American Crime Story (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - The Race Card - full transcript
As the trial begins, Christopher Darden and Johnnie Cochran go head to head in court and the jury visits the crime scene.
♪ Get down on it...
But, Daddy, what if
I sit up front on the way
and she sits up front
on the way back?
No.
I don't want to have
to figure this out
every time I want to take
my girls to dinner.
Can't we negotiate it, Daddy?
Oh, man, here we go.
All right, girls.
What do we say to the police?
Nothing.
And who talks to the police?
Our lawyer.
That's right.
Officer, I'm just gonna
get my registration.
Please keep your hands
on the wheel, sir.
Where you headed tonight?
Just taking my daughters
to dinner.
May I ask why
you pulled me over?
You seemed to change lanes
without signaling
two blocks back.
Oh, I-I assure you,
I always signal.
Especially with my girls
in the car.
This is the third time this week
someone's pulled me over
for no reason.
This your vehicle?
If you let me go
in the glove box,
I'll show you my registration.
Is this your father's car?
Hey, hey.
Don't talk to my children.
Look, I know the drill.
I'm black.
I'm driving in a fancy
white neighborhood,
nice car, you pull me over.
So leave my children out of it,
thank you!
Sir, out of the car now.
Oh, come on!
Got to be kidding me!
Sir, because of
your hostile attitude,
I'm gonna have to cuff you.
Officer, please.
Take my license and call it in.
Find out who I am.
If you don't take
this opportunity for yourself,
I guarantee you will regret it!
Stay right there.
Do not move.
Girls... it's gonna
be all right.
You hear me?
We're gonna be at Hamburger
Hamlet in five minutes.
Okay?
Okay.
It's gonna be fine.
Turn around.
Have a nice night,
Mr. Assistant
District Attorney.
All right.
Like I promised you,
let's go get some burgers.
I'm starving.
Daddy, what did he say to you?
Oh, just grown-up talk, honey,
grown-up talk.
Daddy, did he call you a nigger?
No, he didn't.
He didn't have to.
And don't you girls
ever use that word.
Ever.
It's a terrible word.
You hear me?
Now let's go.
As you know,
the O.J. Simpson trial
will start soon,
and we want to pray
with our member
and friend, Johnnie Cochran,
who is litigating
the O.J. Simpson case.
Johnnie, come forward.
Let us pray.
Lord, for this day,
we are thankful.
Yes, Lord.
For Johnnie Cochran,
we are appreciative.
We pray for Johnnie Cochran
as he accepts this challenge
to litigate the O.J. trial.
King Jesus listens when we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen. Amen.
♪ King Jesus is a-listenin'
when you pray ♪
♪ King Jesus is a-listenin'
♪ When you pray-ay...
Great, now Jesus is
on their side, too.
After the service,
Mr. Cochran addressed reporters.
Of course we all know
Mr. Darden is a fine attorney.
Mm-hmm.
But all of a sudden,
he shows up now?
After we've got eight
African-Americans on the jury?
Why is that?
It's obvious to me
Mr. Darden is being used
as a tool by the D.A.'s office
because he's black.
Thank you. Honey...
I appreciate your concern,
but I refuse to be
in the same room
with a particular individual,
and I think you know why.
No, I don't.
I don't even know
who you're talking about.
Is it... is it Johnnie?
No, it's Lee!
Why did you drive
all the way over here
if you weren't gonna go in?
You don't understand.
He-he is the godfather
of one of my children.
Bob, what do I tell the team?
Okay.
What-what you tell them is that
I know that he is the source
who leaked it to
the New York Daily News
that I was in over my head,
that I was steamrolled.
It's inflammatory, it's a lie!
Where... Never mind,
Don't tell me. Just sit down
and come on, let's go.
Okay.
I got things to do.
He'll get here...
if he gets here...
when he gets here.
All right, gentlemen.
Ah, there he is.
Judas.
I suppose that makes you Jesus?
Why don't you blow it
out your ass, Bob?
Now that we've resolved that,
everybody got it
out of their system,
we got work to do.
Everybody take a folder, please.
Here we go.
Thank you so much.
Pass it on, please.
We begin with domestic violence.
We have 62 instances
of Simpson beating,
degrading and stalking Nicole
over the course of
their 17-year relationship.
He was a serial abuser;
that proves motive.
We know they're gonna hone in
on O.J.'s past abuse.
He was a ticking time bomb.
Ron and Nicole's murders
were a natural escalation
of a pattern.
We have a solid timeline
to work with.
They are doing us a huge favor,
establishing such a small window
for O.J.'s alleged attack.
Everything starts with
the plaintive wail of the Akita.
I'm guessing everyone's aware
their bombshell witness
is a dog?
There was blood in his car,
in his driveway.
Her blood was on his socks
in his bedroom.
There's no way
they call Fuhrman to the stand.
He's damaged goods.
It's too big a risk.
And if they do call him, we've
all seen his personnel file.
We'll rip him apart.
Mm.
The amount of physical evidence
is overwhelming.
There's mountains of it.
Frankly, it's more hard evidence
than I've ever seen
in a murder case.
The truth is,
the LAPD rushed to judgment
in targeting O.J.
The mere fact that we find blood
where there should be no blood
is devastating proof.
Look, the haphazard manner
in which the evidence
was collected and handled
gives us
a significant advantage.
I've seen it before.
Officers start down
a misguided path
and refuse to turn back.
Then somebody realizes
they need a better case.
We have motive,
evidence and opportunity.
Evidence doesn't win the day.
Jurors go with the narrative
that makes sense.
We're here to tell a story.
Our job is to tell that story
better than the other side
tells theirs.
He would take
it better if it came from you.
I think you have a warmer
relationship with him,
and he might be
more understanding.
Then I'll do it.
Hello. Everyone,
this is a list
of who you'll be responsible
for putting on the stand.
Hank, you've got
the crime lab guys.
I couldn't think of anyone
more suited to sort through
all that blood evidence.
Bill, I know your hands
are full with discovery.
You take the coroner.
I'll take the dog
bark witnesses,
the cops at the crime scene.
Woody and Rock, you obviously
have DNA, and, Chris, you've got.
Vannatter and, uh... Fuhrman.
Okay.
We all know what we need to do.
Let's go.
Marcia?
Yeah?
What?
Nothing.
Let's get to work.
Mark Fuhrman.
Chris Darden.
Have a seat.
Is Bill Hodgman's office
still on this floor?
It's upstairs.
You know Bill?
Yeah. Yeah, he's
a smart guy.
Well, he won't be joining us.
That's fine with me, sir.
How would you describe yourself
on the stand?
Pretty comfortable...
I've done it before.
Are you gonna be putting me up?
If that's not a problem.
Well, I imagine
that's not for me to decide,
but I definitely
don't have a problem with it.
You should know the defense
plans to raise some incidents
from your past.
Allegations of things you said.
They're gonna come at you.
Uh, what type of incidents?
Well, we've seen
their list of witnesses.
They're gonna claim
you're a racist.
Uh, that's not gonna be
an issue with me.
Ask around; I work
with black cops every day.
I think your S.I.D. investigated
one of my black buddies.
Okay.
I met with Fuhrman.
Good.
You can fill me in tomorrow.
Uh, he says all the
appropriate things.
But?
But, uh, truthfully,
guy's not right.
I get a really
bad vibe from him.
Chris, no one's asking you
to date him, just prep him.
He's one of those
people that thinks
that you can't see
how he really feels
because he acts polite.
Well, that makes no sense,
because when someone acts
polite, then they are polite.
Am I out of line, saying
you're bringing a preconception
to this because you're black?
All right, Marcia, I don't
expect you to understand.
But there's a way
that certain white people
talk to black people.
It's disingenuous.
Fuhrman doesn't have
to be a witness.
He's not even the cop
who entered the gloves
into evidence; he doesn't
have to take the stand.
Yes, he does.
You are playing
into the defense.
I understand that this guy
has had his troubles,
but his psych records
have been ruled inadmissible.
So we are not panicking,
and we are not gonna let
the police go on trial here.
This is not S.I.D.
The cops are our allies.
Chris...
he's what we've got.
Fuhrman has something
to contribute,
and you need to get him ready.
So, you know...
massage it.
Do whatever is necessary to make
him come across as credible.
- Do you see what you've
done? -00.
My babysitter's gonna kill
me. I will see you tomorrow.
"Massage it."
Mr. Dunne, I've read
some of your past coverage
of murder trials
in Vanity Fair magazine.
I'm lucky I write for a
magazine that allows me
to take a stand, Your Honor.
Well, there's no mistaking
how you feel.
No. That's something
I'm proud about.
I am, uh, assigning you
a permanent seat
in the front row.
You'll be next to the Goldmans.
And the seat is yours
for the length of the trial.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Without, uh,
being too forward,
I sense that you'll be able
to sympathize with them in a way
that the rest of us cannot,
that you'll know
how to deal with them,
not intrude
or ask inappropriate questions.
Because of my daughter's murder?
Yes. Well, I apologize
for dredging up
what I imagine
is a deeply painful memory,
but I felt it was important
that you know why.
I'm sure the Goldmans
will appreciate
the gesture, Your Honor.
I know I do.
The trial of.
Dominique's killer
was torture enough.
But then the way he got off
with a slap on the wrist...
Let's hope
this one goes better.
Well...
Uh, hey, you're a Hollywood guy.
I know that you worked
in showbiz.
You want to see who sent me
a fan letter today?
Uh, who?
It's, uh...
That's Arsenio Hall.
Mm-hmm.
Let the Juice loose!
Let the Juice loose!
They'll charge you
with homicide!
Let the Juice loose!
No justice! No peace!
Let O.J. go!
He's a rapist!
He's a murderer!
O.J. is innocent.
There's blood on his hands!
He beat her ass
the whole time!
until proven guilty!
Now you're gonna get away
with... Hold on one second.
Of course.
Hey, Johnnie,
can I have a minute?
Big day today.
Hey, you holding up?
I don't want you
to take this the wrong way.
But, uh, that press conference
you gave
about me,
that was a cheap shot.
It was unfair and beneath
the both of us as professionals.
In this trial, we're equals.
Everything from our past
is out the window.
So, um,
it's my sincere hope that we can
agree from this point forward
to treat each other
with respect.
Brother, I ain't trying
to be respectful.
I'm trying to win.
Your Honor, we have submitted
a motion to exclude
all 62 allegations
of domestic violence.
This is a murder case.
This is not a domestic
violence case,
nor is it an inquiry
into the characteristics
and personality of Mr. Simpson.
And all this evidence that
was submitted is not relevant.
Your Honor,
counsel's reasoning is flawed
and their logic is specious.
The defendant's character
and prior history are the point.
Let's do a hypothetical.
Let's pretend that we're not
even gonna tell the jury
that Nicole
and Mr. Simpson were married.
Our jurors would naturally ask,
"Why would O.J. Simpson
kill a perfect stranger?"
It wouldn't make sense.
It's only when you understand
the context
and their relationship
and Mr. Simpson's jealousy
that his motive for committing
these brutal murders
can be understood.
Knock 'em dead, Darden.
Your Honor, I'd like to address
a separate issue.
All right.
Your Honor,
Detective Fuhrman's gonna play
a very small role in this case,
but we believe when he's called
to the stand,
we're gonna be forced
to go back 15 odd years
to ask him about completely
irrelevant statements
that people have claimed
he's made.
These statements are racially
insensitive and divisive.
why bring them up?
They're gonna ask him
if he made a racial slur
or repeated a racial epithet.
But why ask?
There's no legal purpose for it.
But Mr. Cochran and the defense
have a purpose
for entering this area,
and that purpose is to inflame
the passions of the jury
and ask them to pick sides.
The-the "N" word is
a dirty, filthy word,
Your Honor.
It is so prejudicial
and inflammatory
that the use of it
in any situation
will evoke an emotional response
from any African-American.
We're talking about a word
that blinds people.
When you mention
that word to this jury,
it will blind them to the truth.
They won't be able to discern
what's true and what's not.
It will impair their judgment.
It will affect their
ability to be fair.
It'll force the black jurors
to make a choice:
whose side are you on, the Man
or the brothers?
Is he serious?
So, the People
strongly urge the court,
respectfully, not to allow
that vile word to be uttered
at any time during this trial.
Your Honor, I did not plan
to speak on this matter,
but I would be remiss
if I did not respond
to my good friend,
Mr. Chris Darden.
Mr. Darden's remarks
this afternoon
are perhaps the most incredible
remarks I've heard
in a court of law
in my 32 years of practice.
His remarks are deeply demeaning
to African-Americans.
And so, first and foremost, Your
Honor, I would like to apologize
to African-Americans
across this country.
It is preposterous to say
that African-Americans
collectively
are so emotionally unstable
that they cannot
hear offensive words
without losing their moral
sense of right and wrong.
They live with offensive words,
offensive looks,
offensive treatment every day.
And so, Your Honor, I am ashamed
that Mr. Darden
would allow himself
to become an apologist
for Mark Fuhrman.
Who are any of us to testify
as an expert as to what words
black people can
or cannot handle?!
Your Honor,
across America,
believe you me,
African-Americans are offended
at this very moment.
And so, for a friend
that I deeply respect,
I would say this was
outlandish, unfortunate
and unwarranted.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Nigga, please.
Can I see?
"76% of African-Americans
do not believe.
"Darden was doing a good job,
"often, at times,
referring to the A.D.A.
as an Uncle Tom"?
Uh, yeah.
Okay. Yeah.
That's fine.
Hey, Gil.
I'm in a hurry.
I'd like to do a few interviews.
With the black press.
Why?
I think it's important
that people understand
what my role is on this case
and who I am.
Marcia said there was some poll.
No one's doing press, Chris.
If I had to respond
every time some crab apple
said something about me...
You're just gonna do more harm
drawing attention to yourself.
D.A.s don't go
on talk shows.
It's a sensitive case.
No press.
Marcia?
We need to reconsider Fuhrman.
Look, he's wrong for this case.
You have had a rough
couple of weeks.
We're not changing our trial
strategy because of it.
Toughen up.
You're letting Johnnie
get into your head.
Can I share something with you?
As long as I don't have
to get out of this chair.
I'm wiped.
In the '70s,
when I was in law school,
affirmative action was
a big deal.
I remember.
No, you don't.
You're white.
I busted my ass.
I had the grades
to get into that school.
But every time
I entered a classroom,
I felt like people
were staring at me.
Like I took
some more worthy person's spot.
And that bullshit hurts.
And those feelings never leave.
And now,
almost 20 years later,
I'm expected to sit and swallow
those same kinds of accusations
all over again.
I mean, Johnnie's out there
trashing me
in front of every TV camera
he can find.
But he's wrong.
Just like all those idiots
who doubted you back then.
You are on this case
because you are creative,
dedicated and smart.
That's why I wanted you.
Thanks.
You're gonna help us win.
And Johnnie
can go screw himself.
This case
is about an obsession
to win at any cost.
And we are confident that
the evidence will reveal
that the LAPD
is a blunders in blue operation.
Mm.
No?
No, it sounds like
you're trying to be funny.
Baby, I'm not trying
to be funny.
You can do it. Go on now.
Okay. All right, all right.
Let me try. Hold on.
Uh...
we will reveal...
Mm-hmm.
that the evidence collected
by the LAPD
was contaminated...
Mm.
compromised
and corrupted.
What? That is it.
Oh, baby.
That's it. That is it.
Nice alliteration.
Mm-hmm.
Three Cs.
It has a flow,
honey, it's perfect.
You got it.
I'm glad you're on this.
It's like it's my destiny, baby.
Mm.
Well, destiny...
has a powerful attraction.
What you doing?
I closed my book.
No, you didn't.
Yes, I did.
No, you didn't.
What you doing?
I'm taking off my robe.
You bringing it to me?
Let a brother...
Uh-oh.
I'm trying...
Ooh.
to bring you... it.
Mmm.
Mmm.
M... Ooh.
That bat phone didn't ring.
It did ring.
Go ahead, answer it.
Oh.
Be quick.
Good evening.
Johnnie Cochran.
We have a problem.
W... What time is it?
A-Are you still at work?
You're kidding.
All right, all right, go ahead.
What you got?
Shapiro's staff messed up
and didn't submit
12 of our witnesses
into discovery.
Really?
You're gonna have
to remove those names
out of your opening statement
tomorrow, Johnnie.
I'm-I'm sorry to do this to you.
I'm not removing
those names, brother.
What?
No, no,
Johnnie, we-we can't do that.
Here's the thing, Carl.
There comes a time when you got
to fall on your sword
for your client.
Tomorrow is your day.
Stay on the sidewalk!
Let's go, let's go!
Back up, gentlemen!
Back up! Go!
Back 'em up!
Let's go!
I told you, back up!
I said back up.
Do not cross this line.
Hey!
Over here, Johnnie!
Come on, Bob.
Pretend we're at the Oscars.
All rise!
Court is now in session.
Judge Lance Ito presiding.
Good morning.
All right,
why don't we bring in the jury.
We've watched O.J. Simpson
win the Heisman Trophy.
We've watched him in movies
and commercials.
We think we know him.
But what we've been seeing
is a public face,
the face of the athlete,
the actor.
But like many public men,
he also has a private side.
The O.J. Simpson
you've never met.
The face of a batterer.
The abuser.
The murderer.
I would like to summarize
the results
of our evidence from these...
heartless slayings.
The blood trail
at the Rockingham property
matches the defendant.
The blood found
on the glove recovered
at Rockingham
matches the defendant.
The blood drops
at the Bundy murder scene
match the defendant.
And the blood found
in the Bronco
matches a mixture
of the defendant,
Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. said it best:
"Injustice anywhere
is a threat
to justice everywhere."
And so, here...
we embark upon
a search for justice.
A search for truth.
None of us were there
on June 12, 1994.
We must rely upon the witnesses
to get a full picture.
But let me talk
about those witnesses
the prosecution didn't mention.
Witnesses who will
exonerate O.J. Simpson.
One might wonder
why the prosecution
didn't bring to your attention
Mary Anne Gerchas.
Or Rosa Lopez.
Or Joe Stellini.
Or Alan Austin.
Or... What?
I hesitate to interrupt another
lawyer's opening statement,
but it appears that,
for some reason, these witnesses
have not been turned over
to the People!
All right.
Maybe we should excuse the jury.
Bailiff.
You need to calm...
Mr. Hodgman.
Your Honor,
what is this... opening
statement by-by ambush?
This is a complete surprise.
A-A horrible breakdown.
The People have not received
reciprocal discovery!
Counsel,
can you address these issues?
I will, I will try,
Your Honor.
I have to say,
Mr. Douglas, I've known
Mr. Hodgman as a colleague
and as a trial lawyer,
and I've never
seen the expression on his face
that I see right now.
Mr. Hodgman, why don't you
take a few deep breaths.
Give me a few minutes,
Your Honor. I j... I need...
I need to slow
myself down a bit.
Mr. Douglas.
It's regrettable as I stand
before you, Your Honor,
that we have not coordinated
our efforts as well
as we would have liked.
I say that because
I have some documents
that I do intend
to give over to the People.
I tell the Court
with all seriousness that
I am embarrassed by this
and take full responsibility.
Your Honor, while I'm delighted
and appreciative
that Mr. Douglas is taking
full responsibility,
the fact remains
that the People have been denied
their right to a fair tri...
I... Forgive me, Your Honor.
I'm just...
I'm not quite f...
Bill?
I got some bit of... chest pain.
Oh!
Doc... Doctor!
Bailiff!
Bill, you okay?
Somebody call 911!
He's okay.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Just breathe.
Well, um...
why don't we adjourn
for the day.
Court will resume
at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.
We now stand in recess.
Bill isn't coming back. It's
like this building is cursed.
His wife said he'll be fine.
Oh, Jesus.
Gil, you have to trust me.
The team will pick up the slack.
We've got a good group.
Bill had a lot of responsibility
and you're only one person.
I mean, do we add
another senior prosecutor?
Look, I think
Chris is ready to step up.
He is.
He took Johnnie's best shot,
came back strong
in opening statements;
that's hard to do.
I think he would
make an excellent
co-prosecutor.
He's already on the team, Gil.
He's ready.
Hello.
It's me.
So, listen...
Bill isn't coming back.
What?
Wow, that's, uh,
that's terrible.
Who's Gil assigning?
No one.
We talked this afternoon,
and I told him
the best way forward
would be to elevate you
to co-prosecutor.
If you're comfortable with that.
My God.
Marcia.
Are you happy?
Now, you know
I am.
I-I can't believe
you did this for me.
I did it for the Browns
and the Goldmans.
And now it's on us.
The relationship
between the two families
is quite peculiar.
When you realize that the son
of one is on trial for murdering
the daughter of another.
It's quite startling that they
greet one another in court
so warmly.
What about
O.J.'s girlfriend Paula?
She can't still be with him?
The interesting thing
about Paula
is she had broken up with O.J.
the day of the murders.
I heard
she was with Michael Bolton
at the Mirage in Las Vegas
that night.
But...
once O.J. was arrested,
she returned to his side.
Naturally,
the big question
has always been:
why did Nicole return to him
again and again?
I'm sure fear played a part,
but I heard that her parents
pushed her
to reconcile with him
every time they split,
and that O.J. set her father up
with a Hertz dealership.
She didn't know any better.
Did you realize
she'd just turned
18 when they started dating?
What else?
Well, next week
promises to be extraordinary.
The jury will visit
the crime scene
and O.J.'s mansion,
and O.J. will be there, too.
Imagine.
The first time he's been back
since the Bronco chase.
This won't do at all.
♪
Now, you got
that one down there?
That's perfect.
Okay.
We're gonna wait for...
Where's Mom at?
Okay, you got... Oh, you got
a Nubian mask, too. That's nice.
♪ Come along and ride
I like that, I like that.
♪ On a fantastic voyage
Put your... the shield up.
♪ Slide, slide, slippity-slide
I like that. Oh, yeah.
♪ Hittin' switches
on the block in a '65 ♪
♪ Come along and ride
Ah, that's good.
♪ On a fantastic voyage
That's good.
♪ Slide, slide, who-ride
We getting there.
♪ Ain't no valley low enough
or mountain high... ♪
There's Mama. All right.
Good. Good.
Ruby's in the house. Let's go.
Beautiful. Beautiful.
Right over the fireplace there.
Thank you, sir.
Timing is impeccable.
You're gonna be
careful with that.
Nice. Ah.
Sure looks familiar.
It's on loan...
from the Cochran collection.
Now, when the jurors tour
the crime scene and Rockingham,
it's-it's gonna be
important for us all
to make a positive impression.
Mm-hmm.
It'll be the only time
they see you
outside the courtroom.
All eyes are gonna be on you.
Hey, you're O.J.
You're used to it.
You put it on 'em, smile,
and the people melt.
Okay.
All right.
But I don't want you
to be surprised
when you see
that we've... redecorated.
Redecorated?
Why would you do that?
We wanted to project
the right image.
Someone our jurors
could admire
and fully relate to.
People do admire me, Johnnie.
Everybody loves my house!
It was in Sunset Magazine.
O.J., the majority
of our jurors are black.
Yeah? And?
Look, do me a favor.
Try to imagine your life
before any of this happened.
How many black people did you
interact with on a daily basis?
How dialed in
were you to the community,
issues the average black person
deals with?
How many blacks did you
actually consider a friend?
A.C., and he's
darker than I am!
Are you trying to say
something about me, Johnnie?
Absolutely not.
Nobody's judging you, brother.
But let's be honest.
Being nicknamed
the "Mayor of Brentwood"
doesn't forge any bonds
with our jury.
People you need
to acquit you
of a double murder.
Okay. Okay.
All right.
I hear you.
Okay.
I can go along with all of that.
Good. Thank you.
But when they say
"Mayor of Brentwood,"
I know what they mean
when they're saying that.
I want you to know I never
left anybody behind, Johnnie.
I did what I had
the right to do.
I manifested myself
out of a messed up situation.
And don't think
there weren't people
back from where I came from
hanging onto the back
of my shirts the whole time
with their hand out,
trying to get me
to drag them up, too.
But it don't work like that.
You got to get it
on your own.
Nobody can do it for you.
And I ain't never apologizing
for buying a beautiful house
in a beautiful neighborhood.
A neighborhood
where you don't have people
coming over the wall,
trying to get at me,
take what I earned.
I ain't never apologizing
for that. Do you hear me?
Yes. All right.
I just want to make sure
we both understand
what we got to do.
You should see the
house I bought my mama.
Had a pool and everything.
Everything all right?
What happened here?
Why did they clear
out the place?
This doesn't tell them anything.
She was a mother.
There was a family.
Look at this.
Damn, is that the...? Ah!
That's what I'm talkin' about.
That's the Heisman!
Yup. Yes, it is.
The Heisman!
Can you believe this?
I can't believe any of this.
It's a complete
misrepresentation.
This isn't O.J.
These ain't even my kids.
I don't know who
these people are.
At least they got
the muscles right.
Your Honor, may I ask
why all of Nicole's
personal effects
have been removed from Bundy
before the jurors
have been able to see it?
It's quite, uh...
quite masterful.
What's with all the African art?
Where are all
the pictures of O.J.
with his white golfing buddies?
This entire house
has been staged.
Where's the naked picture of
Paula Barbieri by the bed?
Oh, I know. It's been
replaced with a picture
of his mother in a wheelchair.
Get off my bench.
I don't want you on
my bench, hear me?!
Come on. Officer.
Come on, O.J...
Shouldn't even be in my house!
Come on. I'm sorry.
You need to keep
your defendant under control.
He gets emotional.
He just gets emotional.
He's all right
now. Now...
Uh-uh. What?
There's something I've been
meaning to tell you.
Whatever happens,
don't do Fuhrman.
Make the white people do him.
How dare he try and mess
with my head!
I'm co-prosecutor, Pops.
Come on, Chris...
It's ridiculous that I have to
deal with this kind of garbage
during a trial
of this magnitude!
I don't know.
Maybe he's intimidated by me?
I don't know.
Chris!
Another strong,
intelligent brother?
Look, the bottom line is,
this has got to stop!
Son, now you've been
going on 20 minutes
about how you're in charge now.
Well, then, fine,
you're in charge!
So act like it
and stand up for your damn self!
And how you know he's been
trying to mess with your head?
What do you think
he's trying to do, Pops?
Could it be possible
that he's just trying
to give you some good advice,
black man to black man?
How do you feel about
interracial couples, Detective?
Don't care.
I'm not sure
what you mean by that.
What's there to care about?
I don't have an opinion.
They're the same
as anybody else.
Got any hobbies, Detective?
I collect World War Two
memorabilia, medals mostly.
What about, uh, sports heroes?
Uh, George Foreman
and Magic Johnson.
I'm surprised to hear that.
In the past, haven't you
expressed a dislike
for African-Americans?
No, sir, I have not.
Have you ever unfairly targeted
African-Americans
while on the job?
Have you ever been accused
of unfairly targeting
African-Americans?
Probably, at some point.
Suspects will say just
about anything to get off.
Have you ever used a racial slur
in describing
an African-American?
No.
You're saying that you've never
used the "N" word?
What's this got to do
with the case?
Detective,
have you used the word?
Has anyone told you
that I've used the word?
So if the defense calls
a witness that testifies
that you've used it,
how do you respond to that?
I haven't. Ever.
Hmm.
I'm not putting Fuhrman
on the stand.
And it's not because of Johnnie
and it's not
because I worked S.I.D.
Aren't we past this?
No. We're not.
Look, I'll take any
of Bill's witnesses.
Well, that's real noble.
He had the coroner.
Okay.
Could you guys give us a moment?
I can't control who
found the glove, Chris.
And the truth is,
Fuhrman will present best
if you have him.
And why is that?
Say it. Go on.
It's because I'm black.
Hmm?
Go on.
Fine.
Your dislike for him will read
to the jury anyway.
I will take him.
What's so difficult?
He's just a cop on a stand.
Great. Thanks.
Okay. Okay.
All right.
I hear you.
Okay.
I can go along with all of that.
Good. Thank you.
But when they say
"Mayor of Brentwood,"
I know what they mean
when they're saying that.
I want you to know I never
left anybody behind, Johnnie.
I did what I had
the right to do.
I manifested myself
out of a messed up situation.
And don't think
there weren't people
back from where I came from
hanging onto the back
of my shirts the whole time
with their hand out,
trying to get me
to drag them up, too.
But it don't work like that.
You got to get it
on your own.
Nobody can do it for you.
And I ain't never apologizing
for buying a beautiful house
in a beautiful neighborhood.
A neighborhood
where you don't have people
coming over the wall,
trying to get at me,
take what I earned.
I ain't never apologizing
for that. Do you hear me?
Yes. All right.
I just want to make sure
we both understand
what we got to do.
You should see the
house I bought my mama.
Had a pool and everything.
Everything all right?
What happened here?
Why did they clear
out the place?
This doesn't tell them anything.
She was a mother.
There was a family.
Look at this.
Damn, is that the...? Ah!
That's what I'm talkin' about.
That's the Heisman!
Yup. Yes, it is.
The Heisman!
Can you believe this?
I can't believe any of this.
It's a complete
misrepresentation.
This isn't O.J.
These ain't even my kids.
I don't know who
these people are.
At least they got
the muscles right.
Your Honor, may I ask
why all of Nicole's
personal effects
have been removed from Bundy
before the jurors
have been able to see it?
It's quite, uh...
quite masterful.
What's with all the African art?
Where are all
the pictures of O.J.
with his white golfing buddies?
This entire house
has been staged.
Where's the naked picture of
Paula Barbieri by the bed?
Oh, I know. It's been
replaced with a picture
of his mother in a wheelchair.
Get off my bench.
I don't want you on
my bench, hear me?!
Come on. Officer.
Come on, O.J...
Shouldn't even be in my house!
Come on. I'm sorry.
You need to keep
your defendant under control.
He gets emotional.
He just gets emotional.
He's all right
now. Now...
Uh-uh. What?
There's something I've been
meaning to tell you.
Whatever happens,
don't do Fuhrman.
Make the white people do him.
How dare he try and mess
with my head!
I'm co-prosecutor, Pops.
Come on, Chris...
It's ridiculous that I have to
deal with this kind of garbage
during a trial
of this magnitude!
I don't know.
Maybe he's intimidated by me?
I don't know.
Chris!
Another strong,
intelligent brother?
Look, the bottom line is,
this has got to stop!
Son, now you've been
going on 20 minutes
about how you're in charge now.
Well, then, fine,
you're in charge!
So act like it
and stand up for your damn self!
And how you know he's been
trying to mess with your head?
What do you think
he's trying to do, Pops?
Could it be possible
that he's just trying
to give you some good advice,
black man to black man?
How do you feel about
interracial couples, Detective?
Don't care.
I'm not sure
what you mean by that.
What's there to care about?
I don't have an opinion.
They're the same
as anybody else.
Got any hobbies, Detective?
I collect World War Two
memorabilia, medals mostly.
What about, uh, sports heroes?
Uh, George Foreman
and Magic Johnson.
I'm surprised to hear that.
But, Daddy, what if
I sit up front on the way
and she sits up front
on the way back?
No.
I don't want to have
to figure this out
every time I want to take
my girls to dinner.
Can't we negotiate it, Daddy?
Oh, man, here we go.
All right, girls.
What do we say to the police?
Nothing.
And who talks to the police?
Our lawyer.
That's right.
Officer, I'm just gonna
get my registration.
Please keep your hands
on the wheel, sir.
Where you headed tonight?
Just taking my daughters
to dinner.
May I ask why
you pulled me over?
You seemed to change lanes
without signaling
two blocks back.
Oh, I-I assure you,
I always signal.
Especially with my girls
in the car.
This is the third time this week
someone's pulled me over
for no reason.
This your vehicle?
If you let me go
in the glove box,
I'll show you my registration.
Is this your father's car?
Hey, hey.
Don't talk to my children.
Look, I know the drill.
I'm black.
I'm driving in a fancy
white neighborhood,
nice car, you pull me over.
So leave my children out of it,
thank you!
Sir, out of the car now.
Oh, come on!
Got to be kidding me!
Sir, because of
your hostile attitude,
I'm gonna have to cuff you.
Officer, please.
Take my license and call it in.
Find out who I am.
If you don't take
this opportunity for yourself,
I guarantee you will regret it!
Stay right there.
Do not move.
Girls... it's gonna
be all right.
You hear me?
We're gonna be at Hamburger
Hamlet in five minutes.
Okay?
Okay.
It's gonna be fine.
Turn around.
Have a nice night,
Mr. Assistant
District Attorney.
All right.
Like I promised you,
let's go get some burgers.
I'm starving.
Daddy, what did he say to you?
Oh, just grown-up talk, honey,
grown-up talk.
Daddy, did he call you a nigger?
No, he didn't.
He didn't have to.
And don't you girls
ever use that word.
Ever.
It's a terrible word.
You hear me?
Now let's go.
As you know,
the O.J. Simpson trial
will start soon,
and we want to pray
with our member
and friend, Johnnie Cochran,
who is litigating
the O.J. Simpson case.
Johnnie, come forward.
Let us pray.
Lord, for this day,
we are thankful.
Yes, Lord.
For Johnnie Cochran,
we are appreciative.
We pray for Johnnie Cochran
as he accepts this challenge
to litigate the O.J. trial.
King Jesus listens when we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen. Amen.
♪ King Jesus is a-listenin'
when you pray ♪
♪ King Jesus is a-listenin'
♪ When you pray-ay...
Great, now Jesus is
on their side, too.
After the service,
Mr. Cochran addressed reporters.
Of course we all know
Mr. Darden is a fine attorney.
Mm-hmm.
But all of a sudden,
he shows up now?
After we've got eight
African-Americans on the jury?
Why is that?
It's obvious to me
Mr. Darden is being used
as a tool by the D.A.'s office
because he's black.
Thank you. Honey...
I appreciate your concern,
but I refuse to be
in the same room
with a particular individual,
and I think you know why.
No, I don't.
I don't even know
who you're talking about.
Is it... is it Johnnie?
No, it's Lee!
Why did you drive
all the way over here
if you weren't gonna go in?
You don't understand.
He-he is the godfather
of one of my children.
Bob, what do I tell the team?
Okay.
What-what you tell them is that
I know that he is the source
who leaked it to
the New York Daily News
that I was in over my head,
that I was steamrolled.
It's inflammatory, it's a lie!
Where... Never mind,
Don't tell me. Just sit down
and come on, let's go.
Okay.
I got things to do.
He'll get here...
if he gets here...
when he gets here.
All right, gentlemen.
Ah, there he is.
Judas.
I suppose that makes you Jesus?
Why don't you blow it
out your ass, Bob?
Now that we've resolved that,
everybody got it
out of their system,
we got work to do.
Everybody take a folder, please.
Here we go.
Thank you so much.
Pass it on, please.
We begin with domestic violence.
We have 62 instances
of Simpson beating,
degrading and stalking Nicole
over the course of
their 17-year relationship.
He was a serial abuser;
that proves motive.
We know they're gonna hone in
on O.J.'s past abuse.
He was a ticking time bomb.
Ron and Nicole's murders
were a natural escalation
of a pattern.
We have a solid timeline
to work with.
They are doing us a huge favor,
establishing such a small window
for O.J.'s alleged attack.
Everything starts with
the plaintive wail of the Akita.
I'm guessing everyone's aware
their bombshell witness
is a dog?
There was blood in his car,
in his driveway.
Her blood was on his socks
in his bedroom.
There's no way
they call Fuhrman to the stand.
He's damaged goods.
It's too big a risk.
And if they do call him, we've
all seen his personnel file.
We'll rip him apart.
Mm.
The amount of physical evidence
is overwhelming.
There's mountains of it.
Frankly, it's more hard evidence
than I've ever seen
in a murder case.
The truth is,
the LAPD rushed to judgment
in targeting O.J.
The mere fact that we find blood
where there should be no blood
is devastating proof.
Look, the haphazard manner
in which the evidence
was collected and handled
gives us
a significant advantage.
I've seen it before.
Officers start down
a misguided path
and refuse to turn back.
Then somebody realizes
they need a better case.
We have motive,
evidence and opportunity.
Evidence doesn't win the day.
Jurors go with the narrative
that makes sense.
We're here to tell a story.
Our job is to tell that story
better than the other side
tells theirs.
He would take
it better if it came from you.
I think you have a warmer
relationship with him,
and he might be
more understanding.
Then I'll do it.
Hello. Everyone,
this is a list
of who you'll be responsible
for putting on the stand.
Hank, you've got
the crime lab guys.
I couldn't think of anyone
more suited to sort through
all that blood evidence.
Bill, I know your hands
are full with discovery.
You take the coroner.
I'll take the dog
bark witnesses,
the cops at the crime scene.
Woody and Rock, you obviously
have DNA, and, Chris, you've got.
Vannatter and, uh... Fuhrman.
Okay.
We all know what we need to do.
Let's go.
Marcia?
Yeah?
What?
Nothing.
Let's get to work.
Mark Fuhrman.
Chris Darden.
Have a seat.
Is Bill Hodgman's office
still on this floor?
It's upstairs.
You know Bill?
Yeah. Yeah, he's
a smart guy.
Well, he won't be joining us.
That's fine with me, sir.
How would you describe yourself
on the stand?
Pretty comfortable...
I've done it before.
Are you gonna be putting me up?
If that's not a problem.
Well, I imagine
that's not for me to decide,
but I definitely
don't have a problem with it.
You should know the defense
plans to raise some incidents
from your past.
Allegations of things you said.
They're gonna come at you.
Uh, what type of incidents?
Well, we've seen
their list of witnesses.
They're gonna claim
you're a racist.
Uh, that's not gonna be
an issue with me.
Ask around; I work
with black cops every day.
I think your S.I.D. investigated
one of my black buddies.
Okay.
I met with Fuhrman.
Good.
You can fill me in tomorrow.
Uh, he says all the
appropriate things.
But?
But, uh, truthfully,
guy's not right.
I get a really
bad vibe from him.
Chris, no one's asking you
to date him, just prep him.
He's one of those
people that thinks
that you can't see
how he really feels
because he acts polite.
Well, that makes no sense,
because when someone acts
polite, then they are polite.
Am I out of line, saying
you're bringing a preconception
to this because you're black?
All right, Marcia, I don't
expect you to understand.
But there's a way
that certain white people
talk to black people.
It's disingenuous.
Fuhrman doesn't have
to be a witness.
He's not even the cop
who entered the gloves
into evidence; he doesn't
have to take the stand.
Yes, he does.
You are playing
into the defense.
I understand that this guy
has had his troubles,
but his psych records
have been ruled inadmissible.
So we are not panicking,
and we are not gonna let
the police go on trial here.
This is not S.I.D.
The cops are our allies.
Chris...
he's what we've got.
Fuhrman has something
to contribute,
and you need to get him ready.
So, you know...
massage it.
Do whatever is necessary to make
him come across as credible.
- Do you see what you've
done? -00.
My babysitter's gonna kill
me. I will see you tomorrow.
"Massage it."
Mr. Dunne, I've read
some of your past coverage
of murder trials
in Vanity Fair magazine.
I'm lucky I write for a
magazine that allows me
to take a stand, Your Honor.
Well, there's no mistaking
how you feel.
No. That's something
I'm proud about.
I am, uh, assigning you
a permanent seat
in the front row.
You'll be next to the Goldmans.
And the seat is yours
for the length of the trial.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Without, uh,
being too forward,
I sense that you'll be able
to sympathize with them in a way
that the rest of us cannot,
that you'll know
how to deal with them,
not intrude
or ask inappropriate questions.
Because of my daughter's murder?
Yes. Well, I apologize
for dredging up
what I imagine
is a deeply painful memory,
but I felt it was important
that you know why.
I'm sure the Goldmans
will appreciate
the gesture, Your Honor.
I know I do.
The trial of.
Dominique's killer
was torture enough.
But then the way he got off
with a slap on the wrist...
Let's hope
this one goes better.
Well...
Uh, hey, you're a Hollywood guy.
I know that you worked
in showbiz.
You want to see who sent me
a fan letter today?
Uh, who?
It's, uh...
That's Arsenio Hall.
Mm-hmm.
Let the Juice loose!
Let the Juice loose!
They'll charge you
with homicide!
Let the Juice loose!
No justice! No peace!
Let O.J. go!
He's a rapist!
He's a murderer!
O.J. is innocent.
There's blood on his hands!
He beat her ass
the whole time!
until proven guilty!
Now you're gonna get away
with... Hold on one second.
Of course.
Hey, Johnnie,
can I have a minute?
Big day today.
Hey, you holding up?
I don't want you
to take this the wrong way.
But, uh, that press conference
you gave
about me,
that was a cheap shot.
It was unfair and beneath
the both of us as professionals.
In this trial, we're equals.
Everything from our past
is out the window.
So, um,
it's my sincere hope that we can
agree from this point forward
to treat each other
with respect.
Brother, I ain't trying
to be respectful.
I'm trying to win.
Your Honor, we have submitted
a motion to exclude
all 62 allegations
of domestic violence.
This is a murder case.
This is not a domestic
violence case,
nor is it an inquiry
into the characteristics
and personality of Mr. Simpson.
And all this evidence that
was submitted is not relevant.
Your Honor,
counsel's reasoning is flawed
and their logic is specious.
The defendant's character
and prior history are the point.
Let's do a hypothetical.
Let's pretend that we're not
even gonna tell the jury
that Nicole
and Mr. Simpson were married.
Our jurors would naturally ask,
"Why would O.J. Simpson
kill a perfect stranger?"
It wouldn't make sense.
It's only when you understand
the context
and their relationship
and Mr. Simpson's jealousy
that his motive for committing
these brutal murders
can be understood.
Knock 'em dead, Darden.
Your Honor, I'd like to address
a separate issue.
All right.
Your Honor,
Detective Fuhrman's gonna play
a very small role in this case,
but we believe when he's called
to the stand,
we're gonna be forced
to go back 15 odd years
to ask him about completely
irrelevant statements
that people have claimed
he's made.
These statements are racially
insensitive and divisive.
why bring them up?
They're gonna ask him
if he made a racial slur
or repeated a racial epithet.
But why ask?
There's no legal purpose for it.
But Mr. Cochran and the defense
have a purpose
for entering this area,
and that purpose is to inflame
the passions of the jury
and ask them to pick sides.
The-the "N" word is
a dirty, filthy word,
Your Honor.
It is so prejudicial
and inflammatory
that the use of it
in any situation
will evoke an emotional response
from any African-American.
We're talking about a word
that blinds people.
When you mention
that word to this jury,
it will blind them to the truth.
They won't be able to discern
what's true and what's not.
It will impair their judgment.
It will affect their
ability to be fair.
It'll force the black jurors
to make a choice:
whose side are you on, the Man
or the brothers?
Is he serious?
So, the People
strongly urge the court,
respectfully, not to allow
that vile word to be uttered
at any time during this trial.
Your Honor, I did not plan
to speak on this matter,
but I would be remiss
if I did not respond
to my good friend,
Mr. Chris Darden.
Mr. Darden's remarks
this afternoon
are perhaps the most incredible
remarks I've heard
in a court of law
in my 32 years of practice.
His remarks are deeply demeaning
to African-Americans.
And so, first and foremost, Your
Honor, I would like to apologize
to African-Americans
across this country.
It is preposterous to say
that African-Americans
collectively
are so emotionally unstable
that they cannot
hear offensive words
without losing their moral
sense of right and wrong.
They live with offensive words,
offensive looks,
offensive treatment every day.
And so, Your Honor, I am ashamed
that Mr. Darden
would allow himself
to become an apologist
for Mark Fuhrman.
Who are any of us to testify
as an expert as to what words
black people can
or cannot handle?!
Your Honor,
across America,
believe you me,
African-Americans are offended
at this very moment.
And so, for a friend
that I deeply respect,
I would say this was
outlandish, unfortunate
and unwarranted.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Nigga, please.
Can I see?
"76% of African-Americans
do not believe.
"Darden was doing a good job,
"often, at times,
referring to the A.D.A.
as an Uncle Tom"?
Uh, yeah.
Okay. Yeah.
That's fine.
Hey, Gil.
I'm in a hurry.
I'd like to do a few interviews.
With the black press.
Why?
I think it's important
that people understand
what my role is on this case
and who I am.
Marcia said there was some poll.
No one's doing press, Chris.
If I had to respond
every time some crab apple
said something about me...
You're just gonna do more harm
drawing attention to yourself.
D.A.s don't go
on talk shows.
It's a sensitive case.
No press.
Marcia?
We need to reconsider Fuhrman.
Look, he's wrong for this case.
You have had a rough
couple of weeks.
We're not changing our trial
strategy because of it.
Toughen up.
You're letting Johnnie
get into your head.
Can I share something with you?
As long as I don't have
to get out of this chair.
I'm wiped.
In the '70s,
when I was in law school,
affirmative action was
a big deal.
I remember.
No, you don't.
You're white.
I busted my ass.
I had the grades
to get into that school.
But every time
I entered a classroom,
I felt like people
were staring at me.
Like I took
some more worthy person's spot.
And that bullshit hurts.
And those feelings never leave.
And now,
almost 20 years later,
I'm expected to sit and swallow
those same kinds of accusations
all over again.
I mean, Johnnie's out there
trashing me
in front of every TV camera
he can find.
But he's wrong.
Just like all those idiots
who doubted you back then.
You are on this case
because you are creative,
dedicated and smart.
That's why I wanted you.
Thanks.
You're gonna help us win.
And Johnnie
can go screw himself.
This case
is about an obsession
to win at any cost.
And we are confident that
the evidence will reveal
that the LAPD
is a blunders in blue operation.
Mm.
No?
No, it sounds like
you're trying to be funny.
Baby, I'm not trying
to be funny.
You can do it. Go on now.
Okay. All right, all right.
Let me try. Hold on.
Uh...
we will reveal...
Mm-hmm.
that the evidence collected
by the LAPD
was contaminated...
Mm.
compromised
and corrupted.
What? That is it.
Oh, baby.
That's it. That is it.
Nice alliteration.
Mm-hmm.
Three Cs.
It has a flow,
honey, it's perfect.
You got it.
I'm glad you're on this.
It's like it's my destiny, baby.
Mm.
Well, destiny...
has a powerful attraction.
What you doing?
I closed my book.
No, you didn't.
Yes, I did.
No, you didn't.
What you doing?
I'm taking off my robe.
You bringing it to me?
Let a brother...
Uh-oh.
I'm trying...
Ooh.
to bring you... it.
Mmm.
Mmm.
M... Ooh.
That bat phone didn't ring.
It did ring.
Go ahead, answer it.
Oh.
Be quick.
Good evening.
Johnnie Cochran.
We have a problem.
W... What time is it?
A-Are you still at work?
You're kidding.
All right, all right, go ahead.
What you got?
Shapiro's staff messed up
and didn't submit
12 of our witnesses
into discovery.
Really?
You're gonna have
to remove those names
out of your opening statement
tomorrow, Johnnie.
I'm-I'm sorry to do this to you.
I'm not removing
those names, brother.
What?
No, no,
Johnnie, we-we can't do that.
Here's the thing, Carl.
There comes a time when you got
to fall on your sword
for your client.
Tomorrow is your day.
Stay on the sidewalk!
Let's go, let's go!
Back up, gentlemen!
Back up! Go!
Back 'em up!
Let's go!
I told you, back up!
I said back up.
Do not cross this line.
Hey!
Over here, Johnnie!
Come on, Bob.
Pretend we're at the Oscars.
All rise!
Court is now in session.
Judge Lance Ito presiding.
Good morning.
All right,
why don't we bring in the jury.
We've watched O.J. Simpson
win the Heisman Trophy.
We've watched him in movies
and commercials.
We think we know him.
But what we've been seeing
is a public face,
the face of the athlete,
the actor.
But like many public men,
he also has a private side.
The O.J. Simpson
you've never met.
The face of a batterer.
The abuser.
The murderer.
I would like to summarize
the results
of our evidence from these...
heartless slayings.
The blood trail
at the Rockingham property
matches the defendant.
The blood found
on the glove recovered
at Rockingham
matches the defendant.
The blood drops
at the Bundy murder scene
match the defendant.
And the blood found
in the Bronco
matches a mixture
of the defendant,
Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. said it best:
"Injustice anywhere
is a threat
to justice everywhere."
And so, here...
we embark upon
a search for justice.
A search for truth.
None of us were there
on June 12, 1994.
We must rely upon the witnesses
to get a full picture.
But let me talk
about those witnesses
the prosecution didn't mention.
Witnesses who will
exonerate O.J. Simpson.
One might wonder
why the prosecution
didn't bring to your attention
Mary Anne Gerchas.
Or Rosa Lopez.
Or Joe Stellini.
Or Alan Austin.
Or... What?
I hesitate to interrupt another
lawyer's opening statement,
but it appears that,
for some reason, these witnesses
have not been turned over
to the People!
All right.
Maybe we should excuse the jury.
Bailiff.
You need to calm...
Mr. Hodgman.
Your Honor,
what is this... opening
statement by-by ambush?
This is a complete surprise.
A-A horrible breakdown.
The People have not received
reciprocal discovery!
Counsel,
can you address these issues?
I will, I will try,
Your Honor.
I have to say,
Mr. Douglas, I've known
Mr. Hodgman as a colleague
and as a trial lawyer,
and I've never
seen the expression on his face
that I see right now.
Mr. Hodgman, why don't you
take a few deep breaths.
Give me a few minutes,
Your Honor. I j... I need...
I need to slow
myself down a bit.
Mr. Douglas.
It's regrettable as I stand
before you, Your Honor,
that we have not coordinated
our efforts as well
as we would have liked.
I say that because
I have some documents
that I do intend
to give over to the People.
I tell the Court
with all seriousness that
I am embarrassed by this
and take full responsibility.
Your Honor, while I'm delighted
and appreciative
that Mr. Douglas is taking
full responsibility,
the fact remains
that the People have been denied
their right to a fair tri...
I... Forgive me, Your Honor.
I'm just...
I'm not quite f...
Bill?
I got some bit of... chest pain.
Oh!
Doc... Doctor!
Bailiff!
Bill, you okay?
Somebody call 911!
He's okay.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Just breathe.
Well, um...
why don't we adjourn
for the day.
Court will resume
at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.
We now stand in recess.
Bill isn't coming back. It's
like this building is cursed.
His wife said he'll be fine.
Oh, Jesus.
Gil, you have to trust me.
The team will pick up the slack.
We've got a good group.
Bill had a lot of responsibility
and you're only one person.
I mean, do we add
another senior prosecutor?
Look, I think
Chris is ready to step up.
He is.
He took Johnnie's best shot,
came back strong
in opening statements;
that's hard to do.
I think he would
make an excellent
co-prosecutor.
He's already on the team, Gil.
He's ready.
Hello.
It's me.
So, listen...
Bill isn't coming back.
What?
Wow, that's, uh,
that's terrible.
Who's Gil assigning?
No one.
We talked this afternoon,
and I told him
the best way forward
would be to elevate you
to co-prosecutor.
If you're comfortable with that.
My God.
Marcia.
Are you happy?
Now, you know
I am.
I-I can't believe
you did this for me.
I did it for the Browns
and the Goldmans.
And now it's on us.
The relationship
between the two families
is quite peculiar.
When you realize that the son
of one is on trial for murdering
the daughter of another.
It's quite startling that they
greet one another in court
so warmly.
What about
O.J.'s girlfriend Paula?
She can't still be with him?
The interesting thing
about Paula
is she had broken up with O.J.
the day of the murders.
I heard
she was with Michael Bolton
at the Mirage in Las Vegas
that night.
But...
once O.J. was arrested,
she returned to his side.
Naturally,
the big question
has always been:
why did Nicole return to him
again and again?
I'm sure fear played a part,
but I heard that her parents
pushed her
to reconcile with him
every time they split,
and that O.J. set her father up
with a Hertz dealership.
She didn't know any better.
Did you realize
she'd just turned
18 when they started dating?
What else?
Well, next week
promises to be extraordinary.
The jury will visit
the crime scene
and O.J.'s mansion,
and O.J. will be there, too.
Imagine.
The first time he's been back
since the Bronco chase.
This won't do at all.
♪
Now, you got
that one down there?
That's perfect.
Okay.
We're gonna wait for...
Where's Mom at?
Okay, you got... Oh, you got
a Nubian mask, too. That's nice.
♪ Come along and ride
I like that, I like that.
♪ On a fantastic voyage
Put your... the shield up.
♪ Slide, slide, slippity-slide
I like that. Oh, yeah.
♪ Hittin' switches
on the block in a '65 ♪
♪ Come along and ride
Ah, that's good.
♪ On a fantastic voyage
That's good.
♪ Slide, slide, who-ride
We getting there.
♪ Ain't no valley low enough
or mountain high... ♪
There's Mama. All right.
Good. Good.
Ruby's in the house. Let's go.
Beautiful. Beautiful.
Right over the fireplace there.
Thank you, sir.
Timing is impeccable.
You're gonna be
careful with that.
Nice. Ah.
Sure looks familiar.
It's on loan...
from the Cochran collection.
Now, when the jurors tour
the crime scene and Rockingham,
it's-it's gonna be
important for us all
to make a positive impression.
Mm-hmm.
It'll be the only time
they see you
outside the courtroom.
All eyes are gonna be on you.
Hey, you're O.J.
You're used to it.
You put it on 'em, smile,
and the people melt.
Okay.
All right.
But I don't want you
to be surprised
when you see
that we've... redecorated.
Redecorated?
Why would you do that?
We wanted to project
the right image.
Someone our jurors
could admire
and fully relate to.
People do admire me, Johnnie.
Everybody loves my house!
It was in Sunset Magazine.
O.J., the majority
of our jurors are black.
Yeah? And?
Look, do me a favor.
Try to imagine your life
before any of this happened.
How many black people did you
interact with on a daily basis?
How dialed in
were you to the community,
issues the average black person
deals with?
How many blacks did you
actually consider a friend?
A.C., and he's
darker than I am!
Are you trying to say
something about me, Johnnie?
Absolutely not.
Nobody's judging you, brother.
But let's be honest.
Being nicknamed
the "Mayor of Brentwood"
doesn't forge any bonds
with our jury.
People you need
to acquit you
of a double murder.
Okay. Okay.
All right.
I hear you.
Okay.
I can go along with all of that.
Good. Thank you.
But when they say
"Mayor of Brentwood,"
I know what they mean
when they're saying that.
I want you to know I never
left anybody behind, Johnnie.
I did what I had
the right to do.
I manifested myself
out of a messed up situation.
And don't think
there weren't people
back from where I came from
hanging onto the back
of my shirts the whole time
with their hand out,
trying to get me
to drag them up, too.
But it don't work like that.
You got to get it
on your own.
Nobody can do it for you.
And I ain't never apologizing
for buying a beautiful house
in a beautiful neighborhood.
A neighborhood
where you don't have people
coming over the wall,
trying to get at me,
take what I earned.
I ain't never apologizing
for that. Do you hear me?
Yes. All right.
I just want to make sure
we both understand
what we got to do.
You should see the
house I bought my mama.
Had a pool and everything.
Everything all right?
What happened here?
Why did they clear
out the place?
This doesn't tell them anything.
She was a mother.
There was a family.
Look at this.
Damn, is that the...? Ah!
That's what I'm talkin' about.
That's the Heisman!
Yup. Yes, it is.
The Heisman!
Can you believe this?
I can't believe any of this.
It's a complete
misrepresentation.
This isn't O.J.
These ain't even my kids.
I don't know who
these people are.
At least they got
the muscles right.
Your Honor, may I ask
why all of Nicole's
personal effects
have been removed from Bundy
before the jurors
have been able to see it?
It's quite, uh...
quite masterful.
What's with all the African art?
Where are all
the pictures of O.J.
with his white golfing buddies?
This entire house
has been staged.
Where's the naked picture of
Paula Barbieri by the bed?
Oh, I know. It's been
replaced with a picture
of his mother in a wheelchair.
Get off my bench.
I don't want you on
my bench, hear me?!
Come on. Officer.
Come on, O.J...
Shouldn't even be in my house!
Come on. I'm sorry.
You need to keep
your defendant under control.
He gets emotional.
He just gets emotional.
He's all right
now. Now...
Uh-uh. What?
There's something I've been
meaning to tell you.
Whatever happens,
don't do Fuhrman.
Make the white people do him.
How dare he try and mess
with my head!
I'm co-prosecutor, Pops.
Come on, Chris...
It's ridiculous that I have to
deal with this kind of garbage
during a trial
of this magnitude!
I don't know.
Maybe he's intimidated by me?
I don't know.
Chris!
Another strong,
intelligent brother?
Look, the bottom line is,
this has got to stop!
Son, now you've been
going on 20 minutes
about how you're in charge now.
Well, then, fine,
you're in charge!
So act like it
and stand up for your damn self!
And how you know he's been
trying to mess with your head?
What do you think
he's trying to do, Pops?
Could it be possible
that he's just trying
to give you some good advice,
black man to black man?
How do you feel about
interracial couples, Detective?
Don't care.
I'm not sure
what you mean by that.
What's there to care about?
I don't have an opinion.
They're the same
as anybody else.
Got any hobbies, Detective?
I collect World War Two
memorabilia, medals mostly.
What about, uh, sports heroes?
Uh, George Foreman
and Magic Johnson.
I'm surprised to hear that.
In the past, haven't you
expressed a dislike
for African-Americans?
No, sir, I have not.
Have you ever unfairly targeted
African-Americans
while on the job?
Have you ever been accused
of unfairly targeting
African-Americans?
Probably, at some point.
Suspects will say just
about anything to get off.
Have you ever used a racial slur
in describing
an African-American?
No.
You're saying that you've never
used the "N" word?
What's this got to do
with the case?
Detective,
have you used the word?
Has anyone told you
that I've used the word?
So if the defense calls
a witness that testifies
that you've used it,
how do you respond to that?
I haven't. Ever.
Hmm.
I'm not putting Fuhrman
on the stand.
And it's not because of Johnnie
and it's not
because I worked S.I.D.
Aren't we past this?
No. We're not.
Look, I'll take any
of Bill's witnesses.
Well, that's real noble.
He had the coroner.
Okay.
Could you guys give us a moment?
I can't control who
found the glove, Chris.
And the truth is,
Fuhrman will present best
if you have him.
And why is that?
Say it. Go on.
It's because I'm black.
Hmm?
Go on.
Fine.
Your dislike for him will read
to the jury anyway.
I will take him.
What's so difficult?
He's just a cop on a stand.
Great. Thanks.
Okay. Okay.
All right.
I hear you.
Okay.
I can go along with all of that.
Good. Thank you.
But when they say
"Mayor of Brentwood,"
I know what they mean
when they're saying that.
I want you to know I never
left anybody behind, Johnnie.
I did what I had
the right to do.
I manifested myself
out of a messed up situation.
And don't think
there weren't people
back from where I came from
hanging onto the back
of my shirts the whole time
with their hand out,
trying to get me
to drag them up, too.
But it don't work like that.
You got to get it
on your own.
Nobody can do it for you.
And I ain't never apologizing
for buying a beautiful house
in a beautiful neighborhood.
A neighborhood
where you don't have people
coming over the wall,
trying to get at me,
take what I earned.
I ain't never apologizing
for that. Do you hear me?
Yes. All right.
I just want to make sure
we both understand
what we got to do.
You should see the
house I bought my mama.
Had a pool and everything.
Everything all right?
What happened here?
Why did they clear
out the place?
This doesn't tell them anything.
She was a mother.
There was a family.
Look at this.
Damn, is that the...? Ah!
That's what I'm talkin' about.
That's the Heisman!
Yup. Yes, it is.
The Heisman!
Can you believe this?
I can't believe any of this.
It's a complete
misrepresentation.
This isn't O.J.
These ain't even my kids.
I don't know who
these people are.
At least they got
the muscles right.
Your Honor, may I ask
why all of Nicole's
personal effects
have been removed from Bundy
before the jurors
have been able to see it?
It's quite, uh...
quite masterful.
What's with all the African art?
Where are all
the pictures of O.J.
with his white golfing buddies?
This entire house
has been staged.
Where's the naked picture of
Paula Barbieri by the bed?
Oh, I know. It's been
replaced with a picture
of his mother in a wheelchair.
Get off my bench.
I don't want you on
my bench, hear me?!
Come on. Officer.
Come on, O.J...
Shouldn't even be in my house!
Come on. I'm sorry.
You need to keep
your defendant under control.
He gets emotional.
He just gets emotional.
He's all right
now. Now...
Uh-uh. What?
There's something I've been
meaning to tell you.
Whatever happens,
don't do Fuhrman.
Make the white people do him.
How dare he try and mess
with my head!
I'm co-prosecutor, Pops.
Come on, Chris...
It's ridiculous that I have to
deal with this kind of garbage
during a trial
of this magnitude!
I don't know.
Maybe he's intimidated by me?
I don't know.
Chris!
Another strong,
intelligent brother?
Look, the bottom line is,
this has got to stop!
Son, now you've been
going on 20 minutes
about how you're in charge now.
Well, then, fine,
you're in charge!
So act like it
and stand up for your damn self!
And how you know he's been
trying to mess with your head?
What do you think
he's trying to do, Pops?
Could it be possible
that he's just trying
to give you some good advice,
black man to black man?
How do you feel about
interracial couples, Detective?
Don't care.
I'm not sure
what you mean by that.
What's there to care about?
I don't have an opinion.
They're the same
as anybody else.
Got any hobbies, Detective?
I collect World War Two
memorabilia, medals mostly.
What about, uh, sports heroes?
Uh, George Foreman
and Magic Johnson.
I'm surprised to hear that.