The Juice: Take Two

It wasn't more than a few weeks ago that my best friend Edward was visiting from Paris. We sat around after dinner, reminiscing and drinking wine. We started talking about how much we loved to debate about current events and politics when we were in high school. In particular, he reminded me how obsessed I became back in 1994-95 with the O.J. Simpson trial. As I always tend to do when I become interested in something, I found every available resource that was relevant. I was 14 years old at the time and became completely enthralled with all the details of this case. I developed my own theories and arguments. I listened to every single word spoken in that courtroom and analyzed it. I became very familiar with all of main players: victims Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, plus Marcia Clark, Johnny Cochran, Chris Darden, Judge Ito, Kato Kaelin and Mark Furman, among others- and also with Mr. Simpson himself.

I read the book that O.J. wrote from jail, plus books written by Nicole Brown's sister, by her best friend Faye Resnick, and countless others written about the case by lawyers and various experts. My television was pretty much permanently tuned into CNN that summer. When the trial went into the fall, I even had to call in sick for class the morning that the verdict was announced so that I would be able to watch it.

Being able to watch the court proceedings allowed a real glimpse into the case and I found it very interesting. Seeing the trial unfold with the whole media frenzy surrounding it was kind of like 'reality television' before its time.

When news broke recently that O.J. Simpson had been arrested again and may face life in prison for the ten charges against him in connection with an armed robbery and kidnapping incident in Las Vegas, of course Eddie e-mailed me right away, "So, you think he's innocent again?"

I had to clarify. I have never said that O.J. is innocent. As a 14 year old, I said that I could prove that he is not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. My point was that the American Legal System says that an individual is "innocent until proven guilty." In my opinion, nobody was able to prove that he is guilty.

What do I think now? Well, I think that he's certainly got some anger issues and obviously, he has a violent past. There's no arguing that. Maybe he did get away with murder. He really lost me when he wrote and published If I Did It last year, a book explaining how and why he would have committed these murders, had he been the actual murderer.

The week that the new allegations were announced, I tuned into an interview with Kato Kaelin on CNN. All the characters are re-emerging, most likely trying to get new book deals and schedule interviews with the National Enquirer. The whole thing is just so sensationalized (as much now as it originally was back when it all started with the Bronco chase). I saw an interview with Marcia Clark on Entertainment Tonight over the weekend as well; she had freshly bleached locks and looked to have just walked out of the botox clinic. All of this really does take away from the point, which is that two lives were maliciously ended and the person responsible was never convicted.

This whole new case is definitely fishy...a set up? I think it's a possibility. All of the victims are serious criminals. It's certainly a sketchy story. Whatever the truth is, the chances of O.J. actually getting sentenced to life in prison are I'm sure, about as likely as getting away with murder...oh, wait...

Perhaps I have missed my true calling as a criminal lawyer. Maybe it's not too late...but I'll only work for high profile celebrity clients. And I will only wear Prada suits when I'm in the courtroom.