O. J. Simpson’s Trial and Indirect Evidence Essay

Background: The Infamous Case of O. J. Simpson

Case Details

The O. J. Simpson murder case is one of the most high-profile trials in history. Until this day, this case continues to captivate the attention of people from all around the world. O. J. Simpson, a former NFL player, was tried on two counts of murder for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Unfortunately, Simpson was announced not guilty on both of these crimes on October 3, 1995 (Velasquez, 2017). This case continues to be one of the most controversial trials and emphasizes on the United States’ flawed system.

Thesis Statement

Despite the verdict, O. J. Simpson is, in fact, guilty because of the mounting forensic evidence, his suspicious behavior, and the fact that he has the motive.

Reasons for the Assumptions: When Everything Points to One Man

When considering the evidence that has been collected for the further analysis, one must admit that most of it pointed to the significant possibility of O. J. Simpson being the murderer. For example, the fact that the DNA sample taken from the accused matched the one that was found at the crime scene shows that there is a noticeable connection between O. J. and the murder. Because of the coincidence between the DNA sample and the DNA that was located where Nicole was murdered, a closer inspection of the information related to O. J. Simpson and the possibility of him assaulting Nicole should have taken place (“Five things that suggest O. J. Simpson killed his wife,” 2011).

The vast range of motives that O. J. had for murdering his wife should also be regarded as rather solid evidence against him. Indeed, O. J. Simpson has been known for his outbursts of violence, especially toward his wife (Boyette, 2015). Because of his inability to control his jealousy and, thus, his regular temper tantrums serve as the indication of him developing even more bitter feelings toward Nicole and, thus, succumbing to his desire to vent his negative feelings in an aggressive and violent way. The fact that Nicole was murdered brutally shows that she must have been killed in a fit of rage, which is quite characteristic of O. J. Simpson given the lack of control over his emotions (Boyette, 2015).

Counterargument: Acknowledging the Controversy

As stressed above, the lack of definitive information that would have proven O. J. Simpson’s guilt is the primary characteristic of the case. Therefore, it could be argued that the connection between O. J. Simpson’s actions and his involvement in the case is somewhat tenuous. Indeed, there is no direct evidence that would have allowed proving his guilt and, thus, solving the case. Instead, the information available to the jury only allowed them to identify the possibility of O. J. Simpson’s involvement. Therefore, in case the jury had been inclined to accuse O. J. Simpson, their actions could have been regarded as the sign of them being prejudiced against the defendant.

In addition, the fact that the jury may have been biased in their interpretation of O. J. Simpson’s motivations and choices deserves to be mentioned as one of the reasons for claiming that O. J. was not guilty. Because of the high levels of racial profiling that could be witnessed at the time in the United States, the prejudice toward O. J. Simpson made the allegations look especially convincing even though other people, such as his son, Jason, could also be viewed as possible suspects for the case.

Rebuttal: Why the Existing Evidence Tips the Scale

Despite the lack of evidence that would have helped prove O. J. Simpson’s connection to the case, the fact that all of the pieces of information point to the possibility of him committing the murder leave little to no room for any other interpretation of the case. The evidence that has been mounting over the course of the trial shows that O. J. must have had something to do with the crime. The lack of coherence in his actions after the murder had been committed points, although indirectly, to the high probability of O. J. being the actual murderer.

In addition, even in the case of biases in the jury’s decision, their prejudice against African American people did not influence the outcome of the trial. Indeed, despite the fact that O. J.’s case had been taking place for quite a while, the defendant was finally acquitted. Therefore, the prejudices that the jury may have had toward O. J. Simpson did not serve as the pivoting point in their decision-making.

Conclusion: The Case of O. J. Simpson and Its Implications

Although the jury concluded in their final decision that O. J. could not be accused due to the lack of evidence, the existing information points indirectly yet rather clearly to O. J. Simpson being guilty. The fact that only collateral evidence could be located to study the connection between O. J. Simpson and the murder of his wife and Ronald Goldman does not deny the presence of great doubts regarding the innocence of the defendant. Thus, revisiting the history of the crime and reevaluating the evidence that was available during the trial could lead to rather impressive outcomes. Particularly, a more tangible connection could be established between O. J. and the murder. Thus, justice would be restored, even though years have passed after the murder was committed. Because of the ambiguity of the outcomes and the high probability of a mistake having occurred during the trial, it is essential to reopen the case for the sake of justice. The specified step would contribute to improving the justice system by amending the mistakes that were made in the past because of its flaws.

References

Boyette, C. (2015). 20 years later: Key moments from the O. J. Simpson trial. CNN. Web.

Five things that suggest O. J. Simpson killed his wife. (2011). NewsOne. Web.

Velasquez, M. (2017). O. J. Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman are murdered in Brentwood on June 12, 1994. The OCR. Web.