The subject of racial issues and inequality has been something that has affected human history and has impacted the world around us. For hundreds of years, racial equality has been an immense problem. Today, racial equality and injustice is being fought in many different aspects. One crucial event in the fight for equality came during the O.J. Simpson murder case. The beating of African-American Rodney King due to the actions of a police officer added to racial turmoil leading up to the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. The murder case went on to portray many examples of racial tension going on around the world, some of those examples were used against the prosecution throughout the trial. This worldwide story became the focal point …show more content…
murder case showcased racial issues and imbalance, the beating of Rodney King shaped up what was yet to come. Rodney King was an African-American man who was beaten by police officers on March 3, 1991. The white officers who were the cause of King’s beating were eventually found not guilty of any crime against King. “After hearing seven weeks of detailed testimony and studying the 81-second amateur videotape of the beating, the jury concluded that the policeman, all of whom are white, had not broken any laws when they clubbed and kicked the mostly prone motorist, Rodney G. King,” (New York Times). Later that afternoon, the monsters of society were brought out due to anger and a feel of judicial imbalance in regard to the acquittal of the four LAPD officers. Later, the mayor of California declared a state of emergency, which was followed by the Gov. Pete Wilson ordering the National Guard to activate 2,000 reserve soldiers. These riots, of which lasted five days, left more than 50 dead, and more than 2,000 …show more content…
v.s. The People was a nationally televised trial that last 133 days, which contained it’s good share of drama and excuratiating facts. One of the key turning points in society relating to this trial, would be the prosecution’s witness Mark Fuhrman who discovered the bloody glove at the scene. The defense team seized their opportunity in making Fuhrman's history of racial conflicts come to light. Although caught on camera in an interview, in cross-examination, Fuhrman was asked by a detective if he ever used the “n” word and he replied that he had never done so, which obviously was a lie. This caused turmoil throughout society, specifically to African-Americans. Fuhrman was apart of the LAPD, the same department involved in the King beating. This caused the perception that he was a racist and was obviously setting up a successful black man. This one piece of evidence affected the rest of the trial and the outlook of the LAPD and turned the situation into a race trail and it showed in society as well. Because of this, the defense was focused on making sure to get as many African-American jurors voted on as possible, in which they did successfully. 9 of the 12 jurors were African-American and set up the trial for an interesting and historic
Justice is among the most significant moral and political concepts. The word originates from the Latin jus, meaning “right or law”. All throughout history, injustice has been an issue each individual has experienced during his or her daily life. Even today we are still experiencing riots and protests from African-Americans in order to attain justice. In Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith, readers see an example of injustice through the Rodney King case and the shooting of Latasha Harlins. Rodney-King and Latasha Harlins experienced racial injustice, which can be described as the denial of rights based on an individual’s race or racial background. Both two victims were mistreated for the color of their skin and were stripped
O.J. Simpson, a great football hero, made the mistake of his lifetime that becomes the most notorious criminal case ever. Growing up on the West Coast wasn’t serene for Simpson because he was surrounded by gangs. In his high school and college years he quickly rose to be a great football player. During his time he played football in college, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy. After he became an elite athlete in college, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. He stayed with them for eight years, then transferred to the San Francisco 49ers (Knapp 1). Simpson met Nicole Brown at Daisy, an upscale Beverly Hills club. The two fell head over heels for each other and got married on February 2, 1985. During their marriage, Simpson inflicted many
Racism was running ramped during an intense court room argument, these words from Christopher Darden left people not knowing what and who to believe “There's a mountain of evidence pointing to this man's guilt, but when you mention that word to this jury, or any African-American, it blinds people. It'll blind the jury. It'll blind the truth. They won't be able to discern what's true and what's not (Noble).” When evidence of Fuhrman being racist had surfaced to the public it instantly changed where everyone stood with the case.
On June 12,1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered. Their bodies were discovered outside Nicole Simpson's condominium. Nicole Simpson was the estranged wife of the famous football player and T.V. star O.J. Simpson.
This incident would have produced nothing more than another report for resisting arrest had a bystander, George Holliday, not videotaped the altercation. Holliday then released the footage to the media. LAPD Officers Lawrence Powell, Stacey Koon, Timothy Wind and Theodore Brisino were indicted and charged with assaulting King. Superior Court Judge Stanley Weisberg ordered a change of venue to suburban Simi Valley, which is a predominantly white suburb of Los Angeles. All officers were subsequently acquitted by a jury comprised of 10 whites, one Hispanic and one Asian, and the African American community responded in a manner far worse than the Watts Riots of 1965. ?While the King beating was tragic, it was just the trigger that released the rage of a community in economic strife and a police department in serious dec...
The Los Angeles riots were a release of pressure that had build up from the innocent charging of Officer Laurence M. Powell and other Police officers that "Used excessive force" on Rodney King on March 3, 1991, but that was not the only reason.(8) In the words of a singer singing about the riots "They said it was for the black man, they said it was for the Mexican, but not for the white man, but if you look at the streets it wasn't about Rodney King, It's bout this f****d up situation and the f****n' police."(9) Did the riots even have anything to do with King? Was King a minor reason for this to happen, or did King put the level of pressure right over the top? Whatever way you see it, the fact is that on April 29, 1992, anarchy was set free in Los Angeles and before the papers could write about the happenings in this city of angels, the writing on the walls could tell it all.
The O. J. Simpson Trial 1995 Professor Shea Criminology CCJ1001 July 26, 2017. It was the night of June 12, 1994, a woman and her long-time male friend were murdered in cold blood. The victims, Nicole Brown Simpson, her neck cut so savagely it 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.
In the play Twelve Angry Men, a boy is on trial for supposedly murdering his father after a night of arguing. Rodney King, twenty-five, was beaten by four caucasian Los Angeles Police Department officers on March 3, 1991 (CNN Wire 1). On this day, King was pulled over for exceeding the speed limit while intoxicated (Kaplan 1). The jury of both of these cases played a major role in the verdict of each case. In the play Twelve Angry Men, the twelve men that make up the jury are faced with a difficult decision to make; deciding whether or not a nineteen year old boy was guilty of murder. Fast forwarding forty-three years later, twelve jurors were given the Rodney King case in which they had to decide the fate of the four Los Angeles officers that brutally beat Rodney King, an African-American citizen. Being a member of the jury on the Rodney King case must have been a difficult task given the evidence surrounding the trial.
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.
If they truly committed a crime, they must do the time, but death should not be the penalty for rape; furthermore, if the rule stands, it should be impartial and required to be color blind. Clearly, the negative and hateful practices against blacks as they were being murdered, due to racial discrimination and prejudicial injustice, further highlights institutional practices. With the rejections of the U.S. Supreme Court and Martinsville Circuit Court judge’s refusal to have mercy and deliver a fair trial; ultimately, demonstrates a systematic process set forth to crush blacks. Selecting prospective black jurors as a sign of balance diversity in an effort to appease blacks, was a sure sign that tokenism was on display; however, their decision to use 72 all-white male jurors throughout the six trials, prove otherwise. Hostility against the black society in Martinsville, VA exposes a Jim Crow South in full effect, and although it has reduced compared to the 1940s, it still exists; however, today it is more convert and subtle. While no one will deny Floyd’s rape; on the other hand, none should feel good about the hateful discrimination against these young black men, who had no opportunity of a fair trial and all request for one was ignored or rejected. Local and international support for these men, were immensely immeasurable; nevertheless, they fail to convince the evil minds of a whites only institution. It took
Rodney King. A story many people know. King was a victim of the L.A. Police brutality. A video showed Mr. King being beaten during his arrest. The video clearly shows a defenseless King being viciously attacked. King suffered a fractured facial bone, a broken right ankle, and multiple bruises and lacerations. As the officers took King to the hospital they bragged to the nurses and doctors about how many times they hit king. Four police officers were charged with excessive use of force. Three of the police officers were full acquitted and the jury failed to reach a verdict on the others. This was the first big case of police brutality that caused an uproar. What is police brutality?
April 29th, 1992 at the intersection of Florence and Normandie, Reginald Denny a white truck driver was pulled from his truck cab and beaten senseless as a news helicopter above captured the attack on videotape. Governor Pete Wilson immediately called a state of emergency and ordered the National Guard to take the streets of Los Angeles, in an attempt to salvage what they could of the city. Prior to the beginning of the Rodney King Riots, also known as the 1992 South Central Riots, was decades of racial tension paired with the notorious maltreatment of the Los Angeles Police Department. The actual beating of Rodney King by four Los Angeles Policemen is considered the main catalyst of the riots, but truly the riots have a
In the 1990s a series of riots and racial tension among the African American community was evident. In 1991, many people were stunned to see footage of a CHP police officer brutality beating a young African American named Rodney King, who was being chased by police for driving under the influence. The trial of Rodney King was held in Simi Valley, a white community. In 1992 the officer involved in the beating was found not guilty. The response from the African American community was terrifying and revealed the ways in which race divided Los Angeles, similarly like the 1960s Watts Riots. A serious a looting and mass violence swept Southern California. That same year, a Korean grocery woman named Soon Ja Du argued with an African American teenager
Violence spread throughout California and in the end “killed more than 60 people, injured almost 2,000, led to 1,000 arrests, and caused nearly $1 billion in property damages including the burnings of more than 3,000 buildings” (“Riots Erupt in Los”). Among the innocent people injured was a white truck driver named Reginald Denny. He was approached by “a group of rioters enraged over the Rodney King verdict rushed toward him, pulled him out of the cab and beat him to within an inch of his life” (“The L.A Riots”). Although this occurred over two decades ago, police brutality among African Americans continues to be an issue