Direct examination of Cathy Randa

📄 Direct examination of Cathy Randa — Wednesday, July 6, 1994

Address:

C:\DEPT103\PRELIMINARY\1994\JUL\6\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-CATHY-RA.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 4 of 6

◀ Cross-examination of Arnelle Simpson Offer of proof regarding Dennis Fung's testimony ▶

Witness: Cathy Randa
Examiner: Gerald Uelmen
Called by: Defense • Date: Wednesday, July 6, 1994 • Lines: 77

Cathy Randa, O.J. Simpson's administrative assistant of nearly 20 years, testified that Arnelle Simpson and a detective called her around 5:45 a.m. on June 13 seeking Simpson's location. Randa gave the detective Simpson's Chicago hotel number and explained that the Hertz business trip had been arranged about two months earlier; the prosecution asked no questions.

# 1 MR. UELMEN:

Defense at this time would like to call Cathy Randa.

# 2 THE COURT:

Face the clerk, please, and raise your right hand.

# 3 THE CLERK:

You do solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give in the cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god?

# 4 CATHY RANDA:

I do. Cathy Randa, called as a witness by and on behalf of the defendant, was examined and testified as follows:

# 5 THE CLERK:

Please be seated. State and spell your name, for the record.

# 6 CATHY RANDA:

Cathy, with a "C," Randa, R-a-n-d-a.

# 7 THE COURT:

You may inquire.

# 8

DIRECT EXAMINATION

# 9

BY MR. UELMEN:

# 10 Q:

Miss Randa, are you employed by Mr. O.J. Simpson?

# 11 A:

Yes, I am.

# 12 Q:

In what capacity?

# 13 A:

I am his administrative assistant.

# 14 Q:

And how long have you been employed as his administrative assistant?

# 15 A:

Almost 20 years.

# 16 Q:

And do your responsibilities include his scheduling and arranging for his travel?

# 17 A:

Yes.

# 18 Q:

And in what city do you reside?

# 19 A:

North hollywood, California.

# 20 Q:

Now, were you at home on the morning of June 13, 1994?

# 21 A:

Yes, I was.

# 22 Q:

And did you receive a telephone call that morning?

# 23 A:

I did.

# 24 Q:

And what time did that telephone call come?

# 25 A:

Approximately 5:45.

# 26 Q:

Now, are you certain of that time?

# 27 A:

Yes.

# 28 Q:

Why are you certain?

# 29 A:

Because as I heard the phone ring, as I was running to the phone, I turned the light on; and after picking up the phone, I could see the clock.

# 30 Q:

I take it it is unusual to get a call that early in the morning?

# 31 A:

Very unusual.

# 32 Q:

And who was calling you?

# 33 A:

Mr. Simpson's daughter Arnelle.

# 34 Q:

And what did she say to you?

# 35 A:

Well, she was quite hysterical and she just said, "Cathy, a detective wants to talk to you." A detective then got on the phone with me.

KEY QUOTE

# 36 Q:

And did the detective tell you why he was calling?

# 37 A:

No.

# 38 Q:

What did he tell you?

# 39 A:

He asked if I knew where Mr. Simpson could be reached.

# 40 Q:

And what did you tell him?

# 41 A:

I asked him if the children were okay, and he didn't respond. And I asked again, and he didn't respond. And I continued to ask, and he finally said the children were fine but he must reach Mr. Simpson immediately.

KEY QUOTE

# 42 Q:

And what did you then tell him?

# 43 A:

I then gave him the phone number to the hotel in chicago where Mr. Simpson was on a business trip.

KEY QUOTE

# 44 Q:

Now, is this a business trip that had been arranged in advance?

# 45 A:

Yes.

# 46 Q:

How far in advance?

# 47 A:

Approximately two months.

KEY QUOTE

# 48 Q:

Two months before?

# 49 A:

Yes.

# 50 Q:

And was this business related to his association with the hertz corp.?

# 51 A:

Yes, it was.

# 52 Q:

And did you give the detective the telephone number where Mr. Simpson could be reached in chicago?

# 53 A:

I did.

# 54 Q:

And was that the end of the conversation?

# 55 A:

He said -- he promised he would call me back.

# 56 Q:

And did he call you back?

# 57 A:

No.

# 58 Q:

Did you receive another telephone call shortly thereafter?

# 59 A:

I did.

# 60 Q:

And who was that call from?

# 61 A:

Mr. Simpson.

# 62 Q:

Can you tell us what time that call came?

# 63 A:

That was within about five minutes.

# 64 Q:

And did Mr. Simpson indicate that he had spoken --

# 65 MS. CLARK:

Objection. Hearsay.

# 66 THE COURT:

Sustained.

# 67

BY MR. UELMEN:

# 68 Q:

What time did you complete your telephone conversation with Mr. Simpson?

# 69 A:

I would say two minutes. It was very brief.

# 70 Q:

It was still prior to 6 o'clock?

# 71 A:

Yes.

# 72 MR. UELMEN:

Thank you. Nothing further.

# 73 THE COURT:

Miss Clark.

# 74 MS. CLARK:

Your Honor, may I have a moment, please?

# 75 THE COURT:

Yes.

# 76 MS. CLARK:

Thank you, your Honor. We have no questions of this witness.

# 77 THE COURT:

All right. Thank you very much. Please do not discuss your testimony with anyone. Mr. Uelmen.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (4)

Cathy Randa

Well, she was quite hysterical and she just said, "Cathy, a detective wants to talk to you."

Describes Arnelle Simpson's distressed condition when police began trying to locate Simpson early that morning.

Cathy Randa

I asked him if the children were okay, and he didn't respond. And I asked again, and he didn't respond. And I continued to ask, and he finally said the children were fine but he must reach Mr. Simpson immediately.

Shows the urgency of the detective's effort to contact Simpson and Randa's concern for the children.

Cathy Randa

I then gave him the phone number to the hotel in chicago where Mr. Simpson was on a business trip.

Establishes how police learned where to reach Simpson and confirms that he was in Chicago.

Cathy Randa

Approximately two months.

Supports the defense point that Simpson's Chicago trip had been arranged well before the killings.

Evidence (3)

Informal

An unrecorded telephone call at approximately 5:45 a.m. in which Arnelle Simpson and a detective spoke with Randa about reaching O.J. Simpson in Chicago.

discussed

Informal

An unrecorded telephone call from O.J. Simpson to Randa approximately five minutes after the detective's call.

discussed

Informal

Simpson's prearranged Chicago business trip for Hertz, which Randa said had been scheduled approximately two months earlier.

discussed

Notable Exchanges (2)

Gerald Uelmen•Marcia Clark•Kathleen Kennedy-Powell

Uelmen tried to ask what Simpson indicated during their call, but Clark raised a hearsay objection and the judge sustained it, preventing the substance of Simpson's statements from entering the record.

procedural

Marcia Clark•Kathleen Kennedy-Powell

After requesting a moment, Clark declined to cross-examine Randa.

routine

Objections

1 objections (1 sustained, 0 overruled)

Proceeding 9129 • 77 lines • Defense witness

Preliminary Trial

Department 103