Redirect examination of Natalie Singer

📄 Redirect examination of Natalie Singer — Tuesday, September 5, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\SEP\5\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-NATALI.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 147 of 167

◀ Cross-examination of Natalie Singer Witness dismissal ▶

Witness: Natalie Singer
Examiner: F. Lee Bailey
Called by: Defense • Date: Tuesday, September 5, 1995 • Utterances: 44

F. Lee Bailey conducts a brief redirect examination of Natalie Singer, focusing on two points: why she never contacted the prosecution directly with her information about Fuhrman, and clarifying what specifically disturbed her about Fuhrman's use of racial epithets. Singer explains she assumed the prosecution wouldn't want to hear what she had to say, and delivers a striking description of the hatred and arrogance she perceived in Fuhrman's manner of speech.

# 1 THE COURT:

Mr. Bailey.

# 2 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)

# 3 MR. BAILEY:

Miss Singer, you have said that you did not make any direct effort to contact the Prosecution as you did to Mr. Shapiro, Mr. Cochran and my office?

# 4 MS. SINGER:

Correct.

# 5 MR. BAILEY:

Was there a reason that you chose not to volunteer your information to the Prosecution?

# 6 MS. CLARK:

Objection, your Honor.

# 7 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 8 MS. SINGER:

Well, when Anthony Pellicano told me that he was going to tell them, I said I would be willing--

# 9 MS. CLARK:

Objection, your Honor, hearsay. Motion to strike.

# 10 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 11 MS. SINGER:

What was that?

# 12 THE COURT:

Go ahead.

# 13 MR. BAILEY:

You may answer.

# 14 MS. SINGER:

I told him, "When they call I will speak to them," but I never got a call.

# 15 MR. BAILEY:

Was there a reason that prior to talking to Mr. Pellicano and myself you had not given this information to the Prosecution?

# 16 MS. SINGER:

Well, yeah.

# 17 MR. BAILEY:

What was it?

# 18 MS. SINGER:

Well, possibly incorrectly I had--not in a million years would I have thought they wanted to hear what I had to say, the things that I knew. I just thought it would fall on deaf ears, and that may be incorrect of me, but that is the way I felt.

# 19 MR. BAILEY:

Okay. Now, when you heard Mr. Fuhrman using racial epithets, was it the mere use of that word that upset you or the manner which--

# 20 MS. CLARK:

Objection, your Honor.

# 21 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 22 MS. CLARK:

Objection.

# 23 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 24 MR. BAILEY:

You may answer.

# 25 MS. SINGER:

I go?

# 26 THE COURT:

Was it the use or manner that offended you so much?

# 27 MS. SINGER:

The manner more than the use. The use is bad, the manner is what got me.

KEY QUOTE

# 28 MR. BAILEY:

All right. And what, if any, expression can you recall being on his face as he described his treatment of black people?

# 29 THE COURT:

I'm going to sustain the question. We are going beyond here.

# 30 MS. CLARK:

Objection, your Honor.

# 31 MR. BAILEY:

All right.

# 32 (Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)

# 33 MR. BAILEY:

Can you tell us, Miss Singer, what you mean when you say "The manner in which it was used," without going into any text?

# 34 MS. CLARK:

Your Honor, same objection.

# 35 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 36 MS. SINGER:

There are words that we can speak that don't--are not followed by--they are meaningless words. I can say a specific word and it doesn't hurt anybody because I don't mean it. When he says the things, he says it is bolstered by--

# 37 MS. CLARK:

Your Honor, objection. Nonresponsive.

# 38 THE COURT:

Overruled.

# 39 MS. SINGER:

It is bolstered and held up and pushed out of his mouth with hatred and arrogance and despicability and that is what hurts. That is what hurts.

KEY QUOTE

# 40 MS. CLARK:

Objection, your Honor.

# 41 MS. SINGER:

Combined with the words.

# 42 MR. BAILEY:

Thank you, Miss Singer. That is all.

# 43 THE COURT:

Miss Clark.

# 44 MS. CLARK:

Nothing further.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (3)

Natalie Singer

Not in a million years would I have thought they wanted to hear what I had to say, the things that I knew. I just thought it would fall on deaf ears, and that may be incorrect of me, but that is the way I felt.

Explains why she approached the defense rather than the prosecution, framing herself as a reluctant witness who assumed the prosecution was uninterested in Fuhrman evidence.

Natalie Singer

It is bolstered and held up and pushed out of his mouth with hatred and arrogance and despicability and that is what hurts. That is what hurts.

Her most emotionally vivid description of Fuhrman's demeanor — characterizing his racial language not as casual but as driven by genuine hatred, which is the core of the defense's Fuhrman narrative.

Natalie Singer

The manner more than the use. The use is bad, the manner is what got me.

Concise distillation of her testimony: she is not merely offended by a word but by the contempt and hostility behind it.

Notable Exchanges (2)

F. Lee Bailey•Marcia Clark•Lance A. Ito

Clark objects repeatedly as Bailey tries to get Singer to describe Fuhrman's facial expression and manner — Ito sustains one question about Fuhrman's expression as going too far, but overrules Clark's attempts to block Singer's emotional characterization of his delivery.

strategic

Natalie Singer•Lance A. Ito

After Clark objects that Singer's answer is nonresponsive, Ito overrules and Singer is allowed to finish her extended description of Fuhrman's hatred and arrogance.

revealing

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Natalie Singer

bias / selective contact

The implicit subtext of Clark's objections and Bailey's redirect is whether Singer's failure to contact the prosecution reflects bias toward the defense — Bailey preempts this by letting Singer explain she assumed the prosecution wouldn't listen.

Objections

9 objections (1 sustained, 7 overruled)

Proceeding 7504 • 44 utterances • Defense witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103