This trial was, in no uncertain terms, a mess. The O.J. Simpson Trial was among the biggest legal circuses that has occurred in the last few decades and it was somehow believed that this media storm was worthy of a TV show. Of course since we now see the case of the Menendez Brothers and Aileen Wuornos on TV and in movies then it must be okay to start glamorizing such moments not for posterity, but for the sheer entertainment value. That’s about all it is folks, a chance to make money on a tragedy and the joke that came after. Anyone that claims that this is a measure by which we preserve our nation’s history no matter how dim is attempting to fool themselves and those around them. History has been written and it has been recorded, playacting scenes such as this at this point seems rather perverse.
The People vs. O.J. Simpson was taken on as a project to showcase one of the most out of control moments in American history when former football star O.J. Simpson was accused of brutally murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The trial was a mockery of the justice system throughout its entire run and the endpoint left no one happy save those that believed Simpson was innocent the entire time. This side by side comparison of the show and the actual trial is almost a bit amusing since in a court room no one raises their voice to such levels without the expectation that they will be held in contempt shortly after and escorted into police custody.
Plus, pleading the fifth to questions of your conduct as an officer of the law doesn’t instill a lot of confidence in your testimony or the fact that you’re being called as a witness to help convince or condemn an individual for a crime he’s suspected of not committing. Like I said, this trial was a serious mess, and it was only made worse by the confusing and sometimes controversial evidence that was found and added into the case. The prosecution managed to bungle the case so horribly that Simpson didn’t even need half of his legal team to win the case.
But then you get the idea that he was a little TOO happy at the end of the case as he was seen laughing and enjoying time with friends as though nothing had happened. Yes, he was a free man, and yes, he was happy to be found not guilty, but there’s a line you don’t cross when being cleared of a murder charge, and going back to life as usual is way beyond that line. Two people were murdered, and his life was essentially on the line. It wasn’t a time to just kick back and go back to the old habits.
The show obviously upped the drama to such a degree that shouting matches were the norm in the courtroom and it was deemed okay for things to get out of control before the judge had to step in and say something. In reality things were much quieter and yet still just as tense. No matter what anyone says though, it was a mess, and recreating it on TV seems a little inappropriate.
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