total advance is 450,000. Out of that, my family gets approximately half.

Establishes a significant financial stake ($225,000) tied to the outcome of the case, which Baker uses to imply motive.

Fred Goldman

We -- our family, my wife, my daughter and I went to Detective Vannatter's retirement party, correct.

Confirms a personal relationship with the lead detective that goes beyond professional contact.

Evidence (2)

Informal

Photograph of Fred Goldman/Kim Goldman with FBI agent Deedrick, taken at a retirement dinner or DA's office

discussed

Informal

Phone directory from Ron Goldman's apartment containing the name 'Nicole'

discussed

Notable Exchanges (3)

Robert Baker•Fred Goldman

Baker asserts Sharon Rufo did not attend Ron's funeral; Goldman corrects him flatly ('She was here for Ron's funeral'), and Petrocelli also objects. Baker apologizes.

revealing — Baker walked into a factual error on the first question

Robert Baker•Fred Goldman

Baker asks whether Goldman's daughter calls Vannatter 'Uncle Phil' — Goldman denies it. Baker is probing the intimacy of the relationship.

pointed

Robert Baker•Fred Goldman

Baker extracts the $450,000 book advance over a relevance objection that is overruled — the last question of the cross.

strategic

Light Moments (1)

Robert Baker / Daniel Petrocelli

Baker confuses FBI agent Deedrick with Bodziak; Petrocelli corrects him mid-question ('That's Deedrick'); Baker apologizes.

Credibility Attacks (2)

⚔ Fred Goldman

bias — personal relationship with prosecution witnesses

Baker establishes Goldman attended retirement parties for Detectives Vannatter and Lange, had a photo taken with FBI agent Deedrick, and participated in a post-criminal-trial press conference alongside the detectives and DA.

⚔ Fred Goldman

financial interest

Baker elicits that Goldman's family has a $450,000 book deal, with approximately $225,000 going to his family, suggesting a financial stake tied to the civil case outcome.

Objections

4 objections (2 sustained, 2 overruled)

Proceeding 8536 • 78 utterances • Plaintiff witness

Civil Trial

Department 103