Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 2)

📄 Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 2) — Monday, July 10, 1995

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C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\JUL\10\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-ARNELLE-.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 111 of 167

◀ Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 1) Jury return ▶

Witness: Arnelle Simpson
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Defense • Date: Monday, July 10, 1995 • Utterances: 237

Arnelle Simpson, OJ's daughter, testifies about the early morning hours of June 13, 1994 at the Rockingham estate. Cochran walks her through the route she took inside the house using a diagram, establishing that the alarm system required entry through the front door — implicitly countering any suggestion that detectives could have entered through the back. She also places Mark Fuhrman at Kato Kaelin's door talking to him, and describes learning of Nicole's murder from Detective Lange and then speaking briefly with her father by phone, describing him as 'very upset, emotional, confused.'

# 1 MS. SIMPSON:

I switched.

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you have occasion then--would you step down and I want you to show the jury and the Court the route that you took as you sought to get this number so you could try to find your father. You could step all the way down if you want.

# 3 MS. SIMPSON:

(Witness complies.) You want me to do what?

# 4 MR. COCHRAN:

The question is can you look at this diagram and draw with the pointer the route that you took as you went to get your book to get the number to call--locate your dad?

# 5 MS. SIMPSON:

Okay. Out of here, (Indicating), this way.

# 6 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Your Honor, she is leaving, your Honor, the area marked "Arnelle's room" and she walks west to an area with some stairs. She goes up the stairs and proceeds past the pool.

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

Is that right?

# 8 MS. SIMPSON:

Uh-huh.

# 9 MR. COCHRAN:

She went around the north side of the house to an area marked "Driveway" again on People's 66.

# 10 MR. COCHRAN:

And you went to an area marked "Entrance." Now, is that the entrance to the Rockingham residence?

# 11 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 12 MR. COCHRAN:

And what did you do when you got to that entrance, ma'am?

# 13 MS. SIMPSON:

I went over here to the kitchen, through the kitchen to the phone here and then walked through here, (Indicating), to get to my car.

# 14 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Let's back up for a moment. When you went to--got to the front door of the residence there, did you have to do anything before you got inside that residence?

# 15 MS. SIMPSON:

I had to turn the alarm off.

# 16 MR. COCHRAN:

There was an alarm on?

# 17 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 18 MR. COCHRAN:

And you turned the alarm off; is that correct?

# 19 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 20 MR. COCHRAN:

When you walked that route that you just described for the Court and the jury, was anyone accompanying you at that point?

# 21 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 22 MR. COCHRAN:

Who was?

# 23 MS. SIMPSON:

The two detectives.

# 24 MR. COCHRAN:

The two people we described earlier?

# 25 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 26 MR. COCHRAN:

Lange and Phillips?

# 27 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 28 MR. COCHRAN:

You walked around and took the alarm off before you went inside?

# 29 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 30 MR. COCHRAN:

Let me ask you specifically did you ever at any time walk from your residence here marked "Arnelle's room" and go through some door here at the back of the house?

# 31 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 32 MR. COCHRAN:

When the alarm is on is that possible?

# 33 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 34 MR. COCHRAN:

Can't go in that way; is that right?

# 35 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 36 MR. COCHRAN:

The alarm key pad is where?

# 37 MS. SIMPSON:

In the front of the house.

# 38 MR. COCHRAN:

So you went around to the front of the house and turned off that alarm and then these two detectives came in behind you; is that correct?

# 39 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 40 MR. COCHRAN:

And you described for the jury that you went into the kitchen area; is that correct?

# 41 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 42 MR. COCHRAN:

They were still there with you?

# 43 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 44 MR. COCHRAN:

After being in the kitchen area you left to go some other place.

# 45 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 46 MR. COCHRAN:

Why did you leave the kitchen area to go outside?

# 47 MS. SIMPSON:

To get my phone book out of the trunk of my car.

# 48 THE COURT:

All right. And there is a door indicated in the area, your Honor, not marked kitchen, but there is a door on the side of the house above the garage area that she--Miss Simpson is indicating she went outside.

# 49 THE COURT:

On the west side of the house approximately, oh, 2/5 of the way up from the bottom of the diagram.

# 50 MR. COCHRAN:

Very good, your Honor.

# 51 MR. COCHRAN:

And you went outside and where did you go?

# 52 MS. SIMPSON:

To my car.

# 53 MR. COCHRAN:

That is the black Saab you described?

# 54 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 55 MR. COCHRAN:

What did you get out of your car, if anything?

# 56 MS. SIMPSON:

My phone book.

# 57 MR. COCHRAN:

Did the detectives come with you?

# 58 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 59 MR. COCHRAN:

While you were taking this route or whatever, did you have any conversation with those detectives at all?

# 60 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 61 MR. COCHRAN:

And again will you tell us--and you may resume your seat.

# 62 (Witness complies.)

# 63 MR. COCHRAN:

Which detective did you speak with, if you recall?

# 64 MS. SIMPSON:

I spoke with--I'm confused with the names.

# 65 MR. COCHRAN:

Describe him.

# 66 MS. SIMPSON:

The one with the mustache and the bald head.

# 67 MR. COCHRAN:

That is the one we are going to call Lange.

# 68 MS. SIMPSON:

Lange.

# 69 MR. COCHRAN:

And during that period of time what did you say to Detective Lange?

# 70 MS. SIMPSON:

I had asked him that I really needed to know what was happening because I was nervous and he needed to tell me what was going on.

# 71 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And did he respond to you what was going on?

# 72 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 73 MR. COCHRAN:

What did he say to you?

# 74 MS. SIMPSON:

He had told me that Nicole--did I know Nicole Simpson, and I said yes, and he said that she had been murdered and that there was somebody else with her.

KEY QUOTE

# 75 MR. COCHRAN:

And where were you when Detective Lange told you that?

# 76 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, right outside in the back of my car.

# 77 MR. COCHRAN:

This is after you had come through the kitchen and gone out to get the day book?

# 78 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 79 MR. COCHRAN:

When you heard that, how did that make you feel?

# 80 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm--

# 81 MS. CLARK:

Objection, irrelevant.

# 82 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 83 MS. SIMPSON:

I immediately started crying and I had asked him are you sure that it was Nicole and he said yes. And I said I don't--basically I was just shocked. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to do.

KEY QUOTE

# 84 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. If you know, was the other detective standing close to you at the time that Detective Lange told you this or do you know where he was?

# 85 MS. SIMPSON:

He was inside the house.

# 86 MR. COCHRAN:

He had remained inside the house when you came outside for your day book?

# 87 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 88 MR. COCHRAN:

Before we go back inside the house and after this conversation, were there any other detectives you saw around there at that point?

# 89 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 90 MR. COCHRAN:

And at what point did you see them?

# 91 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, after I had come back inside the house and--

# 92 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Do I understand that initially when you first were awakened and walked around you only saw the two; is that correct?

# 93 MS. SIMPSON:

I saw three.

# 94 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. You saw another one?

# 95 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 96 MR. COCHRAN:

Where did you see the third one?

# 97 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, the third one was in front of Kaelin's room.

# 98 MR. COCHRAN:

Kaelin's room?

# 99 MS. SIMPSON:

Yeah.

# 100 MR. COCHRAN:

Can you describe that person or do you know that person's name now?

# 101 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 102 MR. COCHRAN:

What is that person's name?

# 103 MS. SIMPSON:

Mark Fuhrman.

# 104 MR. COCHRAN:

And what was he doing in front of Kaelin's room, if you can describe for us what you saw?

# 105 MS. SIMPSON:

They were talking.

# 106 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. When you walk that route past Kaelin's room, were they talking at that point?

# 107 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 108 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So you walk past them?

# 109 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 110 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you ever see a fourth detective when you were on your way up to the front?

# 111 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 112 MR. COCHRAN:

And where was that fourth detective?

# 113 MS. SIMPSON:

He was further--can I show you?

# 114 MR. COCHRAN:

Yes. You can show us if that is okay with the Court.

# 115 THE COURT:

Yes.

# 116 MS. SIMPSON:

Like over in this area, (Indicating).

# 117 MR. COCHRAN:

This is in the area that is--

# 118 MS. SIMPSON:

Right here, (Indicating).

# 119 THE COURT:

Appears to be the patio area adjacent to the pool.

# 120 MR. COCHRAN:

Thank you, your Honor.

# 121 MR. COCHRAN:

And do you know that person's name? Was that Vannatter?

# 122 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 123 MR. COCHRAN:

Detective Vannatter?

# 124 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 125 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Now, did you see Vannatter, Detective Vannatter, at that location when you were walking up the first time?

# 126 MS. SIMPSON:

Uh-huh.

# 127 MR. COCHRAN:

All right.

# 128 THE COURT:

Is that yes?

# 129 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, sorry.

# 130 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. So as I understand it then, you left your residence and as you walked you saw mark Fuhrman having a conversation with Kato Kaelin?

# 131 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 132 MR. COCHRAN:

They were inside the room or outside the room?

# 133 MS. SIMPSON:

Kato was standing in his doorway and Mr. Fuhrman was standing outside the door.

KEY QUOTE

# 134 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And you walked up those stairs and as you proceeded on your way heading kind of northbound on the property, you saw Detective Vannatter somewhere in the patio area by the pool; is that right?

# 135 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 136 MR. COCHRAN:

You continued on with Lange and with Phillips; is that correct?

# 137 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 138 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. Now, after you got your day book out of the back of your vehicle, did you have occasion to go someplace at that point? Did you go some place?

# 139 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 140 MR. COCHRAN:

Where did you go?

# 141 MS. SIMPSON:

I went back inside the house into the kitchen.

# 142 MR. COCHRAN:

When you got back in the kitchen, tell us what happened at that point.

# 143 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, then I had called Cathy Randa.

# 144 MR. COCHRAN:

Let me stop you there. Who is Cathy Randa?

# 145 MS. SIMPSON:

My father's assistant.

# 146 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And you called Cathy Randa and why did you call her?

# 147 MS. SIMPSON:

To find out where my father was.

# 148 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Did you ascertain that?

# 149 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 150 MR. COCHRAN:

And after you found out where he was, did you communicate that to any of the police officers, if you recall?

# 151 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 152 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you tell--which of the two did you tell? Do you remember if you told Lange or Phillips or who did you tell?

# 153 MS. SIMPSON:

I believe I told both of them.

# 154 MR. COCHRAN:

You told them both?

# 155 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 156 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you tell them he was in Chicago?

# 157 MS. SIMPSON:

I didn't know where he was but I knew he was out of town.

# 158 MR. COCHRAN:

You found out from Cathy Randa where he was?

# 159 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 160 MR. COCHRAN:

You then told them where he was?

# 161 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 162 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Now, at this point in your kitchen area there, tell the jury who all was present.

# 163 MS. SIMPSON:

Lange and Phillips.

# 164 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. At this point you didn't see Vannatter or Fuhrman; is that correct?

# 165 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 166 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. What did you next see happen with regard to the kitchen area and the phones therein?

# 167 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, I called Cathy and told Cathy that I had some--some really bad news and then I--umm, I started to cry and I handed the phone over to I believe Lange and then they had a conversation.

# 168 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So when you say "They," you mean Detective Lange and Miss Cathy Randa had a phone conversation?

# 169 MS. SIMPSON:

And Cathy Randa.

# 170 MR. COCHRAN:

After that--again, when you say Lange, do you mean the one with less hair on the top and the mustache?

# 171 MS. CLARK:

Objection.

# 172 THE COURT:

Sustained. Leading, counsel.

# 173 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 174 MR. COCHRAN:

When you say "Lange," can you describe that person?

# 175 MS. SIMPSON:

The guy with the mustache and hair loss. The one with the bald head.

# 176 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Okay. So then after this conversation, after Lange had concluded the conversation with Cathy Randa, did you hear or see one of the police officers place a phone call?

# 177 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 178 MR. COCHRAN:

And did that take place--how soon after the conversation with Cathy Randa?

# 179 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, can you repeat that question now?

# 180 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. At the time the conversation concluded between Lange and Cathy Randa, how soon was another phone call made in that kitchen area or wherever?

# 181 MS. SIMPSON:

There wasn't a--not on--by the detectives.

# 182 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay.

# 183 MS. SIMPSON:

We waited.

# 184 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. You waited?

# 185 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 186 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you at some point become aware that one of the detectives, Phillips or one of them placed a call to your father?

# 187 MS. SIMPSON:

I believe--I believe that Cathy had called--said that she can get in touch with my father and my father called the house.

# 188 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. You think he called the house?

# 189 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 190 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Do you know whether or not whenever the phone call came in, whether your dad--who did he speak to at that point, if you recall? One of the detectives or you or what?

# 191 MS. SIMPSON:

He spoke with one of the detectives.

# 192 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Do you recall which detective it was that he spoke with?

# 193 MS. SIMPSON:

I don't recall that.

# 194 MR. COCHRAN:

Could you hear--you could hear one side of the conversation, could you?

# 195 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, yes.

# 196 MR. COCHRAN:

And could you hear what the detective was saying?

# 197 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 198 MR. COCHRAN:

And do you recall which detective it was at this point?

# 199 MS. SIMPSON:

No, I don't recall which detective it was.

# 200 MR. COCHRAN:

It was one of those two?

# 201 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 202 MR. COCHRAN:

Either Lange or Phillips; is that correct?

# 203 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 204 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And at this point were you pretty upset?

# 205 MS. SIMPSON:

Very.

# 206 MR. COCHRAN:

You were crying?

# 207 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 208 MR. COCHRAN:

Were you distraught?

# 209 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 210 MR. COCHRAN:

And so you heard the conversation between--you heard what the detective said; is that correct, ma'am?

# 211 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 212 MR. COCHRAN:

And at some point during that conversation did you have occasion to speak to your dad, Mr. O.J. Simpson?

# 213 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 214 MR. COCHRAN:

How did that--how did that happen?

# 215 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, the phone was passed over to me and my father had asked me what was going on. And I said, "Dad, Nicole is dead. She is not here with us any more." And he said--

# 216 MS. CLARK:

Objection. Hearsay, your Honor.

# 217 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 218 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Let me rephrase that. The detective--you heard the detective saying something into the phone; is that correct?

# 219 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 220 MR. COCHRAN:

And then the phone was passed over to you at some point?

# 221 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 222 MR. COCHRAN:

And did you recognize the voice of the person on the other end of the phone?

# 223 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 224 MR. COCHRAN:

Without telling us what that person said, was that your dad?

# 225 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 226 MR. COCHRAN:

You recognized his voice?

# 227 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 228 MR. COCHRAN:

And how did he sound to you at that point?

# 229 MS. SIMPSON:

Very upset, emotional, umm, confused.

KEY QUOTE

# 230 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Did you then have a conversation with your father?

# 231 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 232 MR. COCHRAN:

How long approximately did that conversation last?

# 233 MS. SIMPSON:

About five minutes at the most.

# 234 MR. COCHRAN:

Were you still also very upset?

# 235 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 236 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, would this be--

# 237 THE COURT:

Yes. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to take our mid-morning recess. Please remember all my admonitions to you. We will stand in recess for 15. And Miss Simpson, you may step down. Come back in fifteen minutes, please.

Temperature

emotional

Key Quotes (4)

Arnelle Simpson

He had told me that Nicole--did I know Nicole Simpson, and I said yes, and he said that she had been murdered and that there was somebody else with her.

The moment Arnelle learned of Nicole's death, establishing the emotional context of the night and the sequence of information flow from detectives to the Simpson family.

Arnelle Simpson

I immediately started crying and I had asked him are you sure that it was Nicole and he said yes. And I said I don't--basically I was just shocked. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to do.

Humanizes the Simpson family's reaction; also frames OJ's subsequent phone call in context of shock and grief.

Arnelle Simpson

Kato was standing in his doorway and Mr. Fuhrman was standing outside the door.

Places Fuhrman at Kato's room early in the morning — strategically relevant to questions about Fuhrman's movements before he claims to have found the glove.

Arnelle Simpson

Very upset, emotional, umm, confused.

Her characterization of OJ's voice on the phone, offered to show his reaction was consistent with someone receiving shocking news rather than a guilty party.

Evidence (1)

People's 66

Diagram/floor plan of the Rockingham estate used to trace Arnelle's route through the property

Used during testimony; Arnelle physically traced her path and indicated locations of detectives

Notable Exchanges (3)

Johnnie Cochran•Arnelle Simpson

Cochran systematically establishes that the alarm keypad is at the front of the house, making rear entry impossible while the alarm was active — a structural point suggesting detectives could not have entered undetected through the back.

strategic

Arnelle Simpson•Marcia Clark•Lance A. Ito

Clark objected to hearsay just as Arnelle was about to relay what OJ said to her on the phone; sustained. The jury never heard OJ's words, only Arnelle's description of his emotional tone.

procedural

Johnnie Cochran•Arnelle Simpson

Arnelle places Fuhrman talking to Kato at Kato's doorway during her initial walk through the property — unprompted identification of Fuhrman at a specific location at a specific time.

revealing

Witness Demeanor

(Witness complies.) — steps down to trace route on diagram

(Witness complies.) — returns to seat after diagram demonstration

Described herself as 'very' upset and 'yes' to being distraught; voice implied throughout

Objections

3 objections (2 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 6672 • 237 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103