Oj Simpson Research Paper

O.J. Simpson: Cold Blooded Killer? The arrest and trial of Orenthal James Simpson is perhaps one of the most well-known cases in American history. It revealed a great schism between Americans that had been previously veiled by blissful ignorance. On the night of June 13, 1994, Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and a waiter, Ronald Goldman were found brutally stabbed to death outside of a Los Angeles condominium. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of all major charges and was released from jail. I, like many other Americans, believe O.J. Simpson did in fact get away with murder after that fateful verdict was read on October of 1995. The jury’s not-guilty verdict was clearly the result of their

Simpson was guilty because of the large amount of evidence against him. From the beginning, police were unable to immediately apprehend Simpson because he led them on a low-speed pursuit. When he was finally stopped, police found $8,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, a passport, and a fake goatee and mustache in the vehicle, clearly suggesting that he intended on fleeing the country (Bugliosi). I believe the large amount of DNA evidence matching O.J. Simpson that was found at the scene of the crime was also a clear indication of his guilt. Unfortunately, due to the lack of understanding on the part of the jury as well as the mishandling of the evidence on the part of the prosecution, it was not as powerful as it could have been. Bloody shoeprints found on the scene of the crime were, according to an FBI investigator, matching that of a $230 pair of rare Italian Bruno Magli shoes. Despite Simpson saying he’d never wear such “ugly ass” shoes, a photograph was later shown to the jury of him attending a 1993 football game wearing a similar style (Bugliosi). Another reason I feel O.J. Simpson is guilty is because of his violent history. He was known for being hot-headed and short-tempered. Throughout their relationship, Nicole Brown Simpson frequently called the police on O.J. to report domestic abuse. Lastly, O.J. Simpson’s only alibi for the time of the murders was he was at home sleeping. There were no witnesses who could confirm his

Simpson trial was largely between black and white Americans. Nearly every white American thought beyond a doubt that Simpson would be found guilty of murder. However, most black Americans were hopeful for an innocent verdict because they felt it would be a sort of retribution for centuries of being discriminated against by whites (Noble). The fact that this case was only three years after the Rodney King verdict made racial tension and a desire for backlash all the more real (Bates).The issue of race would be the first bump on a long rocky road for the prosecuting team as a majority of the jury was black and had a serious distaste for law enforcement, especially the Los Angeles Police Department who had a track record of discrimination against blacks (Noble). Detective Mark Fuhrman was the first officer on the scene of the crime and was a key witness for the prosecution. Unfortunately, the jury’s suspicions of a racist police department were confirmed when it was revealed that Detective Fuhrman often used racial slurs despite the fact that he told the prosecutors, under oath, that he was in no way biased (American Justice). Another reason for Simpson’s not-guilty verdict is the fact that much of the jury was uneducated on evidence that would normally prove without a doubt a suspect’s guilt. There was a substantial amount of DNA evidence left at the scene of the murders. When analyzed in a lab using the PCR and RFLP tests, the different