Simpson trial lacks enthusiasm
By Deborah Hastings
Associated Press
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Bobby Bible, Prophet of Doom, where are you? Some of your ranting, raving friends are here."Melrose" Larry Green, Morris "Big Money Griff" Griffin and a few other alumni from the O.J. Simpson murder trial were back yesterday for the Sequel of the Century, Simpson's wrongful-death trial.Shouting, spitting and pointing - the behavior was vaguely similar. But this day was notably different from Jan. 23, 1995, the day opening statements in the murder case began.
For one thing, the locale was much better. And the population of assorted rabble-rousers was much smaller. Instead of hundreds lining the sidewalk of downtown Los Angeles' grimy Criminal Courts building, fewer than a dozen demonstrators - pretty evenly divided on the question of Simpson's guilt - milled in front of the Santa Monica courthouse.
They were relatively well-behaved, careful not to trample the neatly mowed courthouse lawn two blocks in from the Pacific Ocean.Nowhere in the crowd was Bobby Bible, who favored overalls without shirts and predicted the end of the world day after day at the criminal trial.
Green was there, however, singing and screaming diatribes on Simpson, racism and police brutality. Nothing was too volatile or too obscure for Green, whose sole reason for existence seems to be to get on T.V..
"I'm back!" Green yelled. "Melrose' Larry Green is back! O.J. Simpson is a murderer! O.J. Simpson is a murderer!"
Green also shouted at Simpson when Simpson, dressed in a shimmering suit, arrived with his sister in a black Chevy Suburban. This was in stark contrast to the way he arrived each day for his criminal trial - in a white sheriff's van, wearing handcuffs and a county-issued prison jump suit.
A supporter screamed, "We love you, O.J.!" Simpson looked back and shook his head.
Irma Reed, a resident of South Central Los Angeles and self-proclaimed godmother to Simpson, was also back for the civil case, in which the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are suing for monetary damages.
"O.J. don't have no money," Reed snorted. "This is a joke. I love O.J. Simpson. He's a fine young man, everybody knows that. He's innocent."
Reed, a black woman, was joined by three white women who said that they were too afraid to be identified but that they believe Simpson is innocent.
"I just think it's really time for white people to support O.J.," said one of the three.
But not by name?
"People hassle you too much," she replied.
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