THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 4, 1995 TAG: 9510040537
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Kerry Dougherty
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
As verdict time drew near on Tuesday they began drifting into Luskin's in Virginia Beach: secretaries on lunch breaks, used car salesmen who didn't want to hear it on the radio, traveling salesmen passing by on Virginia Beach Boulevard, office managers who had ducked out for a few minutes.
They came to watch the OJ verdict at the one place they knew they could see it well - on a bank of more than 60 color television sets, some 40-inch Mitsubishis, flashing a dizzying series of images of Simpson and the Dream Team.
``Look at his lips move, he's praying,'' whispered Jonathan Cockrill, a Food Lion cashier, as he stared at Simpson.
``Shut up, Dan'' someone else shouted as 60 Dan Rathers began prattling on while waiting for Judge Ito to call the court to order.
When the judge bid the jury a good morning, the group assembled in front of the Luskin sets responded in unison ``Good Morning.''
``Just read it, just read it,'' chanted Cockrill under his breath as Ito made some introductory remarks.
When the not guilty verdict finally came there were gasps.
Several of the car salesmen immediately turned to leave.
``He got away with it, he's walking,'' said Charles Johnson, sales manager of the Pembroke Auto Sales shaking his head as he turned to leave.
But others stood still, as if mesmerized by the scenes on the screens.
``They never should have put him in jail,'' Cockrill said, his eyes riveted to the sets.
TRT driver Gloria Jones was grinning broadly as she dashed back to her van for the handicapped.
``I'm shocked and I'm happy for him,'' Jones said, running a hand through her intricate cornrows and glancing at her watch. ``They just didn't have enough evidence to convict him.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Gloria Jones
KEYWORDS: O.J. SIMPSON VERDICT REACTION by CNB