Just heard in the news that OJ Simpson was released from prison after serving time for armed robbery. 9 years? Where has the time gone? Seemed like only yesterday (or a few years) since he went to prison. It’s just ironic to me that two decades before, in 1995, he was acquitted (in the trial of the century) for the brutal murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman (who was at the wrong place at the wrong time). Many felt (including myself) he got off the hook, just because Johnnie Cochran (who has since died) and his team of lawyers planted the seed of doubt in the jury by showing that the glove didn’t fit.
I watched the slow-speed chase live on tv when he was in his white ford bronco (driven by his friend Al Cowlings) on the LA freeway, as the police trailed him. If he wasn’t guilty, why needed to run away before he had to surrender to the police? I watched the whole trial on tv (you couldn’t have a better seat). The evidence definitely pointed to him as the murderer. He had motive as was abusive to Nicole Simpson during their marriage and, even after, as seemed was a control issue for him, maybe losing power over her.
Although the Browns and Goldmans didn’t get justice from the criminal trial, because of his acquittal, they did in the civil trial where he was found liable for their deaths and got a judgment for $33.5 million. They still haven’t been able to collect it (only a fraction of it) and has since risen to $66 million.
Then OJ made the news in 2007, when he got arrested for armed robbery after he & a group of men broke into a sports memorabilia dealer’s hotel room and stole items (which he said belonged to him), while holding the dealer at gunpoint. The trial in Las Vegas didn’t favor him at all, as was found guilty. The judge gave him a sentence of 9 to 33 years and off to prison he was sent. In some ways, I bet the Browns & Goldman’s felt they finally got some justice, even though it was for armed robbery instead of murder. What goes around comes around, as they say.
The Goldmans recently said that if OJ writes a book, does a reality show or anything else, they will be right there to collect from the sales, as that is the only course of punishment they were able to get for Ron Goldman’s death. They would have preferred he go to jail or on death row for murder, but since that didn’t happen, the civil court case issued a judgment against him as found him to willfully and wrongfully causing the deaths of both Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.
For someone who had it all as a star football player, actor and advertising spokesman, OJ sure has lived a colorful life on the edge of the law. First as a suspected killer and then a convicted armed robber & kidnapper. If you believe in karma (which I do), then karma found a way to take care of it (as he sure messed things up for himself). The Browns & Goldmans can take comfort in that.
OJ, now that he is a 70 year old senior, should use his time left on earth to be a good citizen and do for others. Hopefully the time in prison made him reflect on the wrong he has done because I strongly believe that two innocent people are dead because of him (was found liable in the civil trial). Even though he was imprisoned for 9 years for armed robbery, he got away with murder due to the criminal trial could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt of guilt. He still should feel fortunate he has a life to do something with, whereas Nicole Simpson & Ron Goldman, sadly, don’t.
Just makes me more aware how precious time flies by. We we need to use it wisely in what we do in our life, and not let it slip away fruitlessly.
31/365
