Osvaldo Orozco
Peterson
English 2
12 September 2014
Injustice
On the night of June 12, 1994, just after midnight, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were discovered, brutally murdered outside the front courtyard of Nicole Simpson's Brentwood condominium. Nicole Simpson was the estranged wife of the famous football player and T.V. star O.J. Simpson. Ron Goldman was an acquaintance of Nicole and worked at the Mezulla Restaurant near Nicole’s’ condo. He was believed to have been returning a pair of glasses Nicole’s mother had left at the restaurant earlier that evening. Even though O.J. Simpson was found not guilty in the crime of murder, the large amount of evidence, including DNA evidence, undoubtedly proved guilt, and a murderer walked free. Judge Lance Ito was appointed to hear the case which was widely broadcasted and televised. The prosecution was led by lawyers, Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden and the defense was lead by “The Dream Team”, lawyers, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro and Robert Blasier. The case was filed in the downtown district of Los Angeles where a more racially diverse jury would be appointed. Keep in mind; this was only two years prior to the Los Angeles riots following the beating and trial of Rodney King. Racial tension was high and treatment of minorities was becoming a huge concern. Prosecutors also decided not to seek the death penalty, a costly mistake that would have otherwise gave them the advantage of having a “death qualified jury”, which studies have shown would have been more likely to convict and typically comprisded of white males. All these factors combined where a key advantage for the defense. Over the next 133 days the case heard 150 witnesses and had cost $15 million to try. Early Monday morning, Simpson was notified by phone of the murders, while attending a business meeting in Chicago. During the phone call, Simpson expressed no signs of grief or concern. Suspiciously, Simpson had left for his business meeting that same night of the murders at 11:45 pm from Los Angeles. A limousine driven by Allan Park had been set to take Simpson from his estate to the airport that night and ended up leaving half an hour late of schedule, leaving at 10:56 pm from the estate. Park arrived at Simpson’s estate and at 10:25 pm called to report that there had been no answer at the door. Suspiciously enough, Park noticed a man who he presumed to be Simpson walk across the residence driveway. A few minutes later, Simpson opens the door, claiming to have fallen asleep. Following the notice, Simpson flew back to L.A. arriving around noon on June 13, to find a full on investigation at his home. The LAPD questioned Simpson briefly that day and since then the investigation began to close in on Simpson. A few days later police obtained enough evidence to seek an arrest warrant and under an agreement with one of Simpson’s lawyers, he was to turn himself in by 10:00 on the morning of June 17. Simpson failed to turn himself in at the agreed time and police where now on the hunt for Simpson. At around 6pm, a motorist spotted Simpson and a friend in a white bronco, notifying police, in which became a slow speed chase that ended in Simpson’s driveway. A loaded gun, $8,750 in cash, a false beard and mustache, and a passport where discovered by police in the vehicle. Any rational person would think Simpson had planned to escape, showing indications of guilt. Simpson had one of the best defense money can buy and their strategy was to discredit the physical evidence of the persecution and seek an acquittal. Keep in mind that the LAPD They also argued that Simpson was so crippled by arthritis that he couldn’t have possibly committed the murders. Another key element in the defense victory was when Mark Furhman took the stand. The prosecution disclosed tapes of Fuhrman during an interview with a screenwriter saying had sometimes planted evidence to help secure convictions. The defense suggested that Fuhrman had took blood samples and staged the bloody glove at the crime scene to frame Simpson. D The prosecution's physical evidence included a bloody glove, bloody socks, hair, and fibers and a trail of blood drops connecting the crime scene and O.J.'s estate. Defense lawyers say this physical evidence means nothing because it was either purposely tainted or contaminated. Kenneth Berris testified that two laundry bags are still missing from Simpson's Chicago hotel room. The bloody clothes and murder weapon have never been found. Prosecutors say DNA tests place Simpson's genetic markers on the drops of blood leading away from the bodies. There were also blood samples, similar to Simpson's and the victims, found on O.J.'s Bronco truck. Simpson's blood was also found on his driveway and his foyer. The prosecution says Simpson cut his hand during the murder explaining the trail of blood found in at the murder scene which could have come from only 1 out of 170 million sources of blood, which matched the profile of Simpson. The blood on the socks matched that of Nicole’s and only 1 out of 6.8 billion sources of blood matched the sample. This undoubtedly should of sealed the prosecution of Simpson. The prosecution put a great number of witnesses forward which showed motive and a history of jealousy and abuse by Simpson. Simpson was portrayed as abusive and controlling by the prosecution’s witnesses. Another set of witnesses established a timeline connecting Simpson to the murder, showing opportunity. One of the most important witnesses and yestimoneys of the trial was Limo driver, Allan Park. After establishing the timeline of his arrival and departure at the estate, and describing the man who he presumed to be Simpson entering the home, Park testified that Simpson was caring small black bag, which he would not let him touch. The murder weapon was presumed to be inside that small back bag. The bag was never seen again and a skycap at the Los Angeles Airport testified that he saw Simpson near a rubbish bin, possibly getting rid of the murder weapon. October 3, 1995, Ito's clerk, Deidre Robertson, announced the jury's verdict: "We the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder." The verdict was broadcasted live and millions of people saw a murderer walk free.

Works Cited
Bugliosi, Vincent. "O.J. Simpson Was Guilty." Readings for Logical Analysis. By Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks and David Kelley. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998. 8-12. Print.
Cochran, Jhonnie. "O.J. Simpson Was Not Guilty." Readings for Logical Analysis. By Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks and David Kelley. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998. 13-22. Print.
Linder, Douglas O. "The Trial of Orenthal James Simpson." Famous Trials. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Law, 2000. Web. 12 Sep. 2014.