She described the house, the roses, the approach, and the officer's demand for identification. She explained that she had tried to ask what suspicion justified the encounter, that her neighbor had confirmed her residence, and that the officer rejected the information. She recounted his threats and insults without changing her tone, though several jurors visibly reacted when she quoted his statements about her house and occupation.
"What happened when you reached toward your back pocket?" Williams asked.
"I told him what I intended to do. I shifted my foot and tripped on the hose. A little water splashed onto his uniform. I apologized immediately."
"Did you intentionally spray him?"
"No."
"What happened next?"
Simone looked at the screen, now paused on the image of Whitmore picking up the hose. She had prepared herself for this question with Gloria and with a trauma counselor, but preparation did not remove the memory. "He turned the nozzle toward me and opened it. I tried to shield my face. I fell back, and he continued spraying while I was on the ground."
Williams gave her a moment. "Were you afraid?"
"Yes. Very much."
"Did you believe you could simply walk away?"
"No. He had threatened to detain me and had kept his hand near his weapon. I didn't know what he would do if I stood suddenly or ran."
She heard movement behind her and kept her eyes on the prosecutor. He asked whether she had shown her federal credentials before the assault. She said no. Then he asked why she had not immediately announced that she was a judge.
"Because I didn't think it should be necessary," Simone answered. "I had already told him I lived there. My neighbor had confirmed it. The law doesn't recognize a special category of people who deserve not to be assaulted only after proving they hold office."
Brennan began cross-examination politely. He asked about her training in law, her familiarity with police procedure, and whether she understood that officers sometimes faced uncertainty in the field. She answered yes to each question. He asked whether she had been frustrated with Whitmore, and she agreed that she had been.
"You challenged his authority, didn't you?" he asked.
"I asked him to explain the legal basis of what he was doing."
"You refused to show identification."
"I questioned whether I was legally required to show it under those circumstances. I later told him I would retrieve it."
"And you got water on his uniform first."
"Accidentally. The recordings show the stumble."
Brennan moved closer to the podium. "As a federal judge, you have extraordinary influence. Would you agree that an ordinary person might feel intimidated when you tell them they've made the worst mistake of their career?"
"I said that after he assaulted me. I did not use my office to threaten him with a sentence or investigation. I described the consequences I believed would follow once the evidence was reviewed."
"But you knew people would take your complaint seriously."