A light breeze stirred through the town of Brentwood, Las Vegas, on the night of June 13, 1994. Large rows of homes decorated the streets, painted white with colored roofs. Within one condo in this village, two tender aged children slumbered in their beds, both shy of nine years old. The remains of two slaughtered bodies decomposed just one floor below. The mother, only 35, lies in a pool of her own blood on the cold, dark floor, her neck slashed and head nearly decapitated. Only a few feet away, a young man of 25 slumps against the wall, his neck slit twice. This crime scene sets the platform for one of the most controversial cases in American history. Amid charges of racial bias and framing, “The Trial of the Century” captured the attention of citizens all over America as …show more content…
Simpson resided in a small home with his single mother (after her divorce with Jimmy Lee Simpson in 1952) and three siblings. Simpson, never receiving an authoritative father figure, joined a gang known as the “The Persian Warriors” at the impressionable age of 13. That same year, Simpson spent a week at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center for a dangerous fight. However, O.J.’s circumstances greatly improved when he attended college at the University of South Carolina on a scholarship. In fact, “After overwhelming the competition at the City College of San Francisco, he gained fame as a two-time All-American halfback for the USC Trojans, setting NCAA records and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1968” (“O.J. Simpson”). Thus, success in college catapulted O.J into a promising football career, eventually earning a spot on the Buffalo Bills in 1969. Nicknamed “The Juice,” Simpson excelled greatly in the National Football League (NFL), completing five consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing. Hence, Simpson overcame numerous obstacles that emerged from his childhood to become a well-known and respected football star in the
found behind the guest house was proven by DNA testing to have O.J.'s blood and
The Casey Anthony trial has been arguably the most controversial case since the trial of O.J. Simpson and has been speculated over ever since the verdict had been given in July of 2011. It was decided by a jury of her peers that Anthony was not guilty of murder, for the death of her daughter Caylee. Many believe that Anthony should have been found guilty however, very little Americans actually comprehend the justice system.
In his article, “The Nightmare of the West Memphis Three”, Rich explores how the people of Memphis drew horrific conclusions about people based on the lifestyle they chose to practice. The article highlights the trials and tribulations faced by the accused three young teenagers. Rich does this by citing the popular documentary series “Paradise Lost” which is an in depth analysis into the lives of the accused, the victims’ families and members of the community. This paper outlines how the belief system of that time superseded the inconclusive evidence, which ultimately led to an unfair trial. By “othering” and “marginalizing” those three teens, the society and police created a scenario that aligned with their belief system at the time. Lastly, this paper highlights the influence of the media and celebrity in changing the course for these boys.
Is O. J. Guilty Or Not? -? well it all started out like this, O.J. was at the club, and Nichole was there also. They met, and a couple days later they started to go out. While still married by Margerite Whitley.
One of the most coveted trials in terms of popularity and media attention the O.J Simpson trial which took place between 1994 and concluded on October 2,1995 with O.J Simpson being acquitted of charges laid upon him during the Murder Trial Due to handling of physical evidence and questions over whether Mark Fuhrman planted the bloody glove at the scene to frame O.J. so in an attempt to understand how a deviation from standard operating procedures in the handling of physical evidence can affect the outcome of a criminal trial; One most first understand evidence and how to preserve it. When the crime scene technician took blood samples from Simpson’s Ford Bronco (1996) she used a cotton swab to take samples; but instead of using
“NBA Superstar LeBron James Murders Wife”. Imagine countless newspapers and magazine covers titled with headlines like this. This would be the equivalent of the alleged O.J. Simpson murders that occurred on the night of June 12th, 1994. It was the so called “Trial of the Century” and millions were glued to their T.V’s eager to know the outcome. Sometime after ten o’clock on the night of June 12th, 1994 ex wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were brutally stabbed to death at Brown's Bundy Drive home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. As the investigation furthered and extensive research was done, more and more evidence supported O.J. Simpson as the murder.
The New York Times bestseller book titled Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case examines the O.J. Simpson criminal trial of the mid-1990s. The author, Alan M. Dershowitz, relates the Simpson case to the broad functions and perspectives of the American criminal justice system as a whole. A Harvard law school teacher at the time and one of the most renowned legal minds in the country, Dershowitz served as one of O.J. Simpson’s twelve defense lawyers during the trial. Dershowitz utilizes the Simpson case to illustrate how today’s criminal justice system operates and relates it to the misperceptions of the public. Many outside spectators of the case firmly believed that Simpson committed the crimes for which he was charged for. Therefore, much of the public was simply dumbfounded when Simpson was acquitted. Dershowitz attempts to explain why the jury acquitted Simpson by examining the entire American criminal justice system as a whole.
A classic case of race. Trayvon Martin, a young black teen, walked down the street one afternoon with a bottle of tea and a pack of skittles, before encountering a man of a different ethnic background- George Zimmerman. That tragic day was the last one Mr. Martin would ever see and it brings about the question, “Is his death justified by law?” Some may argue Zimmerman acted out of self-defense. Still others say a boy lost his life due to acts of racism. Sounds similar to the case mentioned in Twelve Angry Men, does it not? Jurors in that story were ready to send someone to their grave because of their color. In all honesty though, when the judicial system is served correctly, justice will be dished out no matter if an individual is black, white, blue, or yellow. Throughout the Zimmerman trial and the case told in Twelve Angry Men only one verdict could be reached based on evidence. Due to a plethora of personalities, one can conclude that coming to a ruling was not an easy task for either jury.
It was the night of June 12, 1994, a woman and her long time male friend are murdered in cold blood. The victims, Nicole Brown Simpson, her neck cut so savagely it was almost severed from her body and Ronald Goldman, stabbed repeatedly, nearly 30 times. The accused, her ex-husband and football star, Orenthan James Simpson, better known as O.J. Simpson. During the trial, a trial that consisted of 150 witnesses, lasted 133 days and cost in the ball park of 15 million dollars, there were many questions asked and even more questions left unanswered (Douglas).
A crime being committed is the first event to initiate our criminal justice system. On June 12th 1994 a double murder was reported at the residence of Nicole Brown Simpson the ex-wife of the then beloved Orenthal James (OJ) Simpson. It was discovered that Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman had been brutally murdered and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began their investigation, this being the second step in our criminal justice system.
The murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman were clearly committed by a man called OJ Simpson.Orenthal James Simpson has done a serious injustice to the families of both of these victims.Nicole Brown was the ex-wife of former football star, minor film star, and celebrity pitchman O.J Simpson. O.J was one of the first person to be caught under immediate suspicion in the murders and there is overwhelming evidence that support the fact that OJ was, in fact responsible for the crime of which he was acquitted.
The American public has always been fascinated by tragedy. Why? It’s in our human nature, as we tend to gravitate towards looking upon other people’s mistakes or failures as if it were as precious and watchable as someone’s victories. Add in an event so tragic being televised, and you have yourself a hit with everyday U.S citizens. The O.J Simpson Trial was a turning point in not only the American judicial system, but it completely changed the thoughts that there was no more racial division in our country. People suddenly viewed our court system as a broken, failed section of our government due to the outcome of the trial.
...ed United States. U.S. Government Accounting Office. Capital Punishment. Washington: GPO, 1994 Cheatwood, Derral and Keith Harries. The Geography of Execution: The Capital Punishment Quagmire in America. Rowman, 1996 NAACP Legal Defense Fund . Death Row. New York: Hein, 1996 "Ex-Death Row Inmate Cleared of Charges." USA Today 11 Mar. 1999: 2A "Fatal Flaws: Innocence and the Death Penalty." Amnesty International. 10 Oct. 1999 23 Oct. 1999 Gest, Ted. "House Without a Blue Print." US News and World Report 8 Jul. 1996: 41 Stevens, Michelle. "Unfairness in Life and Death." Chicago Sun-Times 7 Feb. 1999: 23A American Bar Association. The Task Ahead: Reconciling Justice with Politics. 1997 United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report. Washington: GPO, 1994 Wickham, DeWayne. "Call for a Death Penalty Moratorium." USA Today 8 Feb. 1999: 17A ILKMURPHY
After a lengthy two hundred and fifty-two-day trial “not guilty” were the words that left the world in shock. O.J Simpson was your typical golden boy. He had it all, the nice car, the football career, and his kids. Unfortunately, this all came to an end when two bodies came to be spotted deceased in Nicole Browns front yard and was a gruesome sight. O. J’s ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman both found with brutal stab marks. Unfortunately, all his glory days now brought to an end, he went from playing on the field to begging for his freedom when becoming the main suspect of their murders. Since this trial has not only altered the way Americans viewed celebrities, but it also racially divided society,
O.J Simpson was formerly a national football star in the U.S and hailed as one of the country’s foremost top athlete star, and has even reached celebrity status in his own right in securing endorsement deals (Swisher, 1994), acting roles (Lowry, 2000), and talk show guest appearances (Espn.com, 2003). During his athletics career, he earned the nickname “The Juice” from his name initial, O.J, as “orange juice” and a metaphor for electricity or power referring to his charismatic embodiment of might and power (Moran,