Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 6)

📄 Direct examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 6) — Monday, July 10, 1995

Address:

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

TRIAL

▲ Day 111 of 167

◀ Jury return preparation Cross-examination of Arnelle Simpson (part 1) ▶

Witness: Arnelle Simpson
Examiner: Johnnie Cochran
Called by: Defense • Date: Monday, July 10, 1995 • Utterances: 101

Arnelle Simpson resumes direct examination by Cochran, testifying about a May 22, 1994 preschool fundraiser picnic at Rockingham where Nicole Brown Simpson attended, sat on O.J.'s lap, and later rested in his bed — suggesting continued intimacy after their separation. Cochran also elicits testimony about O.J.'s golf obsession to contextualize golf equipment at the estate, and wraps up by asking Arnelle directly whether she told the truth.

# 1 (The following proceedings were held in open court, in the presence of the jury:)

# 2 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. All right. Let the record reflect we've been rejoined by all the members of our jury panel. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

THE JURY: Good afternoon.

# 3 THE COURT:

My apologies to you for our late start. Are had a few legal matters to take care of before are asked you to come in. Miss Simpson, would you resume the witness stand, please.

Arnelle Simpson, the witness on the stand at the time of the lunch recess, resumed the stand and testified further as follows:

# 4 THE COURT:

The record should reflect Miss Arnelle Simpson is on the witness stand again undergoing direct examination by Mr. Cochran. Good afternoon, Miss Simpson.

# 5 MS. SIMPSON:

Good afternoon.

# 6 THE COURT:

You are reminded you are still under oath. Mr. Cochran, you may continue.

# 7 MR. COCHRAN:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

THE JURY: Good afternoon.

DIRECT EXAMINATION (RESUMED) BY MR. COCHRAN

# 8 MR. COCHRAN:

Good afternoon, Miss Simpson.

# 9 MS. SIMPSON:

Good afternoon.

# 10 MR. COCHRAN:

Can you move the microphone a little bit closer to you? I have just a few more questions of you if I might.

# 11 MS. SIMPSON:

Uh-huh.

# 12 MR. COCHRAN:

Do you recall back on or about May 22nd, 1994, whether or not there was a picnic or some kind of a party involving children at your home there on Rockingham?

# 13 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, there was.

# 14 MR. COCHRAN:

And can you tell us briefly what that picnic or party was about?

# 15 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, for the last three years, sunshine preschool, which Justin and Sidney both had attended, they have an annual picnic to raise money for the school, and my father would donate his house to have the picnic there.

# 16 MR. COCHRAN:

Do you recall that picnic and party taking place in 1994 about May 22nd?

# 17 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 18 MR. COCHRAN:

Now, did they--do you recall whether or not your minor brother and sister, Justin and Sidney attended that particular function?

# 19 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, they were.

# 20 MR. COCHRAN:

And were you there also?

# 21 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, I was.

# 22 MR. COCHRAN:

And do you recall whether or not Miss Nicole Brown Simpson came to that location?

# 23 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, she was.

# 24 MR. COCHRAN:

Now, was this after the time that your father and mother decided to go their separate ways? Strike that--your father and stepmother decided to go their separate ways?

# 25 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 26 MR. COCHRAN:

But she came also to this particular picnic; is that right?

# 27 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, she did.

# 28 MR. COCHRAN:

Do you recall seeing her at any place inside of the Rockingham residence on that day?

# 29 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 30 MR. COCHRAN:

And describe what you saw at that time.

# 31 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, at one point, are were all inside the house watching TV the playoffs were on.

# 32 MR. COCHRAN:

What kind of playoffs?

# 33 MS. SIMPSON:

Basketball.

# 34 MR. COCHRAN:

All right.

# 35 MS. SIMPSON:

Some of the other parents were inside, mostly the men were, and my father and Nicole were sitting on the couch.

# 36 MR. COCHRAN:

And which room was that?

# 37 MS. SIMPSON:

In the TV room.

# 38 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And you observed this yourself?

# 39 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 40 MR. COCHRAN:

Did you notice anything else as they sat there on the couch?

# 41 MS. SIMPSON:

Umm, yeah. She was sitting on his lap.

KEY QUOTE

# 42 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. And this--so this was after they had broken up, right?

# 43 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 44 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Later on, were you aware of whether or not she went anyplace else inside that house that day?

# 45 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes. She had said she wasn't feeling well, and she went upstairs and laid down in the bed.

KEY QUOTE

# 46 MR. COCHRAN:

In whose bed?

# 47 MS. SIMPSON:

My father's.

# 48 MR. COCHRAN:

And now, with regard to that, was this within a week of the time that you had said she had been sick with pneumonia?

# 49 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 50 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. This was towards the end of that period of time?

# 51 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 52 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So she still wasn't feeling well on that particular day?

# 53 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 54 MR. COCHRAN:

And was this--May 22nd, was that on a Sunday as far as you know?

# 55 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 56 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Now, you told us earlier that your father no longer plays tennis. Does he play golf?

# 57 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, he does.

# 58 MR. COCHRAN:

Does he play golf regularly as far as you know?

# 59 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 60 MR. COCHRAN:

Do you ever at any time see him around the house swinging golf clubs or chipping at golf balls?

# 61 MS. CLARK:

Objection. Leading.

# 62 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 63 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes. All the time.

# 64 MR. COCHRAN:

Can you describe that for us, what you've seen?

# 65 MS. SIMPSON:

He just was always talking about golf. He was kind of obsessed with it. He was always trying to, you know, better his game and he was always playing around with the golf balls or his--I guess his swing, trying to perfect his swing.

# 66 MR. COCHRAN:

Have you ever seen him out in that yard hitting any golf balls, chipping them?

# 67 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes. Yes.

# 68 MR. COCHRAN:

You don't play golf, do you?

# 69 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 70 MR. COCHRAN:

So the terminology is a little bit foreign to you; is that right?

# 71 MS. SIMPSON:

Uh-huh. Yes.

# 72 MR. COCHRAN:

But you've seen your father do that, right?

# 73 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 74 MR. COCHRAN:

Now, with regard to the events of the evening of June 13th, wherein you returned home after about 6 o'clock or so in the evening and you saw these people inside the Rockingham residence, do you remember that?

# 75 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 76 MR. COCHRAN:

And you've described for us some of the people who were there. Do you recall that?

# 77 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 78 MR. COCHRAN:

Have you told us all the people who were present?

# 79 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 80 MR. COCHRAN:

Were there other friends who were also present?

# 81 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes. There was a lot of people coming and going.

# 82 MR. COCHRAN:

All right.

# 83 MS. SIMPSON:

During that time.

# 84 MR. COCHRAN:

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off.

# 85 MS. SIMPSON:

During that time, there was just a lot of commotion, people coming and going.

KEY QUOTE

# 86 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. So there were a lot of people, friends and family members, coming in and out?

# 87 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes.

# 88 MR. COCHRAN:

Not everybody came at the same time; is that right?

# 89 MS. SIMPSON:

No.

# 90 MR. COCHRAN:

And then I presume you were in rooms, other rooms throughout the house on occasion also?

# 91 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, I was.

# 92 MS. CLARK:

Objection. Leading.

# 93 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 94 MR. COCHRAN:

Anyone else that you recall was there that you haven't told us about thus far?

# 95 MS. SIMPSON:

Cathy Randa, Neal Sloan and some other people were coming and going. There was a lot of people there.

# 96 MR. COCHRAN:

All right. Have you been nervous this morning during your testimony?

# 97 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, I have.

# 98 MR. COCHRAN:

Have you told us the truth?

# 99 MS. SIMPSON:

Yes, I have.

# 100 MR. COCHRAN:

I have nothing further at this point, your Honor.

# 101 THE COURT:

Thank you, Mr. Cochran. Miss Clark.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Arnelle Simpson

She was sitting on his lap.

Establishes continued intimate behavior between O.J. and Nicole after their breakup, used to complicate the domestic violence narrative.

Arnelle Simpson

She had said she wasn't feeling well, and she went upstairs and laid down in the bed. My father's.

Further suggests Nicole and O.J. maintained a close, comfortable relationship — she was at ease enough to sleep in his bed after their separation.

Arnelle Simpson

He was kind of obsessed with it. He was always trying to, you know, better his game and he was always playing around with the golf balls or his--I guess his swing, trying to perfect his swing.

Contextualizes golf equipment at Rockingham — likely relevant to explaining the golf bag referenced in evidence.

Arnelle Simpson

During that time, there was just a lot of commotion, people coming and going.

Describes the scene at Rockingham on June 13th, potentially relevant to chain of custody and who had access to the property after the murders.

Evidence (1)

Informal

Golf clubs and golf balls at the Rockingham residence

discussed informally — Arnelle describes O.J. regularly chipping and practicing in the yard

Notable Exchanges (2)

Johnnie Cochran•Arnelle Simpson

Cochran walks Arnelle through the May 1994 picnic to establish Nicole's continued comfort and intimacy with O.J. — sitting on his lap, resting in his bed — after their official separation.

strategic

Johnnie Cochran•Arnelle Simpson

Cochran closes direct by asking 'Have you told us the truth?' and Arnelle confirms. An unusual move suggesting preemptive credibility rehabilitation before cross.

strategic

Witness Demeanor

Arnelle gives short, halting answers with frequent 'umm' and 'uh-huh' responses suggesting anxiety

Cochran adjusts pace and reassures her at one point: 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off'

Objections

2 objections (0 sustained, 2 overruled)

Proceeding 6692 • 101 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103