O. J. Simpson Case

Reem Ali Abu-Lughod

In 1994, O. J. Simpson, an African American actor and former all-American football star, was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. A jury composed of seven African American women, two White women, one Hispanic man, and one African American man acquitted Simpson of all charges on October 4, 1995. This entry examines the O. J. Simpson case from various perspectives. It focuses chiefly on media coverage of sensationalized crimes, the impact that this coverage has on the general public, the facts of the case, the role of the jury in determining guilt or innocence, and the prosecution and defense's challenge in providing evidence to prove a defendant's guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. The communications media play a major role in the reporting of crimes; television news, print media, and Internet sources all have made it possible for the general public to gain ...

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