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The O.J. Simpson Trial

June Rowe
Jun 8
6 min read

By: June Rowe

Introduction:

On June 12, 1994, the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found brutally stabbed outside her home in California. The immediate suspect was her ex-husband, former NFL player, O.J. Simpson. After a formal warrant for his arrest was made, Simpson engaged the police in a low speed car chase. Due to the highly publicized gruesome nature of the crimes, the proximity it had to the Rodney King and anti police brutality riots, and the controversial final verdict, this eight month trial became one of the most notorious examples of a fight for justice.

In California at the time, civil unrest had been at an all time high. Three years prior, a video was taken of LAPD officers severely beating an unarmed, intoxicated Black man during a traffic stop. The publicity resulted in passionate protests from the community, and pressure was on the city of Los Angeles to address the issue of police abuse of power. The defense for the O.J. Simpson trial was aware of this sensitive spot, and implemented a racial angle to their argument that created an emotional response from the public and the jury alike. The people now had the opportunity to seek justice for a Black man against the California judicial system, even if it was at the expense of Nicole and Ronald’s own receipt of justice.

The trial concluded with an acquittal. A subsequent civil case followed, in which Simpson was found guilty of wrongful death and ordered to pay the families of the victims over 33 million dollars.


Shox Art
Shox Art

Law Enforcement Perspective:

Contentiously, there was evidence collected at the scene of the crime that was introduced in the trial. Blood samples, shoe prints, hair fibers, a glove found at the scene, and a matching glove found at Simpson’s home are collected. A key claim made by the defense is that the evidence collected by the police department was tampered with, planted, or otherwise untrustworthy. The defense confirms with the prosecution that the evidence did not go directly from the scene to the lab, but instead went home with an officer in their trunk until days later. There were also instances in which forensics teams used the same gloves to collect different samples, missing blood samples, and samples going into plastic bags rather than paper bags. Procedural errors such as these further reinforced the belief that the Los Angeles Police Department was organized against O.J. Simpson because of his race.

During this televised trial, the entire world was watching. The procedural errors in the case were heavily scrutinized and played into the narrative the defense was pushing. Mark Fuhrman, a key witness and detective on the Simpson case, was to testify in Court to the collection and validity of evidence. Unfortunately for the prosecution, Fuhrman had an extensive history of racial discrimination. In trial, Fuhrman testified that he did not use racial slurs against marginalized groups. In response to this testimony, the defense produced recorded interviews with the detective, in which he detailed his time in the police department and military. In these interviews, he frequently referred to people of color in racially charged, bigoted ways, immediately confirming to the jury that he had perjured himself. His integrity was called into question, subsequently undermining the credibility of the evidence they had collected against Simpson.

Despite the DNA evidence, the witness accounts, and the detailed physical abuse history between Simpson and Brown-Simpson, the prosecution suffered from repeated attacks from the defense that influenced the public opinion and further damaged their reputation and case. 


Court Perspective:

Simpson was formally charged with two counts of murder, first-degree with special circumstances. The criminal trial (People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson) began in January 1995 and lasted until October 1995. The prosecution’s case relied mainly on timelines, forensic evidence, and witness testimony placing Simpson at or near the murder scene. The defense was led by the ‘Dream Team’, a collection of high profile attorneys including Johnnie Cochran and Robert Shapiro (Dershowitz, 2004). The defense’s case emphasized police misconduct, reasonable doubt, and potential alternative explanations for the forensic evidence. When the prosecution introduced a new piece of evidence, the defense rebutted with a possible explanation that deepened the suspicion towards the LAPD. The most famous instance of this was when the prosecution insisted Simpson put on the glove found at the scene. When Simpson struggled, Cochran announced, ‘if it doesn’t fit, you must acquit’ a declaration that would stick with the viewers and immortalize the case.

The trial was overseen by Judge Lance Ito, who early on ruled that videocameras in the courtroom were permitted. This decision was criticized and believed to influence the case due to the media frenzy it caused. 

The charges were filed in Los Angeles, rather than Santa Monica, where the crimes occurred. The Santa Monica court house was under construction after an earthquake and the decision to hold the case in Los Angeles resulted in a jury pool that was predominately Black. Throughout the trial, 10 jurors were dismissed for different reasons, leaving only 4 original jurors left at the time of the verdict. 

At the time of the case, only 22% of the Black population surveyed thought that O.J. Simpson was guilty of the crimes. This number would rise to 57% of the Black population surveyed in 2015. This change occurred with white Americans surveyed as well, rising from an already overwhelming 63% in 1994 to 83% in 2015 (NBC News, 2024). The decision to proclaim Simpson's innocence became an act of solidarity with the Black community, rather than an act of justice.


Corrections Perspective:

The criminal trial resulted in an acquittal, and Simpson did not serve any prison time for the murders. Prior to this, the ‘Trial of The Century’ started with Simpson fleeing police in his white Ford Bronco, a move that the prosecution would later use to signify his guilt. The vehicle, being driven by Al Cowlings, drove for a duration of 60 miles, in which Simpson was in the backseat claiming to be suicidal and threatening his own life. 

While in jail awaiting his trial, Simpson was visited by a former NFL teammate, Rosey Grier. Jail guard Jeff Stuart later testified to Judge Ito that he heard Simpson yell that he ‘didn’t mean to do it’ and heard Grier encourage him to confess. Due to clergy-penitent privilege, the testimony was inadmissible.


Conclusion:

The case of the People v. O.J. Simpson was an example of the flaws that exist in the criminal justice system. Both in the ease of emotional manipulation from the defense, and the valid criticisms of the prosecution’s conduct and the Los Angeles Police Department. The criminal justice system is a system by people, for people, and it contains the same weaknesses and flaws that people contain. There was not a single decision made by either side that resulted in the acquittal, but instead a myriad of choices that undermined the prosecution and made it impossible to convict Simpson beyond a reasonable doubt. The case’s immense popularity was unforeseen and has not been replicated since. Today, there is still a debate about Simpson’s guilt. O.J. Simpson died in 2024 after a battle with prostate cancer and his estate agreed to pay Ron Goldman’s family 58 million dollars in damages (ABC News, 2025).


Bibliography

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, October 3). O.J. Simpson trial. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/O-J-Simpson-trial Encyclopedia Britannica


PBS FRONTLINE. (2025, October 1). What the O.J. verdict & its aftermath revealed about race in America — 30 years later. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/o-j-simpson-murder-trial-verdict-race-america-30-years/ 


Stone, P. M. (n.d.). Rodney King incident — the gap between use-of-force policy and training. Office of Justice Programs, NCJRS. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/rodney-king-incident-gap-between-use-force-policy-and-training Office of Justice Programs


Stone, P. M. (n.d.). The legacy of Rodney King. PBS FRONTLINE. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/lapd/race/king.html


Associated Press. (2025, November 17). OJ Simpson’s estate accepts $58m claim from father of Ron Goldman. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/17/oj-simpsons-estate-accepts-58m-claim-from-father-of-ron-goldman


Yona, K. (2025, December 1). Over 30 years later, O.J. Simpson’s estate agrees to pay settlement to family of Ron Goldman. FindLaw. https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/over-30-years-later-o-j-simpsons-estate-agrees-to-pay-settlement-to-family-of-ron-goldman/



“Deputy heard O.J. Simpson confess...” (2013, November 13). Orange County Register. https://www.ocregister.com/2013/11/13/deputy-heard-oj-simpson-confess-maybe/


“OJ Simpson estate accepts $58 M claim from Goldman family but any payment would be a fraction.” (2025, November 17). ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/oj-simpsons-estate-accepts-58m-claim-goldman-family-127605142


Dershowitz, A. M. (2004). America on trial: Inside the legal battles that transformed our nation. Warner Books.




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