Direct examination of Denise Brown (part 1)

📄 Direct examination of Denise Brown (part 1) — Friday, February 3, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\3\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-DENISE-B.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 12 of 167

◀ Jury return Sidebar: 1977 incidents ▶

Witness: Denise Brown
Examiner: Christopher Darden
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Friday, February 3, 1995 • Utterances: 66

Christopher Darden opens Denise Brown's direct examination with purely foundational testimony. She establishes her relationship to Nicole (older sister), introduces the Brown family members and their Dana Point home, and recounts first meeting OJ Simpson in Buffalo in 1977 when Nicole invited her and sister Dominique to visit — noting that Simpson was married to Marguerite Simpson at the time.

# 1 MR. DARDEN:

THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. THE PEOPLE CALL DENISE BROWN.

DENISE BROWN, CALLED AS A WITNESS BY THE PEOPLE, WAS SWORN AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

# 2 THE CLERK:

PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND TO BE SWORN. DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU MAY GIVE IN THE CAUSE NOW PENDING BEFORE THIS COURT, SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD?

# 3 DENISE BROWN:

I DO.

# 4 THE CLERK:

PLEASE HAVE A SEAT ON THE WITNESS STAND AND STATE AND SPELL YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME FOR THE RECORD.

# 5 DENISE BROWN:

DENISE BROWN, D-E-N-I-S-E B-R-O-W-N.

# 6 THE CLERK:

THANK YOU.

# 7 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. MISS BROWN, WOULD YOU PULL THE MICROPHONE OVER TOWARDS YOU, PLEASE.

# 8 DENISE BROWN:

LIKE THIS?

# 9 THE COURT:

YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU. MR. DARDEN.

# 10 MR. DARDEN:

THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. GOOD AFTERNOON.

# 11

DIRECT EXAMINATION

# 12

BY MR. DARDEN:

# 13 Q:

MISS BROWN, YOU ARE NICOLE BROWN'S OLDEST -- OLDER SISTER?

# 14 A:

YES, I AM.

# 15 Q:

DO YOU HAVE OTHER SISTERS?

# 16 A:

YES, I DO.

# 17 Q:

HOW MANY?

# 18 A:

THERE'S DOMINIQUE AND TANYA AND OF COURSE NICOLE.

# 19 Q:

AND YOU ARE THE OLDEST OF THE SISTERS; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 20 A:

YES, I AM.

# 21 Q:

AND WHAT IS YOUR FATHER'S FIRST NAME?

# 22 A:

LOUIS BROWN.

# 23 Q:

AND YOUR MOTHER'S NAME?

# 24 A:

JUDITHA BROWN.

# 25 Q:

AND WHERE DOES YOUR FAMILY RESIDE?

# 26 A:

WE'RE IN DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA.

# 27 Q:

NOW, IF YOU ARE THE OLDEST OF THE SISTERS, WHO WAS DIRECTLY BENEATH YOU?

# 28 A:

NICOLE WAS.

# 29 Q:

AND WHO WAS BENEATH HER?

# 30 A:

DOMINIQUE.

# 31 Q:

AND WHO WAS THE YOUNGEST?

# 32 A:

THEN TANYA.

# 33 Q:

DO YOU KNOW THE DEFENDANT SEATED HERE AT THE END OF COUNSEL TABLE?

# 34 A:

YES, I DO.

# 35 Q:

HE'S YOUR FORMER BROTHER-IN-LAW?

# 36 A:

YES, HE IS.

# 37 Q:

WHEN DID YOU FIRST MEET THE DEFENDANT?

# 38 A:

BACK IN 1977.

# 39 Q:

AND WHERE WAS HE WHEN YOU MET HIM?

# 40 A:

HE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR BUFFALO.

KEY QUOTE

# 41 Q:

AND DID YOU MEET HIM IN BUFFALO?

# 42 A:

YES, I DID.

# 43 Q:

YOU WERE INVITED TO BUFFALO?

# 44 A:

YES.

# 45 Q:

WHO INVITED YOU?

# 46 A:

NICOLE DID.

# 47 Q:

WAS YOUR SISTER NICOLE AND THE DEFENDANT DATING BACK THEN IN 1977?

# 48 A:

YES, THEY WERE.

# 49 Q:

AND YOU WENT THERE TO BUFFALO?

# 50 A:

SHE ASKED US TO COME UP, DOMINIQUE AND I.

# 51 Q:

SO YOUR SISTER DOMINIQUE ALSO WENT TO BUFFALO?

# 52 A:

YES.

# 53 Q:

WAS THE DEFENDANT MARRIED AT THAT TIME?

# 54 A:

YES, HE WAS.

# 55 Q:

AND WHO WAS HE MARRIED TO, IF YOU KNOW?

# 56 A:

LADY BY THE NAME OF MARGUERITE SIMPSON.

KEY QUOTE

# 57 Q:

AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DID YOU DO WHEN YOU VISITED THE DEFENDANT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BUFFALO?

# 58 A:

WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME.

# 59 Q:

DID BOTH YOUR SISTERS ALSO GO TO THE FOOTBALL GAME?

# 60 A:

YES, THEY DID.

# 61 Q:

THAT WOULD BE DOMINIQUE AND NICOLE?

# 62 A:

AND NICOLE.

# 63 Q:

AND WAS IT A BUFFALO BILLS FOOTBALL GAME?

# 64 A:

YES, IT WAS.

# 65 Q:

DID THE DEFENDANT PLAY IN THAT GAME?

# 66 A:

HE WAS ON THE SIDELINE. I DON'T KNOW IF HE ACTUALLY PLAYED. I DON'T REMEMBER.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (2)

Denise Brown

HE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR BUFFALO.

Establishes the origin story of Nicole and OJ's relationship — 1977, Nicole already dating a married NFL star.

Denise Brown

LADY BY THE NAME OF MARGUERITE SIMPSON.

Darden surfaces early that OJ was married when he began his relationship with Nicole, implicitly framing the relationship's troubled origins.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 4667 • 66 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103