Post by Scumhunter on Jul 20, 2017 23:34:33 GMT -5
I'm sure we all saw on tv today the news that O.J. was granted parole and is expected to be a free man in October.
I'm not that much older than some of you but for our younger posters here, you guys are great you have no idea how INSANE things were in the 90's during the trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The same way news coverage seems to be 24/7 Trump back then it was 24/7 O.J. and pretty much the birth of the 24/7 news cycle. Tru tv was Court TV back then and it pretty much became the O.J. channel. I was watching the NBA finals when the infamous Ford Bronco slow-speed chase happened. I was initially pissed because it interrupted the Knicks-Rockets finals but it was admittedly riveting to watch.
I still believe as do most people, that O.J. got away with murder. However, back then in Los Angeles there was an enormous amount of racial tension. (Still is there and across the country today as well of course) The trial happened after LAPD officers were caught on video beating Rodney King and were still later acquitted. There was also a lesser known incident where an Asian shopkeeper falsely accused a 16 year-old African-American girl of shoplifting and shot her to death after arguing with her and was convicted but given a paltry sentence of five years probation.
That coupled with the Mark Fuhrman controversy during the trial made for the perfect storm for acquittal from a majority African-American jury.
I am in no way excusing what they did, but even by at least one juror's own admission in the ESPN documentary series, the verdict was basically them knowing O.J. was likely guilty but after decades of black people getting screwed over by the justice system because of race (perceived or factual), for once THEY got to screw over the justice system because of race and give payback for the Rodney King trial and other incidents where they felt wronged.
I've maintained the justice system has long been unfair to minorities. It is proven fact many African-Americans receieve longer sentences than their white counterparts for the same crime, for example. Still, there were two victims who had families who loved and cared for them and I really wish that legitimate grievances did not have to come at their expense.
However, as far as parole goes, I felt the board had no choice but to grant O.J. parole. They could not discuss the murders which he was legally acquitted for against him. It was based on the Las Vegas hotel robbery alone. O.J. had no infractions in prison and the crimes he was convicted of did not involve any deaths or injuries.
It still sucks to see him a free man, but at least he did serve nine years in prison and the years he wasn't free while still on trial. It's basically like in a way he served a manslaughter but not life in prison sentence.
I still believe in karma and O.J.'s life really hasn't been the same since June of 1994 and after the trial despite his acquittal. As far as I'm concerned, he will die a lonely murderer.
What are everyone else's thoughts?
I'm not that much older than some of you but for our younger posters here, you guys are great you have no idea how INSANE things were in the 90's during the trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The same way news coverage seems to be 24/7 Trump back then it was 24/7 O.J. and pretty much the birth of the 24/7 news cycle. Tru tv was Court TV back then and it pretty much became the O.J. channel. I was watching the NBA finals when the infamous Ford Bronco slow-speed chase happened. I was initially pissed because it interrupted the Knicks-Rockets finals but it was admittedly riveting to watch.
I still believe as do most people, that O.J. got away with murder. However, back then in Los Angeles there was an enormous amount of racial tension. (Still is there and across the country today as well of course) The trial happened after LAPD officers were caught on video beating Rodney King and were still later acquitted. There was also a lesser known incident where an Asian shopkeeper falsely accused a 16 year-old African-American girl of shoplifting and shot her to death after arguing with her and was convicted but given a paltry sentence of five years probation.
That coupled with the Mark Fuhrman controversy during the trial made for the perfect storm for acquittal from a majority African-American jury.
I am in no way excusing what they did, but even by at least one juror's own admission in the ESPN documentary series, the verdict was basically them knowing O.J. was likely guilty but after decades of black people getting screwed over by the justice system because of race (perceived or factual), for once THEY got to screw over the justice system because of race and give payback for the Rodney King trial and other incidents where they felt wronged.
I've maintained the justice system has long been unfair to minorities. It is proven fact many African-Americans receieve longer sentences than their white counterparts for the same crime, for example. Still, there were two victims who had families who loved and cared for them and I really wish that legitimate grievances did not have to come at their expense.
However, as far as parole goes, I felt the board had no choice but to grant O.J. parole. They could not discuss the murders which he was legally acquitted for against him. It was based on the Las Vegas hotel robbery alone. O.J. had no infractions in prison and the crimes he was convicted of did not involve any deaths or injuries.
It still sucks to see him a free man, but at least he did serve nine years in prison and the years he wasn't free while still on trial. It's basically like in a way he served a manslaughter but not life in prison sentence.
I still believe in karma and O.J.'s life really hasn't been the same since June of 1994 and after the trial despite his acquittal. As far as I'm concerned, he will die a lonely murderer.
What are everyone else's thoughts?
