An Analysis of the O.J. Simpson Homicide Case: Defects and Impact

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the O.J. Simpson homicide case, often referred to as the "Trial of the Century." It delves into the key aspects of the examination process, including the evidence presented, the roles of the defense and prosecution, and the timeline of events. The report critically examines the defects in the examination, such as the mishandling of evidence, the lack of systematic investigation, and the influence of media coverage. It highlights how these flaws potentially impacted the trial's outcome. Furthermore, the report explores methods to overcome such deficiencies in future investigations, emphasizing the importance of proper evidence handling, thorough questioning, and the exclusion of media interference. The impact of media, including its role in shaping public opinion and potentially influencing the jury, is also discussed. The report concludes by summarizing the case's significance as a guideline for future criminal investigations and the lessons learned from the errors committed.

Running head: Homicide
Homicide

Homicide 1
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
The key aspects of the examination involved in the lawsuit........................................................................2
The defects in the examination process of the crime, having an impact on its result...................................3
Methods through which the nonsuccess of the examination could have been overcome and their
prevention in the future examinations..........................................................................................................4
Effect of media on the outcome of the case.................................................................................................5
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................8

Homicide 2
Introduction
The O.J. Simpson homicide case known as the People of the State of California v/s Orenthal
James Simpson was a famous felonious lawsuit held at the Los Angeles County Superior court.
In this case, the previous National Football League (NFL) sports person, newscaster and
performer Orenthal James “O.J.Simpson” was adjudicated for committing two murders on June
12, 1994. He was alleged for murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and the waiter of the
Mezzalua restaurant Goldman. The case lasted for 11 months starting from November 9, 1994.
Simpson was declared as exemplary by the decree on October 3, 1995. It was the most promoted
felonious lawsuit in the history. It is generally known as “The Lawsuit of the Century.”
Afterwards, the Brown and Goldman families registered a lawsuit against Simpson. On February
4, 1997, he was found guilty of the two deaths and the families were recompensed an amount of
$33.5 million.This review is about the important aspects of the lawsuit and the defects which
were recognized in its examination. Furthermore, recommendations have also been given to
overcome these defects in the future examinations. The impact of media on the result of this trial
has also been discussed in the following paragraphs.
The key aspects of the examination involved in the lawsuit
In the "The Trial of the Century, the accused O.J.Simpson was represented by a high profile
group of defense attorneys known as the ‘Dream Team’. It was led by Robert Shapiro and
Johnnie Cochran. The additional attorneys were F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Robert
Kardashian, Shawn Holley, Carl E. Douglas, and Gerald Uelmen. Barry Scheck and Peter
Neufeld were specialized in DNA evidence.
The lawsuit lasted for eleven months from November 9, 1994, to October 3, 1995. The opening
proclamations were made on January 24, 1995. The decree was awarded on October 3, 1995,
when he was declared guilt free for both the murders. After he was being acquitted, there were
no further detentions (CBS News, 2017).
The homicide of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman was alleged to have after 10.00 pm on June
12, 1994. It was revealed by a neighbor after twelve in the night. The police were called for an
examination of evidence and to decide if the case was worth examining and the records were
unaffected. After investigation, it was revealed that his ex-wife Brown was attacked many times

Homicide 3
on her head and neck and had defending injuries on her hands. The casualties were dead for
around two hours before the examination started. They also investigated Kato Kaelin who was
Simpson’s friend and an actor, staying at his guest house.
Apart from other proofs, the examiners found a mitten on the examination spot and hair on it was
similar to that of Goldman’s. Simpson was not present at the time of the investigation. The
investigators went to his estate to inform him about his wife’s homicide. On the way back, they
saw blood stains over his Ford. When the examiners arrived at the spot in the morning, he was
not present. He had taken a flight to Chicago late night on the previous day.
Upon investigation of the house, another blood stained glove was found, which was same as the
earlier found glove. The blood on it was of the deceased casualties.This was the possible reason
for the arrest warrant of Simpson. Besides this, the DNA of the blood on Simpson’s socks in his
bedroom was that of Brown’s. The hair which was found on Goldman’s shirt was similar to that
of Simpson’s. Dark blue cotton fibers were present on Goldman were similar to that of
Simpson’s shirt (Harris, 2013).
Evidence revealed that he was alleged in 1989 for attacking his wife, so taking into account his
violent nature, there was a possibility of murdering his wife. The size of the shoe imprints
present on the site also resembled that of Simpson’s (Moore, 2014).
The defects in the examination process of the crime, having an impact on its result
In the O.J.Simpson case, logical proofs should have been given utmost importance. It was proved
that DNA of the blood stains found at the site and on Simpson’s car were of Goldman,Brown and
Simpson.So, it gave the investigators a chance to declare him guilty. The police withdrew
themselves from the case by handling it incompetently (Fahsing, 2016).
There were certain examples where they mismanaged the evidence such as keeping the proofs of
blood inside plastic rather than keeping in paper boxes, where they could deteriorate. The blood
samples were collected after a long time when the crime was commited. The police had not
submitted them to the laboratory immediately after they were collected from the site. These
were some illustrations to show that the proofs had been mismanaged by the police (Ladapo,
2017).
The defense attorneys believed that the blood samples gathering and its evaluation were
mismanaged so that the altering could not be denied. As a result, the examination of the DNA

Homicide 4
could not be accepted. The police removed the stains from the fence , after two weeks of the
crime. The investigation process for the OJ Simpson case was not systematic. It completely
focused on him and no other suspects were examined (Kumar & Goyal, 2017).
An incident room which is used to examine the suspects was not used in this case for the reason
that Simpson was the only suspect. The examination of Simpson was a failure because the police
did not ask the required questions and any evidence which could have been necessary to the case
was ignored. Because of lack of communication an important proof was lost. The prints of the
bloodstained fingerprints were not collected. It may sound absurd that some members of the
investigation team did not pay attention to the other member’s advice because they were less
experienced (Fisher & Fisher, 2012).
Due to the interference of the media, the body of Nicole Brown was covered with a blanket
which altered the evidence and it could not be used to prove anything against Simpson. The
cameras were encapsulated in the courtroom. This resulted in the case being forged and dramatic.
The glove which was doubted to be of Simpson’s was introduced in the court to give him a trial.
It was too small for his hand, which gave the attorneys an opportunity to prove his innocence.
All the evidence enabled the attorneys to prove that he was not guilty of the murder of his wife
and her friend (Crime Museum, 2017).
Methods through which the nonsuccess of the examination could have been overcome and their
prevention in the future examinations
The investigation process of the O. J. Simpson case highlighted the errors committed by the
police in its forensic work and it was set as a guideline before the law administration.
There were certain flaws in the investigative procedures and it gave the opportunity to the
attorneys to prove Simpson’s innocence (Parrillo, 2017). Some of them are as follows and there
are certain suggestions to improve them in the future examinations:
1. Poor handling of the proofs by the Los Angeles police gives the lesson that proper
processes should be followed regarding the proofs and honest revelations should be made
before the jury.

Homicide 5
2. The evidence should not be contaminated and should be preserved properly. When
Simpson was declared innocent of killing his wife and her friend, the Los Angeles Police
Department made certain changes in its investigative section which was referred to as “a
cesspool of contamination” for careless handling of proofs.
3. Another defect, in this case, was that the basis of proofs was not defined and they
couldn’t be easily tracked. For example, the police observed the blood-stained pair of
socks found in the Simpson’s bedroom, two months later, only when they were examined
at the crime laboratory.
4. The forensic technicians were offended by poor packing of proofs. The proofs were left
in an overheating van on a summer day. Due to this, the police now utilize barcodes to
scan and track them and the investigation is more strictly controlled by properly trained
investigators.
5. Last but not the least, the proofs which are collected must be evaluated carefully before
presenting to the court. They must be sorted as competent and incompetent which should
not be presented before the jury. They should also be able to interlink between the proofs
(Burney & Pemberton, 2013).
So, examination procedure in any crime is crucial and it should be handled prudently. The crime
scenarios should be safeguarded and all the suspects must be examined. The proofs should be
carefully handled by experienced criminalists so that the jury is able to make the right decision
(Abdollah, 2014).
Effect of media on the outcome of the case
The impact of media on any newsworthy incident cannot be ignored. It covers certain events
such as celebrity news, natural disasters, corruption and murder. The most well-known case in
this context is the murder trial of OJ Simpson (1994-95).
Simpson’s case was affected by the intervention of media. It is described as one of the most
famous cases in American history. While the journalists took the photographs of the deceased
victims and the cameras were encapsulated in the courtroom to broadcast the case. It resulted in
the contamination and devastation of evidence. The trial of OJ Simpson was connected to racial
judgment against the blacks. Undeniably, the place of filing the suit was affected by the racial

Homicide 6
issues. It was against the renowned African American, gained a lot of public attention from the
African American public. As a result, it received a lot of coverage from the media (Brunty,
Miller & Helenek, 2014).
They keenly waited to observe if a black person can receive justice from the American jury. As a
consequence, they declared Simpson innocent to favor the public judgment. The media altered
the doctrine of the case which had an impact on the focus of the investigators. The incidents of
domestic violence which were associated with this case lifted it from murder to domestic
violence. It enabled the investigators to accept that Simpson was guilty much before appropriate
proofs were gathered.
Another interesting point is the ‘Glove Catastrophe’. It reflects how media can influence the
public opinion of a trail. It made a headline quoting ”If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
Actually, the quote was “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” So it misleads the decision of the OJ
Simpson case (Rowe, 2014).
The assessment to install the cameras in the courtroom also affected the decision of the case. It
made the case forged and dramatic. One crucial issue in this regard is the differential reporting of
the white and African American media. Most of the African Americans believed O.J.Simpson
was not guilty and he was under attack due to his position. While the white media covered that
he was guilty (Times News, 2014).
So, it would not be wrong to say that the role of media had a severe impact on the decision of the
case. It has the power to create hype among the people in accordance with the manner in which
the case is predicted. It can influence the society by changing their opinion regarding their
inclination towards either of the parties (Werner, 2015).
Conclusion
So, to conclude, it can be said that the case of O.J. Simpson is truly “The Trial of the Century.” It
acted as a guideline for further crime investigations. Apart from enjoying the celebrity status, it
drew the attention of media and the criminalists due to the errors committed by the police and the
investigation department.

Homicide 7
On 3 October 1995 “The Trial of the Century” was concluded with the exculpation of O.J.
Simpson from the killing of his wife and her friend. The jury took only four hours to declare him
innocent. All the important components of this case such as the murders, trial, exculpation and
the Brono car chase fascinated and wondered the nation (Parker, 2017).
This trial was followed by the filing of a civil suit by the Brown and Goldman families against
Simpson. On 4 February 1997, the jury declared Simpson guilty for both deaths. The deceased’s
families were reimbursed with the damages amounting to $ 33.5 million, but they received only a
meager amount.

Homicide 8
References
Abdollah, T.(2014). OJ Simpson case taught police what not to do at a crime scene. [ONLINE]
Retrieved from https://www.policeone.com/investigations/articles/7267753-OJ-
Simpson-case-taught-police-what-not-to-do-at-a-crime-scene/ on 6 January,2018.
Brunty, J., Miller, L. & Helenek, K.(2014).Social Media Investigation for Law Enforcement.
Routledge.
Burney, I., & Pemberton, N. (2013). Making space for criminalistics: Hans Gross and fin-de-
siècle CSI. Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences,
44(1), 16–25.
CBS News (2017).The O.J. Simpson trial: Where are they now? [ONLINE] Retrieved from
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-o-j-simpson-trial-where-are-they-now/ on 30
December, 2017.
Crime Museum (2017). Forensics at the OJ Simpson Trial. [ONLINE] Retrieved from
https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/justice-system/forensic-investigation-of-
the-oj-simpson-trial/ on 6 January,2018.
Fahsing, I., A.(2016). The Making of an Expert Detective Thinking and Deciding in Criminal
Investigations. Sweden: Ineko.
Fisher, B., A.,J. & Fisher, D., R(2012)Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, Eighth Edition.
CRC Press.
Harris, C. (2013).Investigating homicide investigation in France. Policing & Society.23(3).
Kumar,A. & Goyal, M., K. (2017).Reconstruction of Crime Scene, a Forensic Technique used in
Substantiating Alleged Homicide into Accidental Death: A Case Study. Journal of
Forensic Research.8(4).
Ladapo, O., A. (2017). Effective Investigations, A Pivot To Efficient Criminal Justice
Administration: Challenges In Nigeria. African Journal of Criminology and Justice
Studies: AJCJS.5
Moore ,S. ,K. (2014).The Murder of Angie Raye Dodge. An Investigative Case Review .Judges
for Justice. [ONLINE] Retrieved http://judgesforjustice.org/media/Steve-Moore-Report-
on-Chris-Tapp-October-7-2014.pdf. on 6 January,2018.

Homicide 9
Parker,R.(2017). Is O.J. Innocent? The Missing Evidence': Series Concludes With Debunk of
Simpson Son Theory. [ONLINE] Retrieved from
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/is-oj-innocent-missing-evidence-series-
concludes-debunk-simpson-son-theory-964874 on 6 January 2018.
Parrillo,N., R.(2017).Administrative Law from the Inside Out: Essays on Themes in the Work of
Jerry L. Mashaw. Cambridge University Press.
Rowe, S.(2014). OJ Simpson: was he innocent all along? The Telegraph. [ONLINE] Retrieved
from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10892053/OJ-Simpson-was-he-
innocent-all-along.html on 6 January,2018.
Times News(2014) O.J. Simpson case and trial had lasting impact on media and the courts.
[ONLINE] Retrieved from http://www.thetimesnews.com/20140613/oj-simpson-case-
and-trial-had-lasting-impact-on-media-and-the-courts/306139777 on 6 January,2018
Werner ,E. (2015).Media Effects on Attitudes Towards the Criminal Justice System. [ONLINE]
Retrieved from https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1296&context=honors
on 6 January,2018.