OJ Simpson is gone now. But his life and public journey spanning seven decades touched many areas of American life. the game In the legal field Culture His murder trial in 1994—and his acquittal in 1995—had profound effects on how people talked. race And domestic violence.
Here, Associated Press journalists specializing in three fields — law, sports and culture — consider what will endure in the long run. Simpson’s death Absent from public debate.
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Law: DNA and the Celebrity Trial Through Television
Simpson’s trial was the first to bring widespread public awareness to the growing science of DNA evidence. While jurors rejected forensics in 1995 when they acquitted him of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, juries would forever be familiar with science.
It was the first in a series of trials and TV shows in which DNA played a role, including the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal three years later, and the premiere of the original “CSI” two years later.
Now, DNA is expected by judges and court observers, frustrating prosecutors in cases that don’t have it.
The choice to televise all nine months of Simpson’s trial drew a level of scrutiny that had never been seen before and made almost every character in the case a celebrity on Court TV. It led to a long hangover that still lingers nearly three decades later, and there’s no expectation that such wall-to-wall litigation will ever happen again, at least in California.
Other states still occasionally allow it — and those trials, like the 2022 Johnny Depp-Amber Heard fight in Virginia, get the most attention.
– By AP Entertainment writer Andrew Dalton, who often covers cases involving celebrities and the entertainment industry.
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Sports: Skill, star power, but no NFL championships
Football made OJ Simpson a star and he was one of the greatest players in NFL history as well as one of the best running backs of his era in the 1970s. He was a superstar in college at the University of Southern California and received a hero’s welcome in Buffalo when the Bulls selected him No. 1 in the 1969 NFL Draft. Even teammates were surprised by Simpson’s presence.
And though it took Koch four years to figure out how to best use it, he didn’t disappoint.
Simpson was a graceful runner and a gracious companion. He combined speed and power with offensive skills that helped him become the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and the only player to do so when the league played a 14-game schedule. Is. He shared the credit by bringing his offensive lineman with him to the news conference after setting the record.
His rushing mark of 143.1 yards per game still stands, and he led the league in rushing four times over a five-year span. Simpson’s accomplishments earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1985.
However, his success did not translate into championships. The Bulls reached the playoffs just once and had just three winning seasons in Simpson’s nine years with the team. He played two more years with the San Francisco 49ers, who won just four games in that span.
Simpson’s influence on football extended beyond the field to television. He started acting while in college and co-starred in films during his playing career. He was a successful NFL analyst, pitchman and Hollywood star before murder charges derailed his career and tarnished his legacy.
The NFL and his former teams distanced themselves from Simpson after the murder trial. His death was not publicly acknowledged by the league or the teams.
— By AP sportswriter Rob Madi, who covers the NFL.
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Culture: A fast-growing media society and the desire for true crime
When it comes to the intersection of TV and tabloids, there is a before and after OJ Simpson.
The man and the case, with all their tabloid undertones, overtones, and straightforwardness, combined all the celebrity misdeeds of the 20th century into one incredibly compelling, high-profile story. From the intense speculation surrounding the Lindbergh baby case to the snap judgments applied to the Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle trial, from the Hollywood-saturated Manson murder to the assassination and attempted murder of John Lennon by a deranged fan. A lot can be echoed. On the Life of President Ronald Reagan by Jodie Foster’s Obsessed Man.
It wasn’t just about looking back, though; It was about what was at hand as the 21st century began. The man at the center of it all was a football hero, movie star, and TV announcer who quickly became a fallen icon, reviving many things that were just around the corner.
Its downfall helped usher in true crime in the mainstream media industry (however questionable its outcome). It helped fuel the burgeoning culture of reality TV and the anti-hero craze. And of course, it introduced some of the basic features of social media more than a decade before this corner of society took off.
No matter how one felt about Simpson, the odds were addressed. It may, more than anything else, be the man’s legacy and story that surrounds him for a strange little period in American history.
– By AP National Writer Ted Anthony, who writes about American culture and how it’s changing.
Credit : apnews.com