Oj Simpson: Travesty of Justice
Many people throughout the years have called the O.J Simpson trial “The Trial Of The Century”. The intense media scrutiny surrounding the case overshadowed the obvious outcome that should have followed. The real issue at hand was whether or not O.J Simpson had brutally murdered Nicole Brown Simpson, his ex-wife, and Ronald Goldman, her friend. Many may believe that justice was served in the trial. However, this is not the case in my opinion. Many errors were committed during the course of this trial. The jury was selected in an improper manner. The trial was held in downtown Los Angeles, as opposed to a smaller venue, which would have negated the media impact. Judge Lance Ito allowed Simpson’s defense team to use racial issues in the trial, which unfairly influenced the jury’s final verdict. The prosecution also failed to introduce several key pieces of evidence that would have placed Simpson near the scene of the crime and further implicated his guilt. Prosecutor Marcia Clark at one point stated to the jury, “You may not like me for bringing this case. I know I’m not winning any popularity contests for doing so” (Bugliosi 28). Chris Darden, Clark’s assistant on the case also implored to the jury, “Nobody wants to anything to this man. We sure don’t. This is nothing personal, but the law is the law.” The prosecution itself was intimidated by the presence of Simpson. He gained popularity in his days as a Hall of Fame football player and comedic actor and commercial pitchman. Simpson appeared in the Naked Gun film series and also filmed numerous commercials for the Hertz rental car company. Before Simpson turned himself into police custody, he attempted to make a getaway from being prosecution. On June 17, 1994, the infamous “White Bronco” chase captured the attention of a national television audience. Simpson had planned to flee the country with over eight thousand dollars in cash on his person, a fake passport, and a disguise. Simpson had also
Bibliography: Bugliosi, Vincent. Outrage. W.W. Norton and Company. New York: 1996. Murphy, Marianne. “Trial Within A Trial”. Time Magazine. September 5, 1995. Richards, Thomas. “The Dream Team’s Golden Plan”. Newsweek. February 10, 1995.