Unorthodox Advocate Offers His Own Defense : Courts: In opening day of murder retrial, jailhouse attorney scores few points on behalf of his client--himself.

His opening statement to the jury lasted about 30 seconds. He asked one witness if she “hates” him, and prompted another to identify him as the man who threw lye in a woman’s face 14 years ago.

Appearing for the defense Tuesday in Van Nuys Superior Court was Ricardo H. Robinson, defendant and jailhouse lawyer.

But Robinson, the advocate, didn’t score many points for Robinson, the client, during the first day of his murder retrial.

“I wouldn’t want him for my lawyer,” prosecutor Robert L. Cohen said outside the courtroom later.

Robinson is charged with murder, mayhem and related offenses for his alleged role in a plot to disfigure law school student Patricia Worrell. Police and prosecutors say the attack was paid for by her jilted fiance, fellow law student Richard Morton Gilman.

Worrell, a 34-year-old single mother, was studying for a law school exam on the evening of Aug. 14, 1980, when she opened the door of her Sylmar home to the two strangers. Burned and blinded, Worrell died 10 days later when the caustic chemical burned through her esophagus and an artery, causing her to bleed to death, according to testimony.

Gilman and Bobby Ray Savage--the Las Vegas pimp who Gilman paid $750 to disfigure Worrell--are serving prison sentences of 25 years to life for their first-degree murder convictions in the case.

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But Robinson’s conviction was overturned two years ago, after a federal appeals court ruled police took incriminating statements from him after he had demanded a lawyer, but before one was provided. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Robinson’s statements can’t be introduced at the retrial.

“I’m going to try and tell you people the truth today in its rawest form,” Robinson told the jury during his opening statement. “Because it’s the truth, I don’t think Mr. Cohen or this judge will allow me to tell it.”

His remarks drew an objection from prosecutor Cohen, and some legal instructions from Superior Court Judge Michael Harwin about the rules of argument.

Still, Robinson persisted: “The truth is, people, I have spent the last 14 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit.”

When Cohen again objected, Robinson ended his argument, and sat down, saying, “I have nothing further if you won’t let me speak and tell the truth.”

The day’s witnesses included the physicians who treated Worrell; her son, William, who was 13 when his mother died; and a former prostitute who introduced Gilman to Savage.

Jurors cringed at gruesome descriptions of Worrell’s injuries. One doctor testified that the lye continued to burn away her flesh long after she received her initial burns.

And the case nearly ended in a mistrial when a witness mentioned a taboo subject--Robinson’s confession.

Robinson was questioning former prostitute Kim Bricker about her contacts with police as a prosecution witness. One of his questions prompted her to blurt out that police “played me a tape of you confessing,” while she was in custody in 1980.

Bricker, testifying under immunity from prosecution for her role in the scheme, said she introduced Gilman to Savage after meeting him in a Las Vegas hotel bar. After they had sex, Bricker said, Gilman asked if she knew anybody who could “beat up” his girlfriend.

In response to a question from Robinson, Bricker said she recalled conversations between Savage and Robinson “that you were going to Los Angeles to work over Gilman’s girlfriend.” She testified that Robinson had told her he traded methamphetamine (“speed”) for the rental car they used.

“Kim,” Robinson asked, “Do you know who threw the lye at Miss Worrell?”

“I don’t know which one of you did,” she said. “All I know is one knocked, one threw.”

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Worrell’s son, William, 27, currently in a prison drug rehabilitation program, testified that his mother told him “on her deathbed” that a black man threw the lye.

“Mr. Worrell, do you know who threw that stuff at your mother?” asked Robinson.

“In my heart, yes I do,” Worrell replied.

“Who was that, sir?” Robinson asked.

“Are you Mr. Robinson?”

“Yes,” Robinson said.

“Then I believe it was you,” Worrell said.

“I would like to apologize for the loss of your mother’s life,” said Robinson, adding that police “lied” about his involvement.