The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson

FX’s “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” was the key that opened my memory’s locked vault of the O.J. Simpson trial. While I found the event both tragic and fascinating over twenty years ago, the media’s smothering coverage eventually wore on me and after reading Chris Darden’s and Mark Fuhrman’s books, I was done with “all-things-OJ”. But, after being completely mesmerized by the “American Crime Story” mini-series, I was compelled to read the book it was based on: Jeff Toobin’s THE RUN OF HIS LIFE. I found Toobin’s book presenting itself as an unequaled authority on the subject matter, similar to how Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter” masterfully chronicled the Manson murders and subsequent trial. Why it took me 20 years to read this book is easy to explain … I watched that trial daily during lunch breaks at work and was disgusted with the direction it took, especially how a jury could be seemingly manipulated to believe that the entire LAPD (or a large part of it) had secretly and unanimously conspired to frame a has-been athlete for murder. Issues of national security known by select few individuals can’t be kept secret for days, weeks or months but after twenty years, the LAPD’s lips are, amazingly, still sealed … yeah right. But, after all this time, I realize the Simpson trial was less about convicting someone of murder than a personal battle of wills between a savvy defenders and bumbling prosecutors. Add personal grudges, huge egos, racial tension and the media/celebrity hype to the mix and there is quite an interesting story to tell. Toobin masterfully adds/stirs all these ingredients at the right moments to create a condensed soup that is easy and enjoyable to consume. From beginning to end, the RUN OF HIS LIFE is interesting and thought-provoking. The book provides bookend coverage of the entire case, from the murder scene discovery to the verdict. In between, Toobin merges a truly fascinating series of storylines that never fail to generate interest. The author digs deep to bring forth details that seem to answer a lot of the “why” questions I remember thinking while watching events unfurl in 1994/95. What makes the book even more credible is Toobin’s legal expertise (1986 magna cum laude Harvard Law graduate). This allows him to disseminate the intense legal wrangling that occurred during the trial that lets readers appreciate the intense gamesmanship between trial lawyers and the court itself. Toobin often injects his personal/professional legal opinion to further illustrate the consequences of actions taken by lawyers and the judge (Lance Ito) and manages to do so in an unbiased manner. At no point in the book did I sense the author leaning to one side of the case; his presentation is remarkably neutral. By doing so, readers get a centralized/neutral perspective of the courtroom atmosphere and see the complicated, tense relationships that all participants in the trial shared with each other throughout the ordeal. Additionally, readers are presented with a thorough background on all major players in the case as the author strategically injects detailed biographies of individuals throughout the book (not all at once). These biographies expose backgrounds, upbringings, beliefs and character flaws that eventually surface at various moments throughout the trial. We see the petulance of Robert Shapiro, the brilliance of Johnnie Cochran, the arrogance of F. Lee Bailey, the frantic nature of Marcia Clark and O.J. Simpson giving credence to the “dumb-jock” persona. While I found the trial rather boring to watch, Toobin manages to make it interesting by elaborating on all the behind-the-scenes drama that occurred throughout. In fact, I felt the inter-lawyer drama stealing attention from the main issue: a murder trial. THE RUN OF HIS LIFE is a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking read that encompasses every imaginable facet of the Simpson case and more. The screen-adaptation of the book (the FX miniseries) is simply outstanding (and the motivation behind me reading this book). Looking back, the Simpson case leaves an indelible and tragic mark in modern American history. It, in many ways, parallels the Manson case in terms of notoriety, media hype and trial longevity. There is an abundance of books covering both subjects, but sifting through it all to find the most comprehensive and informative source is made simple. For the Manson case, it’s arguably Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter” and for the Simpson case, it’s Toobin’s THE RUN OF HIS LIFE.

Well constructed, evenly paced inside look into the dark corners of the trial of OJ. Never saw it from Toobin's perspective but I think he nailed it about the vote along racial lines, especially in light of the Rodney King trial--there had to be something big for the score to even out the racial divide. The book clearly shows how Marcia Clark with her ego and Darden with his lack of trial experience totally blew it. Especially when Toobin goes on to contrast it with the civil trial that took little time, was straight forward and run by a judge that was focused on results. Ito shares a lot of the blame for the loss of the first trial and actually should have recused himself regards his wife's involvement with Fuhrman. What a piece of crap he turned out to be, but it didn't alter the results--no police could have spread all the blood and DNA the wy the Dream Team imagined it. The Dream Team was a piece of work too with all the preening and showmanship but nothing else. They should have moved the trial, not televised it and listened to the jury expert and put someone besides Marcia Clark in the lead. I heard an interview years later that Darden gave where he said that trial ruined his life, he quit practicing law, I think he may teach but the trial totally pushed him to despair. The Prosecutors had everything they needed to convict and still blew it through their own over inflated egos and Marcia's surety that black uneducated women loved her--well, I guess they love OJ better? What a bungled mess they made of the crime scene and when the world watched OJ being driven slowly up and down the freeway threatening to kill himself, he should have done so and saved us the expense. And Nichole's family had their own nefarious little secrets that Toobin shone a light on. Well done book, filed in all the holes that I often wondered about. Bogged down only once for a short while looking into background of Cochran (Cockroach) but overall well paced, well written.

The Run Of His Life gives a detailed view of the O.J. Simpson murder trial from a quasi insider's view. Toobin was a reporter, not a member of the prosecution or defense, nor did he personally know any of the people involved. But what he had was a ton of access to both sides. On the defense side, largely because of the article he wrote in the New Yorker detailing what at that point was merely a troubling past and a lot of red flags about detective Mark Fuhrman surrounding a possible racist past, and in the prosecution, because he was around the courthouse constantly and knew whom to talk to. As a result, he was able to provide a lot of narrative in the book about what was going on in both camps, and because he is a Harvard-trained lawyer, was able to provide a lot of insight into the (mainly poor) job that both sides did. So you find out things like what O.J. was really like behind the scenes (according to Toobin he was not involved in his defense strategy at all), Toobin also claims that Simpson's lawyers all knew he was guilty and did not care, not necessarily because they thought every defendant deserved a zealous defense, but because they wanted to stick it to the cops, make money, or both, and that many of the defense attorneys could not stand working with each other. He presents the prosecution as being almost an equal mix of incompetence and arrogance, which, along with a jury that was mostly pre-disposed to acquit Simpson no matter what, made the outcome almost a foregone conclusion. He also presented a lot of inside knowledge on what was going on with the jury while they were sequestered as well as detailing a lot of behind-the-scenes details of what he saw as Judge Ito's utter incompetence and worrying as much about his reputation in the media as making correct legal rulings. Overall, the book is very well written and sourced. While Toobin makes it clear that the evidence is overwhelming that Simpson committed the crimes, he is not biassed toward either side remaining neutral in his criticism and praise. He praised the few things that anyone on either side did well and excoriated the things they messed up. Unlike many who wrote books after the conclusion of the trial, he did not have a vested interest in presenting a 'side" or defending any action or decision. It has a lot of good information that even people who watched the trial from beginning to end and read some of the other books may not be aware of (or have forgotten over the course of time). It is definitely worth the read for those of us who lived through the trial, or people who are just fans of true crime novels.

Suppose you have given only superficial attention to the Simpson murder case, but now you want to get your feet on the ground. You want a firm understanding, and you want to feel satisfied. But also suppose that you do not want to read more than one book. Searching for such books, you discover more than a dozen that might be suitable. So you ask, "Which one should I read?" Sorry, I do not have an answer. The question is misleading. It assumes there IS one such book. Having read eight Simpson-trial books and examined without fully reading a few others, I believe you need at least two. Jeffrey Toobin's THE RUN OF HIS LIFE presents an easy-to-read, professionally written, narrative chronicle. After a Prologue he gets right into the scene. Brentwood, Nicole Brown, and O. J. Simpson. He walks you through the discovery of the bodies, the investigation, trial preliminaries, the trial, and the immediate aftermath. He is not too comprehensive--the trial filled about 48,000 pages of transcript--but there are plenty enough names, details, and events for any beginner. Johnny Cochran for the defense. Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden for the people. Remember Judge Ito? Remember the limousine driver, Allan Park? You will not forget them after reading this book, at least not for a while. What about the issues? Planting of evidence was a big one, and Toobin covers it well. But of course the biggest one was racism. That's the one that stole the show. Or maybe I should say it MADE the show. Literally racism stole the court of its fundamental purposes: The determination of truth and the administration of justice. But despite Toobin's details, significant matters are unresolved. Would a more knowledgeable, more analytically objective jury have reached a different verdict? Would a competent judge make a difference? Could more learned DNA experts refute the accusations that blood was planted? Surely there were many photos of OJ wearing shoes. Did any show him wearing the ones that left the bloody footprints? What if OJ took the stand? Will a reading of THE RUN OF HIS LIFE leave you satisfied? It left me VERY unsatisfied. Or maybe a better word would be "depressed." That's why this book should be considered only Part I of your reading. Fulfillment lies with Part II, TRIUMPH OF JUSTICE by Daniel Petrocelli. It resolves those unresolved questions.

This is a highly readable and in my opinion very accurate analysis and telling of the OJ Simpson murder trial. The author does a pretty fair job of analyzing the personalities involved in the case, and while many readers may not learn anything new from reading this piece, the book really pulls it all together. In particular, the author does an excellent job of briefly telling the story of the subsequent civil wrongful death lawsuit brought by the Browns and Goldmans against Simpson and relating and contrasting the evidence and jury in that trial with the Simpson murder trial. The author quite accurately presents the theme that the real failure of the prosecution (and there were many) was the composition of the jury. Despite receiving what appears to have been highly competent advice from jury consultants that black jurors were hostile to the prosecution and the LAPD, Marsha Clarke rejected this advice and in fact acted directly contrary to this advice, sure that she had a special rapport in particular with female black jurors. (The author relates that in reality it was this demographic that tended to dislike Clark most intensely.) It is depressingly obvious that the mostly black jury was extremely disinclined to finding Simpson guilty, and was highly susceptible to Johnny Cochran's brilliant execution of the race-baiting strategy. Decades of LAPD injustice to the black community came home to roost in this trial. The LAPD and Mark Fuhrman were the villains. Simpson, and by extension all black people, were the victims. The author in particular does an excellent job in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the lawyers (and judge) in the case. Clark is shown to be stubborn and pigheaded although essentially competent within limits. Darden was inexperienced as a trial lawyer and emotionally immature. Johnny Cochran was, well, Johnny Cochran. Read the book and you will find many useful insights into the various personalities. Overall this is a pretty comprehensive analysis of the Simpson murder affair, and most readers will find it to be enjoyable and an excellent read. RJB.

Toobin, as always, writes well. He captures the extreme egotism and narcissism of OJ Simpson. He shows the way the trial unfolds with the whipping up of racial prejudices on all sides. I remember the shock of hearing the verdict of not guilty a the time and this is repeated for me here. The man is as guilty as sin and it is a real shocker that he got away with murder. I would like to have had a glimpse of how his children with Nicole fared during the trial and after the verdict but I suppose that is not the sort of book Toobin was writing. But then again, the book is more than just about the trial. It captures a side of the US and specifically Los Angeles that is shocking to behold. How a celebrity who was black was acquitted of a dreadful crime because he was black and a celebrity.

Reading the book in tandem with watching the show, I've two words: Creative license. The two are vastly different in tone and timbre. The difference, in my opinion, is that the series leads you emotionally. It is a Hollywood dramatization, and sadly, for this story, I believe that mechanization is completely unnecessary. The series seems to spoon feed you and through the typical "cliff hanger" tricks telling you how to perceive, how to feel about each character and the story in general. The book, on the other hand, is written factually, without the emotional plea to feel one way or another. As a reader, I find this narrative respectful. I feel as if I am an untainted juror seeing the facts of the case like a fly on the wall. "Here is the picture. Tell me what you see." Rather than, "Here is the picture in all it's gory detail with this despicable character, and that helpless prosecutor and the evil defense team, and the invasive media, etc. Tell me you see what I describe." The author of this book was assigned to cover the story for The New Yorker magazine. He is a well-respected journalist. He attended the trials and interviewed over 200 people, many of them repeatedly. He had access to ALL documentary record of the case, including internal memorandums of both the defense and prosecution teams, etc. Today, he is a lawyer, author and legal analyst for CNN. I hesitated in selecting a book that was written by anyone involved in the case, (Mike Fuhrman, Marcia Clark, Charles Darden, etc.) because there would be the natural tendency to try to "lead" the reader to believe as they do. I may read one or two of these after I finish this one. If you are watching the show, I highly recommend picking up the book. The price for it (HB) is currently ridiculous because of the renewed interest in this trial, (also the HB edition) is no longer in print, however, the paperback edition is completely worth the Amazon price of $11 to $16.

Enticed to read the book after getting caught up in the show. As I vividly remember watching the trial while studying for the bar, this book fills in the gaps as well as providing legal and psych insight into the various combatants. Tobin doesn't talk over his general audience head and explains the various legal issues and tactics employed. I enjoyed his overview of the evidence, the historical precedence, and where the prosecution screwed up, especially in light of current events.

At the time it was called “The Trial of the Century,” though many people have forgotten it now, and others question that title. There have been higher-profile trials since then, but Simpson’s trial did deliver shocks and forced questions about the American justice system. On 12 June 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson, Simpson’s ex-wife, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were brutally stabbed to death on the doorstep of her home. A mountain of evidence pointed to Simpson as their killer but, over a year later, he was found not guilty of their murders. How did this happen? Jeffrey Toobin is a writer and former lawyer, and at the time, wrote frequently about the Simpson trial. His book chronicles the events from Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman’s tragic murders through to Simpson being found guilty for them, at his second trial. Toobin has a very critical view of what happened, and he is very analytical. He provides the backgrounds to all the main players in this story, using this to outline that person’s personality and several of their flaws. Toobin’s critical view isn’t biased, he sees faults and failings in both Simpson’s prosecution and defence lawyers. The majority of this book is taken up with Simpson’s murder trial, it was over a year long. Toobin analyses the defence and prosecution strategies, finding both lacking, and the judges behaviour. He also looks at the witnesses and the ups and downs of the trial. All through this, he doesn’t hide away from the mountain of evidence that showed Simpson’s guilt. Toobin doesn’t write about the trial in isolation, he also writes about the wider environment in Los Angles, at the time, and what was happening within the jury. When Simpson’s not guilty verdict is reached, in the criminal trial, there is no surprise. Toobin has laid out the evidence of how this occurred. But Toobin does not stop there. He also covers Simpson’s second trial, the civil trial were he was sued for wrongful death by Nicole Brown Simpson’s and Ron Goldman’s families, and how he lost that trial. This is a fascinating and insightful read. Toobin has researched his subject, in great depth, but he has also analysed that research and is critical of his findings. All this gives the reader so much understanding of what was happening and why it happened. There is no shock, when the reader reaches the verdict in Simpson’s criminal trial, because Toobin has laid out what was happening and why it was happening. Simpson’s trial might not have been “The Trial of the Century,” but the fallout from it was shocking. This book doesn’t just explain how that happened but why it did. It is also written in an easy, readable style. It is well worth the time it takes to read.

Fascinating and analytical.

Amazing!

Persönlich finde ich das Buch sehr interessant. Habe, als die Morde passierten, in Kalifornien gelebt und es jeden Tag im TV gesehen. Auch den Trial.

A well written and very detailed account of the trial of the century, every aspect of the case is thoroughly studied. Couldn’t put it down !