Ito Bounces King From the Court : Trial: Will B. King, a persistent gadfly well-known to county supervisors, is ousted without ceremony from Simpson proceedings.

Judge Lance Ito could teach the Orange County Board of Supervisors a thing or two about crowd control.

The world was watching Wednesday as the Los Angeles Superior Court judge interrupted proceedings in the O.J. Simpson double-murder case and set courtroom security guards on the boisterous spectator wearing a garish dress and heavy makeup.

But that was no lady. That was Will B. King, well-known in Orange County government circles as a persistent gadfly who often interrupts the weekly supervisors meetings. Board Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez--in the tradition of board chairs before him--often threatens to have King removed, but no one can recall that drastic step ever being taken.

King’s unceremonious ejection from Ito’s courtroom was the talk of the fifth floor of the Hall of Administration on Wednesday.

“I have heard all over the place that Mr. King has struck again,” said Vasquez, a friend of Ito’s since the two served on the California Criminal Justice Council together. “Now we both have the mutual experience of Mr. King.”

Supervisor William G. Steiner couldn’t resist a small joke.

“Do you think we shouldn’t have given him the bus pass to get up there?” Steiner quipped.

King’s background is murky. He insists Will B. King is his real name, but he’s also used the name William Beckingham. He says he doesn’t have a permanent address and lives in Costa Mesa motels.

When he showed up at the March 28 board meeting wearing a similar ensemble--including a flouncy peach skirt, white fishnet stockings and white pumps--he insisted on being called “Mrs. Will B. King.”

At that meeting, King stuffed his brassiere with oranges, which he yanked from his blouse during a three-minute speech. He told the board members they should think about what he had to say when they ate the oranges.

Like all gadflies, King has his ax to grind. He contends government bureaucracy is to blame for a child custody battle in which he maintains he is embroiled, and he never misses a chance to gripe that the board doesn’t take seriously his ideas to help make Orange County government work better.

And King is no stranger to the courthouse. He has nearly a dozen misdemeanor convictions in Orange County in recent years, ranging from driving offenses to violating court orders, according to court records.

King was sent to jail five times in the past three years, mostly for traffic violations, such as driving with a suspended license, court records show. Five other incidents resulted in fines and several other cases were dismissed, according to the records.

He is rarely without his props. Once he brought supervisors gag glasses that are mirrored on the inside. Good for watching your back, he told the supervisors, adding that they would need to. More typically, though, he carries a plunger--a symbol, he says, of how Orange County is going down the drain.

Anyone who so much as makes eye contact with King is likely to receive a business card espousing his professional background as a lobbyist and car detailer.

King shouts out in the middle of board meetings, and goes out of his way to goad government officials, drawing warnings time and time again to keep his comments to the point and avoid verbal attacks on government officials. He loudly offers those around him a running commentary on the meeting.

Since Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy took office, King has taken to calling him “Pojo,” much to Popejoy’s apparent amusement.

King has tried to run several times as a write-in candidate in local elections. In last November’s Costa Mesa City Council election, he tallied three votes, according to the city clerk.

Costa Mesa Mayor Joe Erickson said the council now has a police officer at every meeting, thanks to King. King asks to speak on every item on the council agenda, often drawing the ire of council members and the audience, Erickson said.

“This is America and people have the right to speak . . . but he’s not contributing,” Erickson said. “He’s a distraction and a delay and a problem for people who come with actual city business.”

Most recently, King has been insisting he knows how the county can save millions of dollars. Unfortunately, he never seems to get around to vocalizing his plans to save the bankrupt county before he uses up his allotted time to razz the board.

Regulars at the supervisors meetings can tell when King is going to be called to the microphone even before Vasquez calls out his name.

The first clue is when Vasquez shakes his head in dismay and says: “Next up, Will B. King. Now I’m warning you, Mr. King. . . .”

Times staff writers Len Hall and Ken Ellingwood contributed to this report.