Stephen Valerie was a UCLA MBA student and a passenger on American Airlines flight 668 from Los Angeles to Chicago on June 12, 1994, the same flight taken by O.J. Simpson. Called as a defense witness and examined by Johnnie Cochran, Valerie testified that he had never seen Simpson in person before that date, boarded as the gate was closing at about 11:40, sat in first class in seat 4A, and saw no cuts. Christopher Darden cross-examined Valerie in the criminal trial, and Valerie later testified in the civil trial under direct examination by Dan Leonard.