THE O.J. SIMPSON MURDER TRIAL

UCLA law professor Peter Arenella and Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson offer their take on the Simpson trial. Joining them is Los Angeles defense lawyer Albert DeBlanc Jr., who will rotate with other experts as the case moves forward. Today’s topic: Testimony of LAPD Detective Tom Lange, one of the lead investigators in the Simpson case.

PETER ARENELLA

On the prosecution: “Marcia Clark used Lange to insist that the crime scene had been handled competently and that the trip by four detectives to Simpson’s house was a courtesy and not the first step in an investigation to implicate O.J. Clark also began to explain the prosecution’s theory of how one assailant could have killed two people. According to Lange, the absence of blood on Nicole’s bare feet suggested she was attacked first before Goldman arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

On the defense: “In 10 minutes of cross-examination, Cochran reminded jurors that the belated contacting of the coroner’s office prevented narrowing the time of death in a way that might have ruled Simpson out as a suspect. He also emphasized the tiny area in which Goldman fought for his life to suggest that his assailant must have been bruised during the struggle. Cochran will certainly remind jurors that photos of Simpson taken the day after the murders showed no bruises.”

LAURIE LEVENSON

On the prosecution: “The prosecution has to solve the crime for this jury. The way they are doing it is showing them the methods Lange used and how step by step the police build their evidence. That keeps the jurors thinking and makes them start to put the pieces together the way the police did. The open questions almost seem natural because that’s the way they initially appear to the police.”

On the defense: “Cochran managed to hit two defense themes--the police waited too long to call the coroner and police officers might have contaminated or disrupted the crime scene. Because Lange admitted that one reason he went to O.J.’s house was to question him, Cochran also may later ask the detective whether he really thought O.J. was a suspect and what the officers’ real motives were in going over the fence before a warrant was issued.”

ALBERT DEBLANC JR.

On the prosecution: “Marcia Clark has done fairly well at establishing that the crime scene was not compromised, contaminated or corrupted as suggested by the defense. In this phase, prosecutors are presenting hard, phsyical evidence, preparatory to linking Simpson to the crime through experts who will analyze blood samples and other evidence. Lange appears to be a credible witness, the old ‘Dragnet’ ‘just the facts’ type.”

On the defense: “Cochran started his cross-examination with a good punch. He brought out the fact that Goldman was in a fight. If that is the case, then how come O.J. Simpson had no bruises on his body, when he was stripped to his shorts and photographed, the day after the murders. To our knowledge, his only injury was a cut on the middle finger of his left hand.”

Compiled by HENRY WEINSTEIN / Los Angeles Times