The O.J. Trial Legacy......

Watching today's WInona Ryder, as well as my reflections as i work on my 'FOR SAKE OF FULL DISCLOSURE' post has touched on a subject that maybe should be left unsaid, but then I remember reading that except for when Neil ARmstrong set foot on the moon, no other event had more people glued to the TV and Radio then when the Verdict came in on the OJ Trial, so I guess I might as well bring it up.

I would like everyone to touch on the following main topics.

1- WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

2-Where were you when the Verdict was read?

3-Thoughts on the Trial.

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1- Where were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase? I was in the Army, at Fort Stewart Georgia. It was VERY hot that day, as we were hard at work on our armored vehicles, as word had it we were going to be sent to Korea to beef up the DMZ, as there was that period where tensions REALLY escalated.

My father went to community college with OJ when OJ was in community college, prior to him transfering to USC. My father loved to tell the story of how after football season, they would send OJ to work out with the Soccer team, which my dad was a part of, to work on his footwork and conditioning. Loved to tell me about how OJ would be the first person to the ball, and once he got to the soccer ball, would not know what to do with it. Sports was one of the only things that my dad and I could ever talk about, disagre with each other and be civil about it. As such, we were both HUGE OJ SImpson fan's thru out my life.

We got off duty around 1700 E.S.T. I had plans to eat out that night and did not go to the Mess Hall first, so I went straight for the Barracks. I went straight to the shower.

I came out, and my roommate had turned on my TV and was watching spell bound. I joined him and there it was, on CNN. OJ's Ford Bronco, with Police in pursuit, and all i could do was put my hand on my head and remorse.

I called my dad right away. He was watching the whole thing as well. All we could say to each other for about 10 minutes was to just keep saying "God, I hope he didn't do it!! God I hope he didn't do it!!. Litterally. I would say it like 10 times, and then try to say something else, and he would just start to say "God, I hope he didn't do it!! God I hope he didn't do it!!. And it just went back and forth and back and forth for 10 minutes.

Where was I when the Verdict was read?

I was still in Georgia. I was about a week away from going home to California for 30 days, before I returned overseas to Germany to once again defend Europe from themselves.

I was at the Mess Hall. Even though the United States Army is the most diverse body you will find in america, there was no real harmony in the room at the time. Almost subconciously, the Mess Hall had divided by race. Blacks were on one side, Whites were on the other.

As they told OJ to rise, everything was silent as the verdict was read.

As you can imagine, the Black side of the room exploded in elation.

As you can imagine, the White side of the room more or less shook their heads, scoffed, and such.

My Thoughts on the Trial What i hated about the trial more then anything was the way it divided the nation. I try to believe in a strong America, a United America, and to see it torn apart the way it was, was just really sad. I won't even make a partisan remark on who it really served either.

For the record....I try to in my heart believe that somehow, someway, OJ did't do it. But my head tells me a different story.....

 

1- WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

I don't remember, but I think I was just coming home from school or playing outside and saw it on the news.


2-Where were you when the Verdict was read?

College. I was really upset, especially when I heard all these Morons in a hallway cheering. That made me sick.

3-Thoughts on the Trial.

It showed everything that is right and wrong with our justice system and the wrong far outweighed the right. I was disgusted first of all with the camera being put into the courtroom where it has no business being there. All it did was prolong and allow this to be a movie rather than a criminal case. To this day I don't watch Court TV. The Judge was terrible and he allowed the show boat to keep going with the defense and at times with the prosecution. It showed the weakness of our system through all the TV junk. It showed that power and money will get you off of a murder charge. O.J. was guilty as you can get, but when you allow a case to run amuck like that then your going to get what you get and the truth and justice was not done in this case. I only wished someone would have killed O.J. outside the court for real justice, but I hope when God gets his hands on the Juice that God squeezes the last drop of juice out of him.

 

Not being an American, we only got bits and pieces of info about the trial. It seemed to us outsiders that he was guilty. It came as a bit of a surprise that he was found not guilty.

It makes me glad of a couple of things - firstly that we don't allow cameras in our courts. The trial turned into a media circus. He was never going to get a fair trial one way or the other because of the media. The media can't even comment on a case in Australia. They can only report the facts and only once the case has been completed and verdict found can they and do they comment.

Secondly I'm glad whatever undercurrent of hatred and injustice that runs just under the surface of American society isn't a feature of the Australian way of life. Sure we have our problems, but it seems that there is something really wrong with the way America divided by race over this trial.

 

When the car chase: No idea

When the verdict happened: Actually there was no racial tension in my school. I can still remember Clayvia standing next to me as we watched on tv going "Mmm-mm. He sooo did it."

And I can still remember Amy Anthony running desperately into the cafeteria screaming "Not guilty!" and then entire cafeteria -- blacks included -- exploding in outrage.

 

1 - WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

-I can't remember.

2 - Where were you when the Verdict was read?

-Watching it on CNN. I was surprised, but not upset.

3 - Thoughts on the Trial.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is guilty. He had darn good lawyers, and the fact that the jury was made up of 10 blacks and 2 whites (I think) helped. Cochran played the race card well. Struck a chord with the jurors.

 

1- WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

Ah yes, I believe it was around 6 or 7, I was watching a re-run of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was the episode with Amanda Rogers, the human Q. Anyways, I remember being really pissed that all programming was diverted to cover this ridiculous chase.

2-Where were you when the Verdict was read?

This I don't remember. I must've been at school. At any rate, I didn't really care...

3-Thoughts on the Trial.

The most disgusting thing about the trial was the way parties reacted to the verdict. Irrespective of the evidence for or against O.J., the lines were pretty clear. Black people thought O.J. was innocent no matter what. White people thought O.J. was guilty no matter what. I can't think of what to say...I get the impression, however unfounded it may be, that black people really thought there was a huge conspiracy that was out to get black celebrities. And I get the impression that whites' opinion of O.J. would have been different if he was not married to a white woman.

Me, I don't know myself. Tons of evidence does suggest O.J. is the killer. But I still can't avoid getting into his head and think, "Why would I kill Nicole? I've got tons of money, I could have any woman I wanted." I don't think O.J. is irrational, though he's beyond cocky and a bit of a jerk. He's not psychotic. There's so many contradictions in this case I can't begin to wrap my brain around it all.

It bugs me that the prosecution could botch such a seemingly open and shut case. You can complain about the all star defense and their playing of the race card all you want, but you can't ignore the fact that the L.A. prosecutors completely dropped the ball on this case. Because guilty or not, there was more than enough evidence at hand to convict O.J.

I think the squabbling between the Goldman and Brown families over the monies won in the civil trial is disgusting. Denise Brown and Ron Goldman's father are possibly some of the most annoying television personalities I've had the displeasure of being witness to. Yes the deaths of their loved ones was tragic, but they give off this impression of being huge moneysucking leeches.

O.J. Boy, he sure knows how to stay in the public eye after we desperately try to forget this whole business. A pay-to-chat webchat? Road rage? Riding his boat over protected manatee waters? Maybe he thrives on controversy now. What ever happened to finding the real killers? And then there was that disgraceful incident on Fox News when Denise Brown was on the air and he called in, resulting in a huge argument that was nasty and proved nothing. Who the hell let O.J. even come through on the line? The whole thing seemed kind of fixed to me. But I'm cynical like that.

 

Jury Facts

Final Jury Composition

The Jury By Race: 9 Blacks, 1 Hispanics, 2 Whites

The Jury By Sex: 10 Women, 2 Men

The Jury By Education: 2 College Graduates, 9 High School Graduates

Some other facts about the final jury: (1) None regularly read a newspaper, but eight regularly watch tabloid TV shows, (2) five thought it was sometimes appropriate to use force on a family member, (3) all were Democrats, (4) five reported that they or another family member had had a negative experience with the police, (5) nine thought that Simpson was less likely to be a murderer because he was a professional athlete.

The racial composition of the initial jury pool differed considerably from the racial compostion of the final jury. The pool was 40% white, 28% black, 17% Hispanic, and 15% Asian.

The racial composition of the jury was strongly influenced by the decision of the prosecution to file the Simpson case in downtown Los Angeles rather than--as is usaully the case-- in the judicial district where the crime occurred-- in this case, Santa Monica. Had the case be filed in Santa Monica, the Simpson jury would have been mostly white instead of, as was the case, mostly African-American. With poll data showing that most whites believed Simpson to be guilty and most blacks believing him to be not guilty, the decision to file the case in Santa Monica may have been the biggest mistake the prosecution made. Vincent Bugliosi, the celebrated prosecutor in the Charles Manson case, said the mistake "dwarfed anything the defense did."

Account of the Simpson Trial

It may not, however, have been Fuhrman, but rather a soft-spoken Japanese American forensic expert named Henry Lee that won Simpson his acquittal. Lee had solid credentials, smiled at the jury, and provided what seemed to be a plausible justification for questioning the prosecution's key physical evidence. Lee raised doubts with blood splatter demonstrations, his suggestion that shoe print evidence suggested more than one assailant, and his simple conclusion about the prosecution's DNA tests: "Something's wrong." He may have, as Christopher Darden speculated after the trial, have been the person who gave the jury "permission" to do what they wanted to do anyway: acquit Simpson. Jury forewoman, Amanda Cooley, called Lee "a very impressive gentleman." Another juror agreed, describing Lee as "the most credible witness," a person who "had a lot of impact on a lot of people."

 

Where were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

I was watching 20/20 I think...they interrupted Barbara Walters for the Bronco Chase!

Where were you when the Verdict was read?

I was in Latin class, and I remember no one could pay attention in anticipation of the verdict...not even our teacher. Finally, we decided to steal---err, drag----a TV into our classroom, and watched in bated anticipation....

Thoughts on the Trial.

I didn't really follow the trial, so I can't give a good opinion about it, but I do remember how divided the nation was about the verdict.

My dad (chinese) thought for sure that OJ was guilty and thought he was found not guilty because there was eight blacks on the juror.

My mom thought it was a miscarriage of justice as well but thought the reason was because OJ bought his way out.

I do believe, just from reactions from different people, that lower-income blacks tend to sympathize with OJ and believe that the police was 'out to get him', while white (and non-blacks)tended to believe that OJ was guilty and got off because he was rich.

I think there could have been a little bit of both in the trial. If OJ was poor and black, there would have been a bigger chance that he would been found guilty, if he was rich and white, a not guilty verdict was more likely...in a case like OJ's where race and class intercept, the search for the truth may get murky, and sometimes our justice system is unable to handle the social forces which shapes our society.

I'm not saying OJ was guilty or not guilty, but certainly, the trial was not about justice, it was, from the beginning, controlled by the issues of race and class which this nation is still grappling with even today.

My two cents.

 

1- WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

At home I think, still in high school at the time. The funniest part of that, though, was when a crank caller putting on a fake accent managed to get through to Peter Jennings and covinced him that he the caller was actually in OJ's neighborhood.

2-Where were you when the Verdict was read?
At the school store, sadly I heard a loud roar of approval from the cafeteria when the decision was known.

3-Thoughts on the Trial.
One big joke. Shame that so much time was wasted following the whole thing.

 

Indeed, the reaction to the verdict was absolutely disgusting. I really felt sorry for the victims' families at that time.

I could not cheer for ANY white guy who was obviously a murderer and got off (even though I am white). No freakin way.

I remember watching it thinking how absurd the whole thing was. The way the media handled it was as equally disgusting.

 

I was in the US when the verdict came down; in Hawaii or California, I can't remember which. I still (somewhere) have a New York Times and USA Today with the cover stories.

E_S

 

For the Bronco chase: I was about an hour out of Los Angeles on Interstate 10, heading towards West L.A. All I could think was that they'd better be done by the time I got into West L.A., because the traffic is bad enough even without a car chase. The chase had wound down by the time I got into West L.A., just the fleet of helicopters were flying overhead.

Having lived in Los Angeles through the riots and such, I was not surprised by the level of distrust of the police force demonstrated by the jury. It's hard to explain if you haven't lived in L.A., but let's just say I'm a plain-looking white chick and the LAPD has aimed a shotgun at me while I was walking by the police station. Friends of color have been treated far worse.

Do I think OJ was guilty? Sure, I do. But I put a fair share of the blame on an inept prosecution and a corrupt police force.

 

I was at home for the chase and the verdict.

My thoughts on the trial is that most seem to forget what actually happenned:Two people were brutally murdered and this is something to be upset over,and then I would turn Jay Leno and see the "Dancing Ito's".Ron and Nicole should be remembered.Simpson should be forgtotten.

 

1- WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

Working at Blockbuster video, overhearing the customers.

2-Where were you when the Verdict was read?

Working at thrifty drug store, in the break room with the other employees.

3-Thoughts on the Trial.

Racism always wins.

 

I had stepped out that morning and had come back when my roomate at the time told me the chase was going on, and he was tapingit.
The trial was just a big media farce to me.

I was listening to Stern this morning, they were listening to tapes some guy produces who is able to get a hold of celebrities phone numbers and prank call them.

O.J. is one of his targets and he will call claiming to be some friend of his and at the end ask him innocently, "So O.J., you wanna go out and kill some woman tonight?"

The odd part is he acts like a good sport, laughs, says no, and hangs up.

 

one time, on the BBC, OJ was being interviewed by some british reporter. They were walking on the Venice Beach Pier talking about the trial and what it had cost him.

This woman is walking by and stops. "Excuse me, OJ, can I shake your hand?" Oj is all smiles and is like "Oh, sure" and shakes her hand.

The woman stands there smiling at OJ and the Camera. "Wow thanks, I have never shaken the hand of a killer before....." she says with a big grin as she smiles at OJ.......

 

1- WHere were you during the infamous Ford Bronco Chase?

Ironically enough a bunch of me and my friends just saw Speed. Afterwards we went to a restaurant and on the TV the chase was on. Pretty eerie.

2-Where were you when the Verdict was read?

I was in the school library. Basically school shut down for an hour and everyone was gathered in front of the TV's in the library.

3-Thoughts on the Trial.

With enough money and a good enough lawyer, you can get away with murder. I was also intrigued at how the trial of a has been ex-athlete and C-list celebrity could capture a nation's attention. Could you imagine if instead of OJ it was someone like Tom Cruise?

 

1. I was at home watching it on TV

B. I was in school, they had it on TV in our classroom and then they made a broadcast over the PA.

D. I didn't follow the case too closely, but after going thru jury duty myself the last few days, I can honestly say that it isn't easy being a juror.

 

O.J. was recently arrested for not appearing in court for boating in a (restricted) manatee area. (Sounds, bizarre I know.) I think there should be no punishment for this. It's obvious he was looking for the real killers.

How come no progress reports from the juice on that search still? ?

 

1. Dont remember.

2. Was in Senior English Class. Everyone boo'd

3. What a crock. I say anything I'd get banned.

 

There is a very interesting documentation on HBO about OJ and the trial. It sheds some light on the reaction of the verdict.....I did not realize that there was such racial divide.

1.I do not remember where I was, I could have cared less.

2.In class


3. While I felt that OJ was guilty, I also felt that is was a victory for black men everywhere. They finally got their retribution. There are so many innocent blacks in jail for crimes that white men commited. This verdict finally made the court system stand up and take a look at an incredibly flawed system.

 

You can thank the O.J. trial team for playing the race card, and that was disgraceful.

This was not an issue about race. It was a case about a double homocide. The evidence was there as clear as day and yet the dumb jury didn't want to see the truth but would rather let a killer off because they felt sorry for him.

 

This was not an issue about race. It was a case about a double homocide. The evidence was there as clear as day and yet the dumb jury didn't want to see the truth but would rather let a killer off because they felt sorry for him

While I agree that this was not an OVERT issue about race, and the fact that he did get away with murder is terrible, but no one got mad when the race card was used in the opposite way. When a black man goes to jail for a crime JUST BECAUSE HE IS BLACK. No one cried then.....it was not until a black man killed a white woman and got away with it that every white person got pissed.

 

People cared it is just that it was a long time ago. Oj was current.

OJ's case was as "open-and-shut" as you can get.

I felt sorry for black people after the trial. They threw racial progress into reverse.

If you say that OJ did not commit the crime you are either:

1. Horribly and incredibly stupid
2. Deceitful


--Joey

 

I saw the OJ Story thing on HBO the other week. It makes his entire fall even more tragic, when you look at how he had indeed beaten the color barrier.