Confusion for Simpson kids 'far from over' Experts say Sydney, Justin will

  struggle in coming years

  Richard Price; Jonathan T. Lovitt

  02/12/1997

  USA Today

  FINAL

  Page 03A

  (Copyright 1997)

  LOS ANGELES -- The adults all won something. O.J. Simpson won his freedom

  at the criminal trial. The families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman

  won moral victories at the civil trial. Both sides threw parties. Both sipped

  champagne.

  But if experts are right, for the two children caught in the middle of the notorious

  murder case -- 11-year-old Sydney Simpson and her 8-year-old brother, Justin --

  this indescribably bizarre chapter in their lives is far from ending.

  ``The impact is just starting. It's far from over,'' says child psychiatrist Jaye-Jo

  Portanova, who adds, ``I'm sure it's all very confusing.''

  As it would be for anyone. These children live with a father who owes them

  $12.5 million in their mother's death.

  That's what a civil jury ruled. But a criminal jury, which once toured the

  Rockingham estate where the children live, said there wasn't enough evidence to

  prove that he did it.

  There are so many areas of confusion. The children are biracial, and they live in

  a nation divided over their father. Most whites polled say he killed their mother.

  Most blacks polled don't believe it.

  They love their father. They love their maternal grandparents, Lou and Juditha

  Brown. And both Simpson and the Browns adore the kids. Even in his darkest

  hour in the civil case, Simpson would light up when he talked about them.

  ``I've been inside Rockingham. For all those people wondering about what goes

  on inside, O.J. Simpson loves those children and most importantly Sydney and

  Justin love him,'' said Leo Terrell, a lawyer and Simpson's friend.

  The Browns, meanwhile, struggle with losing the children. Every time Juditha

  buys gas, she says she thinks about how excited Justin used to get when he

  pumped it for her.

  So the Browns and Simpson feel the same way about the children but are bitter

  enemies in every other regard. That could spread a lot of confusion, say the

  experts.

  Now their grandfather, Lou, is the executor of their mother's estate, which is

  where Simpson will have to deposit the civil-suit damages. But analysts say their

  father may be entitled to draw from those funds to help support them.

  Another strange feature: Both children, until they're 18, theoretically could sue

  Simpson for causing the wrongful death of their mother.

  If they don't understand all that now, they will. They live at the center of the

  most publicized murder case in history, and they'll be flooded with opinion and

  information as they move through adolescence.

  And there will be more battles. The Browns have 20 years to collect the financial

  judgment; fights over Simpson's assets are inevitable.

  Also, if Simpson appeals the verdict and wins a retrial, the kids could have to

  deal with another big courtroom spectacle.

  And the custody war isn't over. The Browns plan to appeal the judge's decision

  that gave Simpson the children. They'll argue that Judge Nancy Wieben Stock

  was wrong when she didn't admit evidence on whether Simpson killed Nicole. If

  they win, Simpson could wind up defending himself a third time.

  There are angry words, too. Although Simpson has been relatively quiet lately,

  the Browns have been vocal. Nicole's sister, Denise, speaks out against Simpson

  regularly.

  The family thinks Simpson poisons the children's minds privately. They ``get

  most of their information from their father, I'm afraid,'' Lou Brown said this

  week. ``Very little has come from us. We tried to protect the children in every

  way, shape and form.''

  To some degree, the kids also are pawns in a heated policy debate over parental

  rights. On Tuesday, state Rep. Barbara Alby announced she'll introduce a bill

  next week meant to strip Simpson of custody.

  The bill would deny custody to any parent found guilty in criminal court, or

  liable in civil court, of causing the wrongful death of the other parent.

  Gloria Allred, a Brown family friend and the family's former lawyer, persuaded

  Alby to introduce the bill. Allred said the Browns pledged to testify on the bill's

  behalf.

  Analysts say the law is feasible, but it worries some.

  ``If this gets on the books, the judge will have to follow it,'' says family lawyer

  Roslyn Soudry. ``But . . . this is trial by public consensus. The standard should

  be what's best for the children, and only the people closely involved really know

  what's going on.''

  PHOTO,b/w,Fred Prouser,Reuters; PHOTO,b/w,Kevork Djansezian,AP