Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 3)

📄 Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 3) — Monday, July 10, 1995

Address:

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

TRIAL

▲ Day 111 of 167

Witness: Arnelle Simpson
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Defense • Date: Monday, July 10, 1995 • Utterances: 96

Arnelle Simpson, OJ's eldest daughter, testifies about the early morning of June 13, 1994, when Detective Lange informed her that Nicole had been murdered and there was 'another body with her.' She describes being too emotional to complete a call to Judy Brown, handing the phone to Lange, and then receiving a second call from her father who was crying and very upset. The court briefly intervenes when Arnelle begins quoting OJ directly.

# 1 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. Let the record reflect that we have been rejoined by all the members of our jury panel. And Miss Arnelle Simpson, would you resume the witness stand, please. All right. Just pull the microphone closer, please. And Mr. Cochran, you may continue.

# 2 MR. COCHRAN:

Thank you very kindly, your Honor.

# 3 MR. COCHRAN:

Are you okay?

# 4 MS. SIMPSON:

Uh-huh.

# 5 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Now, Miss Simpson, just before the break, we took our break, we were talking about a brief five-minute conversation that you had with your dad on the phone and you described for us he appeared distraught in his remarks to you; is that correct?

# 6 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

And how were you at this time?

# 8 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, upset, emotional, crying.

# 9 MR. COCHRAN:

Now, with regard to your conversation with the detective which I think you said was Lange, describe for us what he said to you exactly during this time frame. What did Lange say to you about--about Nicole Brown Simpson's death, et cetera?

# 10 MS. SIMPSON:

He had said to me that Nicole had been murdered and that there was another body with her.

KEY QUOTE

# 11 MR. COCHRAN:

And do you recall him saying anything else to you at that time?

# 12 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 13 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So after he made this statement and after the phone had been passed to you by the detective and you spoke with your dad and you described how he was, what then happened after that, ma'am?

# 14 MS. SIMPSON:

Can you say that again?

# 15 MR. COCHRAN:

What happened after that?

# 16 MS. SIMPSON:

After--

# 17 MR. COCHRAN:

After you finished talking with your dad, I'm sorry?

# 18 MS. SIMPSON:

Oh, at that point I had asked if Nicole's mother knew and he said, "No, do you know how to get in touch with her?"

# 19 MR. COCHRAN:

When you said you asked that, who did you ask that of?

# 20 MS. SIMPSON:

To Lange.

# 21 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And when he asked you whether or not you knew how to get in touch with her, what did you say?

# 22 MS. SIMPSON:

I said yes.

# 23 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Then what happened at that time, if anything?

# 24 MS. SIMPSON:

I had called Judy Brown.

# 25 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. You knew--you had her number?

# 26 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 27 MR. COCHRAN:

Had any of the detectives at that point asked you at all about the Browns at all?

# 28 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 29 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. You were the first one to bring that up?

# 30 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 31 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. After you brought it up, you then got Miss Judy Brown on the phone?

# 32 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 33 MR. COCHRAN:

And did you talk to her or try to talk with her?

# 34 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 35 MR. COCHRAN:

Describe for us what you did and what you said at that point?

# 36 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, I called Judy and I said, "Judy, I have some really bad news for you" and, umm, I attempted to tell her and I started crying and I gave the phone over to Lange.

# 37 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So you couldn't complete this conversation?

# 38 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 39 MR. COCHRAN:

You were still distraught; is that correct?

# 40 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 41 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So you then handed the phone back to the detective and did you hear his conversation to Miss Judy Brown?

# 42 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, I was too emotional then. I wasn't really listening to what he was saying.

# 43 MR. COCHRAN:

But at any rate, you knew they had a conversation; is that correct?

# 44 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 45 MR. COCHRAN:

This all took place in the kitchen area that you have been describing for us?

# 46 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 47 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. You are still in the kitchen area?

# 48 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 49 MR. COCHRAN:

Now, during this time frame have you seen any of the other officers? You have described for us I think Lange and Phillips and you being in the kitchen area. Have you seen any other detectives inside the house at this time?

# 50 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 51 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. At some point in your conversation with Miss Judy Brown, Juditha Brown, rather, did that conversation conclude?

# 52 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 53 MR. COCHRAN:

And then what happened after that?

# 54 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, then the detective told me that I needed to go pick up Justin and Sydney, that they were at the police station.

# 55 MR. COCHRAN:

And your two minor siblings; is that right?

# 56 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 57 MR. COCHRAN:

And after you were told that, what did you do, if anything?

# 58 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, I told the detective that, umm, I couldn't go do this by myself, that I had to call somebody to help me.

# 59 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And did you call somebody then or at some later time?

# 60 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, I called at a later time.

# 61 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. Now, how were you dressed when you were in the kitchen area? Who were you attired at that point?

# 62 MS. SIMPSON:

I had on pajamas.

# 63 MR. COCHRAN:

Because you just got up?

# 64 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 65 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you remain in the kitchen after they had indicated you should pick up your brother and sister?

# 66 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 67 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Where did you go, if you recall?

# 68 MS. SIMPSON:

I went to go into my room and the phone rang then.

# 69 MR. COCHRAN:

Went back to your room?

# 70 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 71 MR. COCHRAN:

Okay. And when you got there the phone rang?

# 72 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, but it was on my way to the room--to my room.

# 73 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Did you answer the phone?

# 74 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 75 MR. COCHRAN:

And who was it?

# 76 MS. SIMPSON:

My father.

# 77 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Your father called back?

# 78 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 79 MR. COCHRAN:

And then you had a--this would be a second conversation with him?

# 80 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 81 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. You can't tell us what was said, but how did he appear to you during this conversation? What was his demeanor?

# 82 MS. SIMPSON:

He was very upset. He was crying. He was saying, "Arnelle, I don't understand."

KEY QUOTE

# 83 THE COURT:

Hold on.

# 84 MR. COCHRAN:

You can't tell us--

# 85 MS. SIMPSON:

Sorry. He was saying--he was very upset, emotional.

# 86 MR. COCHRAN:

Have you ever at any time in your then 25 years heard your father sound like that?

KEY QUOTE

# 87 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 88 MR. COCHRAN:

This conversation, where did you take that phone? Where did you take that--have that conversation?

# 89 MS. SIMPSON:

I had the conversation in the TV room.

# 90 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. The TV room is a room that is--would have been through the residence, that is off the--well, you tell us, where is the TV room?

# 91 MS. SIMPSON:

It would be somewhere around here, (Indicating).

# 92 MR. COCHRAN:

Your Honor, she is pointing to the center of the area of the house to the right of the area marked "Entrance."

# 93 MR. COCHRAN:

It is in a line where you come in the front door but further back in the house; is that correct?

# 94 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 95 MR. COCHRAN:

Is that a room that has like three TV's in a wall?

# 96 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

Temperature

emotional

Key Quotes (5)

Arnelle Simpson

He had said to me that Nicole had been murdered and that there was another body with her.

Establishes the exact language Detective Lange used to notify the family — notably describing Ron Goldman as 'another body' without naming him.

Arnelle Simpson

I called Judy and I said, 'Judy, I have some really bad news for you' and, umm, I attempted to tell her and I started crying and I gave the phone over to Lange.

Shows Arnelle's emotional state and that it was she, not police, who initiated contact with Nicole's family.

Arnelle Simpson

He was very upset. He was crying. He was saying, 'Arnelle, I don't understand.'

Partially elicited before Ito intervened — defense attempt to establish OJ's emotional devastation upon learning of Nicole's death, consistent with innocence.

Johnnie Cochran

Have you ever at any time in your then 25 years heard your father sound like that?

Designed to emphasize the unprecedented nature of OJ's distress, reinforcing the defense narrative that his reaction was genuine grief, not guilt.

Arnelle Simpson

No.

One-word answer to Cochran's question about whether she had ever heard her father so distraught — maximally impactful in its brevity.

Evidence (1)

Informal

Floor plan or diagram of the Rockingham estate used to orient the TV room and kitchen locations

referenced for witness orientation, Arnelle pointing to locations

Notable Exchanges (2)

Lance A. Ito•Arnelle Simpson•Johnnie Cochran

Ito interrupts with 'Hold on' as Arnelle begins quoting OJ directly ('He was saying, Arnelle, I don't understand'). Cochran quickly redirects her to describe demeanor only rather than substance.

procedural/corrective

Johnnie Cochran•Arnelle Simpson

Cochran establishes that Arnelle — not the detectives — was the one who raised the question of notifying Nicole's mother, and that she personally called Judy Brown.

strategic

Witness Demeanor

Arnelle self-describes as 'upset, emotional, crying' during the events in question

She answers hesitantly and asks for clarification ('Can you say that again?'), suggesting continued emotional difficulty recounting events

She begins to quote OJ directly before being cut off, suggesting she is recounting the memory genuinely rather than scripting her testimony

Objections

1 objections (1 sustained, 0 overruled)

Proceeding 6674 • 96 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103