Two of O.J. Simpson's attorneys were fined $950 each Friday, and the judge said he would also tell jurors the lawyers broke the law if Rosa Lopez's videotaped testimony is used later in the trial.

In a strongly worded ruling, Superior Court Judge Lance Ito wrote that attorneys Carl Douglas and Johnnie Cochran Jr. failed to acknowledge the existence of a July 29 taped interview with Lopez. The defense turned the tape over on Tuesday."This was, at the very least, a representation made with reckless disregard for the truth, if not a deliberate attempt to mislead . . . both the prosecution and the court," Ito wrote.

Ito fined Cochran and Douglas $950 each. The lawyers, however, won't get reported to the California Bar because their fines were less than $1,000.

Ito also drafted an admonishment that he will read to jurors if the defense introduces videotaped testimony taken last week from Lopez, who threatened to leave for El Salvador before testifying. Prosecution testimony was halted for more than a week while her testimony was videotaped.

Lopez is the defense witness who says she saw Simpson's Bronco parked at his estate around the time prosecutors believe Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were killed on June 12.

If he talks to the jurors, Ito will tell them defense attorneys turned over the tape too late and their actions caused a delay in testimony from Feb. 28 to March 3.

"This was a violation of the law," the admonishment reads. ". . . You may consider the effect of this delay in disclosure, if any, upon the credibility of the witness involved."

Outside of court, Cochran denied he ever lied to the judge.

"It's a situation where we told the truth. I'm glad that it's over with," said Cochran. "We accepted the sanction of $950. We'll pay that. And we'll move on."

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A prosecution spokeswoman didn't return a call seeking comment.

The judge delayed a ruling on whether the prosecution may address the issue before the jury, as it did after the judge ruled earlier in the trial that the defense withheld witness statements from prosecutors.

"(Ito) is trying to be so careful he doesn't prejudice Simpson. I don't understand why the monetary fine isn't bigger," said Loyola law school professor Laurie Levenson.

The sanctions also included punishment that has already been meted out.

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