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Image prior to the murder case
Prior to being tried for murder, Simpson enjoyed an excellent public image in
the minds of the majority of Americans. Wrote Larry Schwartz for ESPN.com:
Off the field, Simpson made a conscious decision to project a positive image, to
distance himself from the teenage O.J. who was a troublemaker and spent time in
a correctional center. He had an innate way of communicating warmth and charm
that lifted him to an almost mythical level and made him the first
African-American athlete to be merchandised on a grand scale. His Hertz
commercials pictured a dapper O.J. running to catch a Hertz rent-a-car, smiling
as he hurdled the airport guardrail and flashed past the cheering old lady. He
was an African-American man interacting with white men and women as if this were
a natural part of our society, as if other African-American athletes were not
protesting the segregation that still existed. Overtly, Simpson sidestepped the
entire issue, appearing apolitical, which was how the business community and the
audiences accepted him, all of which catapulted him to a level of financial
success unknown to most athletes -- black or white -- of his time.
Murder case
Criminal trial
O. J. Simpson murder case
In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge and was
separated from Nicole Brown, to whom he was paying child support. On June 12,
1994 Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman were found dead outside Brown's
condominium. Simpson was soon charged with their murders. After failing to turn
himself in, he became the object of a low-speed pursuit. The pursuit, arrest and
trial were among the most widely publicized in American history. The trial,
often characterized as being "the Trial of the Century", culminated on October
3, 1995 in a verdict of not guilty for the two murders. The verdict was seen
live on TV by more than half the U.S. population, making it one of the most
watched events in American TV history. There has been significant criticism of
the prosecution and the police, and many contend that Simpson would have been
found guilty had there not been so many mistakes and irregularities made by the
prosecution and the police investigation of the case. Conversely, the jury has
fallen under criticism for their ruling as well as the defense team for their
courtroom tactics. Immediate reaction to the verdict was noted for its division
along racial lines.
Civil trial
On February 5, 1997 a civil jury in Santa Monica, California found Simpson
liable for the wrongful death of Ronald Goldman, battery against Ronald Goldman,
and battery against Nicole Brown. The attorney for plaintiff Fred Goldman
(father of Ronald Goldman) was Daniel Petrocelli. Simpson was ordered to pay
$33,500,000 in damages. However, California law protects pensions from being
used to satisfy judgments, so Simpson was able to continue much of his lifestyle
based on his NFL pension. A 2000 Rolling Stone article reported that Simpson
also still makes a significant income by signing autographs. He subsequently
moved from California to Miami, Florida. In Florida, a person's residence cannot
be seized to collect a debt under most circumstances. It was also reported that
Simpson's Heisman Trophy was seized as an asset to pay the judgment.
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