The O.J. Simpson Trial Started 20 Years Ago This Month

Last night I was up late watching TV and at midnight came across the retelling of the O.J. Simpson trial. Basically, it was a documentary on the events in the court room from almost 20 years ago. For some reason like the nine months of real time testimony back in 1995 this one hour look back captured me in the same way.

The paramount issue is, regardless of the truth, there still has been no justice brought about for killings of Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Yes, there was the civil trial but no one went to jail.

As I saw everything through the highlights and explanations, it's mind boggling to me how the defense won this thing on two points, showing Mark Fuhrman as a racist and a murder accessory that didn't fit Simpson's hand.

What I found most interesting about seeing the whole circus through the eyes of the one-hour package last night is how in real time 20 years ago the defense made the whole case so muddy. Almost to the point of arguing about the color of the sky. The holes in the DA's case, the supposed planted evidence. Added to that, the show business aspect to the trial for instance, Judge Ito and his hour glasses, Barry Scheck and his tirades on witnesses. It was the original reality show.

In essence this is an incredibly horrific and sad case but at the same time the biggest court spectacle to ever play out on TV.

The characters who all added to the soap opera, like Kato Kaelin, Robert Shapiro, Barry Scheck, Alan Dershowitz, Chris Darden, Marcia Clark, F. Lee Bailey, Robert Kardashian and of course, Johnnie Cochrane were household names by the third week.

Do you remember the trial that started in January of 1995?