OT OJ Simpson Made in America

Submitted by Rodriguesqe on

Haven't seen this discussed. ESPN / ABC put out this ~ 10 hr documentary this week and it got rave reviews. Its well deserved. It didn't feel like there was a wasted minute despite the epic length.

The whole thing is about OJ, but its not just the case. It gives all the context as to why the black community, especially in LA at the time, wanted him to be found not guilty, and how he was such an unworthy cause. It traces his political and civil angosticism all the way back to the 60's and essentially casts him as the antithesis to Muhammad Ali.

This is the best work ESPN has ever done imo.

814 East U

June 18th, 2016 at 9:39 PM ^

As someone who was too young during the actual trial it was great to watch. Jurors admitting they acquitted not based on the evidence is a scary thought but the documentary explained the racial tensions in LA quite thoroughly.

I Like Burgers

June 18th, 2016 at 9:50 PM ^

I thought the director did a good job of explaining just how messed up things were in LA in the decades leading up to the trial and how the trial unfolded played into those dynamics.  It was really the only OJ doc where I found myself thinking "well, that verdict kinda makes sense".  Especially after seeing the way Cochran implored the jurors to use this trial and verdict as a place to make a stand on injustice with the LAPD -- evidence be damned.  

I didn't remember that part, or the Hitler comparison part of his closing argument.  To me watching it now with all the backstory now in place, that was way more impactful than the famous "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit" line.

BOX House

June 18th, 2016 at 9:55 PM ^

I was only 5 years old at the time so I knew nothing about the circumstances. I knew OJ was guilty, but my god, this ESPN documentary makes me wonder how in the hell he got off. The previous, numerous domestic abuse incidents, the blood found on OJ's vehicle, the glove found at OJ's house, the obvious guilt of a man fleeing from police. I understand the lingering hate for LAPD in lieu of the Rodney King, but OJ was probably the least deserving of anyone to reap the benefits of the pushback against the LAPD. 

And the defense team doctoring OJ's house by removing pictures of his white friends and replacing them with pictures of black friends? How is that not tampering with evidence?

 

Trader Jack

June 18th, 2016 at 10:35 PM ^

The most definitive "how did THAT not convict him?!" moment I had was when they brought up how the prosecution had OJ's blood (with a shoe print that matched a pair of rare shoes he owned) at the crime scene, as well as Nicole AND Ron Goldman's blood in his Bronco. How do you explain that away?! Like, Ron was randomly in OJ's bronco bleeding some other time? Crazy that the prosecution lost what should've been such a lock of a case for them.




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julesh

June 18th, 2016 at 10:40 PM ^

The problem was not just the prosecution, but the homicide detectives who did everything wrong in terms of collecting evidence and chain of custody. A friend who is in forensics said the case is used as a what not to do example in schools now. 

Honestly, due to how all the evidence was handled, the jury did the right thing. I certainly believe that OJ murdered Ron and Nicole, but the defense was able to present enough reasonable doubt that he should not have been convicted. 

Trader Jack

June 18th, 2016 at 10:52 PM ^

The *main* problem was the prosecution, though. I hear what you're saying in that the forensics team/homicide detectives made some crucial mistakes, but there was still such a large amount of DNA evidence that it still should've been enough.

I disagree with you that the jury did the right thing. When Juror #9 says that, basically, her decision was payback for Rodney King, it's hard to justify that. I doubt either one of us will change our mind though, which is fine.




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Mr. Yost

June 19th, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^

That was tried out in Simi Valley...

Just like the doc pointed out...King should've been tried down and OJ out in the suburbs.

But people crack me up getting outraged about OJ, but not about any of the 4-5 other injustices the SAME documentary touches on.

Not saying that's you in this case...just making a general statement when reading the reaction.

Mr. Yost

June 19th, 2016 at 10:47 AM ^

And it's what people have been saying all along...

"OJ did it...and after watching how the court system works and how the prosecution mishandled the case...he should've been acquitted." 

It's one of those sad, but true type deals.

That's all I believe the poster is saying...that they didn't do their jobs and the law did what it's supposed to do in that essence.

However, we all know that the point is to put bad people behind bars...in that sense, it failed miserably.

xtramelanin

June 19th, 2016 at 6:05 PM ^

it would be automatic reversible error, at least for the defense.  OJ's case was unique of course, but a couple of murder trials i had only went a few days.  depends mightily on the facts.  plus, i am a minimalist in that area: get the plane up, over the mountain, land it, and let the other side start worrying. 

umumum

June 19th, 2016 at 3:30 PM ^

I understand the dynamics that resulted in an acquittal, but (OJ was guilty and) Fuhrmann didn't frame him.......because it was virtually impossible to do so.  As the doc makes clear, and is simply the truth, at the time Fuhrmann found the glove, he wouldn't have known if OJ had a untouchable alibi.

NRK

June 19th, 2016 at 12:48 AM ^

A lot is covered below (where case was filed, prosecution decisions, Fuhrman racism, poor evidence collection techniques) but also keep in mind that DNA evidence was not as commonplace back then. It was used, but people didn't have regular understanding and exposure to it, even in such simple forms as TV shows, like they do now.

SysMark

June 19th, 2016 at 12:10 AM ^

"OJ was probably the least deserving of anyone to reap the benefits of the pushback against the LAPD"

That's true but it was inevitable.  He was the only one who reaped them because he was the only one who could afford the resources to gain them.  No one else was going to reap that benefit

BOX House

June 19th, 2016 at 12:47 AM ^

That he was the only one who could afford those resources goes to my point. There is a quote in part 5 along the lines of, 'This wasn't a victory for African Americans, this was a victory for some rich guy named OJ Simpson'. 

i do agree it was inevitable. I just think it's sad that that it was the wrong guy who benefited from that inevitability.

LSAClassOf2000

June 18th, 2016 at 9:40 PM ^

The balance of it is already available on streaming, so I went ahead and finished it this afternoon. I really enjoyed it actually and I would recommend it to anyone here not familiar with both Simpson himself as well as how events unfolded (and I know some of you were quite young when this was going on). I remember watching the chase and parts of the trial on TV and simply being mesmerized not only by what was going on but the circus that all of it seemed to be. It was an interesting experience to relive. 

TheRonimal

June 18th, 2016 at 10:02 PM ^

As a 24 year old I don't really know much about the case, which makes watching the doc that much more interesting. Haven't watched any of it yet, but it sounds amazing. Can you watch it on watchespn or anything at your own leisure? I loved watching the Netflix doc about that dude in Wisconsin. The name escapes me, but it was very interesting




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TheRonimal

June 19th, 2016 at 8:21 AM ^

Yeah that's fair, I think the outcry to get him set free was a little ridiculous. I still don't understand what the deal was with the vial of blood that they saw was opened. I was also so confused by the teenagers stories. At first it seemed like the cops basically fed him the story, but then it kind of seems like he was acting weird because he's just really stupid. Hearing him tell different stories was so frustrating. In the end the police really fucked up some stuff and the documentary shows some major issues with the justice system.




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Happy Gilmore

June 19th, 2016 at 9:44 AM ^

The blood vial, when empty, has the lid sealed under a vacuum. Blood is drawn from a patient and then a needle is inserted thru the rubber lid; the pressure differential pulls in the appropriate volume of blood (that mixes w an appropriate amount of an anticoagulant, EDTA in this case). So the single needle hole in the lid was how the vial was filled in the first place, not evidence of tampering.

jmblue

June 19th, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^

It's amazing to think how much that story dominated the national discourse.  Everyone was into it, even people who had never heard of OJ before.  I was in high school when it happened and we actually stopped class to watch the verdict being read.

It was strange after the trial was finally over and the news outlets started covering other stories again.

 

I Like Burgers

June 18th, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^

The director/producer must have tracked down every single piece of OJ video there is.  Its incredible how much unseen stuff there has been in this series.  Even the crime scene photos.  No idea how he got those, or how no one else has shown them.