Cross-examination of Susan Silva

📄 Cross-examination of Susan Silva — Thursday, March 30, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\30\CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-SUSAN-SIL.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 48 of 167

◀ Direct examination of Susan Silva Redirect examination of Susan Silva ▶

Witness: Susan Silva
Examiner: Shawn Chapman
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Thursday, March 30, 1995 • Utterances: 36

Defense attorney Ms. Chapman cross-examines Susan Silva, a Westec security representative, about the alarm system at OJ Simpson's Rockingham residence. The questioning establishes key facts: no signal is sent to Westec when the alarm is merely set, there is no record kept of the alarm being set, and exiting through the kitchen door would trigger the alarm if it had been armed. The defense closes by confirming that setting the alarm properly required using exterior keypads at the front foyer or garage.

# 1 MS. CHAPMAN:

MAY I HAVE ONE MOMENT?

# 2

THE COURT: CERTAINLY. ALL RIGHT. DO WE NEED THE BOARD AT THIS POINT? MISS CHAPMAN, DO YOU NEED THE BOARD? MISS SILVA, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE THE WITNESS STAND AGAIN, PLEASE. (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS.)

# 3 THE COURT:

MISS CHAPMAN, DO YOU NEED THE BOARD FOR YOUR CROSS-EXAMINATION?

# 4 MS. CHAPMAN:

I DON'T THINK SO.

# 5 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. MISS CHAPMAN.

# 6

CROSS-EXAMINATION

# 7

BY MS. CHAPMAN:

# 8 Q:

GOOD MORNING, MISS SILVA.

# 9 A:

GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL.

# 10 MS. CHAPMAN:

GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

# 11 THE JURY:

GOOD MORNING.

# 12 Q:

BY MS. CHAPMAN: IT'S YOUR INDICATION, MISS SILVA, THAT THERE WAS NO SIGNAL SENT TO WESTEC WHEN THE ALARM IS SET BY THE RESIDENT; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 13 A:

THAT'S CORRECT.

# 14 Q:

AND THERE WOULD BE NO RECORD ANYWHERE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF OF THE ALARM BEING SET; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 15 A:

THAT'S CORRECT.

# 16 Q:

OKAY. NOW, TO SET THE ALARM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ENTER A CODE; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 17 A:

YES.

# 18 Q:

AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO ENTER A CODE AT A PAD AT EITHER THE FRONT DOOR OR AT THE GARAGE; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 19 A:

YES.

# 20 Q:

OKAY. NOW, IF THE ALARM WAS SET AND SOMEONE LEFT THROUGH THE KITCHEN DOOR, THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 21 A:

YES.

# 22 Q:

WITH RESPECT TO THE ALARMS ON THE FAMILY ROOM DOORS, IF THE ALARM HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SET AND PEOPLE WERE TO COME THROUGH ANY OF THOSE FAMILY ROOM DOORS, WOULD THE ALARM AUTOMATICALLY GO OFF AT THAT POINT?

# 23 A:

IF YOU'RE -- ANY OF THE DOORS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ONE ENTRY, EXIT DOOR, THE ALARM WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GO OFF.

# 24 Q:

OKAY. SO THE ALARM THAT YOU INDICATED THAT HAD THE 40-SECOND DELAY, IF SOMEONE CAME THROUGH THAT DOOR, IS IT YOUR TESTIMONY THAT THE ALARM WOULD NOT GO OFF. IT WOULD BE A BEEPING SOUND ALLOWING SOMEONE TO GO OFF AND TURN OFF THE ALARM; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 25 A:

CORRECT.

# 26 Q:

IF THE ALARM HAD NOT BEEN SET AND SOMEONE WERE TO ENTER THE HOME, NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN AS FAR AS THE ALARM SYSTEM IS CONCERNED THERE AT THE RESIDENCE AND ALSO AT WESTEC CENTER; IS THAT RIGHT?

# 27 A:

CORRECT. UNLESS SOMEONE AT THE -- AT THE PREMISES EITHER HIT A EMERGENCY BUTTON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT IF THE SYSTEM WAS NOT SET AND SOMEBODY WALKED IN THE DOOR, NO, WE WOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY SIGNALS AT ALL.

# 28 Q:

OKAY.

# 29 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN DEFENSE COUNSEL.)

# 30 Q:

BY MS. CHAPMAN: IF HYPOTHETICALLY MR. SIMPSON AND A FRIEND WERE LEAVING ON THE 12TH TO GO GET A HAMBURGER AND THEY WENT OUT THE KITCHEN DOOR AND THE ALARM HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SET, THE ALARM WOULD THEN BE ACTIVATED AT THAT POINT; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 31 A:

IF THE -- IF THE ALARM HAD BEEN SET -- FROM THE INTERIOR OR FROM THE EXTERIOR?

# 32 Q:

FROM ANYWHERE. IF THE ALARM HAD BEEN SET -- BECAUSE YOU INDICATED IT HAS TO BE AT ONE OF THOSE TWO KEYPADS, CORRECT?

# 33 A:

RIGHT.

# 34 Q:

OKAY. SO IF THE ALARM HAD BEEN SET AT EITHER OF THOSE KEYPADS AND MR. SIMPSON AND A FRIEND WENT TO GET A HAMBURGER THROUGH THE KITCHEN DOOR, THE ALARM WOULD THEN GO OFF; ISN'T THAT CORRECT?

# 35 A:

YES. WITH THAT TYPE OF SYSTEM, WHAT YOU REALLY NEED AND THAT'S WHY HE HAS THE OUTSIDE PANELS IS, YOU DON'T SET THE SYSTEM TO GO OUT THROUGH THE PANELS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE IT WILL SET THE SYSTEM OFF. WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS SET IT FROM EITHER OUTSIDE THE FRONT FOYER OR OUTSIDE IN THE GARAGE.

KEY QUOTE

# 36 MS. CHAPMAN:

RIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Susan Silva

WITH THAT TYPE OF SYSTEM, WHAT YOU REALLY NEED AND THAT'S WHY HE HAS THE OUTSIDE PANELS IS, YOU DON'T SET THE SYSTEM TO GO OUT THROUGH THE PANELS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE IT WILL SET THE SYSTEM OFF. WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS SET IT FROM EITHER OUTSIDE THE FRONT FOYER OR OUTSIDE IN THE GARAGE.

Establishes that anyone properly securing the home before leaving would use exterior keypads, not interior ones — relevant to reconstructing Simpson's movements on the night of June 12.

Susan Silva

IF THE SYSTEM WAS NOT SET AND SOMEBODY WALKED IN THE DOOR, NO, WE WOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY SIGNALS AT ALL.

Confirms that an unarmed system leaves no record of entry or exit — cutting both ways for the timeline.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Ms. Chapman•Susan Silva

Chapman poses a hypothetical: Simpson and a friend leave through the kitchen door on June 12 to 'get a hamburger' — would the alarm go off if previously set? Silva confirms yes, and volunteers the proper procedure for arming before exit.

strategic

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 5518 • 36 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103