LOS ANGELES -- The O. J. Simpson murder trial cleared one hurdle and ran into another yesterday: Nearly a month after picking a jury, the judge and lawyers completed individual questioning of alternate jurors, but they also were forced to postpone an important hearing on DNA evidence until early next year.
Selection of alternate jurors for the case -- in which Mr. Simpson has pleaded not guilty to the June 12 slayings of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald L. Goldman -- made slow but steady progress. At the same time, the day featured several surprises.
Superior Court Judge Lance A. Ito scheduled a hearing Thursday on the issue of possible juror misconduct by at least one of the 12 panelists already picked for the Simpson jury.
He did not say what prompted the hearing.
Judge Ito said the jury misconduct hearing might last half a day.
In New York, one of Mr. Simpson's attorneys gave up his battle to delay a trial that is keeping him from traveling to Los Angeles to represent Mr. Simpson in a coming DNA hearing. Judge Ito agreed to delay the DNA hearing until early next year, without setting a date.
Peter J. Neufeld and his lawyer in New York, William Kunstler, decided against further appeals in an effort to get him out of representing a New York City man charged with killing a police officer.
He is under orders from a New York judge and an appeals court to handle the New York case before coming to Los Angeles for Mr. Simpson's DNA hearing.
Meantime, the two sides will debate other legal issues, including a hearing Dec. 12 on a defense motion to dismiss evidence relating to alleged spousal abuse of Ms. Simpson by her husband.
Three people were added to the alternate-jury pool after questioning yesterday, bringing the total to 44 -- 24 men and 20 women, with 23 blacks, nine whites, eight Latinos, three Asians and one woman of mixed race.
Judge Ito had said he wanted 15 alternates but said yesterday that he would settle for fewer. The final phase in selecting jury alternates -- peremptory challenges -- is set to begin tomorrow.