The story of the O.J. Simspon murder trial is something the United States of America still reels from to this day. The sheer dramatization of the episode has etched itself into American folklore and is still brought up time and again. The famous moment when the glove found as evidence did not fit OJ when asked to try it on by the prosecution has become a regular fixture in pop culture. This case divided a nation that was already licking its wounds from massive race riots and the defense team’s strategy stirred the pot of dissent even further.
For those who are not aware about the entire saga, here is a way to put it briefly – Orenthal James Simpson was like a God in the NFL and his fame overflowed into movies, endorsements and much more. He was this admired figure of the sporting world that everyone wanted to emulate. On June 13, 1994 O.J. would murder his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman. Once the bodies were found and upon a preliminary investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, they found a blood-stained glove in Mr Simpson’s compound as well as blood-stains on his SUV. This resulted in an arrest and a trial that lasted 11 months with OJ finally being acquitted.
This turned out to be the most publicized event in American History and was dubbed The Trial of the Century. The court proceedings were broadcasted on live TV and even before the trial could begin, there was a low-speed pursuit when OJ was on the run in his friend, Al Cowling’s SUV and TV channels interrupted the NBA finals in order to broadcast the car chase with around 95 million viewers watching events unfold.
The evidence was abundant, all the fingers pointed at OJ, there seemed no way out for him but the case was turned on its head when his lawyer, Ben Shapiro decided to not just assemble a team of all-star lawyers like Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz but mainly because of Johnnie Cochran being roped in who was a vocal celebrity lawyer who was waging a personal war against the LAPD over racial discrimination against the black community. The idea was simple – Make the case ABOUT RACE. In Johnnie Cochran, they had acquired an eloquent crusader of the black community who appeared on talk-shows regularly to speak out against racism by the police. His comfort with the camera on him and the fire in his belly made him the perfect trump card.
This was a pivotal moment in history because for the first time, the issue of a black man being framed by the LAPD was to be publicized in such a manner. This began a labyrinth of claims against the LAPD and what helped the defense was that the detective that found the bloody glove, Mark Fuhrman, had a history of racist comments and behaviour with records of him using the word “nigger” and graphic police brutality. This was to be just the tip of the iceberg with the defense and prosecution using sly tactics to get prospective jurors of specific genders and race to be selected on the jury. The sheer longevity of the proceedings and the media circus that surrounded it would also go on to leave a stain on the name of Judge Lance Ito, who was presiding over the case.
When OJ was finally found not guilty, America was divided more than ever, with the black community rejoicing that their Greek God had defeated the police department and the rest of the country were sick to the stomach thinking a murderer had been set free. The world was not going to be the same for the celebrity, OJ Simpson. He was shunned at many locations by the citizens that still held him guilty of the murders and to this day, he is heckled at restaurants and other public gatherings.
The underlining statement of it all was that a murderer was set free because the race issue was brought into a sphere where it had no place and was used to twist the truth beyond recognition. So was this a victorious moment for humanity or a sick corruption of a social issue? Did OJ Simpson really defeat corrupt police officials or did a murderer escape by playing the victim of racist treatment.
Today, the Black Lives Matter movement is at its peak, with peaceful protests being carried out throughout the world. Racism is a demon in our society that we are still battling and the man that knelt on George Floyd’s neck might just be one of many Mark Fuhrmans present in the justice departments of the world. But with power, comes evil. Race should not be used as a victim card to let off criminals. Race should not be used as an evasive manoeuvre. The police are not our enemy, the governments are not our enemy, racist people are our enemy.
George Floyd being killed by a racist white cop will resonate with all the O.J. Simpson sympathizers and they will tell you that this was another example that should fortify the claim that OJ was innocent. Whether he is guilty or not, that I leave for you to decide. To get a better insight into the saga, you could indulge in the series The People vs OJ Simpson which is available on Netflix. The series shows intricate details on both sides, thus telling an unbiased story of the events that occurred between 1993-94.
We Need To Talk 
