Public Debate Over Simpson Verdict Continues Unabated

The O.J. Simpson “not guilty” verdict took the jury less than four hours, but the public’s deliberation over the decision shows no signs of ending.

Jury experts interviewed last week were nearly unanimous in their conclusions that the Simpson case has struck a variety of nerves by exposing subtle racial biases on the part of the jury or the predominantly white district attorney’s office or white viewers who were astonished by the outcome.

For instance, jurors on the predominately African-American jury who have spoken publicly have expressed surprise that their conclusion unleashed such a public uproar, saying their decision was based on reasonable doubt, not empathy with the race of the accused.

They have pointed to holes in the prosecution’s case and such slip-ups as the bloody gloves that Simpson couldn’t get to fit when he tried them on in court.

“Things just didn’t add up,” said juror No. 4 David Aldana, a Latino Pepsi truck driver.

But a majority of the public disagreed with the verdict, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll taken the day of the verdict.