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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 1995)
Defense: Acquit if it doesn’t fit Prosecutor says killings ‘relieved all that anger’ LOS ANGELES — In dueling summations Wednesday, a prosecu tor played O.J. Simpson’s recorded rage and the haunting pleas of his ex wife, and Simpson’s lawyer recalled the too-tight evidence gloves, insist ing: “If it doesn’t fit, you must ac quit.” Johnnie Cochran Jr., displaying his flair for courtroom theatrics, at one point put on a dark knitted ski cap to rebuff a prosecution suggestion that Simpson wore a similar one as a disguise the night of the murders. “If I put this knit cap on, who am I?” Cochran asked jurors. “I’m Johnnie Cochran with a knit cap on. From two blocks away, O.J. Simpson is OJ. Simpson.” Known for his rapid-fire oratory, Cochran began slowly and quietly, j reminding jurors of their duty under the law, apologizing for the trial’s, length and telling them, “In the jour ney toward justice, there is no short cut.” As the evening wore on and he outlined evidence he believes points to a broad ffameup masterminded by lying detectives, his voice grew louder. He detailed how police, including the “unspeakable disgrace” Mark Fuhrman, had an opportunity to frame Simpson by planting evidence. He said some evidence, including socks found near Simpson’s bed, had been tampered with. “O.J. could not, would not, did not commit these crimes,” he declared, echoing words spoken by Simpson last week while jurors were absent. He picked apart prosecutors’ timeline, saying there was no way Simpson could have murdered his ex-wife and her friend Ronald Goldman in the limited time pros ecutors say. Simpson, he said, is a man un justly accused by overzealous police Simpson closing arguments VM.t$0pt,27lim ► THE PROSECUTION: Prosecutor Christopher Darden said O.J. Simpson was consumed by rage, anger and jealousy that was relieved by murder. ► THE DEFENSE: “If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.” Over and over, defense attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. told jurors that pieces of prosecution evidence didn't fit - and because of that they must acquit. ► The Judge Lance Ito said at the present pace, he expected the case to go to the jury on Monday. AP driven by their own egos. He cited the “defining moment in the trial” as the day prosecutor Chris topher Darden asked Simpson to try on the bloody evidence gloves and_ the defendant told jurors they were' too small. , .. “Remember these words,” Cochran said. “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” At the start of the day, Darden used Simpson’s own voice against him, playing a 911 call that exposes Simpson ’ s fury and his ex-wife ’ s plea: “O.J., O.J. The kids are sleeping.” As Simpson sat across the court room conferring with his lawyers, Darden depicted the football Hall of Famer as a spumed man, an obsessed ex-husband driven by inner demons to kill. Darden, who was the second pros ecutor to speak before the defense took over, focused on the violence that erupted periodically during the Simpsons’ relationship. Often speak ing so quietly he could barely be heard, Darden described Simpson as a man with a “short fuse” that burned every day toward the climactic mo ment when he took up a knife and released his rage. On the 911 tape, recorded eight months before the slayings and played for jurors in a hushed courtroom, Simpson accused Nicole Brown Simpson of failing to think of her children on another occasion when she was with a different man. In- a calm voice, Ms. Simpson tried to quiet her husband because their two small children were in the house. He urged jurors to remember the rage they heard on the tape and real ize: “He’s not the person you see on those commercials and football games. That’s a public facade.” Jurors looked glum as they lis tened. A few took notes; one man frowned. Some jurors appeared to look in Simpson’s direction but none for any length of time. In the afternoon, Cochran sought to resurrect Simpson’s image as a cheerful, doting father by showing jurorsahome video of Simpson greet ing his small son and his former in laws at his daughter’s dance recital hours before the murders. He showed jurors a photo taken that night of a beaming Simpson with his daughter Sydney holding flowers he had brought her. w 5“Where’s the fuse now, Mr. Darden?” Cochran snapped. “He’s a proud papa.” As the photo was shown, Simpson smiled slightly and sat like that proud father described by his attorney. Darden reminded jurors of the story they had heard repeatedly, a scenario of events leading to the June 12, 1994, murders. After the killings, Darden said, the murderer’s shoe prints remark ably showed he did not run away. “He just walked away,” Darden said. “He had released all that an ger.” Time Warner sells stake in gangsta rap business NEW YORK — Time Warner Inc. capitulated to a public outcry over its distribution of gangsta rap Wednesday, agreeing to sell its stake in a leading label for the violent, sexually explicit music. The world’s biggest entertain ment company said it is selling its 50 percent interest in Interscope Records back to the founders of the 5-year-old company, whose artists include jailed rapper Tupac Shakur and alternative rockers Nine Inch Nails. Both sides re fused to disclose the terms. Time Warner denied it was bow ing to outside pressure. But the decision came just before the re lease of another violence-laced Interscope rap album that Time Warner had sought unsuccessfully to review for content. Rap critics praised the deci sion, saying it vindicated their ef forts to force Time Warner to aban don a style of music that glorifies sex, drugs and violence. “It’s a great victory for our chil dren and America’s future, and it does show me that Time Warner • does have a corporate soul,” said C. Delores Tucker, head of the National Political Congress of Black Women. Michael Fuchs, chairman and chief executive of Warner Music Group, explained the decision by saying his company wanted more creative control. “This decision is not about any particular kind of music,” he said in a statement Wednesday. Rather, “the nature of our agreement with Interscope precluded us from any meaningful involvement or dis cussion regarding Interscope’s music.” Later, in a telephone press con ference, he added, “If we’re going to be asked to defend the music we put out, it’s going to have to go through the process we have here.” Last month, in a possible at tempt to head off further criticism of its role in distributing rap, Time Warner had asked to review lyrics for an upcoming rap record by Tha Dogg Pound — a request that Interscope flatly rejected. Time Warner’s decision is dam aging to Interscope because it loses an enormous distribution channel. But the split with Time Warner apparently satisfied the small company’s desire for complete ar tistic freedom. Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Interscope, said he understood Time Warner’s decision. “You can’t have the tail wagging the dog,” he said in the same tele phone news conference. Nefciraskan Editor J. Christopher Hain Night News Editors Julie Sobczyk 472-1766 Matt Waite Managing Editor Rainbow Rowell Doug Peters Assoc. News Editors DeDra Janssen Chad Lorenz Brian Sharp Art Director Mike Stover FAX NUMBER 472-1761 * The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Ne braska Union 34, 1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by ™ phoning 472-1763 between 9 a.m. and 5.p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Tim Hedegaard, 436-9253,9 a.m. 11 p.m. Subscription price is $50 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE. 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