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20 Fordham Urb. L.J. 571 (1992-1993)
The Big Black Man Syndrome: The Rodney King Trial and the Use of Racial Stereotypes in the Courtroom

handle is hein.journals/frdurb20 and id is 581 raw text is: THE BIG BLACK MAN SYNDROME: THE RODNEY KING TRIAL AND THE USE OF RACIAL STEREOTYPES IN THE COURTROOM Lawrence Vogelman* I. Introduction Nearly everyone had a reaction to the verdict in the Rodney King Case - some ignored the trial and concentrated on the riots in Los Angeles; others, with broad strokes, dismissed the population of Ventura County, California, as obviously stupid, blind and racist; others maintained it was just another example of the criminal justice system's failure to deal with the victimization of people of color. Then there were the trial lawyers and trial advocacy pundits. The ultimate monday-morning quarterbacks, we dissected the case to try to figure out where the mistakes were made. In this Essay, I will first make some observations about trial advo- cacy. Then, I will address the Rodney King case, specifically discuss- ing what I have coined the Big Black Man Syndrome. Next, I will discuss some ethical and practical considerations in the use of ethnic or racial stereotypes in the courtroom. This Essay will then turn to my one sentence, disturbing analysis of what really happened in that Simi Valley courtroom. I conclude with some thoughts about what my analysis means to the students, teachers and practitioners of the art of advocacy. II. The Art of Advocacy The easiest, and most serious trap that any teacher of trial advo- cacy can fall into is forgetting that trial advocacy is an art, and treat- ing it as a craft. I stand in front of a room full of students or lawyers * Clinical Professor of Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva Univer- sity; B.A., Brooklyn College, 1970; J.D., Brooklyn Law School, 1973. The author has been teaching trial advocacy to attorneys and students throughout the country for the past 15 years. 1. I use the phrase Rodney King Case deliberately. Some criticized this terminol- ogy, pointing out that Mr. King was a victim and the case should more accurately be called the Los Angeles police officer beating case, or the like. I found this argument politically very attractive. Upon reflection, however, I believe that the case was much more about Rodney King than it was about the officers. That is the thesis behind this Essay.

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