Oj Simpson Trial

O. J Simpson was an all-star running back for the University of Southern California (USC) and won a Heisman trophy. On his road to the NFL he was drafted to the Buffalo Bills on the 1st round. He had a career in advertisement as the Pitch man, Herts Rental Car, and was a football commentator after his career. On June 12, 1994 in 875 South Bundy Brentwood, California 35 year old Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman were found dead in the entrance of their condominium both were stabbed to death outside Nicole Simpson's Los Angeles condominium.The investigation was difficult because there were no eyewitnesses and no murder weapon was found. However, in Nicole’s ex-husband  Orenthal James Simpson house a lot of evidence was found like a bloody sock and glove that matched the blood in the crime scene and a shoe print that was approximately size 12 when OJ wears a size 12. There were hair samples that were found on Goldman's body after his murder. Forensic geneticists matched the DNA fr om the hair samples to DNA retrieved from O. J. Simpson.During the police interrogation of Simpson, it was discovered that he had a cut on his left hand, and OJ had a fishy statement on how he got the cut. On June 17 there was a warrant for OJ’s arrest. Lawyers convinced the LAPD to allow Simpson to turn himself in at 11 am on June 17, at around 6:20 pm, a motorist in Orange County saw Simpson riding in his white  Bronco, driven by his friend,  A. C. Cowlings, and notified police. At 6:45  pm, a police officer saw the Bronco, going north on  Interstate 405.The officer that we he drove up to the car OJ had a gun to his head so he backed off and followed the vehicle. Simpson reportedly demanded that he be allowed to speak to his mother before he would surrender. The chase ended at 8:00  pm at his  Brentwood  home. In the Bronco the police found $8,000 in cash, a change of clothing, a loaded . 357 Magnum, a passport, family pictures, and a fake goatee and mustache. Simpson hires a famous LA attorney Robert Shapiro who hires a dream team of lawyers including. F.Lee for strategy, Gerald Uelmen for procedure, Alan Pershowitz for constitution Law, Dr. Henry Lee for forensic science , Barry Scheck for DNA lawyer, and best friend Robert Kardashian. Simpson's defense was said to cost between US$3 million and $6 million. The Criminal trial lasted almost one year with Simpson found not guilty. Before this Robert Shapiro wanted to plead bargain 5-12 years because he believed that they couldn’t win. When Acosta 2 choosing the jury they believed that middle aged African American women will be the perfect jury for this case.Oj’s trial was a media circus and attorneys were treated like celebrities. When they used the bloody glove on Simpsons house Shapiro wanted to plead a cope a plead for manslaughter. On February 5, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. Daniel Petrocelli represented plaintiff Fred Goldman, Ronald Goldman's father. +In Simpsons civial trial 8 and a half million dollars were payed to the Goldmans. Oj Simpson Trial Nabil Arnaout Eng 111/ Enf 09 March 18, 2013 Trial of the Century To this day, OJ Simpson's famous murder trial, â€Å"The People vs. OJ Simpson†, remains one of the most publicized and famous murder trials in recent history. It attracted the attention of every major news network, and caused quite a stir in the daily lives of Los Angeles, if not all American lifestyles. The infamous car chase was such an important incident that many news networks dropped coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals, which was happening at the same time, to show the chase in all its glory.The combination of the high profile murders, publicity, and the â€Å"dream team† of Johnnie Cochran and Robert Kardashian have cemented the OJ Simpson case in the minds of many Americans. After the murders, when attorney Robert Shapiro informed Simpson that he needed to turn himself over to the police, Simpson failed to show. Shortly afterwards, his white Ford Bronco was spotted and the police began pursuit (Linder 8). It would be one of the most famous car chases in American history.Claiming a hostage situation in the car, he led them on a 35 mile an hour chase, which, as mentioned before, disrupted many of the local news channels' broadcasts as they switched to the chase. He was allowed to go home and talk to his mother before he was arrested for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goodman. The case would take many twists and turns, with plenty of evidence being twisted, and in some cases not accepted at all.It started in 1995, but as of 2008, some evidence was still in dispute. The glove, found by officer Mark Fuhrman, had both victims' blood on it, but was rejected because it apparently was â€Å"too small† for Simpson's hand to fit, prompting Johnnie Cochran's infamous line, â€Å"If it don't fit, you must acquit! â€Å"(Baley 6) In the Ford Bronco, the blood of both victims was also found on the center console, and it came to light that the knife (murder weapon) was purchased by OJ a few weeks earlier.This evidence was also not accepted in court because the person who sold OJ the knife had sold his story to a tabloid magazine, which deemed it unacceptable to court. Although the murder was committed in Santa Monica, due to the extreme public attention to the case and the media craze attached to it, they moved the trial to downtown Los Angeles, and was presided there by Judge Lance Ito. The duration of the trial (almost 8 months), made many of the participants of the case into TV celebrities.After numerous attempts to prove Simpson's innocence, Cochran and Kardashian (the Dream Team, as the media called them), called Simpson's mother and daughter to the stand. After a tearful display where they lauded Simpson's good nature and pleasant qualities, the jury began to sway towards Simpson, even though it was already proven that the relationship between Simpson and his ex-wife had been abusive. (Sherwell 9) After an 8 month trial, the verdict of the t rial finally was published: â€Å"Not Guilty†.Some say the building racial tensions resulting from the case affected the verdict (political reasons), while others maintain that the jury had been bribed or swayed with improper evidence. Simpson walked out. Some also believe the Simpson's son was involved in the murders. Jason Simpson had an even worse background than his father when it came to domestic abuse. Numerous accounts of psychotic tendencies and physical violence brought Jason to light as a possible suspect. Add to that that he was a chef and always had a knife in arm's reach. (Truman 20)