Bomb-sniffing dog didn’t care about food, really

• During a sweep Monday of the district judges' parking lot at the Regional Justice Center, a bomb-sniffing dog with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stopped and "showed interest" behind District Judge David Wall's pick-up truck, a marshal said.

Jury selection in O.J. Simpson's trial is going on in Wall's courtroom, so marshals were alert and ready for the worst. What they found, however, was a sack of dry dog food in the bed of the truck, the marshal said.

But the ATF wasn't laughing when contacted about the incident. Don York, resident agent in charge of the ATF's Las Vegas field office, said the bureau's bomb-sniffing dogs would never show interest in dog food.

"They're not trained to hit on dog food," York said.

Instead, he surmised the dog might have smelled something on the ground or even the remnants of a firecracker.

• For weeks, Simpson's co-defendant, Clarence C.J." Stewart, has been fighting for a separate trial. Through his attorneys, he has claimed he can't get a fair trial because of the publicity surrounding the fallen Heisman Trophy winner. But at least one legal observer said he should stick close by Simpson. Defense attorney Gregory Knapp said Monday that Simpson has a history of beating some pretty heavy-duty charges, including murder in the 1994 slaying his wife. "I'd be glued to him," Knapp said.

• The Courthouse Bar & Grill is serving up O.J. Simpson on a platter -- or at least a dish themed around the Juice. On Monday, the restaurant served about 30 orders of the daily special -- orange chicken and two onion rings to symbolize handcuffs. Today the restaurant is serving an orange-flavored beef stir-fry, according to the chef. And again, it will include onion rings.

• The elevators at the Regional Justice Center are known for their long waits and slow rides. On Monday, prospective jurors in the O.J. Simpson trial learned firsthand about the RJC's elevator problems. A court official said several prospective jurors got stuck in one of the elevators. They were there about 10 minutes.

"Well, there's the headline for tomorrow's newspaper," District Judge Jackie Glass said after hearing the news.

• When a courtroom marshal warned reporters they'd get kicked out if they talked after the jury entered, Simpson hinted that he'd rather be somewhere else.

"Can I get kicked out?" Simpson quipped. "I think I'm going to start talking."

Review-Journal writer Brian Haynes contributed to this report. Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.