The trials of O.J. and Trump — a study in parallels

O.J. Simpson died Thursday of prostate cancer at the age of 76. Perhaps the greatest rebel of all time, he was acquitted of the double murder of his ex-wife and her friend.

At the crime scene, a bloody footprint about his size was found, along with blood droplets that appeared to match his DNA, as well as a bag of clothing that was purchased by his murdered ex-wife and worn at a televised football game. A glove of the same style was also found.

When the verdict was announced on October 3, 1995, most black Americans applauded the outcome, but most whites denounced it as a miscarriage of justice. Gil Garcetti, one of the prosecutors, I lamented The verdict was said to have been “based on emotion that overcame reason.”

At that time, I was on TV with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and they seemed happy that Simpson had committed two murders and was acquitted. I doubt they really thought OJ was innocent. Deep down, they were probably ecstatic that black people had defeated the system, as so many white people had done and as Donald Trump is now trying to do.

Simpson’s trial had many imperfections. The judge loses control of the courtroom and allows his “dream team” of defense attorneys to violently assault the shockingly incompetent prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden. Darden and Clark were said to have been in a romantic relationship, but at the time no one thought it was a problem, except for a few raised eyebrows.

There are striking similarities between the Simpson case and the prosecution of Donald Trump. Most Democrats believe Trump is guilty as charged in four separate indictments (two state, two federal). Most Republicans, at least MAGA Republicans, believe that Trump is the victim of a political conspiracy to prevent him from winning re-election. Neither side places much weight on the evidence.

One of the judges who allegedly escaped MAGA’s destruction is U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon in Port St. Lucie, Florida, a Trump appointee who handles classified document theft cases. Mr. Cannon is doing everything he can to eviscerate the most public prosecution, with bizarre rulings that have drawn criticism from numerous lawyers and federal judges.playing cards Claim Biden says he wants to impeach her or destroy her reputation because she appears to be on his side.

Polls show that the justice system is flawed, plagued by sexism, racism, and partisan politics, and that the public has lost respect for it. I don’t need to say that.

Laura Coates, a former prosecutor and current CNN anchor and legal analyst, says this in her excellent book Just Pursuit:

“Blackness is an implicit charge in the criminal justice system. Black defendants must defend against this charge as much as the stereotypes that deny the presumption of innocence… Their first line of defense is , to combat the historical mistreatment, prejudice, and racist attitudes toward black defendants. It’s a history of black defendants versus black defendants.

The justice system often convicts and imprisons innocent people. Nonprofit organization since 1992 innocence project employed DNA evidence to prove the innocence of a convicted defendant. The group has so far exonerated 375 people who were incarcerated. All of them have now been released after many of them spent almost their entire lives in prison. Of those wrongfully convicted, 60 percent are African American, 8 percent are Latino, and 2 percent are Asian.

Despite its impressive record of success, the organization reports that “an alarming number of innocent people remain behind bars.”

January 6, 2021 seems like a long time ago, but Trump has yet to be tried for trying to overturn the 2020 election. His trial in New York is on charges of concealing payments to porn stars to cover up an extramarital affair before the 2016 election. Some commentators, such as former prosecutor Norman Eisen, have written a book about the case, The Trump Trial: A Guide to the First Election Obstruction Criminal Trial, but perhaps there is more to this story. I see it as having deep meaning: It’s an imbroglio story of Mr. Trump’s entry and exit points in the election. Interference that uses fraud and deception to gain power. Trump succeeded in 2016. He failed in 2021.

Mr. Trump has led a fascinating legal career so far. Based on the evidence I know, he should be convicted in New York because the case against him is overwhelming.

But if he’s acquitted, it’s an opportunity for MAGA hoopla and the evidence doesn’t matter at all.

President Trump said the base doesn’t care if Simpson kills two people, just like the base doesn’t care if Simpson kills two people. No one should be above the law, but when it comes to the famous, wealthy, and powerful, I have my doubts.

Author and legal analyst James D. Gillin is a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. He is also a public TV talk show and podcast host. Conversation with Jim Gillin.