THE O.J. SIMPSON MURDER TRIAL

UCLA Law School professor Peter Arenella and Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson offer their take on the Simpson trial. Joining them is Georgetown Law professor Paul Rothstein, who will rotate with other experts as the case moves forward. Today’s topic: Dr. Robert Huizenga has a tough day on the stand.

PETER ARENELLA

On the defense: “Why did the defense call Huizenga? Because their forensic experts will suggest a more violent scenario for the murders that make the absence of bruises on O.J.’s body more exonerating than they appear in the coroner’s account. But Huizenga’s concessions were devastating, particularly coming from a witness who likened O.J. to Job.”

On the prosecution: “Intermixing arcane medical detail with exercise videos and re-enactments of the murders, Brian Kelberg converted the defense’s first expert witness into a valuable prosecution resource. Not only was O.J. physically capable of murder, but Huizenga admitted that his hand injuries were consistent with the coroner’s scenario of how O.J. did it.”

LAURIE LEVENSON

On the defense: “Jurors may question whether it was fair to call Huizenga to testify about O.J.’s arthritis and cuts. Neither area is his specialty. He had to admit that O.J. was capable of committing the murders and had more injuries on his left hand than the defense first suggested. While Huizenga commiserated with O.J., it was he who was on the hot seat.”

On the prosecution: “In his now-famous demonstrations, Kelberg had Huizenga show how abrasions on O.J.’s hand may have come from a struggle with Ron Goldman. Kelberg’s most damaging evidence, however, came courtesy of O.J. himself--a videotape showing him exercising. Kelberg raised the question of whether O.J. fooled even his own doctor.”

PAUL ROTHSTEIN

On the defense: “Not a very good day. Huizenga was more helpful to the prosecution than to the defense. He admitted that O.J. could have committed the crimes, the cuts on his finger could have come from a knife, there were more wounds on his hands than previously disclosed, and the wounds were consistent with Goldman fighting back.”

On the prosecution: “Kelberg’s attention to detail paid dividends. He studied photos of O.J.’s hands and revealed wounds we hadn’t known about, blunting arguments that O.J. hadn’t been in a struggle. But Kelberg blundered by bringing out that Huizenga stood up for football players against greedy owners. That made the doctor seem sympathetic.”

Compiled by HENRY WEINSTEIN / Los Angeles Times