Simpson jury asks for test tube photo

  Jonathan T. Lovitt ; Richard Price

  01/30/1997

  USA Today

  FINAL

  Page 03A

  (Copyright 1997)

  SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Jurors in the O.J. Simpson civil trial chalked up

  their eighth hour of deliberations Wednesday, more than doubling the time it

  took the jury to reach a verdict in Simpson's criminal case 16 months ago.

  The seven women and five men are to resume deliberations today at 8:30 a.m.

  PT.

  Working in a windowless room measuring 15 feet by 25 feet, their only contact

  with court authorities Wednesday was a noon-hour request for a magnifying

  glass and a picture of a test tube like one used by police to store Simpson's

  blood.

  Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki provided the magnifying glass. But he reminded jurors

  that a test tube was among the 700 pieces of evidence stored in cabinets in their

  deliberation room.

  The test tube was significant during the trial because Simpson's defense argued

  that blood from the tube was planted at the crime scene by police.

  A magnifying lens like the one jurors requested was used during the trial to

  examine photographs of Simpson wearing size-12 Bruno Magli shoes. He had

  denied ever wearing or owning such shoes, which matched those that left bloody

  footprints at the scene where Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson died.

  The only other courtroom development Wednesday was a hearing in Fujisaki's

  chambers. The plaintiffs -- the families of the victims -- argued that Simpson had

  failed to meet a court order to turn over extensive financial documents.

  Fujisaki ordered Simpson to produce the material.

  The jurors must vote on eight questions, including whether Simpson caused the

  death of Goldman and ``committed battery'' against Nicole Simpson. If they hold

  Simpson liable, they also must set compensatory damages.

  Only nine votes are needed for a verdict. The same nine jurors needn't agree on

  each question.

  Jurors are not sequestered. They work 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with 90-minute

  lunch breaks and 15-minute coffee breaks at their discretion.

  Their furnishings consist of two rectangular tables, 12 padded blue chairs, filing

  cabinets and a green chalkboard. No reference materials are allowed in the room.

  Lunch is catered. The four remaining alternate jurors, who spend most of their

  time in a sealed-off lounge, join the regular panel for lunch, but no talk of the

  case is allowed. If a juror has to be replaced, deliberations will start over.

  When jurors have a request of the judge, they buzz him once. If and when they

  reach a verdict, they'll buzz him twice.

  The same system was used at the criminal trial, where jurors shocked the world

  by buzzing the judge less than four hours after they took the case.

  PHOTO,color,AP