Prosecutors who portrayed O.J. Simpson as an abusive, jealous man in his relationship with Nicole Brown Simpson now contend the violence didn't start with her.
In court papers released Tuesday, the prosecution in Simpson's trial alleged for the first time that Simpson hit his first wife two decades ago and she had to be taken by police to a hotel.The account, based on a statement from a police officer, contradicts Marquerite Simpson Thomas' own comments to police last year in which she denied her ex-husband abused her.
The documents also report Simpson called Thomas on the day he was supposed to surrender on murder charges and told her he was framed and wanted to kill himself.
That brought an impassioned plea from his son, Jason, who grabbed the phone and "told his father not to kill himself and that everyone needed him," according to court papers.
The allegations were filed in an effort to force Thomas to testify at Simpson's trial. She is resisting a prosecution subpoena, claiming it was improperly served at her Fullerton apartment. A hearing is set for next week.
"Not only can Mrs. Thomas prove prior acts of domestic violence by the defendant, but she can testify to the statements that the defendant made on June 17, 1994, the day of his arrest," the papers say.
Simpson is charged with the June 12 murders of Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Opening statements could begin Thursday.
Prosecutors are trying to introduce evidence of domestic violence during Simpson's relationship with Nicole to support their contention that her murder was the culmination of years of abuse and degradation.
Thomas was married to Simpson from 1967 to 1979. During a June 23 interview with police, she said she was "never battered or beat up" by Simpson. But the papers released Tuesday quote a police officer who said he responded to a domestic violence call at the Simpson house about 20 years ago.
"Some other officers took Mrs. Thomas to the Holiday Inn . . . where she spent the night," the papers said.