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O. J. Simpson and the Racial Question
Collection StructureFiring Line broadcast records > Episode guide > O. J. Simpson and the Racial Question
Item Title O. J. Simpson and the Racial Question
Guest Dershowitz, Alan M.
Host Buckley, William F., Jr. (1925-2008)
Date CreatedMay 20, 1996
Description

Firing Line had looked at the O.J. Simpson trial in midstream (#S1053) and now comes back for the aftermath. As Mr. Buckley frames the question, "The intention ... is not to prove that O.J. killed his former wife--in a half-hour, we couldn't prove, against a disputatious guest, that John Wilkes Booth killed Abraham Lincoln. The intention is to focus on the racial question"--i.e., the fact that some 70 per cent of blacks believe O.J. was innocent, while some 70 per cent of whites believe he was guilty. Think what you will about Mr. Dershowitz's role in the trial, this show offers a brilliant exploration of criminal law from the viewpoint of the criminal lawyer. AD: "Think about what a blunder [letting Simpson try on the glove] was on the part of the prosecution.... They gave the defendant an opportunity to go right up to the jury box, look them straight in the eye, and say: 'It doesn't fit; it's too small, see?' At that point any doubts about whether he had to testify were obviated. He didn't have to testify--he had already testified without a cross-examination. It was about the dumbest thing I've ever seen a lawyer do in any courtroom in the 32 years I've been practicing law."

Language(s)
Country of Origin
Place RecordedNew York City, New York, United States
DimensionsDuration: 30 minutes
FormatMoving Image
Medium television programs
Aspect Ratio
4:3
Color
color
Soundtrack
sound
Hoover IDProgram S1086
Record Number80040.1357
NotesVideo not currently available for purchase.
RightsCopyright held by Stanford University. This copy is provided for educational and research purposes only. No publication, further reproduction, or reuse of copies, beyond fair use, may be made without the express written permission of the Hoover Institution Library & Archives on behalf of Stanford University.
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