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Subscribe to RSSCORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the status of F. Lee Bailey, a member of O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder defense team. Bailey is alive.
Nearly 17 years after O.J. Simpson walked away from his murder trial a free man, a prosecutor at the center of the case has alleged that the lead defense lawyer tampered with a crucial piece of evidence.
Former Los Angeles deputy district attorney Christopher Darden on Thursday accused Simpson defense lawyer, the late Johnnie Cochran, of "manipulating" one of the infamous gloves that the prosecution said linked Simpson to the grisly double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Msnbc's Thomas Roberts speaks with William Dear, a private investigator who authored the new book "OJ Simpson Is Innocent and I Can Prove It."
After Simpson struggled to fit the gloves on his hands -- in one of the defining moments of the racially charged trial that captivated the nation -- Cochran famously admonished the jury, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."
On Thursday, during a panel discussion about the trial at Pace Law School in New York City, Darden, a member of the prosecution team, declared: "I think Johnnie tore the lining. There were some additional tears in the lining so that O.J.'s fingers couldn't go all the way up into the glove."
'Total fabrication'
Darden said in a follow-up interview on Friday that he noticed that when Simpson was trying on a glove for the jury its structure appeared to have changed. "A bailiff told me the defense had it during the lunch hour."
He said he wasn't specifically accusing anyone, adding: "It's been my suspicion for a long time that the lining has been manipulated."
He said he had previously voiced similar concerns in TV interviews, but could not recall the details.
Darden's incendiary charge surprised key participants in the trial and related legal action.
Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, who was a member of Simpson's defense team, and Paul Callan, who represented Nicole Brown Simpson's estate in a successful civil trial against Simpson, said it was the first time they had ever heard the allegation.
TODAY's Professionals — Star Jones, Nancy Snyderman, and Donny Deutsch — discuss controversial topics, including a new book claiming to prove O.J. Simpson's innocence and a study showing women work harder than their male colleagues.
On Friday, Dershowitz called the claim that the defense had an opportunity to tamper with the gloves "a total fabrication" and said "the defense doesn't get access to evidence except under controlled circumstances."
"Having made the greatest legal blunder of the 20th Century," Dershowitz said of Darden, "he's trying to blame it on the dead man."
Darden's remarks came after Dershowitz, a fellow panelist, called Darden's decision to have Simpson try on the glove for the first time before the jury "the most stupid thing" a prosecutor could have done.
Why didn't he report misconduct?
Dershowitz said that if Darden had evidence that there had been tampering, he would have had an ethical obligation to report the alleged misconduct. He also questioned why Darden hadn't filed a grievance with the state bar association. Darden responded by saying that this would have been a "whiny-little-snitch approach to life" and that was not what he believed in because it didn't change anything.
The event was part of a "Trials and Errors" series, co-sponsored by Pace Law School and the Forum on Law, Culture & Society at Fordham Law, that examines America's most controversial cases. Also on the panel were Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, and his sister, Kim Goldman.
Derek Sells, the managing partner of Cochran's old law firm, The Cochran Firm, did not respond to requests for comment. A call to Cochran's daughter, Tiffany Cochran Edwards, who is a communications director for the firm, was not immediately returned. Cochran died in 2005 from a brain tumor at age 67.
Simpson was acquitted in the double murder case despite what prosecutors described as a "mountain of evidence" against him. The evidence included a blood-soaked glove found on Simpson's estate and a matching one found at the scene of the murder.
Questions about the lining of the gloves emerged during the 1995 trial, but they did not involve allegations of tampering by defense lawyers.
Three other members of Simpson's defense team, Robert Shapiro, Barry Scheck and F. Lee Bailey, did not immediately return requests for comment. Robert Kardashian, who also represented Simpson, is deceased.
A civil jury in 1997 found Simpson liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the murder victims' families. Simpson is currently serving up to 33 years in prison for a 2007 armed robbery in which he claimed he was trying to recover his own sports memorabilia.
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Two items, first OJ got what he deserved as his butt is in jail right now. And secondly, everybody with half a brain knows that OJ did it.
Robert - it's time for you people to stop this hatred, #1 none of you really see this man committed the crime you all have him nailed to the cross for, it's only your imaginations blind-fold you into make belief. #2 the prison term he is serving which you all is rejoicing he ended up in jail to rut, he's liken Daniel in the lions den. B the angel of the Lord is encamp around and about him. #3 The civil trial was man revengeful claim and judgement, Yet they are not satisfy. seemed this is a black jesus they are crucifying none stop, They're even wrecking the dead from the grave with their unholy truth. WHAT A SHAME!!!
This is ridiculous. I read Darden's book on the trial and he doesn't make any attempt to avoid being a "whiny little snitch" in any other aspect of the trial (no mention of an altered glove in the book). Face it Chris, you got beaten by a superior group of attorneys. Get over it.
Michael thank you. The SOB is a condense liar whom have no shame less a human face. is snitches like him who have OJ sitting in jail at this time with their conter parts rejoicing and chanting OJ did it, OJ 's guilty.
So uncivilize and uneducated in a civilize and educated society. Christopher Darden should resume to his coockoon This maggot attacking a dead man in his grave whom cannot account his innocency, what a shame is this worm to our younger generation sic.
And who really cares? Juice is rotting in a Nevada prison. I don't really care what State's prison he dies in, do you? Just so long as he does expire in prison.
And do we really care how stupid Chris Darden and Marcia Clark are? No, we lived that one.
I would venture to imagine that the loved ones of the murdered victims care. Can you go there or do you belong in the category in which put Chris Darden and Marcia Clark? Never mind.......your insensitive and ignorant comment says it for you.
Fool and whore pets organizers.
I find it very hard to believe that - ANYONE - thinks this SOB did not do it. Anyone that thinks that is really stupid and I bet they will vote for Romney - which proves it.
cal680...you just had to bring politics into it!!! It was going so well and you had to do it!
cal680-1105121 You have all right to your opinions, but your suggestion are foolish and retard. mixing politics in this is sooo stupid. But as for your comfort OJ is a black jesus being prosecuted for believable murders committed unseenable by any living human eyes but the killers involved. I would not bet he did it nor did'nt do it, for no one could put their trust in human doing, seeing is believable. And I will never vote for Mitt Romney the float faced liar. President Obama is my choice of a black jesus to America and me.
Mr. Darden you lost, let it go. Although many believe that Mr. Simpson is guilty of the crime, the defense presented a more convincing argument as to his innocence than you were able to present as to his guilt.
That was so frustrating. Everyone knows that those sports gloves shrink when they are wet. From a sports family using gloves to play handball, when wet, they always shrunk when in contact with sweat/water aand when removed, the hand had to "work" at getting back into the gloves the next time. Huge missed opportunity.
Sophia, they stretch when they are wet, as they dry they shrink up, but nice try.
You know what I mean. They shrink when wet, and after drying, as that one was, could not be put on. Fact.
Strange the Prosecution never understood that leather can shrink or become very stiff after being wet, probably more so with blood. Why didn't they acquire a duplicate pair of the same gloves to have at trial? Somehow I cannot believe that they never read how in the Old West some tribes of Indians torturing or slowly killing their enemies by tying wet leather strips around their necks, and allowing the leather to shrink as it dried out in the sun.
Between the Prosecution's mistakes, and the Trial Judge's poor rulings and lax control of the trial proceedings, because he was worried about reversals on appeal, OJ walked.
ATC333 The trial judge did not give nor have poor ruling, everyone watching and listening the trial knew the items found by the only finder was planted by a suspected biggot killer involved in the case and the judge was not foolish he knew what was going on.
Nice try Darden, the fact is you and the other prosecutors blew a slam dunk murder trial. You were outclassed by the defense team and the prosecution was reeling at every turn. There was no way you could have lost that trial, but you did.
Maybe he just didn't do the crime. One thing I have always wondered about is wasn't there a cut in the glove? Was there a matching cut on this hand? And I wish a couple of things. 1. That the dna had been found before he had had his blood taken cause wasn't he out of town. There was a lot of handling of that blood. Instead of dropping it off at the nearest drop off they carried it around town.Why? And things like he was supposed to be mad because he couldn't go to the party hrs before. There was a video showing he was happy as a lark playing with his kids. And then I saw Nicoles family on tv saying he never did anything to her and they would wait to see what the jury said. Then the sister changed the story and said he was mean to her at the trial. And finally as in the Petersoncase with the blue towel in the one of the pictures first socks weren't there and then they were. Someone planted evidence and in the trial the some of the cops admitted they lied. If they lied about the socks and some other things they could have lied about the blood with dna which allowed the possibility that someone else may have done the crime. The cops just need to find them! There were others living in the house at the time after all involved in drugs. I was one of the very few who didn't think they had convincing evidence. Oh they had dna but who put it there!
The abraided ring finger matched right up with OJ's ring that was in the wife's dead hand and that ring was marked as evidence but never moved into evidence. OJ proudly displayed that ring when celebrating his acquital with supporters at the First AME church, the news footage provided a clear close up as he held the ring finger high.
@KTLIN2021409.....You need to read up before spouting off..........he had a cut on his hand which he claimed occured from a "smashed glass" that he had used when he was "out of town" on the very night she was murdered. Convenient, huh?
Its over with, why are people continuing to rake up crazy stuff after all these years? However I was surprised by the line that OJ was serving 33 yrs for a armed robbery, 1st offense, it sounds like the system was a bit unfair in that sentence.
square dude dont be surprise what you learned about OJ's 33 yrs jailing. the lynching of blacks are not yet abolish. for racism is a living sleeping monster in our midst only awaiting the republicans taking of America to be fully awaken and sinners will moan a last groan liken OJ's and his trials and tribulations.
The Bush administration partially distroyed America's ecconomy and created a world of mess and decided to blame the Obama administration for all the woes.... check it out they are vicious aliens whom wanted their mess to be top clean by the black maid for their return and possible taken over.
Meanwhile O. J. is having a Great Time in Prison. I am sure he is enjoying da "Prison Juice" forced down his Throat.
The question of OJ fate in the case seemed obvious to the living and breathing. An apparent guilty person was set free premised on lack of competence by the police and the prosecution. Mark Furman (Sp?) is hired as a police consultant on Fox News and other networks advising of his opinion on current criminal investigations. It takes more than your toes and fingers to keep track of police investigation errors committed in the process of the investigation . If not mistaken Furman was convicted of perjury. Flip flop fault on the defense is a scape goat for incompetence of police and prosecution in blundering a case resulting in a guilty man going free.
Furman was the culprit of planting all the items witness in the case against OJ. It was understand he was even possibly sleeping with Simpson's wife at the time and question why was she being with OJ who's not her type. He had acess to the glove he planted and the blood collected.
You People need to leave O. J. alone. He is innocent and a man of Great Character.
Sincerely,
Casey A. and Drew Peterson
the defence was flawed in this case.....here are my reasons for saying this.
1- they let the case go to a different court than were it happened this was to get a "starstruck" type jury, oj was not tried by a jury of his peers..that would have bee near Brentwood.
2- they let the defence make it about race even though it had nothing to do with race but was about jeolsly and rage.
3- the infamous glove that was certainly the turning point as the jury was looking for any thing in the trial to use to find him not guilty
A- glove was the thin soft leather type with a liner
B- the glove had been wet with blood then dried then set out over night and got wet again with dew and dried again.
C- OJ put on a surgical rubber glove before he tried on the glove..this was the crucial element as the glove had shrunk and then made very difficlut to get on as the surgical glove stuck to the linning as he started to put it on....that was it the jury had what it wanted and it turned a cold blooded killer free...well he's in jail now and michael jackson is dead so things really do work themselves out in the end.
they didn't let the defense make it about race, they chose that strategy to use and it worked. I don't agree with it but it happened. Cases are moved all of the time if there is a good reason. I am sure that the starstruck jury was not the reason they did it. When it was stated the preservative was in the blood on his sock, how would they explain that. Do we as humans have preservatives in our blood and that match the amount MISSING from the tube of blood collected? I don't think the prosecution knew what they were doing and that is why he got off. If you are going to charge someone with murder for beating his wife, you better have current evidence of when it happened. Here's the thing I've found out, OJ was friends with several of the officers in the case and they knew him. He was also known as a wife beater when he was MARRIED to Nicole, but the cops did nothing to help her.
One thing that never came up is the condition of the glove. Neither the prosecution nor the defense ever mentioned it. O J had a cut on his finger. WAS THERE A MATCHING CUT IN THE GLOVE??? An obvious reason to remove a glve is to inspect a wound. Just asking
Why is this being discussed like there is a question of his guilt..................everyone including the black community knows he killed two people out of rage and jealousy. The only reason he was acquitted is not because of the glove or his attorneys..........it is because the blacks on the jury just were not going to convict one of their brothers for killing two white people........for them it was just a matter of getting even for all the past injustices on blacks...............reverse discrimination is justice discrimination.
GEE - a chaster lawyer (Cockran) doing something illegal to get his killer client off - - go figure!!!!!
I watched the whole trial and I have always believed two things. First, I fully believe that OJ Simpson was guilty. Second, I believe that, given the evidence and the job done by the police and prosecution, the jury made the correct decision by acquitting him, as they did not prove that he was guilty beyond any reasonable doubt.
I will first start off saying that everybody wants their 10 minutes of fame. O.J. Simpson was ACQUITTED more than 18 years ago and he could NEVER be tried again of that alleged crime (even though his conviction in Nevada was nothing more than a shame for the Nicole Brown Simpson trial). Christopher Darden was fired from his job as prosecutor after the trial. Now he claims for the first time in over 18 years that "It's been my suspicion for a long time that the lining has been manipulated". That's poppycock. We all know that. Had it actually been his suspicion that Johnny Cochran or anyone for that matter had tampered with evidence, he had prosecutorial powers to file charges but more importantly, he did not bring that fact up before the trial Judge during the trial. And if he genuinely believed that the lining in the glove had been manipulated, he should have alerted the trial Judge but he did not. Darden then goes on to say that he didn't report the matter to the Bar Association because that would have been a "whiny-little-snitch approach to life" and that was not what he believed in because it didn't change anything. That's non-sense. He found it appropriate to file criminal charges against O.J. accusing him of Murder but yet he believe it would have been a "whiny-little-snitch approach to life" to report misconduct. There's no doubt that Darden made all of this up and certainly it amounts to pure slander against Johnny Cochran but of course J.C. is deceased and cannot defend the false allegations. It seems to me that by making the false allegations against J.C. now that he is deceased is more of a coward. If he didn't bring the subject up 18 years ago then Darden should sit his ass down somewhere and stop trying to conjure up a freelance talk sympathy for himself. Futhermore, the evidence at trial showed that one of the detectives 'planted' the glove. That necessarily means that it was the detective that tampered with the lining in the glove (the prosecutor's (Christopher Darden's) very own witness). Bottom line is that O.J. was acquitted of these baseless criminal charges almost two decades ago. He can NEVER be retried on those charges, even if he stood up in the middle of his jail cell right now and said that he did cut Nicole and her boyfriend's throats. There could be absolutely nothing in this world that can be done because double jeopardy bar reprosecution based on the same crime.
Christopher Darden? Has he run short of cash and so has suddenly popped up from nowhere?
It is always a good idea for prosecutors to have a solid case rather than bloat a weak one into a Marathon of theatrics. Makes for a better chance of scoring one in the win column.
Must have been not much going on to report this crap. Although it is relief from OBama drivel.
It was hard for the jury to convict OJ with the media in Ca. saying 24/7 that if he gets convicted there would be a repeat of the Rodney King riots. The jury members more then likely felt them and their families would be targets for violence.
OJ is guilty as hell, glove or no glove.
J t facts, in case you don't remember OJ is 6'3 and weighs well over 220 lbs. I suspect he gets it his way.
Sure points to the moron, but none of you later day jury members count now do we. Let it go.
Waiting for a shill to connect him to BO.
Does this really surprise anyone?
How can you tell if a lawyer is lying? When his lips are moving.