The OJ Simpson Trial and The Impact of The Verdict

The OJ Simpson trial lasted 133 days in 1995 and captivated millions. Simpson was acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The trial highlighted issues of domestic violence and racial bias in law enforcement. Though Simpson was found not guilty, he was later found liable for their deaths in a civil trial. The trial brought widespread attention to issues of race and criminal justice.

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The OJ Simpson Trial and The Impact of The Verdict

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The OJ Simpson Trial and the impact of the verdict

Emily Sergent
Professor Kimberly Lark
History 153
08/14/2015

In the year 1995, Orenthal James Simpson was acquitted for the murders of his
ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The murder trial lasted
one hundred and thirty three days starting in January and ending in October. This trail
captivated millions including foreign leaders. 1
Soon after the discovery of the ex-NFL player ex-wifes murder, Simpson was
questioned and the police collected enough evidence against Simpson to obtain a warrant
for his arrest. It was arranged with Simpsons attorney for the former pro-athlete to turn
himself in the day after Browns funeral at a specific time. On June seventeenth, the day
after Browns funeral, past the arranged time, the police discovered what seemed to be a
suicide note from Simpson until the he was spotted driving in Orange County. Once
arrested, it was found that he had a large sum of cash, disguise materials, a passport, and
a loaded gun in his position.2 After the one hundred and thirty three days of trial and
multiple missteps by both parties, including using a racially biased detective3 who the
defense later compared to Adolf Hitler4, O.J Simpson was acquitted. However, in a civil
case later on, it was found that Simpson was found to be guilty.
Overall, the O.J Simpson trial gained international attention. It brought about
awareness on domestic violence issues.5 The trial also brought about awareness on racial
issues in law enforcement. 6

1 Linder, Doug. "The Trial of Orenthal James Simpson ."
2 "O.

J. Simpson murder case."

Bates, Karen. "The Jury Is Still Out On Why O.J. Simpson Was Acquitted."
4 Linder, Doug. "The Trial of Orenthal James Simpson ."
5 Linder, Doug. "The Trial of Orenthal James Simpson ."
6 Uelmen, Gerald F. "The Five Hardest Lessons from the O.J. Trial
3 Grigsby

Cited Sources
1. Linder, Doug. "The Trial of Orenthal James Simpson ." The Trial of Orenthal James
Simpson . N.p., 2000. Web. 20 Aug.
2015.<http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/Simpsonaccount.htm>
2. "O. J. Simpson murder case." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson_murder_case>.
3. Grigsby Bates, Karen. "The Jury Is Still Out On Why O.J. Simpson Was Acquitted."
npr. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.
<http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/06/12/321392845/the-jury-is-stillout-on-why-o-j-simpson-was-acquitted >
4. Uelmen, Gerald F. "The Five Hardest Lessons from the O.J. Trial." Markkula Center
of Applied Ethics. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.
<http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v7n1/lessons.html>.