Trial Of The Century O.J. Simpson Essay, Research Paper
In the past every decade has endured an event that has marked history in some way or another. The 30?s marked The Great Depression. The 60?s showed the assassination of President Kennedy. And although the 90?s isn?t quite over yet, one of the most memorable events would undoubtedly be the Trial of the Decade?The O.J. Simpson murder trial.
The drama began and ended in Brentwood, California. Sunday, June 12, 1994, Sydney Simpson, (O.J.?s daughter) had a dance recital at Paul Revere Junior High School which the couple of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson attended separately. Simpson arrived at approximately six-o-clock p.m. After the recital Nicole had dinner with the children and a group of friends at The Mezzaluna Resturaunte. The same restaurant that victim Ron Goldman, 21, was currently employed. ?She was so happy,? sister Denise Brown, ?She had broken up with O.J. a week and a half before. She was going to start her life over,? (Nasser 2A). At around 9:45, shortly after Goldman?s shift, he left the restaurant. Hoping to meet up with Nicole at her condominium and return a pair of lost sunglasses to their rightful owner. It is estimated that he arrived at Nicole?s home at around 10:00 p.m. This is when the double murder occurred. Just inside the gate leading to Nicole?s condominium. It was said by the L.A.P.D. that incriminating evidence was left at Simpson?s house before going to get a Chicago flight the following morning. Now, the only current problem that Simpson was faced with, was the fact that between 9:34 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., he had no alibi (Lieber and Steptoe 24). The trial begins.
Monday, January 23, 1995. The date that the trial referred to as ?The Circus? is to start today. The jury has been selected, and both the prosecution and the defense have spent many long days at the office.
Representing the deceased Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman will be the prosecution. Marsha Clark, a mother of two with a good twenty murder trial wins under her belt will lead the prosecution team. At her side, deputy districts attorney Christopher Dardin. The basic topics that they will show to try and prove guilt will consist of four apparent concrete forms of evidence. 1.) The Bloody Glove ? Found outside of O.J.?s house, it was smeared with blood matching Nicole?s and Ron Goldman?s, according to DNA tests. Also adhering to it was hair from both victims, a fiber from Goldman?s shirt and a fiber from consistent with the Bronco?s (Simpson?s Vehicle) carpeting. The glove?s mate was found besides Nicole?s body. Both are identical to a pair Nicole bought for O.J. in December 1990 (Gleik 56). 2.) The Lost Hour ? Prosecutors will contend that O.J. has no alibi between 9:45 p.m., when he returned from McDonald?s with permanent house guest Kato Kaelin, and 10:40 p.m., when limo driver Allan Park rang O.J.?s bell and got no answer, then spotted ?a black man? going up the driveway. About the same time, Kato, on the phone with his girlfriend, heard thumps outside of his room (Gleik 57). 3.) The Trail of Blood ? According to DNA tests performed by the prosecution, the blood of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman matches bloodstains found on a knit cap near Goldman?s body, in O.J.?s Bronco and on a pair of socks found in O.J.?s bedroom. Defense will counter that police mishandled the blood samples and may have contaminated the socks, which they contend were blood free (Gleik 57). 4.) O.J.?s Character ? The prosecution will argue that O.J.?s smiling public persona masked a violent man, consumed by jealousy. They will produce the tape of Nicole?s terrified call to 911 in 1989, photos of her bruised face, and numerous witnesses to the Simpson?s troubled marriage. The defense will call experts to establish that wife battering rarely leads to murder (Gleik 58). The prosecution represents an extremely strong case; the defense will be faced
Representing the accused O.J. Simpson will be defense lawyer Johnny Cochran, legal legend F. Lee Bailey, and defense lawyer Robert Shapiro. The defense will more than likely have a more difficult time finding reasons to counteract the prosecution evidence. They will also hold heavy on the introduction of reasonable doubt. Other than that the defense has an apparent five concrete items to be brought to attention. 1.) Doubts About DNA ? Science will be a major battleground. The defense will call Nobel laureate Kary Mullis, who invented the procedure for DNA testing, to testify that the samples used by the prosecution were to small to ensure reliable results. But deputy district attorney Lisa Kahn is an expert on DNA testing, and will be expected to counter such objections (Chua-Eoan 48). 2.) Sloppy Work ? Beginning with the search of the crime scene, where the defense says blood was tracked around by careless investigators, Simpson?s lawyers will try to show police botched their analysis of blood and tissue samples. The defense will produce evidence that blood found under Nicole?s fingernails is of a different type than O.J.?s (Chua-Eoan 48). 3.) The Racist Cop ? Evidence that L.A.P.D. detective Mark Fuhrman once expressed racist opinions will be used to argue a frame-up. The defense will charge that Fuhrman may have planted the glove at O.J.?s house and that detective Philip Vanatter may have sprinkled blood on O.J.?s socks (Chua-Eoan 49). 4.) Nicole?s Character ? The defense will try to paint Nicole as a debauched and irresponsible woman who ran with the wrong crowd. This will lay the groundwork for the theory that Nicole and Ron were killed as part of a drug hit. The prosecution will denounce this as meanspirited and argue that the victim is not on trial (Chua-Eoan 49). 5.) Wild-Card Witnesses ? O.J.?s team sprang a number of witnesses. One women claims to have seen four men in knit caps running from Nicole?s home; another says she saw O.J.?s Bronco parked outside his home at the same time. However, when the prosecution starts in on their reliability and character, it may undermine the defense?s alternative-killer strategy (Chua-Eoan 49).
At the dawn of the most intense and confusing trial to take place, each lawyer did there part in presenting the best case possible. The prosecution thought they had a sure shot when they presented the bloody socks, but defense lawyer, Robert Shapiro says, Investigators ?find a pair of socks? at O.J.?s house the day after Nicole and Goldman?s bodies are discovered, Shapiro explains. ?Nobody notices any blood. Two weeks later the socks are looked at by two of our experts, along with the head of the L.A.P.D. lab. Nobody notices any blood.? Not until August, claims Shapiro, is blood discovered on the socks-lots of it, plenty to run a DNA check. And where did this blood come from? Shapiro hints that when some of Simpson?s blood was drawn on the day of his arrest, a bit seems to have disappeared. The implication: it found its way onto the socks (Lieber and Steptoe 22). Marsha Clark was full force all the time, always trying to keep a positive attitude, even when times were tough. ?I don?t believe the defense can produce everything they say they can,? says Clark. ?I can tell you that you will not see the prosecution be as complacent as we have been for the rest of this trial. Johnnie Cochran doing what every good defense lawyer should do, creating reasonable doubt. While F. Lee Baily Was the master behind the mind.
As tensions flew and emotions ran high, the trial regarded as ?The Circus? slowly came to an end. The havoc and confusion that took place in Judge Edo?s courtroom was brought to hault and millions of Americans held their breath as one jury member rose and announced the verdict: ?We, the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder (Roger Rosenblatt 42).