https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rurKd569xRw - Raw Video of O.J. Verdict
Years after the Rodney King riots rattled Los Angeles, its reverberations became ever-more present as the racial divide, as well as the scars from the LAPD injustices, manifested themselves in the veins of both the media and legal system.
Perhaps one of the most memorable instances of this can be seen within the trial of O.J. Simpson. Simpson, a black man who served as a role model for many in his time as a successful football star and actor, enlisted the help of black-rights activist and lawyer Johnny Cochrane in order to substantiate his claim against the LAPD. Around the country, people felt that O.J. was framed for murder by the LAPD simply because he was a successful black man; in the context of the Rodney King riots, it is not difficult to understand where this train of thought may have come from. What is most telling of the ruptured trust in law enforcement is the verdict: O.J. was released and found not guilty.
It is undeniable that the 1992 riots of Los Angeles held weight in O.J.'s trial, and certainly have held weight in many to come before and after it.
-Anker Fanoe
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