Cross-examination of Catherine Boe (part 2)

📄 Cross-examination of Catherine Boe (part 2) — Friday, February 3, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\3\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-CATHERINE.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 12 of 167

◀ Bench conference: exhibit marking Exhibit setup ▶

Witness: Catherine Boe
Examiner: Robert Shapiro
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Friday, February 3, 1995 • Utterances: 26

Robert Shapiro cross-examines Miss Boe using two photographs (P-23 and P-24) to establish the layout of Nicole Brown Simpson's neighborhood on Gretna Green Way. Shapiro attempts to suggest that tree debris near Nicole's house might explain why someone would avoid parking a nice car there, but the witness corrects his tree identification and deflects his implication by noting the street itself is a through street — undermining the implied defense narrative about the Bronco's parking location.

# 1 MR. SHAPIRO:

YOUR HONOR, MAY I SHOW THESE PHOTOGRAPHS TO THE WITNESS, PLEASE?

# 2 THE COURT:

YOU MAY.

# 3 MR. SHAPIRO:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

# 4 Q:

MISS BOE, CAN YOU IDENTIFY THESE TWO PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE JURY, PLEASE?

# 5 A:

YES, I CAN. THIS IS MY HOUSE HERE, (INDICATING), WHICH IS ON THE CORNER OF GRETNA GREEN AND SHETLAND LANE. HERE IS NICOLE'S HOUSE, HER DRIVEWAY, AND HERE IS THE LITTLE STONE WALL. MY KITCHEN DOOR IS IN THE BACK THERE. THE BOYS WOULD BE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE WALL.

# 6 Q:

THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS IDENTIFIED -- I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES ON. WHAT IS THE NUMBER, PLEASE?

# 7 A:

P-24.

# 8 Q:

AND THE SECOND PHOTOGRAPH?

# 9 A:

THIS IS NICOLE'S HOUSE WITH THE GARAGE DOOR CLOSED.

# 10 Q:

AND WOULD YOU IDENTIFY THAT PHOTOGRAPH?

# 11 A:

P-23.

# 12 Q:

NOW, P-23 IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF NICOLE'S HOUSE?

# 13 A:

YES, IT IS.

# 14 Q:

SHOWS CARS RIGHT IN FRONT?

# 15 A:

YES.

# 16 Q:

NOW, THERE ARE LARGE TREES THERE, ARE THERE NOT?

# 17 A:

YES, THERE ARE.

# 18 Q:

AND ARE THOSE THE TYPE OF TREES THAT TEND TO DROP A LOT OF BERRIES AND OTHER TYPES OF RESIDUE?

# 19 A:

WELL, THOSE ARE BOTTLE BRUSH TREES AND THEY HAVE BIG RED BLOSSOMS LIKE BRUSHES.

KEY QUOTE

# 20 Q:

DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE SOME PEOPLE WHO PREFER NOT TO PARK NICE CARS UNDER TREES THAT HAVE A PROPENSITY TO SHED?

# 21 A:

NO. THOSE ARE JACARANDA TREES.

# 22 Q:

WELL, WE ARE GETTING A GREAT LESSON IN TREES HERE TODAY.

KEY QUOTE

# 23 A:

THE JACARANDA TREES ARE ACTUALLY IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

# 24 Q:

WELL, IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TREES AND SOMEBODY TOOK GREAT CARE IN THEIR CAR, DO YOU THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF ANXIETY ABOUT PARKING THERE?

# 25 A:

I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT PARKING ON THAT STREET BECAUSE GRETNA GREEN WAY IS A THROUGH STREET AND YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO PARK YOUR CAR ON A THROUGH STREET.

KEY QUOTE

# 26 MR. SHAPIRO:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. I APPRECIATE IT.

Temperature

light

Key Quotes (3)

Witness

WELL, THOSE ARE BOTTLE BRUSH TREES AND THEY HAVE BIG RED BLOSSOMS LIKE BRUSHES.

Witness corrects Shapiro's implication about shedding trees, derailing his line of questioning.

Robert Shapiro

WELL, WE ARE GETTING A GREAT LESSON IN TREES HERE TODAY.

Shapiro acknowledges the witness is not cooperating with his narrative, with a touch of self-deprecating humor.

Witness

I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT PARKING ON THAT STREET BECAUSE GRETNA GREEN WAY IS A THROUGH STREET AND YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO PARK YOUR CAR ON A THROUGH STREET.

Witness offers an alternative reason that inadvertently undermines the defense's implied explanation for unusual Bronco parking.

Evidence (2)

P-24

Photograph showing Miss Boe's house on the corner of Gretna Green and Shetland Lane, with Nicole's driveway and the stone wall between properties visible.

identified by witness

P-23

Photograph of Nicole Brown Simpson's house with the garage door closed, taken from directly in front.

identified by witness

Notable Exchanges (1)

Robert Shapiro•Witness

Shapiro tries to establish that trees near Nicole's house shed debris that might deter parking a nice car there; witness corrects him twice on tree species (bottle brush vs. jacaranda) and then offers that the through-street nature of Gretna Green Way is the real deterrent.

strategic/backfiring

Light Moments (1)

Robert Shapiro

Shapiro quips 'We are getting a great lesson in trees here today' after the witness corrects his tree identification.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 4626 • 26 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103