Notebook Lands Attorney in Hot Seat : Probe: Newport Beach police say he may have misled them when he retrieved item found in truck stolen from O.J. Simpson’s girlfriend.

The notebook could have been John Stewart’s slice of the O.J. Simpson drama.

Instead, it has mired the Orange lawyer in his own.

Newport Beach police said Friday that they are investigating whether Stewart misled them when he retrieved a notebook reportedly found in the stolen truck belonging to O.J. Simpson’s girlfriend.

The white, ruled notebook was among the items police impounded from Paula Barbieri’s stolen Toyota truck on Jan. 31 after the arrest of William Wasz, 31, of North Hollywood. Wasz pleaded guilty to armed robbery and theft and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

That was all before the Simpson case.

The Simpson publicity made Wasz remember the notebook--which news reports have said includes a log of Nicole Brown Simpson’s schedule last winter--and consider its news value, Stewart said. Wasz hired Stewart this month to help sell his story to the world--for cash.

One of Stewart’s first acts was to retrieve his new client’s belongings from the police on July 12. There, along with a bagful of clothing, was a notebook. Wasz identified it the next day as the one he remembered, and Stewart handed it over to Los Angeles police on Monday.

But Newport Beach police said they would have kept the notebook as evidence if Stewart had told them about a possible link to the Simpson case. A spokesman also said Stewart had no right to retrieve Wasz’s belongings, since he was not the defense attorney during the robbery case.

“He had that knowledge and never said anything,” said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Andy Gonis. “He misled us when he stated he was the attorney of record and when he claimed to be retrieving his client’s personal belongings.”

And police said Stewart tried to sell the notebook’s contents to the media before handing it over to Los Angeles investigators--a charge the lawyer denies.

Gonis said the investigation could result in criminal charges against Stewart or in a complaint to the State Bar of California, which reviews attorney conduct.

“We believe at the very least his conduct was inappropriate,” Gonis said.

Stewart said he was acting as Wasz’s attorney when he picked up the belongings.

He said he gave the notebook to authorities as soon as he determined its possible link to the Simpson murder case. While he acknowledged copying the notebook, Stewart denied trying to sell it.

“I never tried to sell the notebook,” Stewart said Friday. “But I was trying to see if there was value to the story.”

He refused to say what was in the note pad.

“It’s interesting,” he said. “If it’s legit, it’s interesting.”

Stewart is no stranger to controversy. A Christian activist who once hosted a religious radio talk show, he helped represent Jessica Hahn, a former church secretary who accused televangelist Jim Bakker of coercing her into having sex with him, six years ago.

On Friday, Stewart said he and Wasz, who is currently living at the Orange County Jail, have decided to give up selling Wasz’s story.

“We thought, this is too aggravating and not worth it,” Stewart said. “Time for me to move on and get back to my law practice and get out from in front of the cameras.”