“This is an historic case, and I consider this his confession,”
So says the publisher of O.J.Simpson’s tell all supposed confession. His“if-I-did-it-this-is-how-I’d-have-done-it” story about the sensationalist murder trial of the mid `90’s is about to be released, to the collective chagrin and disgust of the families of Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman. O.J.Simpson was acquitted of murder in the long-running Hollywood-production-like trial due to the circumstantial nature of much of the evidence presented, and the science of DNA typing being in its infancy. Undoubtedly, had he been subject to scientific trial today, he’d be facing life behind bars at the very least.
That said, the families of the victims, who took out and won a civil suit against Simpson for financial damages caused by their family member’s deaths, to the extent of US$33m. Simpson hasn’t paid a cent, as his NFL pension and home cannot, under US law, be forfeit in payment. What happens to the US$3.5m he’ll net from this book and accompanying television extravaganza being bankrolled by Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Network, will doubtless be the subject of ongoing legal contests.
This truly bizarre set of circumstances virtually allowing Simpson to profit from what is reputedly to amount to a confession, stems from American constitutional law which forbids the re-trial of anyone previously acquitted of the same crime. Double jeopardy. We have the same, or similar laws here in Australia, which are constantly under challenge from those who would see the legal sanctum abolished. The Simpson case, however, is really out there, with the immediately subsequent civil trial by jury finding Simpson responsible for the deaths, but unable to impact on the criminal acquittal.
So, now Simpson gets to tell all and profit from the exercise. Nino Carlotta said it all, but not in relation to the American culture. They truly are a weird mob.