If He Did It

The Juice's mug shot -- Picture courtesy Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
When OJ Simpson was acquitted 11 years ago of murdering his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman, many people were outraged at the apparent miscarriage of justice. In truth, the prosecutors lost the case at the time of jury selection -- they gambled that black, female jurists would relate more to a female victim than a black defendant. Prosecutors also felt confident enough, based on the "mountain" of evidence, to move the trial to a predominantly black urban district; this was a measure to prevent a Rodney King-like verdict riot.

We all know how it turned out. The prosecution made major stumbles like having OJ try on a glove. Smooth talking lawyer Johnny Cochran charmed the jury with Dr. Seuss rhymes -- "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit". Then, a red herring was presented by defense. Police investigator Mark Furhman had used the "n" word in taped sessions with a screen writer years earlier. This irrelevance became the focus of the trial, and pretty much all was lost for prosecutor Marcia Clark -- OJ was acquitted of both murder charges.

In subsequent years, OJ has successfully protected his homestead from damages awarded in a civil suit filed by the victms' familes. He now resides in Florida, spending much of his time playing golf. He has a strained relationship with his children, and word is that they have never discussed the murders in all these years. Maybe his kids suspect his guilt, and maybe they just don't want to think about it. OJ hasn't helped things really. He's been filmed in recent years faking a stabbing with a banana; he also was quoted as saying that if he had committed the crime, it would have been justified.

Now comes his latest work -- "If I Did It...". In the book he "speculates" about how he would have done the killings, being closer to the material than presumably anybody else. The book's publisher Judith Regan, a victim of domestic abuse herself, considers it an OJ confession of sorts. The book will also become a FOX special. What strikes me about the case itself is the way it desensitized the nation to murder. Two people were butchered, and yet the presumed killer has maintained celebrity status and the killings themselves long ago became mere fodder for talk show humor. The macabre spectacle of his retelling the events is bone-chilling but will garner a big audience. The same instinct that compels people to watch a car accident or a public execution will deliver FOX a ratings sweep. If OJ did it, he needs to rest assured that "the jurist in the sky" hasn't weighed in yet. I don't believe in Hell so much as I believe in Karma -- and OJ will someday truly confront the wrongfulness of his actions. We must add, "if he did it" to be consistent with the upcoming book title.

© 2006 blogSpotter.