Direct examination of Officer Angelica Guzman

📄 Direct examination of Officer Angelica Guzman — Thursday, January 16, 1997

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1997\JAN\16\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-OFFICER-.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 43 of 57

◀ Re-redirect examination of Richard H. Fox Cross-examination of Officer Angelica Guzman ▶

Witness: Angelica Guzman
Examiner: Dan Leonard
Called by: Defense • Date: Thursday, January 16, 1997 • Utterances: 83

Plaintiff's counsel Medvene conducted a brief direct examination of Officer Guzman, a relatively inexperienced LAPD officer (4 months field experience) who was assigned to watch OJ Simpson's Bronco at 360 North Rockingham on June 13, 1994. The examination focused on an impound report she filled out for the Bronco, revealing that she checked 'yes' for battery and alternator without actually verifying their presence, and established that neither she nor Officer Thompson opened the Bronco in any way during their watch.

# 1 A:

I am a police officer for the Police Department of Los Angeles.

# 2 Q:

And were you at 360 Rockingham the morning hours of June 13, 1994?

# 3 A:

Yes.

# 4 Q:

How long had you been a police officer at that time?

# 5 A:

For approximately a year and a half.

# 6 Q:

How long had you been working in the field?

# 7 A:

Approximately four months.

# 8 Q:

Was your assignment that morning, in part, to watch a Bronco that was parked in front of 360 North Rockingham?

# 9 A:

Yes.

# 10 Q:

And what hours were you at that location?

# 11 A:

I would say approximately from 7 o'clock in the morning until about 4 o'clock in the evening.

# 12 Q:

Sometime around 3:30, did you fill out an impound report for the Bronco?

# 13 A:

Yes.

# 14 Q:

How many impound reports approximately had you filled out prior to that time?

# 15 A:

Approximately four or five.

# 16 Q:

We're going to put on the TV monitor what's previously been marked 271. I ask you to --

# 17 MR. MEDVENE:

Let's see if we can focus it a little bit better. Can you go down, scan down to the bottom of it. (Elmo adjusted.)

# 18 Q:

(BY MR. MEDVENE) Can you take a look at the monitor, Mrs. Guzman. Is that the inventory report that you filled out?

# 19 A:

That's correct.

# 20 Q:

And is that your name and your badge number?

# 21 A:

That's my name and my serial number, sir.

# 22 Q:

And Officer Thompson was with you on that occasion?

# 23 A:

Correct.

# 24 MR. MEDVENE:

Now, can you, Mr. Foster, go to the body of the report, I know there's certain Y's and N's. (Elmo adjusted.)

# 25 Q:

(BY MR. MEDVENE) See the Y's and the N's?

# 26 A:

Yes.

# 27 Q:

What does Y mean and what does N mean?

# 28 A:

Y means yes and N means no.

# 29 Q:

Can you move it over to the left a little, please. (Elmo adjusted.)

# 30 Q:

You see under battery and alternator, there's a cross in the Y column?

# 31 A:

Correct.

# 32 Q:

Did you put that cross there?

# 33 A:

Yes.

# 34 Q:

Did you notice a battery in the car on that occasion before you put the cross there?

# 35 A:

No.

# 36 Q:

Under the battery it says generator and alternator; is that correct?

# 37 A:

Yes.

# 38 Q:

Did you put an X under the Y column?

# 39 A:

Yes.

# 40 Q:

Did you observe a generator or alternator before you put the X in the Y column?

# 41 A:

No.

# 42 Q:

Why did you signify yes, that the vehicle had a battery and alternator even though you did not see the battery and alternator?

# 43 A:

I put yes because the vehicle appeared drivable.

KEY QUOTE

# 44 Q:

Did you -- I notice in the next column it says vehicle appears operable. Do you see that?

# 45 A:

Yes.

# 46 Q:

And you put an X there?

# 47 A:

Yes.

# 48 Q:

Is that what you -- you confirm that you thought it appeared operable?

# 49 A:

That's correct, sir.

# 50 Q:

Why did you think it appeared operable?

# 51 A:

The vehicle didn't have any damage, it had four wheels, there was no debris on the vehicle, and it looked fairly clean; that's the reason why I believed it was operable.

KEY QUOTE

# 52 Q:

Okay. So if you thought the vehicle was operable, why then would you, without knowing if it had a battery or alternator, check yes to those columns?

# 53 MR. LEONARD:

Objection, leading, asked and answered.

# 54 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 55 A:

I made the assumption of putting yes on the battery and alternator because the vehicle appeared driveable.

# 56 Q:

(BY MR. MEDVENE) I don't mean to embarrass you, I also don't know where it is, do you know where the alternator is on a vehicle?

# 57 A:

It's underneath the hood, sir.

# 58 Q:

Somewhere underneath there?

# 59 A:

Somewhere under there.

KEY QUOTE

# 60 Q:

Okay. (Laughter.)

# 61 Q:

During your hours watching the Bronco as part of your duties, did you ever enter the Bronco?

# 62 A:

No.

# 63 Q:

Did you ever open the hood?

# 64 A:

No.

# 65 Q:

Ever open the trunk?

# 66 A:

No.

# 67 Q:

Ever open any of the doors?

# 68 A:

No.

# 69 Q:

Did Officer Thompson ever open the hood?

# 70 A:

No.

# 71 MR. LEONARD:

Objection, lack of foundation, calls for speculation.

# 72 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 73 Q:

(BY MR. MEDVENE) In your presence, did Officer Thompson ever open the hood?

# 74 A:

No.

# 75 Q:

The doors?

# 76 A:

No.

# 77 Q:

The trunk?

# 78 A:

No.

# 79 Q:

In your presence, did anyone ever open the car?

# 80 A:

No.

# 81 Q:

Ever open the trunk?

# 82 A:

No.

# 83 Q:

Ever open the hood?

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Witness

I put yes because the vehicle appeared drivable.

Reveals a procedural shortcut in filling out the impound report — she checked items as present without verifying them, undermining the report's reliability.

Witness

The vehicle didn't have any damage, it had four wheels, there was no debris on the vehicle, and it looked fairly clean; that's the reason why I believed it was operable.

Establishes the condition of the Bronco as observed at the scene — clean, undamaged, operable in appearance.

Witness

Somewhere under there.

Her vague answer about the alternator location prompted courtroom laughter, underscoring her inexperience and the superficial nature of the inspection.

Evidence (1)

271

Impound/inventory report for OJ Simpson's Bronco filled out by Officer Guzman and Officer Thompson on June 13, 1994

displayed on Elmo monitor, identified by witness

Notable Exchanges (1)

Medvene•Witness

Medvene walks Guzman through her admission that she checked 'yes' for battery and alternator without ever seeing them, then asks if she even knows where an alternator is — she replies 'somewhere under there,' drawing laughter.

gently revealing

Light Moments (1)

Witness

(Laughter) after Guzman's vague answer about the alternator location — 'Somewhere under there.'

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Guzman

prior inconsistent conduct / competence

Medvene highlighted that Guzman checked 'yes' for battery and alternator on the impound report without actually observing those components, exposing the report as an assumption-based document rather than a verified inventory.

Witness Demeanor

(Laughter) — courtroom laughter following witness's admission she wasn't sure where the alternator was located

Objections

2 objections (1 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 8835 • 83 utterances • Defense witness

Civil Trial

Department 103