LOS ALAMITOS, CA — Imagine it’s 1994. The television flashes with headlines on O.J. Simpson, the ex-Buffalo Bills running back, trailing cops down a freeway chase. What happened on June 12, 1994 remained a mystery until thousands of newspapers across America began covering O.J. Simpson’s incendiary court cases and possible murders.
Simpson’s recent death in April has brought back memories and past footage of his curious days in court. Most knew Simpson for his status as a football star until news got out about his charges. If his assets and social status were not a factor in his case, Simpson would have had a much different trial. Simpson’s case paved the way for similar cases to arise shortly and long after.
Not only did he quickly obtain a team of prestigious lawyers for his trial, but his defense team, known as “The Dream Team,” consisted of nine defense lawyers.
“There’s a lot of mistakes in the justice system,” said Mrs. Captain, a substitute for Los Al. “I feel that men in power are the number one people who get away with things a lot of other people wouldn’t get away with.”
Some people believed he was being unfairly targeted based on his ethnicity. His non-guilty verdict proved a lot for the people who felt he was unfairly accused.
“So many black men have been convicted unfairly in this country, that it gave me some hope the system could work,” Angulo said.
His case would become blurred by rumors as there were still skeptics believing the offender killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
“I think what he did to his wife was bad,” said Sophie Ward, a freshman at Los Alamitos High School. “It was shocking when I heard about it.”
Until the 90s, cases such as Simpson’s with similar circumstances had never been witnessed by the jury. His case was one of the first of its kind. Although comparable cases have emerged in history since then, they have not represented the legacy that O.J.’s case holds.
Other football players have gotten in trouble with the law since O.J.’s case. With fame, money, and connections getting away with major offenses may not be so hard.
A few years after O.J. Simpson’s case, Leonard Little, a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, ran into someone with his car, killing her in the process. It was later revealed he was under the influence of alcohol. His alcohol levels at the time were 0.19, surpassing the limit to be able to drive by 0.09 at the time of the accident.
He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter but only received 90 days of work in the city workhouse, four years of probation, and 1,000 hours of community service. Usual charges of manslaughter result in up to 15 years in prison for the crime. When considering the crime he committed and the consequences it caused, was his punishment fair or did he deserve a sentence?
Another famous man who has been accused of awful crimes is Harvey Weinstein. Harvey Weinstein, a film producer, was convicted of assaulting multiple women in 2020. These charges were recently overturned due to a mistake during the trial. This disappointed many, especially the women who spoke about his abuse. His powerful standing in society influenced the revising of his charges. This helped him get away with multiple offenses.
“These men have exploited their positions of power to silence their victims and avoid consequences for their actions,” said Riley Mitchel, a freshman.
O.J. Simpson’s infamous case is still known today, almost 30 years after his trial was acquitted. His case like many others is not considered to be fairly reviewed. In the future, we can only hope that power and money don’t affect the justice system as they did with his and many other cases.
