3.Robert Brannon — Direct/Cross
129 linesROBERT BRANNON, being first duly sworn, testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: Have a seat right up there, sir. Once you're seated, state your full name, spelling the last, please.
ROBERT BRANNON: My name is Robert L. Brannon, B-R-A-N-N-O-N.
DIRECT EXAMINATION By Mr. Madsen:
ROBERT MADSEN: Officer Brannon, where are you employed?
ROBERT BRANNON: Kirkland Correctional.
ROBERT MADSEN: And how -- so you're employed with SCDC?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: How long have you been with SCDC?
ROBERT BRANNON: Approximately, going on 14 years.
ROBERT MADSEN: Out there, they generally don't call you Officer Brannon. What is your nickname there?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir. My nickname is Six Nine.
ROBERT MADSEN: Has to do with your height?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: And you said that you're at Kirkland. What is your job now?
ROBERT BRANNON: My job now, I'm at BMU.
ROBERT MADSEN: What is BMU?
ROBERT BRANNON: BMU is assessment for at risk inmates.
ROBERT MADSEN: In 2014, were you stationed at a different place in Kirkland?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Where was that?
ROBERT BRANNON: Maximum security.
ROBERT MADSEN: Is that MSU?
ROBERT BRANNON: MSU.
ROBERT MADSEN: And that's no longer at Kirkland, is it?
ROBERT BRANNON: It's still there right now.
ROBERT MADSEN: Is it still there right now? And is that the most restrictive housing unit in all of SCDC? MSU.
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Is that generally where the inmates who have gotten in trouble in other areas of SCDC are housed?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: So inmates who have already been sentenced, but have assaulted other inmates or staff or someone like that, they can go to MSU if they qualify?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Tim was not one of those people, he was a safe keeper?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: So he was placed there, I guess, by Lexington County pre-trial?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Is that unusual there?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: And when Tim was placed there, he was on 24 hour surveillance initially, correct?
ROBERT BRANNON: Correct.
ROBERT MADSEN: And so, someone basically sat outside of his cell?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: What shift did you work out there?
ROBERT BRANNON: The day shift.
ROBERT MADSEN: So what does the day shift mean?
ROBERT BRANNON: The day shift is like, we deal with every day activities there.
ROBERT MADSEN: What are your general hours?
ROBERT BRANNON: My general hours are from 6:00 to 6:00.
ROBERT MADSEN: So 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: And as an officer out there at MSU, was being yelled at or assaulted or attempted assault, was that kind of a daily occurrence for you?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Did you ever have any of those problems with Tim?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Was Tim quiet while he was there?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Did he keep to himself?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Generally, was your only interaction with Tim when he asked for either his prescribed medication or his food?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Would Tim come out of his cell other than for the nurse, the doctor or a lawyer visit?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Do you ever remember Tim trying -- Tim ever getting angry or aggressive with you?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Was he always respectful to you?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Was he always compliant with you?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Was he courteous to you?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: As an experienced correctional officer, do you have any concerns about Tim when he is permanently placed in SCDC?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Do you believe that he would be a threat to other inmates or staff?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: Fair to say he was a model inmate while he was there with you?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: That's all the questions I have.
CROSS-EXAMINATION By Mr. Graham:
SHAWN GRAHAM: Good morning, Officer Brannon. How are you?
ROBERT BRANNON: I'm fine.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Did you volunteer to come here today or were you subpoenaed by the Defense?
ROBERT BRANNON: Subpoenaed.
SHAWN GRAHAM: You were subpoenaed. How much time, 2014 to how long, did you spend with Mr. Jones?
ROBERT BRANNON: Say that again. Say that again.
SHAWN GRAHAM: How long, years-wise?
ROBERT BRANNON: About three years.
SHAWN GRAHAM: About three years. You see him daily?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: A safe keeper in MSU, the maximum security unit, they're in a cell by themselves?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: How many hours a day back then in 2014?
ROBERT BRANNON: Back then, 23 out of 24.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Twenty-two out of 24?
ROBERT BRANNON: Twenty-three.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Twenty-three out of 24.
ROBERT BRANNON: They usually go out for one hour of rec.
SHAWN GRAHAM: When he did his hour of the rec, he was by himself?
ROBERT BRANNON: He'd never go out for rec. I was just telling you the average time.
SHAWN GRAHAM: So he never had contact with other inmates?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: When he was brought out of his cell, was he brought out of his cell for rec?
ROBERT BRANNON: No. He never went to it.
SHAWN GRAHAM: He never went to rec. So his hour out of the cell, what did he do?
ROBERT BRANNON: He never came out.
SHAWN GRAHAM: He just stayed in there 24 hours --
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: -- a day, then?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes. Stayed in there 24 hours.
SHAWN GRAHAM: So the only time that he really had contact with guards or staff would be when he was brought out of his cell, then, correct?
ROBERT BRANNON: Correct.
SHAWN GRAHAM: If he was being transported somewhere?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Which was rare, wasn't it?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Were you working the day that he missed his doses of Geodon, and then the attempted suicide?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And you're aware that he didn't like being told what to do and that that's the reason that he didn't get his medication?
ROBERT BRANNON: No. I wasn't aware of that.
SHAWN GRAHAM: The rules at that time though were that you had to back far away from the door to stop inmates from throwing bodily fluids on the techs who were delivering the medicine. Isn't that correct?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Thanks, Officer.
REDIRECT EXAMINATION By Mr. Madsen:
SHAWN GRAHAM: Officer Graham, sadly, the throwing urine and that, I mean, that's sadly a normal occurrence out there at MSU, wasn't it?
ROBERT BRANNON: Yes, sir.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Never had any problems like that with Tim, did you?
ROBERT BRANNON: No, sir.
ROBERT MADSEN: That's all the questions I have.
THE COURT: You may step down.
ROBERT MADSEN: Defense calls Ronald Rogers.