TESTIMONY SPURS CIRCUS AURA.

Byline: Dennis Love Daily News Staff Writer

In ritual fashion, free-lance TV cameraman Gary Sunkin trudged Friday through the predawn darkness across the soggy front lawn of the Santa Monica Courthouse to perform his daily chore.

``We just try to help out around here,'' Sunkin said, grunting slightly as he hoisted the U.S. and State of California flags up the towering flagpole near the courthouse parking lot entrance. He checked his watch: 4:47 a.m.

``Usually I don't get these up until around 7,'' he said, hands on hips as he peered up at the flags, starch-frozen in the stiff on-shore breeze. ``But today . . . Today will be a circus.''

And a circus it was, as O.J. Simpson began his long-anticipated first day of testimony in the wrongful death suit brought against him by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

The 19-day-old civil trial that had managed to proceed in relative tranquillity leaped to vivid, boisterous life Friday, replete with jostling media hordes, argumentative placard-carriers, short-tempered security personnel and card-carrying Simpson junkies, all ringing the oceanside courthouse in a macabre festival-by-the-sea.

The atmosphere was doubly strange, many in the crowd commented, because this case, unlike the sensational criminal trial, is not being televised. ``It's absurd that this trial isn't on TV,'' lamented Laurence Schiller, co-author of Simpson's jailhouse tome, ``I Want To Tell You,'' as well as the recent best-seller ``American Tragedy,'' also about the Simpson case. ``The country needs closure.''

Animosity ran deep and wide on both sides of the civil case as the principals arrived for the morning session. Simpson, his lawyers, the Goldmans and Browns and their attorneys all were mercilessly booed and heckled by the various factions on the scene.

When the hecklers weren't attacking Simpson or the other players, they indicted each other.

``Four hundred and seventy-four days and none of ya, none of ya, none of ya can explain the evidence!'' yelled Maurice Griffin, a tall, Simpson supporter, a human bullhorn who was easily the loudest person on the premises. ``You O.J. hatemongers can't handle the truth!''

``I'm gonna run around nude when O.J. loses!'' chimed in ``Melrose'' Larry Green, who was a regular publicity seeker at the Simpson criminal trial and who walked around Friday with a pair of size-12 Bruno Magli shoes, identical to the ones police say the killer wore at the Brentwood slayings scene the night of June 12, 1994.

``He's guilty!'' Green said. ``Even Robert Baker (Simpson's attorney) thinks he's guilty!''

``How do you know that?'' someone asked.

``I was told,'' Green chirped.

The serious case watchers, some 200 strong, lined up at 7 a.m. for the lottery conducted by sheriff's deputies for the 16 courtroom seats available to the public. Numbered tickets were distributed to the anxious crowd members, who then waited apprehensively as Deputy Selina Norwood drew matching stubs from a fishbowl to determine the winners.

The drawing quickly took on the air of a Las Vegas craps game. ``Come on, baby!'' someone pleaded as Norwood extracted the first ducat. ``5-5-8 . . . 8!'' she called out, dramatically pausing before announcing the crucial final digit. Someone whooped, and the first seat was filled.

As more numbers were drawn, the groans grew louder as the seats began to disappear. ``Keep hope alive!'' someone yelled as Norwood announced that half the seats were gone.

When Jim Kragt, a gravel salesman from Grand Rapids, Mich., cheered and made his way toward Norwood, he was intercepted by a desperate John Herr of Santa Monica, who offered him $200 on the spot for his ticket. ``No way,'' Kragt said.

After the drawing concluded, a disconsolate Herr said, ``It's the first chance to see O.J. speak directly to the case in two years. It's historic.''

Meanwhile, Kragt, who was to continue `on to Hawaii today with his wife, Karen, to celebrate their 35th anniversary, was nearly levitating with joy. ``I still can't believe it,'' he said. ``I watched the chase and the trial and everything else and now to luck out and be here for this - wow.''

Karen Kragt said it was actually her ticket that won, but she immediately pressed it into her husband's palm. ``He's been following this thing,'' she said. ``I guess I made the ultimate sacrifice.'' Asked what she would do to fill the day while her husband watched Simpson testify, she said, ``I'll probably go bowling.''

Rick Slabon, a steelworker from Harrisburg, Pa., was also somewhat dazzled by his good fortune; not only did he get a seat, but he was seeing all his media heroes in person. ``I didn't know (CNBC reporter) Jane Wells was so short,'' he said.

At the lunch break, both Kragt and Slabon said plaintiff attorney Daniel Petrocelli did a good job of questioning Simpson. ``It looked like O.J. lost his temper about three times. Petrocelli really went after him on the domestic violence and it upset O.J.,'' Kragt said. ``I was very impressed with Petrocelli.''

But Simpson had his advocates, too. ``O.J.'s eyes looked right at me, several times,'' said Aliene Kuhn, a retired Navy officer who snared a courtroom seat. ``I looked right back and sent him all the love God has to give.''