Circumstances Surrounding the Brown/Goldman Murders

 Simpson was arrested on June 17, 1994, following urging from his attorney Robert Shapiro; Simpson turned himself in to police.  Simpson had fled when he learned that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. (Johnson, 2012)

An arrest warrant was issued on O. J. Simpson for suspicion of murder.

I cannot see any other way that Simpson could have been arrested.

Probable cause arrest differs from warrant arrest in that certain circumstances; a warrant is not needed to conduct a warrantless arrest, although a warrant must show probable cause accompanied by an affidavit swearing to its validity. (Lushbaugh, 2012)

Simpson was on good terms with police due to his celebrity status.  Several complaints of abuse from his ex-wife Nicole went unheeded because of this relationship with police.  When Simpson was arrested, he had a deep cut on his hand.  Blood samples found at the crime scene matched Simpson’s DNA.  There was also blood found on socks that Simpson had worn that matched the victims’.  The murders occurred at 10:00 P. M. and on the same night Simpson left Los Angeles at 11:45 P. M. on a flight to Chicago for a scheduled meeting.  When Simpson was asked about the cut on his hand, he indicated that when he learned about his ex-wife’s death he dropped a glass he was holding, this took place in a hotel in Chicago according to Simpson.  Mark Fuhrman, a police officer with LAPD, was the officer who found a bloody glove allegedly belonging to Simpson.  Simpson’s attorneys discredited Fuhrman claiming he was racist and that Simpson was framed for the double murders.  (Johnson, 2012).  Blasier, one of Simpson’s attorneys who is also an expert in DNA evidence, instructed jurors they should disregard most of the physical evidence introduced against Simpson by the prosecution.  He also claimed that the evidence was either manufactured or the evidence that was not manufactured was tainted to the point that it should be inadmissible.  Blasier also commented that there was not enough DNA comparisons made to determine absolute guilt.  Police wandering around the crime scene during the investigation destroyed or tainted evidence, Blasier said.  There were two videos entered into evidence showing that it could be possible.  Blasier also pointed out that there were too many inconsistencies concerning most of the physical evidence such as, there were no blood trails leading to any of the blood soaked evidence.  The photos of Simpson wearing shoes similar to the perpetrator could not be proved, by experts, to be legitimate. (Morello, 1997).  Judge Ito threw out evidence he referred to as “Very compelling circumstantial evidence”.  This evidence included fibers from the carpet at the crime scene allegedly found in Simpson’s Bronco; the reason being that this evidence was not disclosed to Simpson’s defense attorneys. (Clark, 1995)

The trial lasted 252 days and in the end, on Oct 3, 1995, O. J. Simpson was found not guilty of two counts of murder.  Race was a very important issue in this trial because Simpson was black and his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman, the two victims, were both white.  Another issue concerning race was the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) alleged treatment of blacks.  The trial was held in downtown Los Angeles.  The presiding judge was Judge Lance Ito.  (McCabe, 2011)

Phillip Vanatter is the detective who led the O. J. Simpson murder investigation.  The judge ruled that the police acted appropriately when entering Simpson’s residence to search for evidence.  Simpson’s defense counsel claimed that Vanatter had used a vial of Simpson’s blood to plant evidence in Simpson’s residence.  Detective Mark Fuhrman pleaded the Fifth when questioned about planting evidence to help convict Simpson. (Therolf, 2012)

 References

Clark, R. (1995). Ito Won't Allow Evidence on Fibers Taken From O. J. Simpson's Bronco. Philadelphia

 Inquirer , Section A, Column 1, 4.

Johnson, S. P. (2012, May 26). O. J. Simpson Trial (1995). Retrieved May 25, 2012, from Gale Virtua

l Reference Library: http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.itt

-tech.edu/ps/i.do?d=GALE%7CCX1767800219&v=2.1&u=itted&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

Lushbaugh, C. A. (2012). Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives, Twelfth Edition. Upper Saddle River,

 NJ: Pearson Education.

McCabe, S. (2011, Oct 3). O. J. Simpson acquitted in Trial of the Centur;y. The Examiner , 8.

Morello, D. (1997, Jan 24). Defense stresses police framed O. J. simpson his lawyers said officers botched

 the investigation, they urged jurors to disregard most of the evidence. Philadephia Inquirer ,

 A.2.

Therolf, G. (2012, Jan 29). O. J. Simpson murder investigation. The Ottawa Citizen , B.5.