O.J. Simpson and the Trial of the Century

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The OJ Simpson case has been hailed "The Trial of the Century." One of the longest running court trials in history, this case was filled with conspiracy, controversy, and the power of celebrity. The biggest part of the trial was the evidence. The submission of the blood samples, the DNA testing, and the articles of clothing made the case what it was. Amidst all the accusations of planted evidence and conspiracy plans against Simpson, the jury and Judge Ito had to try to sift through and find Simpson guilty or not guilty. On June 12, 1994 Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman were brutally murdered with what appeared to be a single-edged sharp weapon, most likely a knife. Nicole Brown was the ex-wife of a celebrity; this made things complicated in any crime. Brown, age 35, was born in West Germany in 1959. She was working as a waitress at the Beverly Hills nightclub "The Daisy" in 1977 when she met OJ, she was 18, he was 30. When she was 19, the two began living together and they seemed like the perfect couple, the famous football player and the pretty, young, blonde. On February 2, 1985, they were married. They had two children together, Justin and Sydney, that's when things started to go bad. In 1992 they were divorced and Nicole settled for $433,000 in cash and $10,000 monthly child support (Darden). According to Nicole's sister Denise Brown she had broken up with OJ a week and a half prior to her death, but he did not agree with the decision. Ron Goldman, 25, was a waiter at Mezzaluna, part-time model, and aspiring actor. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs until his family moved to LA in 1987. Friends quoted Goldman as saying that riding in Brown's Ferrari and having people check him out was "the coolest high" he had ever had. Goldm... ... middle of paper ... ...it more interesting to the jury, scratch that audience. Agreeing with Toobin, it does have to be said that the evidence pointed fundamentally to Simpson as the murderer, but the tabloid media of news made it fun to watch. The news also made it impossible for any patriotic American to convict a national hero. Works Cited Darden, Christopher A. (1996). In Contempt. New York: Regan Books. Defense lawyers in OJ case accuse Det. Furhman of being racist. (1994, August 30). The New York Times, A14. OJ Simpson goes on trial in Los Angeles for murder of ex-wife. (1994, September 27). The New York Times, A1. Simpson defense case for contaminated blood samples. (1996, December 13). The New York Times, A23. Simpson judge rules on Furhman records. (1994, August 31). The New York Times, A12. Toobin, Jeffrey. (1996). The Run of His Life. New York: Random House.

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