The Defense Goes On The Attack
SANTA MONICA, Oct. 24 (Noon) -- Plaintiffs attorneys finished their opening statements in the O.J. Simpson civil trial, painting a picture of Simpson becoming more controlling and obsessive during the final months of his relationship with Nicole. Lead defense lawyer Robert Baker began his opening statement, outlining Simpson's alibi and portraying him as an all-American hero. Baker also spent a substantial amount of time attacking Nicole's character.
John Kelly, who represents the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson, took about 30 minutes to finish his opening statement from Wednesday. Focusing on Simpson and Nicole's relationship, Kelly took the jury through the Simpson's attempted reconciliation in May 1993 to their final breakup in May 1994, when, he said, the relationship went "into a freefall." Kelly also further discussed the set of keys to Nicole's Bundy property police confiscated from Simpson after his low-speed chase. Nicole, Kelly said, realized the keys were gone on June 7, 1994 and searched her house for them. Plaintiffs contend that whoever murdered Nicole and Ron Goldman used a key to come in the back gate.
In the defense's opening statement, Baker went into great detail explaining Simpson's whereabouts between 9:35 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. on June 12, 1994. After returning from Mcdonald's with Kato Kaelin, Simpson "fussed around in the kitchen," looked for a particular golf club he wanted to bring to Chicago, hit some golf balls in his yard, read a little bit, and watched some television. Baker also told the jury that Simpson, while in the shower, heard the limousine driver buzzing to get into the gate, but figured he would let himself in. Because, Simpson is a bachelor, Baker told the jury, "he doesn't have anybody who is always there" to account for him.
Baker also began a serious attack on Nicole's character, telling the jury that she aborted a baby she had with a boyfriend and attended wild parties with prostitutes and people she didn't even know. "You'll hear the name Heidi Fleiss, you'll hear about prostitutes, and you'll hear about drugs," Baker said.
In contrast Simpson, Baker told the jury, won the pro football most valuable player award three times, was an all-pro seven times, and was a beloved corporate spokesman. "He never spit in the face of an umpire," Baker said. "He never, ever told a fan he didn't have time to sign an autograph."
Baker continues his opening statement after a lunch break.
Find out about Court TV's coverage of the civil trial, and take a look at the witness lists provided by both sides.
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Documents and Depositions from the Pre-Trial Civil Proceedings
A Look Back at the Criminal Case
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