Opinion ID: 2247066
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Monique Brown.

Text: The prosecution called Monique as its next witness. She stated her true name was Latifa Monique Brown, and that her birth name was Latifa Monique Gunthrop. She testified that she had been married to appellant for two years. She was 23 years old when she married appellant, who was then 61 years old. Her occupation was Director of Operations for Ameri Can Program, Inc., as well as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Ameri Can Foundation for Social Change. Ameri-Can Program Inc., is a corporation solely owned by appellant. Ameri Can's office is in their home at 1851 Sunset Plaza Drive. Since her marriage, appellant provided for Monique financially, which included a monthly salary working for Ameri-Can. She was in her third year at Santa Monica Community College. She stated that on June 15, 1999, she made a 911 call from a neighbor's house located at 1825 Sunset Plaza Drive. She did not recall the neighbor's name, in that this was the first time they had met. She stated that she told the 911 operator her husband was inside the house and had broken the car windows with a shovel. She said she told the operator that she had not been hit. She remembered telling the operator to [p]lease be respectful. There is no danger there. I am fine. She claimed she made this statement at the end of the call. When asked if it would refresh her recollection if the prosecutor played the tape, she replied, No, it would not because it's not on the tape. Shortly thereafter, however, she stated this language was on that portion of the tape that the transcript labeled inaudible. She stated that although she felt free to answer the telephone operator's questions, the operator was leading her and the tone was being set. Monique testified that immediately after she completed the 911 call, she called her home to speak with appellant, but no one answered. Monique stated that she had an argument with appellant that day because she suspected him of having an affair. The matter had been building up for six months, and she confronted him. When asked by the prosecutor if she told Detective Gasparian that the argument was also about her inviting a male friend from school named Jack to stay in the residence and problems had been brewing for a few days, Monique stated that she did not recall. She did say that she invited Jack, a friend from Ohio, to spend a weekend in the house because he needed to take a test at the police academy that weekend. Monique stated she thought that she did tell Gasparian that the actual argument started on June 13, 1999, over Jack's staying the weekend, but she had also said the incident had been building up since appellant's best friend, George Hughley, died in February. She told Gasparian that appellant had been withdrawn, depressed, crying, and drinking. She stated that she did not tell Gasparian that appellant had tried to start a fight with her that morning over Jack's staying at the house. Monique testified that she had an argument with appellant on June 13, 1999, when she returned from rollerblading at Venice Beach with Jack. When she returned, she found appellant in bed crying. Appellant was angry, not because she had been rollerblading with Jack, but because she had left the house in the middle of their argument, which he deemed disrespectful. She stated that she did not tell Gasparian that appellant had thrown things or broken things, or that appellant had grabbed a cane and began beating the bed with the cane. When asked later if she had told Gasparian that appellant became angry in the argument and took the cane and began beating the bed, she acknowledged that she had said something to that effect, but I don't remember exactly. Although he was beating the bed with the cane yelling at her, it did not scare her. She stated that although she told the detective that it scared her and appellant was yelling, [H]ow dare you bring another man into the house, such statements were not true. She had testified that she did not remember telling Gasparian that appellant told her that he had to pray to God so he would not kill her and Jack, but she remembered saying something to the effect that he said he had to pray to find peace because of the things I had been coming at him with. She did admit telling Gasparian that appellant had told her that he had to drink to pass out so he could avoid killing her and Jack, but this statement to Gasparian was not true. Although appellant had been drinking that day, she had never seen him drink except socially, until this one incident. Monique stated appellant had to drink to find peace to calm his mind because I had been coming at him with all these crazy accusations.... She acknowledged that appellant did tell her on the evening of June 13 that the marriage was over. She did not recall if appellant told her to go back to Buffalo. She stated her only blood relative in Los Angeles was a 12-year-old niece. Monique testified that although she stayed at a hotel that night, she did not have to. She stated that she returned from the hotel on June 14, 1999. Later that day she told appellant that she had reserved a flight to Buffalo. He responded that she did not have to go, and she spent the night at the house. The next day, however, on Tuesday, June 15, she told appellant that she was not going to take it anymore and the marriage was over. She felt that appellant was having an affair, while appellant felt that it was disrespectful to have another man in the house. She felt, however, that Jack was just a scapegoat and an excuse. She then testified that the argument was really about appellant's plan to go to Miami, which is where she thought the other woman was. This was the final straw, according to Monique, because she thought he had been carrying on a relationship with this woman for six months. She stated that although appellant had been drinking on June 13, he was not drinking on the June 15. Appellant was on the bed in the bedroom watching television, and during the argument his emotional demeanor was indifference; he was extremely passive. She became very angry, and she called him names and yelled at him. Appellant shifted the conversation away from his alleged infidelity to Monique's rollerblading with Jack, which he felt was a sign of disrespect to appellant. Appellant continued to lie on the bed; he did not get angry and only slightly raised his voice. Monique told appellant, [F]uck this, I'm not taking this shit, all in an effort to provoke some type of response. She told him that she was leaving. Appellant continued to watch television, so she picked up the remote and turned the set off. Monique said that appellant never threatened to kill her by snapping her neck. Also, she stated she never went to her car; rather, she and her dog, Cruiser, walked up the driveway. About 30 to 40 seconds after she left the house, she heard the front door open, and she turned and saw appellant. He was yelling and appeared angry and upset. He yelled, [W]hat the hell is wrong with you? Get out. He looked at Monique and said, I'm going to break out these fucking car windows. Appellant went to the side entrance of the garage. Monique stated that she yelled at him, [G]o ahead, you son of a bitch, and it's your car, I don't give a shit, you're going to have to pay for it. She testified that the white Honda was not her car. She initially stated that she did see appellant breaking windows, but then immediately changed her testimony and asserted that she never saw him breaking windows. When shown the registration which listed her as the registered owner of the white Honda, she acknowledged that it did, in fact, list her as the registered owner. Monique testified that she went immediately to a neighbor's house from the driveway. She knew to tell the 911 operator that appellant beat her car with a shovel because, as she was walking up the hill, she saw him reaching for the shovel. Therefore, she assumed he used the shovel. She stated that the shovel was not inside the garage by the white Honda. When asked if she thought she had a choice when appellant told her he was going to break her fucking windows, Monique stated that he never threatened to break out the windows of her car, and that she did not care if he broke out windows. She stated, I gave him permission because any type of reaction, I felt, would get him to the level of where he would admit to his affair. Although appellant had come out of the house angry and yelling, and had threatened to break out the windows of the car, Monique was never afraid. When asked if she told Officers Montes De Oca and Arellano that appellant followed her out to the garage and beat her car with a shovel, Monique answered, Absolutely not. She did not recall if she told Gasparian if she had given appellant permission to beat her car. Although she did not see the windows being broken, she did hear the glass breaking as she went up the hill. Monique stated that although she told the 911 operator there was a history of domestic violence, she never made such a statement to Officers Montes De Oca and Arellano. She stated that in the past, although she and appellant had engaged in arguments, appellant never called her names, threatened her, thrown things, or broken things, except for this one incident. Monique stated that if he started a fight, he would afterwards apologize and admit he was wrong. In fact, he had apologized for losing his temper on June 15, 1999, and breaking the windows. Testimony resumed after a lunch break. Monique stated that she did not tell Officers Montes De Oca or Arellano that appellant threatened to kill her by snapping her neck. She stated she did say this to Gasparian, and also told Gasparian that appellant had told her he would have snapped her neck, had he not previously promised to stop being physically abusive. Although she did recall telling Gasparian that there had been several prior instances of domestic violence, she did not recall saying there had been approximately seven such incidents in their two-year marriage. Any such statements, however, were not correct. She acknowledged that she told Gasparian that appellant had previously given her a black eye, choked her on another occasion, and in fact had an episode of domestic violence one month before the June 15 incident. Monique told Gasparian that during the incident one month earlier, she threatened to leave appellant, because this threat would force him to deal with her regarding the alleged affair. She acknowledged that she told Gasparian that when she tried to leave appellant, he stood over her with a metal spear and asked her if she wanted to live. She also said that she told Gasparian that appellant told her if she ever took him to court, he would kill her or have her killed. She stated that these statements to Gasparian, however, were untrue. Monique testified that, in fact, there had never been any incidents of domestic violence. She did acknowledge that there was one prior occasion where she left the house and went to a neighbor's and called a friend, but not out of any fear. She stated that on that occasion she and appellant had argued about their business and how it should be run. When she got to the neighbor's house, she called George and Shirley Hughley, who came and took her to their home. She spent the night at the Hughley house and returned home after a day or so. The Hughleys acted like mediators between her and appellant. She acknowledged that she told Gasparian during the interview that she did not want appellant arrested, but she did not say she wanted to make a record of the incident in case something should happen to her. She did not tell Gasparian that in Buffalo, where she came from, women do not report on their husbands, or that she had done everything to make the marriage work. Monique testified that after the Gasparian interview, she went back to the house, packed some clothes, and then drove to a local restaurant to make a telephone call to her husband. Afterwards, she drove back to the police station, because she realized that with the protective order she had, she could not go home. She wanted the protective order released so she could go home and be with her family. When asked if she, in fact, went to a friend's house that night, Monique responded, [A]bsolutely false. She stated she saw appellant later that night at their home, where he appeared tired, embarrassed, and emotionally hurt. She stated appellant had never threatened her to drop the charges, tell the police she lied or what to say on the stand, or what to say at press conferences held at their home. She testified that she did not feel nervous about testifying with appellant watching her in the courtroom. Monique was then cross-examined by appellant's counsel. She stated that the white Honda belonged to the corporation and was used to transport children, but because they did not want the company to become liable if there were any accidents, the car was transferred to her name. She identified a certificate of title showing the car was owned by the corporation in 1994. She stated that for insurance purposes title was transferred to her before she married appellant. When asked why she told appellant he could break the windows on the car, she stated she was very frustrated and it was like a dare. When he told her he intended to break the windows, she gave him permission. She stated that the money to repair the car came from the corporation. She stated she had been trying to provoke appellant the entire day of June 15, because he was not taking her seriously. Because her yelling and telling him to break the windows had not worked, Monique stated that she felt desperate, hurt, and humiliated. She wanted appellant to feel the pain that she was feeling. She stated that she loved and respected her husband, but she would never let him abuse her. Monique testified that she met her husband on a television show where she was doing some modeling. She became an employee of the Ameri-Can corporation. The Ameri-Can Education Program is a 15chapter life management skills curriculum that deals with the responsibility of self-determination. She acted as a facilitator or teacher of the Ameri-Can program while she was doing commercial modeling and working in a law firm as a legal secretary. Monique stated that while appellant provided the vision for Ameri-Can, she actually ran the corporation. She stated that she was the person in the house who broke things. For months she had been confronting her husband about her suspicion of his infidelity, but she would back off periodically because of concerns about his grief for his friend. Appellant would ask her not to take advantage of his grieving. At one point Monique got angry when he left the house, and she threw glasses against the wall and broke a lamp. She also broke some other things in the bedroom. The incidents occurred probably a few weeks before the June 15 incident. Appellant was not present when she broke these items. Monique stated that she was never scared during their arguments, even though he was larger than she was, because he had never laid a hand on her and she had no reason to think he ever would. Around June 15, she was worried about appellant's infidelity so she mentioned Jack to push his buttons, to upset and provoke him. She stated that she knew that going rollerblading with Jack on June 13 would upset appellant. When she heard on June 15 that he was going to Miami, she just snapped. Referencing events that transpired on June 15, Monique stated that after her argument with appellant in the bedroom, she left the house and walked out the front gate into the parking area. Appellant then spoke to Monique, and she saw appellant walk through the doorway and reach for the shovel, which was up against the wall. She then cursed at him again and started walking up the hill. She heard the glass breaking, but she did not hear the garage door close. She then went to the neighbor's house and called 911, because she was desperate. She needed help, someone to come out and mediate and to take her side. She thought that calling the police would hurt, embarrass, and humiliate appellant. She thought the police would come out and help her resolve her marital status. Monique testified that she believed the telephone operator was not really helpful and cooperative, and that she put words in Monique's mouth, leading her on. When she was asked if appellant had hit her, she felt like she had to say something to get the police to come out and do something. Although she mentioned the gun in the house, she had never seen appellant use the gun against anyone. The reason she answered not today when asked if she had been struck was because she wanted the police to come out, so she went along. She gave the police false information, and she planned to straighten out the matter once they arrived. She told the operator that appellant beat her car, which was not true, out of emotion and a desire to get the police to come out. She stated that before the officers arrived, she attempted to call appellant at their home, but no one answered the telephone. She felt bad, because she realized she had made a mistake in making the 911 call and permitting the operator to manipulate her into making false statements. When the officers arrived, she asked to call appellant, but they refused to allow her to make the call. She told the officers that [t]his is bullshit. This is not about my husband or me. I don't understand why you're doing this. You're not listening to me. She said she did everything she could to tell the officers that the 911 call was false, telling them that she was not a victim and she had lied, but they neither listened nor let her call appellant. The officers belittled her, treating her with disrespect and contempt. Monique testified that the discussions with the officers were very combative, very intimidating and scary. She told the police that she wanted to speak to the supervisor, because nobody was listening to her. At one point Monique began to return to her home, but she was physically restrained by Arellano. Some officers, however, treated her well. Monique stated that, without asking if she consented, an officer led her by her arm to a squad car and placed her inside. Without anyone asking if she wished to go there, she was taken to the police station. At this point Monique felt that she was in custody, and she was simply relieved that her husband was still alive. Monique testified again about her conversation with Gasparian. She stated that the officer initially was very friendly and sympathetic, but then his attitude changed when she told him she had made a false 911 call. Gasparian became irritated and told her she could be facing charges. Gasparian then falsely told Monique that appellant was in another room at the station with his attorney, when appellant was actually there with another person. Gasparian told Monique that appellant was bashing and saying bad things about her, such as that she had been having an affair. At that point Monique decided that a divorce was imminent and she would go along with Gasparian and give him whatever information he needed. She thought appellant had already been charged, the matter was out of her hands, and what she was saying would benefit her in case of a divorce. She wanted to give the appearance that she was a victim of abuse and not have to admit she had made a false 911 call. Monique acknowledged she told Gasparian that appellant had been physically and verbally abusive in the past, but this was not true. She also testified that she made the following statements to Gasparian that were untrue: appellant beat the bed with a cane; appellant said he had to drink to pass out so that he would not kill her and her friend; appellant said he had to pray to God not to kill her and Jack; appellant said he would have broken her neck, had he not promised to stop being physically abusive; she was afraid for her safety and ran away to call the police; appellant choked her in the past; appellant gave her a black eye; and appellant stood over her with a metal spear and asked her if she wanted to live. The next day she went back to the police station for an interview with Detective McNeal. She told him it was bullshit, that what she had done was wrong, but the detective was not interested, ignored her, and blew her off. After the Gasparian interview was concluded, the officers took Monique back to 1851 Sunset Plaza Drive. The police had obtained a protective order, and Monique wanted them to think she was going home to get a few things, because if she actually returned home to stay, she would go to jail for violating the order. She just threw some of her things into a bag, but her true intent was to stay home. After she left and went to the local restaurant, she called the house and spoke with Duane Moody, a family friend who had been at the house. Moody and another person employed with the Ameri-Can program came down to the restaurant. Moody and Monique then went down to the police station. She wanted to tell the police that she wanted the protective order lifted. The officer there was unable to lift the order, but he told her if she went home, the protective order would not be used against her. She went back to her husband that day and has remained with him since. On redirect, Monique stated that she told Gasparian that she gave appellant permission to strike her car. She stated that the first time she publicly stated she gave such permission was on Larry King Live on August 14, 1999, and before that she and appellant had held various press conferences in their home. When asked by the prosecutor if it was correct that she never mentioned allegedly giving appellant permission to strike her Honda on Geraldo Live on July 12, 1999, Monique answered Yes, that's correct. She acknowledged that she had stated on that television show that one of the reasons she had acted as she had that day, was due to premenstrual syndrome (hereafter PMS). Her own counsel elicited further information on her PMS medical ailment, to the effect that she becomes more sensitive and emotional in this condition. She testified that she would take certain vitamins and stay away from certain foods to help this condition, but she was not taking such steps on June 15. At the end of the day's proceedings, the record reflects a discussion regarding appellant's objection to the prosecution's intended evidence on battered woman syndrome, to be introduced through Dr. Sandra Baca. The court overruled the objection at that time. Counsel next discussed possible evidence regarding certain sexual activity involving Monique, appellant, and a third person. The prosecution argued that this evidence was relevant, in that it showed the lengths to which Monique would go to please appellant, and that its probative value was great. The court stated it would have to balance the various facts and rule later. On the next day, the court stated it would allow the prosecution to present evidence that Monique told Gasparian that she engaged in threesome activity at appellant's request.