Menendez brothers join OJS in headlines

Sometimes I think it might be a curse to have not only been involved in both the Menendez brothers and the O.J.Simpson cases and all of their trials, but to have such extensive behind-the-scenes knowledge.

First, I saw this story:

ESPN profits off black culture, does not stand by black employees views’

which contains this paragraph:

“This incident reminds me of the dynamic between Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden during the OJ Simpson trial. The white Clark brought Darden, a black man, onto the prosecution team, yet ignored his plea to not use white supremacist Mark Fuhrman as their primary witness in the case. In the FX dramatized rendition of the case, once Fuhrman’s racist background dominates the trial, Darden angrily tells Clark, ‘You put me on this trial because you wanted a black face, but the truth is you never wanted a black voice.'”

While I think it was no secret that the Simpson prosecution wanted an African American on its team, I thought it was a micromanaging DA Gil Garcetti who assigned Darden, not Clark. Although, I have no reason to believe they weren’t on the same page with each other.

Also, I have no idea whether such an exchange between Darden and Clark even occurred. If it did, I got no wind of it during the trial, and so much fiction about the trial and its participants and behavior have swirled about since, it might just be a fabrication of someone’s imagination.

But the biggest bone I have to pick is with the writer of this article is referring to Mark Fuhrman as a white ‘supremacist’. Mr. Price and everyone who uses that misnomer needs to understand that there is no such thing. Individuals who self sort into anything called that are nothing but white racists.

That, however, is a subject  for another blog.

Then I saw this story:

Law & Order: The Real Story Behind the Menendez Brothers’ Claims of Abuse

which contains this paragraph:

“He later added that the current District Attorney in Los Angeles was desperate for a win after the Rodney King and O.J. Simpson trials, so there “were major mitigating circumstances” in the Menendez case that the average viewer may not know about.”

What seems strange is that Menendez prosecutor Deputy District Attorney David Conn gave DA Gil Garcetti that win with the convictions and life sentences of both Menendez brothers for the shotgun murders of their parents, then demoted Conn and exiled him to some nether office, but rewarded losing Simpson prosecutor Clark with with an obscenely generous bonus — only to have her turn around quit her job with the District Attorney’s Office.

It is, indeed, a crazy world.

Singularly Unwelcome?

Whether an O.J. Simpson fan or not, think he was over-charged and unfairly sentenced in his robbery and kidnapping conviction or not, I must say this headline raised my eyebrows.

Florida AG Pam Bondi: O.J. Simpson not welcome in the Sunshine State

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/florida-ag-pam-bondi-oj-simpson-not-welcome-in-the-sunshine-state/article/2636177

I tried to think of any other time when a state’s highest justice official told a prison parolee to stay out of their state. (OK, so Bondi didn’t tell him to stay out, but in my book “not welcome” equals “don’t come.”

I know that orders to stay out of a state can be included in court orders as a condition of parole, but for a state’s attorney general to publicly disinvite someone after he’s released from prison on parole?

Do any of you know of a similar case?

He’s Out

My interest in Simpson’s release from prison is whether he’s “corrected” — prison is a “correctional institution, right?”

Or is he still so needy for attention and the spotlight that his bad judgment button will remain unset.

Anatomy of a Trial: Public Loss, Lessons Learned… is still available. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0826218229?m=A1UT13HVUXZL25&ref_=v_sp_widget_detail_page .  Or a signed copy directly from me.

 

Professional and Gentleman Honored by L.A. City Council

This headline, “La Cañada resident Royal Oakes honored by L.A. City Council for 30 years of commentary” posted yesterday, warmed my heart.”I met Royal 26 years ago when I was the brand new soaking-wet-behind-the-ears Los Angeles Superior Court Director of Public Information and Royal was providing commentary for KNX-AM all-news radio station. The news du jour was the Rodney King beating-trial verdicts that prompted days-long rioting in Los Angeles. He and I interacted countless times in the course of numerous high-profile trials. He was consistently professional, respectful and, in his capacity as Radio Television News Association’s general counsel, enormously helpful.

He is so deserving of this honor by the Los Angeles City Council. I have the highest regard for him and wish him well. I’m glad his radio program, “The Royal Oakes Show” is available via podcast.

 

I’ll See Museum’s Morbid and Raise it One

When I saw the headline O.J. Simpson museum turns morbid merchandise into art today, my first thought was I could guarantee no exhibit in that ‘pop-up’ museum could be as morbid as  a souvenir tucked away in a closet in my house. It came my way as  a gift that would have been way too awkward to refuse. So it’s been out of sight and mostly out of mind ever since.

I dug it out not long ago when I read about plans for the Simpson quickie museum with the idea of taking a picture and posting it on this blog.  I just couldn’t do it, though, and stowed it back away.

“The museum includes hundreds of weird, quirky and at times, disturbing paraphernalia designed to make visitors think about just how far people went to monetize the worldwide fascination with the case,” the article pointed out. The museum “is trying to show just how low society sank in its fascination with O.J. Simpson’s murder trial — and the writing’s on the wall.”

It certainly shows how poor taste can disguise itself as humor and become normalized and accepted by society.

What? “Anatomy” Didn’t Make it into the Museum!

It’s open. Did any of you go?

“O.J. SIMPSON MUSEUM IN LOS ANGELES SHOWS HOW LOW AMERICANS WILL GO FOR ENTERTAINMENT”

I would, but won’t be in L.A. until after it closes.

Big disappointment from what I could see in the pictures, though. I don’t think my book Anatomy of a Trial: Public Loss, Lessons Learned from The People vs. Orenthal James Simpson is included. At least, I don’t see it in this picture.

Maybe someone will run a copy over before it closes. lol!

The location given in this article is Coagula Curatorial Gallery in downtown Los Angeles. I understand that’s in Chinatown.

My Interest in the OJS ‘Pop-Up’ Museum

I suppose it was bound to happen. A museum of Simpson artifacts.

It’s coming to a city not near most Americans — Los Angeles. Chinatown, to be more specific. It will also be short-lived — only five days. August 18-22, to be specific.

Since I now live 2,000 miles away from L.A., it’s not likely I’ll be checking it out  If I did still live in L.A., my main interest in dropping by would be to see who was dropping by. My guess is I would renew a number of old acquaintances.

One thing I’m pretty sure of, the museum exhibits won’t include some of the trial memorabilia that came my way.

Oh, and one more thing I’m interested in seeing. A pop-up museum. That’s a new one for me.

Interesting Offer, Interesting Reaction

First came this story:

Bunny Ranch brothel offers O.J. a post-prison job

Then came this one:

O.J. SIMPSON GETS JOB OFFER FROM NEVADA BROTHEL …Prostitutes Threaten To Quit

Then all the jokes flooded my head.

Then came the thought, Neh, why bother. Everyone else will do that.

Reality TV, anyone?

 

WAOW Doesn’t Deliver, Milwaukee Independent Does

Neither the Wausau TV station news director nor the interviewing reporter sent me the link, as they said they would, to the Simpson-parole piece they aired yesterday, so I went to their website and found:

http://www.waow.com/category/135525/video-landing-page?clipId=13511186&autostart=true

http://www.waow.com/story/35935004/milwaukee-author-reacts-to-oj-simpson-parole

Anyone who missed it didn’t miss much. What got me most, though, was that instead of using the photo I sent them, which they requested, they used a picture of me that I didn’t recognize.  It took a bit of poking around online, but I finally found it. It was taken by Milwaukee journalist Lee Matz and posted on his news and information site www.milwaukeeindependent.com. The same picture was included in a profile Matz published today. Here are links to the video and the text versions of the profile.

http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/video/video-from-iranian-revolution-to-24-hour-news-cycle/

http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/featured/jerrianne-hayslett-the-news-industrys-role-in-justice/

A huge thank you to Lee Matz and Milwaukee Independent.

And the Verdict is…

As everyone who watches TV probably knows by now, the Nevada parole board who heard O.J. Simpson’s plea today to be released on parole.

So I supposed I should blog about that.

Okay.

Oh, snap, I missed Fox coverage with Mark Fuhrman’s analysis.

Is anyone surprised the Nevada board granted Simpson’s parole request?

A number of people with the news media who were involved with coverage of Simpsons’ trial expressed disgust and ill wishes for Simpson at the parole board’s decision.

A Wisconsin television news reporter did interview me today about the board’s decision. I had hoped to have a link to the interview to post on this blug, but the station has not yet sent me the link as it said it would do.

Perhaps I can post it tomorrow.