The O.J. Simpson case is full of many memorable quotes, and this stands out as one of the landmarks.
Welcome to this daily Then & Now Sports feature where we cover interesting events, games, and moments that happened each day.
July is a slow month for sports. This month is the time of year for: baseball, golf, boxing, tennis; with the latter three not taking place on a daily basis. 1994 was a special year. It made sure everybody was sitting in front of their TV’s in July. Not for a game or a series, instead it was a murder scene and a car chase, followed by the arrest of a beloved hall of fame running back.
Now this doesn’t have much to do with a particular sport, and moving forward these features will be mostly dedicated to in-game action, but it was either this or Greg Maddux throwing a complete game in 76 pitches. Sorry Greg great game and all, but take a hike the juice was loose. 25 years ago today was the day that O.J. Simpson was asked how he pleaded to the charges of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. His response:
“Absolutely 100% not guilty.”
These words set off the trial that captivated the nation. Leading up to this response was a probable cause hearing which was used to determine whether or not to bring this case to trial. This was unusual as the verdict is typically read in front of a grand jury. However, due to the overwhelming media coverage, the grand jury was dismissed and this probable cause hearing took place instead. This gave what is famously known as “the dream team” of attorneys gathered up by Simpson an advantage moving forward, as they were able to see some of the evidence that would be used against them. After the week-long hearing, it was decided there was indeed sufficient evidence to bring Simpson to trial for these murders. This led to Simpson uttering his emphatic plea of not guilty, setting the trial in motion.
All of this drama resulted in an unprecedented trial that changed the landscape of American society.
