THE O.J. SIMPSON MURDER TRIAL : THE SIMPSON CASE / A Daily Update : Trial Highlights

Some of the key events Thursday in the O.J. Simpson murder trial:

* SUMMARY: Stunned by late defense disclosures of witnesses and by the sudden illness of Deputy Dist. Atty. William Hodgman, prosecutors asked for a one-month delay in the trial. Superior Court Judge Lance A. Ito did not seem inclined to grant that request, but said he would consider that proposal-- as well as other prosecution suggestions for punishing the defense-- and would try to rule by this afternoon. He canceled the trial session scheduled for today.

* SURPRISES: Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher A. Darden said the latest batch of defense witnesses includes “heroin addicts, thieves, felons.” One, he said, is a pathological liar. Outside court, it was learned that LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman got into a shoving match with a news photographer Wednesday in Spokane, Wash., and court records revealed that a defense witness has a long, litigious history.

* COMING UP: Ito may rule today on the prosecution request for a delay in the trial and for other sanctions against the defense. If he denies the postponement, as expected, he has asked both sides to be ready to continue the trial Monday morning.

“Tell the jury that the defense, the dream team, America’s finest defense attorneys, have committed misconduct. They have deceived the court.”

--Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher A. Darden