O.J. MUST PAY : JURY FINDS SIMPSON LIABLE FOR $8.5 MILLION.

Byline: Anne Burke Daily News Staff Writer

A civil court jury unanimously found O.J. Simpson liable Tuesday in the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and awarded Goldman's parents $8.5 million in compensatory damages.

The verdicts provided a stunning counterpoint to Simpson's acquittal on murder charges in October 1995.

The six-man, six-woman civil jury deliberated 11 hours over three days before reaching the verdicts, which plaintiffs' attorneys called a moral victory for the victims' families.

The decisions capped a 2-1/2-year legal odyssey across two courtrooms that raised difficult questions about domestic violence, racism, fame, and the quality of justice in American courts.

It seemed to change few people's minds, however, regarding the essential guilt or innocence of Simpson. Those who criticized Simpson's acquittal in the criminal case generally praised the civil verdict against him, and vice versa.

``Thank God for some justice for Ron and Nicole,'' Fred Goldman, father of the slain Ronald Goldman, told a jubilant throng of supporters outside the courtroom.

The jury will return to court Thursday to begin the second phase of the trial, when it must determine whether the former National Football League star, actor and corporate pitchman should be assessed punitive damages.

There is no ceiling on punitive damage awards in California, but the amount of money must be tied to the defendant's financial worth.

Lawyers will return to court today for a hearing outside the jury's presence on who will testify during the punitive phase.

Simpson, wearing a blue suit, sat erect and expressionless as the verdicts were read in a courtroom that was stifling hot because the air-conditioning system shut down more than an hour earlier, when the building normally closes.

A shouted ``Yes!'' erupted from the plaintiffs' camp as the first verdict was read. Kim Goldman, Ronald Goldman's sister, collapsed in wrenching sobs. Ronald Goldman's mother, Sharon Rufo, bent her head over and wept.

Simpson's older sister, Shirley Baker, and her husband, Benny, seated in the front row, appeared glum. After the verdicts, Simpson sighed deeply and was patted on the back by one of his defense lawyers.

As the plaintiffs and their lawyers exchanged teary-eyed hugs, the ex-football star conferred briefly with a member of his legal team, then left through a side door, accompanied by family members.

Minutes later, he emerged from the Santa Monica Courthouse to a chorus of jeers from hundreds of people crowded behind police lines.

The crowd included a contingent of Simpson supporters, but they were drowned out by hecklers shouting ``Show Me the Money!'' and ``Guilty.''

Simpson emerged from the courthouse without comment and was driven back to his Rockingham Avenue estate in Brentwood, stopping on the way to pick up ice cream - chocolate cookie dough, world-class chocolate and jamocha almond fudge.

Fred Goldman emerged from the courthouse with a fist raised victoriously in the air, flanked by his wife, Patti, his daughter, Kim, and their attorneys.

Stopping briefly to speak with reporters, Goldman said the trial ``was done with honesty and dignity, complete truth.''

``My family is grateful for the verdict of responsibility, which is all we ever wanted,'' he said.

Goldman's lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, called it an ``extraordinary honor and privilege'' to represent Goldman. ``Ron would have been proud,'' Petrocelli said.

``Ron is proud. We did this for Ron,'' said Kim Goldman, who then began to cry.

John Kelley, the attorney representing the Browns, praised the jury's verdict.

``I think everybody should remember what a vibrant person Nicole was,'' Kelley said. ``That she was a great mother, daughter, sister and friend and no jury verdict is ever going to change that.

``She was an extraordinary person and we're just happy that a jury collectively looked at the evidence and told the world once and for all that Nicole's and Ron's lives mattered.''

Former Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden, on the ``Geraldo'' show on CNBC, fought back tears as he praised the verdict and the $8.5 million in compensatory damages.

``It isn't enough, it isn't enough, it isn't enough. There isn't enough in the world,'' Darden said. ``We said all along that O.J. Simpson committed this crime. All we asked for was a day in court. That's been accomplished.''

Johnnie Cochran Jr., who headed Simpson's defense during his criminal trial, predicted there would be an appeal based on the rulings by the judge and the problems in the past week with the sole African-American juror on the case.

``These are all issues that will be raised in appeal,'' Cochran said on Court TV, adding he expected the punitive damages to be even higher. ``This (ruling) bodes well for the plaintiffs, with the amount of compensatory damages.''

Attorney Alan Dershowitz, who was involved in the Simpson criminal defense team, did not contest the verdicts or the damages.

``I am glad it was a unanimous verdict,'' Dershowitz said. ``What this shows is the prosecution failed to prove its case, while the plaintiffs did.''

The Los Angeles Police Commission said the verdicts represented a vindication of the Police Department, which had been accused by the defense in both civil and criminal cases of mishandling evidence, cover-up and conspiracy in the case against their client.

Across Los Angeles, trial watchers reacted quickly - and peacefully - to the verdicts. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Willie L. Williams told reporters the city was calm.

Hundreds of spectators were gathered outside Santa Monica Superior Court as the verdicts were announced and many cheered as news of the verdicts became known through reporters holding signs against the courthouse windows.

No cameras captured the moment inside the courtroom - television coverage was banned in the four-month trial - but word spread quickly in a city where the civil case played almost as an afterthought.

The jury reached its verdict at 3:45 p.m., but the reading was delayed until after 7:15 p.m., when all the principals had arrived at the courtroom. Nicole Brown Simpson's parents, Lou and Juditha, and her three sisters were the last to arrive.

The jury filed into the courtroom about 7:10 p.m., and Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki asked whether they had reached their decisions. After acknowledging that they had, the verdicts were handed to the clerk and read:

``Do you find by a preponderance of the evidence that defendant Simpson willfully and wrongfully caused the death of Ronald Goldman?''

The answer: ``Yes.''

Then, ``Do you find by a preponderance of the evidence that defendant Simpson committed battery against Nicole Brown Simpson?''

Again, ``Yes.''

Altogether, the jury returned unanimous verdicts on each of the eight questions presented them.

After the verdicts were announced, each juror was polled individually at the request of the defense. All of them, some speaking softly, some speaking loudly and confidently, said yes to each of the eight questions.

In the criminal trial, prosecutors failed to prove Simpson's guilt to a jury ``beyond a reasonable doubt.'' The plaintiffs in the civil case were obliged to prove Simpson committed the acts beyond a ``preponderance of the evidence.''

In Santa Monica, plaintiffs attorneys built their case on much of the evidence available to prosecutors: they painted Simpson as jealous and violent, a man who killed in a rage, after being spurned by his ex-wife. They invoked DNA evidence linking Simpson to the killings.

But in a key addition, attorneys presented incriminating photographs showing Simpson wearing Bruno Magli shoes - the same type of shoes investigators have maintained that the killer wore.

Simpson's lawyers claimed that the photographs were forgeries. Simpson himself testified he never had owned such an ``ugly-ass'' pair of shoes.

And finally - using a defense similar to the one used in the criminal trial - Simpson's civil lawyers asserted that the case was a frame-up by the LAPD.

Simpson testified for four days in two rounds, one for the plaintiffs, a second for himself, always asserting his innocence. He denied killing his wife. He denied ever hitting her.

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos

PHOTO (1) Nicole Brown Simpson: Remembered as `vibrant person'

(2) Ronald Goldman: Would have been proud, family says

(3 -- color) From left, Patty Goldman, her spouse, Fred, and his daughter, Kim, and lawyer Daniel Petrocelli exit court Tuesday.

David R. Crane/Daily News

(4 -- color) O.J. Simpson leaves Santa Monica Court on Tuesday night.

John McCoy/Daily News

(5) Lou Brown, father of slaying victim Nicole Brown Simpson, reacts to the crowd in Santa Monica as he arrives for the verdict Tuesday night.

David R. Crane/Daily News