Goetz, Citing Simpson Civil Trial, Plans Appeal Of Big Judgment

Subway gunman Bernie Goetz changed his mind Wednesday and appealed a $43 million judgment in his 1984 shooting of a black teen.

Goetz, 49, said after his civil trial in April 1996 that he wanted to end his 12-year legal odyssey and would not appeal.

He changed his mind because of the O.J. Simpson civil trial, says his attorney, Darnay Hoffman, even though Goetz believes Simpson should not have been acquitted in the criminal case.

“Bernie has been very upset with another instance where a jury was going to reverse a criminal verdict,” said Hoffman, jumping the gun on the Simpson jury which was deliberating the case Wednesday.

Goetz was acquitted in 1987 of criminal charges in the shooting of four young blacks on a downtown train. But a civil jury awarded $43 million to the most seriously injured victim, Darrell Cabey.

Goetz has always maintained that he fired in self-defense because he thought the youths were about to mug him.

Cabey’s attorney, Ronald Kuby, was bemused by the concept of Goetz taking up Simpson’s cause, noting that “Simpson has never complained that it’s unfair to be tried civilly.”