What were you doing during the OJ Simpson Murder Trial?

[dcortez]

I appreciate that this may apply to a smaller (more senior) segment of the GFY community, but I have recently started re-watching the court recordings of the entire OJ Simpson Murder Trial from preliminary hearing to the final verdict.

I remember watching this in real time from work when it was all going on. It truly was an historic criminal trial.

It's interesting replaying all the courtroom drama and comparing what I was thinking during the trial, about the verdict, and now, with all we know, watching the same lawyers, OJ, and the witness testimony.

Even in Canada, many people were divided on guilt/innocence - you could hear my whole office building roar with mumbles and cheers (and jeers) when the criminal trial verdict was announced.

This event was even more surreal for me because I happened to be in Santa Monica during the time of the civil trial against OJ Simpson, put forward by the Goldman family, and of all coincidences, when I stepped out of the hotel I was staying in, next to the Courthouse building, I passed the Goldman team, apparently getting ready for a new day of court.

Who else here remembers and has been impacted by the OJ Simpson case?

BTW, watching or listening to the trial is also an interesting way to gain insight into what 10 million dollars buys in the way of legal defense. From the first hour of the preliminary hearing OJ's lawyers were throwing up non-stop obstacles and barriers to every bit of evidence collected and to be collected.

-Dino

[AmeliaG]

No idea because I was able to 99% ignore that stuff then. I'd literally have to google what year that was. Whenever it was, it was not like now when we are bombarded constantly with trending news that has nothing to do with our lives and interests.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by AmeliaG

No idea because I was able to 99% ignore that stuff then. I'd literally have to google what year that was. Whenever it was, it was not like now when we are bombarded constantly with trending news that has nothing to do with our lives and interests.

This happened through mid-nineties, when only one or so such prominent events occurred per year, unlike now, as you say, there are numerous noisy news events weekly.

It was relevant then because it spawned serious social divisions, on racial lines, on gender lines, on domestic violence lines, and even sports loyalty lines.

Even with his known history of domestic violence, many people were "rooting for him", out of bizarre loyalties.

I am curious if anyone familiar with the case had a change of heart since the original criminal verdict, the civil suit verdict, and OJ's behaviour/"hypothetical confessions"?

-Dino

[baddog]

I watched just about everything but the verdict (I had to go do a side job); I knew there would be a not guilty verdict after Fuhrman testified that he never used the N word.

I was just thinking about it the other day. Pretty sure the court happened to be in recess the day of the North Hollywood bank robbery, so I got to watch that go down too.

[blackmonsters]

Originally Posted by baddog

I watched just about everything but the verdict (I had to go do a side job); I knew there would be a not guilty verdict after Fuhrman testified that he never used the N word.

I was just thinking about it the other day. Pretty sure the court happened to be in recess the day of the North Hollywood bank robbery, so I got to watch that go down too.

It's amazing how the media and many people refuse to call Mark Fuhrman a racist liar even though he was convicted of lying about being a racist.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by blackmonsters

It's amazing how the media and many people refuse to call Mark Fuhrman a racist liar even though he was convicted of lying about being a racist.

Yes. And this kind of mainstream denial persists even today.

[Mr Pheer]

I was in the Army, I went about my days doing Army things.

[CurrentlySober]

Running a mail order porn business in the UK and ignoring OJ completely.

[baddog]

Originally Posted by blackmonsters

It's amazing how the media and many people refuse to call Mark Fuhrman a racist liar even though he was convicted of lying about being a racist.

Now you are being a racist liar. He pleaded no contest to perjury. He wasn't convicted of being a racist.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by baddog

Now you are being a racist liar. He pleaded no contest to perjury. He wasn't convicted of being a racist.

On July 5, 1996, Attorney General Dan Lungren announced that he would file perjury charges against Fuhrman and soon thereafter offered Fuhrman a plea bargain. On October 2, Fuhrman accepted the deal and pleaded no contest to the charges. He was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $200.

In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty. A no-contest plea, while not technically a guilty plea, has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain.

Fuhrman is the only person to have been convicted of criminal charges related to the Simpson case.His probation ended early in 1998, and his felony charges were expunged 18 months later.

-- SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fuhrman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolo_contendere

[baddog]

Originally Posted by dcortez

On July 5, 1996, Attorney General Dan Lungren announced that he would file perjury charges against Fuhrman and soon thereafter offered Fuhrman a plea bargain. On October 2, Fuhrman accepted the deal and pleaded no contest to the charges. He was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $200.

In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty. A no-contest plea, while not technically a guilty plea, has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain.

Fuhrman is the only person to have been convicted of criminal charges related to the Simpson case.His probation ended early in 1998, and his felony charges were expunged 18 months later.

-- SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fuhrman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolo_contendere

Pleading guilty to perjury is not being convicted of being a racist.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by baddog

Pleading guilty to perjury is not being convicted of being a racist.

Correct.

He was a racist liar.

He was convicted of perjury.

But, he was not convicted of being a "racist liar".

Can anyone even get convicted of "being a racist" anything in the US?

???

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by baddog

Pleading guilty to perjury is not being convicted of being a racist.

Actually, on closer examination, what does this mean?

On August 31, Judge Lance Ito ruled that evidence could be introduced to prove that Fuhrman had lied about use of the word "n****r", but that claims of violence and police misconduct were inadmissible.

On September 5, the defense produced multiple witnesses and audiotapes to establish that Fuhrman had used the word "n****r" within the last 10 years. The tape eventually resulted in a perjury charge against Fuhrman, to which he pleaded no contest.

-- SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fuhrman

The record seems to suggest that the perjury Fuhrman was convicted of was for lying about using the "N" word - ie. he lied about "being a racist" - if one assumes, as I believe Ito did, that using that racial epithet is a racist act.

So he was a racist.

He lied about his acts of racism.

He was convicted, charged and fined about lying about his racist actions.

Does that not equate to "he was convicted of lying about being a racist", which made him a "convicted racist liar".

Am I missing something here?

[blackmonsters]

Originally Posted by blackmonsters

It's amazing how the media and many people refuse to call Mark Fuhrman a racist liar even though he was convicted of lying about being a racist.

Originally Posted by dcortez

Yes. And this kind of mainstream denial persists even today.

Originally Posted by baddog

Now you are being a racist liar. He pleaded no contest to perjury. He wasn't convicted of being a racist.

See what I mean?

[blackmonsters]

Originally Posted by dcortez

Actually, on closer examination, what does this mean?



The record seems to suggest that the perjury Fuhrman was convicted of was for lying about using the "N" word - ie. he lied about "being a racist" - if one assumes, as I believe Ito did, that using that racial epithet is a racist act.

So he was a racist.

He lied about his acts of racism.

He was convicted, charged and fined about lying about his racist actions.

Does that not equate to "he was convicted of lying about being a racist", which made him a "convicted racist liar".

Am I missing something here?

You're not missing anything.
Racist liars like baddog refuse to admit Fuhrman is a racist liar.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by blackmonsters

See what I mean?

Your observation is spot on.

Given the full trial context of Fuhrman, why would anyone nuance legal semantics to "soften" the image of the racist cop who seriously undermined the successful prosecution of OJ Simpson?

Until we have zero tolerance for perpetrators of racism/bigotry AND their apologists, not much is going to change.

Look at Derek Chauvin's trial for George Floyd's death going on right now. The police department is already spinning Chauvin as "an exception", and not representative of the police department's policies.

I am not looking forward to the verdict of that trial...

[baddog]

Dear Racist. Fuhrman is a racist. He is a liar; he plead no contest to being a liar.

He was not convicted of being a racist.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by baddog

Dear Racist. Fuhrman is a racist. He is a liar; he plead no contest to being a liar.

He was not convicted of being a racist.

So what?

He was convicted (no contest is a guilty plea as part of a deal that does not require allocution) of a felony (sentenced to three years' probation and fined $200) for lying about being a racist.

He was a racist cop who lied about being racist and was convicted for lying under oath when evidence of his racism was provided.

End of story.

[blackmonsters]

Originally Posted by baddog

Dear Racist. Fuhrman is a racist. He is a liar; he plead no contest to being a liar.

He was not convicted of being a racist.

Gee, you're fucking stupid.

Nobody claimed he was convicted of being a racist except you trying to deflect.
"No contest" is a conviction on your record.

He was convicted of lying about being racist and using the n-word.

A no-contest plea, known often by its Latin name "nolo contendere," has the same primary legal effects as a guilty plea. If you plead no contest to a criminal charge, you will have a conviction on your record, just as though you had pleaded guilty or been convicted after a trial.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclope...er%20a%20trial.

[ruff]

I was living in Simi Valley. Lived there during the riots too. All of that shit kind of put me off of California, so I moved to Florida. Better quality of maniacs there you see. Hell, even OJ moved there. And now tRump. Anyone seeing a pattern here?

[TheLegacy]

I was working at a job selling water softeners at the time. My lunch break I would drive down to the towns diner where they would have a TV and everyone would comment and watch what was happening. Great moments and definitely the world was watching.

[Rochard]

I was working full time for the phone company back then. In fact, I was a 411 operator. We had two rooms of operators with 200 operators in each room, and when events like this happened news traveled quickly through our office. We had a huge teleprompter in each room that would post news. I was working in the verdict came in.

I was also working when Princess Diana died.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by TheLegacy

I was working at a job selling water softeners at the time. My lunch break I would drive down to the towns diner where they would have a TV and everyone would comment and watch what was happening. Great moments and definitely the world was watching.

It seemed unlike any other current affairs event, much more so than today with social media burning our eyes and ears out every hour.

Like popular movies, some of the defense catch phrases stuck as well:

"If it doesn't fit you must acquit." - Johnnie Cochran instructing the jury about the apparent mismatch between the size of a suspect glove and OJ's hand. Maybe they forgot that leather shrinks in dry air?

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I was working full time for the phone company back then. In fact, I was a 411 operator. We had two rooms of operators with 200 operators in each room, and when events like this happened news traveled quickly through our office. We had a huge teleprompter in each room that would post news. I was working in the verdict came in.

I was also working when Princess Diana died.

So many workplaces that otherwise were focused on "the job" broke with tradition and allowed the trial to play as background in private and shared offices.

Yes. I remember the day Princess Diana died. That was a very sad day. It seemed like it had not been so long ago that she had her spectacular "fairy tale" marriage procession/ceremony.

[kane]

I was working for a company on the graveyard shift at the time all of this was going down. I didn't see most of the trial, but the day of the verdict I saw it live. I was at work when the news started reporting that they would be reading the verdict in the morning. A group of people I worked with went out for breakfast after work and that place had a TV on so we watched it as it happened.

It was interesting. The place was pretty full and there was a lot of chatter before the verdict. After, it was very quiet. People just stopped talking and ate. It was kind of eerie.

[PornDiscounts-V]

I was getting a degree in law enforcement and in the process with LAPD, Long Beach and Los Angeles sheriffs.

Scored a 92 on my oral with LAPD. But white guys needed to have 96 to pass, so without the extra 5 points military service would have given me it was almost impossible.

GF, at the time, scored 86, they ushered her into her background check immediately.

Asian guy who came with us scored 78, but he knew mandarin so they ushered him into a background check meeting.

The black guy scored 77 and didn't get a call back either.

He was I went and got lunch while we waited for the other two to finish their meetings.

[HairyChick]

I was an office manager and bookkeeper. I’d tape it daily and watch it at night.

This trial is also being taped to watch at night.

[Grapesoda]

Working on the news

[Jazzix]

I remember it exactly....Was on a bender after 2 solid years of working in the oil patch

[J. Falcon]

I was about 13 years old and living in NY. I remember the Bronco chase more than the trial. We were watching the NBA playoffs with some friends when they changed it to show the chase.

[SBJ]

I was working a factory job at the time and I don't remember why but the day the verdict was read I met my mom for lunch at a restaurant near my job. I was shocked he was found not guilty.

[pornlaw]

I was in law school in Los Angeles while the trial was happening...

On the day of the verdict they had a news crew at my law school to ask law students what they thought...

I didnt get asked but I had my answer ready... "It just goes to show you - if you have enough money and hire the right lawyers - you can get away with anything..."

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by kane

I was working for a company on the graveyard shift at the time all of this was going down. I didn't see most of the trial, but the day of the verdict I saw it live. I was at work when the news started reporting that they would be reading the verdict in the morning. A group of people I worked with went out for breakfast after work and that place had a TV on so we watched it as it happened.

It was interesting. The place was pretty full and there was a lot of chatter before the verdict. After, it was very quiet. People just stopped talking and ate. It was kind of eerie.

Yes, things definitely got weird when the verdict was read. That happened in our offices here as well.

It was kind of anti-climactic and I think a surreal cloud dropped over everyone, where they were left with wondering if that's what they really wanted.

There were many conflicts during trial including Fuhrman's sabotaging of the prosecution.

[Tasty1]

Is that the black guy that drove around in a white SUV. And than the cops tried to stop him, but he refused and kept driving around for hours? And than the racist cops beat him up?

Wasn't that guy famous of being an actor in the Naked Gun?

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by Tasty1

Is that the black guy that drove around in a white SUV. And than the cops tried to stop him, but he refused and kept driving around for hours? And than the racist cops beat him up?

Wasn't that guy famous of being an actor in the Naked Gun?

Close.

OJ was the guy who pioneered the low speed car chase. But he did all the "beating" in his story.

You might be thinking of Rodney King getting beaten by LAPD officers after a high-speed chase during his arrest for drunk driving and driving while intoxicated.

OJ Simpson did play in Naked Gun, Airplane, and Towering Inferno.

[CaptainHowdy]

Probably jerking off . . .

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by HairyChick

I was an office manager and bookkeeper. I’d tape it daily and watch it at night.

This trial is also being taped to watch at night.

The entire OJ Simpson trial, from preliminary hearing to verdict is available (almost 500 videos):

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM0...Xp8UhNGRSFKC2Q

[blackmonsters]

Originally Posted by dcortez

The entire OJ Simpson trial, from preliminary hearing to verdict is available (almost 500 videos):

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM0...Xp8UhNGRSFKC2Q

At 7:25 Listen to Marcia Clark's argument to keep OJ from showing his knee surgery scar
and then compare her argument to them then asking OJ to do just that with the glove.
And they wonder why they lost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbio...l=OJTrialUncut






In "layman terms" : She argued that OJ going in front of the jury without being sworn in
was in OJ's favor; but then forgot that when the prosecution ask OJ to try on the glove.



Dumb.

[Pad]

being like 8 years old you boomers

[blackmonsters]

Originally Posted by Pad

being like 8 years old you boomers

Forward this thread to

Yo mamma!

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by blackmonsters

In "layman terms" : She argued that OJ going in front of the jury without being sworn in
was in OJ's favor; but then forgot that when the prosecution ask OJ to try on the glove.



Dumb.

I would be surprised if the OJ Simpson criminal prosecution, and then the disparity between results of the trial and civil case are not textbook study in law school now.

[Applebite Media]

I was on a job at the time. I was working summer construction and the house we were working at had the trial on. The guy was pretty cool and broke out some beer and had us take a break if we wanted to watch it.

[baddog]

I had a few degrees of separation in this trial.

#1. What did OJ and I have in common with regards to the night of the murder?

#2. I called Cochran's office one morning which resulted in big changes in how the jury was handled. I think a local radio station caught some heat behind it. I was quite impressed at the notes his secretary took; it was like I was saying it myself.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by pornlaw

I was in law school in Los Angeles while the trial was happening...

On the day of the verdict they had a news crew at my law school to ask law students what they thought...

I didnt get asked but I had my answer ready... "It just goes to show you - if you have enough money and hire the right lawyers - you can get away with anything..."

Even a layperson could see how a non-stop barrage of legal objections and contesting submission of evidence is the kind of offence that that only a well-financed legal defence team can muster.

The "legal system" is a very complex game that often does not result in justice being served.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by dcortez

Correct.

He was a racist liar.

He was convicted of perjury.

But, he was not convicted of being a "racist liar".

Can anyone even get convicted of "being a racist" anything in the US?

???

I'm thinking you are the racist liar. you told a lie implicating another as a racist, that makes you a liar and a racist. have fun with that homy

[ErectMedia]

I was working for a home improvement store as a contractor so driving around installing basketball hoops, playground sets, sheds, etc.... It was all broadcast on the radio so listened while driving in between jobs.

[dcortez]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

I'm thinking you are the racist liar. you told a lie implicating another as a racist, that makes you a liar and a racist. have fun with that homy

This again?

This issue has been resolved, ad nauseum.

He was convicted (no contest is a guilty plea as part of a deal that does not require allocution) of a felony (sentenced to three years' probation and fined $200) for lying about being a racist.

He was a racist cop who lied about being racist and was convicted for lying under oath when evidence of his racism was provided.