13.Tiarrah Dottin — Direct/Cross
316 linesTIARRAH DOTTIN, duly sworn
COURT CLERK: State your name, spell your first and last name for the record, keep your voice up and speak into the mic so everyone can hear you.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Tiarrah Dottin, T-I-A-R-R-A-H, D-O-T-T-I-N.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: Good afternoon, Ms. Dottin.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Good afternoon.
MR. WATKINS: Where were you born and raised?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Cambridge, Massachusetts.
MR. WATKINS: And does your family live there still?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you go to school in Cambridge?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you go to high school in Cambridge?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And did you go on to college after Cambridge?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Where did you go to college?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: UMass Dartmouth.
MR. WATKINS: I want to go back to growing up in Cambridge. Where did you go to elementary school?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I went to Cambridgeport from kindergarten through fourth grade, and from fifth grade to eighth grade I went to Morse School.
THE COURT: I'm sorry. I'm having difficulty hearing. I think maybe the jury is as well.
BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: If you could speak up, maybe pull the mic just a little bit towards you.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: From kindergarten through fourth grade, I went to Cambridgeport School. From fifth grade to eighth grade, I went to Morse School.
MR. WATKINS: Did you ever encounter the Tsarnaev family while you were growing up?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: When -- who did you first encounter from the Tsarnaev family?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Ailina in elementary school at Morse -- yeah, Morse School.
MR. WATKINS: And when was that? What grade were you in?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I was in fifth grade.
MR. WATKINS: Did you become friends with Ailina Tsarnaev?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And how long did that last for?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: For about a year or two.
MR. WATKINS: Talk a little bit about your friendship with Ailina.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: My cousin was friends with Ailina, and I tagged along with them most of the time and hung out.
MR. WATKINS: Now, was Ailina older or younger than you?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: She was older.
MR. WATKINS: By how many years?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: A year or two. I'm not quite sure.
MR. WATKINS: Back in fifth grade, did you know Jahar Tsarnaev?
MR. WATKINS: When was the first time you met Jahar Tsarnaev?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: In high school.
MR. WATKINS: Where did you go to high school?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.
MR. WATKINS: When during your time at Cambridge Rindge and Latin did you meet Jahar?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Around my freshman year of high school.
MR. WATKINS: And what were the circumstances of meeting him?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I immediately thought he looked like Ailina and asked if he was related to her, and he said he was.
MR. WATKINS: Now, was Jahar in the same grade as you?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And were the two of you both going to school all through high school at Cambridge Rindge and Latin?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: How would you describe your relationship with him during those high school years?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: It was more of an acquaintance. I would see him in the halls, be like a "hi" and "bye" basis.
MR. WATKINS: What about -- did you do after-school sports?
MR. WATKINS: Did you see him on a social basis?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes. I seen him at parties that high school kids threw.
MR. WATKINS: You're going to have to speak up just a little more. And maybe raise that mic up just a hair.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Okay.
MR. WATKINS: You're talking about when you might see Jahar outside of school during your four years?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: So where would you -- what kinds of circumstances would you see him?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: They were at house parties, drinking involved, a lot of people. Just hanging out.
MR. WATKINS: Did you have mutual friends?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you -- were you ever over at the Tsarnaev house during that time?
MR. WATKINS: Was Jahar Tsarnaev over your house during that time?
MR. WATKINS: What did you -- what did you study while you were -- what courses did you like while you were at UMass -- I'm sorry -- at Cambridge Rindge and Latin?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: English classes. That's my main, like, interest, really.
MR. WATKINS: Did you decide you wanted to go to college?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And where did you go to college?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: UMass Dartmouth.
MR. WATKINS: Why did you choose UMass Dartmouth?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: It was the cheapest school that I got into.
MR. WATKINS: Describe your feelings when you first went off to UMass Dartmouth to go to college.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: It was a different environment. Five other kids were going, entering that year as well from Rindge, and it was more -- it made it more comfortable going there, knowing that other people were going.
MR. WATKINS: Was UMass Dartmouth generally a large school, small school? How would you describe it?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: It's a small school.
MR. WATKINS: Were you assigned to a dormitory?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And which dormitory were you assigned to?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Chestnut.
MR. WATKINS: Are all freshmen assigned to dormitories in the same area?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Where was Chestnut in relation to Pine Dale Hall -- or Maple Ridge Hall?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: It was right next to Maple Ridge.
MR. WATKINS: You started to talk about there were other kids from Cambridge Rindge and Latin that also went to UMass Dartmouth?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Was there a particular group that you became close with?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And who was in that group of students that came from Cambridge Rindge and Latin to go on to UMass Dartmouth?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Jamie, Robel, Steve, Jahar and myself.
MR. WATKINS: Do you know Robel's last name?
MR. WATKINS: Do you know Stephen's last name?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes. Yes.
MR. WATKINS: What's Stephen's last name?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Silva.
MR. WATKINS: And Jamie?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Jimenez.
MR. WATKINS: Is Jamie a man or a woman?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: A woman.
MR. WATKINS: And she's a friend of yours also?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: So how was it the five of you became close at UMass Dartmouth?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: We hung out. We watched -- we drank together, we played video games and just mostly talked and hang out together.
MR. WATKINS: Why this group of friends? Why not some other group of friends?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Because we all came from high school, and we knew each other.
MR. WATKINS: Did you sometimes get together on your own just to do things, hang out together?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And where would that happen? Where would you hang out together?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: We would either hang out in Stephen Silva's dorm or Jahar's dorm.
MR. WATKINS: I think you started to -- you have to talk just a little bit louder yet. What kinds of things would you do in the dorm rooms with the five friends?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: We would drink together, play video games, watch TV and just hung out, just chilled together.
MR. WATKINS: Did you have a particular name for these nights when the five of you would get together?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes, I called them "bro nights."
MR. WATKINS: And why did you -- bro nights, B-R-O nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And why did you call them bro nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Because it was more on a friendship basis. It was -- to make it clear that -- like we -- I was one of the boys hanging out.
MR. WATKINS: And why was that important to you to have that kind of relationship?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Because we all came together from the same school and to have that bond together.
MR. WATKINS: And why were those nights important to you? What was it about them that you enjoyed?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I enjoyed just having the people that I knew from Cambridge, the city that we came from, and us being so close together.
MR. WATKINS: Now, did you have a boyfriend at the time?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And where did he live?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: He lived in Cambridge as well.
MR. WATKINS: Was he going to UMass Dartmouth?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And would he -- he was actually attending UMass Dartmouth?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: No. He just came to visit me.
MR. WATKINS: Right. So did these circle of friends also know your boyfriend?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And was that something you appreciated about the bro nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Your Honor, I'd like to show two exhibits, 3291 and 3292.
THE COURT: Is there going to be any objection to these?
MR. WEINREB: Can we see them on the...
MR. WATKINS: That is 3291; that's 3292.
MR. WEINREB: I have no objection to those, your Honor.
THE COURT: All right. We'll admit them, then, if you were going to offer them. I assume you were.
MR. WATKINS: I am offering Exhibit 3291.
THE COURT: All right.
(Defense Exhibit No. 3291 received into evidence.)
BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: Ms. Dottin, on the screen in front of you, do you see a picture that has been admitted as Exhibit 3291?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Can you describe who's -- first of all, is this one of the bro nights you described?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Who is in the picture that we see?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Jahar, Jamie, Robel and Steven.
MR. WATKINS: You can touch the screen. It will make arrows, hopefully. So can you point out Jahar in this picture?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: This is Jahar.
MR. WATKINS: A little harder, maybe?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: (Witness complies.)
MR. WATKINS: And who else, if you can go around?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: This is Jamie, Robel and Stephen.
MR. WATKINS: And can you tell what Robel is doing in that picture?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes, he's playing video games.
MR. WATKINS: Was that a standard staple of the bro nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you like playing video games yourself?
MR. WATKINS: Did you like hanging out the while the boys were playing video games?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: I want to show you now Exhibit 3292. Is that also one of the bro nights that you described?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: This is Stacia (ph) -- oh, I kind of --
MR. WATKINS: Sorry. Let's try that again.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: This is Stacia, Jamie, Jahar, and these are the three men over here; I wasn't sure of their names. Some of our bro nights were joined by other people.
MR. WATKINS: But always the core five of you?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: What's going on in this particular picture?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: The three men on the left are playing video games, Jahar is looking at them, and the two ladies on the right are playing beer pong.
MR. WATKINS: And is this standard operating procedure for bro nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you also -- as part of -- at UMass Dartmouth were there also organized social events into Providence?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes, there was a club night that UMass Dartmouth did every week, and we -- I went to one of the club nights, and the school busses would drive us to Providence and back.
MR. WATKINS: I'd like to show the witness Exhibit 3290. Perhaps just for the witness and counsel.
MR. WATKINS: Do you see in front of you a picture?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Do you need a minute?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Move to admit Exhibit 3290.
THE COURT: Can we have a description of it first?
MR. WATKINS: Oh, I'm sorry.
BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: What is in this picture? Who is in this picture?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Jahar and I.
MR. WATKINS: And do you recall when that was from?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: It was the night of the club night.
MR. WATKINS: Where was that picture taken?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: In Providence, Rhode Island.
MR. WATKINS: I'd move to admit Exhibit 3290.
MR. WEINREB: No objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: All right.
(Defense Exhibit No. 3290 received into evidence.)
BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: And where exactly was this picture taken?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: At Ultra Nightclub in Providence, Rhode Island.
MR. WATKINS: Can you tell us kind of shape you and Jahar were in?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: We had been drinking. It was a fun time. I was excited to see him because I didn't expect him to be there. I didn't know he was going to be there. And so when I seen him, I was like, "Jahar, let's take a picture," and we did.
MR. WATKINS: So did you and your group of friends continue to be close over the freshman year, get together for bro nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you also do other things together?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes. Sometimes Jahar would take us to Target just to grab a few things. Even picked my boyfriend up at the terminal once. And --
MR. WATKINS: Did you have a car down at UMass Dartmouth?
MR. WATKINS: Did Jahar have a car there?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Would he offer, then, to take you places --
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: -- you needed to go?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you know that Jahar was Muslim as his faith?
MR. WATKINS: Did he ever talk about that at all?
MR. WATKINS: Did he try to push any kind of belief system on you?
MR. WATKINS: What about politics? Did the two of you talk about politics in the world?
MR. WATKINS: Did he ever express any kind of anti-American animus?
MR. WATKINS: What kind of words would you use to describe Jahar as you knew him back then?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: He was loyal, fun, laid back, kind of that.
MR. WATKINS: Was he friendly?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: To you?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes. To everybody.
MR. WATKINS: As you -- during the summer of your freshman year, after you went back after your freshman year, did you see Jahar around town?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes, but not as much.
MR. WATKINS: Going back into your sophomore year, did you -- did that same group of friends continue to get together as often?
MR. WATKINS: And why was that?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Everybody was doing their own thing, making new friends. Everybody was just busy with their own lives.
MR. WATKINS: Did you still see Jahar occasionally?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: And what would happen when you would see him during your sophomore year?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I would be excited because I didn't see him as often. I would hug him and ask him how he was doing. It was only for a couple of minutes that we had that encounter.
MR. WATKINS: Even though you'd moved on to other friends, did you still miss the bro nights?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you -- you and Jahar make plans to have more bro nights that sophomore year?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: We tried, but they just didn't work out, didn't end up happening.
MR. WATKINS: So reflecting back now on the Jahar Tsarnaev you knew back then, what you saw of him and his character, what did you think when you came to realize he was one of the Boston Marathon bombers?
MR. WEINREB: Objection.
THE COURT: Sustained.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I was --
THE COURT: No. I'm sorry. The answer won't be given.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Oh, sorry.
MR. WATKINS: Your Honor, this would go to Mr. Tsarnaev's character.
THE COURT: No, I think I've consistently sustained those questions to what individuals thought.
MS. CONRAD: May we be heard, your Honor?
THE COURT: No, I think it's been a consistent ruling.
MS. CONRAD: I understand, but I'd like to be heard.
THE COURT: All right. Afterwards.
MR. WATKINS: I have no further questions of this witness.
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. WEINREB:
MR. WEINREB: Good afternoon, Ms. Dottin.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Good afternoon.
MR. WEINREB: My name is Bill Weinreb. I'm one of the prosecutors in the case. I'd like to ask you a few questions.
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Okay.
MR. WEINREB: When you knew Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in college, would you say that he was basically his own person?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WEINREB: So he knew his own mind?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WEINREB: He wasn't like a follower?
MR. WEINREB: Wasn't easily pushed around?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I never seen him ever being pushed around.
MR. WEINREB: Now, he was an agreeable person. By that I mean, you know, if somebody asked him something, he was inclined to say yes?
MR. WEINREB: Well, if they asked him for a ride, let's say, somewhere --
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes, he would.
MR. WEINREB: But he also knew how to say no?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WEINREB: Mr. Tsarnaev was not a big talker, was he?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: No, but once you got to knew [sic] him, he was.
MR. WEINREB: And you did get to know him?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WEINREB: And, in fact, you were pretty close friends with him?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WEINREB: And would you say that you confided in him and he confided in you?
MR. WEINREB: Because he was not the kind of person who easily confided?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Could you repeat that?
MR. WEINREB: Let me put it another way. So although you were close friends with him, he wasn't the kind of person who felt compelled to always say what was on his mind?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: I don't -- I mean, there was never an occasion where he was angry or like mad about something to disagree with somebody like that.
MR. WEINREB: Okay. But even if it wasn't a disagreement, if he was just talking about what was on his mind, let's say, or what he was feeling about things, would he share those kinds of things with you?
MR. WEINREB: In fact, he was somewhat private. Would you agree?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yes.
MR. WEINREB: All right. For example, did you know that he was watching Anwar al-Awlaki videos on his computer?
MR. WEINREB: No? Did you know that he was listening to jihadi songs and nasheeds on his computer?
MR. WATKINS: I object.
THE COURT: Overruled.
BY MR. WEINREB:
MR. WEINREB: He didn't share that with you?
MR. WEINREB: And to your knowledge, he didn't share it with any of his other friends either?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Not to my knowledge.
MR. WEINREB: That was a part of himself that he kept private from his friends?
TIARRAH DOTTIN: Yeah.
MR. WEINREB: I have no further questions.
MR. WATKINS: Nothing else.
THE COURT: Nothing else?
All right, Ms. Dottin. You may step down.
MS. CONRAD: Your Honor, the defense calls Alexa Guevara. But I think we're going to have the same issue again, so I would like to come to sidebar.
THE COURT: All right. I'll see you.