who was the main defense attorney for oj simpson

by Delpha Gislason 9 min read

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.Jan 24, 2022

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Jun 08, 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 .

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What happened to the lawyers who defended O.J. Simpson?

Famed attorney F. Lee Bailey, who defended O.J. Simpson, dies at age 87. F. Lee Bailey, the flamboyant defense lawyer best known for his key role in O.J. Simpson's "Dream Team," has died, a longtime colleague said Thursday.Jun 3, 2021

How many defense attorneys did OJ have?

Actor and football star O. J. Simpson had four lawyers representing him at his trial for murder: Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, Robert Shapiro and F.(34)… The Search for Justice: A Defense Attorney's Brief on the O.J.

How much did Robert Shapiro make for O.J. Simpson?

Ultimately, Shapiro settled the case for $450,000 (nearly twice the amount he said he was paid to represent the client in the first place), without admitting any wrongdoing.

What happened to F. Lee Bailey?

Following his disbarment, he moved to Maine, where he ran a consulting firm. He later sat for the bar exam in the state of Maine, though in 2013 he was denied a law license by the Maine Board of Bar Examiners, a decision upheld by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 2014. Bailey died on June 3, 2021, aged 87.

Was Rob Kardashian a lawyer?

Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 – September 30, 2003) was an American attorney and businessman. He gained recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial....Robert KardashianOccupationAttorney businessmanKnown forO. J. Simpson murder case10 more rows

Was OJ at Nicole's funeral?

June 16, 1994Nicole Brown Simpson / Date of burial

Who were the other defense lawyers for O.J. Simpson?

The attorneys representing O.J. Simpson included F. Lee Bailey, Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro, and Alan Dershowitz. Johnnie Cochran later became the defense team's lead attorney.Jan 24, 2022

What is OJ net worth?

It is unclear what Simpson's net worth is right now — with some outlets like GoBankingRates.com saying he has roughly $250,000 in the bank while others have much higher estimates including CelebrityNetWorth.com, which reported that he's worth $3 million.Jul 20, 2017

What was O.J. Simpson's defense?

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.

Which defense attorney died today?

F. Lee Bailey, controversial defense lawyer in high-profile trials, dies at 87 - The Boston Globe.Jun 3, 2021

How is Robert Kardashian related to O.J. Simpson?

Kardashian West's father, Robert Kardashian, was Simpson's friend from college and part of the football player's legal defense team, while her mother, Kris Jenner, was Nicole's best friend and believed Simpson was guilty of the grisly murder.Oct 21, 2020

Who defended Patty Hearst?

F. Lee BaileyF. Lee Bailey, Lawyer for Patty Hearst and O.J. Simpson, Dies at 87. With theatrical courtroom flair, he was involved in a host of notorious criminal cases, including those of the Boston Strangler and a Vietnam War massacre.Jun 3, 2021

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 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 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 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 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 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.".

Early life

Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 22, 1944, one of three children born to Arthur Kardashian (October 27, 1917 – December 9, 2012) and Helen Jean Arakelian Kardashian (July 15, 1917 – May 21, 2008), both Armenian Americans. He had a sister, Barbara Kardashian Freeman, and a brother, Thomas "Tom" Kardashian.

O. J. Simpson case

Kardashian and Simpson first met around 1967 while both of them were at USC and became close friends. Simpson was the best man at Robert Kardashian and Kris Houghton 's wedding in 1978. Robert was the water boy for the USC Trojans football team which would be ranked #1 in the nation in the AP Poll.

Illness and death

Kardashian was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July 2003. He died two months later, on September 30, 2003, at age 59, and was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

In popular culture

Kardashian was portrayed by David Schwimmer in the 2016 FX miniseries American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson. Schwimmer was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance, but lost to Sterling K. Brown, who portrayed Christopher Darden in the same series.

Personal life

Kardashian had four children with his first wife, Kris Kardashian ( née Houghton, later Jenner): Kourtney, Kimberly, Khloé, and Rob.

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 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.

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 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.

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. …

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Who Is Robert Kardashian?

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To the millennial people, Robert Kardashian is now famous as the father of celebrities and global heartthrobs Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian. But the 90’s saw him as a celebrity on his own right. He began his career in the late 1960s as a lawyer. Soon, he got involved in various business ventures, including a few of OJ …
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His Relationship with OJ Lawyers

  • 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 close to a tree and the fence against Robert Kardashian. He had been stabbed multiple times in …
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Souring of Relationship and Fallout

  • Following Simpson’s acquittal, the relationship between the two once-close friends soured. In 1996, Robert Kardashian mentioned to ABC News that he was suspicious of the innocence of Simpson. He clearly said that he had doubts with the blood evidence. He also told this to author Larry Schiller in an interview for the latter’s book “American Tragedy”, which analyzed the trial an…
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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…

Trial

Simpson wanted a speedy trial, and the defense and prosecuting attorneys worked around the clock for several months to prepare their cases. The trial began on January 24, 1995, seven months after the murders, and was televised by closed-circuit TV camera via Court TV, and in part by other cable and network news outlets, for 134 days. Judge Lance Ito presided over the trial in the C.S. Fo…

Background

Nicole Brown met O.J. Simpson in 1977, when she was 18 and working as a waitress at the Daisy (a Beverly Hillsprivate club), and they began dating even though Simpson was already married. Simpson filed for divorce from his first wife in March 1979 and married Brown on February 2, 1985. Brown and Simpson went on to have two children, Sydney (b. 1985) and Justin (b. 1988). Accordin…

Murders

On the evening of June 12, 1994, Brown and Simpson both attended their daughter Sydney's dance recital at Paul Revere Middle School. Afterwards, Brown and her family went to eat at Mezzaluna restaurant; they did not invite Simpson to join them. One of the waiters at the restaurant was Ron Goldman, who had become close friends with Brown in recent weeks, but was not assigned to the Brown family's table. Brown and her children then went to Ben & Jerry'sbefor…

Flight to Chicago

On the night of June 12, Simpson was scheduled to board a red-eye flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Chicago, where he was due to play golf the following day at a convention with representatives of Hertz rental car Corporation, for whom he was a spokesman. The flight was due to leave at 11:45 pm, and a limousinearrived early at Simpson's Rockingham estate to pick him up at arou…

Arrest

After learning that Brown was the female victim, LAPD commander Keith Bushey ordered detectives Tom Lange, Philip Vannatter, Ron Phillips and Mark Fuhrmanto notify Simpson of her death and to escort him to the police station to pick up the former couple's children, who were asleep in Brown's condominium at the time of the murders. The detectives buzzed the intercom …

Preliminary hearing

On June 20, Simpson was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to both murders and was held without bail. The following day, a grand jury was called to determine whether to indict him for the two murders but was dismissed on June 23, as a result of excessive media coverage that could have influenced its neutrality. Instead, authorities held a probable cause hearing to determine whether to bring Simpson to trial. California Superior CourtJudge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell ruled on July …

Media coverage

When the trial began, all of the networks were getting these hate-mail letters because people's soap operas were being interrupted for the Simpson trial. But then what happened was the people who liked soap operas got addicted to the Simpson trial. And they got really upset when the Simpson trial was over, and people would come up to me on the street and say, 'God, I loved your show.'— …