All of the players have since moved on. Alan Dershowitz went from defending the murderer of two innocent people to defending Israel—murderer of thousands of innocent people. He is good at what he does. In any case, the trial was a slam-dunk case against the entire justice system in America, which can only be described as a farce in bad taste.
Tragic story all the way around. The savage deaths of two young people in their prime; the decline and fall of a talented, attractive athlete; and two children left without a mother or a father. Calls into question the effects of celebrity and wealth on our perceptions of people and what we are willing to believe or not believe to hang on to those perceptions.
I'm Black and there was no doubt in my mind that OJ did it. But I never thought Marcia Clarke and Chris Darden lost the case. The LAPD lost it for them, that racist slimeball Mark Fuhrman lost the case.
I've never forgotten how mad White people were after that verdict. I remember one White man who interrupted a conversation I was having with the Mexican cashier and just started yelling. I asked him 'How does it feel? White men have been getting away with murder for centuries. Now that Black people have the power to do what White people have done all this time, how does it feel?'
It would have been nice if White people had learned something from the Simpson case but they didn't. George Zimmerman is still walking free.
I've never forgotten how mad White people were after that verdict. I remember one White man who interrupted a conversation I was having with the Mexican cashier and just started yelling. I asked him 'How does it feel? White men have been getting away with murder for centuries. Now that Black people have the power to do what White people have done all this time, how does it feel?'
It would have been nice if White people had learned something from the Simpson case but they didn't. George Zimmerman is still walking free.
"The evidence against O.J. was overwhelming, but this country’s history of racism helped produce a complex cultural moment in which a man accused of murder was set free in order to condemn a corrupt police force."
Not really. The message of the OJ verdict was unequivocal. Laws do not apply to the wealthy and powerful. The entire justice system is a huge joke.
Not really. The message of the OJ verdict was unequivocal. Laws do not apply to the wealthy and powerful. The entire justice system is a huge joke.
1
There was a TV show interviewing the jury about 10 year after the verdict. To a person, both black and white. they were sure OJ was guilty, but the case was presented so badly and their LAPD bungling created enough "reasonable" doubt in their minds and they had to vote to acquit.
OJ is where he belongs, in jail. I am sure he can find the real killer in the mirror everyday.
OJ is where he belongs, in jail. I am sure he can find the real killer in the mirror everyday.
3
This was a well written, produced and acted mini series throughout. It's only a matter of who not if one or more of the actors receive Emmy nominations.
OJ's case, like Michael Jackson's later, was mostly about one thing, not race but instead about money. Those who can, buy the best attorneys in the country. Wouldn't it be marvelous if everyone who went to court had to use the same legal services. Then everyone would have an actually fair trial.
OJ's case, like Michael Jackson's later, was mostly about one thing, not race but instead about money. Those who can, buy the best attorneys in the country. Wouldn't it be marvelous if everyone who went to court had to use the same legal services. Then everyone would have an actually fair trial.
1
The Riviera that won't take OJ's dinner reservation is not just a restaurant, it's the exclusive country club in Brentwood. The fact that he can't get a table, even after asking his friend the maitre'd, is another example of the divisive nature of the verdict. His exclusive, mostly white, friends want nothing to do with him. So while he is a free man, his life as he knew it is over. He may be out of jail, but he's imprisoned in a new world, not the one he left before the trial.
3
If there ever was a case where the jury should have been put on trial for malfeasance, prejudice or ineptitude, this was it.
5
I forgot to mention, the one line from Garcetti to Marcia Clark (Marcia... Please nail this.) was unbelievable. The trial was long lost by then.
2
Sorry, I just got to watch the finale last night. Devastating. I can see the African-American community getting some satisfaction from his acquittal even if I disagree; but I still cannot see that kind of cheering. It's still incomprehensible to me.
I wasn't even sure I was going to watch this miniseries; but I'm glad I did. It was unbelievably well done up and down the line. I'd especially like to praise Sterling K. Brown and Sarah Paulson for their portrayals of Chris Darden and Marcia Clark respectively. Truly unbelievably good. The closing arguments and that conversation they had was so moving. Masterfully done.
I did not really understand the bit with Robert Shapiro after the closing arguments talking about wanting to see Oscar de la Hoya train. Was that to show how out of touch he was? It wasn't like the other vacation plans were so fantastic. I don't think Travolta's portrayal was very good. The only really discordant note. He's very good in many things; but holding his head up and his odd manner of speaking didn't match Shapiro at all. Even his photo next to Shapiro's at the end showed how much less he looked like his character than the others.
By the way, I think the restaurant he referred to (Riviera) was the country club, not a restaurant.
I wasn't even sure I was going to watch this miniseries; but I'm glad I did. It was unbelievably well done up and down the line. I'd especially like to praise Sterling K. Brown and Sarah Paulson for their portrayals of Chris Darden and Marcia Clark respectively. Truly unbelievably good. The closing arguments and that conversation they had was so moving. Masterfully done.
I did not really understand the bit with Robert Shapiro after the closing arguments talking about wanting to see Oscar de la Hoya train. Was that to show how out of touch he was? It wasn't like the other vacation plans were so fantastic. I don't think Travolta's portrayal was very good. The only really discordant note. He's very good in many things; but holding his head up and his odd manner of speaking didn't match Shapiro at all. Even his photo next to Shapiro's at the end showed how much less he looked like his character than the others.
By the way, I think the restaurant he referred to (Riviera) was the country club, not a restaurant.
3
I realize that it's hard to find out what when on during jury deliberations but I found it odd that there was no discussion about how the two jurors who voted guilty came so quickly to turn around (and we never find out who the second juror was although the implication was it was the young white woman).
Were the writers implying that the jurors were so tired of the case they finished it quickly or that the two jurors became convinced it was better to find O.J. not guilty than risk riots in L.A. like with the Rodney King case.
Were the writers implying that the jurors were so tired of the case they finished it quickly or that the two jurors became convinced it was better to find O.J. not guilty than risk riots in L.A. like with the Rodney King case.
4
I thought the show was terrific. My heart was pounding before the verdict was read, even though I watched the original trial. One of the great ironies was that although O.J. was exonerated by the jury, in the end he was ostracized by the community that he had always sought out, the white community. He was embraced by the black community, but apart from some ex-teammates, he didn't identify with that community. He was an exile. O.J. was found not guilty, but in my opinion the jury is: guilty of gross negligence. Regardless of one's opinion of the verdict, the fact that the jury didn't bother to re-examine a single piece of evidence or testimony is inexcusable. For example, how could an honest person not want to take a closer look at those gloves to see if they could have shrunk or what effect it might have to put on latex gloves before trying on the bloody gloves? The program highlights the issue of race in the jury's decision, but maybe there was also the fact that they were just desperate to get back to their lives. I find the jury guilty.
19
Didn't see the show, just remember the real event. Seem to recall that OJ was taken off his meds for a few days which was why his hands were swollen when he tried on his gloves.
2
At the time I was outraged that OJ got off. I still believe he did it but the defense put up a brilliant case and I can now see how reasonable doubt was created.
Even the foreperson said, that she might believe that he did the crime but thought the prosecution did not prove its case.
Even the foreperson said, that she might believe that he did the crime but thought the prosecution did not prove its case.
4
There are comments here blaming the prosecution for not doing a better job. I remember during the trial hearing incessantly about OJ's "Dream Team" defense, and the series showed the large cadre of defense attorneys at the hearings. With Johnnie Cochran running a case based on Race and the defense dragging out every single motion, it seemed like the prosecution did the job we expect from our civil servants. It's now easy to 2nd guess, but I don't feel they lost the Trial of the Century, but instead were cast members in the Circus of the Century.
10
the century was more than just the ninties...i would nominate the Lindberg kidnapping trail, or evern Rosenberg trail also as being "trails of the century"
1
He wasn't criminally found guilty of two very brutal murders but should have been. Now he is a broken man sitting in a cell in Nevada for some very serious crimes. He will be eligible for parole in 2017, I truly hope the Goldman's are able to be there and hopefully demand that he serve his entire sentence of 33 years. The man/myth is such a narcissist that he well never admit what he did because in his twisted little mind he did nothing wrong, he thinks it's always someone else's fault. He fits perfectly into the sociopath personality and mentality. Just watch the video of him giving his deposition during the civil trial. It would make your skin crawl. I chose not to watch this series I watched it as it happened, I voraciously read Dominick Dunne's first hand accounts during the entire trial. I couldn't bear to sit through a tv movie about this awful excuse for a human being.
I had a run in of sorts with this man......years ago on vacation not 5 feet behind me on a Caribbean Island the cabana boys searching for a spot on the pristine beach for this man to sit with his female entourage....the only place open at the moment was a garbage can where he sat...I thought then as I do now how truly appropriate. It was just too bad he couldn't be take out with the rest of the putrefied garbage.
Karma came back with a vengeance for this beast. May he serve the rest of his days behind grey walls in the stench of Lovelock Correctional Center. Alone, broken and still in denial.
I had a run in of sorts with this man......years ago on vacation not 5 feet behind me on a Caribbean Island the cabana boys searching for a spot on the pristine beach for this man to sit with his female entourage....the only place open at the moment was a garbage can where he sat...I thought then as I do now how truly appropriate. It was just too bad he couldn't be take out with the rest of the putrefied garbage.
Karma came back with a vengeance for this beast. May he serve the rest of his days behind grey walls in the stench of Lovelock Correctional Center. Alone, broken and still in denial.
8
Excellent series though it omitted what felt like crucial courtroom work at the time: the DNA testimonyBarry Sheck elicited could have created reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors even if they believed O.J. did it. Also I wish the show had addressed a question I never heard answered at the time or since: if O.J. had a cut on his hand and was wearing gloves, was there a cut on one glove?
4
I think no because if so it would've been powerful evidence of guilt. My guess would be that at some point during the frenzy of the crime, he wanted a better grip on the knife and removed the gloves -- after which he cut his finger -- and failed to stuff them securely in his pockets, dropping one at the crime scene and one at Rockingham. Or maybe he dropped both at the crime scene and Fuhrman did plant one of them at Rockingham.
1
Pictures of Simpson's hands were shown to the jury. There were cuts to the fingers of his left hand. He first told investigators that he cut his hand while rushing out of his house to make his flight the night of the murders. During his pretrial deposition he contradicted himself saying that he cut his fingers while breaking a glass in his Chicago hotel room. There was testimony from detectives, presumably Chicago detectives, that there was no blood on the broken glass found in Simpson's hotel room but that there was a swipe of blood on a washcloth and several drops on the pillowcases and sheets of the bed. A former coroner from Detroit named Spitz, who did not examine the bodies himself but rather relied on photos and the coroner's reports, testified that the cuts on Simpson's hand did not have the sharp edges consistent with a cut from broken glass or a knife. His conclusion was that the cuts were fingernail gouges consistent with someone clawing to break free of a choke hold. These details were reported by the L.A. Times on November 9, 1996. Left unanswered is the question of whether the fingernails of either Nicole or Goldman were consistent with this opinion.
3
For any detective to plant a glove from the crime scene at Rockingham defies belief. At that poiint the detectives did not know whether or not O.J. had an alibi. If O.J. had an iron-clad alibi, such as he was socializing with a friend during the murders, it would be obvious someone with access to Bundy and Rockingham had planted the glove and that would mean Fuhrman. Fuhrman would face felony charges and prison time and of course would be fired and lose his pension. Who would believe that anyone would risk all that without even knowing whether O.J. had an alibi? To think that Fuhrman would risk that just because he was a racist who envied O.J is just not believable.
5
Did O.J., wretched beater of Nicole several times, slay her and Ron Goldman with knife, less than 2 hours before his scheduled flight? And leave only the slightest amount of blood? According to the TV series, the prosecution did not come close to agreeing with the prosecution. Slaying two people with a knife left a pool of blood but so little on O.J?
1
You've seen too many horror movies. The blood doesn't necessarily spurt out all over the attacker.
This show was based on a book by someone that obviously believes with all of their heart that OJ committed these murders... It was unfair to both the prosecutors and the jurors
No impartial jury should've convicted OJ with the mountain of evidence suggesting a clear planting of evidence. No prosecution team, despite their best efforts, could have proved anything without a reasonable doubt to an impartial jury with this type of manipulation of evidence on LAPD's part.
They did their best
No impartial jury should've convicted OJ with the mountain of evidence suggesting a clear planting of evidence. No prosecution team, despite their best efforts, could have proved anything without a reasonable doubt to an impartial jury with this type of manipulation of evidence on LAPD's part.
They did their best
1
There is zero evidence that any evidence was planted.
14
Explaining all the blood evidence as having been planted is hardly reasonable.
A savage rage slaughter without rape or burglery is another kind of evidence in the context of the dance concert where OJ was humiliated, plus a history of violence.
Motive.
LAPD racism was effecivly punished, but not the murderer. Poor OJ, humiliated by his father's crosdressing and seeking an alternative identity in the white celebrity world, was a tormented soul.
A savage rage slaughter without rape or burglery is another kind of evidence in the context of the dance concert where OJ was humiliated, plus a history of violence.
Motive.
LAPD racism was effecivly punished, but not the murderer. Poor OJ, humiliated by his father's crosdressing and seeking an alternative identity in the white celebrity world, was a tormented soul.
3
The whole point of the jury room scenes was to show that it was about a REASONABLE DOUBT, not certainty. Only the most biased person doesn't believe O.J. did it. You can argue, largely because of Ito, that much evidence that should have been included was not.
One scene I'd hoped to see, but which wasn't presented, was the major issue of a lab report that the prosecution submitted to the defense 'late.' It showed that the fibers from the Bronco happened to be pretty rare (it was a limited run of that particular carpet in that color, something like only 135 ever made). Ito disallowed it. Of course it wouldn't have mattered to that jury. They showed how they weren't going to convict him if they had it on video tape.
One scene I'd hoped to see, but which wasn't presented, was the major issue of a lab report that the prosecution submitted to the defense 'late.' It showed that the fibers from the Bronco happened to be pretty rare (it was a limited run of that particular carpet in that color, something like only 135 ever made). Ito disallowed it. Of course it wouldn't have mattered to that jury. They showed how they weren't going to convict him if they had it on video tape.
5
Having watched the OJ Simpson case live, having prosecuted an entire murder trial while a single witness was on the stand (DNA expert Robin Cotton) the OJ Simpson case and the Scoundrel Tea did more to harm relations between white and black people than all the cop shootings of the last year.
In another NYT commentary the writer muses that Cochran and Clark were trying different cases, seeking different truths.
To quote documentarian Errol Morris, director of THE THIN BLUE LINE (about a wrongful conviction), there "is no truth for you and truth for me, there is only the truth...."
In another NYT commentary the writer muses that Cochran and Clark were trying different cases, seeking different truths.
To quote documentarian Errol Morris, director of THE THIN BLUE LINE (about a wrongful conviction), there "is no truth for you and truth for me, there is only the truth...."
1
Since this series began, I've found myself wondering if OJ will figure out that if he donates his brain upon death to Boston University for CTE analysis, a result of extensive brain damage will give him somewhat of a posthumous "out" for his violent behavior and murder of Ron and Nicole. Not a full excuse or pardon by any means, but it may cast a reasonable doubt on whether he was fully responsible for his actions. We will see...
10
I found myself wondering the same thing, did his years of extensive concussions cause brain damage? I work with students with frontal lobe injuries who have little impulse control who attack without warning.
3
The show was terrific, and this is a fine review. But you might have noted this is one of the only episodes that shows the Goldmans' devastation. In everyone's coverage it was and is only OJ, OJ, OJ. I can't imagine how they held up under that.
14
I wonder if the jurors have any remorse knowing that they let a killer go free because of their own personal biases. I would be ashamed.
19
What did you expect from a very racist jury?
10
very excellent review. very excellent. you hit all the marks, commented on all the right things.
thank you
thank you
1
The People vs O.J Simpson is probably one of the best shows on tv in a long time. Going behind the scenes and beyonds the murders themselves shows us parts of the trial that America didn't get to see. Sarah Paulson's emotionally,brilliantly protrayed preformance of Marcia Clark as a single mom,trying to balance home life with trying the "Trial Of The Century" and Sterling K. Brown's realistic preformance of Christopher Darden,whose gutsy attitude "Yes,I am black too,and your point?" going for the gusto and justice,I feel brought to the viewers as well as myself a different side of the trial that was not protrayed on tv,and yes,I watched the trial from beginning to end.If these two actors don't recieve Emmys for their preformances, I will be amazed.
8
Really well done show, capturing a truly amazing and unique time in recent American history much as I remember it. I was, however, disappointed in how much time and effort was put into making Robert Kardashian a sympathetic figure, and can't help but feel that was nothing more than pandering to his famous-for-being-famous omnipresent clan and the influence they have somehow gained over American "culture." I wonder if any of their vast sums of money were invested in this production. I don't know the actual exact details of what he did or how he felt after the verdict, but have doubts as to the accuracy of the portrayal by Ross Geller, but I do know that he stood fully and firmly alongside Simpson during the course of these events despite being aware of the history of Simpson's abuse of his wife, and being able to have a first-hand view of the evidence against Simpson. Of course, my opinion is based on the premise that I have no doubts about Simpson's guilt, so take that for what it's worth.
3
I think you are being unfair to Bob Kardashian. First of all, he was OJ's best friend, and, as a lawyer, it made sense for him to sit at the table. However, the writers of this program stated that Kardashian was a moral man who had real doubts -- but felt he had to show support. But after the trial, the two men stopped speaking because Kardashian told OJ he thought he was guilty. He died a few years later. As for his famous-for-nothing children and ex-wife? Well, he had nothing to do with that and would probably be disgusted, based on what is known of his character.
9
Java Master Mr. Simpson is in prison in Nevada, not Florida. But then this television series, much like the earlier trial seems to be based on perceptions and previously held beliefs. I don't know whether Mr. Simpson killed Ms. Brown and Mr. Goldman or not. What is clear is that the Los Angeles Police Department was incompetent and the Prosecutors were inept and arrogant. They didn't proved their case. This series help the viewers to understand that.
Yeah it must have been those Dominican drug dealers he spoke of.
4
This often wobbly miniseries (except for Paulsen who consitently superb) achieved a valuable historic clarification - that both OJ's obvious guilt (still doubted by a few of his fans) & racial injustice are true.
I wish the fact of motive or OJ's failure to ever seek the 'real killer' was left out of the postscript.
It added to the oddly chilling effect that OJ could get out next year.
I wish the fact of motive or OJ's failure to ever seek the 'real killer' was left out of the postscript.
It added to the oddly chilling effect that OJ could get out next year.
5
In case you missed last nights finale of FX’s The People vs O.J. Simpson you already know...it was no cliff-hanger.
Even if you were too young to remember the OJ obsession and the circus like atmosphere that surrounded the trial of the century, you know the infamous verdict - that the jury will find the Juice not guilty
This 10 part American Crime Story ripped straight from the headlines, made the headlines every day for over a year feeding a frenzied nation that could'nt get enough of the trial. Take a look http://wp.me/p2qifI-3qA
Even if you were too young to remember the OJ obsession and the circus like atmosphere that surrounded the trial of the century, you know the infamous verdict - that the jury will find the Juice not guilty
This 10 part American Crime Story ripped straight from the headlines, made the headlines every day for over a year feeding a frenzied nation that could'nt get enough of the trial. Take a look http://wp.me/p2qifI-3qA
1
May God bless the spirts of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Their killer is now ensconced in a Florida prison cell for different crimes.
Rough justice, indeed.
Their killer is now ensconced in a Florida prison cell for different crimes.
Rough justice, indeed.
14
Yes, O.J. went to jail for retrieving objects that had been stolen from him. He took stupid guys with him, and used a gun, when he could have had the police actually arrest the people who had his stolen property. You could not make this stuff up..
2
Isn't he in a Nevada prison?
1
A. Articles were not stolen, proceeds were to go to the Goldman's who won their civil suit against the man.
And B, The beast is serving time at Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada.
And B, The beast is serving time at Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada.
1
Whether the background was accurate or just manufactured for drama's sake I couldn't tell (though I respect Jeffrey Toobin a lot, I know him only from short articles, not from his book). But I remember the drama of the original and how we all watched on TV as the verdict came down, just as we followed the trial in excerpts broadcast evenings.
It's been as upsetting to revisit this as it was to watch in the first place, especially the ineptitude of the prosecutors. Still, the verdict of 12 good men and woman stands, as do the efforts of a defense team that served its client well. "Justice is in heaven," Gore Vidal once wrote in a screenplay, "We have the law."
It's been as upsetting to revisit this as it was to watch in the first place, especially the ineptitude of the prosecutors. Still, the verdict of 12 good men and woman stands, as do the efforts of a defense team that served its client well. "Justice is in heaven," Gore Vidal once wrote in a screenplay, "We have the law."
5
I actually read the book that several of the jury members wrote after the trial, and they explained their verdict and the speed of that verdict pretty well.
As this drama makes clear, the prosecutors were not inept; they were outmaneuvered by a cynical defense leading to a jury's refusal to do their duty and follow the evidence.
16
Sadly, not only was the black community abused by the LAPD, they were also used as a pawn by Cochran to release his guilty client, O. J. Simpson. The black jurors played right into the hands of Cochran. Also, I would really like to know why Mark Fuhrman currently appears on so many news programs to give his point of view on current affairs. There are no adequate words to describe Fuhrman that can also be printed on this website. He was a dirty cop, a racist and the main reason O.J. Simpson was set free after brutally killing two people in cold blood.
36
Mark Fuhrman is mainly featured on Fox News.
1
Like blacks don't denigrate whites in any way shape or form right?
Dream on.
Dream on.
3
For me, one of the weaknesses of the series was that it demonized Fuhrman in a way that was not the case as I recall it from the trial. Others got more balanced presentations of their flaws and strengths; but not Fuhrman. Most if not all of the statements we heard were not said from his point of view but from the point of view of the screenplay he was supposed to be working on.
2
At the time, I called this a Klan justice, victory the New Klan, the AfriKlan
Chris Rock, he who is banned on campus for honest humor, said - he heard 'we win we win' and said we won what? cutbacks in head start programs?
The burden of proof is on the prosecution, and forensics are the burden of the police, integrity of the evidentiary trail
and the jury is supreme
The civil trial found Orenthal James guilty, lower burden of proof
"how do we know OJ did not kill these people? answer -when Buffalo Bills panic they choke, not cut"
OJ legacied us with the Kardashians, count me as NOT a fan, but as an amazed student of culture
let us recall Alan Dershowitz For The Defense
Chris Rock, he who is banned on campus for honest humor, said - he heard 'we win we win' and said we won what? cutbacks in head start programs?
The burden of proof is on the prosecution, and forensics are the burden of the police, integrity of the evidentiary trail
and the jury is supreme
The civil trial found Orenthal James guilty, lower burden of proof
"how do we know OJ did not kill these people? answer -when Buffalo Bills panic they choke, not cut"
OJ legacied us with the Kardashians, count me as NOT a fan, but as an amazed student of culture
let us recall Alan Dershowitz For The Defense
1
This series was just outstanding and exceeded my expectations in every way. It was so thoughtful, smartly written and offered many perspectives on this multi-faceted trial. It did something I didn't think was possible: make me understand how the jury could vote to acquit, even though I profoundly disagree with their decision and was insulted by their shameful deliberations. I recall during the trial thinking that Johnnie Cochran was just an opportunistic buffoon, but I must admit the show gave me some grudging respect for him. The entire cast gave Emmy worthy performances with the two standouts for me being Sarah Paulson and, especially, Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden whose stoicism, decency and emotion-filled eyes will stay with me for a long time. The scene of him breaking down and hugging the Goldman's was devastating.
45
This has been quality television. The series was tightly written, superbly acted and apart from depicting the actual events of the trial, dealt with broader issues of race and policing that plague this country to this day. Even though we all knew the outcome, the series was compelling and engrossing, and what is even better, it made you think. Kudos to the producers, writers, actors and directors, and all involved in making this such a great television event.
38
Ah, fiction...
1
I think the whole OJ story was ,and is a precursor to race relations spiraling downward.However,the point is this.It never had to be. Blood doesn't lie,blood doesn't make up little nursery rhymes...All payback for slavery,and "get whitey" is the underbelly mantra of the left in our society today.
3
@Albert Shanker
"All payback for slavery,and "get whitey" is the underbelly mantra of the left in our society today."
So in a Venn diagram "all blacks" and "all liberals" are the same circle?
Get thee to a psychiatrist.
"All payback for slavery,and "get whitey" is the underbelly mantra of the left in our society today."
So in a Venn diagram "all blacks" and "all liberals" are the same circle?
Get thee to a psychiatrist.
1
Ah, the glove didn't fit, they had to acquit. "Thanks, Chris."
2
@MontanaOsprey
I never understood why the prosecutors failed to point out that O.J. had gloves on underneath so it would be a tighter fit, and that gloves coated with dried blood are stiff and don't stretch like supple leather normally does.
I never understood why the prosecutors failed to point out that O.J. had gloves on underneath so it would be a tighter fit, and that gloves coated with dried blood are stiff and don't stretch like supple leather normally does.
7
Didnt matter.
Try an experiment at home. Take a glove that is 2 sizes too large for your hand. Now stretch your fingers out wide like a fan blade and try to get the glove to fit. It won't.
It's easy to make a glove not fit if you don't want it to fit, even if the glove size is totally adequate to your hand.
That's what the stupid prosecution didn't realize. Cochran knew he could get OJ to fake the glove not fitting even if it was 2 sizes too large instead of too small. Cochran was playing chess and the prosecution was playing tic tac toe.
Try an experiment at home. Take a glove that is 2 sizes too large for your hand. Now stretch your fingers out wide like a fan blade and try to get the glove to fit. It won't.
It's easy to make a glove not fit if you don't want it to fit, even if the glove size is totally adequate to your hand.
That's what the stupid prosecution didn't realize. Cochran knew he could get OJ to fake the glove not fitting even if it was 2 sizes too large instead of too small. Cochran was playing chess and the prosecution was playing tic tac toe.
2
Hopefully, the Goldmans can make it to OJ's 2017 parole hearing. Their presence and possible testimony would be very helpful.
5
In all fairness, I'm not sure they'd be allowed to testify. Technically, O.J. is not guilty of that other crime. The parole hearing would be about his Las Vegas crime.
3
The O.J. case was a prism through which so many saw themselves reflected. For domestic violence victims, it has been confirmation of what we already know: EVERYONE sees us as worthless. We don't even matter when we're murdered. Do you really wonder why women don't leave? Really??
9
@Nancy
Don't confuse an aberrant murder case with how people view domestic violence victims.
The only persons who see the victims as worthless is the victims themselves since that's often what they are led to believe by the abuser. But it's just a way for abusers to keep control.
Don't confuse an aberrant murder case with how people view domestic violence victims.
The only persons who see the victims as worthless is the victims themselves since that's often what they are led to believe by the abuser. But it's just a way for abusers to keep control.
It's opening "statement" and closing "argument" .
1
"The gloves don't fit, you must acquit". Anyone who works with leather will tell you that when it's wet it shrinks considerably. If the gloves were soaked in dried blood they would have been even harder to straighten up. Of course they're not going to fit!
18
Outrage.
1
Not sure I would like this show when it began. It definitely got better as the actors became more familiar with their characters. Those of us who lived through this case will never forget it. Too bad they didn't show Rockingham getting bulldozed or at least hint at the civil suit the Goldman's filed. That would have been appropriate for the Goldman car scene after the verdict. Sarah Paulson was amazing and I appreciated the way the show portrayed the stress and strain she labored under. That was not evident during the actual events and Marcia Clark took a ton of crap from every corner. No wonder she quit. Bob Shapiro comes off better than he appeared during the trial. And Bobby Kardashian...why didn't the show explore what he did with OJs bag? I still think he helped OJ get away with murder by disposing of that bag. Johnnie Cochran puzzles me. Did he think OJ did it? I'm not sure. This show makes me want to read Jeff Toobin's book, even though Jeff has so been so diminished by his own treatment of women. All in all, a well done series.
4
Witnesses never called to the stand told police that O J disposed of items from his suit ag when he arrived at LAX and threw it in a trash can right after exiting the limo that dropped him off. The police said by time they received the reports the trash was dumped and any evidence couldn't be recovered...so the witnesses were not called to testify in court...
That's an unlikely scenario. No one who witnessed O.J. dropping clothing into a trash can was curious (or fanatical) enough to take a closer look at what he disposed?
2
Shapiro comes off better? He seemed like a buffoon in the miniseries and he did not appear that way at all during the trial.
They did mention the civil suit in the postscript at the end of the episode.
They did mention the civil suit in the postscript at the end of the episode.
2