Sidebar: witness female companion visit

📄 Sidebar: witness female companion visit — Wednesday, February 1, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\1\SIDEBAR-WITNESS-FEMALE-COMPANI.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 10 of 167

◀ Cross-examination of Ron Shipp (part 4) Cross-examination of Ron Shipp (part 5) ▶

Date: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 • Utterances: 14

During a sidebar, the defense sought to question a witness about his habit of visiting Nicole Brown Simpson's home unannounced — sometimes late at night with blonde women — and about his alleged drinking problem, including an LAPD suspension for alcohol-related conduct. Judge Ito partially ruled for the defense, allowing questions about the frequency and nature of the visits, but warned them not to 'get greedy.' Darden objected on relevancy and 352 grounds and cryptically warned the defense that 'a bomb is about to drop.'

# 1 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD AT THE BENCH:)

# 2 THE COURT:

WE'RE OVER AT SIDEBAR. THE OBJECTION IS RELEVANCY I TAKE IT?

# 3 MR. DARDEN:

YEAH. I GUESS HE JUST WANTS TO RUIN HIS MARRIAGE TO HER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I WOULD LIKE AN OFFER OF PROOF.

# 4 MR. COCHRAN:

AS AN OFFER OF PROOF, THERE'S GOING TO BE TESTIMONY THIS GUY WOULD COME BY ALL TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT WITH THESE DIFFERENT BLOND WOMEN THAT WANTED TO BE LIKE NICOLE, NICOLE TYPES, GET IN THE JACUZZI AND DRINK. HE WAS SUSPENDED FOR DRINKING AS AN LAPD OFFICER. HE HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM. HE HAS A TREMENDOUS DRINKING PROBLEM. HIS HABITS AND HIS DRINKING STUFF IS VERY, VERY RELEVANT AND WHAT HE DID IS RELEVANT. WE ARE ENTITLED TO GO INTO THIS.

# 5 MR. DOUGLAS:

HE'S NOT THAT FRIENDLY, YOUR HONOR, AND HE DROPPED BY UNANNOUNCED AND HE WANTED TO GET ALCOHOL 10:00 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. THAT WAS HIS TENDENCY. AND THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WILL TESTIFY ABOUT WARNING HIM ABOUT COMING BY UNANNOUNCED AND PLAYING TENNIS, WILL TESTIFY AS TO HOW HE WOULD ALWAYS USE THE TENNIS COURT, AND THERE WERE MEETINGS WHICH HE HAD WITH CATHY RANDA ABOUT HOW HE WOULD COME BY UNANNOUNCED AND HOW HE COULDN'T DO THAT.

# 6 MR. DARDEN:

WE WOULD MAKE A 402, 352 OBJECTION. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DESTROY THE LIVES OF EVERY WITNESS WHO TAKES THE WITNESS STAND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SUIT MR. SIMPSON'S NEEDS. YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HAVE HIT AN ALL TIME LOW HERE I THINK. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN GO ANY LOWER BUT --

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

THAT'S BALONEY. WE CAN PROVE THIS. THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS.

# 8 THE COURT:

LET ME JUST ASK -- I THINK YOU CAN ASK HIM HOW MANY TIMES HE COMES OVER AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME HE WAS THERE AND THEY CAN -- I MEAN BECAUSE THEY'RE ENTITLED TO GO INTO THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP HERE. BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN DIVORCE COURT HERE EITHER.

# 9 MR. COCHRAN:

WELL, YOUR HONOR, THIS IS A MURDER CASE, YOUR HONOR.

# 10 THE COURT:

I UNDERSTAND, MR. COCHRAN. I'M RULING IN YOUR FAVOR AND I'M TELLING YOU TO BE CAUTIOUS, DON'T GET GREEDY.

# 11 MR. COCHRAN:

WE'RE NOT BEING GREEDY. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DEFEND OUR CLIENT.

# 12 MR. DARDEN:

IF YOU DO, I'LL GET GREEDY. JUST REMEMBER THAT. THERE'S A BOMB ABOUT TO DROP ON YOU ANYWAY.

KEY QUOTE

# 13 MR. COCHRAN:

GREEDY, COME ON.

# 14 THE COURT:

WE'VE ONLY GOT FIVE MINUTES LEFT ANYWAY

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

Johnnie Cochran

THERE'S GOING TO BE TESTIMONY THIS GUY WOULD COME BY ALL TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT WITH THESE DIFFERENT BLOND WOMEN THAT WANTED TO BE LIKE NICOLE, NICOLE TYPES, GET IN THE JACUZZI AND DRINK.

Cochran's offer of proof frames the witness as a habitual, boundary-crossing presence at Nicole's home — relevant to her social environment and potentially to the case timeline.

Christopher Darden

WE CAN'T DESTROY THE LIVES OF EVERY WITNESS WHO TAKES THE WITNESS STAND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SUIT MR. SIMPSON'S NEEDS. YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HAVE HIT AN ALL TIME LOW HERE I THINK.

Darden's emotional objection goes beyond legal argument into moral frustration, revealing the prosecution's fatigue with aggressive defense tactics.

Lance A. Ito

I'M RULING IN YOUR FAVOR AND I'M TELLING YOU TO BE CAUTIOUS, DON'T GET GREEDY.

The judge's characteristically blunt warning — allowing the line of questioning but setting a clear limit on how far the defense can push it.

Christopher Darden

IF YOU DO, I'LL GET GREEDY. JUST REMEMBER THAT. THERE'S A BOMB ABOUT TO DROP ON YOU ANYWAY.

A rare moment of Darden going on offense — a cryptic threat suggesting the prosecution has damaging material ready to deploy against the defense or the witness.

Evidence (2)

Informal

Witness's alleged LAPD suspension for alcohol-related conduct

discussed as basis for relevance of drinking habit testimony

Informal

Meetings between witness and Cathy Randa regarding his unannounced visits to Nicole's home

referenced by Carl Douglas as corroborating evidence

Notable Exchanges (3)

Christopher Darden•Johnnie Cochran

Darden accuses the defense of reaching an 'all time low' by attacking the witness's personal life; Cochran fires back calling the objection 'baloney' and 'preposterous.'

heated

Lance A. Ito•Johnnie Cochran

After ruling in the defense's favor, Ito tells Cochran not to get greedy; Cochran insists they're just defending their client.

strategic

Christopher Darden•Johnnie Cochran

Darden issues a cryptic warning that 'a bomb is about to drop' on the defense, suggesting the prosecution has held back damaging material.

threatening

Light Moments (2)

Lance A. Ito

Ito shuts down the argument with 'WE'VE ONLY GOT FIVE MINUTES LEFT ANYWAY' — pure pragmatism cutting through the drama.

Christopher Darden

Darden's opening shot — 'I GUESS HE JUST WANTS TO RUIN HIS MARRIAGE TO HER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT' — is a sardonic jab at the defense's motives.

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ unnamed witness (LAPD officer)

prior bad acts / character evidence

Defense sought to establish witness had a drinking problem, was suspended from LAPD for alcohol use, and habitually visited Nicole's home unannounced late at night with female companions.

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 4557 • 14 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103