'Remember me as The Juice,' Simpson begged in taped message

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- A newly disclosed audio tape, reportedly made by O.J. Simpson before his arrest, shows him as being suicidal and concerned with how people would remember him.

The tape, broadcast Friday night by ABC News 20/20, was allegedly made on a tape recorder belonging to Simpson's long-time friend and attorney Robert Kardashian hours before Simpson was to be arrested on charges he murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Kardashian said in an interview that 20/20 aired Friday night that Simpson was suicidal that day.

In what sounds like a verbal suicide note, Simpson says, "I don't even know what this tape is for, but I felt I had some last thing I got to say to somebody. Please remember me as The Juice, please remember me as a good guy,. Don't remember me as whatever negative that might end up here. Please."

Kardashian, a member of Simpson's criminal defense team, said during the interview that he questions the former football star's innocence.

"I have doubts" Kardashian said the ABC interview. "The blood evidence is the biggest thorn in my side that causes me the greatest problems. So I, I struggle with the blood evidence."

Kardashian also said that Simpson failed a lie detector test just days after the murders and talked of committing suicide. During the infamous slow-speed Bronco chase, Kardashian said, Simpson apparently tried to kill himself.

"He was in the Bronco and he said, 'Bobby I put a gun, the gun, to my head, and I pulled the trigger and it didn't go off,'" Kardashian said.

Kardashian also said Simpson defense attorney Robert Shapiro, at one point, wanted Simpson to plea bargain. Simpson was acquitted on the charges last year. The families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman have brought a wrongful death suit against Simpson.

During the criminal trial, prior to the jury's visit to Simpson's estate, Kardashian said members of the defense team rearranged photographs in Simpson's house -- removing pictures of white women and replacing them with photographs of African Americans.

Cochran: Kardashian violating attorney-client privilege

Johnnie Cochran, Simpson's lead defense lawyer in his criminal trial, called Kardashian's comments a breach of ethics.

"What he's doing is violating attorney-client privilege in this whole situation and I'm not sure he fully understands or comprehends the import of what he's doing," Cochran said in an interview on Westwood One Radio Networks.

Cochran predicted Kardashian's comments would attract the attention of the state bar.

Deposition transcripts obtained by CNN show that when Kardashian was questioned for the civil suit in May, he refused to answer many questions on the grounds that it would violate his attorney-client privilege with Simpson.

Kardashian was also interviewed extensively for a book about the Simpson case. Lawrence Schiller, author of "American Tragedy: The Uncensored Story of the Simpson Defense," was served at a book-signing party with a subpoena to appear at Simpson's civil trial.

Simpson defense wins key ruling in civil case

Friday, Simpson appeared to have won a major victory in the civil case against him when Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki ruled that Simpson's lawyers can argue that four key items of blood evidence used in the criminal trial were planted.

The evidence includes blood found on the back gate of Nicole Brown Simpson's condominium, blood on socks found in Simpson's bedroom and a bloody glove discovered at Simpson's estate and blood discovered in Simpson's Bronco two months after his arrest. The defense wants to present evidence to suggest Simpson was framed for the murders.

Correspondent Greg Lamotte and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Judge to let Simpson argue that bloody glove was planted - October 11, 1996
• O.J.'s friend says he doubts Simpson's innocence - October 10, 1996
• Slow process of Simpson jury selection continues - October 8, 1996

Related sites:

• Special Section: Simpson Civil Trial
• Simpson Court Transcripts

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