DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. COCHRAN
MR. COCHRAN: Mr. Partridge, what is your occupation?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I'm a lawyer.
MR. COCHRAN: And how are you trained? What law school did you attend?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I went to Harvard law school.
MR. COCHRAN: And when did you graduate from Harvard law school?
MR. PARTRIDGE: 1981.
MR. COCHRAN: And what kind of law do you practice?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I do trademark and copyright law.
*****
MR. COCHRAN: All right. We'll see what we can do about that. Now, I would like to direct your attention to the date of Monday, June 13th of 1994. Remember that particular date?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Did you have occasion to be on a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, American Airlines flight 1691?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I did.
MR. COCHRAN: And why were you on that particular flight?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I was coming to [Los Angeles] for depositions in one of my cases.
*****
MR. COCHRAN: I want to direct your attention to this diagram once you see it and ask you whether or not you can point out generally where your seats were or seat was on that plane, Chicago to Los Angeles.
MR. PARTRIDGE: I was in this seat (Indicating). I guess that's 9E.
*****
MR. COCHRAN: And on that flight, what was the--do you know the name of the passenger who was in 9D?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. That was Mr. Simpson.
MR. COCHRAN: That was the gentleman in this case over there, Mr. Orenthal James Simpson?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And he sat next to you, did he?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. You can resume your seat, sir.
MR. PARTRIDGE: (The witness complies.)
MR. COCHRAN: Now--
MR. PARTRIDGE: Excuse me.
MR. COCHRAN: What time approximately did this plane leave Chicago to come to Los Angeles?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Approximately 9:00 in the morning.
MR. COCHRAN: And did you get on the plane first or did Mr. Simpson get on the plane?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I was on the plane first.
MR. COCHRAN: Then he came in and sat next to you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: He came in after I had been seated awhile, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Okay. And you've already described for us you were in the right side bulkhead seat; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, when Mr. Simpson came on the plane, did you recognize who he was?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Had you ever met him before that time?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No. Never.
MR. COCHRAN: Can you describe for this jury how Mr. Simpson appeared to you when you first saw him come in the
plane and have a seat next to you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: When I first saw him, he was dressed in a blue jean outfit.
MR. COCHRAN: All right.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Stone-washed blue jean shirt and stone-washed blue jean pants. And he came back to the seat next to mine. He was there. Also, there was another woman who had the same seat assignment. So the two of them stood together for some time before he took the seat and before it was sorted out who would have which seat.
MR. COCHRAN: So as I understand it, there was some confusion as to who had that seat, 9D?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Both--
MR. COCHRAN: Mr. Simpson or the other lady?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. Both of them apparently had the same seat assignment, and the stewardess sorted that out after a few minutes.
MR. COCHRAN: So it was worked out after a while and then Mr. Simpson sat there; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And what did you notice about him? How did he appear to you to be at that point?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, at first, he seemed to be upset.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And how did you--what about him made you believe that he was upset at that point?
MR. PARTRIDGE: At that point, he seemed rushed and a bit agitated.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. At some point, did he take his seat?
MR. PARTRIDGE: He did, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And as he sat down next to you, describe for the jury how he appeared to you to be from your visual observations at that point.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, he sat next to me, he had--he sighed heavily and looked up, closed his eyes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And to you, it appeared as he was upset at that point?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That was my reaction, that he was upset about something.
*****
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Now, did the stewardess--you know when you take off on these planes, sometimes the stewardess sits in these seats and sits backwards?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. There was a jump seat just in front of where Mr. Simpson was sitting.
MR. COCHRAN: And was there a stewardess in that seat just prior to the takeoff?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, there was.
MR. COCHRAN: And did she say something to Mr. Simpson?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. She said something to the effect of, "Bad way to start the week."
MR. COCHRAN: And did he respond?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, he did.
MS. CLARK: Objection. Hearsay.
THE COURT: The fact that he responded will stand. Next question.
MR. COCHRAN: He did respond to that statement; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, he did.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Did you see him at some point make a request for some water?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. He asked for water.
MR. COCHRAN: Did the stewardess accommodate?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. She was in the jump seat. She undid her seatbelt and harness and got up and got him a glass of water.
MR. COCHRAN: And then what happened after that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: She got--also got him a bottle of water, and he drank the water. She sat back down, and then the flight was in the process of taking off.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Now, you were sitting right next to him and you had an opportunity to observe him during this time frame; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I did.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, at some point, the plane took off and you're now in the air heading from Chicago to Los Angeles. Did you continue to have occasion to observe Mr. Orenthal James Simpson?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Can you tell us what you observed as you occupied seat 9E and he was in 9D?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, the next thing that happened after the takeoff was that he asked for the telephone. And the stewardess helped him get the telephone that was--I believe it was in the seat behind--that I was sitting in because we were in the bulkhead. There was not a telephone there. So she helped him get the telephone from the seat back, and he made a telephone call.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Now--and you were sitting real close, and did you hear at least his part of the telephone conversation?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I could hear some of the telephone call.
MR. COCHRAN: Okay. Now, did he make more than one phone call during the course of--
MR. PARTRIDGE: During the course of the flight, he made quite a few phone calls.
MR. COCHRAN: Did you have occasion to look at Mr. Simpson's hands as you sat there next to him on this flight?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Did I see his hands? Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And describe for the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what you observed if anything regarding his hands. See any Band-Aids at any point?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, initially, I saw that there was a cut on his--the knuckle of his left hand (Indicating).
MR. COCHRAN: Is that the--you're pointing to the knuckle of the left hand. This middle finger that I'm holding up here?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. It was the knuckle of his ring finger.
MR. COCHRAN: And you could observe that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I could see that, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And did you see anything else with regard to that at that point?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, at that point, no. Later I saw that it was wrapped in what appeared to me to be a paper towel from the rest room.
MR. COCHRAN: The time you saw him, did you ever see a Band-Aid or gauze or anything around there?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No. Only the paper towel.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Now, did you at some point say something to Mr. Simpson? . . .
MR. PARTRIDGE: I did make a statement to him, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And in that statement, did you inquire about--
MS. CLARK: Objection. Hearsay.
MR. COCHRAN: Let me finish the question.
MR. COCHRAN: --inquire about what was happening with him? You can't tell us the statement quite yet.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. . . .
MR. COCHRAN: And in his response, did that give you some idea what had happened in his life or information he just
received?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. So you then had an idea of what was going on in Mr. Simpson's life at that point; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And with regard to his state of being upset or distressed, did that condition continue on as you moved westward towards Los Angeles?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. . . .
MR. COCHRAN: Did that continue to occupy much of the conversation that you had with him on your flight west?
MS. CLARK: Objection. Leading.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MR. COCHRAN: You can answer that.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, it did.
MR. COCHRAN: And how long was that flight coming west?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Four hours approximately.
MR. COCHRAN: And during this period of time, did you see whether or not Mr. Simpson drank any of the water he was given at the outset, any additional water?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. He drank water throughout the flight.
*****
MR. COCHRAN: Did you see him go to the rest room during any of this time frame?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. He went to the rest room two or three times. . . .
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Did Mr. Simpson continue to appear distressed and distraught as you described?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, he did.
MR. COCHRAN: And can you describe or give the jury a word picture as you watched him, sitting next to him, of how he appeared to you to be without giving us any conversation?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, as I said, he sighed heavily several times. He made a number of phone calls as I said.
*****
MR. COCHRAN: Did he during this flight--strike that. Did the condition of his being upset and distressed continue during the flight?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, it did.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, you had never met Mr. Simpson before that time, had you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No, I had not.
MR. COCHRAN: You know that one of his occupations, professions has been, he's an actor. Do you understand that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I understand that, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Did he appear to you to be acting as you observed him there?
MS. CLARK: Objection. Calls for speculation.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MR. COCHRAN: You may answer?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No. I thought the way he was behaving was very sincere.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, even though he appeared to be very distressed and upset, did someone approach him and ask
him for an autograph that you observed?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. During the flight, someone passed him a note asking for an autograph.
MR. COCHRAN: And did he respond to that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. He took the paper and gave the gentleman an autograph.
MR. COCHRAN: What was the paper that it came on?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I believe it was an airplane cocktail napkin.
MR. COCHRAN: As he did that, did he still appear to you to be upset and distraught?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. That was consistent throughout.
MR. COCHRAN: And did that trigger some sort of a thought in your mind when this happened?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, it did. I thought what a nice man this was to be doing this, having heard what I had heard about the tragedy that was affecting his life.
MR. COCHRAN: At some point, you reached Los Angeles International Airport?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Had the state of distress and distraughtness that you talked to us about, had that remained throughout the entire flight?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. It was consistent through the flight as I said.
MR. COCHRAN: Did it come time for you all to get off of that flight?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And do you recall whether or not who--which of you got up first to leave that particular flight, 1691?
MR. PARTRIDGE: He was up first and got ahead of--ahead of me in the "U" leading out of the plane.
MR. COCHRAN: From the "U" leading out of the plane, did he at some point turn around and say something to you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, there were several people--
MS. CLARK: Objection. Hearsay.
MR. COCHRAN: You can answer that yes or no.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Could you see his lips as he was in front of you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And did he thank you at this point for your help?
MR. PARTRIDGE: He turned back, and what I could see him saying was thank you.
MR. COCHRAN: Did he then leave the plane?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, he did.
MR. COCHRAN: And as he left that plane, did you see him anymore that day?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No, I did not.
MR. COCHRAN: I presume you went on about your business that day, did you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I did, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And you didn't see him when he left at that point, right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No. As I said, he was ahead of me in the line leading out of the plane and I didn't see him when I was
off the plane.
MR. COCHRAN: Did you at some point--
MR. COCHRAN: Can I have just one second, your Honor?
(Discussion held off the record between Defense counsel.)
MR. COCHRAN: Now, you described for us how the conversation went while you were on the plane and the information that you gathered over the period of the flight, and you've told us that you're a lawyer?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And based upon those kinds of things, did you at some point feel that you should give Mr. Simpson some advice? You can answer that yes or no.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And did you at some point give him some advice?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. . . .
MR. COCHRAN: Now, Mr. Partridge, sir, when Mr. Simpson came on the plane, do you have a recollection of any of the bags, if he was carrying more than one bag, that he had with him at that time?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I remember that he brought back to the seat with him a black duffel or athletic bag, a leather bag.
MR. COCHRAN: All right.
MR. PARTRIDGE: And I also recall that he had a Louis Vuitton garment bag.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And you recall the Louis Vuitton bag was--what happened to the Louis Vuitton bag on that flight if you know?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I don't remember the Louis Vuitton bag very well. It was left in the first class section.
MR. COCHRAN: Like in one of those storage closets, something like that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Now, sir--do you recall any other bags at this point?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MR. COCHRAN: All right.
MR. PARTRIDGE: The only one he brought back to the seat as I remember was the black leather bag.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And did I ask you if you had any recollection of how he was dressed on that occasion?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. I said he was wearing a blue jean shirt and pants.
MR. COCHRAN: I see the Court is shaking his head yes. All right. Now, after this was all over and you were in Los Angeles, did you at any point after the 13th of June make an attempt to contact a police agency here in Los Angeles?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I did.
MR. COCHRAN: Will you tell us what you did?
MR. PARTRIDGE: On the Friday after the flight, I called the Santa Monica Police, I was staying in Santa Monica, and I was referred to another phone number which I understood to be the LAPD number, and I called that number.
MR. COCHRAN: And did you--did you--you called the LAPD number, and were you able to make contact with any police officers at that point from LAPD?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I spoke to someone. I don't know the name of the person, I didn't get the name, and I explained that I had been on the flight, sat next to Mr. Simpson.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And without going any further, did they send somebody out right away to take a statement from you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No, they did not.
MR. COCHRAN: Did anybody take a statement from you at all based upon that conversation, that conversation that you made on Friday?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Based on that conversation, I don't believe so, no.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, at some point, you had occasion and you did in fact make some contact with the Defense; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. That's right.
MR. COCHRAN: And at some point--in fact, you had a meeting in Chicago with Mr. F. Lee Bailey, the gentleman to my immediate left here; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I did.
MR. COCHRAN: And did you at some point have occasion to speak with a Detective Croxley of the LAPD?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. In October of '94, I was called by someone who identified himself as Officer Croxley.
MR. COCHRAN: And he never saw you personally. It was a telephonic interview?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. It was by telephone.
MR. COCHRAN: How long did that conversation last if you know approximately?
MR. PARTRIDGE: It was fairly brief. 10 to 15 minutes.
MR. COCHRAN: Did he ever send you a copy of that statement at all?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No. I never saw a statement based on that.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, in connection with the--your conversation with Mr. OJ Simpson on the morning of June 13th, 1994, beginning at about 9:15 in the morning, did you have occasion to write any notes with regard to the things that the
two of you talked about?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Two days later, on the 15th, I made notes of what I could recall from the flight.
MR. COCHRAN: And are they fairly lengthy notes?
MR. PARTRIDGE: They're fairly lengthy. They're a bit sketchy, but they're fairly long.
MR. COCHRAN: How many pages did those notes turn out to be?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I think the typed notes are six pages.
MR. COCHRAN: And the handwritten notes are about eight pages?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That sounds about right.
MR. COCHRAN: Did you at some point share those notes with both sides in this lawsuit, both sides in this case?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. After I reached the Defense, someone at Mr. Shapiro's office, I was called by an investigator, Mr. Pavelic as I recall, and I sent him a copy of my notes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. And did you also--
MR. PARTRIDGE: And then after I spoke with Mr. Croxley, I offered him the same notes and eventually sent him those notes as well.
MR. COCHRAN: So both sides were provided with these notes; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I did that, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Okay. Now, in your testimony here today and in your willingness to come out pursuant to a subpoena, you tried to share with us what happened on that particular morning?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I've tried to, yes.
MR. COCHRAN: And have you sold your story to any kind of publication prior to testifying here today?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MR. COCHRAN: Have you shared your published notes with anybody prior to your testimony here?
MR. PARTRIDGE: The only person--people I've provided my notes to have been the Defense and the Prosecution. . . .
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. CLARK
MS. CLARK: Good afternoon, Mr. Partridge.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Hello.
MS. CLARK: Now, the notes that you're talking about with Mr. Cochran, those were eight pages of handwritten notes that you wrote on June the 15th; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, that's right.
MS. CLARK: Mr. Simpson had not been charged with any crime as of June the 15th, had he?
MR. PARTRIDGE: As far as I know, that's right. He had not.
MS. CLARK: Yet, you sat down and wrote down eight pages of detailed notes in your own handwriting; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That's right. Yes, I did.
MS. CLARK: And those notes were all about your observations--
MR. COCHRAN: Just a moment, your Honor. Object to what those notes were all about.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MS. CLARK: --your observations of your interaction with Mr. Simpson on the early morning flight on June the 13th, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That's right, yes.
MS. CLARK: And then you copyrighted those notes, didn't you, Mr. Partridge?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I put a copyright notice on the notes later when I was asked to send them to people.
MS. CLARK: As a matter of fact, isn't it true that each and every page of those eight pages bears this--bears this logo that I'm going to show you now on the left side of the page, happens to be page 2?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. That's right. Each--I put that on each page.
MS. CLARK: I would like to show the ladies and gentlemen of the jury that logo that was put on each page of these eight pages of handwritten notes.
MR. COCHRAN: We have no objection to marking the notes and showing the jury the notes also if you'd like.
MS. CLARK: I just want to mark this logo, your Honor, if I may.
THE COURT: Proceed.
MS. CLARK: Thank you.
THE COURT: Miss Clark.
MS. CLARK: I'm trying to make it lighter a little bit, your Honor. He's hard to see. All right. And for the record, I'm going to see if we can print this out. That's better.
MS. CLARK: That's the copyright that you put on your notes; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: It's a notice of copyright, yes.
MS. CLARK: And that shows a little c and a circle, 1994 and "Partridge, all rights reserved"?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And that's on each of the eight pages of notes that you took concerning your observations of Mr. Simpson on June the 13th?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. That's right.
MS. CLARK: And you wrote these on June the 15th, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I wrote them on June the 15th. I didn't put that notice on them on June the 15th.
MS. CLARK: You put that notice down later, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And on June the 13th, you also gave the Defendant your card, didn't you, sir?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I did.
MS. CLARK: You're not a criminal lawyer, are you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MS. CLARK: You gave him that card so that he would contact you later; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I gave him the card in case anything of the flight turned out to be important for him.
MS. CLARK: And you thought your observations of his conduct on June the 13th might be important; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I thought it was possible, yes, that it might be--how he behaved on the flight might be important.
MS. CLARK: Okay. Now, what does that mean when you copyright something, sir? You're a copyright lawyer.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, when you cop--when you write something, it's immediately covered by copyright. I put the notice on in an effort to prevent people from copying the notes that I sent them to in an effort to prevent them from being distributed without my consent.
MS. CLARK: Doesn't it also mean that you have a financial interest in the privacy of that matter that you copyright?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I don't understand your question.
MS. CLARK: Well, people copyright books, don't they?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Certainly.
MS. CLARK: So that no one else can copy that book and sell it and make a profit on it except the author and the publisher, right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: If that's what the author chooses, yes.
MS. CLARK: Isn't that usually what the author chooses, Mr. Partridge?
MR. COCHRAN: Object to what the author usually chooses.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MR. PARTRIDGE: I would say very often, the author chooses to sell the notes or their book or whatever they have chosen to copyright.
MS. CLARK: Right. And they copyright their writings so that no one else can profit from what they've written; isn't that
right, sir?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That would be the case in some instances I would assume, yes.
MS. CLARK: Now, you say you called the police on June the 17th and you referred to LAPD, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That's what I understand, yes.
MS. CLARK: And you told them that you had sat on a plane with a Defendant on the morning of June the 13th as he came back to Los Angeles, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: Do you have any idea how many hundreds of clues they were investigating?
MR. COCHRAN: I object to the form of the question. Counsel is testifying.
THE COURT: Sustained.
MS. CLARK: Do you have any idea--do you yourself have any personal knowledge of how many clues they were investigating?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I have no idea.
MS. CLARK: Could have been hundreds, right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: It could have been, yes.
MS. CLARK: Or how many witnesses they were trying to interview. You have no idea how many?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No, I don't know how many.
MS. CLARK: Could have been hundreds; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Could have been.
MS. CLARK: And you had no idea where Mr. Simpson was on the evening of June the 12th, did you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I didn't know where he was, no.
MS. CLARK: You had never met him?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No, I had never met him.
MS. CLARK: And the first time you ever met him was on June the 13th from that flight from Chicago to Los Angeles; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, that's right.
MS. CLARK: And during that flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, you were observing him very carefully; were you not?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Reasonably so, yes.
MS. CLARK: And that's why you were able to write eight pages of handwritten notes, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I wrote eight pages of what I remembered from the flight. I tried to remember as much as I could.
MS. CLARK: Because--and you knew--and you were making those close observations because you knew about the murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That's not completely correct. No, I didn't.
MS. CLARK: No, you were not observing him closely because you knew about the murders?
MR. COCHRAN: Object to the form of that question, your Honor.
THE COURT: Sustained. Rephrase the question.
MS. CLARK: You made very careful observations of Mr. Simpson's conduct; is that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I would say reasonably so, yes.
MS. CLARK: And of his physical condition, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And you were doing so at least in part because you had learned of the murders of Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown, correct?
MR. COCHRAN: Same objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MR. PARTRIDGE: I can't answer that yes or no. It's not completely correct. It's partially correct.
MS. CLARK: It's partially correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: That was part of the reason you were observing him very closely, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Partially so, yes. By that, I mean, some of that I knew and some of that I didn't know.
MS. CLARK: You knew that something big had happened, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I knew that his ex-wife was dead initially, and during the course of the flight, I learned that she had been killed, and toward the end of the flight, I learned that another person, a man, had been killed as well.
MS. CLARK: Okay. And so you learned early in the flight that his ex-wife was dead, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And that fact knowing--and you knew it was a recent event; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. I understood it had just happened.
MS. CLARK: And that caused you to pay very close attention to his physical condition and his demeanor, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: It caused me to pay attention to him. But mostly, what it caused me to do is be, I don't know, concerned about the situation.
MS. CLARK: And that concern caused you to observe him very closely, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: As I said, reasonably so, yes.
MS. CLARK: And you observed at that time, because you were observing him closely, that there was a cut on the middle finger of his left hand; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I remember that it was a cut on the knuckles of his left hand and I recall that it was the ring finger or
middle finger.
MS. CLARK: And there was no bandage on that finger the first time you saw it, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I'm sorry. I said ring finger. I'm getting mixed up here.
MS. CLARK: Middle.
MR. PARTRIDGE: I mean middle finger. Yes.
MS. CLARK: Right. And there was no bandage on that finger the first time you saw it, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: The first time I noticed it, there was no Band-Aid. That's right.
MS. CLARK: And it was not bleeding, was it?
MR. PARTRIDGE: It was not--I didn't see any blood, no.
MS. CLARK: Later, you saw him wrap it in a paper towel, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: So at the first observation of it, it was not bleeding, and then later on, it seemed to be bleeding; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I never saw any blood.
MS. CLARK: Didn't you tell the police that you saw blood seeping through the paper towel after he had wrapped it with a paper towel?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No. I never said I saw blood seeping through the paper towel.
MS. CLARK: Let me show you a copy of your statement, sir.
(Discussion held off the record between the Deputy District Attorney and Defense counsel.)
MS. CLARK: All right, sir. I'm showing you a form that says "Statement form" on it. Do you see your name in the upper left-hand corner?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I do.
MS. CLARK: Mark Partridge?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: Date of interview, October 6th, 1994?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: Now, I'm going to direct your attention to the page that contains the narrative and show you this paragraph that I'm pointing to here I've previously shown to counsel.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: Do you see the statement there?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And does that statement indicate that you told Detective Croxley that the Defendant had wrapped a paper towel from the rest room around the finger because blood was leaking out?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I don't know that that statement indicates that that's what I said. That's what is stated here.
MS. CLARK: You have no recollection of ever saying that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No, I didn't say that.
MS. CLARK: Then is it your testimony that you never saw that finger bleeding on June the 13th?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I never saw any blood. That's right. I saw that the finger was cut and somewhat raw, but I didn't see any blood coming from it.
MS. CLARK: Did you see whether there was more than one cut on that finger?
MR. PARTRIDGE: It looked--looked to be kind of a jagged raw cut. I couldn't really say if it was more than one or if it was just a rough cut that was--as opposed to a sharp straight cut.
MS. CLARK: So you could not tell whether it was more than one cut? Yes or no?
MR. PARTRIDGE: As I recall, it says I described. I could not tell if it was more than one cut.
MS. CLARK: Thank you. And if it was more than one cut, you could not tell whether both cuts were received at the same time, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That's certainly correct.
MS. CLARK: And the notes that we're speaking of, you gave those notes to the Defense first; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I did.
MS. CLARK: You did not give those notes to the Prosecution until Detective Croxley contacted you in October; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. I gave them to the Prosecution after I was contacted by Officer Croxley.
MS. CLARK: In fact, that wasn't until December of 1994; isn't that right, sir?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I sent them to Officer Croxley in early December, yes.
MS. CLARK: Now, you indicated, sir, that someone asked the Defendant for an autograph during the flight; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And he gave it to them, didn't he?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And you indicate that the Defendant drank water throughout the flight?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MS. CLARK: And that one of the first things he did when he got on the plane was ask for water; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That was one of the first things, yes.
MS. CLARK: And then after the plane took off, he immediately requested a telephone; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. That's right.
MS. CLARK: And the first phone call he made, could you hear who he made that phone call to? . . .
MR. PARTRIDGE: I wasn't able to hear. I heard a name.
MS. CLARK: And the name was?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Skip.
MS. CLARK: And approximately how long did he speak to this person named Skip?
MR. PARTRIDGE: That particular call was quite brief. I would say a minute.
MS. CLARK: Okay. And I take it you've somewhat followed this case; have you not, sir?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Somewhat, yes. . . .
MS. CLARK: Now, you offered us the opinion, sir, that the Defendant did not appear to you to be acting, correct? Do you recall that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
*****
MS. CLARK: You're not a psychiatrist, are you?
MR. COCHRAN: Object, your Honor. He's a lawyer. He may be a psychiatrist too.
THE COURT: We don't know. Not likely. Proceed.
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
*****
MS. CLARK: But you do know the Defendant is an actor, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I understand that he is sometimes an actor, yes.
MS. CLARK: And you knew that on June the 13th and when you were on the flight with him; did you not?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I don't think I did know that.
MS. CLARK: You did not know he was an actor at that time?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I only knew that from the Hertz commercials.
MS. CLARK: You had not seen any movies he had been in?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I don't think so.
*****
MS. CLARK: Now, sir, you told us about these detailed notes that you took, eight handwritten pages, correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I--
MS. CLARK: Do you recall?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I did say that I took notes, yes.
MS. CLARK: And you just told us I believe a few questions ago that you only recall one phone call made to Skip by the
Defendant; is that right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I only recall the name once. I think, yes.
MS. CLARK: All right. I am going to show you page 6 of your notes.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Okay.
MS. CLARK: See if that refreshes your memory as to whether or not there was one call or more than one call to this person named Skip.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Okay. Yes, it does.
MS. CLARK: And how does that refresh your recollection, sir?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Well, these are my notes taken, made at the--shortly after I--and I referred to more than one call from someone named Skip. So yes, there was more than one call.
MS. CLARK: More than one, sir? Isn't it true in your notes, you say several times?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. Several. . . .
MS. CLARK: And you spoke, sir, on direct of the tragedy that affected his life on that day?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. . . .
REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. COCHRAN
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Mr. Partridge, I would like to approach and I'd like to show you the eight pages of the handwritten notes that you made on June 15th, 1994, and I would like to ask you whether or not those notes reflect your handwriting.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, they do.
MR. COCHRAN: And since we're not copyright lawyers in this courtroom, would you tell us what is the effect of your writing this little C and "1994, M. Partridge, all rights reserved"?
MR. PARTRIDGE: My intent was to prevent other people from copying these notes without my permission. I was sending them off to people and I didn't want them released to the media or anyone else without my consent.
MR. COCHRAN: And as a trademark or copyright lawyer, you knew how to protect those particular notes; isn't that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: This is one of the things that one can do.
MR. COCHRAN: All right.
MR. PARTRIDGE: And that's why I did it.
MR. COCHRAN: And you've never tried to sell those notes, have you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MR. COCHRAN: In fact, you were one of the few people in this case who's tried to protect their quotes; isn't that--
MS. CLARK: Objection.
MR. COCHRAN: That's correct. Let me rephrase that.
MR. COCHRAN: In fact, as a trademark copyright lawyer, you knew how to protect those notes, right?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I knew this was one thing I could do to try to prevent them from being copied without my consent.
MR. COCHRAN: And although you had occasion to send these notes to Detective Croxley I think you said in December of 1994, you had called the Prosecution in this case first; isn't that correct?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I'd called the police first.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. The police agencies.
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: All right. Now, a few other questions if I might. Are you aware that the person Skip Taft that Miss Clark was asking about is Mr. Simpson's long-time friend and business lawyer of 20 plus years? Are you aware of that?
MR. PARTRIDGE: I was not aware of that.
MR. COCHRAN: You're still not aware of that, are you?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MR. COCHRAN: Are you aware that they share office space together?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MR. COCHRAN: Are you aware they own property together?
MR. PARTRIDGE: No.
MR. COCHRAN: Now, Miss Clark, in response to the fact that you called the Santa Monica Police Department on the Friday after your flight and then you then were directed to the L.A. Police Department, asked you some questions about whether you knew how many people might be interviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department. Remember those questions?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes.
MR. COCHRAN: Suppose that with regard to all of the people who were interviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department, you were the only person in the world who sat next to him on the flight back from Chicago; isn't that correct?
MS. CLARK: Objection. Argumentative and leading.
THE COURT: Well, "suppose," sounds like a hypothetical question. You want to ask a direct question?
MR. COCHRAN: Let me rephrase that.
MR. COCHRAN: Were you the only person in the world--
MR. COCHRAN: Let me just get closer, your Honor.
MR. COCHRAN: Were you the only person in the world to sit in seat 9E on flight 1691 on June 13th, 1994 from Chicago to Los Angeles on American Airlines when OJ Simpson sat in seat 9D?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes, I am.
MR. COCHRAN: Thank you. Nothing further.
MS. CLARK: I just wanted to ask one question, please.
RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. CLARK
MS. CLARK: And when you sat in that seat, sir, did you happen to observe--you said you observed what the Defendant was wearing. Did you also observe what he had on his feet?
MR. PARTRIDGE: Yes. . . .
MS. CLARK: Tell us what he was wearing on his feet, sir.
MR. PARTRIDGE: He had black leather loafers.
MS. CLARK: What kind?
*****
MR. PARTRIDGE: They were sort of woven black leather loafers. The leather was woven.
THE COURT: Thank you. . . .