Darden examines Cynthia Shahian, a close friend of Nicole Brown Simpson, about a visit to Nicole's Bundy Drive condo on the morning of June 7, 1994 — the day before the murders. The central focus is a letter dated June 6, 1994, signed by O.J. Simpson, which Nicole showed her and which left Nicole 'devastated, angry, upset, horrified.' The proceeding ends with a sidebar after Cochran successfully blocks Darden from eliciting what Nicole said about the letter.
# 1 MR. DARDEN: THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. CYNTHIA SHAHIAN.
CYNTHIA SHAHIAN, CALLED AS A WITNESS BY THE PEOPLE, WAS SWORN AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:
# 2 THE CLERK: MA'AM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. 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 CYNTHIA SHAHIAN: YES.
# 4 THE CLERK: PLEASE BE SEATED AND STATE AND SPELL YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAMES FOR THE RECORD.
# 5 CYNTHIA SHAHIAN: CYNTHIA, C-Y-N-T-H-I-A, SHAHIAN, S-H-A-H-I-A-N.
# 8 Q: MISS SHAHIAN, YOU WERE A CLOSE FRIEND TO NICOLE BROWN; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 10 Q: DID YOU VISIT HER ON JUNE 7, 1994?
# 11 A: UMM, TUESDAY MORNING, YES, I DID.
# 12 Q: AND WHY DID YOU GO TO HER HOME THAT DAY AND AT THAT TIME?
# 13 A: NICOLE AND I WERE GOING TO JOG, TAKE A MORNING RUN.
# 14 Q: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE YOUR VOICE SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU. BUT YOU HAD GONE OVER TO GO JOGGING?
# 16 Q: IS THAT SOMETHING YOU AND NICOLE DID OFTEN?
# 18 Q: LET ME SHOW YOU A SINGLE-PAGE DOCUMENT DATED JUNE 6, 1994, AND IT IS SIGNED O.J.
# 19 MR. DARDEN: MAY IT BE MARKED PEOPLE'S 25 FOR IDENTIFICATION?
# 20 THE COURT: ALL RIGHT. PEOPLE'S 25.
# 21 (PEO'S 25 FOR ID = LETTER DTD. 6-6-94, SIGNED O.J.) # 22 MR. DARDEN: I'VE SHOWN THIS TO DEFENSE COUNSEL, YOUR HONOR.
# 23 Q: BY MR. DARDEN: SHOWING YOU PEOPLE'S 25 FOR IDENTIFICATION, DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS LETTER?
# 25 Q: WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU SAW THAT LETTER?
# 26 A: ON TUESDAY MORNING WHEN I ARRIVED AT NICOLE'S CONDO ON BUNDY.
# 27 MR. DARDEN: MAY I PUT THE LETTER UP ON THE ELMO, YOUR HONOR?
# 28 THE COURT: WHICH LETTER IS THIS?
# 30 THE COURT: WHICH LETTER IS THIS?
# 31 MR. COCHRAN: JUST A MOMENT, SIR.
# 32 THE COURT: WHICH LETTER IS THIS?
# 33 MR. DARDEN: THIS IS A LETTER DATED JUNE 6, 1994 FROM O.J. SIMPSON ENTERPRISES WHERE HE MENTIONS THE CHANGE IN HIS CIRCUMSTANCES.
KEY QUOTE # 34 THE COURT: GOT IT. ALL RIGHT.
# 36 THE COURT: MISS SHAHIAN, THERE'S A MONITOR RIGHT ON YOUR RIGHT HAND THERE.
# 37 Q: BY MR. DARDEN: THIS IS A LETTER THAT YOU SAW AT NICOLE BROWN'S HOUSE ON JUNE 7?
# 39 Q: AND WHERE PHYSICALLY WAS THE LETTER LOCATED THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW IT?
# 40 A: WHEN YOU ENTER NICOLE'S KITCHEN, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, THERE WAS A GRANITE COUNTER, AND SHE HAD IT WITH SOME OTHER PIECES OF PAPER AND SHE TOOK IT OUT TO SHOW ME.
KEY QUOTE # 41 Q: NICOLE BROWN SHOWED YOU THIS LETTER?
# 43 Q: AND WHAT WAS HER DEMEANOR WHEN SHE SHOWED YOU THIS LETTER?
# 44 A: SHE WAS DEVASTATED, SHE WAS ANGRY, SHE WAS UPSET, SHE WAS HORRIFIED.
KEY QUOTE # 45 THE COURT: CAN I ASK YOU TO PULL THE MICROPHONE JUST A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO YOU? GREAT. THANK YOU.
# 46 Q: BY MR. DARDEN: SHE WAS DEVASTATED, ANGRY UPSET --
# 47 MR. COCHRAN: YOUR HONOR, HE'S JUST REPEATING WHAT SHE SAID. ASKED AND ANSWERED.
# 48 THE COURT: ASK ANOTHER QUESTION.
# 49 Q: BY MR. DARDEN: DID SHE SAY ANYTHING AT THAT TIME?
# 50 MR. COCHRAN: OBJECT TO AS HEARSAY.
# 51 THE COURT: SUSTAINED.
# 52 MR. DARDEN: CAN WE APPROACH, YOUR HONOR?