MarathonMike
Diamond Member
Less than 4 hours, but as a couple jurors admitted afterward, they had already decided and just "stretched it out" to make it look good. FWIW this was a post from an attorney familiar with California and Johnny Cochrane:
I have some special insight into this question and its answer.
At the time of the trial I was a Deputy City Attorney whose office was across the street from the downtown court house. I did not work for the District Attorney’s Office but the paths of the two offices often crossed.
This case was extraordinarily politically influenced and crafted by the top players. The jury was not assigned, it was picked by a team headed by Johnnie Cochran a, now deceased talented attorney, who made a career out of challenging police actions by alleging racism and two prosecutors were assigned by the District Attorney, Marcia Clark an aggressive white woman known for being caustic and Christopher Darden, a gentle black man,
Johnnie Cochran due to his connections in, and support o,f, the black community was an enormous influence with the Los Angeles black vote: a key vote segment that could affect the election of officials such as the District Attorney. influencing the electorate which elected the District Attorney. His support was keenly sought by many politicians.
The trial was originally scheduled to be tried in Santa Monica, where O J lived and the crime occurred —- not an area that was believed to be sympathetic to a black star accused of killing a local white female resident. Juries in Santa Monica were notoriously non black. O.J. was a hero in the black community. And Johnnie Cochran knew that and knew how to handle it.
Johnnie Cochran convinced the District Attorney, Gil Garcetti, whose office was 15 miles away from the Santa Monica courthouse that it would be to his political , tactical advantage and convenience to try it in downtown Los Angeles in a court across from the District Attorney’s Office and City Hall, where the District Attorney could simply walk over and view the trial or talk to his team, rather than 15 miles away in Santa Monica. So the trial was moved with the consent of the prosecution and defense; and the judge over the case, at that time agreed.
Everyone who had any insight to courthouse operations and the involved political forces knew that it was a very crafty move since Santa Monica juries at that time were predominantly non white and downtown juries were predominantly black and that move was highly advantageous for the defense of O.J.
A prosecution team was selected by the District Attorney, with an eye to its effect, Then all that needed to happen was an all black jury —- which was almost inevitable given the new location.
Therefore to answer your question: the jury was not assigned, it was crafted through shrewd decisions by Mr. Cochran and political considerations. O.J. benefited from that—in the short run.
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I have some special insight into this question and its answer.
At the time of the trial I was a Deputy City Attorney whose office was across the street from the downtown court house. I did not work for the District Attorney’s Office but the paths of the two offices often crossed.
This case was extraordinarily politically influenced and crafted by the top players. The jury was not assigned, it was picked by a team headed by Johnnie Cochran a, now deceased talented attorney, who made a career out of challenging police actions by alleging racism and two prosecutors were assigned by the District Attorney, Marcia Clark an aggressive white woman known for being caustic and Christopher Darden, a gentle black man,
Johnnie Cochran due to his connections in, and support o,f, the black community was an enormous influence with the Los Angeles black vote: a key vote segment that could affect the election of officials such as the District Attorney. influencing the electorate which elected the District Attorney. His support was keenly sought by many politicians.
The trial was originally scheduled to be tried in Santa Monica, where O J lived and the crime occurred —- not an area that was believed to be sympathetic to a black star accused of killing a local white female resident. Juries in Santa Monica were notoriously non black. O.J. was a hero in the black community. And Johnnie Cochran knew that and knew how to handle it.
Johnnie Cochran convinced the District Attorney, Gil Garcetti, whose office was 15 miles away from the Santa Monica courthouse that it would be to his political , tactical advantage and convenience to try it in downtown Los Angeles in a court across from the District Attorney’s Office and City Hall, where the District Attorney could simply walk over and view the trial or talk to his team, rather than 15 miles away in Santa Monica. So the trial was moved with the consent of the prosecution and defense; and the judge over the case, at that time agreed.
Everyone who had any insight to courthouse operations and the involved political forces knew that it was a very crafty move since Santa Monica juries at that time were predominantly non white and downtown juries were predominantly black and that move was highly advantageous for the defense of O.J.
A prosecution team was selected by the District Attorney, with an eye to its effect, Then all that needed to happen was an all black jury —- which was almost inevitable given the new location.
Therefore to answer your question: the jury was not assigned, it was crafted through shrewd decisions by Mr. Cochran and political considerations. O.J. benefited from that—in the short run.
9.9K views
View upvotes
View 1 share