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While You Were Sleeping: O.J. Simpson Convicted

oj simpson mug shot Above the Law no pun intended.jpgThis news came in overnight. Via the AP (story filed at 2:33 AM Eastern time):

O.J. Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after he was acquitted of murder in 1995, was found guilty Friday of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Simpson, 61, could spend the rest of his life in prison. Sentenc[ing] was set for Dec. 5....

The Hall of Fame football star was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges for gathering up five men a year ago and storming into a room at a hotel-casino, where the group seized several game balls, plaques and photos. Prosecutors said two of the men with him were armed; one of them said Simpson asked him to bring a gun.

Talk about timing:

The verdict came 13 years to the day after Simpson was cleared of murdering his ex-wife and a friend of hers in Los Angeles in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century.

Karma is a bitch. We previously expressed pessimism about the prospects of a conviction, but we can't say we're unhappy to be proven wrong.

Update: (Mystal, J., concurring): I do think that the verdict was bull$#TTT because a white man who tried to get his own stuff back would never have been found guilty of a "crime" in a western state like Nevada. But I'm not going to lie (go to the 6:15 mark); the man killed two people back in the day.

I was happy that he got off back then, Fuhman was a racist cop, and I was happy that "society" learned that there is no justice when racist cops are involved. But I don't suborn support killing people.

Acquittal via the race card, conviction via the race card ... seems fair to me.

Simpson guilty on all charges in robbery trial [AP]
O. J. Simpson Found Guilty in Robbery Trial [New York Times]

Earlier: Do I Smell A Fuhrman?

Comments
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1 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:04 AM

Excellent.

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2 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:09 AM

Poor guy. What did he ever do to deserve this?

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3 Posted by supremecourtjester | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:17 AM

Convicted of armed robbery? Apparently in Las Vegas they take a dim view of bandits with two arms.

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4 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:32 AM

I feel bad for the juice. Man he was just trying to get his sh*t back...

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5 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:48 AM

Wow, I can't believe I'm defending OJ but this is BS. They threw the book at him not because of what happened in Vegas but because they believe he got away with murder 13 years ago. Why else would they rush to put out the verdict at damn near midnight so it would be on the anniversary of his acquittal. They're probably going to send this guy to prison for the rest of his life for trying to get back his own sh*t that somebody stole from him. I know why they did it but it's so screwed up. I mean, don't give me a parking ticket just because you know I got away with speeding 13 years ago.

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6 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:49 AM

Any chance Ted Kennedy will get convicted of something on the 40th anniversary of Chappaquiddick? 07.18.09! We can do it!

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7 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:54 AM

5: And we should stop going after mob bosses for tax evasion!

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8 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:59 AM

Trying to get back his own sh*t? Don't you mean trying to get back *Fred Goldman's* own shit?

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9 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:37 AM

You've just been juiced.

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10 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:51 AM

Trying to get back his own sh*t? Don't you mean trying to get back his own shit? What a typo!

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11 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:23 AM

This is bullshit, but the trial is ready for plenty of appeals. Delivering the verdict close to midnight just to get in the books 13 years later wont' help. Prosecutors excluded all black people from the jury (ding 1), judge failed to exclude witnesses that displayed bias (investigating officer said 'CA couldn't do it, but we'll get him while he was 'investigating the crime' [ding 2]), and I'm sure i'm forgetting a few but a couple of times watching or reading the trial I though wtf?

Mark this, it ain't over for the juice.

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12 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:40 AM

What is the minimum sentence?

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13 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:56 AM

This country is so racist: they go after O.J. for just trying to get his stuff back "while black," but they let all the real criminals roam free to commit other crimes.

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14 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:56 AM

6 - You are right on.

Ted Kennedy should be convicted of reckless homicide. Is there a statute of limitations on it?

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15 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:01 AM

Maybe he was found guilty because he is guilty.

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16 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:24 AM

hmm poor guy trying to get back his shit?...with guns...

Hey OJ, next time call the police instead of being a vigilante. We know you haven't had a nice rush since your last killings, but come on, learn a little.

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17 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:57 AM

11: When you say the prosecutors excluded "all" black people from the jury, what you mean is they excluded two black jurors. One of the black jurors was excluded because she said she would have a problem sending anyone to jail. She might as well have been a vegetarian 2L going on a callback lunch to Capital Grille and ordering just the salad. Ding!

The prosecutor also claimed a race neutral reason for the second black juror (strong religious inclination towards forgiveness). That one might have just been a pretext, but it's not going to be enough to get the verdict overturned, especially when there are 2 (out of 6) black alternate jurors.

I didn't do too well in evidence, and didn't take crim pro, but I don't think you have to exclude biased witnesses. The witness can testify, and then the defense can attempt to impeach the witness by showing the bias.

The real question isn't whether he did it, but rather if he gets off...will he be a presenter at the next BET awards?

RACE WAR! RACE WAAAAAAR!

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18 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 12:21 PM

Why would a black juror have mattered? Do blacks look at evidence with a different set of standards? Or are you saying that a black on the jury would have never voted for guilt when the defendant is black?

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19 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 12:39 PM

I sent gift baskets to hiring partners at the firms I want an SA position with. Do you think that's going too far?

Nervous T-10 1L

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20 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 12:41 PM

#18 - you obviously don't work in criminal law.

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21 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 12:53 PM

REPLEVIN, MOTHERFUCKER, CAN YOU FILE SUIT FOR IT?

Instead of holding a guy up at gunpoint?

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22 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:05 PM

11 -- I see some possible errors here, but there are errors in every criminal trial. I don't see REVERSIBLE error here, which is the important issue. Moreover, the Nevada Supreme Court (there is no intermediate appellate court for felonies), which is elected, isn't going to go out of its way to find reversible errors where they're arguable at best (e.g., do you really think the Nevada Supreme Court will find that there was no non-pretextual race-neutral explanation for the prosecution's excluding just two black jurors?). The Nevada Supremes are all elected in statewide elections, and they have to run every six years. Nevada is a pretty conservative state, especially on crime and punishment issues, and its voters are predominantly white or hispanic. I don't think there's a chance in hell the Juice prevails on appeal.

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23 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:18 PM

OJ, just leave the country. You should have done this years ago... If Micheal Jackson can figure it out, so can you.

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24 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:28 PM

I am inclined to agree with 22. There will be(esp. if OJ still has any $$ left) appeals filed most likely over jury instructions, witness objections, etc.. but it does not appear as if any errors found could result in reversal/remand in such a conservative state. Anyone see any solid Abuse of Discretion claims?

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25 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:43 PM

2- "What did he ever do to deserve this?". HA! Maybe killing two people 13 years ago, dodging out of paying for the wrongful death settlement, robbing and kidnapping some more people at gunpoint? Naw. It's just the oppressive white system working against us po' black folk. Karma truly is a bitch.

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26 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:48 PM

18: Ever heard of "stop snitching"?

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27 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 2:02 PM

I don't understand. All OJ did was engage in extralegal remedies. That just means what is did is more legal than suing to get his stuff back. How can something that's more legal than the legal option be a crime?

RACE WAR!

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28 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 2:20 PM

25 - ever hear of sarcasm?

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29 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 2:23 PM

14: The statute of limitations for reckless homocide is 90 days from the date you become a Kennedy.

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30 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 2:24 PM

22 beat me to it. Appeals will go nowhere with the NV high court. Was he overcharged? Of course.

But, for all you "brilliant" BigLaw cogs crying injustice, realize that if this was a law school exam (one of the few things you might actually be good at) you'd have made the same arguments as the State and ultimately concluded (under same facts and law) he was guilty on all counts. So give the prosecutors some credit for doing their job. And suck it.

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31 Posted by TTTroll | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 2:40 PM

These pretzels are making me thirty-firsTTTy.

32 Posted by Elie Mystal | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:00 PM

21 --- that's some cold ass sh%t to say before busting a cap in someone's ass.

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33 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:05 PM

20 -No, I don't work in criminal law. Please educate me.

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34 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:20 PM

The Juice is no longer loose.

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35 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:24 PM

Elie, you are just terrible at spelling. "sh%t"? I think you mean "shit."

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36 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:28 PM

33 must not litigate either. Or at least has never had to deal with "homefield advantage." See also judicial hellholes.

And 11, what is this bullshit, the judge is going to rule on the credibility of witnesses and "exclude" them if he finds that they are not credible? What exactly did you get for grades in Crim and Evidence?

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37 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:45 PM

How could you not work in a Palin slam into this story ? Next time try harder.

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38 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 3:57 PM

25 you clearly need to meditate more often.

For those making a feeble attempt at race baiting, note this: like most of America, it is very likely that most black people in America could give a rat's ass about the fate of OJ Simpson. Mystyle, you should verify this Jesse and Uncle Al.

He should definitely get what he deserves for breaking the law in Nevada. But what's with all this karma and payback-talk for a charge he beat 13 years ago? Aren't most of you fuckers lawyers?

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39 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 4:19 PM

Anyone else notice how this site used to feature advertising from lateral-link and other professional services, and now features bar review advertisements? I wonder what that means....

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40 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 4:25 PM

You posted this at 7:30 am on a Saturday Lat? You don't work at Wachtell anymore. Get some sleep.

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41 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 5:02 PM

18, 33 - I'm pretty sure 20 would refer you to Baston v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986).

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42 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 5:39 PM

Elie, since you're a "lawyer" can you explain to me why you were happy OJ got off on the murder charge, because a cop was racist? Murderers should be acquitted so society can learn racist cops are bad? Or is this more of your subtle humor?

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43 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 5:44 PM

Elie represents everything that is wrong with this country.

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44 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 5:49 PM

Seriously, Lat. Mystal is a clown and he has to go.

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45 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 5:56 PM

Mystal -- please substantiate your claim that if a white guy, today, held up two others in a hotel room at gun point, he would get off.

Until then, SHUT THE F*&% UP!

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46 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 6:27 PM

An appellate prosecutor here.

In my state, the transcripts note the time of day that the jury leaves/comes back, etc. It's not at all uncommon for juries to deliberate into the late hours. What generally happens is that unless the closing arguments/instructions conclude right at closing time, the judge will send the jury into deliberations--and then give them the choice of whether to leave, or instead keep deliberating. More often than not, juries will choose to keep deliberating, just so they don't have to come back the next day.

The fact that this happened to be the 13 anniversary is most likely an accidental quirk. I'm sure someone noticed it somewhere along the way, but it would have always been subject to the actual time needs of the trial and the wishes of the jury.

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47 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 6:30 PM

# 46 again:

In fact, I'm working on an appeal right now where the jury started deliberating at 6 pm and returned with a verdict at 1:30 am.

I'd be curious if any other criminal lawyers out there have had similar experiences.

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48 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 6:40 PM

Everyones meal ticket just got sent up the river. Riccio should be along for the ride.

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49 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 7:04 PM

"I was happy that he got off back then, Fuhman was a racist cop and I was happy that "society" learned that there is no justice when racist cops are involved."

How far does your head have to be up your ass to be glad that a murder gets off? Putting aside the moral issues for a second, if we were going to acquit every defendant charged with crimes investigated by racist police departments, then there would be no convictions anywhere.

Is the logical extension of your argument just too inconvenient for you to consider or do you simply not care that your argument makes no fucking sense? You're indignant!! HE IS A RACIST!!!! Who the fuck needs logic when you're marching to the beat of the race war drums?

Do you crazy liberals really believe two wrongs make a right? Even the simplest child understands why that is wrong.

Of course, some idiot is going to make this irrelevant counterpoint: "OMG BUT WHAT ABOUT EXCLUSION, PROCEDURAL JUSTICE???!?" And then all the other idiots will think that because these remedies exist then ANY remedy is justified. Def is black? Acquittal. Must fight racist at any cost. You are idiots.

I don't understand how Lat can tolerate this bullshit.

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50 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 7:07 PM

FIRE racist Elie Mystal!

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51 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 7:15 PM

Mystal needs to spend some time in western states...try Washington, Oregon and California. About as liberal as they come.

Mystal has his head up his fat ass.

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52 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 7:22 PM

Furman may be a racist cop, but OJ is a murderer, and Elie is a fucking idiot.

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53 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 7:42 PM

Society is way more entertaining with the Juice a free man. Now he'll be locked away and can't get into any more crazy antics for us to read about. Definite bummer.

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54 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 7:45 PM

Elie,

please come to Las Vegas and -- along with armed thugs -- try to liberate memorabilia linked to your competitive eating victories.

Then hire aTTTention whore attorneys to defend you.

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55 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:10 PM

A) It's Fuhrman. Not sure who this "Fuhman" character is. Once again, CHECK YOUR POSTS.

B) So Elie believes that O.J. was actually guilty but the jury correctly acquitted him because Fuhrman was racist: jury nullification? Elie clearly believes that guilty violent criminals should be acquitted because it is good for the community overall (HA).

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56 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:14 PM

I really don't appreciate the offensive and moronic editorializing on this story, from someone who claims to be a lawyer. I think this Elie character is a complete idiot. And this website has completely lost its edge thanks to him.

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57 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:30 PM

Okaaaaay... so for Elie Racism > Murder. Interesting. Can't wait to see what justice will look like with people like him in charge. Oh wait... just 30 more days. Expect racists to be serving life sentences and murderers to do some community service (like teaching tolerance classes or the like).

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58 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:48 PM

Go f*ck yourself Mystal. Happy that a murderer walks the streets because a cop involved was/is racist? Incredible.

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59 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:10 PM

Drink apple juice, OJ will kill you!

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60 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:10 PM

Who knew so many jurors comment on ATL...?

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61 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:22 PM

Mystal is a fat pile of shit. Try this experiment - only read the posts that don't have Mystal in the byline. Notice how your perception of the site improves.

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62 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:30 PM

Free O.J. Let's be honest white people get away with murder all the time... George Bush....

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63 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:35 PM

You are only racist when you offend white people....OMG

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64 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:59 PM

WTF?! You're happy he got off for MURDERING two people because some cop is racist? You, piece of shit, are a poor excuse for a lawyer.

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65 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:07 PM

Please do not fire Elie for his racist comments. Firing Elie would be something that a liberal would do and I would hate to see Elie treated in the manner that his own politics would require. Instead, we're all adults here and Elie is entitled to be racist, partisan and bigoted and shouldn't have to fear for his job because most people disagree with him.

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66 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:09 PM

65: actually, I think keeping an incompetent boob on the payroll would be more typical of liberals (e.g., academics, govt).

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67 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:34 PM

Funny how everyone has reduced the entire OJ Simpson murder trial to a racist cop - blood meant nothing, motive, DNA, etc. OJ got off because of a racist cop. Wow.

But can anyone explain to me how one guy killed two people and NO BODY saw or heard a thing?

Also, can someone tell me how a person can be accused of robbery when you are trying to retrieve your own shit? I guess only bounty hunters and repo men have the Right to take shit back by force. Wow.

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68 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:34 PM

Funny how everyone has reduced the entire OJ Simpson murder trial to a racist cop - blood meant nothing, motive, DNA, etc. OJ got off because of a racist cop. Wow.

But can anyone explain to me how one guy killed two people and NO BODY saw or heard a thing?

Also, can someone tell me how a person can be accused of robbery when you are trying to retrieve your own shit? I guess only bounty hunters and repo men have the Right to take shit back by force. Wow.

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69 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 10:47 PM

68-no one reduced the verdict to a racist cop. Elie excused the verdict, because he thinks a murderer should get off because of a racist cop. The explanation for the verdict is due to the race (or racism) of the jury. And for you to somehow imply the verdict was correct because there weren't witnesses to the actual murder is astounding. Truly.

Your second questions displays an even more astounding lack of legal knowledge. No, you cannot by force take back what you claim is your property. That's what the courts are for, moron. Sure, blunt force may be more effective, but it's still illegal.

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70 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:00 PM

The verdict was correct because a jury who actually was there for the trial and heard all of the evidence could not accuse the man of the crime beyond a resonable doubt. Even today you have a reasonable doubt because you can't explain how one man killed two people without .... whatever.

Look, you don't know who killed Nicole Simpson so I have to ask you what are you basing your assumption on?

So I guess courts are the only remedy when you have been robbed? So you mean to tell me if I had my car stolen and I happened to stumble upon my car after searching for it, I should wait for a court to tell me that I can take it back? So basically, the person who stole my shit has legal right to it until notified otherwise by a judge. And if a person doesn't have legal right to my property why do i need the permission of court to get it back?

I'm the moron, but you're the one advocating due process for thieves. Yikes.

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71 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:00 PM

The verdict was correct because a jury who actually was there for the trial and heard all of the evidence could not accuse the man of the crime beyond a resonable doubt. Even today you have a reasonable doubt because you can't explain how one man killed two people without .... whatever.

Look, you don't know who killed Nicole Simpson so I have to ask you what are you basing your assumption on?

So I guess courts are the only remedy when you have been robbed? So you mean to tell me if I had my car stolen and I happened to stumble upon my car after searching for it, I should wait for a court to tell me that I can take it back? So basically, the person who stole my shit has legal right to it until notified otherwise by a judge. And if a person doesn't have legal right to my property why do i need the permission of court to get it back?

I'm the moron, but you're the one advocating due process for thieves. Yikes.

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72 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:29 PM

Ditto on what 56 said. That's some of the most idiotic editorial commentary I've ever seen.

I was confused at first, because after all, the post carries Lat's byline.

Lat, lest you be confused with this moron, may I suggest you pull back on his reigns a bit?

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73 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:30 PM

Who is Ellie?

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74 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:37 PM

Mystal is an idiot and a race-baiter.

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75 Posted by guest | Permalink Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:51 PM

Yeah, man, this country is like, so rashist. It was good that OJ got off for brutally murdering his wife and lover back in the day, because, like, Mark Furman was a rashist cop. He said the "N" word like ten years before the trial in a tape recorded conversation - which means he was an obvious rashist who obviously single-handedly controlled a rashist witch hunt to convict a black man to happened to be guilty as sin on all the evidence. It didn't matter that the LAPD chief was black - he was powerless to stop Furman's rashist motives from coming to fruition. Thank God for Johnny "this isn't about race" Cochrane, may he rest in peace, the last ethical defense lawyer in the bar. Were it not for him, the jury might have actually paid attention to the overwhelming evidence of conclusive guilt and put O.J. behind bars where he belongs.

Elie, have you lost your mind? For real this time? Jesus Christ, even members of the original OJ jury have all but conceded they engaged in jury nullification in order to avoid a Rodney King situation. For the love of God, O.J. is a flthy murderer. And now he's a convicted armed robber. Convicting him now based on the '94 murders may not be legally permissible, but it hardly offends the laws of karma.

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76 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:02 AM

"even members of the original OJ jury have all but conceded they engaged in jury nullification in order to avoid a Rodney King situation."

Did I miss this? When did this happen?

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77 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:09 AM

People keep talking about Karma, but no one can give me an explanation as to how one man killed two people and no one heard or saw anything.

Seems like all these cries of guilt are simple white hate.

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78 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:15 AM

If this was really all about 13 years ago, the jury wouldn't have found his co-defendant guilty on all counts too.

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79 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:18 AM

77, I hope your remark reeks of sarcasm and not of stupidity. If you think simple "white hate" is behind this, you have got to be out of your mind. Here is a man who beat his wife senseless before he killed her, and practically admitted to the deed afterward. If you had any, even the tiniest bit of experience with the psychology of batterers, you would recognize this as the completion of the work of a man who had beaten her half to death before.

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80 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:56 AM

Elie - I haven't said a word about your spelling, grammar, whatever. I've thought the complaints about you were over the top and ridiculous.

But being happy a murderer got off is just insane - whatever else you think was going on.

71/77, you're a nutcase. Yes - how could OJ possibly have killed two people without witnesses? I mean, never in the history of the world has anyone accomplished anything like that before. And if that argument made any sense at all, don't you think that at least one member of OJ's legal team would have made it to the jury?

And btw, if you see your stolen car, you have the right to take it. You *don't* have the right to gather a few of your friends, arm yourselves, and hold up the thieves at gunpoint. I'm not sure why you have a problem with this relatively simple concept.

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81 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 1:23 AM

71/71: It's not the job of the commentators here to explain basic legal principles to you. If it's not obvious to you why it's illegal to use force to retrieve "stolen" property then no amount of explanation is going to help.

Your absurd comments do serve a useful purpose though. They shed light on the kind of mindless fools that believe, as Ellie apparently does, that OJ should have been acquitted.

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82 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 1:29 AM

Hmm...could it be that he authored a book called "If I Did It"--a book that amounts to a confession of exactly how he committed the murders, and how he got away with it?

Could that be why so many people remain convinced he got away with murder?

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83 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 1:30 AM

Hmm...could it be that he authored a book called "If I Did It"--a book that amounts to a confession of exactly how he committed the murders, and how he got away with it?

Could that be why so many people remain convinced he got away with murder?

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84 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:02 AM

honestly, i feel the same way about OJ that Elie does. dude, was being honest.. and i can respect that.

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85 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 3:11 AM

77: Stupid mother-fucking moron.

Do you really believe that OJ couldn't have killed two people and had no witnesses, but the "real killer" could have? Or is it impossible for the "real killer" to have no witnesses too? And since there were no witnesses, I guess to you that means that even the "real killer" couldn't have done it. Shit! Those people must still be alive!

Speaking of the "real killer"...has OJ found him yet? Does he think the "real killer" is in Florida? Is that why he moved there? Is owing $1.5 million in taxes some sort of trap to lure in the "real killer"? What about the whole DirectTV piracy thing? That OJ Simpson is a sneaky bastard. I bet the "real killer" is in prison and OJ just committed the robbery so he could get into prison and hunt down the "real killer."

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86 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 4:52 AM

70 -

I would respond, but

71 -

Why bother?

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87 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:29 AM

MysTTTal

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88 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:38 AM

It is just fine for a man to beat his wife for years and viciously stab her and her boyfriend without mercy without punishment, as long as it makes a statement about racism.

I knew our country was more sexist than racist, but this is really scary.

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89 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 9:28 AM

@ 57-

"Expect racists to be serving life sentences and murderers to do some community service"
-Perhaps some "community organizing" to atone for their wrongs?

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90 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 9:51 AM

Suborn? WTF?!

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91 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 9:54 AM

"SUBORN"??????

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92 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 9:54 AM

Hey Elie, here's a law-related story I bet you won't be posting on any time soon:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DB143FF93BA2575AC0A961948260

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93 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 10:13 AM

Hey, can we get that pic of Obama with the cigarette again? That was money.

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94 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 10:35 AM

MysTTTal = fatass illiterate affirmative action slug.

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95 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 10:38 AM

"I was happy that he got off back then, Fuhman was a racist cop and I was happy that "society" learned that there is no justice when racist cops are involved."

- Wow. I think it is pretty clear why you are not a practicing attorney. Anyways, I think this idiot just says things to rile up the readers on ATL to increase readership. We shouldn't take the bait .

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96 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 11:07 AM

Notice Elie doesn't think the proper response to the cop being racist was that the cop would get punished.

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97 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 11:47 AM

"but no one can give me an explanation as to how one man killed two people and no one heard or saw anything."

I'm confused, is the insinuation that Nicole and Goldman weren't murdered?

What $#&%ing difference does it make if one person did it, three people did it, or 30 people did it? How is that relevant as to whether there were non-involved witnesses?

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98 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:05 PM

Fire Mystal. Enough of this shit.

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99 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:11 PM

More stories about how Kash likes to eat meat (and pictures, too); fewer stories on Elie's hate for white America.

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100 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 12:45 PM

I really haven't been moved to say it before, but Elie really does suck. I'm sure Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson are glad that The Man was taught a lesson.

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101 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 1:04 PM

I'm so firsty, I need some JUICE!

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102 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:07 PM

47 -

Court reporters in my jurisdiction are very inconsistent about including in the transcript the time a jury is sent to the jury room and the time it returns. Sometimes the court reporter includes it, sometimes he or she doesn't.

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103 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:15 PM

Thanks to this no talent ass-clown Elie, I'm done with ATL. Thanks, Lat.

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104 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:17 PM

NOW is the time we need a Maverick. MAVERICK! MAVERICK! MAVERICK! MAVERICK! MAVERICK! MAVERICK! MAVERICK!

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105 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:20 PM

Has ATL fully embraced the policy of posting nonsense that will piss people off just to get page views and comments so they get paid? Last time I'm falling for this, no more comments from me. Elie's poor writing and support for the murder of innocent people to teach society a lesson and Hope Winters'...whatever the hell that crap she writes is...wont' be getting any more page views/comments from me.

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106 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 3:09 PM

105- So do you have any black friends?

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107 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 3:55 PM

It starts with giving Due Process to thieves . . . all a slippery slope from there. Next thing you know, you're giving it to terrorists.

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108 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 4:45 PM

The criminal justice system is profoundly stacked against poor blacks, and has been for decades. At one end of the spectrum, you have huge numbers of young blacks imprisoned for non-violent drug offenses; at the other you have truly racist communities and law enforcement that genuinely want to protect whites at the expense of blacks, or simply want to hurt blacks. These are the communities where lynchings and cross burnings go unpunished for decades or forever because the local society supported those actions in the first place.

With respect to the much larger problem of disproportionately punishing blacks for drug offenses, once in the system, regardless of how racially motivated the original "offense" was, these young offenders are locked into a world of starkly limited choices, and it seems just as easy to become a career criminal as it would be to redeem themselves in the eyes of a society that has already condemned them for something based largely on their skin color. If an arbitrary law was used as merely an excuse to incarcerate them in the first place, why should they have any trust or faith in the justice system, or the society that produced it? The net result is that we have a set of laws and law enforcement that disenfranchises these people from legal society.

Leaving aside the issue of use, let's look at trafficking. Drugs are primarily a market and economic issue. The percentage of people who use drugs and cannot handle drug habits responsibly is not tied directly to race. Furthermore, the market for illegal drugs, primarily marijuana and cocaine, exists, and cannot be stamped out. As long as the money is there to be made -- it is there, and always will be there -- the supply chain will always exist. As long as the supply chain exists, people will work for it. As long as the job of fulfilling drug demand is a dangerous business with wildly escalating criminal risks, it will always become more lucrative and more violent. As long as the illicit drug industry becomes more lucrative and violent, society will continue to deteriorate as a result, and people involved in the trade will be driven into a de facto underground society which exists to support the de facto black market. Meanwhile, the most disenfranchised and economically depressed people will feel the strongest pull towards that dangerous and lucrative game. Anyone who is disgusted by violent drug gangs or by the culture of criminality present in today's black ghettos, owes substantial thanks to drug prohibition for substantially helping to create those conditions.

If drug arrests and convictions mirrored anything approaching usage statistics -- with white marijuana and cocaine users being felonized (or otherwise convicted) at a rate matching the actual numbers of white marijuana and cocaine users -- then Federally mandated prohibition of these drugs would have ended well before the 1960's. Instead, blacks are targeted for drug offenses, and subjected to ridiculous searches in furtherance of this targeted goal. The violent crime resulting from prohibition laws is cited as evidence that "drugs are the scourge of the black community", with the tacit implication that it's a problem not substantially suffered by white communities, and the larger issue of widespread drug use among whites and other racial groups is swept under the rug. We are told that the government enforcement agencies just need more time and funding and eventually all the evil pot smokers and coke users will be locked up and society will be safe at last. And once all those black dealers -- filling a market role just as surely as any car salesman or check cashing store -- are locked up away from society, and their property seized, we'll be safe from the scourge of drugs.

It's all a crock of shit. Drug use is here to stay, among all racial groups. In most cases it is a private matter of personal responsibility. But it has been transformed by the law into an elaborate system of disenfranchisement and wealth redistribution. All you people who are slamming Elie should ask yourselves whether any of the moral burden of this problem belongs to you, insofar as you, your friends, or your family, may have the implicit expectation of being able to enjoy a drug habit safely and in private.

The same goes for all alcohol drinkers, many of whom would be packing heat and selling nips on street corners were we still under the yoke of Prohibition (note how it's a capitalized Dirty Word with respect to alcohol and That Awful Law That Denied It To Us). Some of you have undoubtedly cackled smugly to yourself upon hearing about a poor black kid that became a designated criminal after being arrested for possessing $20 worth of some green or white substance. And some probably think it's OK when a cop plants the drug because he knows the kid is a user or a dealer and wants to make sure he gets busted, or stops a teenager for jaywalking or some other ridiculous offense as a pretext for performing a search. Even if you're a teetotaler with only sober friends and family, you really have to ask yourself whether our drug policies and biased enforcement habits can be justified in any way whatsoever.

Moral of the story, OJ Simpson was just a bloody drop in a bloody fucking bucket. Any of you who think it was or is a more important issue than the massively important issue of our racist justice system, are plain hypocrites. And anybody, black or white, is perfectly entitled to feel a perverse guilty pleasure in seeing a guilty black man beat the justice system on a heinous crime owing largely to the mistakes of a racist asshole cop.

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109 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:02 PM

"And anybody, black or white, is perfectly entitled to feel a perverse guilty pleasure in seeing a guilty black man beat the justice system on a heinous crime owing largely to the mistakes of a racist asshole cop."


Well, the key word is perverse.

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110 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:11 PM

Here's more 13's to add: The jury trial lasted 13 days and the jurors deliberated for 13 hours and convicted him on the 13th anniversary of his other trial verdict. I think it is poetic justice!

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111 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:11 PM

108 = Obama's first state of the union address speachwriter.

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112 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:15 PM

78,
There is no way the jury could have acquitted the codefendant and still convict OJ. If the codefendant had gotten off and OJ was convicted, everybody would have known the real deal. I kind of feel for the guy, but he learned an important lesson. If you're going to engage in questionable behavior with someone, make sure that person didn't piss off all of white America by getting away with killing a white woman. Also, don't drop the soap.

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113 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:32 PM

111 - nah - obama's speeches aren't that long.

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114 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:37 PM

108: to long, didnt reed

Elie

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115 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 5:46 PM

108 works at Seyfarth Shaw

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116 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 6:06 PM

108--you have real problems. Go see a counselor.

Nobody read that 963 word rant.

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117 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 6:09 PM

108: I'm confused. Was OJ stealing his drugs back?

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118 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 6:36 PM

108, guess what? Even assuming your rant had any basis in reality (and it doesn't), it's irrelevant. You think drug laws are unfair? (I, btw, happen to be a straight edge who thinks marijuana should be legalized and the rest should stay restricted). Good to know - work to get them changed. But until they are, you (and other members of the "poor black" or rich white communities) break the law at your peril.

And if you think that its good for a murderer to get off just because he's black - then you are EXACTLY as much of a tool as the cop who plants evidence to get a black kid arrested. Dress it up however you like - it boils down to the fact that you are a racist. No more, no less.

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119 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 7:10 PM

Instead of picking keywords out of a statement, read it.

For one thing, I don't even use illegal drugs, although I smoked pot as a teenager in high school and college. I drink and don't smoke.. period. I know I shouldn't even drink, but it's a weakness; sue me. But if you think what I said has no basis in reality, I'm not sure what I could possibly say to change your mind on any topic whatsoever, as you must be quite imprevious to fact.

But as long as the government is unable to stamp out addicts altogether, it owes it to the public to allow them to be supplied with their vice without giving rise to a massive criminal infrastructure that tears at the fabric of society far more profoundly than a bunch of potheads. The fueling of that infractructure's growth, by leaps and bounds, is exactly what resulted from Prohibition and we are still paying the costs today.

That "at your peril" remark is a nice, haughty dig. I suppose you would have said the same thing in the past to an interracial couple breaking the law by trying to get married. All moralizing laws are equally valid, right?

Did I say it was good for a murderer to get off? No. You are clearly reading exactly what you want into my words.. and calling me a racist to boot, completely without cause. But the massive outrage whites put up in reaction to the OJ verdict just highlighted with horrible irony their lack of outrage for vastly more serious problems with our criminal justice system. They care nothing for millions of blacks who have been downtrodden by the legal system, but nearly jumped out of their skin when ONE black guy beat a rap because he had a fancy lawyer and one of the investigating cops was a huge racist.

No sense of proportion. Tempest in a teapot.

-108

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120 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 7:25 PM

108-119. Too many words. Twice. I stopped reading.

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121 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 7:31 PM

I am not coming here anymore because of Mystal. This is the straw that broke the camel's back. You've lost a loyal reader.

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122 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 7:34 PM

108 is such a stupid fuck. It's the GOVERNMENT"S fault there's drugs, its the GOVERNMENT's fault there's racism, it's the GOVERNMENT's fault there's addicts, it's everyone's fault except the black guy who actually picks up the pipe and inhales. Cry cry cry cry cry. Liberals are so pathetic.

Here's some useful tips for all you bleeding heart pieces of shit. Fat? PUT DOWN THE FORK! Crackhead? PUT DOWN THE PIPE! Alcoholic? PUT DOWN THE BOTTLE. Liberal? Kill yourself.

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123 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:00 PM

121:
Not that I liked this post, and not that I like Mystal, but you know this post was by Lat, right?

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124 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:00 PM

121:
Not that I liked this post, and not that I like Mystal, but you know this post was by Lat, right?

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125 Posted by guest | Permalink Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:11 PM

What we really need to do is ban cigarettes and alcohol and deploy effective nicotine/alcohol screening tests so that we can k