Tip the Scales

OJ Simpson Vegas Trial & Legal Video

The prosecution team for the O.J. Simpson armed robbery case displayed trial presentation cunning yesterday.  During direct examination of one of OJ’s co-defendant-turned-witnesses, a legal video clip of hotel security camera footage was played for the jury.  The trial video tape is paused and last frame on the screen is an ominous image: O.J. Simpson flanked by the two gunmen, Walter Alexander and Michael McClinton, each wearing dark suits that, according to testimony, were worn specifically to conceal firearms, or ‘heat’ as Mr. Alexander narrated.

So there the defendant is on the oversized projector screen, larger than life, looking guilty as sin.  There has been no shortage of audio recordings, legal video and other forms of litigation support during these proceedings, but nothing hurt OJ’s case more than the image of him and what appears to be his hired muscle.  The defense could have objected to the legal video, as it was not relevant to every area of questioning, but they did not, so while the prosecution continued to question the witness, the jury was soaking in the image of ‘Juice and his two henchmen. ’

I cannot say for certain whether the loitering image was an accident or a clever piece of subtle strategy, but I am sure the trial presentation had an effect o the jury.  You cannot ‘un-ring a bell’ and you cannot un-burn an image once it has been burned into the mind’s eye.  At that point, an objection would have only fueled the fire, bring more attention to the suggestive image.  Many times, a defendant’s image is on trial just as much as their actions; and OJ ‘s defense team has got their work cut out; Legal video strikes again!