Direct examination of Denise Brown (part 3)

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

Address:

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

TRIAL

▲ Day 12 of 167

◀ Sidebar: Red Onion incident Sidebar: defendant's character ▶

Witness: Denise Brown
Examiner: Christopher Darden
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Friday, February 3, 1995 • Utterances: 100

Christopher Darden examines Denise Brown about a night out with OJ Simpson and Nicole at the Red Onion bar in Santa Ana, circa 1987-1988. The testimony centers on a shocking moment when Simpson publicly grabbed Nicole's crotch in front of a packed bar, declaring 'This is where babies come from and this belongs to me.' Denise characterizes it as humiliating and as an expression of OJ's possessive, controlling attitude toward Nicole.

# 1 THE COURT:

THANK YOU, COUNSEL. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY, YOU ARE TO DISREGARD -- I AM STRIKING FROM THE RECORD THE LAST QUESTION AND ANSWER. YOU ARE TO DISREGARD THAT, TREAT IT AS THOUGH YOU HAD NEVER HEARD IT. MR. DARDEN.

# 2 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: OKAY. MISS BROWN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1977 AND DECEMBER 31, 1984. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?

# 3 A:

OKAY. SURE.

# 4 MR. SHAPIRO:

YOUR HONOR, I'M GOING TO OBJECT TO THAT.

# 5 THE COURT:

OVERRULED. PROCEED.

# 6 MR. DARDEN:

THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.

# 7 MR. SHAPIRO:

YOUR HONOR, MAY WE BE HEARD JUST FOR THE RECORD?

# 8 THE COURT:

LATER. MR. DARDEN.

# 9 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: MISS BROWN, YOUR SISTER NICOLE MARRIED THE DEFENDANT IN FEBRUARY 1985?

# 10 A:

YES, SHE DID.

# 11 Q:

DID YOU ATTEND THE WEDDING?

# 12 A:

YES, I DID. I WAS THE MAID OF HONOR.

# 13 Q:

DO YOU HAVE A HALF SISTER NAMED WENDY?

# 14 A:

YES, I DO.

# 15 Q:

AND WHERE WAS SHE LIVING IN 1987 AND 1988?

# 16 A:

WENDY?

# 17 Q:

YES.

# 18 A:

IN ARIZONA.

# 19 Q:

AND WAS THERE AN OCCASION DURING THAT TIME PERIOD IN WHICH SHE CAME FROM ARIZONA TO YOUR FAMILY'S HOME IN LAGUNA BEACH ON VACATION?

# 20 A:

YES, SHE DID.

# 21 Q:

AND DID SHE BRING SOMEONE WITH HER?

# 22 A:

A GIRLFRIEND OF HERS WHO WAS ALSO LIVING THERE.

# 23 Q:

AND WHAT IS THE GIRLFRIEND'S NAME?

# 24 A:

JULIANNE HENDERICKS.

# 25 Q:

AND DID YOU, YOUR SISTER WENDY, YOUR SISTER NICOLE AND JULIANNE HENDERICKS GO OUT DURING THAT VACATION PERIOD?

# 26 A:

YES, WE DID.

# 27 Q:

WAS THERE EVER AN OCCASION WHEN THE FOUR OF YOU AND THE DEFENDANT WENT OUT AND WENT TO THE RED ONION IN SANTA ANA?

# 28 A:

YES, WE DID.

# 29 Q:

DID ANYONE ELSE GO ON THAT EXCURSION OR THAT TRIP THAT NIGHT?

# 30 A:

THERE WAS DINO BUCOLLA AND REGGIE MACKENZIE.

# 31 Q:

AND WHO IS DINO BUCOLLA?

# 32 A:

HE WAS MY BOYFRIEND AT THE TIME.

# 33 Q:

AND WHO WAS REGGIE MACKENZIE?

# 34 A:

A FRIEND OF O.J.'S.

# 35 Q:

AND HE IS A FORMER --

# 36 A:

FOOTBALL PLAYER.

# 37 Q:

NOW, WAS THERE SOME PLAN OR AGREEMENT AMONGST THE GROUP TO MEET AT A CERTAIN LOCATION AND AT A CERTAIN TIME?

# 38 A:

WE WERE GOING TO GO AND MEET THEM, MEET O.J., AND WE WERE RUNNING A LITTLE LATE AND WE GOT THERE AND HE GOT UPSET. BUT THAT BLEW OVER AND THEN WE CONTINUED ON, WENT TO THE CLUB.

# 39 Q:

SO WHEN YOU ARRIVED LATE, THE DEFENDANT GOT A LITTLE UPSET YOU SAY?

# 40 A:

YEAH. HE WAS ANNOYED WITH US, YEAH, FOR BEING LATE.

# 41 Q:

AND THAT WAS YOU, NICOLE, WENDY --

# 42 A:

WENDY.

# 43 Q:

-- AND JULIANNE?

# 44 A:

RIGHT.

# 45 Q:

AND THEN THE GROUP WENT OUT; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 46 A:

RIGHT.

# 47 Q:

DID YOU ALL GO OUT IN ONE CAR?

# 48 A:

NO. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CARS.

# 49 Q:

AND WHO OWNED THE TWO CARS THAT YOU USED TO GO OUT IN THAT NIGHT?

# 50 A:

I THINK -- THAT NIGHT, IT WAS O.J.'S CAR AND I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE WAS DRIVING OR WHO ELSE'S CAR IT WAS.

# 51 Q:

DID YOU GO TO THE RED ONION?

# 52 A:

YES, WE DID.

# 53 Q:

IS THERE A BAR IN THE RED ONION?

# 54 A:

YES.

# 55 Q:

AND DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DRINK?

# 56 A:

YES, I DID.

# 57 Q:

REALLY. WHAT DID YOU DRINK?

# 58 A:

WE WERE ALL -- WELL, ACTUALLY, WE WERE ALL DOING SHOTS OF TEQUILA.

# 59 Q:

THE DEFENDANT WAS DOING SHOTS OF TEQUILA?

# 60 A:

YES.

# 61 Q:

WAS NICOLE DOING SHOTS OF TEQUILA?

# 62 A:

YES.

# 63 Q:

DID JULIANNE DRINK TEQUILA?

# 64 A:

I THINK SHE MAY HAVE. I'M NOT SURE, BUT I KNOW THAT WE WERE.

# 65 Q:

HOW ABOUT REGGIE MACKENZIE? DID HE DRINK SHOTS OF TEQUILA?

# 66 A:

YEAH. YEAH, HE DID TOO.

# 67 Q:

NOW, WERE THERE OTHER PERSONS OR PATRONS IN THE BAR?

# 68 A:

OH, IT WAS PACKED. THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE THERE.

# 69 Q:

AND DID SOME OF THOSE PATRONS RECOGNIZE THE DEFENDANT?

# 70 A:

YEAH. HE ALWAYS GETS RECOGNIZED WHEREVER HE GOES.

# 71 Q:

AND DID THE PEOPLE WALK UP TO THE DEFENDANT AND TALK TO HIM?

# 72 A:

OH, SURE.

# 73 Q:

DID HE SIGN AUTOGRAPHS?

# 74 A:

I DON'T KNOW IF HE SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS THAT NIGHT, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE'S FRIENDLY TO PEOPLE. HE SHAKES HANDS.

# 75 Q:

DID PEOPLE IN THE BAR BUY HIM ANYTHING?

# 76 A:

OH, THEY COULD HAVE. I THINK THE BARTENDERS, THEY HAD GIVEN HIM SHOTS OF TEQUILA AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SURE. I MEAN, THAT HAPPENS WHEN HE GOES OUT.

# 77 Q:

SO THE DRINKS WERE FREE?

# 78 A:

I'M NOT SAYING ALL OF THEM WERE. I'M NOT SURE, BUT PEOPLE DO TEND TO BUY HIM DRINKS AND BUY US -- AND THEY WERE BUYING US DRINKS TOO BECAUSE WE WERE WITH HIM.

# 79 Q:

AND DID YOU SEE THE DEFENDANT DRINK SHOTS OF TEQUILA?

# 80 A:

UH-HUH. YES.

# 81 Q:

DID ANYTHING UNUSUAL HAPPEN THAT NIGHT IN THE RED ONION?

# 82 A:

YES.

# 83 Q:

WHAT WAS THAT?

# 84 A:

WELL, WE ALL STARTED -- WELL, WE WERE ALL DRINKING AND GOOFING AROUND AND BEING LOUD AND DANCING AND HAVING A GREAT TIME. AND THEN AT ONE POINT, O.J. GRABBED NICOLE'S CROTCH AND SAID, "THIS IS WHERE BABIES COME FROM AND THIS BELONGS TO ME." AND NICOLE JUST SORT OF WROTE IT OFF AS IF IT WAS NOTHING, LIKE -- YOU KNOW, LIKE SHE WAS USED TO THAT KIND OF TREATMENT AND HE WAS LIKE -- I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY HUMILIATING IF YOU ASK ME.

# 85 MR. SHAPIRO:

MOVE TO STRIKE THE LAST PART AS BEING NONRESPONSIVE, CALLING FOR SPECULATION, NARRATIVE.

# 86 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 87 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: AND WHEN HE GRABBED YOUR SISTER'S CROTCH AND SAID, "THIS IS WHERE BABIES COME FROM" -- IS THAT WHAT HE SAID?

# 88 A:

"THIS IS WHERE BABIES COME FROM AND THIS BELONGS TO ME," AND, "THIS IS MINE."

# 89 Q:

AND WHEN HE SAID THIS AND WHEN HE GRABBED HER IN THE CROTCH, WERE THERE PEOPLE AROUND?

# 90 A:

OH, YEAH. THE BAR WAS PACKED.

# 91 Q:

STRANGERS?

# 92 A:

YEAH. YEAH. HE WAS TALKING TO THE STRANGERS.

# 93 Q:

DID YOUR SISTER NICOLE REACT TO THIS AT ALL?

# 94 A:

SHE JUST KIND OF WROTE IT OFF AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SHRUGGED HER SHOULDERS, YOU KNOW, STOP IT OR WHATEVER. I MEAN IT WAS -- I DON'T KNOW. SHE DIDN'T REALLY REACT.

# 95 Q:

DID THE DEFENDANT APPEAR MAD OR ANGRY OR UPSET WHEN HE GRABBED YOUR SISTER'S CROTCH AND MADE THESE STATEMENTS IN FRONT OF THESE STRANGERS?

# 96 A:

NO. NO. HE WASN'T ANGRY. IT WAS HIS. THAT'S THE WAY HE -- HE -- JUST THE WAY HE ACTED, THE WAY -- IT WAS LIKE, "THIS BELONGS TO ME. THIS IS MINE." HE WASN'T ANGRY WHEN HE SAID IT. HE JUST MADE IT A POINT. HE WANTED IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THAT WAS HIS.

# 97 Q:

WAS SHE WEARING A DRESS OR WAS SHE WEARING PANTS, IF YOU RECALL?

# 98 A:

AHH, I DON'T REMEMBER.

# 99 Q:

AND DURING THE TIME THAT THESE STRANGERS WERE APPROACHING HIM AND SHAKING HANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, DID HE APPEAR TO SHY AWAY FROM THE ATTENTION AT ALL?

# 100 A:

OH, NO. NO, NOT AT ALL. HE LOVES THE ATTENTION. HE LOVES IT. HE'S GOT A BIG EGO. IT FEEDS HIS EGO.

KEY QUOTE

Temperature

devastating

Key Quotes (4)

Denise Brown

O.J. GRABBED NICOLE'S CROTCH AND SAID, 'THIS IS WHERE BABIES COME FROM AND THIS BELONGS TO ME.' AND NICOLE JUST SORT OF WROTE IT OFF AS IF IT WAS NOTHING, LIKE -- YOU KNOW, LIKE SHE WAS USED TO THAT KIND OF TREATMENT.

The centerpiece of the testimony — establishes OJ's possessive, dehumanizing behavior toward Nicole in public, and crucially notes Nicole appeared desensitized to it.

Denise Brown

IT WAS LIKE, 'THIS BELONGS TO ME. THIS IS MINE.' HE WASN'T ANGRY WHEN HE SAID IT. HE JUST MADE IT A POINT. HE WANTED IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THAT WAS HIS.

Darden is building the possessiveness/ownership narrative central to the domestic violence thread — not rage, but cold assertion of control.

Denise Brown

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY HUMILIATING IF YOU ASK ME.

Denise's own editorializing, which Shapiro moved to strike and lost — her visceral reaction underscores how abnormal the behavior was.

Denise Brown

OH, NO. NO, NOT AT ALL. HE LOVES THE ATTENTION. HE LOVES IT. HE'S GOT A BIG EGO. IT FEEDS HIS EGO.

Characterizes OJ as ego-driven and attention-seeking, reinforcing a portrait of someone who treats Nicole as an extension of his own status.

Notable Exchanges (2)

Christopher Darden•Denise Brown

Darden methodically walks Denise through the Red Onion outing — setting the scene with tequila shots, celebrity attention, and a festive atmosphere — before eliciting the crotch grab testimony. The build-up makes the moment land harder.

strategic

Robert Shapiro•Lance A. Ito

Shapiro moves to strike Denise's statement calling OJ's behavior humiliating. Ito overrules without hesitation, letting the damaging characterization stand.

losing battle

Light Moments (1)

Denise Brown

Darden asks what Denise drank and she responds 'We were all doing shots of tequila' — including OJ, Nicole, and Reggie McKenzie. Bartenders were handing OJ free shots because of his celebrity.

Objections

2 objections (0 sustained, 2 overruled)

Proceeding 4671 • 100 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103