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10 Loy. J. Pub. Int. L. 199 (2008-2009)
The Legacy of the O.J. Simpson Trial

handle is hein.journals/loyjpubil10 and id is 203 raw text is: 







     THE LEGACY OF THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL

                           Wayne J. Pitts, Ph.D. *


                         David Giacopassi, Ph.D. **


                           K. B. Turner, Ph.D.***



                                ABSTRACT

      The 1995 criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife
Nicole Brown Simpson fascinated the American public. It also served as a
catalyst for debate among criminal justice professionals around such topics
as DNA evidence, the jury system, domestic violence, TVs in the
courtroom, and of course, the role of celebrity, money and race. But, was
this trial merely a fading sensationalized media event, or does it have any
enduring significance for students of law and the criminal justice system?
This study offers an analysis of a sample of introductory criminal justice
textbooks and results of 236 self-administered surveys given to a sample of
criminal justice students at the University of Memphis, an urban
metropolitan university in the South.      The evidence suggests that the
cultural legacy of the O.J. Simpson trial may be dissipating sooner than
most scholars would have expected. KEY WORDS: celebrity trials, cultural
icons, O.J. Simpson




    * Dr. Wayne J. Pitts is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal
Justice at The University of Memphis. His research is primarily in the areas of program
evaluation, corrections, and comparative criminal justice systems.
   ** Dr. David Giacopassi is a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
at The University of Memphis. His research interests focus mainly on the complexities of the
interactions between the individual, law, and the wider society.
  •** Dr. K. B. Turner is an associate professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The
University of Memphis. His current research interests are focused on race and criminal justice in
America, judicial decision making, and police administration issues.

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