Don't expect any schmoozing from the judge presiding over the wrongful death lawsuit against O.J. Simpson.
Unlike Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, whose genial personality and sense of humor set a tone for Simpson's criminal trial, Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki is described as low-key but tough and "not necessarily likable."Those who know Fujisaki say he will tone down proceedings for Simpson, who is expected to testify publicly for the first time in the lawsuit.
Fujisaki has had celebrities in his courtroom before. He's presided over cases involving Steven Seagal, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Jack Nicholson, among others.
"He'll keep a very tight rein on what happens in court," said Julie Bisceglia, a lawyer who represented Elke Sommer in a lawsuit against Gabor. In that case,
Bisceglia believes the judge gave everyone a fair shake. Her client won a $3.2 million award.
"There will be no spectacle," she said. "He's a very dignified person and he has a great respect for the dignity of the law."
Fujisaki, 60, who has been a judge for 16 years, inherited the case this week after lawyers for Simpson used a challenge to remove Superior Court Judge Alan Haber, who presided over months of pretrial motions. The Simpson defense said he was biased against them.
Simpson was acquitted in the 1994 killings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The victims' families are suing Simpson, saying he was responsible for the deaths and should pay damages.
The trial is set to begin Sept. 9.
A former deputy public defender, Fujisaki may find himself compared to Ito. Both men are Japanese-Americans, but the similar-ities appear to stop there.
While Ito had a genial personality at the start of Simpson's criminal trial, Fujisaki "is not as much of a schmoozer," said defense lawyer Harland Braun, who has known Fujisaki for over 20 years. "He won't try to be one of the guys."
"He's very tough and not necessarily likable," said one source who spoke on condition of anonymity. "He doesn't care if people like him or not."
While the atmosphere in Fujisaki's courtroom may be all business, "It's not grim or oppressive," Bisceglia said.
Fujisaki spent time in the infamous Manzanar internment camp in Inyo County, where 10,000 U.S. citizens of Japanese descent were forced to live during World War II. He has said the experience left him with sympathy for the underdog and memories of childhood anguish.
After graduating from law school at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fujisaki joined the Los Angeles Public Defender's office, handling felony trials. He spent four years in private practice before the governor appointed him to the Municipal Court bench. In 1980 he was elevated to the Superior Court.
