William Hodgman served as co-lead prosecutor alongside Marcia Clark, representing the People from the earliest stages of the case through the preliminary hearing and into the criminal trial. He conducted the direct examination of coroner Dr. Irwin Golden during the preliminary hearing and was deeply involved in the procedural battles that defined the trial's early weeks — arguing motions on evidence admissibility, discovery disputes, and opening statement exhibits. His role was cut short when he was hospitalized overnight on January 25, 1995, during a period of intense clashes over the defense's alleged discovery violations, leaving Clark to carry the prosecution's case forward.