The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story: Conspiracy Theories
March 16, 2016 6:01 AM - Season 1, Episode 7 - Subscribe
Does the glove fit?
I read something about the glove had been frozen? I'm not sure where or if I am remembering correctly.
posted by double bubble at 7:28 PM on March 17, 2016
posted by double bubble at 7:28 PM on March 17, 2016
Yep on the freezing. I also read somewhere that OJ was on some anti-inflammatories for arthritis in his hands, and didn't take them leading up to the demonstration. Which would make his hands swell.
posted by bluloo at 7:58 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bluloo at 7:58 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Great episode.
Should also note that the latex gloves he put on before basically assured that any glove he put on over them wouldn't fit.
posted by General Malaise at 6:39 PM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Should also note that the latex gloves he put on before basically assured that any glove he put on over them wouldn't fit.
posted by General Malaise at 6:39 PM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Should also note that the latex gloves he put on before basically assured that any glove he put on over them wouldn't fit."
At the very least it would make them much more difficult to put on, which would look visually as if they didn't fit. And then the bottom line is that you're letting the defendant actually do something that they have a huge vested interest in making appear as if they can't do it.
Prosecutor: "Your honor, I'd like to ask that the defendant to lift a volunteer into the air and throw the volunteer violently to the ground."
Judge: "Proceed."
[minutes later]
Defendant: [straining] "Arghhh...arghhh...um...I'm sorry, I'm just not strong enough."
[Prosecutor with a stunned look on his face.]
In the Vulture interview linked in the previous thread, Marcia Clark mentions the various reasons why the gloves had shrunk, why they wouldn't fit easily over the latex gloves, and how obviously OJ mugged for the courtroom and jurors as he did this. And the interviewer and Clark both briefly talk about how fucking sinister it was for the husband of the murder victim to nonchalantly put those gloves on his hands and clearly enjoy the performance he was giving.
Clark doesn't pull any punches about how upset and angry she was with Darden for doing this, how heated was their argument in the courtroom -- but, having said this, she points out that it was just one of many components of the trial, it certainly didn't lose the trial all by itself, and she thinks that Darden is a good lawyer.
Note that some counsel on both sides didn't want OJ to put the gloves on because this was an uncontrolled element -- it's a more tangible version of the adage that you don't ever ask a witness a question for which you don't already know their answer. It was a risk for both sides and I think that the show took liberties with Bailey trying one of the gloves on -- in the context of the show, he actually did have a pretty good idea that the glove wouldn't fit. But, really, even accounting for the shrinkage, no one could really know what the outcome would be or how the jury would respond to it (imagine if the gloves fit okay and they suddenly saw, as a kind of revealed truth, OJ wearing his gloves that he killed his wife with) and it was really foolish for both sides to do this. Especially, though, for the prosecution because they were letting the actual defendant run the show.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:52 PM on March 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
At the very least it would make them much more difficult to put on, which would look visually as if they didn't fit. And then the bottom line is that you're letting the defendant actually do something that they have a huge vested interest in making appear as if they can't do it.
Prosecutor: "Your honor, I'd like to ask that the defendant to lift a volunteer into the air and throw the volunteer violently to the ground."
Judge: "Proceed."
[minutes later]
Defendant: [straining] "Arghhh...arghhh...um...I'm sorry, I'm just not strong enough."
[Prosecutor with a stunned look on his face.]
In the Vulture interview linked in the previous thread, Marcia Clark mentions the various reasons why the gloves had shrunk, why they wouldn't fit easily over the latex gloves, and how obviously OJ mugged for the courtroom and jurors as he did this. And the interviewer and Clark both briefly talk about how fucking sinister it was for the husband of the murder victim to nonchalantly put those gloves on his hands and clearly enjoy the performance he was giving.
Clark doesn't pull any punches about how upset and angry she was with Darden for doing this, how heated was their argument in the courtroom -- but, having said this, she points out that it was just one of many components of the trial, it certainly didn't lose the trial all by itself, and she thinks that Darden is a good lawyer.
Note that some counsel on both sides didn't want OJ to put the gloves on because this was an uncontrolled element -- it's a more tangible version of the adage that you don't ever ask a witness a question for which you don't already know their answer. It was a risk for both sides and I think that the show took liberties with Bailey trying one of the gloves on -- in the context of the show, he actually did have a pretty good idea that the glove wouldn't fit. But, really, even accounting for the shrinkage, no one could really know what the outcome would be or how the jury would respond to it (imagine if the gloves fit okay and they suddenly saw, as a kind of revealed truth, OJ wearing his gloves that he killed his wife with) and it was really foolish for both sides to do this. Especially, though, for the prosecution because they were letting the actual defendant run the show.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:52 PM on March 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
Should also note that the latex gloves he put on before basically assured that any glove he put on over them wouldn't fit.
If you aren't already familiar with it, you have to watch this short parody from the Seinfeld episode "The Caddy." (Maybe NSFW, depending on how strict your W is?) Kramer's lawyer is a recurring character based on Johnnie Cochran.
posted by mama casserole at 7:23 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you aren't already familiar with it, you have to watch this short parody from the Seinfeld episode "The Caddy." (Maybe NSFW, depending on how strict your W is?) Kramer's lawyer is a recurring character based on Johnnie Cochran.
posted by mama casserole at 7:23 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
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I'm still not sure what to make of the glove thing... It really seems odd that bloody gloves with all of the evidence on them would fit Simpson's hands that poorly... But then I suppose that one doesn't alway give thought to appropriately sized gloves when one sets out to murder folks... so...
posted by ComicsSleepRepeat at 5:49 PM on March 17, 2016