who was the defense attorney of the oj simpson trial

Who were the lawyers in OJ trial?

Feb 28, 2022 · Jun 12, 2014 — Defense attorneys Robert Shapiro and Johnnie Cochran confer during testimony in the OJ Simpson Criminal Trial Defense attorneys Robert Shapiro ( 9 ) … Jun 3, 2021 — F. Lee Bailey, the celebrity lawyer who defended O.J. Simpson, Patricia Hearst and the alleged Boston Strangler, has died. ( 10 ) …

Who was the prosecutor for the OJ Simpson trial?

Jun 23, 2015 · Following the Simpson circus, defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, he of the famous phrase “If it doesn’t fit you must acquit," went on to represent Haitian immigrant Abner Louima, winning him an ...

How did the defense dismantle the prosecution case against OJ?

Jan 23, 2020 · Simpson was represented by a high-profile defense team, also referred to as the "Dream Team", which was initially led by Robert Shapiro and subsequently directed by Johnnie Cochran. The team also included F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian , Shawn Holley, Carl E. Douglas, and Gerald Uelmen .

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

Jun 08, 2020 · Click to see full answer. Just so, who was OJ Simpson's first lawyer? Simpson was represented by a high-profile defense team, also referred to as the "Dream Team", which was initially led by Robert Shapiro and subsequently directed by Johnnie Cochran.The team also included F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian, Shawn Holley, Carl E. Douglas, and …

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Sep 24, 2015 · Defense attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Robert Kardashian arrive for the opening statements in the O.J. Simpson double murder trial in Los Angeles, Jan. 24, 1995.

Who was OJ Simpson's defense attorney?

F Lee BaileyF Lee Bailey was the showman-like criminal defence lawyer whose roster of celebrity clients included OJ Simpson and Patty Hearst. Bailey, who has died aged 87, could have continued his successful career and retired in wealth and fame, had it not been for an unwise error that ultimately brought him ignominy.Jun 21, 2021

What happened to Chris Darden?

Christopher Darden Whether it was posturing by Simpson or whether the gloves actually shrunk, it's still a decision Darden is criticized for. When the case ended, Darden became a college professor before starting his own law firm. He is now 65 and still practicing law.Oct 2, 2020

Where is Judge Ito now?

Last October, NBC News reported that Ito had presided over 500 cases since the Simpson trial before retiring in January 2015. He had few post-retirement plans aside from learning to play the guitar. The article also noted that Ito had recently celebrated his 34th wedding anniversary and resides in Pasadena, California.Feb 23, 2016

Why did the gloves not fit OJ?

The glove was covered in blood. According to the prosecution, that blood seeped into the fibers of the leather and shrunk it, thus explaining why Simpson's hand did not fit inside. ... Marcia Clark famously opposed using the gloves at all. “I did not want [Simpson] to try on the evidence gloves.Sep 30, 2020

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 is the book if I did it about?

In November 2006, ReganBooks announced a book ghostwritten by Pablo Fenjves based on interviews with Simpson titled If I Did It, an account which the publisher said was a hypothetical confession. The book's release was planned to coincide with a Fox special featuring Simpson. "This is a historic case, and I consider this his confession," publisher Judith Regan told the Associated Press. On November 20, News Corporation, parent company of ReganBooks and Fox, canceled both the book and the TV interview due to a high level of public criticism. CEO Rupert Murdoch, speaking at a press conference, stated: "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project."

Who was the criminologist who testified at the murder scene?

As the prosecution's witness, Dennis Fung — the LAPD criminologist who collected evidence at the murder scene — ended up spending the longest time testifying on the stand. For nine days, Fung recalled how he collected samples of blood, albeit admittedly overlooking some important areas where blood drops were identified and not always using gloves.

Who was the witness for the prosecution?

Aspiring actor and houseguest of Simpson, Brian "Kato" Kaelin was a star witness for the prosecution. Present at Simpson 's Rockingham mansion at the time of the murders, Kaelin claimed that he ate dinner with Simpson that night but could not account for the star athlete's whereabouts between the hours of 9:36 p.m. and 11 p.m. (the prosecution theorized that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and Goldman between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.).

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 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 Robert Shapiro?

Robert Shapiro (Defense) A lover of the spotlight, lead defense counsel Sha piro 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 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.

Who is Lawrence Schiller?

Lawrence Schiller, author of "American Tragedy: The Uncensored Story of the O.J. Simpson Defense," had access to Simpson and his dream team during the 1995 criminal trial. Now 20 years after Simpson was found not guilty in his criminal trial on Oct. 3, 1995, Schiller co—produced with Stephen Auerbach and Chuck Braverman two new documentaries airing ...

Why didn't the gloves fit?

At the prosecution's request, Simpson tried on the bloody glove found at the scene of the crime at his criminal trial. "He had latex gloves on. He was trying on a glove that had been soaked in blood," Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father, told "20/20.".

Who is Ron Goldman's father?

He was trying on a glove that had been soaked in blood," Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father, told "20/20.". "He would hold the glove, and he did this. He wasn't yanking at the glove. It was – so of course – he couldn't get it on.".

Who gave the jurors the intellectual and moral permission to vote their heart?

I think for some of the jurors, Barry Scheck gave them the intellectual and the moral permission to vote their heart. They wanted to vote acquittal. Barry showed them how to; Johnnie told them why to. …

Who is Alan Dershowitz?

Alan Dershowitz, member of the Simpson defense team and Harvard law professor. …. The theory of the defense was when you find a certain amount of lying and evidence planting on the other side, you can't trust any of the evidence, so the mountain wasn't enough to convict if a few of the hills and valleys were corrupted.

Who is Johnnie Cochran?

Johnnie Cochran was one of the great American trial lawyers of his era, a remarkably intelligent guy who just knew the sort of generative grammar of juries automatically. Barry Scheck was and remains the great dean of DNA evidence in the American bar. And O.J. had all those people.

Who said "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit"?

Johnnie Cochran was a master who we'll remember for the next twenty years -- "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.". I think that [Peter] Neufeld and Barry Scheck did a masterful job in handling the DNA evidence. They outclassed the prosecution; they did exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

Why can't you trust the messenger?

The defense essentially was, you can't trust the messenger because the messenger has lied to you, and that means that you really can't trust the message they're presenting to you. So if you have police officers that are lying to you, that aren't testifying to you truthfully, there's no reason for you to believe that all of the physical evidence that they've collected and presented is as reliable as they suggest. There's reason for you to fear incompetence and worse: corruption of the physical evidence. And you certainly can't trust the story they're telling about Mr. Simpson. …

Overview

• It was around 1973 that he met O.J. Simpson, a football star of that time, and developed a friendship. The friendship soon turned into a professional relationship, with the two setting up a music video company and a frozen yogurt shop and hiring criminal defense attorney. Some one …

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Background

Murders

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…

Flight to Chicago

Arrest

Preliminary hearing

Media coverage

Trial