Now Out of Limelight, Lance Ito Gets Back to Business.

So whatever happened to Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, whose face was on worldwide television every day just a few years ago when he presided over the "Trial of the Century?"

He's pretty much doing the same thing he did before the double-murder trial of O.J. Simpson -- presiding over a variety of criminal cases outside the glare of the cameras.

The black beard is the same, along with the glasses and familiar voice. Later this year, he'll turn 50.

One morning last week, suspects, defense attorneys and prosecutors streamed in and out of his downtown courtroom on various criminal matters. One discussion centered on ways to get the girlfriend of a witness in a gang murder into court to reveal his whereabouts.

"How many times have I just explained this to you? I want her arrested (at work)," Ito chided one defense attorney. "Are we making any progress or running around in circles?"

A short while later, Ito denied a motion to dismiss attempted murder charges after a jury was unable to reach a verdict. He then praised defense attorney Jack Alex.

"If you did this without being paid, I thank you on behalf of the judicial system. You fought tooth and nail, and you did an excellent job," Ito said.

Since the notorious not-guilty verdicts in the Simpson case back in October 1995, Ito has presided over more than 100 jury trials, mostly Three Strikes and murder cases. He works on the prestigious ninth floor of the Criminal Courts Building, the highest-security floor in the local court system, which is reserved for some of the most experienced judges. He handles the "long cause calendar," which includes complex cases that can stretch for weeks or months.

"Judge Ito is sitting there for a reason," said Judge James Bascue, assistant presiding judge of the Superior Court. "We're not reluctant to assign high-profile cases to him. He loves being a trial judge. He has a full tool kit -- he's bright, energetic, writes extremely well and has a great demeanor.

Avoiding the spotlight

Ito has been busy with a number of other judicial commitments, including serving on statewide panels dealing with jury service and the charging of non-citizens with crimes. In addition, the 11-year veteran of the Superior Court bench has twice accepted temporary assignments to the state Court of Appeal.

No trial, of course, can approach what happened during the simpson, trial -- even a recent case before Ito involving members of a white supremacist group charged with the beating death of a homeless black man.

Nearly five years after the Simpson case ended, what does Ito think of his treatment by the media and how has it affected his life?

We may never know. Ito declined to be interviewed for this story, just as he has done with all requests since the Simpson trial (except a short interview after the trial with a Cal State Northridge student). Unlike other key players in the Simpson trial, Ito never wrote a bestseller or attempted to profit from personal appearances.

"He's bounced back," said Alex. "If you had to go home at night and watch. Jay Leno and the 'Dancing Itos,' it would hurt anyone's feelings. He's had enough of the limelight. He's not the type (that craves publicity)."

Still, the fallout has yet to totally subside. Courthouse officials have a tough time keeping Ito's nameplate on the door of his courtroom and he's still quickly recognized in public. As testament to his sense of humor, Ito had cards printed up with a pseudonym claiming to be a comic stand-in for Judge Ito, according to Bascue.

"I think, he would like to reclaim his anonymity," said defense attorney Michael Yamamoto.

And perhaps most profoundly, there is still a real reluctance among many judges to allow cameras in the courtroom after, seeing the circus atmosphere created in the Simpson case.

"The reverberations of that case are still resounding," Bork said.

Judging the judge

Defense attorneys and prosecutors aren't shy about singing Ito's praises. Several said they don't hesitate to try cases before him, or even to waive a jury and let Ito decide the case, as occurred last week in an auto insurance fraud trial. The words "diligent," "fair," "level-headed" and "intelligent" often come up. Some lawyers even call Ito their favorite judge.

All of which may come as a surprise to those outside the legal trenches who watched the Simpson trial on television and thought Ito lost control of the proceedings.

"What happened was a terrible shame for him because the public got a mis-impression of Judge Ito, when the truth is he's widely admired," said Terry Bork, a deputy district attorney. "There is no more capable judge on the bench that I've ever been in front of than Judge Ito. He has a good temperament, he's a quick study on the facts and the law, and a hard worker. He's the first one there (in the morning) and the last to leave. He's always straight down the middle in terms of his rulings and unfailingly courteous. He's the real thing. It doesn't get much better."

Lawyers on the other side of cases are similarly impressed.

"He does a good analysis of the facts, treats you with respect and dignity, and has a sense of humor," said Michael Miller, a defense attorney with the Office of the Alternate Public Defender. "He gives you all the rope you need to hang yourself."