THE O.J. SIMPSON MURDER TRIAL : Marcia Clark’s Custody Case Stirs Opinions, Emotions

Among a sampling of Los Angeles corporate workers, sympathies tended toward Marcia Clark in her child custody troubles, while the buzz on talk radio was more mixed Thursday.

Clark, lead prosecutor in the O. J. Simpson double murder trial, is engaged in a custody dispute with her estranged husband, Gordon Clark, over the future of their two young sons. Both parents are seeking custody of the boys, who now live with their mother.

In papers filed this week in their divorce case, Gordon Clark argues that their children are suffering because her grueling work schedule in the Simpson trial leaves her little time with the boys, ages 3 and 5.

“There is absolutely no reason why the children should not be with me instead of continually being with baby-sitters,” he says in a declaration, maintaining that his wife has consistently rejected his requests to spend more time with the children.

Attorney Elisa Martinez, who is married to a physician and has two young children, has some misgivings about his argument.

“For years men have worked long, long hours,” Martinez said during her lunch break. “My husband works tremendous hours and if we were separated or divorced, I don’t think I would try to use that against him. So it seems a little underhanded to me.

“The reality,” Martinez added, “is for (Marcia Clark) to succeed in the legal profession, especially in a trial--she just can’t say I have to go home now.”

Attorney Beth Dorris, also married with two children, expressed outrage that the prosecutor’s work schedule had become an issue in the custody fight.

“How long the parent works has very little to do with how the parent is connecting to the child,” Dorris said. “It has a lot more to do with what you do when you’re there than how long you’re with them.”

Another attorney, who declined to identify himself, said: “It’s a difficult situation. The interests of the children should be primary, but it’s kind of rotten for someone to take advantage.” Although the lawyer’s wife quit her job a number of years ago to stay home with their four children, he said it is possible to successfully meet the demands of career and parenthood.

“Marcia Clark is doing it . . .,” he said. “That’s a pretty phenomenal job she’s doing--keeping the kids clothed and fed and loved and taking care of the trial.”

Marilyn, a part-time health care consultant who would not give her full name, tried to juggle a full-time job after her son was born and found it impossible.

“No matter how much you try to make it work, you still feel guilty that you can’t give your child enough time,” said Marilyn, whose attorney husband works 80 to 100 hours a week.

She voiced mixed feelings about the Clark case. “I did feel it was important for a parent to be there” with the children, she said. “However, if I was divorced and I had to work, I’d be horrified if that were used against me. . . . Do I think Marcia Clark is a bad mother because she works so many hours? No way.”

At an Irvine health care management company, Bonnie Teeter said women workers were so mad at Gordon Clark’s custody demands that they wanted to start wearing Marcia Clark buttons in support of the prosecutor.

Some callers to radio talk shows suggested that Clark should give temporary custody of the children to her husband until the trial is over.

A caller to KFI’s John and Ken show urged her to get out of the case for her boys’ sake. “She should pull out of that case and get into a more low-profile case so she won’t have to buy those clothes and can spend time with her kids,” said a caller named Ernie.

He was referring in part to a court filing by Marcia Clark that said she needed more financial support from her husband because of rising child-care costs and the expense of dressing for the nationally televised trial. She makes $96,829 annually, nearly twice as much as her husband.

On Bill Handel’s morning show on KFI radio, callers shared many of the same thoughts.

“The general consensus is that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” Handel said. “Marcia can’t expect things to go both ways. If things were reversed, the judge would have taken like six seconds to turn the kids over to her.

“Most of my callers seemed upset with the system in general,” Handel added. “They think it’s bias against men when they seek custody.”

Overall, the callers sympathized with Clark, but many suggested that asking her husband for more money was inappropriate.

Reacting to Thursday’s story in The Times about the custody battle, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti asked the press to refrain from delving into the private lives of his attorneys.

“You place Marcia and other prosecutors in just a horrible situation,” Garcetti said. “It’s not fair.”