Opinion Forum

Justice for O.J. Simpson

December 5th, 2008

Today a no-nonsense Nevada judge sentenced O.J. Simpson to as long as 33 years in prison, although he might serve only nine years. This followed his conviction for a long list of 12 crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping. Finally, justice for O.J. Late and insufficient, but justice still.

Just imagine if this judge and jury had tried him in Nevada a dozen years ago instead of that La-La Land circus of a court in Los Angeles. He would have been in prison all this time, serving a life sentence for the two murders he committed.

Articles written by Tom Carter
Tags: death penalty, Law
Categories: Life, News | Comments (2) | Home

2 Responses to “Justice for O.J. Simpson”

Kevin | December 5th, 2008 at 11:02 pm

I’m apparently in the minority with respect to O.J.’s first trial. I watched most of it because I was not working due to back surgery. And at the end of it I agreed with the Jury.

The thing is… the verdict wasn’t that he didn’t commit the murders… it was that the burden on the prosecution to make their case simply hadn’t been met. He may have killed his exwife and her friend, but if so, it wasn’t proved beyond a reasonable doubt in that trial, IMHO.

It troubles me that that first trial has taken so much grief in pop culture because it was a great example of our notions on “justice” played out in real life. If you or I were accused of a crime we are presumed innocent and the burden of proof is on the prosecution. That is as it should be. Whether I come across as an unsympathetic piece of shit should never, ever be used to convict me because if that were the burdon of proof then a hell of a lot of us would be in prison simply for being cads. That would not be justice as the Founders envisioned it.

Tom | December 6th, 2008 at 6:38 am

This is interesting, Kevin. I also watched almost all the trial, and I came to exactly the opposite conclusion. Reading analyses of the trial, including legal views, reinforced that conclusion. Judge Ito often lost control of his courtroom, the defense’s case depended far too much on the absurd idea that there was a complex police conspiracy against O.J. involving a huge number of people, etc. Beyond that, the evidence presented to the jury should have been enough to convince anyone of his guilt.

And there was more. The Simi Valley trial (I know, different standard of proof in a civil trial), that stupid “if I had done it” book he wrote (or someone wrote for him), etc.

But no matter. He’s been sent away now, and barring any slick lawyering, he’ll be there for a long time. That’s a good thing.