Johnnie Cochran recross-examines Detective Edwards about the 1989 domestic violence incident at the Simpson residence, attacking the thoroughness of the investigation. Cochran establishes that Edwards made his decision to arrest O.J. Simpson after speaking only with Nicole Brown Simpson, never entered the house, never examined Simpson's body fully, and failed to document key details in his report.
# 1 THE COURT: MR. COCHRAN.
# 2 MR. COCHRAN: THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.
# 5 Q: DETECTIVE EDWARDS, LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THAT LAST ANSWER. MR. SIMPSON TOLD YOU THAT THE POLICE HAD BEEN OUT EIGHT TIMES BEFORE FOR THE SAME KIND OF CALL? HE TOLD YOU THAT?
# 6 A: WHAT HE SAID WAS THAT --
# 7 Q: I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
# 8 A: THEY HAD BEEN OUT THERE FOR THE SAME SIMILAR TYPE CALL, YEAH, BEEN OUT HERE BEFORE FOR THIS AND YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING BEFORE.
# 9 Q: MR. SIMPSON TOLD YOU -- LISTEN TO MY QUESTION, IF YOU MAY. DID MR. SIMPSON TELL YOU THAT THE POLICE HAD BEEN OUT EIGHT TIMES BEFORE ON CALLS INVOLVING THE SITUATION WHERE HE AND HIS WIFE HAD BEEN IN A FIGHT? HE TOLD YOU THAT?
# 11 Q: AND DID YOU WRITE THAT IN ANY REPORT?
# 13 Q: AND WHAT DID YOU SAY? IF I SHOWED YOU THE REPORT, CAN YOU SHOW ME WHERE YOU SAID THAT?
# 15 Q: I WILL READ IT TO YOU AND ASK YOU IF THIS IS WHAT YOU MEANT.
# 16 MR. DARDEN: CAN WE SHOW THE REPORT TO THE WITNESS FIRST, YOUR HONOR? BETTER YET, CAN I HAND MY COPY TO THE WITNESS?
# 17 MR. COCHRAN: THIS IS MY EXAMINATION I THINK AT THIS POINT.
# 18 THE COURT: THAT'S CORRECT. HE DOESN'T HAVE TO SHOW IT TO HIM TO CONFRONT HIM WITH IT. MR. COCHRAN.
# 19 MR. COCHRAN: THANK YOU VERY KINDLY, YOUR HONOR.
# 20 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN DEFENSE COUNSEL.) # 21 MR. COCHRAN: MAY I HAVE JUST A SECOND, YOUR HONOR?
# 22 THE COURT: CERTAINLY.
# 24 Q: BY MR. COCHRAN: WHILE I'M LOOKING FOR THAT PARTICULAR PAGE OR MR. DOUGLAS IS LOOKING FOR IT, MR. SIMPSON TOLD YOU, DID HE NOT, THAT YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE TO COME TO HIS HOUSE AND MAKE A BIG DEAL OF THIS? DID HE MAKE THAT STATEMENT TO YOU?
# 26 Q: AND AT THE TIME HE MADE THAT STATEMENT TO YOU, HE WAS AGAIN INSIDE THE FENCE AND YOU WERE OUTSIDE THE FENCE, RIGHT?
# 28 Q: AND YOU HAVE DESCRIBED FOR US THAT HE HAD A ROBE ON; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 29 A: UMM, DURING PART OF THIS INCIDENT HE HAD A ROBE ON.
# 30 Q: YOU DESCRIBED FOR THE JURY THAT AT ALL TIMES HE HAD A ROBE AND SOME SHORTS ON, SIR? DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT?
# 31 A: HE CAME BACK OUT DRESSED AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME.
# 32 Q: I'M TALKING ABOUT DURING THIS PART OF THE CONVERSATION, DETECTIVE, DID HE HAVE A ROBE AND SOME SHORTS ON?
# 34 Q: YOU NEVER ON ANY OCCASION WENT OVER AND EXAMINED MR. SIMPSON'S BODY, DID YOU?
# 35 A: I WAS STANDING WITHIN A FOOT OF HIM. I COULD SEE HIM AND I HAD HIM ILLUMINATED. WE WERE LOOKING THROUGH A FENCE.
# 36 Q: CAN YOU DESCRIBE -- ANSWERING MY QUESTION NOW, DID YOU EVER GO OVER AND EXAMINE MR. SIMPSON'S BODY?
# 37 A: YOU MEAN GO INTO THE PROPERTY AND EXAMINE IT?
# 38 Q: YOU KNOW WHAT "EXAMINE" MEANS?
# 39 MS. CLARK: OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR.
# 40 DET. JOHN EDWARDS: YES. I EXAMINED HIM WITH MY FLASHLIGHT AS HE WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME FROM STANDING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE AS HE WAS STANDING ON THE INSIDE.
# 41 Q: BY MR. COCHRAN: AND YOU EXAMINED HIM AND, WHEN YOU EXAMINED HIM, DID YOU EXAMINE HIS BACK?
# 43 Q: DID YOU EXAMINE HIS -- THE REAR PART OF HIS LEGS?
# 45 Q: THE PART OF HIS BODY COVERED BY THE ROBE, SIR?
# 46 A: NONE OF THE PART COVERED BY THE ROBE.
# 47 Q: NONE OF THE BODY WAS COVERED BY THE ROBE?
# 48 A: I SAID I DID NOT EXAMINE ANY OF THE PART THAT WAS COVERED BY THE ROBE.
# 49 Q: SO THERE WAS A PART -- WAS HE WEARING THIS ROBE AS A ROBE WOULD BE WORN, COVERING HIS ENTIRE BODY? WAS IT A LONG ROBE?
# 50 A: IT WAS OPEN, LOOSE AND OPEN IN FRONT.
# 51 Q: WAS IT A LONG ROBE?
# 52 A: YES, THREE-QUARTER LENGTH.
# 53 Q: WAS IT TIED AT THE WAIST?
# 55 Q: AND SO THE PART THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE WOULD BE PART OF HIS CHEST, PART OF THE FRONT, PART -- AND ALL OF HIS BACK; IS THAT CORRECT, SIR?
# 57 Q: YOU COULD NOT SEE ANY OF THAT; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 58 A: I COULD SEE PART OF HIS CHEST, THE FRONT PART OF HIS LEGS, HIS UPPER LEGS, LOWER LEGS, HIS FEET, HIS HAND, HIS FACE AND HIS NECK, BUT I COULD NOT SEE THE BACK OR THE ARMS OR THE SIDES.
KEY QUOTE # 59 Q: THE OTHER PARTS OF HIS BODY YOU COULD NOT SEE AND DID NOT EXAMINE; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?
# 61 Q: NOW, THIS CONVERSATION AT WEST LOS ANGELES STATION, IT IS YOUR TESTIMONY THAT MISS NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON TOLD YOU THAT THIS ARGUMENT WAS OVER MR. SIMPSON HAVING SEX WITH ONE OF THE HOUSEKEEPERS?
# 62 A: NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT.
# 63 Q: WHO DID YOU SAY HE HAD SEX WITH?
# 64 A: I DIDN'T SAY HE HAD SEX WITH ANYBODY. I SAID THAT SHE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SEX WITH I BELIEVE IT WAS -- SHE DESCRIBED IT AS A PERSONAL SECRETARY. IT WAS TWO WOMEN THAT WERE LIVING IN THE HOUSE, AND HE HAD SEX WITH ONE OF THEM PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.
# 65 Q: DID SHE GIVE YOU THE NAME OF THIS PERSON?
# 66 A: NO. I DIDN'T ASK.
# 67 Q: DID YOU WRITE THAT DOWN ANYWHERE?
# 68 A: NO. I WASN'T GOING TO USE IT IN THE REPORT.
KEY QUOTE # 69 Q: DID YOU WRITE THAT DOWN ANYWHERE?
# 71 Q: AND WHEN YOU TELL US THAT TODAY, THAT IS FROM YOUR RECOLLECTION; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 73 Q: AND DO YOU REMEMBER THE NAME OF THIS PERSON AT ALL?
# 74 A: I DIDN'T ASK ANY NAMES.
# 75 Q: AND THIS CONVERSATION WHEREIN SHE TOLD YOU THAT HE HAD SEX WITH A PERSONAL SECRETARY OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, DID ANYBODY ELSE OVERHEAR THAT CONVERSATION OTHER THAN YOURSELF?
# 76 A: I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
# 77 Q: JUST THE TWO OF YOU, RIGHT?
# 78 A: MY PARTNER MAY HAVE OVERHEARD IT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE WAS AT THE TIME.
# 79 Q: I'M ASKING AS FAR AS YOU KNOW JUST YOU AND MISS NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON, RIGHT?
# 80 A: MY PARTNER MAY HAVE OVERHEARD IT. I DON'T KNOW.
# 81 Q: WAS THAT AT WEST LOS ANGELES STATION?
# 83 Q: IN THE LOBBY THERE; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 84 A: NO. I BELIEVE IT WAS, UMM -- UMM, TOWARD THE FRONT DOOR AREA AS WE WERE LEAVING OR SOMEWHERE IN THAT AREA.
# 85 Q: WHAT ELSE DID SHE TELL YOU ABOUT THIS PARTY THEY HAD BEEN TO?
# 87 Q: DID SHE TELL YOU THAT BOTH OF THEM HAD BEEN DRINKING THAT NIGHT?
# 88 A: NO. SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. I DIDN'T ASK IF THEY HAD BEEN DRINKING.
# 89 Q: I'M ASKING YOU WHAT SHE TOLD YOU, SIR. DID SHE TELL YOU THAT THEY HAD GOTTEN HOME AT ABOUT 3:30 FROM A PARTY NEW YEAR'S EVE?
# 90 A: I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT TIME SHE SAID SHE GOT HOME. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE DID TELL PEOPLE WHAT TIME THEY GOT HOME.
# 91 Q: SO YOU DON'T RECALL THAT, WHETHER OR NOT THAT HAPPENED?
# 92 A: I DON'T REMEMBER HER TELLING ME WHAT TIME THEY GOT HOME FROM A PARTY.
# 93 Q: DID SHE MENTION TO YOU THAT THE ARGUMENT HAD BEEN OVER SOME EARRINGS? DO YOU RECALL THAT?
# 94 A: NO. SHE SAID IT WAS OVER SOMEBODY THAT WAS LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
# 95 Q: SHE NEVER MENTIONED TO YOU ANYTHING ABOUT ANY EARRINGS; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 96 A: NOT THAT I CAN RECALL.
# 97 Q: AND CERTAINLY YOU DIDN'T WRITE THAT DOWN, DID YOU?
# 99 Q: NOW, YOU DESCRIBED, IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF COUNSEL'S QUESTIONS, THAT YOU SAW VEINS PULSATING OUT OF MR. SIMPSON'S HEAD; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 101 Q: AND DID YOU WRITE THAT DOWN IN YOUR REPORT ALSO SO YOU WOULD HAVE A RECOLLECTION OF THAT?
# 103 Q: YOU DIDN'T WRITE THAT DOWN EITHER, DID YOU?
# 105 Q: DO YOU RECALL MR. SIMPSON SAYING TO YOU THAT HE AND HIS WIFE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ALTERCATION AND HAD HAD KIND OF A MUTUAL WRESTLING MATCH? DO YOU REMEMBER HIM SAYING THAT?
# 106 A: I DON'T BELIEVE HE EVER SAID THEY HAD A WRESTLING MATCH. I THINK HE SAID HE PUSHED HER OUT OF THE BED, BUT HE DIDN'T BEAT HER. I DON'T REMEMBER HIM EVER USING THE WORD WRESTLING MATCH.
# 107 Q: YOU DON'T RECALL THE WORDS "WRESTLING MATCH"?
# 108 A: AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M POSITIVE HE DIDN'T SAY THAT.
# 109 Q: YOU REMEMBER HE SAID HE PUSHED HER OUT OF THE BED?
# 111 Q: YOU UNDERSTOOD SHE GOT THIS MUD WHEN SHE WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE BED?
# 113 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN DEFENSE COUNSEL.) # 114 Q: BY MR. COCHRAN: AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AS AN EXPERIENCED OFFICER AT THAT TIME, YOU HAD ALMOST TWENTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, YOU CAME UPON THIS SCENE AND YOU SAW MISS NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON AND YOU DIDN'T IN THE COURSE OF YOUR INVESTIGATION SPEAK TO ANY OTHER WITNESS OTHER THAN HER; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 115 MR. DARDEN: OBJECTION. THAT ASSUMES FACTS NOT IN EVIDENCE.
# 116 THE COURT: OVERRULED.
# 117 Q: BY MR. COCHRAN: IS THAT RIGHT?
# 118 A: THAT IS INCORRECT. I TALKED TO MR. O.J. SIMPSON.
# 119 Q: WELL, LET'S TAKE IT ONE AT A TIME. YOU DIDN'T TALK TO MICHELLE ABUDRAHM, RIGHT?
# 120 A: OTHER THAN TO TELL HER TO GET AWAY FROM THE CAR.
# 121 Q: I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH REGARD TO THE INVESTIGATION. YOU DIDN'T TALK TO HER ABOUT THIS CASE, RIGHT?
# 123 Q: YOU DIDN'T GO IN AND TALK TO THE NANNY, RIGHT?
# 125 Q: YOU NEVER EVEN WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE, DID YOU?
# 127 Q: YOU DIDN'T GO LOOK TO SEE WHERE THIS MIGHT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, DID YOU?
# 129 Q: YOU TALKED TO MR. O.J. SIMPSON AND HE TOLD YOU, ACCORDING TO YOUR STATEMENT, THAT HE HAD PUSHED HER OUT OF HIS BED; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 131 Q: BUT HE HADN'T BEAT HER, RIGHT?
# 133 Q: AND THEN BASED UPON THAT, YOU THEN DECIDED YOU WERE GOING TO PLACE HIM UNDER ARREST, RIGHT?
# 135 Q: WELL, YOU THEN MADE A DECISION, WHILE YOU WERE OUTSIDE THIS GATE, TO PLACE MR. O.J. SIMPSON UNDER ARREST; IS THAT CORRECT?
# 137 Q: AND IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE AROUND THERE THAT YOU TALKED TO?
# 138 A: I TALKED TO NICOLE SIMPSON AND I SAW HER.
KEY QUOTE # 139 Q: YOU SAW NICOLE SIMPSON. YOU KNOW, DO YOU NOT, SIR, THAT IF SOMEBODY GETS INTO A FIGHT, ON OCCASION THERE MAY BE BRUISES ON BOTH SIDES? YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, DON'T YOU, AS AN EXPERIENCED POLICE OFFICER?
# 141 Q: SO YOU TALKED TO NICOLE SIMPSON, YOU TALKED TO O.J. SIMPSON, BUT YOU HAD MADE YOUR DECISION, HAD YOU NOT, BEFORE YOU TALKED TO O.J. SIMPSON; ISN'T THAT RIGHT?
# 143 Q: YOU MADE YOUR DECISION AFTER ONLY TALKING WITH NICOLE SIMPSON; ISN'T THAT RIGHT?
# 145 Q: AND YOU DIDN'T TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THAT DECISION?
# 146 A: I DIDN'T TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE.
# 147 Q: AT THAT TIME HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN A POLICE OFFICER?
# 148 A: ABOUT 19 AND A HALF YEARS.
# 149 Q: AND HAD YOU WORKED AS A DETECTIVE AT THAT TIME?
# 151 Q: YOU HAVE BECOME A DETECTIVE SINCE THAT TIME?
# 153 Q: YOU WERE A PATROLMAN AT THAT TIME?
# 155 Q: YOU HAD BEEN 19 YEARS ON PATROL?