Amos Park Professor Criminal Investigation December 7th 2013 O.J. im!

son "#r$er Case %echnicall& title$ the Peo!le of the tate of California vs. Orenthal James im!son' this (as a m#r$er an$ criminal trial for the $eaths of )icole *ro(n im!son an$ +onal$ ,&le -ol$man. %he trial (as hel$ OJ im!son' a former !rofessional football !la&er an$ actor. )icole (as the e./(ife of OJ an$ -ol$man (as a frien$ of )icole. 0e (as trie$ on t(o co#nts of m#r$er. %he trial (as hel$ in ,os Angeles Co#nt&' California' #!erior Co#rt. On J#ne 13' 1112' )icole *ro(n im!son an$ +onal$ -ol$man (ere $iscovere$ $ea$ at )icole3s ho#se in ,os Angeles. *oth victims (ere stabbe$ to $eath b& a knife. %he ,os Angeles Police De!artment 4,APD5 fo#n$ evi$ence an$ believe$ O.J. im!son (as the !rime s#s!ect an$ the m#r$erer. %he !rosec#tors believe$ that the& ha$ eno#gh evi$ence to !ress charges against O.J. As a res#lt' five $a&s after the m#r$ers' O.J. ha$ an arrest (arrant iss#e$ for his arrest. 6eeling $istra#ght an$ conf#se$' OJ $i$ not t#rn himself in an$ ha$ intentions of s#ici$e or esca!e. 0e #se$ his car' $riven b& his frien$ Al Co(lings' to lea$ the ,APD on a stea$& si.t& mile car chase thro#gho#t ,A. %he chase ca#ght man& me$ia attention' an$ man& vie(ers sa( (ith intensit&. %he chase finall& en$e$ at his home an$ OJ t#rne$ himself in. *efore the criminal trial began' there (as first a !reliminar& hearing to $etermine if there (as eno#gh !robable ca#se to have OJ hel$ for trial. It (as a si. $a& !reliminar& hearing' hea$e$ b& J#$ge 7athleen 7enne$&/Po(ell an$ $eci$e$ that there (as eno#gh evi$ence for OJ to have a trial on t(o co#nts of first/$egree m#r$er for )icole an$ -ol$man. 0e !lea$e$' 8Absol#tel&' one

h#n$re$ !ercent not g#ilt&9 to the charges' an$ the criminal trial (as imminent. %he :#$ge (as J#$ge ,ance Ito' the m#r$er investigation lea$ers (as veteran ,APD $etectives %om ,ange an$ "ark 6#hrman an$ the !rosec#tors (ere De!#t& District Attorne&s "arcia Clark an$ Christo!her Dar$en. %he trial starte$ on Jan#ar& 22' 111;. OJ (as able to have a large team of la(&ers for a $efense' hea$e$ b& the famo#s attorne& Johnnie Cochran. %he !rosec#tors believe$ OJ3s motive for )icole3s an$ -ol$man3s m#r$ers (as beca#se of :ealo#s&. %he& gave evi$ence to state that )icole (as afrai$ of !h&sical ab#se from OJ an$ ha$ a histor& of ab#se to(ar$s )icole (hen the& (ere still together. %he& also !resente$ n#mero#s of e.!ert (itnesses' having kno(le$ge of D)A finger!rinting an$ bloo$ an$ shoe!rint anal&sis' have im!son at the m#r$er scene. OJ3s large $efense team (as calle$ 8Dream %eam9 b& man& re!orters. 0is team incl#$e$ t(o attorne&s' e.!erts in D)A evi$ence' (ho attem!ts to fight the !rosec#tion3s D)A evi$ence. %he& also strongl& conten$e$ that OJ (as an #nfair target of !olice fra#$ an$ believe$ the !olice contaminate$ the D)A evi$ence b& their #n!rofessional an$ tack& !roce$#res. %he& also conten$e$ that 6#hrman ha$ !lante$ evi$ence at the crime scene. D#ring the trial' a total of 1;0 (itnesses gave their testimon&. OJ3s $efense team s#!!ose$l& !rice$ at a!!ro.imatel& <3 to <= million. %he !rosec#tion (ere confi$ent an$ strongl& believe$ the& ha$ a strong case' even if the& $i$ not have the m#r$er (ea!on or (itnesses to the m#r$ers. %he& relie$ on the D)A an$ other evi$ence to (in the trial. %he& believe$ OJ (as !resent at the crime scene' )icole3s home' from the !h&sical evi$ence. %he& #se$ forensic evi$ence to $etermine that -ol$man (as at the crime scene an$ (as also fatall& attacke$ an$ kille$ (ith a knife. mall amo#nts of OJ3s bloo$ (as fo#n$ at the scene' believing that OJ (as also at the scene an$ someho( in:#re$ himself. A fe( significant (itnesses in the trial (ere +osa ,o!e>' Allen Park an$ 7ato 7aelin.

,o!e> (as OJ3s neighbor3s ho#sekee!er. he testifie$ that she sa( OJ3s car !arke$ o#tsi$e his ho#se $#ring the time of the m#r$ers' (hich meant OJ co#l$ not have been at )icole3s ho#se. ,o!e> (as not s#re of her testimon&' so her testimon& (as not reliable. Park (as a hire$ $river to take OJ to ,os Angeles International Air!ort 4,A?5' so that OJ co#l$ go to Chicago. 7aelin (as OJ3s frien$' (ho live$ OJ3s g#est ho#se. %he& both sa( OJ leaving his ho#se to go to ,A? (ith Park' an$ state$ that OJ looke$ agitate$. %he $efense arg#e$ that OJ ha$ chronic arthritis an$ (as not !h&sicall& ca!able of committing the m#r$ers beca#se -ol$man (as !h&sicall& in sha!e' an$ co#l$ have resiste$ OJ. 0o(ever' the !rosec#tion gave evi$ence of OJ3s ta!e that sho(e$ him he (as still !h&sicall& fit an$ !ossibl& ha$ eno#gh strength to commit the m#r$ers. )icole3s sister' Denise' testifie$ that in the 11@0s' she sa( OJ !h&sicall& ab#sing )icole man& times. D#ring the night of the m#r$er' )icole ha$ left her glasses at a resta#rant. -ol$man' (ho (as a (aiter' $eci$e$ to $eliver the glasses to )icole at her ho#se. ome time later in the night' a neighbor fo#n$ )icole3s an$ -ol$man3s $ea$ bo$& at )icole3s ho#se. %he !rosec#tion believe$ that OJ intentionall& kille$ )icole first' an$ then -ol$man sho(e$ #! at the scene' (here OJ then $eci$e$ to kill him too. %he $efense believe$ there (ere t(o !ossibilities. In the first scenario' $r#g $ealers (ere looking for 6a&e +esnick' (ho live$ (ith )icole' b#t onl& met )icole an$ kille$ her. In the secon$' a hitman follo(e$ -ol$man to )icole3s ho#se to kill him. "ark 6#rhman state$ he fo#n$ D)A evi$ence that !lace$ OJ at )icole3s ho#se. %he $efense !roteste$ that ,APD officers !lante$ evi$ence at the ho#se an$ frame$ OJ beca#se of hate an$ racism. %he& also $ebate$ that the evi$ence collecte$ (as altere$ an$ (as not !resent at the crime scene. %he !rosec#tors instr#cte$ OJ to (ear a fe( !ieces of clothing that co#l$ !ossibl& link him to the m#r$ers' most notabl& a single black leather glove. OJ trie$ it on' b#t $i$

not fit him. Cochran' the $efense' state$' 8If it $oesn3t fit' &o# m#st acA#it'9 (hich became an infamo#s A#ote from the trial. After all the closing statements (ere ma$e' the :#r& (ere able to revie( the (hole case. After abo#t fo#r ho#rs' the :#rors reache$ a ver$ict. %he :#r& $eci$e$ that OJ (as not g#ilt& of the t(o co#nts of m#r$er of )icole an$ -ol$man. %he ver$ict (as consi$ere$ controversial an$ there (ere fe( violent !#blic res!onse. %he ,APD (as #se$ to block an& riots b& the !#blic !eo!le. Bven Presi$ent Cilliam Clinton (as tol$ abo#t the $angero#s reactions ca#se$ b& the o#tcome of the trial. %he heate$ $ebate !rolonge$ for a!!ro.imatel& nine months. %he OJ im!son trial cost the ,A co#rt s&stem a!!ro.imatel& <1 million. In m& o!inion' the case (as h#rrie$ an$ the !rosec#tion team co#l$ have been more !ro!erl& !re!are$. omething that co#l$ have change$ (ere some ke& testimonies an$ evi$ence that sho#l$ have been #se$' b#t (ere not. I believe the case (as given too m#ch of a me$ia attention (hich co#l$ have affecte$ the o#tcome of the case. I also believe beca#se OJ is a celebrit&' it might have affecte$ the o#tcome :#st a bit.

*ibliogra!h& 1. "a$$as' Caleb. DPeo!le of the tate of California v. Orenthal James im!son.D Prezi.com. Pre>i Inc.' 13 "a& 2013. Ceb. 01 Dec. 2013. 2. Jones' %homas ,. D%he "#r$er %rial of O.J. im!son.D Trutv.com. %#rner Bntertainment )et(orks' Inc.' n.$. Ceb. 0= Dec. 2013. 3. chmalleger' 6rank Trial of the Century : People of the State of California Vs. Orenthal James Simpson 4Prentice 0all' 111=5 2. Aaseng' )athan The O.J. Simpson Trial: What It Shows s a!out Our "e#al System 4Calker P#blishing Com!an&' Incor!orate$' 111=5