THE O.J. SIMPSON MURDER TRIAL

UCLA law professor Peter Arenella and Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson regularly offer their take on the Simpson trial. Joining them today is defense attorney Gerald L. Chaleff, who will rotate with other experts as the case moves forward. Today’s topic: Back to the blood.

PETER ARENELLA

On the defense: “The defense kept prosecutors from showing jurors that carpet fibers on the Rockingham glove probably came from O.J.’s Bronco. Had that come in, the defense could have suggested the fibers got there when Fuhrman used it to plant the victims’ blood in the Bronco. But that would have contradicted two defense witnesses, who saw no blood in the Bronco weeks after the murders. Prosecutors are paying a high price for failing to disclose the fiber report.”

On the prosecution: “Been there. Done that. Again! The prosecution used RFLP results to show O.J. and Goldman’s blood in a stain on the Bronco’s console to rebut a defense expert’s conclusion that Gary Sims had misread a prior PCR result. Marcia Clark offered the nurse’s videotape to undermine the defense claim that blood from O.J.’s reference sample was missing. After listening to lawyers hiss at each other all day, this jury might agree with Shakespeare--kill all the lawyers.”

LAURIE LEVENSON

On the defense: “Peter Neufeld thought he had snagged another conspirator. In a day of less-than-fascinating testimony, Neufeld suggested that poor Thano Peratis, an ailing jailhouse nurse, was involved in a coverup. But Neufeld’s tactic may have backfired. By grilling minor witnesses, he detracted from the effective cross of his colleague Barry Scheck. Scheck’s response to new DNA results was to remind jurors of the contamination and conspiracy theories.”

On the prosecution: “A poorer but wiser Clark learned that Judge Ito has lost his patience with lawyers who accuse him of being unfair. Ito also made it crystal-clear he won’t budge from his prior ruling barring prosecutors from presenting key evidence about Bronco fibers. When things finally settled, prosecutors regrouped and returned to the heart of their case--DNA. Latest results show O.J.’s blood mixed with that of victim Ron Goldman.”

GERALD L. CHALEFF

On the defense: “The defense countered the return to blood evidence with their own familiar themes of contamination and conspiracy. With his usual theatrical flair, Scheck reminded the jury of the lack of security around the Bronco and of the fact that some of the blood was recovered two months after the crimes, thus suggesting again police sloppiness and misconduct. Just when we thought we’d seen it all, shades of Watergate, a missing 14 minutes of videotape.”

On the prosecution: “The prosecution returned to its strong point--blood. By using the affable and credible Sims to testify concerning additional DNA tests that corroborate previous test results, the prosecutors once again placed a combination of Simpson’s and Goldman’s blood in the Bronco. Rock Harmon’s direct was effectively simple and to the point. Prosecutors had less success attacking the defense’s missing blood theory with their home movie.”

Compiled by TIM RUTTEN / Los Angeles Times