Simpson Trial Grinds to a Halt / Delay Centers on Testimony of Ex-maid
USA TODAY
March 1, 1995, Wednesday, FINAL EDITION
Judge Lance Ito halted the O.J. Simpson trial until Thursday after another explosive battle over alibi witness Rosa Lopez.
Ito first delayed cross-examination of Lopez to give prosecutors time to re-view a taped interview with Lopez that prosecutors say shows she was coached. Then Lopez balked at continuing defense questioning.
“I am very tired,” she said. “I want to go rest, sir. I don’t want any more questions.” She turned and walked away.
Lopez, who testified Monday that she saw Simpson’s white Ford Bronco parked outside his estate on June 12 about the time prosecutors say he killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, has said she wants to return to her native El Salvador to escape publicity.
Ito ordered both sides to meet in his chambers today. The conference is expected to center around two jurors. News reports have said as many as four jurors are in danger of being removed.
Prosecutors initially asked Ito to terminate Lopez’s testimony - which is be-ing videotaped for possible airing to jurors later. But prosecutor Marcia Clark said she would settle for a two-day delay. Ito whittled that down to one day.
Clark’s request followed defense lawyer Carl Douglas’ revelation Monday that he’d mistakenly neglected to share with prosecutors one of Lopez’s two sworn statements.
Douglas later told Ito the defense had turned over all statements and notes from interviews with Lopez, a former maid of Simpson’s neighbor.
But defense investigator Bill Pavelic admitted he had a tape recording of a July interview he conducted with Lopez.
“The court has seen an abuse of its generosity, an abuse of its patience and an abuse of . . . the integrity it afforded the defense,” Clark said. “Their misconduct has become so egregious.”
Defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran argued the prosecution’s “experienced lawyers” don’t need extra time to plan cross-examination of Lopez.
Clark said prosecutors need time to compare Lopez’s statements for inconsistencies.
For example, Lopez testified she saw Simpson’s car shortly after 10 p.m. The defense has repeatedly said she saw Simpson’s car at 10: 15 p.m. Prosecutors say the murders occurred about 10: 15.
Lopez appeared to be choking back sobs when Ito told her to report back Thursday.
“I am very sick, sir. I don’t eat during the day, sir,” Lopez said in Spanish translated by an interpreter. “I’m not sleeping very well, and I’m going to tell you this is not my fault to work close to Mr. Simpson, to have seen and to have heard.”
Also Tuesday, Los Angeles County supervisors voted to ask Ito to support charging media a fee to use the TV feed to help pay for the trial.
Supervisors - facing trial costs already topping $ 2.5 million - also agreed to explore selling videos of the coverage. The decision, they said, could apply to all high-profile cases.
“The county foots the bill,” said Supervisor Michael Antonovich. “This would be one way to compensate taxpayers.”
He says costs might top $ 7 million if the trial lasts until August as expected.
Lawyer Kelli Sager, representing USA TODAY and other organizations, called the plan unconstitutional. Charging fees amounts to censorship, she said. “It’s not the media’s fault that the trial is expensive.”