Judge Cancels Hearing on Simpson Ruling Challenge

FULLERTON —  The judge who awarded O.J. Simpson the custody of his children has canceled a Friday hearing on challenges to her decision and asked that attorneys submit written arguments with the court.

After months of legal wrangling, Superior Court Judge Nancy Wieben Stock last month ruled that Simpson’s two minor children--Sydney, 11, and Justin, 8--should be returned to the custody of their father.

But attorneys for maternal grandparents Louis and Juditha Brown, who had argued during the lengthy proceedings that Simpson was an unfit parent, sought a court hearing at which they had planned to ask the judge to stay her decision pending an appeal.

Brown attorneys Natasha Roit and Eric L. Lagin had asked that the judge entertain their arguments at a hearing, but said the judge asked that the motions be submitted in writing.

The motion for a stay, Roit said, will argue that Stock’s ruling should not go into effect because an appeals court may overturn the decision, and it would be harmful for the children to spend the interim period with Simpson.

Roit could not say why Stock wanted a formal filing but criticized the move.

“This is the same court that wouldn’t take two months [to hear evidence about] the [Simpson] murder case,” Roit said, “but is now taking an extra month to consider the stay.”

During trial, Roit unsuccessfully argued that evidence from the Simpson murder case be allowed into the custody case.

The Browns’ attorneys will send copies of the motion to papers to Simpson’s attorney, Bernard A. Leckie, as well as to Marjorie G. Fuller, the attorney appointed by the court to represent the children’s interests. The other attorneys will then have a chance to respond in writing before a hearing date is set.

Roit said that the Browns have selected a different attorney to handle their appeals to a higher court, but declined to give the name.

Last month, the Browns briefly took on Anaheim Hills attorney Ronald E. Lais to aid their appeal, but dropped him after it was revealed that he had some run-ins with the law.