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October 3
OJ: "absolutely, 100% not guilty"
1995: OJ Simpson verdict: "Not guilty"
England have
OJ Simpson has been found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole
and her friend Ronald Goldman.
The jury took less than four hours to reach a unanimous decision in the
trial that has gripped America for an entire year.
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were stabbed to death outside her
Brentwood townhouse on June 12 1994.
Former black American football star Simpson was arrested soon after the
killings but insisted from the start he was "absolutely, 100% not guilty".
Judge Lance Ito ordered OJ Simpson be released "forthwith" ending 473 days
in custody.
In a statement, Jason Simpson expressed his father"s relief that "this part
of the incredible nightmare that occurred is over".
Orenthal James Simpson"s fate has become essential television viewing for
the American public ever since 95 million Americans watched police give chase to
his white Ford Bronco on the day of his arrest.
Prosecuting lawyers produced evidence such as a pair of gloves - one found
at the crime scene, the other at OJ"s apartment - and emphasised OJ Simpson"s
violent relationship with his ex-wife.
The defence criticised the integrity of the Los Angeles Police Department,
and the authenticity of their evidence.
Summing up, defence lawyer Johnnie Cochran alluded to an institutional
racism which the jury had the power to redress.
"Maybe you are the right people at the right time in the right place to
say: "No more"," he said.
There had been fears a guilty verdict would spark repeat performances of
the violent LA riots of 1992 after the acquittal of four police officers, filmed
beating a black motorist.
But as the verdicts were returned, the crowd cheered so enthusiastically
mounted police officers struggled to control their horses.
The prosecution admitted they were profoundly disappointed with the
verdict.
Chief prosecutor Gill Garcetti said: "Don"t look at this case as being how
most cases are handled. Juries do the right thing - nearly all the time."
Members of the victims" families were distraught: Fred Goldman, father of
Ronald Goldman, said the day of his son"s murder was the worst day of his life,
and today was the second.
"I deeply believe that this country lost today. Justice was not served," he
said.
Johnnie Cochran dismissed claims that his counsel had "played the race
card".
"We choose to call it the credibility card," he said.
The pitch invaders didn"t stop the touring side from winning
1979: Anti-racists tackle South African rugby tourists
Artificially 1969: FilmTheTheAA Seven people have been arrested for
invading the pitch in the South African Barbarian"s opening game against
Devon.
The culprits were cautioned by police and threatened with ?00 fines unless
they kept the peace.
But although several thousand anti-apartheid campaigners were expected to
converge on Exeter in protest against the rugby tour, the final turnout did not
number more than 300.
After beating Devon in a match that suffered little disruption, the touring
side then received a standing ovation from a 2000-strong crowd.
The 24-strong rugby squad has been at the centre of a sporting controversy
since it was invited to tour Britain and Ireland by the rugby Home Unions
Committee.
While the Barbarian "Quaggas" are multi-racial, consisting of black, white,
Asian and mixed race players, critics say such tours are just window
dressing.
Peter Hain, chairing the Stop All Racist Tours Campaign, has accused the
rugby authorities of trying to "hoodwink" the public.
He said: "Rugby in South Africa is still being organised on an openly
racial basis with only a few black stooge players decorating international
touring sides."
In the lead-up to the tour both the Sports Council and government have
called for the invitation to be withdrawn.
The British Government supports the 1977 Gleneagles Agreement which
discourages Commonwealth countries from any sporting links with South
Africa.
It has also raised concerns that the tour will damage Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
negotiations and ultimately lead to Britain"s expulsion from next year"s Moscow
Olympics.
But a statement by the Home Unions in response to the Government"s position
has defended its decision to allow the tour to go ahead.
It argues there have been positive changes in South African rugby since
1977 because of the effectiveness of its policy of continuing contact.
And speaking before today"s match, Devon skipper John Lockyer stressed that
because the South African side was a multi-racial team he saw it is a
breakthrough for South African sport.
He added: "We"re being criticised for playing against the South Africans,
yet nobody seems to condemn the staging of the Olympic Games in a repressive
country like Russia."
Vocabulary:
unanimous : in complete agreement(无异议的)
acquittal : a judgment of not guilty(宣判无罪) |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:18:24