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Friday, December 5, 2008

OJ Sentenced to 33 Years

OJ Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison for his memorabilia heist that took place in Las Vegas on September 13, 2007. The story here, however, is really not about the memorabilia heist. It is about the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The media speaks of the current case and the duration of the sentence as one of karma, afterall.

The Simpson murder case is particularly fascinating because so many of us were completely convinced that OJ was guilty and yet the so-called defense "Dream Team" somehow won the case. I have spoken my mind over the years about my low opinion of certain members of the defense team, so I will refrain at this time. Nonetheless, the truth remains that nearly all of the evidence you could ever ask for in a prosecutor's fantasy was present in that case, save for video of Simpson actually slaying the two victims.

Defending any case is a combination of science and art. Any case can be won or lost, depending on the preparation, as the OJ Simpson cases remind us. OJ was found innicent in the criminal murder case but lost severely in a civil court. More recently he was hit with a massive sentence for more minor crimes.

As a defense attorney viewed by the legal system to be the authority on murder trials, I must acknowledge another unmistakable truth highlighted by the Simpson criminal murder case. The impact of the media is undeniable. Everyone in this country, and in many cases around the world, had an emphatic opinion as to OJ's guilt long before the trial was televised. The media was at play. Imagine trying to find an unbiased jury, and the advantage that poses to a defense team with even 1% of a dream.

Similar to me, you must all imagine what would have happened in the first OJ case if the internet was as thoroughly utilized as it is today. What would have happened then? Faithful followers, I give you Destiny Blande and the case of The Satin Strangler. I cannot open a magazine or newspaper without seeing an article about the case. And yet thse are the "professional" writers. Everyone and their brother is on the internet, writing blogs, posting comments, and voicing their partially calculated opinions.

The "media" must now be redefined as anyone who wants to write about the Satin Strangler case. On the eve of the most significant trial of this adolescent century, each of you "knows for sure" whether Destiny Blande is innocent or guilty. Soon you will learn more through the trial, albeit through this filter of the media. If the "Dream Team" impressed you, wait and watch what I have in store for the prosecution.