Guilty My Bell-End

Wednesday, 5th February 1997

Now I don't claim to know the law, let alone American Civil Law, however:
a) after a lengthy court process a man is found not guilty of murder;
b) following this he is brought before a civil court for a private action brought by the families of the deceased;
c) this time he is found guilty of murder, the same one he was already cleared of, even though no new evidence is presented;
d) he is sentenced to pay $8m in compensation to the families and punitive damages to follow.

But
1) how can he be tried twice for the same crime on identical grounds;
2) don't judges normally sentence murderers to prison;
3) $8m;
4) Santa Monica is full of angry middle-class white folks, any court action there would get a jury of the same;
5) what in the name of pants and string vests is going on here?

O B Simpson