O.J. Simpson Case Study

Background Growing up in San Francisco, O.J. Simpson ran with a street gang called the Persian Warriors or Persian Kings. He was briefly incarcerated at the city's juvenile detention center. Winning the Heisman Trophy as the game's best college player while attending the University of Southern California in 1968. In the pros, he played for the Buffalo Bills from 1969-77 and San Francisco 49ers from 1978-79, winning All-Pro honors five times and the Most Valuable Player Award in 1973. He was the first player to run for 2,000 yards in a season. Simpson is the only man to accomplish it in 14 games.

Facts Simpson was convicted of spousal abuse for beating his wife Nicole Brown Simpson. He got probation, community service, and fines totaling less than $1,000. In 1992 she divorced him, and in 1994 she was knifed to death along with her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson was considered a suspect, and promised to turn himself in to police, but he didn't show up at the agreed-upon time. Several hours later his white Ford Bronco was spotted, trailed by friend Al Cowlings. Up to 100,000,000 people watched as a "low-speed chase" down Interstate 5 was telecast live across America. When Cowling parked at Simpson's house, police waited 45 minutes for Simpson to step out of the car. He had $8,000 in cash, a fake goatee and mustache, his passport, and a loaded pistol.

The People Involved

Evidence Shortly after the time that the murder took place, he caught a plane to Chicago carrying a bag that disappeared, perhaps because it contained the murder weapon and bloody clothes. Police who came to Simpson's house found drops of blood in his car that matched his own blood and that of Ron Goldman. In Simpson's back yard, police found a bloody glove that was of a pair with one found at the scene of the crime, and they found a bloody sock in his bedroom. Simpson had a cut on his hand that might have been caused by a struggle with the victims who tried to defend themselves. Simpson's blood was found on a gate near the crime scene. T here was a plausible motive for the murder, in that Simpson had been physically abusive to his wife while they were married and was reported to have been jealous of other men who saw Nicole after their divorce

The Accused Simpson's trial was a huge media event, lasting eight months and covered at length daily. Americans were introduced to a parade of colorful characters, including Lance Ito, the judge of questionable competence; Kato Kaelin, Simpson's lazy houseguest; and Johnnie Cochran, his slick defense lawyer. When prosecutors asked Simpson to try on the killer's gloves, he couldn't squeeze his hand inside, and it was Cochran who famously quipped, "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit". Curiously, in the course of their "investigation", detectives had obtained samples of Simpson's and the victims' blood. This was considered inadmissible. When asked on the witness stand whether he'd planted any evidence to frame Simpson, LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. Simpson was acquitted, and vowed to devote his life to finding the real killers. Instead, he's played a lot of golf

Issues Murder- Charged 17-Jun-1994 (acquitted) Domestic Abuse Assault with a deadly weapon.

Rule of Law Murder – The common law definition of "murder" is "the killing of a human being by another human being with malice aforethought” meaning that it was committed after planning or "lying in wait" for the victim. Manslaughter– Manslaughter is "an unlawful killing of a human being by another human being without malice aforethought." Malice – As the term has developed, a person kills another acts with the requisite "malice" if he possesses any one of four states of mind:   1.)the intention to kill a human being; 2.)the intention to inflict grievous bodily injury on another; 3.)an extremely reckless disregard for the value of human life; or 4.)the intention to commit a felony during the commission or attempted commission of which a death results.

Analyze/A new twist In 2000, a BBC investigation suggested that in their rush to prove Simpson's guilt, police had neglected a more likely suspect -- Simpson's son by his first marriage, Jason. Jason Simpson was 24 at the time of the killings, and like his father had a history of violence. The younger Simpson was a professional chef who'd previously brandished knives when enraged. He was on anger-suppression meds at the time, and his alibi for the night in question -- that he was working -- was challenged by co-workers. Also, according to BBC's reporters, Nicole had said she thought Jason Simpson was stalking her.

Conclusion In a subsequent civil trial, where standards of proof are lower, Simpson was found liable for the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. He was ordered to pay damages totaling more than $33,000,000. Simpson lives on his NFL pension. In 2004, he was ordered to surrender his income from autographs.

Take Home Message What is the benefit of a sequestered jury? How does media have an affect on a trial? Does fame and fortune play a role in the judicial process? What role does racism play on the judicial system?

What is it all about? No trial has ever exposed the truth. A trial is simply a struggle for an acceptable level of human certainty. In criminal cases, we define that level as beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, we demand only that facts be more likely than not. Ultimate truth is just as elusive in the courtroom as it is in the classroom or the chapel or the theater.