Simpson must hand over key videotape in civil trial

Custody battle over children put on hold

In this story:

• Custody fight delayed
• Jury selection
• Related sites and stories

SANTA MONICA, California (CNN) -- O.J. Simpson must hand over a videotape recorded inside his house after the stabbing deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, the judge presiding over Simpson's civil trial said Thursday.

The videotape, recorded June 28, 1994, by the son of Simpson's administrative assistant could provide clues about the whereabouts of a knife Simpson purchased from Ross Cutlery shortly before the killings, plaintiff attorney Daniel Petrocelli said.

"We believe that videotape will disclose whether that knife was in the possession of his residence," said Petrocelli, the lawyer for the Goldman family.

They and the Browns have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against Simpson -- the reason for the civil trial. The killings took place June 12, 1994, and Simpson was cleared of the murders last year.

Simpson has said the knife was in a medicine chest and police simply failed to find it during a search that day. The knife, in a yellow envelope, was turned over to the court during Simpson's preliminary criminal hearing in the summer of 1994.

Tests on the knife have shown no sign of blood, and criminal prosecutors never introduced it as evidence.

Petrocelli suggested that police didn't find the knife because Simpson may have hidden it -- something he hopes to prove with the videotape.

Custody fight delayed

Meanwhile, in a separate courtroom, the custody battle for Simpson's two youngest children, whom he had with Nicole, was put on hold until a November 4 trial on permanent custody. That will allow Simpson to attend the civil trial that began this week.

The children, Sydney, 10, and Justin, 8, are staying with Nicole's parents, Louis and Juditha Brown.

An Orange County Family Court commissioner stopped the custody hearing after the Browns argued that it made no sense to proceed, because the trial over permanent custody was only two months away.

Jury selection

In the Santa Monica courtroom where the civil trial is being held, jury selection continued Thursday. Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki, who suggested he wanted to get to testimony next month, is deciding what hardships are enough to get prospective jurors excused from duty.

Back surgery, pregnancy and a lemon car were among the excuses he shot down.

"I have gout," one man told the judge.

"I have gout too," countered Fujisaki, who rejected only the most severe hardship as excuses.

Several prospective jurors were excused, including students and those who could prove that serving on the jury would inflict financial hardship.

CNN Correspondent Greg Lamotte and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

• Judge has no-excuses attitude in picking Simpson jurors September 18, 1996
• Simpson civil trial convenes Tuesday - September 16, 1996
• O.J. Simpson scheduled to appear in two courts - September 12, 1996
• Simpson judge gets tough at civil trial - September 4,1996
• Media challenge gag order on Simpson civil trial - August 31, 1996
• O.J. Simpson rips media at D.C. appearance - August 29, 1996

Related sites:

• CNN Interactive's O.J. Simpson main page
• Simpson Court Transcripts

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