THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 3, 1995 TAG: 9510030251
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Like virtually everyone else, local attorneys have their opinions about what the speedy O.J. Simpson verdict is - and means. Several weighed in Monday night:
B. Thomas Reed, Norfolk criminal defense attorney - guilty. ``Allan Park (the limo driver) established the prosecution's time line, giving Simpson enough time to commit the crimes and get back to his residence. . . . My guess is the jurors were just looking to confirm that Simpson had enough time to do it.''
Martin Bullock, Portsmouth commonwealth's attorney - not guilty. ``I can't see how, based on the closing arguments, that the jury could come to a guilty decision so rapidly. I think there were some doubts there, and with the verdict coming back as fast as it obviously has, I don't expect it is a good verdict for the prosecution. My experience tells me you never know what a jury is going to do. My prediction was that the jury would be hung. And, obviously, this one is not hung.
Moody E. ``Sonny'' Stallings, Virginia Beach criminal defense attorney - guilty of first-degree murder. ``I have never won a case where my client did not testify. To me, that would be a major factor with the jurors. If you are accused of killing your estranged wife, you have to get on the stand and say you did not do it. I think they made up their minds long before.''
Sheila Drucker, Norfolk criminal defense attorney - not guilty. ``I think it is a case based solely on circumstantial evidence. The defense has done a good job of impeaching prosecution witnesses coupled with the climate in Los Angeles being anti-law enforcement. Conventional wisdom is that if the jury is out a short time, it is guilty. But I don't think that is the case here. As a practical matter, I have never won a case where I haven't put my client on the stand, but we are talking about O.J. Simpson. He's not exactly your average defendant.''
Faye F. Spence, Norfolk criminal defense attorney - guilty of second-degree murder. ``That they came back so quickly is probably a good sign for the prosecution. I think it was the scientific evidence that convinced the jury. .
Andrew M. Sacks, Norfolk criminal defense attorney - not guilty. ``I can't imagine they would reach a guilty verdict in such a short time with so much evidence to consider. More fundamentally, a quick verdict is usually an acquittal. . . . The tension here is to what extent has objective and reasonable deliberation been overcome by emotional and impassioned reaction.''
James O. Broccoletti, Norfolk criminal defense attorney - guilty of first-degree murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and guilty of second-degree murder of Ronald Goldman. ``It is absolutely stunning the speed with which the verdict came in, and it is impossible to tell what they decided. . . . To me the most damning thing for Simpson was his inability to produce the gloves that the prosecution showed him wearing in the videotape.'' by CNB