The June 12, 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman resulted in what has been called the “trial of the century,” culminating in O. J. Simpson’s acquittal of murder. The announcement of Simpson’s death on Thursday brought new attention to the high-profile trial and the fascinating characters who played a role in the case.
Let’s see where they are now.
O.J. Simpson dies: Landmark 1990s murder trial continues as racial tensions rise in L.A.
defendant
Two years after Mr. Simpson’s 1995 acquittal, a civil court jury found Mr. Simpson responsible for the deaths of his ex-wife and Goldman and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to Mr. Simpson’s survivors. . He has been embroiled in a series of minor legal issues, from a 2001 road rage incident in Florida to a boat race at a manatee sanctuary in Florida in 2002. He was acquitted on the former count and fined on the latter count.
But his most serious violation occurred in 2007, when he and five others broke into a Las Vegas hotel room with guns and robbed a memorabilia dealer they claimed belonged to Simpson. property was seized. He served nine years in a Nevada prison and was released on parole in 2017. In recent years, Simpson has been living a quiet life in Las Vegas, where he plays golf and occasionally takes selfies with people still obsessed with his celebrity.
He died of prostate cancer on Wednesday.
On July 20, 2017, former NFL football star O.J. Simpson appeared via video for his parole hearing at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada. Simpson, a decorated football superstar and Hollywood actor, was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and his wife. Her friend, who was later found liable in another civil case, died. He was 76 years old. (Jason Bean/Reno Gazette Journal, Associated Press)
victim’s family
Ron Goldman’s sister Kim, 22, sobbed as the not guilty verdict was read. Since then, she has served as executive director of The Youth Project, a Southern California-based nonprofit that counseled troubled teens until the pandemic shut it down. A best-selling author and speaker, Goldman has also launched several podcasts, including “Showdown: OJ Simpson” and most recently “Media Circus.”
Ron’s father, Fred Goldman, relentlessly pursued Simpson through civil court, arguing it was the only way to get justice for his son. Goldman’s family confiscated some of Simpson’s memorabilia, including the 1968 Heisman Trophy as college football’s Most Valuable Player. The family also acquired the rights to a Simpson movie, a book he wrote about the killing, and more to satisfy part of a $33.5 million judgment that Simpson refused to pay.
Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister, Denise Brown, who, like the Goldmans, remains the most outspoken critic of the Simpson family, refuses to mention Simpson by name. The former model became a victim’s rights advocate and speaker, urging both women and men to leave abusive relationships. Although she has gotten over her anger at God for the killings, she said she has never forgiven Simpson and will not watch any movies or documentaries about the killings.
legal dream team
Simpson’s lead attorney, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., died of brain cancer in 2005 at the age of 68. His words to jurors, “If it doesn’t fit, then you have to acquit,” were an attempt to emphasize that a bloody glove was found in Simpson’s home. And when the football legend tried on the shoes in court, the crime scene was too small. After the trial, this line became a national catchphrase. After the trial, Cochran expanded his law firm to 15 states and appeared frequently on television. He was also the inspiration for Jackie Childs, the bombastic lawyer character on the television sitcom Seinfeld.
Robert Kardashian, another key figure on the defense team, died of esophageal cancer in 2003 at age 59. A longtime friend of Simpson’s, he renewed his law license specifically to represent Simpson in court. Between the murder and his arrest, Simpson stayed at Kardashian’s home. On June 17, 1994, as Simpson fled authorities in a white Ford Bronco, Kardashian read a rambling message left by Simpson to reporters as the historic highway chase unfolded on national television. Ta. Since his death, Kardashian’s fame has been eclipsed by that of his ex-wife Kris and children Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob, thanks to the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Robert Shapiro, the original member of Simpson’s defense team, continues to practice law. In 2005, after his 24-year-old son died of an overdose, he established a foundation that awards college scholarships to 11- to 18-year-olds who remain sober.
Barry Scheck was a lawyer who introduced jurors to DNA science and undermined the prosecution’s forensic evidence by attacking its collection methods. He and his fellow defense attorney Peter Neufeld co-founded the Innocence Project in 1992. This project uses DNA evidence to exonerate wrongfully convicted people.
F. Lee Bailey was an attorney who played a key role in exposing racist comments made by Detective Mark Fuhrman, one of the prosecution’s key witnesses, that undermined his credibility. When he joined his defense team, Bailey was already famous for his role in some of the most high-profile cases of the 20th century, including the heiress-turned-bank-robber Patricia Hearst case. . Mr. Bailey was disbarred in Massachusetts and Florida in the early 2000s for misconduct in the handling of his client’s cases. He passed away in 2021.
Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus of law at Harvard University, also helped Mr. Simpson get his acquittal, advising him on the scientific aspects of the case. Since then, he has caused controversy by helping the late hedge fund manager and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein win a lenient sentence for abusing underage girls. He was also part of President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense team that ended in acquittal.
prosecutor
The trial’s lead prosecutor, Marcia Clark, was a longtime television commentator who frequently appeared on high-profile trials, but she retired from practicing law after the trial. She received $4 million for her 2016 memoir, Without a Doubt, and has since written her own series of crime novels.
Co-prosecutor Chris Darden was criticized for letting Simpson try on the bloody gloves in court without checking first to see if they would fit. He is now a defense attorney himself. He represented a man accused of murdering hip-hop mogul Nipsey Hussle, then dropped the case because his family had received death threats. Darden has taught law, appeared on television as a legal commentator, and even wrote about the Simpson trial in his 1996 book “In Contempt.” He is currently running for Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.
judge
Lance Ito retired in 2015 after presiding over about 500 trials. Simpson’s trial made his name so famous that The Tonight Show briefly featured a comedy segment called “Dancing Itos” in which lookalikes performed in trial robes. Ta. After Simpson’s trial, he had to remove his nameplate from the courtroom door because people kept stealing it. Ito has not spoken publicly about the trial, citing his judicial ethics.
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The House Guest
Brian “Kato” Kaelin, a failed actor who lives in a guesthouse on Simpson’s property, heard a “thump” on the night of the murder and went outside to find Simpson in the garden. He testified. Prosecutors later said Mr. Kaelin’s testimony indicated that Mr. Simpson had sneaked home after the killing. Once teased on talk shows as America’s most famous houseguest, Kaelyn went on to appear on reality shows, have bit parts in TV sitcoms and movies, and even launched a loungewear apparel line. are doing.
