The Murder Trial of OJ Simpson.
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Introduction
The sports trial of OJ Simpson is among the most famous trials in the history of sports. Although Simpson is a renowned pro-footballer, people will forever remember him for his involvement in the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. OJ Simpson was charged with their murders in 1994 embarking on a rather controversial trial that caught the attention of the entire world. Simpson was later acquitted of the two murders after 252 days of trial. The purpose of this essay is to weigh in on the facts surrounding OJ Simpson’s alleged murder of his estranged ex-wife and her friend. Further, the text assesses the outcome of the decision made in the case as well as any strange information that changed the direction of the case.
About the Murder Case
On June 12th, 1994, Nicole Simpson and her friend were found stabbed to death on the night of 12th June 1994 in Los Angeles outside Simpson’s condominium. This after Nicole and Simpson had attended their daughter’s dance recital and the family proceeded to go eat at the Mezzaluna restaurant before heading to the condominium. The neighbors testified that they had heard intense barking coming from outside during the night and that one of the dog walkers living in the block has come across Brown’s dog in distress and covered in blood (Sayers, 2020). The two bodies were discovered by the couple that came to return Brown body. The scene had a lot of blood with Brown found lying face down at the foot of the stairs. She had multiple neck and head injuries. The front door was open pointing to the lack of forced entry. Her friend Goldman’s body also lay close to the tree by the fence with several neck and body injuries signifying defensive wounds and struggle. Simpson was arraigned formerly on July 22nd, 1994 where he entered a plea of not guilty before the trial formerly beginning in January with Ilto Lance as the presiding judge.
The outcome of Decision Made
The jury started deliberating on 2nd October 1995 and in less than four hours, they had reached a verdict. Lance, the presiding judge however delayed making the announcement till the following day. OJ Simpson was found not guilty of the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown on 3rd October. Following the verdict, the public pools were segregated along racial lines. The white population was dismayed by the decision made by the jury while most African Americans supported the ruling. For the black population, Simpson witnessing Simpson being acquitted in a system that systematically discriminated against people of color was a victory. Although Simpson was acquitted, the victim’s families sued him for wrongful death in 1996. Four months later, the jury found Simpson responsible for the death of the two victims in a civil trial awarding their families $33.5 million in damages (Boban, 2018). At the time, most cable television networks devoted time to the public opinions and speculations of people about the case. Millions of people followed the proceedings of the trial throughout the day with the main figures of the case becoming instant celebrities.
Information that Changed the Case.
Simpson’s defense was mainly founded on grounds that most of the police officers in the Loss Angeles police department were being racist and that the glove presented as evidence was too small to fit Simpson’s arm. This is after Simpson tried to fit the glove in the courtroom during the trial. Mark Fuhrman, the detective said to have discovered the bloody leather in the scene of the murder was particularly deemed racist. The prosecution on the other hand built their case on grounds that domestic violence had ensued after the couple had divorced which they pointed to as the motive of the murder. Worth noting, OJ Simpson was represented by a team of attorneys called the dream team that included Robert Blasier, Lee Bailey, Robert Shapiro, Shawn Holley, and Allan Dershowitz. The defense team initially alleged that three exhibits were planted by the police who had the intention of framing him. However, in an eventful twist, it was argued that all blood evidence was planted by racist police officers. Six individuals were accused of participating in a scheme to frame Simpson including Mark Fuhrman, Thano Peratis (prison nurse), Dennis Fung(criminalist), Colin Yamauchi, Phillip Vannater (detective), and Andrea Mazzola. In the closing remarks, the defense referred to Vannater and Fuhrman as ‘twins of deception’ and called upon the jury to remember Fuhrman as ‘ the man that discovered the glove and Vannater as the “man who planted the blood evidence’. The bloody glove was the last exhibit that was discovered at the scene. Unlike back gate and the sock, the prosecution provided no eyewitness or physical evidence to support their claims. Defense attorney Lee Bailey suggested that Fuhrman collected the glove at the murder scene, picked it with a stick, and placed it in a stored it in a plastic bag which he hid in his socks when he drove to the condominium in the company of Detective Phillips, Lange, and Vannater. Fuhrman would later plant the glove at the scene his motive being racism or wanting to come out as the hero in this high-profile case. Although the prosecution denied this, Simpson was granted a not-guilty verdict.
Conclusion.
The high-profile and highly controversial murder trial of OJ Simpson hit the media in October 1994. The renowned pro-footballer was accused of murdering his estranged ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman who were found gruesomely murdered on 12th June 1994 in Simpson’s condominium. Simpson was later acquitted of the two murders after 252 days of trial. Four months later, the jury found Simpson responsible for the death of the two victims in a civil trial awarding their families $33.5 million in damages. The bloody glove and conspiracy allegations against OJ Simpson completely changed the outcome of the case in which the jury found Simpson not guilty of both murders.
References
Boban, M. (2018). Race Issues in the OJ Simpson Case–Analysis of Alexander and Karaszewski’s American Crime Story (Doctoral dissertation, University of Zadar. Department of English.).
Sayers, H. (2020). If the Suit Doesn’t Fit: Marcia Clark and the OJ Simpson Trial. Women Leading Change: Case Studies on Women, Gender, and Feminism, 5(1), 48-59.
