June 12th, 1994 marks one of the most important days in American history. This particular day marks the moment in which beloved football star, O.J. Simpson's name was tarnished and his legacy changed forever. For those who are not familiar with the infamous O.J. case of 1994, Simpson was essentially accused of murdering his wife Nicole Simpson and suspected love interest, Ron Goldman. Since the day the case began in sunny Los Angeles, names such as Rob Kardashian, Johnnie Cochran, and others have infiltrated the homes, television screens, radio stations, and conversations of people across the nation.
To this day, the debacle is still a source of controversy that produces a spectrum of theories as to why O.J. committed the crime, or whether he committed it at all. Needless to say, the case is one that will be forever in our minds.
Taking the world by storm as one of the first directly racially charged cases in the nation (following that of Rodney King), O.J.'s case has gone down in history as one of the most well-known instances of debauchery of all time due to its controversial result of the football star’s ultimate acquittal. Continuing his crime streak 13 years later in 2007, "The Juice" was arrested for attempting to steal NFL memorabilia, assault, possession of a deadly weapon, and several other counts in a hotel in Las Vegas, NV.
In response to his actions, in 2013 O.J. was granted parole for several of the counts against him but was still given the overall punishment of serving eight to 33 years for his 2007 crimes against society.
So, What Now?
With the origin and timeline of O.J.’s “life of crime” in mind, the case has taken yet another long awaited turn of events in 2017.
This past Thursday afternoon, after serving only a portion of his 33-year sentence, O.J. was granted parole and will potentially be released as early as the end of this year. For Juice fans and "haters" alike, Thursday might not have answered the public’s questions as to how or why The Juice committed the 1994 murder, or whether he committed it at all, but rather answers where O.J.
stands now.
Whether you hate him or you love him, O.J. “The Juice” Simpson will forever be a household name, whether we like it or not. In the span of 23 years, the incredibly gifted 70-year-old ex-Buffalo Bills running back has gone from celebrity status to that of a criminal, dividing a nation through the rhetoric of race, athletics, and gender along the way. Now that he has been released, let us hope that Simpson’s crime spree has come to an end and he can live his life with as much peace as possible.
