Cross-examination of Ronald Shipp (afternoon, part 1)

📄 Cross-examination of Ronald Shipp (afternoon, part 1) — Thursday, February 2, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\2\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-RONALD-SH.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 11 of 167

◀ Jury assembly Sidebar: Cathy Randa hearsay ▶

Witness: Ron Shipp
Examiner: Carl Douglas
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Thursday, February 2, 1995 • Utterances: 32

Carl Douglas opens his cross-examination of Ronald Shipp by probing Shipp's credibility through two avenues: his series of meetings with a woman named Miss Weller about a potential book deal, and his relationship with Cathy Randa (O.J. Simpson's personal assistant). The proceeding ends abruptly at a sidebar after Darden objects to Douglas asking Shipp about a conversation with Randa in which she apparently asked him to stop doing something.

# 1 Q:

MR. SHIPP, DO YOU KNOW A WOMAN BY THE NAME OF MARGARET EDWARDS?

# 2 A:

PARDON ME?

# 3 Q:

DO YOU KNOW MARGARET EDWARDS?

# 4 A:

MARGARET EDWARDS?

# 5 Q:

YES.

# 6 A:

A FRIEND OF MY MOM'S?

# 7 Q:

YES.

# 8 A:

YES, I DO.

# 9 MR. DARDEN:

THERE IS AN OBJECTION HERE. MAY WE APPROACH AT SIDE BAR?

# 10 MR. DOUGLAS:

I'M MOVING ON. ESTABLISHING.

# 11 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. HE HAS INDICATED THAT IS THE ONLY QUESTION HE IS GOING TO ASK. OVERRULED.

# 12 Q:

BY MR. DOUGLAS: NOW, MR. SHIPP, LET'S GO BACK TO WHEN YOU HAD THESE SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH MISS WELLER ABOUT THIS BOOK. AND BASED ON YOUR PRODUCING THE DOCUMENT THAT IS NOW LISTED AS EXHIBIT 1001, THE FIRST OF THOSE MEETINGS OCCURRED ON JULY 13, DID IT NOT?

# 13 A:

I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.

# 14 Q:

OKAY. AND YOU SAY THAT YOU HAD A SERIES OF SIX OR SEVEN MEETINGS THAT FOLLOWED?

# 15 A:

APPROXIMATELY.

# 16 Q:

AND EACH OF THE MEETINGS OCCURRED AT YAMASHIRO'S, A RESTAURANT?

# 17 A:

MOST OF THEM. I THINK WE MAY HAVE HAD ONE I THINK AT THE BICYCLE SHOP.

KEY QUOTE

# 18 Q:

OKAY.

# 19 A:

ON WILSHIRE BOULEVARD.

# 20 Q:

WHEN YOU MET AT YAMASHIRO'S, YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE EATING HORS D'OEUVRES?

# 21 A:

YES, I THINK SUSHI.

# 22 Q:

WERE YOU ALSO DRINKING?

# 23 A:

NO.

# 24 Q:

WAS SHE DRINKING?

# 25 A:

SHE HAD A GLASS OF WINE.

# 26 Q:

NOW, IT IS TRUE, IS IT NOT, THAT SOMETIME IN 1994 YOU AND CATHY RANDA WENT OUT FOR A QUICK BITE, CORRECT?

# 27 A:

PROBABLY SEVERAL TIMES. WE HUNG OUT QUITE A BIT.

KEY QUOTE

# 28 Q:

WHAT ABOUT THE TIME WHEN YOU AND SEE HUNG OUT AND SHE ASKED YOU TO STOP DROPPING --

KEY QUOTE

# 29 MR. DARDEN:

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR, CALLS FOR HEARSAY.

# 30 MR. DOUGLAS:

STATE OF MIND.

# 31 MR. DARDEN:

352 OBJECTION.

# 32 THE COURT:

LET'S APPROACH.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (3)

Ronald Shipp

PROBABLY SEVERAL TIMES. WE HUNG OUT QUITE A BIT.

Shipp's casual admission of a close relationship with Cathy Randa — Simpson's personal assistant — sets up Douglas's next line of attack, which Darden quickly shuts down.

Carl Douglas

WHAT ABOUT THE TIME WHEN YOU AND SEE HUNG OUT AND SHE ASKED YOU TO STOP DROPPING --

The cut-off question hints at damaging impeachment material — possibly that Randa warned Shipp to stop name-dropping Simpson or stop courting media attention. Darden's immediate objection suggests the defense has struck a nerve.

Ronald Shipp

I THINK WE MAY HAVE HAD ONE I THINK AT THE BICYCLE SHOP. ON WILSHIRE BOULEVARD.

Small corrective detail suggesting Shipp's memory of his book meetings is imperfect — useful groundwork for impeachment.

Evidence (1)

Exhibit 1001

A document produced by Shipp, apparently a record or notes from his first meeting with Miss Weller on July 13 regarding a book deal

Referenced to pin down the date of the first book meeting

Notable Exchanges (2)

Carl Douglas•Christopher Darden•Judge Ito

Darden objected to the opening Margaret Edwards question before Douglas had even finished; Douglas defused it by saying he was only establishing that Shipp knew her. Ito overruled.

strategic

Carl Douglas•Christopher Darden

Douglas began asking about a specific incident with Cathy Randa and was cut off mid-sentence by Darden's hearsay and 352 objections, forcing a sidebar before the substance of the question could land.

heated

Credibility Attacks (2)

⚔ Ronald Shipp

bias / financial motive

Douglas established that Shipp held a series of six or seven meetings with Miss Weller at Yamashiro's restaurant about writing a book — implying Shipp had a financial incentive to embellish or fabricate testimony.

⚔ Ronald Shipp

prior inconsistent conduct / impeachment via third-party witness

Douglas began to introduce a conversation with Cathy Randa in which she allegedly asked Shipp to stop some behavior (likely name-dropping or media contact) before being cut off by objection. The implication is that people close to Simpson knew Shipp was opportunistically exploiting the relationship.

Objections

3 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 4562 • 32 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103