Direct examination of Patti Goldman

📄 Direct examination of Patti Goldman — Thursday, March 9, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\MAR\9\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-PATTI-GO.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 34 of 167

◀ Witness sworn Cross-examination of Patti Goldman ▶

Witness: Patti Goldman
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Thursday, March 9, 1995 • Utterances: 54

Patti Goldman, Ron Goldman's stepmother, testified briefly to authenticate People's 30 — a grocery shopping bag from her house containing Ron Goldman's waiter uniform (shirt and pants). She identified the bag as one she uses for groceries, recognized her own handwritten grocery list found inside it, and confirmed she witnessed her stepdaughter Kim Goldman place Ron's clothing in the bag when they came to court.

# 1

BY MS. CLARK:

# 2 Q:

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL THE JURY WHO YOU ARE, MA'AM.

# 3 A:

I'M RON GOLDMAN'S STEPMOTHER.

KEY QUOTE

# 4 Q:

OKAY. DO YOU WANT TO USE THE MICROPHONE. THERE YOU GO.

# 5 A:

RON GOLDMAN'S STEPMOTHER.

KEY QUOTE

# 6 Q:

SHOWING YOU AN ITEM THAT HAS BEEN MARKED AS PEOPLE'S --

# 7 THE COURT:

30.

# 8 MS. CLARK:

30.

# 9 THE COURT:

30.

# 10 MS. CLARK:

THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.

# 11 Q:

FIRST OF ALL, DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE SHOPPING BAG?

# 12 A:

YES, I DO.

# 13 Q:

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE IT?

# 14 A:

THAT IS WHERE I DO MY GROCERY SHOPPING.

# 15 Q:

AND WAS IT YOUR DAUGHTER KIM GOLDMAN WHO PLACED THE CLOTHING INSIDE THIS BAG INTO THIS BAG?

# 16 A:

I DIDN'T SEE HER PUT THEM IN THERE, BUT SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE PUT THEM.

# 17 MR. COCHRAN:

ASKED AND ANSWERED, YOUR HONOR. HEARSAY.

# 18 THE COURT:

OVERRULED. THAT IS HEARSAY.

# 19 MR. COCHRAN:

THANK YOU.

# 20 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: ARE THESE BAGS KEPT IN YOUR HOUSE?

# 21 A:

YES, THEY ARE.

# 22 Q:

AND DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS PARTICULAR BAG?

# 23 A:

YES, I DO.

# 24 Q:

IS THAT ONE FROM YOUR HOUSE?

# 25 A:

YES, IT IS.

# 26 MS. CLARK:

ONE MOMENT, YOUR HONOR.

# 27 (BRIEF PAUSE.)

# 28 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: I HAVE REMOVED FROM THAT BAG A WHITE ENVELOPE ON WHICH IS WRITTEN "ONE PIECE OF GREEN PAPER WITH WRITING." TAKING OUT THE PIECE OF GREEN PAPER WITH WRITING ON IT, I'M GOING TO ASK IF YOU RECOGNIZE WHAT THAT IS?

# 29 A:

YES. IT IS MY GROCERY LIST.

# 30 Q:

IS THAT YOUR WRITING?

# 31 A:

YES, IT IS.

# 32 Q:

AND DOES THAT -- SOMETHING -- CAN YOU TELL US HOW IT CAME TO BE INSIDE THE BROWN PAPER BAG THAT YOU RECOGNIZE?

# 33 A:

WHEN I GET THROUGH GROCERY SHOPPING WHEN I LEAVE THE SUPERMARKET I ALWAYS THROW THE LIST IN MY BAG.

KEY QUOTE

# 34 Q:

AND SO THIS IS THE SHOPPING LIST THAT YOU MADE?

# 35 A:

YES, IT IS.

# 36 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.)

# 37 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: WERE YOU PRESENT IN COURT WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER KIM GOLDMAN TESTIFIED?

# 38 A:

I DON'T REMEMBER IF I WAS OR NOT, IF I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE OR NOT. I DON'T REMEMBER.

# 39 Q:

DO YOU REMEMBER COMING TO COURT WITH HER ON THE DAY THAT THIS BAG AND ITS CONTENTS WERE BROUGHT TO COURT?

# 40 A:

YES, I DO.

# 41 Q:

AND BY THAT I REFER TO ITEM NO. 30?

# 42 A:

YES.

# 43 Q:

DID YOU SEE WHAT SHE PLACED INSIDE THE BAG?

# 44 A:

YES, I DID.

# 45 Q:

AND WHAT WAS THAT?

# 46 A:

RON'S SHIRT AND PANTS.

KEY QUOTE

# 47 Q:

WAITER'S UNIFORM?

# 48 A:

YES, UH-HUH.

# 49 Q:

AND SO IS THIS THE BAG THAT SHE -- AND THE CONTENTS THAT SHE BROUGHT WITH HER, PEOPLE'S 30, TO COURT?

# 50 A:

YES, IT IS.

# 51 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.)

# 52 MS. CLARK:

I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

# 53 MR. COCHRAN:

JUST ONE OR TWO BRIEF QUESTIONS.

# 54 THE COURT:

PLEASE.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Patti Goldman

I'M RON GOLDMAN'S STEPMOTHER.

Her only self-identification; establishes her relationship to the victim and her standing to authenticate family possessions.

Patti Goldman

WHEN I GET THROUGH GROCERY SHOPPING WHEN I LEAVE THE SUPERMARKET I ALWAYS THROW THE LIST IN MY BAG.

Explains the provenance of the grocery list found inside the bag, corroborating that this specific bag came from her home.

Patti Goldman

RON'S SHIRT AND PANTS.

Direct identification of the contents of People's 30 as Ron Goldman's clothing — his waiter's uniform — the clothing he was wearing the night he was killed.

Evidence (1)

People's 30

A grocery shopping bag from the Goldman home, containing Ron Goldman's waiter uniform (shirt and pants) and a handwritten grocery list belonging to Patti Goldman

authenticated and identified

Notable Exchanges (1)

Lance A. Ito•Johnnie Cochran

Cochran objected to hearsay about what Kim told Patti; Ito overruled but simultaneously agreed it was hearsay ('OVERRULED. THAT IS HEARSAY') — an internally contradictory ruling that passed without comment.

procedural

Witness Demeanor

(BRIEF PAUSE.) — mid-examination pause while Clark retrieved items from the bag

(DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.) — twice, suggesting some uncertainty about exhibit handling

Objections

1 objections (0 sustained, 1 overruled)

Proceeding 5231 • 54 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103