What was Judge Ito talking about?

Factual Questions
1

Kinda ancient history, but…

…during the OJ Simpson trial…Judge Ito made an off-hand remark about Jessica Simpson’s telephone speed-dial list. The speed-dial list was being entered into evidence and when one of the attorneys said something about one of the numbers being “interesting”…the judge countered with something like, “I’m more interested in why a certain number is NOT on this list.”

Obviously there was a number he (Ito) thought should have been on speed dial, but wasn’t.

The matter was dropped immediately…and I’ve never seen it mentioned by anybody since.

I intially speculated that it might be the local police number…but 911 is so easy to punch, using a speed dial code might actually take longer.

I’ve never seen anyone mention this in a column…nor have I ever seen an interview with Ito that explained what he meant by the remark. And I’ve wondered about it ever since.

Any chance anyone else has read something about it.

Or can Cecil get an interview with Ito and ask the question?

2

Was Nick Lache and Tony Romo on it?

I think you mean Nicole Brown Simpson.

3

I guess he meant 911 but maybe he meant her sister’s number or her parents.

4

Maybe OJ’s number wasn’t on the list.

5

Ronald Goldman, maybe?

6

Ya know…now that I think about it…maybe Nicole Simpson was the one I had in mind.

Sounded wrong to me when I wrote it…but I didn’t want to check because I just knew her name was Jessica.

Damn…already made my mistake this year…and it is only February.

7

Jessica Simpson was an unknown 15 year old at the time of the trial. She didn’t become known until 99.

8

Yeah, using “Jessica” instead of “Nichole” was a major screw up.

But if there is an answer for the question…I’d love to hear it.

9

I would think Ron Goldman is the answer. If they were dating, as some people speculated, she would have his number on speed dial.

10

That’s crazy, she still isn’t that old.

11

Could be…and that makes lots of sense now that I think about it.

Not sure if his was or was not on the list.

But the remark was such a strange one…I cannot help but wonder why nobody has questioned him about it? (Or if someone has and I simply have not seen what was reported on it.)

Interesting comment by a judge.

Thanks everyone who responded. If any of you ever hear anything about this…lemme know.

12

I never heard she was dating Goldman , did that come out during the trial?

Obviously it was assumed that OJ thought they were dating and that’s why he got mad and killed them.

13

Do we have a video or audio of his remark?

14

I may be off base here, but I’ve always assumed (or remembered) that Goldman was just returning to the Simpsons’ house to return an item (eyeglasses, maybe?) that Nicole had left at the restaurant where he was a waiter, and that he was (implied to be?) gay. Do either of these ideas resonate with anyone, or are they misformed ideas I’ve gotten a hold of?

15

I’m relatively sure the eyeglasses at the restaurant thing was in Fuhrman’s book, though I don’t recall the insinuation that Goldman was gay.

16

There was a great article in the New Yorker about the trial around that time. It talked about many things that were not brought up at trial owing to both sides thinking it would be prejudicial to their own side. These included: Nichole dating Ron Goldman (could make her look like a loose tramp, gives OJ a motive), cocaine use/buying (I forgot whose now) OJ’s near- illiterate handwritten letters (made him look like an uneducated thug), and much more that has faded from memory. I’ve not read any of the books on it, but surely some of them must talk about these things.