O.J. SIMPSON . . . RING IN THE OPENING ARGUMENTS

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As the new year starts, so will opening arguments in the trial of the decade -- at least if O.J. Simpson's defense team has its way. Simpson's attorneys filed a motion today to forego the so-called "Kelly-Frye hearing" on the admissibility of DNA evidence -- slated to begin on January 4 and last four to eight weeks. If Judge Lance Ito okays the motion it would move up the trial significantly from the earlier March estimate. The Simpson team said that a "separate, time-consuming" -- and undoubtedly much-publicized -- pretrial hearing would bias the sitting jury and thereby violate Simpson's rights. It represents a complete turnabout in the strategy adopted so far of hurling every roadblock -- including the Kelly-Frye proceeding -- to keep the DNA evidence out of court. Still, says TIME Los Angeles reporter Elaine Lafferty, it isn't a complete capitulation by the defense on the DNA issue. "This might be a legal strategy by the defense to challenge the DNA evidence on a piecemeal basis in front of jurors instead of Judge Ito -- where they haven't had much luck," Lafferty says. Lafferty expects a ruling by Ito tomorrow.Post your opinion on theCrimebulletin board.