Children and his grandchildren, according to his family. Before reality tv, before court tv and true crime podcasts, there was the oj Simpson Trial in 1994, brand pitch Whh Min And Er Comedy Sidekick was accused of murdering his exwife, Nicole Browsimpson and her friend, ron goldman the gavel to gavel coverage of simpsons murd trial set off a new era of class and racial divides while riveting the nation to reportedly as many as 150 Million People watcd as hiscquittal was read aloud on television. And despite his court victory, simpson never regain that beloved status that he had as a football hero. In 2008, he was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison for a Las Vegas Hotel robbery in 2017, and he was released on parole and just two months ago, he talked about his health in a post on social media. Listen to this we the, jury, the above and title, and the good good moment. Say. Thank you to all the people who reached out to me my is good. I mean, obviously im some issues, but i think im just about overwritten. Ill be back on that golf course hopefully in a couple of weeks. But it was very nice. You see on from the any handles good positive words. Thank you lets get some perspective now with Sports Analyst and host of the right time podcast, go money jones. And we also have with his Trial Attorney and legal analysts, Mercedes Cohen but mani, the Simpson Trial obviously known as the trial of the century. But it really is startling to recognize that as hes passed, were talking about his legal issues and not who he was on the football field. He was completely overshadowed. This transcendent star it totally overshadowed his achievements as a sports icon and as someone that defined American Culture for so much of his life yeah i mean thats what happens when the world thinks that killed two people is going to take a lab, what 2000 yards to overcome the idea that you killed a couple of people like be the shift in how people looked at oj simpson is this jarring, is anything there has ever been. Its not just simply the was one of the greatest Football Players of all time. Hes a legitimate pioneer in terms of taking what you did off The Field Making A Fortune Off of the field. He was a pioneer depending on how, regardless how you felt about the way that he did it. He was a pioneer in terms of the acceptance of black athletes and black pupil generally to be commercial pitch, menn and be beloved by a larger audience in this country, he was a person that is 1994 does not happen. Were having a much different discussion in about him obviously, but the truth is, once the world thinks that you killed two people, that other stuff doesnt seem to matter that much yes. That makes sense. I think when they were or perceive transgressions that deep some people see them here. He of course was acquitted, but then found liable in the civil case. Mercedes, i wonder from your perspective, from a legal perspective, we saw this entire trial. It became, you know, it was reality tv before reality tv. And i wonder how the Legal Community looked at it. And still kind of looks at it, especially with these moments when if the glove doesnt fit, you must acquit how instructive it became brianna, thats such a great question because youre exactly right. We were all riveted. I was practicing law at that time and i remember exactly where it was in the office looking at the tv with my other lawyer colleagues it was riveting. Youve got to see how really brilliant lawyers were able to outmaneuver the prosecution. That was a brilliant stroke of genius, but by Johnnie Cochran at the very end to try the glove that the prosecution never determined ahead of time whether or not that glove would actually fit, and thats their are standard theres no discovery in criminal cases in terms of beginning to speak to the alleged perpetrator and getting them to have to manipulate or actually act upon any of those prompts that the prosecution use. So for us, as lawyers, it was a brilliant stroke of genius by Johnnie Cochran, the defense team. You have to see he also the fact that the judge lost judge either lost Total Control at times of that courtroom. So there was a lot of lessons to be learned and on a personal note i need to say that my sister died in a violent relationship. So this really struck home as it straight strikes home to many of those around the country that have had themselves been victims of Domestic Violence or had Family Members. There were victims of Domestic Violence mercedes, i wonder what you think the legacy of this case from the perspective of faith in the legal system, because people were outraged when he was acquitted there was. And do you know what bars i think part of it is is that week out to see from moment to moment how that trial evolved. And some of the techniques used. And but thankfully there was at the end of the de, just as brianna said, there was a civil proceeding, different standard. There was from the standard of different standard of proof. You didnt have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt and ultimately, people felt vindicated that at least he was found civilly responsible. And then was required to pay back 30 million in compensatory damages to both the estates of Nicole Bramson and ron goldman im certain thats not thats probably didnt really get them to have that much, at least looked at, say, to themselves, weve lost these two Family Members. This somehow makes compensation for it. Im sure thats not how i fell mani weird this story earlier from bob costas, who oj simpson was calling repeatedly, wont fall on the car phone from the white ford bronco, wasnt able to reach him because he was doing the nba final, right . But later he found out that the reason oj was trying to call him was because og said that he was being defamed and he thought that bob costas could tell people basically about how great he was and i mean, i just wonder sort of like hearing that anecdote, what, what you think about that well, one thing we have to remember about the infamous bronco chase and then it went on during a game in the nba finals on nbc. Is that oj worked at nbc at the time, like thats something that didnt for the land with me is that the people who are broadcast in this where his coworkers like that was one of the wildest things that could have possibly gone down and him call him bob about. That is just obviously aside of the massive ego, that oj simpson head, but i have to jump in about the question that you just asked. Mercedes about faith and legal system and if were all being honest about this the trial well, j. Simpson and the way that the reason it resonated in American Society was a study in rates on so many Different Levels happening in what route wildly call it the racial cauldron of america at that time, which was los angeles. But theres something wildly ironic to a lot of black people. The idea that this one of all the trials in the world was the one that made America White people wonder at this privilege, Justice System maybe didnt always work the way that it was supposed to. Like if this was the one theyve that question, peoples faith in the Justice System, then it becomes very easy to understand why that trial and everything around oj, who ultimately himself was a very hollow man, rest in peace. But lets be honest about this. That hollow man who stood for so little became an avatar for so many other things. And that question is kind of an example of what it is, because no black person ever had to be told that the american criminal Justice System can get it wrong from time to time. Such a good point mercedes, im wondering how you think the verdict has stood the test of time because there are a lot of people that weve heard from that initially were supportive of it and took it sort of as romani was alluding to as, as a a referendum of where race was at that moment in time coming shortly after the Rodney King Riots and the brutality that the lapd by which the lapd conducted his business. Im wondering how you think folks that now view that verdict as unfair as a travesty now find themselves if you look at the trial, there were so much that was on trial Law Enforcement, how they gathered the evidence, the witnesses that came forward from Law Enforcement, that they gathering of the evidence, so it wasnt just Race Relations is also the real laser focus on Law Enforcement and whether or not they did the protect the appropriate steps to ensure that the evidence was gathered in a way that was that it was appropriate. But you saw that once that would they were impute their integrity was impute. They start to question Law Enforcement that i really carried the de aside from all the brilliance of Johnnie Cochran and the defense team. But theres always going to be individuals that look at the at the judicial system, especially for individuals of color and question whether they will get the fair shake i have is a practitioner for a long time. Had tremendous faith in the digital system part of that system i represent clients in this judicial system. I have great faith in our juries. And do they get it wrong . Well, certainly, i feel that way when ive lost trials, but i feel vindicated for my clients when ive won them. But it really is at the end of the day, anyone thats serves a jury will tell you they did their absolute best. They ive to the evidence and they ruled on the evidence that was presented to them yeah. I think and im so glad you brought up the incident of the beating in 1991, caught on tape, which was really this first one of the first times. And it was so brutal romani, what we saw is a nation, i was living there in southern california. I think i was ten or 11 inside and it was so obvious, i think especially being a child, how wrong it was. That was sort that was the bigger setting for what we were seeing. Right. Even as we were going into this trial and you were seeing people react to the outcome in ways that didnt necessarily reflect the facts right. But it reflected what was factual about their relationship to the society in which they were living. Well, yeah, i think theres Something Interesting about this whole trial, and i remember after aza out of those incredible documentary, Oj Made In America came out, i watched it and i came away from it with two very strong conclusions. One, i was more certain than ever that i believe that oj says killed those people and i was even more certain than ever that he 100 sure have been acquitted. The lesson of that trial really should have been this one that if you dont have like i put it this way, credibility is like insurance. You dont need it until you need it in the Los Angeles Police department needed credibility at a moment in that trial and they just didnt have it with the people that were there. What wild have happened on the backend was people blame the gerry for not trusted . The police and not enough people ask the question as to whether or not these people in a Police Force Blue with themselves and effect that they could not be trusted. And it was not implausible the idea that something is farfetched as a conspiracy to take oj simpson down was believable. It wasnt because something was wrong with those people. Those because something was wrong with the way the lapd had been Conducting Business in the rodney king trial . As the culmination of all of those things and they all came together and again, as my mentor around wildly once wrote about this of all, its a paraphrase of all the terrible things that happened to black people in the criminal Justice System. It was just crazy that if all people, this is the dude who got off as a result of it. But that was all the stuff that came together in this trial and everything that surrounded his came together with this man who get himself still for very little, but they became an avatar for so many Different Things a case and a story and a life thats touched so many different angles of American Society. Romani jones, mercedes colon, thank you so much for that conversation. Thank you so much thank you. Thank key. Surveillance program is caught up in republican dysfunction in congress is the head of the fbi is warning that it is critical to thwarting terrorist the tax and to protecting american lives. Christopher wray is testifying on the hill right now, plus an effort to repeal arizonas abortion new new abortion ban, craft this is an burns while the issue could hurt republicans on the ballot in november, plus the white house is trying to close a loophole that let some people legally by guns without back brown checks those stories and much more, Just Moments Away cnn news central, hes brought to you by far, sega visit us at for sega. Com for more when you have Chronic Kidney Disease there are places youd like to be like here and here not so much here far sneaker reduces the risk of kidney failure, which can lead to dialysis our sega. Can cause serious side effects including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration urinary tract, or genital yeast its infections and low blood sugar. A rare lifethreatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. Stop taking far sega and call your doctor right away. 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