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- Title
The O.J. Simpson Trial: Challenges to Science and Society.
- Authors
Fairchild, Halford H.; Cowan, Gloria
- Abstract
This article summarizes the issues relating to the trial of former football player O.J. Simpson for the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson. The vexatious problems of race, racism, and domestic violence were revealed in both the public's perceptions of Simpson's guilt or innocence and the volatile commentaries that followed the not guilty verdict in the criminal trial. A major concern during and after the trial was the huge difference between racial groups in the perceived guilt of Simpson and their reactions to the not guilty verdict. African Americans, as a discriminated-against minority group, have a long history of being abused by the criminal justice system. People differ in how much their race or gender matters to them in terms of their personal identity. Race or gender identity, when salient for an individual, is likely a clue that shared experiences lead to shared perceptions of social events. Thus, African Americans with a highly salient racial identity were more likely to be sympathetic to Simpson's potential innocence.
- Subjects
O. J. Simpson Trial; LEGAL judgments; FOOTBALL players; RACE discrimination; TRIALS (Law); MURDER
- Publication
Journal of Social Issues, 1997, Vol 53, Issue 3, p583
- ISSN
0022-4537
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1540-4560.1997.tb02130.x