OT People vs OJ Simpson

[drunkinoakland]

Anyone watching?

I thought the first episode was awfuk but the second episode was great.

The guy playing Johnnie Cochran deserves every acting award. He has become Cochran. Amazing.

Cuba and Travolta have been terrible though.

Not the best show, and kinda sleazy and cheesy, but I'm interested because there is a bunch I don't remember from being 7 or 8 at the time. I had no idea OJ was so close to killing himself in the Bronco or thst he was so crazy in general.

 

[Jakey_John]

I could see how it would be interesting but I refuse to provide additional publicity to a murderer.

 

[drunkinoakland]

I could see how it would be interesting but I refuse to provide additional publicity to a murderer.

Well it pretty much points him as guilty and also tells a narrative of domestic abuse and the breaks cut to celebrities. Important narratives to tell.

Plus, it isn't like if we just didn't talk about murderers they would just disappear, but to each their own.

 

[wbrpanther]

Anyone watching?

I thought the first episode was awfuk but the second episode was great.

The guy playing Johnnie Cochran deserves every acting award. He has become Cochran. Amazing.

Cuba and Travolta have been terrible though.

Not the best show, and kinda sleazy and cheesy, but I'm interested because there is a bunch I don't remember from being 7 or 8 at the time. I had no idea OJ was so close to killing himself in the Bronco or thst he was so crazy in general.

I actually thought the first episode was very good. The second not as good. I am thinking of not watching the rest as I know how they got a clear murderer off and watching is going to piss me off all over again.

 

[paulbl99]

Anyone watching?

I thought the first episode was awfuk but the second episode was great.

The guy playing Johnnie Cochran deserves every acting award. He has become Cochran. Amazing.

Cuba and Travolta have been terrible though.

Not the best show, and kinda sleazy and cheesy, but I'm interested because there is a bunch I don't remember from being 7 or 8 at the time. I had no idea OJ was so close to killing himself in the Bronco or thst he was so crazy in general.

It is somewhat campy and none more than Travoltas portrayal of Shapiro, but will continue to watch.
As for the murderer, Marcia nailed it by saying that coward was never close to killing himself..and from following the trial and reading other material it is absolutely not surprising to understand how completely , criminally insane he was...

Fitting he sits in a Nevada jail hopefully for the rest of his life...

 

[upj87]

Well it pretty much points him as guilty and also tells a narrative of domestic abuse and the breaks cut to celebrities. Important narratives to tell.

Plus, it isn't like if we just didn't talk about murderers they would just disappear, but to each their own.

"Well it pretty much points him as guilty"...as did the overwhelming evidence and buckets of his dna at the crime scene... I've been watching with my kid who was born in '97 and does not even have a clue to any of this other than when I tell him that the only true sexy lady on Foxnews (Greta Van Susteren) got her national start because of this trial. I also had to give him the rundown as to how great a runner he was. Additionally, I rented the "Naked Gun" to show him OJ's acting range as he gave the performance of his life as Nordberg (major Oscar snub that year---and you think the Academy's racial animus is something new). The thing that I forgot, or never ever knew, was that the OJ deal answered a question I have had for a while and that is "where the hell did these Kardashian idiots come from and why the hell does anyone care about them?"...

 

[ratking17]

Watching and enjoying it. I was in high school and was transfixed by the trial. I recall the bronco chase and my dad thinking aloud whether he should let me watch it because he thought oj was going to kill himself on live tv. The trial was during the summer and my buddies and I would play baseball in the morning and then come in and watch the trial.
My high school broke in over the pa system to let us know the verdict and there were kids cheering throughput the building. Huge cultural moment.

 

[mbe 34]

Kids were cheering? Interesting.
In retrospect nothing surprises me any more. Lived thru the Watergate Scandal and saw everyone from the President to AG to Head of FBI all break the laws. Clinton get blowjobs from an intern and the Speaker of the House resigns, Kids are raped for over 20 years at Ped State and it's covered up.

Guess the OJ deal takes on a "racially" charged atmosphere for some. For me it was wealth - power- celebrity. The Golden Rule - those with the gold make the rules.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Oooh, I have a great story about this one:

I was taking an undergraduate law class at the time and was doing pretty well with it. We were following the case from a legal perspective and it was extremely interesting.

My professor was an African-American woman and we were getting along great throughout it. However, as the case wore along, her entire demeanor seemed to change dramatically and so too did her relationships with many of her students – including me.

It was very weird and definitely a source of conversation among the students outside the classroom. Honestly, her demeanor became so combative and so extreme in such a short period of time that it almost felt put on – like she was testing us or something.

Anyway, when the verdict was announced, as fate would have it, we happened to be in that class. Naturally, by that point, everyone in the class had a very strong opinion on OJ's relative innocence/guilt. It really wasn't the same as it is today where basically everyone agrees that OJ got away with murder. At the time, much to my personal disbelief, a lot of people legitimately thought he was innocent – including Professor Kimbrell.

I think the primary lesson that I learned during that time was the incredible power of the media. Here we had a guy who was CLEARLY the murderer. However, watching the media talk about it and control the narrative really distorted the entire case and turned it into a race war instead of what it really was: A big, strong, famous and wealthy man who murdered his ex-wife and another man but who was able to use cultural levers to get away with it.

I will never forget my roommate at the time looking at me hands in the air saying without a hint of irony, "If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit." As if that was a legitimate defense. It was not. It is pure bullshit and for some reason many people couldn't – or more likely wouldn't – see through that nonsense.

So, they announce the verdict and this woman, knowing that the majority of the class was very much surprised and disappointed by the verdict, literally breaks out into a dance. I am not kidding when I say that she broke into a joyful jig. It would've been hilarious if it wasn't so utterly inappropriate and bizarre.

Then, because the jig was not enough to properly express herself, she inexplicably walked around the room literally taunting the people who had groaned at the verdict. It was like something you might see on Saturday Night Live. This cuckoo bird was getting in people's faces over the verdict.

I have never seen anything like it in my life.

Then, she came upon me.

Naturally, because I have never been able to keep my mouth shut, even when I should (call it Irish syndrome) I stood up to her and sharply admonished her for her behavior.

I reminded her that her behavior was extremely unprofessional and that no matter what happens going forward two people were still dead here and two children were going to grow up without a mother.

She then repeatedly called me a racist in front of the entire class. In fact, she reminded me that "my people" had wrongly put her people behind bars for centuries and it was about time they got one to go their way. She explained to the class that mine was – and I will never forget this – "the true face of racism" and that I was not upset over the verdict but rather that a black man had been set free.

It was such a bizarre thing for any professor to say to a group of students – and especially for someone who was teaching students about the law.

She then told me not to bother coming to class anymore because I was going to get an F for the disrespectful way in which I addressed her in front of the class. Never mind her behavior. Nope, she was upset with me for admonishing her for her (fairly ridiculous) behavior.

Honestly, it felt like a hidden camera show. It was that strange from toe to tip.

Fortunately, at that point, immediately after she threatened me in front of a classroom full of students, all hell broke loose among the students and just about everyone supported me – even the people who didn't seem to like me and those who were pleased with the verdict. She really had gone that far beyond the pale.

Naturally, at that point, I had no choice but to go to the dean of the school to report what had just happened. I was looking at a failing grade and I had an A in that class going into that particular day - which, as I recall, was approximately mid-semester or maybe even a little later than that.

What I did not know was that several students had already gone to the dean to report what had happened. In fact, a few of them had gone to the dean a few weeks earlier to report her erratic behavior and to express concern for her mental health.

Still, I had to go and act as a witness in some sort of hearing that she was undergoing. Naturally, she completely lied about what it happened. She told the panel that I had told her to, "Sit down and shut up (N-Word)." I've never said that word in my life and I certainly wouldn't yell that at a professor – especially in a classroom full of people.

I think she was counting on it turning into a he said/she said type of deal but didn't account for the fact that other classmates were also called in as witnesses and they all quickly refuted that claim.

A very weird and stressful time in my academic career. Also, I got an I for that class right up until graduation time, in which case it magically changed to an A. Just a bizarre experience all the way around.

 

[upj87]

Oooh, I have a great story about this one:

I was taking an undergraduate law class at the time and was doing pretty well with it. We were following the case from a legal perspective and it was extremely interesting.

My professor was an African-American woman and we were getting along great throughout it. However, as the case wore along, her entire demeanor seemed to change dramatically and so too did her relationships with many of her students – including me.

It was very weird and definitely a source of conversation among the students outside the classroom. Honestly, her demeanor became so combative and so extreme in such a short period of time that it almost felt put on – like she was testing us or something.

Anyway, when the verdict was announced, as fate would have it, we happened to be in that class. Naturally, by that point, everyone in the class had a very strong opinion on OJ's relative innocence/guilt. It really wasn't the same as it is today where basically everyone agrees that OJ got away with murder. At the time, much to my personal disbelief, a lot of people legitimately thought he was innocent – including Professor Kimbrell.

I think the primary lesson that I learned during that time was the incredible power of the media. Here we had a guy who was CLEARLY the murderer. However, watching the media talk about it and control the narrative really distorted the entire case and turned it into a race war instead of what it really was: A big, strong, famous and wealthy man who murdered his ex-wife and another man but who was able to use cultural levers to get away with it.

I will never forget my roommate at the time looking at me hands in the air saying without a hint of irony, "If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit." As if that was a legitimate defense. It was not. It is pure bullshit and for some reason many people couldn't – or more likely wouldn't – see through that nonsense.

So, they announce the verdict and this woman, knowing that the majority of the class was very much surprised and disappointed by the verdict, literally breaks out into a dance. I am not kidding when I say that she broke into a joyful jig. It would've been hilarious if it wasn't so utterly inappropriate and bizarre.

Then, because the jig was not enough to properly express herself, she inexplicably walked around the room literally taunting the people who had groaned at the verdict. It was like something you might see on Saturday Night Live. This cuckoo bird was getting in people's faces over the verdict.

I have never seen anything like it in my life.

Then, she came upon me.

Naturally, because I have never been able to keep my mouth shut, even when I should (call it Irish syndrome) I stood up to her and sharply admonished her for her behavior.

I reminded her that her behavior was extremely unprofessional and that no matter what happens going forward two people were still dead here and two children were going to grow up without a mother.

She then repeatedly called me a racist in front of the entire class. In fact, she reminded me that "my people" had wrongly put her people behind bars for centuries and it was about time they got one to go their way. She explained to the class that mine was – and I will never forget this – "the true face of racism" and that I was not upset over the verdict but rather that a black man had been set free.

It was such a bizarre thing for any professor to say to a group of students – and especially for someone who was teaching students about the law.

She then told me not to bother coming to class anymore because I was going to get an F for the disrespectful way in which I addressed her in front of the class. Never mind her behavior. Nope, she was upset with me for admonishing her for her (fairly ridiculous) behavior.

Honestly, it felt like a hidden camera show. It was that strange from toe to tip.

Fortunately, at that point, immediately after she threatened me in front of a classroom full of students, all hell broke loose among the students and just about everyone supported me – even the people who didn't seem to like me and those who were pleased with the verdict. She really had gone that far beyond the pale.

Naturally, at that point, I had no choice but to go to the dean of the school to report what had just happened. I was looking at a failing grade and I had an A in that class going into that particular day - which, as I recall, was approximately mid-semester or maybe even a little later than that.

What I did not know was that several students had already gone to the dean to report what had happened. In fact, a few of them had gone to the dean a few weeks earlier to report her erratic behavior and to express concern for her mental health.

Still, I had to go and act as a witness in some sort of hearing that she was undergoing. Naturally, she completely lied about what it happened. She told the panel that I had told her to, "Sit down and shut up (N-Word)." I've never said that word in my life and I certainly wouldn't yell that at a professor – especially in a classroom full of people.

I think she was counting on it turning into a he said/she said type of deal but didn't account for the fact that other classmates were also called in as witnesses and they all quickly refuted that claim.

A very weird and stressful time in my academic career. Also, I got an I for that class right up until graduation time, in which case it magically changed to an A. Just a bizarre experience all the way around.

Oh, I am so looking forward to sending my son off to the wonderful world of "higher" education in the fall.....

I always think of the hypothetical polygraph test in some of these situations...If your prof was hooked up and asked whether or not based on the evidence she thought OJ was guilty I wonder what said test would show...Would she fail (as OJ did) or would her world view that led her to believe that a one in a billion chance of a dna mismatch and a cop who used the N-word at some point in his life would frame OJ so that a murderer would go free is considered "reasonable doubt" be too strong?

 

[Swervin27]

sadly, oj needed to be set free or we would have had another la riot.. very unfortunate but that's life... He got what was coming to him though so it all worked out in the end..

 

[wbrpanther]

Oooh, I have a great story about this one:

I was taking an undergraduate law class at the time and was doing pretty well with it. We were following the case from a legal perspective and it was extremely interesting.

My professor was an African-American woman and we were getting along great throughout it. However, as the case wore along, her entire demeanor seemed to change dramatically and so too did her relationships with many of her students – including me.

It was very weird and definitely a source of conversation among the students outside the classroom. Honestly, her demeanor became so combative and so extreme in such a short period of time that it almost felt put on – like she was testing us or something.

Anyway, when the verdict was announced, as fate would have it, we happened to be in that class. Naturally, by that point, everyone in the class had a very strong opinion on OJ's relative innocence/guilt. It really wasn't the same as it is today where basically everyone agrees that OJ got away with murder. At the time, much to my personal disbelief, a lot of people legitimately thought he was innocent – including Professor Kimbrell.

I think the primary lesson that I learned during that time was the incredible power of the media. Here we had a guy who was CLEARLY the murderer. However, watching the media talk about it and control the narrative really distorted the entire case and turned it into a race war instead of what it really was: A big, strong, famous and wealthy man who murdered his ex-wife and another man but who was able to use cultural levers to get away with it.

I will never forget my roommate at the time looking at me hands in the air saying without a hint of irony, "If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit." As if that was a legitimate defense. It was not. It is pure bullshit and for some reason many people couldn't – or more likely wouldn't – see through that nonsense.

So, they announce the verdict and this woman, knowing that the majority of the class was very much surprised and disappointed by the verdict, literally breaks out into a dance. I am not kidding when I say that she broke into a joyful jig. It would've been hilarious if it wasn't so utterly inappropriate and bizarre.

Then, because the jig was not enough to properly express herself, she inexplicably walked around the room literally taunting the people who had groaned at the verdict. It was like something you might see on Saturday Night Live. This cuckoo bird was getting in people's faces over the verdict.

I have never seen anything like it in my life.

Then, she came upon me.

Naturally, because I have never been able to keep my mouth shut, even when I should (call it Irish syndrome) I stood up to her and sharply admonished her for her behavior.

I reminded her that her behavior was extremely unprofessional and that no matter what happens going forward two people were still dead here and two children were going to grow up without a mother.

She then repeatedly called me a racist in front of the entire class. In fact, she reminded me that "my people" had wrongly put her people behind bars for centuries and it was about time they got one to go their way. She explained to the class that mine was – and I will never forget this – "the true face of racism" and that I was not upset over the verdict but rather that a black man had been set free.

It was such a bizarre thing for any professor to say to a group of students – and especially for someone who was teaching students about the law.

She then told me not to bother coming to class anymore because I was going to get an F for the disrespectful way in which I addressed her in front of the class. Never mind her behavior. Nope, she was upset with me for admonishing her for her (fairly ridiculous) behavior.

Honestly, it felt like a hidden camera show. It was that strange from toe to tip.

Fortunately, at that point, immediately after she threatened me in front of a classroom full of students, all hell broke loose among the students and just about everyone supported me – even the people who didn't seem to like me and those who were pleased with the verdict. She really had gone that far beyond the pale.

Naturally, at that point, I had no choice but to go to the dean of the school to report what had just happened. I was looking at a failing grade and I had an A in that class going into that particular day - which, as I recall, was approximately mid-semester or maybe even a little later than that.

What I did not know was that several students had already gone to the dean to report what had happened. In fact, a few of them had gone to the dean a few weeks earlier to report her erratic behavior and to express concern for her mental health.

Still, I had to go and act as a witness in some sort of hearing that she was undergoing. Naturally, she completely lied about what it happened. She told the panel that I had told her to, "Sit down and shut up (N-Word)." I've never said that word in my life and I certainly wouldn't yell that at a professor – especially in a classroom full of people.

I think she was counting on it turning into a he said/she said type of deal but didn't account for the fact that other classmates were also called in as witnesses and they all quickly refuted that claim.

A very weird and stressful time in my academic career. Also, I got an I for that class right up until graduation time, in which case it magically changed to an A. Just a bizarre experience all the way around.

This whole sordid affair can be summed up in one sentence. OJ Simpson got off scott free for brutally murdering two people to balance out the fact that those LA policemen got off scott free for brutally beating Rodney King. That innocent verdict 2 years earlier hung over this trial from day one and allowed the defense to shift the blame to the LA police department.

The Johnny Cochran defense team successfully put Mark Thurman on trial for being a racist, thus giving him motive for "planting" the bloody glove and DNA evidence.

And the Marcia Clark team totally screwed up how they proceeded with the trial.

 

[Piranha]

Money has a way of trumping the color of your skin. Green is greater than all. The attorneys were not free. LOL

 

[upj87]

This whole sordid affair can be summed up in one sentence. OJ Simpson got off scott free for brutally murdering two people to balance out the fact that those LA policemen got off scott free for brutally beating Rodney King. That innocent verdict 2 years earlier hung over this trial from day one and allowed the defense to shift the blame to the LA police department.

The Johnny Cochran defense team successfully put Mark Thurman on trial for being a racist, thus giving him motive for "planting" the bloody glove and DNA evidence.

And the Marcia Clark team totally screwed up how they proceeded with the trial.

 

[Piranha]

I am glad the show is on TV because OJ is coming up for parole in a year for the other crimes he committed. Hopefully this reminds people that he belongs in jail.

 

[chethejet]

Judge Ito was a complete moron. As were the prosecutors. I could have gotten OJ off with that crew. Complete and utter failure of juris prudence. And I am not close to be a legal beagle. The last consideration was jury nullification. Ito should have used his authority to over turn that verdict.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

This whole sordid affair can be summed up in one sentence. OJ Simpson got off scott free for brutally murdering two people to balance out the fact that those LA policemen got off scott free for brutally beating Rodney King. That innocent verdict 2 years earlier hung over this trial from day one and allowed the defense to shift the blame to the LA police department.

The Johnny Cochran defense team successfully put Mark Thurman on trial for being a racist, thus giving him motive for "planting" the bloody glove and DNA evidence.

And the Marcia Clark team totally screwed up how they proceeded with the trial.

Yeah, I don't really disagree with any of that. In fact, I'm sure that for many – including perhaps my former professor – OJ's case went well beyond the LA riots even. For many, this was a case hundreds of years in the making, not just two or even 30.

I wasn't thinking about any of those things. In fact, though I definitely knew that the guy was guilty, I also didn't really care. I also knew that the cops in the Rodney King beating were similarly guilty and should've been prosecuted. Also, the people who pulled Reginald Denny out of his rig during the LA riots and nearly killed him were also criminals.

For me, none of those things had anything to do with race but rather right versus wrong. The O.J. Simpson thing, for me, was not about a black man versus white America. Rather, it was about a very wealthy and famous man who had hoodwinked America into thinking he was a nice man but was rather a very bad man who had committed double murder and gotten away with it.

That said, I must admit that it was not a major thing on my radar at the time. I was a busy college student with many other concerns than the O.J. Simpson trial. For me it was a form of entertainment – as I presume it was for most of America. It also happened to be a major component of a class I was taking at the time – sparking yet more interest in the case than would normally be true.

It didn't turn into more than that until my professor lost her mind when the verdict was read and basically kicked me out of the class. That's when I really became aware of the great racial divide in this country as well as the incredible power of the media.

It also opened up my eyes to the reality of higher education. In a collegiate setting, being labeled a racist is no small matter. It is definitely a scarlet letter and can get you dropped out of the University faster than you can say the words: false allegation. She was going for my throat there, there's just no question about that.

What amazed me from the start was that the university's top administrators really treated this like it was a major problem even though it was basically the word of one person versus approximately 10–15 others. They seemed legitimately torn for a good while there even though to me (and to everyone else who was in the class of the time) it was very obvious what had happened.

As a cynical adult, I can't help but wonder if they were trying like hell to figure out a way to turn it on me but they just couldn't do it because there were too many witnesses.

I can tell you that they really wanted her to win that case. It would've been a lot simpler for them if she had been the one telling the truth and the student had been misbehaving and acting unreasonably rather than vice versa.

In fact, when the whole thing first started, I definitely felt like I was the one who was under fire. They really grilled me for a few days there. It became so intense that at one point I spoke with them about possibly hiring an attorney.

However, over the course of a few weeks that completely changed – I imagine as more and more witnesses came forward to report what had actually happened rather than what she had reported happened.

By the end of it they were straight up kissing my arse. If I'd been a little bit older and more savvy, I would have milked that for all it was worth. Alas, I just wanted to put the whole thing behind me and make sure that my grades did not suffer as a result of that racist nutcase.

 

[DruidTM]

It's a good show I liked the first one better myself as well... I read the book it's based on as well as others...I spent too much time following this damn thing back then ... But they are doing a great overall job with this show.

I agree about no Rodney King and likely OJ doesn't get off... The glove not fitting was complete horsecrap...shrunken gloves...over rubber gloves plus OJs faking is why they "didn't fit".... and Kato was a spineless turd...

 

[yourhired]

I missed the first episode but watched the second episode I really like the behind the scenes stuff even though it's just a movie.

 

[ratking17]

Kids were cheering? Interesting.
In retrospect nothing surprises me any more. Lived thru the Watergate Scandal and saw everyone from the President to AG to Head of FBI all break the laws. Clinton get blowjobs from an intern and the Speaker of the House resigns, Kids are raped for over 20 years at Ped State and it's covered up.

Guess the OJ deal takes on a "racially" charged atmosphere for some. For me it was wealth - power- celebrity. The Golden Rule - those with the gold make the rules.

I grew up in northwestern pa where there are quite a few Bill fans. I think that played a small role. I also think that it was viewed through the lens of teenage rebellion/anti establishment viewpoints. There was a reason that suburban kids found NWA and the likes. OJ was an example for some of "sticking it to the man."

I am not justifying any of that logic. I was a sophomore/junior in HS when this went down. My view then and now is that he most certainly was guilty. The evidence was there. But I respect the jury's verdict. Evidence was tampered with, Furhman and his racial beliefs could leave doubt (though in retrospect, I cannot recall if Furman's racist attitudes were brought up at trial or if that was found out afterwards), and there was still the memory of Rodney King in people's minds. I am glad that this show began with the King beating because it absolutely was hanging over this trial. Had OJ been found guilty, Los Angeles would have burned to the ground. (And don't think that that in itself justifies the verdict. As most remember King was coked up, and while that does not justify cops taking cement bricks to his head, people only remembered what they saw and that was a bunch of white cops being found not guilty for beating King to a pulp.)

I do agree with you MBE though in that this trial, more than anything, was an example of how celebrity and power and most importantly $$$ can buy your freedom in today's legal system.

 

[ratking17]

Oooh, I have a great story about this one:

I was taking an undergraduate law class at the time and was doing pretty well with it. We were following the case from a legal perspective and it was extremely interesting.

My professor was an African-American woman and we were getting along great throughout it. However, as the case wore along, her entire demeanor seemed to change dramatically and so too did her relationships with many of her students – including me.

It was very weird and definitely a source of conversation among the students outside the classroom. Honestly, her demeanor became so combative and so extreme in such a short period of time that it almost felt put on – like she was testing us or something.

Anyway, when the verdict was announced, as fate would have it, we happened to be in that class. Naturally, by that point, everyone in the class had a very strong opinion on OJ's relative innocence/guilt. It really wasn't the same as it is today where basically everyone agrees that OJ got away with murder. At the time, much to my personal disbelief, a lot of people legitimately thought he was innocent – including Professor Kimbrell.

I think the primary lesson that I learned during that time was the incredible power of the media. Here we had a guy who was CLEARLY the murderer. However, watching the media talk about it and control the narrative really distorted the entire case and turned it into a race war instead of what it really was: A big, strong, famous and wealthy man who murdered his ex-wife and another man but who was able to use cultural levers to get away with it.

I will never forget my roommate at the time looking at me hands in the air saying without a hint of irony, "If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit." As if that was a legitimate defense. It was not. It is pure bullshit and for some reason many people couldn't – or more likely wouldn't – see through that nonsense.

So, they announce the verdict and this woman, knowing that the majority of the class was very much surprised and disappointed by the verdict, literally breaks out into a dance. I am not kidding when I say that she broke into a joyful jig. It would've been hilarious if it wasn't so utterly inappropriate and bizarre.

Then, because the jig was not enough to properly express herself, she inexplicably walked around the room literally taunting the people who had groaned at the verdict. It was like something you might see on Saturday Night Live. This cuckoo bird was getting in people's faces over the verdict.

I have never seen anything like it in my life.

Then, she came upon me.

Naturally, because I have never been able to keep my mouth shut, even when I should (call it Irish syndrome) I stood up to her and sharply admonished her for her behavior.

I reminded her that her behavior was extremely unprofessional and that no matter what happens going forward two people were still dead here and two children were going to grow up without a mother.

She then repeatedly called me a racist in front of the entire class. In fact, she reminded me that "my people" had wrongly put her people behind bars for centuries and it was about time they got one to go their way. She explained to the class that mine was – and I will never forget this – "the true face of racism" and that I was not upset over the verdict but rather that a black man had been set free.

It was such a bizarre thing for any professor to say to a group of students – and especially for someone who was teaching students about the law.

She then told me not to bother coming to class anymore because I was going to get an F for the disrespectful way in which I addressed her in front of the class. Never mind her behavior. Nope, she was upset with me for admonishing her for her (fairly ridiculous) behavior.

Honestly, it felt like a hidden camera show. It was that strange from toe to tip.

Fortunately, at that point, immediately after she threatened me in front of a classroom full of students, all hell broke loose among the students and just about everyone supported me – even the people who didn't seem to like me and those who were pleased with the verdict. She really had gone that far beyond the pale.

Naturally, at that point, I had no choice but to go to the dean of the school to report what had just happened. I was looking at a failing grade and I had an A in that class going into that particular day - which, as I recall, was approximately mid-semester or maybe even a little later than that.

What I did not know was that several students had already gone to the dean to report what had happened. In fact, a few of them had gone to the dean a few weeks earlier to report her erratic behavior and to express concern for her mental health.

Still, I had to go and act as a witness in some sort of hearing that she was undergoing. Naturally, she completely lied about what it happened. She told the panel that I had told her to, "Sit down and shut up (N-Word)." I've never said that word in my life and I certainly wouldn't yell that at a professor – especially in a classroom full of people.

I think she was counting on it turning into a he said/she said type of deal but didn't account for the fact that other classmates were also called in as witnesses and they all quickly refuted that claim.

A very weird and stressful time in my academic career. Also, I got an I for that class right up until graduation time, in which case it magically changed to an A. Just a bizarre experience all the way around.

DR. Fabulous story. That was one of your best. I do think as a white male, I have no clue what it is like to fear the police, or to have people judge me because of my skin color. I have a student that told a story the other day. She was a freshman in high school, black, very affluent. She was in NYC shopping over the holidays a few years back in times square. She was with other friends of hers from high school, all of them white. She was stopped by the cops in times square, her bags were searched, and she was frisked, all the while her friends stood by and just had dropped jaws. She told this story in class and said how humiliated she was. I only tell this story because I think it would be naive to say all of us view things through the same lens. Your professor obviously saw this through her perspective of blacks always getting the short end of the stick and her rant also demonstrated her own racist beliefs about whites and you. I hope your professor got canned for making false accusations and behaving unprofessionally. Anyway, great story...

 

[Jpripper88]

Yeah, I don't really disagree with any of that. In fact, I'm sure that for many – including perhaps my former professor – OJ's case went well beyond the LA riots even. For many, this was a case hundreds of years in the making, not just two or even 30.

I wasn't thinking about any of those things. In fact, though I definitely knew that the guy was guilty, I also didn't really care. I also knew that the cops in the Rodney King beating were similarly guilty and should've been prosecuted. Also, the people who pulled Reginald Denny out of his rig during the LA riots and nearly killed him were also criminals.

For me, none of those things had anything to do with race but rather right versus wrong. The O.J. Simpson thing, for me, was not about a black man versus white America. Rather, it was about a very wealthy and famous man who had hoodwinked America into thinking he was a nice man but was rather a very bad man who had committed double murder and gotten away with it.

That said, I must admit that it was not a major thing on my radar at the time. I was a busy college student with many other concerns than the O.J. Simpson trial. For me it was a form of entertainment – as I presume it was for most of America. It also happened to be a major component of a class I was taking at the time – sparking yet more interest in the case than would normally be true.

It didn't turn into more than that until my professor lost her mind when the verdict was read and basically kicked me out of the class. That's when I really became aware of the great racial divide in this country as well as the incredible power of the media.

It also opened up my eyes to the reality of higher education. In a collegiate setting, being labeled a racist is no small matter. It is definitely a scarlet letter and can get you dropped out of the University faster than you can say the words: false allegation. She was going for my throat there, there's just no question about that.

What amazed me from the start was that the university's top administrators really treated this like it was a major problem even though it was basically the word of one person versus approximately 10–15 others. They seemed legitimately torn for a good while there even though to me (and to everyone else who was in the class of the time) it was very obvious what had happened.

As a cynical adult, I can't help but wonder if they were trying like hell to figure out a way to turn it on me but they just couldn't do it because there were too many witnesses.

I can tell you that they really wanted her to win that case. It would've been a lot simpler for them if she had been the one telling the truth and the student had been misbehaving and acting unreasonably rather than vice versa.

In fact, when the whole thing first started, I definitely felt like I was the one who was under fire. They really grilled me for a few days there. It became so intense that at one point I spoke with them about possibly hiring an attorney.

However, over the course of a few weeks that completely changed – I imagine as more and more witnesses came forward to report what had actually happened rather than what she had reported happened.

By the end of it they were straight up kissing my arse. If I'd been a little bit older and more savvy, I would have milked that for all it was worth. Alas, I just wanted to put the whole thing behind me and make sure that my grades did not suffer as a result of that racist nutcase.

What was her name? At Pitt?

 

[Jeffburgh]

It's a good show I liked the first one better myself as well... I read the book it's based on as well as others...I spent too much time following this damn thing back then ... But they are doing a great overall job with this show.

I agree about no Rodney King and likely OJ doesn't get off... The glove not fitting was complete horsecrap...shrunken gloves...over rubber gloves plus OJs faking is why they "didn't fit".... and Kato was a spineless turd...

I remember watching that and screaming, HE HAS LATEX GLOVES ON!

Fitted leather gloves over latex gloves, of course they didn't go on well, with him hamming it up, too.

 

[drunkinoakland]

From reading about the case and what I can remember it also shows how incompetent the prosecution was. I mean to try that case with that jury, put Furhman on the stand, make him try the glove on, etc.

 

[Swervin27]

this happened when I went on my senior trip to ocean city md. I had the tee shirt shop make me a Marriage is a contact sport, free the juice shirt. When I got home, my mom tore it up..

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

What was her name? At Pitt?

No, that was at Ohio University. I got my Masters from Pitt.

Her last name was Kembrell, I believe. I think she had earned her doctorate but to be honest I'm not sure. She was raised in Cleveland but had worked in some sort of prestigious government job in the DC area for many years before coming to Ohio.

She was an older woman but for most of the class she was delightful. I honestly learned a lot from her and I enjoyed her class. She was bright and kind and had gone through all kinds of different experiences that she was willing to share. What more could a student ask for?

Also, we were covering, as part of our class, the "trial of the century." Very cool stuff! In all honesty, I looked forward to it every single day – Until I didn't.

However, somewhere along the line something went very wrong and she lost her mind – or more likely lost control of a long ago lost mind. She wasn't just nasty with me – she basically became nasty with all of the white kids. It was very sudden and very weird.

Looking back on it from the cool and removed perspective of an adult, the whole thing was more sad than infuriating. Something had very clearly gone wrong with this woman mentally/emotionally and that trial and it's verdict seemed to summon every demon she had buried deep inside her. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, so I felt the brunt of her wrath.

However, looking at it from the perspective of a very young man, I was furious with her for both her callousness and her classlessness. Also, I was not going to let her threaten me and impugn me among my classmates just because I had the temerity to openly disagree with her and her ridiculously inappropriate behavior. That was not going to happen without a real war.

I am pretty sure that she resigned immediately after that incident. I say that because me and a few other students spoke in front of a panel in what was definitely a hearing type setting that had nothing to do with her department. I wish I could remember it better but I don't.

For some reason, we had a lot of professors who had previously worked in Washington, DC. They always brought with them a lot of connections.

The keynote speakers at my commencement were Matt Lauer and Hillary Rodham-Clinton. Also, for some reason, Speech from Arrested Ddevelopment was part of the whole deal. He did some weird rap song and nobody reacted so he left.

The year before that it was John Sununu, I believe. I'm not sure why but we had some really good speakers when I was there. I just assumed everyone had those level of speakers until I went to my little sisters commencement and they had some columnist from the Chicago Sun-Times – who, BTW, went on for about three hours. Pretty disappointing.

BTW, I am an independent so this is not a political statement. I don't care who anyone is voting for. That is not what this is about.

However, as someone who stood 3 feet from Clinton almost 2 decades ago, she was the most wrinkled woman I have ever seen life. That grind is brutally difficult on a person's body and I saw it firsthand. She looked like canned hell. I can only imagine what she looks like up close now.

 

[wbrpanther]

I remember watching that and screaming, HE HAS LATEX GLOVES ON!

Fitted leather gloves over latex gloves, of course they didn't go on well, with him hamming it up, too.

Take one of your gloves that fits nicely. Soak it in blood and let it sit and dry out for over a year. now try to put it on, DUUH! Bad move Marcia.

 

[DruidTM]

One other thing.... I don't remember ANY proof of actual tampered evidence... Only the implication of such from the defense team... Also I remember the astronomical numbers...or rather how astronomical the DNA evidence was... It was impossible to have been anyone other than OJ...also remember stuff not brought to trial...like the luminal testing which showed that the bronco was cleaned inside...and the dome bulb was removed and the under the passenger seat...obviously so OJ could get in and out with no light to attract attention...hope they cover that on the show

 

[ratking17]

Wasn't the glove moved and placed somewhere else?

 

[DruidTM]

Nope... Implied that it was... The prosecution felt he dropped it when he bumped into the side of the house.. The bump Kato heard...the gloves his socks the hat all contained DNA from Simpson Brown and Goldman...

And while I found it entirely possible Furman was a racist cop ...everything with planting was speculation...plus LA at that point was very primed to distrust any police...

 

[drunkinoakland]

One other thing.... I don't remember ANY proof of actual tampered evidence... Only the implication of such from the defense team... Also I remember the astronomical numbers...or rather how astronomical the DNA evidence was... It was impossible to have been anyone other than OJ...also remember stuff not brought to trial...like the luminal testing which showed that the bronco was cleaned inside...and the dome bulb was removed and the under the passenger seat...obviously so OJ could get in and out with no light to attract attention...hope they cover that on the show

DNA evidence wasn't as advanced as it was now back then and you had a jury that was very uneducated about DNA evidence. This combined with the prosecution's ineptitude allowed a murderer to go free.

 

[Hero of the Oppressed]

OJ is probably already booking tee times for golf courses in south Florida because he is close to the end of his sentence ? Can you imagine being his playing partner ?

What a travesty. Like somebody mentioned prior, if that murder and trial took place in another city and there was no Rodney King element then the Juice gets convicted. Also agree that Ito was less than stellar.

 

[pitt-girl]

Some of the actual players interviewed have said that this show is for the most part extremely accurate.

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

"Who the hell signs a suicide note with a smiley face?" I have a weird sense of humor but I laughed my ass off on that one