Background of OJ Simpson Trial

By: Cassie Sardo, Celyne Moh, Janice Kim, Vick Noh Background of OJ Simpson Trial

JurorSeatSexAgeRaceOccupationAdditional Information1991Male30sAsian/BlackPostal WorkerBelieves DNA is like a genetic fingerprint.3412Female60sWhiteBank EmployeeBelieves interracial marriages can cause problems.1863Male30sWhiteUnknownHis DNA knowledge came from the Discovery Channel and the movie Jurassic Park.2944Female20sWhiteUnknownShe grew up with Simpson as a hero2665Female40sWhiteStage ManagerFeelings that the criminal justice system is flawed.2576Female30sHispanicUnknownShe felt Simpsons marriage was dysfunctional.3337Female60sBlackGrandmotherHer husband was a parole officer and her brother-in-law was killed by a robber.JuryJury Continued..2908Male40sMiddle EasternCompany ManagerAn open-minded man3269Male50sWhiteUnknownSkeptical about the validity of evidence.40010Female50sWhiteWorking momStrong religious beliefs and unbiased when it comes to race. Her daughter had a situation with domestic violence with a boyfriend.8811Female30sWhiteUnknownShe lived near the crime scene.22712Male50sWhiteUnknownHis father was a police officer. He called interracial marriages impractical.Judge Judge: Lance Ito Worked as a district attorney Married to LAPD official Irreverent childhood Appointed in 1989 Bad courtroom manager Still an LA Judge Prosecutors Lead Prosecutor: Marcia Clark (Deputy District Attorney)Clarks co-counsel: Christopher A. Darden (Deputy District Attorney), widely experienced in murder trials Despite no murder weapon or witnesses to murder, prosecutors believed they had a strong cased supported by DNA evidence Prosecution presented dozens of expert witnesses (DNA printing, blood and shoeprint analysis) Opening weeks of trial: presented evidence of Simpsons history of physical abuse to his wife

Defense Lawyers aka Dream TeamRobert Shapiro: Civil litigator and senior partner in the Los Angeles law firm Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard Avchen & Shapiro, LLP. Graduated from UCLA and obtained his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. He had never tried a murder case before the O.J. Simpson case.Robert Shapiro: Civil litigator and senior partner in the Los Angeles law firm Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard Avchen & Shapiro, LLP. Graduated from UCLA and obtained his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. He had never tried a murder case before the O.J. Simpson case.Alan Dershowitz: A distinguished law professional. Has spent most of his career as Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Was involved in high-profile legal cases and as commentator on the Arab Israeli conflict. He is notable for his role in overturning the conviction of Claus von Blow for the attempted murder of his wife in 1984. At the time of the O.J. Simpson trial, he was more recognized for appellate law than criminal or trial law.Johnnie Cochran: A high profile, stylish Los Angeles lawyer. Drove around in a Rolls Royce and had once worked in the Los Angeles district attorneys office.Carl E. Douglas: Specialized in police misconduct cases. As managing attorney at the Law Office of Johnnie Cochran Jr, he was viewed as Cochrans right hand man.Robert Kardashian: Attorney and businessman. He practiced law for about a decade after he earned a law degree from the University of San Diego and then went into business. He has been a friend of Simpson. When he presented the O.J. Simpson case, it had been over 20 years since Kardashian had practiced law.Gerald Uelmen: Dean of law at Santa Clara University.Barry Scheck: New York attorney who specialized in DNA evidence.Peter Neufeld: New York attorney who specialized in DNA evidence.

Sourceshttp://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/simpson/do_7.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/US/OJ/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson_murder_caseOJ trial evidence/ car chaseBy Brian Fuchs, Stephen Grover, Calvin Hartman, Mike Kost, Tim OlsenCrime Scene EvidenceMany aspects of evidence found at crime sceneBlood drops that matched OJ OJ had a cut on his finger after the murdersBloody shoe prints that matched a size 12 shoeOJ wore a size 12Hairs found in dark knit cap matched OJs hairs and fibers resembled that of his Ford Bronco

Crime Scene Evidence Cont.Bloody extra large glove was found by Simpsons guest houseContained the genetic markers of both victimsBloody socks found at the foot of Simpsons bed that contained the victims genetic markersBlood found smeared in OJs Ford Bronco that had the genetic markers of OJ and victimsSuspicious time frame that showed OJ could have killed the victimsCar Chasehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcyyCi2b2AY&edufilter=d3ViuWqXvxQy1rRgssBz8QJune 17th 1994Accomplice Al CowlingLow speed chase on I-405OJ SimpsonBy: Maddie Ricca, Jared Winston, CJ Doornheim, Nick SiegelBlood EvidenceOJ had a cut on his left middle finger when interviewed by the police the day after the killingsBloodstains on paper wrapping that was supposed to be holding dry blood samplesThere was blood found on a gun inside OJs carBlood found in the foyer and master bedroom in OJs homeOne dark, cashmere-lined Aris Light leather glove, size extra-large, was found at the murder sceneMs. Simpson bought Simpson two pair of such glovesDNA EvidenceDNA tests showed blood on glove found on Simpsons property appeared to contain genetic markers of Simpson and both victimsA long hair of Ms. Simpsons was also found on that gloveSocks found at the foot of Simpsons bed were tested and found the genetic markers of Simpson and his ex-wifeBlood spots in Simpsons Bronco contained DNA matching Bropj-0wns, Goldmans, and Simpsons bloodDefense stated DNA results were unreliable

Works Citedhttp://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/index/nns25.htmhttp://www.bxscience.edu/publications/forensics/articles/dna/r-dna02.htmhttp://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/simpson/evidence.htmlRose Marie Vigneron, Megan Farrell, Austin Berninger, TJ McHugh, and Joey SchwartzFootprint evidenceBloody shoe prints were found leading away from the bodies and from the back gate of the condoSignificanceShoe size was size 12 same as OJTested for DNA matchesInitial testing did not rule Simpson out as a suspectMore tests matches were found between Simpson's blood and blood samples taken from the crime scene (both the shoe prints in blood and the gate samples).

Trial Explanation Prosecution: tried to place Simpson at the murder scene by showing that Bloomingdale's in New York, where Simpson sometimes shopped, carried such shoes.Defense: Thousands of people bought such shoes; noted that no murder shoes were ever recovered and that the prosecution had no evidence that Simpson ever purchased such shoes; raised the possibility that unexplained "imprints'' that didn't match the Bruno Magli sole also were at the crime scene.

Glove EvidenceFibers on the bloody glove found behind OJ's house match carpeting in OJ's car (type: Bronco)Kato (witness) hears thumps outside his window between 10:50 p.m. and 10:51 p.m. He heard the thumps near where the bloody glove is found.A bloody glove matching the one at the murder scene is found behind OJ's house near the air-conditioning unit, where Kato hears three thumps. A bloody glove matching the glove found at the murder scene that was found on OJ's property within hours of the murders contains a hair with the same microscopic characteristics as Ron's and Nicole's.

Pieces of Evidence for Gloves (2)The glove at the murder scene and the glove at OJ's home are extra large: OJ's size. Both gloves are matching (left and right).Both gloves are identical to the type Nicole bought for Simpson at Bloomingdales in December of 1990.one of only two hundred pairs like them sold through out the whole country that year. Photos and videos of OJ show him wearing the exact same gloves that match the ones found at his home and the murder scene. An expert testifies the bloody gloves would have fit OJ except that blood and moisture caused the extra-large gloves to shrink a full size.

Trial explanationProsecution: Simpson lost the left glove at his ex-wife's home during the struggle and, in a rush, inadvertently dropped the right glove while trying to hide it; explained that evidence gloves didn't fit Simpson in a courtroom demonstration because the gloves shrunk from being soaked in blood and Simpson had rubber gloves on underneath.Defense: glove behind guest house was planted by Detective Mark Fuhrman, a racist cop trying to frame Simpson; blood on glove may have been planted by police; gloated that evidence gloves didn't fit; hair analysis isn't sophisticated enough to be trusted.

Works Citedhttp://theweek.com/article/index/233084/oj-simpsons-glove-did-johnnie-cochran-tamper-with-evidence

OJ The Juice SimpsonBy: Jamie Smith, Sarah Kissane, Mary Mei, and Jenny Haggis

The double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman occurred on June 12, 1994Nicole had been stabbed multiple times in the head and neck-The wound on her neck was so deep that the larynx could be seen and the vertebra C3 was incisedThe Crime2 counts of First Degree MurderThe Charges

Many people believe that Ronald Goldman most likely arrived after Nicoles murder and was stabbed to death. Just another matter of wrong place, wrong time. However, others believe that Nicole and Goldman were both alive and well when they were both confronted by OJ.The SpeculationSimpson and Brown began dating when she was 18 and he was 30She had 2 children with OJ Brown was 26 years old when she married Simpson.The Victim

OJ abused her and in a 911 tape she told the operator that she needed assistance because OJ was going to beat the shit out of me.She divorced OJ in 1992 and won $433,000 in a cash settlement and $10,000 per month in child supportNicole Brown Simpson was murdered on June 12, 1994The Victim Cnt.

Was an energetic young man who lived in Southern CaliforniaWas well liked by all who knew himHe was employed as a waiter at a trendy restaurant and was also a model on the sideClaimed that he was only friends with Nicole

The Second Victim

Many believe that Goldmans death was an accident and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They think that he was never the intended targetHe claimed that he was returning Nicoles glasses which her mother left at the restaurantThe Second Victim Cnt

Nicole was found outside her condominiumBrown was discovered in a rumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs at her condo. Her feet were protruding through the bottom of the fence. Goldman was also found sprawled against the fence.The Crime Scene

THE VERDICT?Acquittal on all countsOJ SIMPSON now serving a lengthy sentence in Nevada state prison for an armed robbery of his own (stolen?) sports memorabilia.Significance of sports memorabilia; it was supposed to have been sold to raise monies to pay Goldman family.the wrongful death civil case; Goldman family sued OJ (less burden of proof needed) and they wonOJ claimed bankruptcy from trial costs but memorabilia showed up later.. .interesting by JMPhttp://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/simpson/goldman.htm http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/simpson/brown-simpson.htmhttp://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/simpson/oj.htmhttp://www.latimes.com/news/la-oj-anniv-arrest,0,922015.storyhttp://www.bobaugust.com/photo.htm#no1The BibliographySlide show a collaborative effort of period 6 SUPA forensic class2012-13