what happened to the attorney in the oj simpson case

What crimes did OJ Simpson commit?

Jun 23, 2015 · Cochran died in 2005 from a brain tumor. Combs, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Stevie Wonder, Magic Johnson and Simpson himself attended the funeral. Robert Shapiro, who has gone on...

Who really killed Nicole Simpson?

Oct 03, 2021 · Christopher Darden. American lawyer. On this day in 1995, the “trial of the century” was brought to a close as a jury found O.J. Simpson “not …

What is O.J Simpson doing now?

The attorneys representing Simpson, known as the “Dream Team,” included F. Lee Bailey, Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro, and Alan Dershowitz; Johnnie Cochran later became the defense team’s lead attorney. The Simpson defense was based largely on the grounds that evidence had been mishandled and that many members of the Los Angeles police …

What happened during the O.J. Simpson civil trial?

Gil Garcetti, now 79, was two years into his first term as the Los Angeles County District Attorney when the O.J. Simpson trial began. He won reelection to the DA's office in 1996, but lost in 2000.

What happened to OJ Simpson's lawyer?

How much did OJ Simpson have to pay in a wrongful death suit?

What did OJ whisper to Shapiro after verdict?

What happened to Chris Darden?

How much does Oj Owe the Goldman family?

Did Robert Kardashian know OJ guilty?

Who was the lawyers for OJ Simpson?

Who was the attorney that represented OJ Simpson?

How much did OJ lose in civil court?

Was OJ at Nicole's funeral?

Why did Marcia Clark quit law?

What happened to Marcia Clark after OJ?

What was the O.J. Simpson trial?

The O.J. Simpson trial was the criminal trial in which former gridiron football star O.J. Simpson was tried for the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nico...

Who represented O.J. Simpson during his trial?

The attorneys representing O.J. Simpson included F. Lee Bailey, Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro, and Alan Dershowitz. Johnnie...

When did the jury reach a verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial?

On October 2, 1995, the jury for the O.J. Simpson trial began deliberating, and its members reached a verdict in less than four hours. Judge Lance...

Was O.J. Simpson tried again after his 1995 criminal trial?

After O.J. Simpson's 1995 trial, which was a criminal case, the victims’ families sued Simpson for wrongful death. The civil trial began in October...

Who was Nicole Brown Simpson's friend?

Getty Images. Resnick was one of Nicole Brown Simpson's closest friends, who gained notoriety for her cocaine addiction. She checked into a rehab facility three days before Nicole was murdered, and infamously published a salacious tell-all book with a National Enquirer columnist during the trial.

Who was the lead prosecutor in the Los Angeles trial?

Marcia Clark, the trial’s lead prosecutor, resigned from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office after the case and left the practice of law. Her memoir of the trial, Without A Doubt, fetched a $4 million advance. Clark, now 67, has gone on to write a series of crime novels and has also appeared as a television commentator about high profile trials.

What did Johnnie Cochran do after the trial?

After the trial, Cochran continued to practice law and appear as a TV commentator. He died of brain cancer in 2005 at age 68.

Who was the judge in the Fuhrman trial?

Judge Lance Ito's decision to allow television coverage of the trial was controversial, and in many ways, changed the nature of criminal trials. It was also revealed that Ito's wife, Margaret York, had been detective Mark Fuhrman's superior officer in the past, but Ito did not recuse himself from the case. Ito remained a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court until his retirement in 2015. Now 70, he has kept a low profile since the trial, and has never publicly discussed it or given interviews.

Who is Robert Shapiro?

Robert Shapiro, one of Simpson's Dream Team lawyers , famously clashed with F. Lee Bailey in the courtroom, and the feuding didn't stop with the O.J. trial—Shapiro later testified as a government witness against Bailey when he was accused of trying to keep $20 million in stock that one of his clients should have forfeited to the government. Shapiro went on to represent Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts, Eva Longoria, and even Rob Kardashian, his former colleague's son. After his own son Brent died from a drug overdose in 2005, he founded the Brent Shapiro Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to raise drug awareness and also a rehabilitation facility. He is now 78.

Who is the lawyer who introduced DNA to the jury?

During the trial, Scheck was the unknown lawyer who introduced the still-new science of DNA to jurors. He made headlines for dismantling the police handling of evidence, ultimately wounding the strength of the prosecution’s forensic evidence. He and fellow Simpson lawyer Peter Neufeld co-founded The Innocence Project, which uses DNA evidence to exonerate wrongly convicted prisoners. The project has helped overturn over 300 convictions. Scheck, now 71, also teaches at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Who is Liz Cantrell?

Liz Cantrell Assistant to the Editor in Chief Liz Cantrell is the assistant to the Editor in Chief of Town & Country , covering arts and culture, and has previously written for Esquire. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.

Who was the LAPD criminalist who testified in the 1995 trial?

LAPD criminalist and hair fiber expert Susan Brockbank testified on June 27, 1995, and FBI Special Agent and fiber expert Doug Deedrick testified on June 29, 1995, to the following findings:

How many women were on the jury in the trial of the murder of the slain man?

From an original jury pool of 40 percent white, 28 percent black, 17 percent Hispanic, and 15 percent Asian, the final jury for the trial had ten women and two men, of whom nine were black, two white and one Hispanic. The jury was sequestered for 265 days, the most in American history.

Who was the Dream Team?

The pursuit and Simpson' s subsequent arrest were among the most widely publicized events in American history. Simpson was represented by a high-profile defense team, referred to as the " Dream Team ", which was initially led by Robert Shapiro and subsequently directed by Johnnie Cochran.

What was the defense team's reasonable doubt theory?

The defense team's reasonable doubt theory was summarized as "compromised, contaminated, corrupted" in opening statements. They argued that the DNA evidence against Simpson was "compromised" by the mishandling of criminalists Dennis Fung and Andrea Mazzola during the collection phase of evidence gathering, and that 100% of the "real killer (s)" DNA had vanished from the evidence samples. The evidence was then "contaminated" in the LAPD crime lab by criminalist Collin Yamauchi, and Simpson's DNA from his reference vial was transferred to all but three exhibits. The remaining three exhibits were planted by the police and thus "corrupted" by police fraud. The defense also questioned the timeline, claiming the murders happened around 11:00pm that night.

When was the blood on the back gate of the Bundy crime scene?

The defense alleged that Simpson's blood on the back gate at the Bundy crime scene was planted by the police. The blood on the back gate was collected on July 3, 1995, rather than June 13, the day after the murders. The volume of DNA on that blood was significantly higher than the other blood evidence collected on June 13. The volume of DNA was so high that the defense conceded that it could not be explained by contamination in the lab, yet noted that it was unusual for that blood to have more DNA on it than the other samples collected at the crime scene, especially since it had been left exposed to the elements for several weeks and after the crime scene had supposedly been washed over. On March 20, 1995, Vannatter testified that he instructed Fung to collect the blood on the gate on June 13 and Fung admitted he had not done so. The defense suggested the reason why Fung did not collect the blood is because it was not there that day; Scheck showed a blown-up photograph taken of the back gate on June 13 and he admitted he could not see it in the photograph.

Did the police plant blood on the socks?

The defense alleged that the police had planted Brown's blood on the socks found in Simpson's bedroom. The socks were collected on June 13 and had blood from both Simpson and Brown, but her blood on the socks was not identified until August 4. The socks were found by Fuhrman, but the defense suggested Vannatter planted the blood. He had received both blood reference vials from the victims earlier that day from the coroner and booked them immediately into evidence. Vannatter then drove back to Rockingham later that evening to hand deliver the reference vial for Simpson to Fung, which the defense alleged gave him opportunity to plant the blood. Fung testified he could not see blood on the socks he collected from Simpson's bedroom but the prosecution later demonstrated that those blood stains are only visible underneath a microscope.

Who was the author of the book Journey to Justice?

In 1996, Cochran wrote and published a book about the trial. It was titled Journey to Justice, and described his involvement in the case. That same year, Shapiro also published a book about the trial called The Search for Justice. He criticized Bailey as a "loose cannon" and Cochran for bringing race into the trial. In contrast to Cochran 's book, Shapiro said that he does not believe that Simpson was framed by the LAPD, but considered the verdict correct due to reasonable doubt. In a subsequent interview with Barbara Walters, Shapiro, who is Jewish, claimed that he was particularly offended by Cochran for comparing Fuhrman's words to the Holocaust, and vowed that he would never again work with Bailey or Cochran, but would still maintain a working relationship with Scheck.

Why was Cowlings arrested?

Though Cowlings always maintained that he was helping Simpson turn himself in, not flee, he was arrested for aiding a fugitive but never charged due to lack of evidence. In 1997, records show that Cowlings filed for bankruptcy.

Who wrote the search for justice?

Like so many other key people in the O.J. Simpson trial, lawyer Robert Shapiro, who successfully defended Simpson, eventually wrote a book about the case— The Search for Justice: A Defense Attorney’s Brief on the O.J. Simpson Case.

Who is Nicole Brown's sister?

DENISE BROWN. Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister, Denise Brown, was a powerful voice for victims of abuse. Her testimony about the abuse that Nicole Brown Simpson suffered at the hands of O.J. made for some of the trial’s most memorable moments.

Who was Marcia Clark?

Marcia Clark was an L.A. deputy district attorney when she was tasked with taking on Simpson’s highly-paid “Dream Team” of lawyers. It was the kind of case that could make or break an attorney’s career, but Clark was no newcomer; in 1991, she successfully prosecuted Robert John Bardo for the murder of My Sister Sam actress Rebecca Schaeffer. And while the outcome in the Simpson trial wasn’t in Clark’s favor, it did help her to discover a new passion in life—writing. In 1997, Clark co-authored Without a Doubt, a book about the Simpson trial, with Teresa Carpenter. She has since written four novels (with a new one coming out in May) and often appears on television as a legal expert in high-profile cases. “Writing novels and being in the courtroom—it's a storytelling job, no matter how you look at it,” Clark told Oprah in 2013. “It's the same thing.”

Who said if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit?

This led to Johnnie Cochran ’s famous declaration: “If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit.”. Shortly after the end of the trial, Darden left the district attorney’s office and was appointed as an associate professor of law at L.A.’s Southwestern University School of Law.

Who is Ron Goldman's father?

Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman’s father, still stands as an example to the families of murder victims everywhere. Throughout the trial he was an eloquent spokesperson for the victims who couldn’t speak for themselves, and spent more than a decade pursuing civil claims against Simpson.

Who was murdered in 1994?

June 12, 1994: Nicole Simpson Brown and Ron Goldman are murdered. 6:30 pm: After attending her daughter's dance recital, Brown has dinner with friends and family at the Brentwood restaurant Mezzaluna, where Goldman works as a waiter. Brown's mother accidentally leaves her eyeglasses at the restaurant and Goldman volunteers to stop by Brown's house ...

What did the jury hear about Fuhrman?

The jury hears old taped recordings of Fuhrman making multiple racial slurs, (which he had denied ever having done during his cross-examination), and also bragging about his enforcement of police brutality.

Who was the lead prosecutor in the Simpson murder trial?

An ace trial lawyer for the L.A. District Attorney's office, Clark spent years in the Special Trials Unit, which involved some of the most complex investigations, before becoming the lead prosecutor of the Simpson murder trial.

Who was the defense counsel of the year 1994?

A lover of the spotlight, lead defense counsel Shapiro knew how to make a deal without going to trial and was a master at manipulating the media in order to garner sympathy for his famous clients. In fact, he was praised as the "Defense Counsel of the Year" in 1994, which even Judge Ito applauded.

Who was Christopher Darden?

Christopher Darden (Prosecution ) Despite being a co-prosecuting attorney with Clark, Darden had limited trial experience. Still, as a Black man amid a majority Black jury, his participation was important so as to dismiss the notion that the otherwise all-white people prosecution had racist motivations against Simpson.

Who is Johnnie Cochran?

Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown.

Who did Michael Jackson and James Brown represent?

Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. In 1994, he was considered one of the best trial lawyers in the nation, and it was Simpson himself who asked Shapiro to bring Cochran onto the team.

Who said if it doesn't fit you must acquit?

After prosecutor Darden made the mistake of demanding Simpson try on the ill-fitted bloody gloves, Cochran uttered the famous phrase: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.". That moment became a turning point of the trial, giving Simpson's defense a huge advantage.

Who is Lance Ito?

Judge Lance Ito. Photo: POO/AFP/Getty Images. Before Lance Ito was appointed to the bench in 1989, he was an attorney for the L.A. district and at one point, worked under Cochran.

The Evidence

The murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman was a violent crime. Accordingly, there was a large amount of blood at the crime scene. Almost all of the blood was found to have come from Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman.

Prosecution Case

There were two pieces of physical evidence relied on by the prosecution:

Conclusion

The above discussion details just some of the many instances of mishandling and contaminating evidence that occurred during the investigation. It is no surprise that the jury were left with a reasonable doubt about whether OJ Simpson had murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

Overview

The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court in which former National Football League (NFL) player, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson was tried and acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The pair were stabbed to death outside Brown's condominium in the Brentwoodneighborhood of Los Angeles on the night of June 12, 1994. The t…

Background

Murders

Flight to Chicago

Arrest

Preliminary hearing

Media coverage

Trial