Green Bay Press-Gazette from Green Bay, Wisconsin • Page 4

A-4 Wednesday, October 4, 1995 Green Bay Press-Gazette rtfs 'V' Area blacks hope for police reform across the nation 1 'i ICQ- i i-. i.i "This (verdict) is going to allow abuse to go on." Taylor Puts pressure on everyone' McKenzie 'Education' for country I continue to wonder if the facts were obscured by other issues brought into this trial." "I thought he was innocent. I didn't think he was guilty from the very beginning." Cheri Buhr "I think the jury had its minds made up ahead of time. I think they had it all measured up." Christine Connolly Kim May Jerry Schaefer Stunned silence, raw emotion Acquittal shocks Green Bay lunchers By Jeff Kleinhuizen Press-Gazette Local African-Americans hope the O.J. Simpson trial will lead to reforms in police departments nationwide.

They also said false testimony by Detective Mark Fuhrman and mistrust of the Los Angeles Police Department helped create a reasonable doubt in the jury. June McKenzie, a Green Bay lawyer, said the trial, including racist comments made on tape by Fuhrman, already has made juries more skeptical of police actions. McKenzie hopes that will lead to more professional police conduct. "I think it's a good education for the country as a whole," she said. "This is not a condemnation of every police officer.

"But as an African-American, the officer in blue wasn't necessarily my friend and the person I ran to. White America has for the most time lived with that image. Now they're saying, 'Wait a After the verdict, McKenzie said one television reporter in Los Angeles overheard an African-American saying, "Now the white folks are really going to get us." "To be honest, that crossed my mind, but my faith said cooler minds will prevail." she said. McKenzie said she was surprised the jury had the courage to acquit Simpson. "There was a mountain of evidence, but there was reasonable doubt concerning the possibility that the evidence could have been planted," she said.

Robert. Crawley, 23, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student, said race did not play a big part in the verdict, but that a guilty verdict could have trig- gered a riot. Crawley, who plans to join the Milwaukee Police Department in December, said he hoped the trial would push police departments to offer more training on race relations and hire more minority officers. Crawley said he believed Simpson was innocent because he didn't think Simpson had enough time to kill, rush home, shower and catch a plane the night of the murders. "Maybe I'm just trying to stick with him.

but there was a reasonable doubt." he said. Vernon Taylor, a member of Green Bay's Coalition to Promote Respect, said the trial would "put more pressure on everyone police departments, community leaders to deal with the mistrust that people of color have for law- enforcement." Taylor said departments should screen officer candidates more carefully with psychological and behaviorial profiles. "California created its own problem with the LAPD." Taylor said, adding that he expects legal appeals in cases that involved Fuhrman and Detective Philip Vannatter. He also said the Simpson case underscored how wealth dictates the quality of a defendant's legal defense. By Don Langenkamp Press-Gazette At one minute before noon Tuesday, food was the last thing on the minds of Gipper's patrons in a packed barroom and restaurant.

Guilty or not guilty? It was the loudest unspoken question never heard. It screamed for an answer in a funereal hush as the camera focused on a tense O.J. Simpson waiting for his life-bending fate. "The only time it's this quiet in here is after 2 a.m.," muttered Pat Quinn, co-owner of the University Avenue sports bar and restaurant. Like everywhere else in Green Bay, in the area, across the nation, people sucked in one last breath and braced for the conclusion of the courtroom drama of the ages.

Seconds later, disgusted moans, a curse, a shriek and a smattering of applause filled the void of silence. 1 The verdict was in; the emotion poured forth. If there was a pecking order for emotions inside Gipper's in front of 31 TV monitors, it might be this: diet in a case like this?" And from Tina Palubicki, Seymour: "I think the comment was made after the verdict that if the Los Angeles Police Department had done its job, the verdict would' ve been different." Resignation? "I think the jury had its minds made up ahead of time," said Christine Connolly, Green Bay. "I think they had it all measured up." Realism? "There was reasonable doubt," said John Tankersley, Cincinnati. "I thirik he's guilty, but they showedireasonable doubt." Joy? "I thought he was innocent- I didn't think he was guilty from the very beginning," said Cheri Buhr, Green Bay.

"I thought they'd return a not-guilty verdict." Gipper's quickly emptied of people and emotion. Lunch-hour customers paid their checks, packed up their personal beliefs and headed back to their jobs. Verdict in: case closed. It was time to get on with the business of life. Anger, shock, disgust, resignation, stark realism, joy.

Anger? Some were too angry to respond to the what-do-you-think question. "I'm so angry I just can't talk about it right now," said one man. And he wasn't alone. Anger? "I got up at 6 this morning and listened to all the experts," said Lori Hardesty, Green Bay, her lip quivering in indignation. "And now he's not guilty? I can't believe he's not guilty.

This ruined my day and it's not because he's black." Her companion, Kim May, Green Bay, said the verdict opened the door for unchecked spousal abuse. "This (verdict) is going to allow abuse to go on," she said. "It couldn't have been worse for (women). You tell me: Can they find anyone else who did it? Who did it?" Shock? Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Paul Rudzinski, who lives in AHouez, fell into the shocked category. "Absolutely, I was shocked.

I thought they'd say he was guilty." he said. "But I don't think it was a racial issue with the jury. They still came to a unanimous decision." And Jerry Schaefer, Green Bay. said: "I'm very surprised. You have to respect the jury's decision, but I continue to wonder if the facts were obscured by other issues brought into' this trial that had nothing to do with the fact that two people were murdered." Disgust? "I think he did it, and I think the jury didn't deliberate at all," said Doug Englebergt, Green Bay.

"I thought when all (the jury) wanted to hear was the evidence about the limo, that would put them over the edge," said Jerry Jaskowiak, Minneapolis. More disgust? "It shows how messed up the court system is." said Mike Zad-dack, New London. thought he was guilty as sin. How can a jury spend three or four hours on a ver- Verdict brings Madison to a halt Monfils trial recesses just in time for verdict "They could pass a transportation budget today and nobody would even know It." Ed Huck, Wisconsin Alliance of Cities By Scott Hildebrand Press-Gazette watfkee Brewers stadium. Important issue.

State transportation budget. Important issue. But when noon approached on a busier-than-usual day at the Capitol on Tuesday, these and other issues took a back seat to the O.J. Simpson verdict. Gov.

Tommy Thompson's staff crowded around television sets in the governor's office. There was a similar scene across the hall in Attorney General Jim Doyle's office. Seven of 32 senators were conspicuous by their absence from a vote in the Senate shortly after noon. Moments after Assembly Republicans convened in a closed caucus, Rep. Steve Freese, R-Dod-geville.

announced the verdict to his colleagues. "There was unanimous dejec- dict come in. But Keane said the governor did not watch the reading of the verdict. Rep. Mark Green.

R-Green Bay. said he couldn' believe the jury reached a verdict so quickly. He heard from Assembly Majority Leader Scott Jensen that the decision would be read Tuesday. "When Jensen told me they were going to announce the verdict today, I was waiting for the punch line." Green said. "There are just so many O.J.

jokes." Doyle received so many requests for comment on the verdict that he called a news conference to meet the demand. The attorney general said he expected an acquittal after he heard the jury reached a verdict in only a few hours. "I was absolutely flabbergasted therewas already a verdict," he said. "But just going out and coming back in is a bad sign for the prosecution." By Anne Klemm Press-Gazette People attending one high-profile homicide trial took time to catch the end of another Tuesday afternoon. Testimony in the Tom Monfils homicide trial recessed for lunch at noon Tuesday just in time for people to catch the verdict in the O.J.

Simpson trial. About 20 lawyers, relatives of defendants, court security officers and reporters ducked into the media room at the back of the courtroom to watch the verdict on television monitors. Another half-dozen people waited outside the room. A short gasp ran through the room as the verdict was announced, followed quickly by the buzz of reporters interviewing lawyers for their reactions. Most people left quickly.

The verdict disappointed Brown.County District Attorney John Zakowski, who said he's rarely seen a case with so much physical evidence. "I just hope (the verdict) wasn't based upon emotion and the race card but because they looked at the evidence." Zakowski said. Avram Berk, one of defendant Dale Basten's lawyers, said the decision didn't surprise him, but it was difficult to predict a verdict without seeing the whole case. The verdict also didn't surprise Jonathan Smith, one of defendant Mike Hirn's lawyers. He felt that the jury's quick deliberation pointed to an acquittal because jurors would have taken longer to go over the evidence otherwise, he said.

tion." said Rep. John Gard. R-Peshtigo. "There was a huge groan of 'Oh, Most people thought he was guilty." Green Bay Mayor Paul Jadin got word of the verdict on a Capitol elevator. "I was not very happy," the mayor said.

Jim Haney, an aide to Doyle, sensed an eerie silence as people took time out to watch the reading of the verdict on television. "Our phones were quiet during the 10 minutes people were awaiting the verdict," he said. "No one was coming into our office. Even the haflls in the Capitol seemed quieter during that period of time." i As legislators, lobbyists and others prepared for debate on the stadium issue in the Senate and the transportation bill in the Assembly, the Simpson case was not far from their minds. Ed Huck, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, said the public was far more interested in Tuesday's conclusion of the Simpson trial than in the goings-on at the Capitol.

"They could pass a transportation budget today and nobody would even know it," he said. Kevin Keane, the governor's press secretary, said Thompson was besieged with requests from television news reporters who wanted their cameras aimed at Thompson as he watched the ver From A-1 Holmgren Festive homecoming at Brentwood estate ends year in jail cell rlTi I ft XT '-C 7 mr' i "That was one of my great claims to fame." Holmgren recalled. The fact that Simpson intercepted one of your passes? "No." he said. "The fact that I managed to trip him upon the runback." Holmgren's Lincoln teams, strong and deep, never lost to Galileo's even though they featured future first-round NFL picks in Simpson and Al Cpwlings. Holmgren whs drafted by the St.

Louis Cardinals in 1970. There were other memories, too. Like seeing Simpson rush a record 47 times for 220 yards and three touchdowns in USC's 1968 win over Stanford. The Trojans' star more than doubled the vote for Leroy Keyes that year to win the Heisman Trophy. "He just did marvelous things on a football field," Holmgren said.

"When he came in from junior college, everyone knew he was a great player." There was the time Holmgren. Simpson and Cowlings posed for a picture during their football days at use "You know." he said. "All the San Francisco guys." The picture still hangs in Holmgren's office. No doubt he glanced at it as the court clerk began reading the verdict. Holmgren breathed a sigh of relief, although he suspected the verdict.

"I thought it was going to be an acquittal, given the speed with which it came back. Obviously, the jury-thought it was beyond a reasonable doubt. It was a pressure-filled moment. The relief (for Simpson) had to be overwhelming." Holmgren once served as a jurv foreman in San Jose. Calif.

He said it gave him "a little taste" of this nation court system. He said the Simpson trial, for its many faults, didn't erode his faith in it. Asked if he plans to contact Simpson. Holmgren replied. "That's a possibility.

But right now. I think he wants to get his life back in order." Chris Havel isa Press-Gazette sports columnist. Write to him in care of the Press-Gazette Box 19430. Green Bav. Wl 54307-9m hours a day on theiit own exercise bicycle or watching thtir own television.

Most use the regular jailhouse visitation room for rationed visits, unlike the nearly unlimited visits from family, friends and attorneys in a special glass booth. The jury's quick verdict also meant that Simpson never had to spend long days in the jail awaiting his fate. It was to his charmed life that he returned Tuesday. After the low-speed chase of June 17, 1994, Simpson had been surrounded at his house by SWAT teams and detectives. Tuesday, the police were flung throughout the neighborhood once again, this time stationed behind orange and white traffic barriers to keep out the curious.

The highway patrol closed freeway exits near Simpson's mansion. Only neighborhood residents and reporters were allowed. The usual quiet of the neighborhood of trimmed yards, manicured shrubbery and "Armed Response" security warning signs wa disrupted by the thup-thup of a trio of news helicopters. The streets were strewn with cables from television vans. The Simpson house is a $5 million estate at the now familiar corner of Ashford Street and Rockingham Avenue.

The only people1 in Simpson's house were family and friends drinking champagne and Celebrating. They occasionally wandered outside to the By Daniel LeDuc Knight-Ridder Newspapers LOS ANGELES The white Ford crawled along this city's fabled net-work of freeways, yet again carrying O.J. Simpson. Yet again shadowed by news station helicopters. Yet again transfixing a nation.

And yet again pulling into the cob-blestoned, looped driveway of Simpson's posh Brentwood mansion. Not the Ford Bronco, but a Ford minivan. This time Simpson's friend Al Cowlings was not driving sheriff deputies were the chauffeurs but Cowlings greeted Simpson in the driveway with a bear hug. After 474 days in the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail, O.J. Simpson was home.

Tuesday night, the man who was Inmate No. 4013970 got to sleep in his own bed. in his own 5.752-square-foot estate a marked change from his single bunk with toilet in a 63-square-foot cell on Unit 1750. It was the beginning of Simpson's readjustment to normalcy in a city not known for the conventional. For the last year, Simpson looked dapper in his expensive suits in the courtroom during his marathon trial, hut had to shed the fancy clothes for an inmate jumpsuit each day after returning to the jail.

Most inmates don't get shuttled back and forth from court in a special sheriffs van. Most don't spend two AP photo wood estate Tuesday. Simpson's family and friends welcomed him home after he spent 474 days in jail. peer over the ivy-covered wall bounding Simpson's property. Nearly a mile away, a small crowd waved signs and cheered when passing cars tooted their horns.

All had hoped for a sign of the man they still call "The Juice O.J. was home. Homecoming: Shirley Baker, sister of O.J. Simpson, shouts "He's home" to the media gathered outside Simpson's Brent-pool or onto the driveway, not far from a cream-colored Rolls Royce. But they stayed away from the shouts of the more than 100 reporters, photographers and camera crews who pressed against a greasy plastic fence at the curb that stained their clothes as thev climbed ladders and stools to.