THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 12, 1994 TAG: 9408120617
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
O.J. Simpson's lawyers will have to do a better job at staying on their toes.
In a mock trial Thursday at the Southside Boys and Girls Club, O.J. Simpson's 13-year-old attorney had a hard time staying on her feet.
Stacey Russell teetered precariously in her 2 1/2-inch black patent leather heels. Placing a hand on her hip, she began a cross-examination of O.J.'s ``chauffeur.''
``Did you get fired from your last job for being drunk on the job?'' Russell asked.
The chauffeur looked at Russell, then turned begging eyes to Chris Conyers, 14, who served as the chief prosecutor.
``Aren't you going to object?'' the chauffeur asked through tight-lips.
``Oh, yea,'' Conyers said. ``I object, objection!''
``On what grounds?'' the judge asked, rolling the wooden gavel around on the table.
``He is not on trial here. Mr. Simpson is.''
About a dozen teenagers have spent the past four weeks studying court procedure and details of the double murder case. They've watched the preliminary hearings, read newspaper accounts and gleaned details of the case of the former football star.
Simpson is charged with murder in the June 12 stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, 35, and her friend, Ronald Lyle Goldman, 25. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set to begin Sept. 19.
On Thursday, the teenagers welcomed the chance to issue their brand of juvenile justice in the case.
Twelve jurors - mostly girls in short shorts and T-shirts - found Simpson not guilty after five minutes of deliberation.
``She had too many boyfriends; one of them probably did it,'' said the jury foreman, Jenita Harris.
``I don't think he did it.''
Before the trial opened, Russell said, ``I think it's a good experience because there are a lot of people who think he's guilty. But this is from a kid's point of view. We can settle this in our court, from our point of view.''
``Robert Shapiro's'' counterpart, better known as Vanita Brown, 13, added her comments vehemently: ``Not an adult's point-of-view.''
The trial was the idea of teen coordinator Jim Almond who said he had listened day after day to the youngsters rehashing the news.
``I'm very interested in O.J. and I'd hear the kids talk about it, but they were listening to their parents and what the media were saying,'' Almond said.
Almond didn't have a hard time getting recruits to play the roles.
Conyers, sitting poised with his brief case on his lap before the trial, jumped at being the lead prosecutor.
``I want to fry O.J. I believe he did it,'' Conyers said.
Jermar Robinson, 14, volunteered to be the star of the case.
Robinson spent the last few minutes before the trial started trying to remember his lines and checking his demeanor.
``What? I'm supposed to look depressed?'' he asked.
He slouched quickly and started pulling at the knees of his dark pants, until they hung loose and baggy. ``How's this?''
The trial began promptly at 2 p.m. in a room packed with about 50 youngsters.
Dominique Fitchett, the 12-year-old bailiff, swore in the first witness and pronounced the performing arts room the Los Angeles Memorial Courtroom.
The jury heard a litany of witnesses - a knife salesman, the chauffeur, the groundskeeper, who admitted he liked Nicole Simpson's daughter, and a forensic specialist, who said the blood samples were incomplete.
``O.J.'' took the stand in his own defense, saying how much he loved his former wife and how he wished he could find the killer.
``Did you ever tell her you would kill her?,'' Conyers asked.
``I did, but I didn't mean it. I would never do anything to hurt her,'' Robinson said, lowering his eyes and his voice.
``Al Cowlings'' was there to testify to his best friend's good character, and one of L.A.'s finest broke under pressure.
``Would you consider what you did an illegal search,'' Brown asked, popping her gum.
``Yes, I guess you could say that.''
When the verdict was read, the crowd erupted with even some of the state's witnesses whooping with glee.
``O.J.'' was almost knocked out of his seat.
As the crowd filtered out, Conyers picked up his briefcase and brushed past the defendant.
``Get out of my way, O.J.,'' he said.
``O.J.'' laughed with the sweetness of freedom. ``Just leave me alone.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Greg Williams, a prosecutor, makes a point at the mock trial of O.J.
Simpson Thursday at the Southside Boys and Girls Club.
by CNB