who was oj simpson's main defense lawyer

Full Answer

Who was O.J. Simpson's best lawyer?

F Lee Bailey was the showman-like criminal defence lawyer whose roster of celebrity clients included OJ Simpson and Patty Hearst. Bailey, who has died aged 87, could have continued his successful career and retired in wealth and fame, had it not been for an unwise error that ultimately brought him ignominy.

Who were the main defense lawyers for O.J. Simpson?

The attorneys representing O.J. Simpson included F. Lee Bailey, Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro, and Alan Dershowitz. Johnnie Cochran later became the defense team's lead attorney. The attorneys were known as the “Dream Team."

Who was the black lawyer that defended O.J. Simpson?

Johnnie Cochran(/ˈkɒkrən/; October 2, 1937 – March 29, 2005) was an American lawyer and civil activist best known for his leadership role in the defense and criminal acquittal of O. J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman....Johnnie Lee Cochran Jr.Johnnie CochranWebsitecochranfirm.com6 more rows

Who was OJ Simpsons first lawyer?

Robert Leslie Shapiro (born September 2, 1942) is an American lawyer. He is best known for being the short-term defense lawyer of Erik Menendez in 1990, and a member of the "Dream Team" of O. J....Robert Shapiro (lawyer)Robert ShapiroShapiro in an ad for LegalZoomBornRobert Leslie Shapiro September 2, 1942 Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S.4 more rows

Who was the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson case?

Marcia ClarkMarcia Clark, the trial's lead prosecutor, resigned from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office after the case and left the practice of law. Her memoir of the trial, Without A Doubt, fetched a $4 million advance.

Was Robert Kardashian OJ Simpsons lawyer?

Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 – September 30, 2003) was an American attorney and businessman. He gained recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial.

Who was on O.J. Simpson's defense team?

Simpson trial. …as the “Dream Team,” included F. Lee Bailey, Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro, and Alan Dershowitz; Johnnie Cochran later became the defense team's lead attorney.

Who did F. Lee Bailey defend?

WALTHAM, Mass. — F. Lee Bailey, the celebrity attorney who defended O.J. Simpson, Patricia Hearst and the alleged Boston Strangler, but whose legal career halted when he was disbarred in two states, has died, a former colleague said Thursday. He was 87.

Is Chris Darden still practicing law?

Christopher Darden When the case ended, Darden became a college professor before starting his own law firm. He is now 65 and still practicing law.

What kind of lawyer was Robert Kardashian?

Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 - September 30, 2003) was an Armenian-American attorney & businessman. He gained national recognition as O.J.'s friend and defense attorney during his 1995 murder trial.

Who is Robert Kardashian?

To the millennial people, Robert Kardashian is now famous as the father of celebrities and global heartthrobs Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian. But the 90’s saw him as a celebrity on his own right. He began his career in the late 1960s as a lawyer.

His Relationship with OJ lawyers

It was around 1973 that he met O.J. Simpson, a football star of that time, and developed a friendship. The friendship soon turned into a professional relationship, with the two setting up a music video company and a frozen yogurt shop and hiring criminal defense attorney.

Souring of Relationship and Fallout

Following Simpson’s acquittal, the relationship between the two once-close friends soured. In 1996, Robert Kardashian mentioned to ABC News that he was suspicious of the innocence of Simpson. He clearly said that he had doubts with the blood evidence.

Who is Lawrence Schiller?

Lawrence Schiller, author of "American Tragedy: The Uncensored Story of the O.J. Simpson Defense," had access to Simpson and his dream team during the 1995 criminal trial. Now 20 years after Simpson was found not guilty in his criminal trial on Oct. 3, 1995, Schiller co—produced with Stephen Auerbach and Chuck Braverman two new documentaries airing ...

Why didn't the gloves fit?

At the prosecution's request, Simpson tried on the bloody glove found at the scene of the crime at his criminal trial. "He had latex gloves on. He was trying on a glove that had been soaked in blood," Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father, told "20/20.".

Who did Goldberg prosecute?

He helped prosecute Catherine Thompson, convicted of killing her husband for his insurance money and sentenced to death in 1992. Goldberg also prosecuted Jose Guerra for the murder of as registered nurse who was attacked in her home. Goldberg is a graduate of UCLA and the Loyola Law School.

How many murder trials has Hank Goldberg prosecuted?

As a deputy district attorney, he has prosecuted about 30 felony trials including eight murder trials.

Who is Barry Scheck?

Barry Scheck, born 9-19-49, is a law professor and director of clinical education at the Cardoza Law School in New York City. He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law.

Who is Gerald Uelmen?

Gerald Uelmen, born 10-8-40, is a professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law. A constitutional scholar well-versed in appellate rulings, he is a former Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles.

Who is Alan Dershowitz?

Alan Dershowitz, born 9-1-38, a Harvard Law School professor and author, won a reversal of the conviction of Claus Von Bulow, who was charged with trying to murder his socialite wife.

Who is William Hodgman?

William Hodgman, born 12-14-52, is director of the Bureau of Central Operations, which includes the Special Trials Division. He joined the District Attorney's Office in 1978 and has prosecuted about 130 trials, including 40 murder cases. He helped win the 1992 conviction of Charles Keating for securities fraud.

Who is Johnnie Cochran?

Johnnie Cochran Jr., born 10-2-37, has represented music superstar Michael Jackson and Los Angeles riot victim Reginald Denny.

What did Cochran say about Simpson?

After prosecutor Darden made the mistake of demanding Simpson try on the ill-fitted bloody gloves, Cochran uttered the famous phrase: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.".

Who was the attorney for Nicole Brown?

Pleading not guilty to the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, which occurred on June 12, 1994, Simpson hired a "dream team" defense, which included lead attorney Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran (who later took over as lead counsel), F. Lee Bailey, Barry Scheck, Robert Kardashian and Alan Dershowitz.

Why did Clark turn against Kaelin?

Due to Kaelin's shiftiness on the stand , prosecutor Clark turned against him and treated him as a hostile witness. Regardless, Kaelin — with his thick tufts of blond hair and surfer dude ways — gained considerable popularity in the media as a likable and comedic character of the trial.

Why was Park's testimony dismissed?

Reportedly, one juror wholly dismissed Park's testimony because he was unable to recall the number of cars parked at the Rockingham mansion.

Who was the witness for the prosecution?

Aspiring actor and houseguest of Simpson, Brian "Kato" Kaelin was a star witness for the prosecution. Present at Simpson 's Rockingham mansion at the time of the murders, Kaelin claimed that he ate dinner with Simpson that night but could not account for the star athlete's whereabouts between the hours of 9:36 p.m. and 11 p.m. (the prosecution theorized that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and Goldman between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.).

Did Darden get intimidated?

Although Darden floundered at the start of the trial and was purportedly intimidated by Cochran, he gained momentum as events progressed. However, he made a consequential mistake when he demanded that Simpson try on the infamous bloody gloves, which ended up being too small for the accused's hands.

Who did Michael Jackson and James Brown represent?

Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. In 1994, he was considered one of the best trial lawyers in the nation, and it was Simpson himself who asked Shapiro to bring Cochran onto the team.

Why did Peter Neufeld join the Simpson defense team?

Peter Neufeld joined the Simpson defense team to assist with undermining the prosecution's DNA and forensic evidence. He is perhaps best known for discrediting the credibility of the blood trail between Nicole Brown Simpson 's body and O.J. Simpson 's car.

Who is Johnnie Cochran's lawyer?

Douglas was widely considered one of Johnnie Cochran's top lawyers. He later became the managing attorney of the Law Office of Johnnie Cochran, Jr. before leaving the firm in 1998, to form The Douglas Law Group (now known as Douglas / Hicks Law).

Why did Bailey plead the fifth?

During the cross-examination, Bailey was able to get Fuhrman to plead the Fifth in response to key aspects of the case, including planting evidence, thereby undermining Fuhrman's credibility as a witness. This cross-examination is believed by many to be one of the keys to Simpson's acquittal.

What is the purpose of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice?

In 2006, he was appointed Executive Director for the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, created by the California State Senate to examine the causes of wrongful convictions and propose reforms of the California criminal justice system.

Who said "If it doesn't fit you must acquit"?

Gerald Uelmen was part of O.J. Simpson's defense team during the O.J. Simpson murder case. Uelmen says he devised the memorable line used by Johnnie Cochran in the closing argument, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Uelmen is currently a professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law, where he served as Dean from 1986 to 1994. He served as defense counsel in the trials of Daniel Ellsberg and Christian Brando. In 2006, he was appointed Executive Director for the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, created by the California State Senate to examine the causes of wrongful convictions and propose reforms of the California criminal justice system.

Who is Barry Scheck?

Barry Scheck, a law professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City, is a forensic expert. Scheck is also known for his work as co-founder and co-director of the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that uses DNA evidence to clear the names of wrongfully convicted inmates.

Who was the LAPD investigator who was cross-examined?

Bailey's most notable contribution to the defense was his cross-examination of LAPD investigator Mark Fuhrman.

What happened to Nicole Brown Simpson?

On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Nicole's condo in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Simpson was a person of interest in their murders. Simpson did not turn himself in, and on June 17 he became the object of a low-speed pursuit by police while riding as a passenger in the white 1993 Ford Bronco SUV owned and driven by his longtime friend Al Cowlings. TV stations interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast the incident live. With an estimated audience of 95 million people, the event was described as "the most famous ride on American shores since Paul Revere 's".

Who is the Juice?

Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed " The Juice ", is an American former football running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman, and convicted felon. Once a popular figure with the U.S. public, he is now best known for being tried for the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Who was the head coach of the Bills in 1971?

In 1971, Rauch resigned as head coach and the Bills brought in Harvey Johnson. Despite Johnson devising a new offense for Simpson, Simpson was still ineffective that year. After the 1971 season, the Bills fired Johnson and brought in Lou Saban as head coach.

Who was the first NFL player to be drafted in 1969?

The first selection 1969 AFL–NFL Common Draft was held by the AFL 's Buffalo Bills, after finishing 1–12–1 in 1968. They took Simpson, but he demanded what was then the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. This led to a standoff with Bills' owner Ralph Wilson, as Simpson threatened to become an actor and skip professional football. Eventually, Wilson agreed to pay Simpson.

Who Is Robert Kardashian?

See more on halt.org

His Relationship with OJ Lawyers

Souring of Relationship and Fallout

Overview

The "Dream Team" lawyers

Robert Shapiro joined Simpson's defense team one week after the beginning of the trial, when Howard Weitzman withdrew from the case stating his workload was too heavy to continue as chair. As defense chair, Shapiro was called the "architect" of the Simpson defense for building the high-profile legal team that would later be dubbed the "Dream Team." Shapiro led the defense team through much of the trial before Johnnie Cochran took over as the lead chair.

Verdict

Portrayal in film and television