No Justice in King Lear by William Shakespeare and O.J. Simpson's Murder Trial

613 Words2 Pages

In the excerpt from King Lear by William Shakespeare, Lear states that there is a relationship between one’s wealth and justice; where the richer are given more leniency when it comes to justice, while those who are not as wealthy receive less grace from the law. Lear argues that the wealthy are virtually above the law when tried for a crime, while the poor are unfairly tried and even receive the harshest of punishments. Though there have been many cases of many celebrities and million-dollar bigwigs being found guilty and lawfully punished, there have been many other cases where they do not receive proper justice and have been acquitted of the most heinous of crimes. One of the most famous cases of the mid-nineties (and possibly one of the most controversial) of the wealthy being above the law is the O.J. Simpson trial, who fatally stabbed his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. Being accused of murder, the court had sufficient biological and psychological evidence to prove Simpson’s act of murder. However, Simpson was found not guilty by the jury and lives as a fre...

Show More
Related

  • Courtroom 302 by Steve Bogira

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it’s set a rolling it must increase (Charles Caleb Colton).” Colton describes that once corruption has begun, it is difficult to stop. Corruption has existed in this country, let alone this very planet, since the beginning of time. With corruption involves: money, power, and favoritism. Many people argue today that racism is still a major problem to overcome in today’s legal system. American author (and local Chicago resident) Steve Bogira jumps into the center of the United States justice system and tells the story of what happens in a typical year for the Cook Country Criminal Courthouse, which has been noted as one of the most hectic and busiest felony courthouses in the entire country. After getting permission from one of the courthouse judges’ (Judge Locallo) he was allowed to venture in and get eyewitness accounts of what the American Legal System is and how it operates. Not only did he get access to the courtroom but: Locallo’s chambers, staff, even his own home. In this book we get to read first hand account of how America handles issues like: how money and power play in the court, the favoritism towards certain ethnic groups, and the façade that has to be put on by both the defendants and Cook County Workers,

    Read More

  • The Casey Anthony Case

    2178 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hariman, R. “Performing the Laws: Popular Trials and Social Knowledge” from Popular Trials: Rhetoric, Mass Media, and the Law, Robert Hariman, ed(s)., University of Alabama Press, 1990. 17-30.

    Read More

  • Essay On Des Moines Independent Community Schools

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    Remy, Richard C., Gary E. Clayton, and John J. Patrick. "Supreme Court Cases." Civics Today. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe, 2008. 796. Print.

    Read More

  • Cesar Chavez Civil Rights

    514 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout our lives we have been taught that the law is virtuous. Is it right when someone is above the law only because they’re wealthy, white, or have a government position? I strongly believe that Wilde's claims are valid not only because it's been proven, but because we have experienced rebellion and desobedince throughout history.

    Read More

  • Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case

    2404 Words  | 5 Pages

    The New York Times bestseller book titled Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case examines the O.J. Simpson criminal trial of the mid-1990s. The author, Alan M. Dershowitz, relates the Simpson case to the broad functions and perspectives of the American criminal justice system as a whole. A Harvard law school teacher at the time and one of the most renowned legal minds in the country, Dershowitz served as one of O.J. Simpson’s twelve defense lawyers during the trial. Dershowitz utilizes the Simpson case to illustrate how today’s criminal justice system operates and relates it to the misperceptions of the public. Many outside spectators of the case firmly believed that Simpson committed the crimes for which he was charged for. Therefore, much of the public was simply dumbfounded when Simpson was acquitted. Dershowitz attempts to explain why the jury acquitted Simpson by examining the entire American criminal justice system as a whole.

    Read More

  • The Second Challenge: Imperial Judiciary

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    Palmer, Elizabeth A. "The Court and Public Opinion." CQ Weekly 2 Dec. 2000. CQ Weekly. SAGE Publications. Web. 1 Mar. 2000. .

    Read More

  • Justice In Macbeth Essay

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gather round my brothers, a call to arms. I am Malcolm, the son of King Duncan. Before we embark on bringing justice back into this kingdom, let me offer you some words of advocacy. We come here not as individuals, rather a single force for justice and truth. Macbeth is no match for this brave hearted army. Today this turmoil ends, today we fight!

    Read More

  • Was Oj Simpson Guilty

    304 Words  | 1 Pages

    There was a famous football player, making millions of dollar and having good relationships with millions of people; this the man known as O.J Simpson who killed his ex-wife. At first he was not guilty but then they started to find more information about what happened. He was in a different state when they found her dead body. After awhile they started to find all of the weapons that he used.

    Read More

  • Jonbenet Ramsey: A Study in Media, Wealth, and Crime

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    On the night of December 26, 1996, six year old Jonbenet Ramsey was murdered in her home. To this day, her murderer remains unknown. Over the past twenty years, there have been many theories and speculations on what happened that winter night. Soon after the story made its way into headlines everywhere, the public was outraged. People believed that Jonbenet’s parents were to blame for her death. Many people still believe that to this day. Regardless of who the killer was, this case showed how wealth, beauty, and massive amounts of media attention can affect the way a crime is handled.

    Read More

  • Wrongful Conviction In 1932, By Bedau And Radlet

    151 Words  | 1 Pages

    Dating back to 1923, Judge Learned Hand said that the American judicial system “has always been haunted by the ghost of the innocent man convicted” (Jones, 2010). Wrongful convictions weren’t really the center of attention until a professor from Yale University published a book called Convicting the Innocent in 1932. This book shined light on 65 cases, pointed out legal reasons and presented ideas to bring upon reform.

    Read More

  • Salem Witch Trial Summary

    1548 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is an example of a woman, Sarah Osbourne, put on trial for no apparent reason, other than the fact that she had inherited a good amount of money, and people were talking. People still found a way to accuse her for an invalid

    Read More

  • O. J. Simpson's Trial Sumation Speech

    1454 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the evening of June 12, 1994, O.J. Simpson -- a former NFL running back – was tried on two counts of murder for murdering both his wife and her friend. His trial spanned for an extensive 9 months, but Simpson’s lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, managed to successfully raise doubts about the accusation with many of his speeches. One of them, the trial summation speech, was especially powerful in helping him reach his purpose. The language that Cochran uses in the speech lends him credibility through his self-alignment with well-renowned figures and his conciliatory gestures, but it more importantly instills doubt as well as igniting anger in the predominantly black, exasperated jury, all in order to empower the jury to acquit O.J. Simpson of the murder

    Read More

  • The Criminal Justice System

    1478 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fairchild, H. & Cowan, G (1997). Journal of Social Issues. The O.J. Simpson Trial: Challenges to Science and Society.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay Against Death Penalty

    2837 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Griffin v. Illinois, the late Justice Hugo L. Black wrote: "There can be no equal justice when the kind of trial a man gets depends on how much money he has in his pocket." If two suspects, one wealthy, one poor, are charged with a capital crime, the standard of justice changes. The rich defendant will post bail, preserve attorneys of choice, hire investigators and hire experts who will give psychiatric testimony for the defense. (Dispoldo, Nick.) The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCAB) wrote in its fact sheet “Death Penalty Overview: Ten Reasons Why Capital Punishment is Flawed Public Policy” published on its website (accessed Aug. 19, 2008): ): “Perhaps the most important factor in determining whether a defendant will receive the death penalty is the quality of the representation he or she is provided. Almost all defendants in capital cases cannot afford their own attorneys. In many cases, the appointed attorneys are overworked, underpaid, or lacking the trial experience required for death penalty cases. There have even been instances in which lawyers appointed to a death case were so inexperienced that they were completely unprepared for the sentencing phase of the trial. Other appointed attorneys have slept through parts of the trial, or arrived at the court under the influence of alcohol.”(procon.org.) The death penalty shows discrimination. The more money people have in their

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment vs. Life Imprisonment

    2191 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...Available By: Acker, James. Contemporary Justice Review, Sep2008, Vol. 11 Issue 3, p287-289, 3p; DOI: 10.1080/10282580802295625

    Read More

More about No Justice in King Lear by William Shakespeare and O.J. Simpson's Murder Trial

Open Document