OJ Guilty

I wondered if I would ever see this day. I'm glad I lived to see it.

As I recently wrote, I've been reporting on the exploits of Orenthal James Simpson since that day in June 1995 when I stood in the blood of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.

With his trusty, longtime defense attorney Yale Galanter at his side, Simpson had maintained to a Las Vegas jury that it was okay for him to burst into a hotel room with a group of goons with guns and take back his memorabilia. And I'm sure deep in his heart he believes that. It was not an act -- Simpson truly believes the world is out to get him and that he can operate under a different set of rules. He likely never thought that when he burst in and barked out the command that "No body leaves this room," that the kind of action constitutes kidnapping. Kidnapping was one of the dozen charges Simpson was found guilty of committing.

Part of me says, "Finally! Justice has caught up with him." What I really mean by that is that he's finally going to be where he should have been 13 years ago after he murdered Nicole and Ron. But make no mistake about it. OJ Simpson is not going to prison for that. He's going to prison because his escapade in that Vegas hotel room was caught on both audio and video tape and this time there was just no talking his celebrity way out of it.

I guess it doesn't matter why he's in prison. After his December 5th sentencing we may learn he's in for what amounts to a life sentence. But if I'm the family of Nicole or Ron Goldman I'm not sure I'm feeling satisfied or particularly victorious.

There will be an appeal, and as I predicted it will likely be based, in part, on the make-up of the all-white jury.

So be it. For now it feels good to say, "Mr. Simpson, meet Lady Justice..."

More of Diane Dimond's work can be found at her website.

Comments

[Seeker11]

"I wondered if I would ever see this day. I'm glad I lived to see it."

That's shameful. Simpson should be judged on the facts of this case, not of any other. And to this day there is no compelling evidence of his guilt in the murders - the LAPD saw to that quite convincingly with their stunning incompetence.

And see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1YqbCdal1k for Barry Scheck's views on the case which are quite compelling.

[ndolomar]

What many media reports seem to ignore is that many African-Americans who believed he at least was participatory in the Brown-Simp­son/Goldma­n murders endured criticism and pariah-like treatment akin to the "but he's one of us" variety, and for that we kept quiet about our opinions of his first court case's outcome. We spent the past 14 years enduring a generalized attitude about African-Americans because of O.J. Simpson, and this guilty verdict -- at least in my view -- somewhat validates what we were thinking and many of us can "come out of the closet" with our thoughts that not all African-Americans believed he was innocent. Sadly, like Al Capone, Simpson is receiving punishment for a crime not nearly on par with the murders; however, hopefully, the Goldmans and Browns can feel a similar sense of relief that he wasn't able to avoid justice, albeit delayed.

[M1]

Wow, this really does put the concept of our constitutional guarantee of a "Fair Trial" front and center. I could not imagine anyone in America...­Black or White....b­eing able to say honestly that their review of the evidence in this trial will or was not unduely influenced by Simpson's murder trial. I think lady Justice would have to amit that Simpson did not or could not get a "Fair Trial" but she will gladly take him in because I am sure she believes his incarceration is justice for all. I sure do.

One would think a Fair Trial and Justice are the same thing. So, strange that in this case they are not. A very interesting set of circumstances for our justice system to absorb....­for us as a people to grasp.

Anyway, thank you Diane Diamond for all your great reporting. You are a wonderful news reporter and you have done a great job with the Simpson cases. I went to and graduated law school, in part, because of you and the women of Court TV were so inspiring. So thanks again for your great work.

[Diane Dimond - Huffpost Blogger]

M1 - Thank you so much for your kind words.

I'm sure you've learned in law school about the pre-conceptions all jurors bring to a case. Its like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube, you know? Who in the world hadn't heard about the OJ double murder case? Many of the jurors in this latest OJ case even revealed they thought OJ should have been found guilty of those murders. But, it doesn't mean they didn't fairly listen to and deliberate on the facts of THIS armed robbery/kidnapping case.

[kayatarms]

Noone cares much about the sensationalism of the past or this trial. It's old news which made a lot of folks rich and was replayed ad nauseum. The election is most important and the economy. Funny things that matter are just more important. And funny the irony is, this may put him behind bars but even there is a question on how this was even done! Sure there will be more books behind this verdict, but again who gives a flying fig what OJ is doing anymore?

[Diane Dimond - Huffpost Blogger]

Kayatarms -

I care about what happens to OJ - that's who.
Its like watching unfinished business. ~ DD

[MajorKong]

I thought OJ was probably guilty the first time around, but the prosecution dropped the ball and did not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That's how our legal system works. We don't imprison people based on "Everybody thinks he did it".

[Diane Dimond - Huffpost Blogger]

Major Kong -
I couldn't agree more! I too believe the 1995 prosecution got so convoluted and became such a mish-mash that it left "reasonable doubt " ~DD

[rcwblessed]

Newsflash: OJ was acquitted of murder in the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, by a jury of his peers. I am certainly no fan of OJ, but the two cases are NOT connected. This verdict should not have been "payback" for what "America" thought he should have recieved 13 years ago. I have seroius doubts that he had a "completely impartial jury of his peers", this time around. Don't know if it's true, but I heard it was an all-white jury. If so, sounds like the deck was stacked against him. Who knows! Who cares.....

[jennyjen]

This verdict is not payback as Ms Dimond stated in her post. This verdict is just based on only the evidence presented at this trial which includes video and audio tape. It would have been an affront to all of the tenants of prison who committed the same crime - armed robbery and kidnapping - if OJ had been acquitted. Shoot anyone who has watched a few episodes of Law and Order know that when you combine a gun with a crime that you are stepping into very dangerous territory.

Also nice to see Yale Galanter have his hat handed to him.

Wonder if OJ will be allowed to go free pending appeal?

[Diane Dimond - Huffpost Blogger]

Jennyjen -
Read my post again. I never said the verdict was "payback". I distinctly said that one case is not connected to the other. And, no - I don't think he will win freedom while awaiting his appeal. I think there's a very good chance OJ will never ever be out of prison again.
~ DD

[wfs77]

Ever since the murder case, I've always been curious about this man's psyche. What must it be like to live in his world? Being technically "free," but with a brutal scar on his past that his subconscious mind isn't likely to let him forget about. What combination of denial, deflected-blame, and rationalizing gets him through the day? Will he confess on his death-bed?

I find his current conviction all the more fascinating, because it only strengthens my belief that the unresolved issues from our past will repeat themselves until we deal with them. As we could all see, O.J. continued to "not deal with" his . . .

What a sad direction this man's life took.

[QueenOfViolets]

On the other hand, the whole country did get an education about domestic violence.

Why doesn't a battered woman just leave the batterer? people used to ask back then.

Nicole left. Leaving her batterer did not save her. Leaving her batterer is what got her and an innocent bystander who tried to help her killed.

That was a major learning moment for the whole country at one time. I saw domestic violence policies start to change everywhere after that.

It was horrible crime, but I think battered women are safer nowadays because of it.

[QueenOfViolets]

I would go as far as to say the first OJ case set off domestic violence epiphanies across the country if not the world.

In that sense the case transcended race. The pundit class liked to write about the racial implications, but the case also started conversations about domestic violence that moved the issue from a left wing feminist issue into a fully mainstream bipartisan concern.

[Diane Dimond - Huffpost Blogger]

wfs77 -
What a thoughtful post.
In my many years of reporting on this case, and calling upon what I heard from several sources, OJ Simpson not only has had that "brutal scar" on his mind...but he's also long battled a drug dependency program.
So now while he sits in that tiny cell in Las Vegas, probably waiting for a release that won't come, he may very well be battling drug withdrawal symptoms.
And I agree with you - unresolved issues almost always come back to bite you. ~DD

[lletaa]

YES. I hope they put that murderer in for a long time. Im so relieved that maybe I wont ever have to see him playing golf and joking around anymore.

[Diane Dimond - Huffpost Blogger]

Iletaa - Karma, maybe? Justice, certainly! ~ DD

[ericabiz]

are you serious?