FRONTLINE: The O.J. Simpson Verdict On October 3, 1995, an estimated 150 million people stopped what they were doing to witness the televised verdict of the O.J. Simpson trial. For more than a year, the O.J. saga transfixed the nation and dominated the public imagination. Ten years later, veteran Frontline producer Ofra Bikel ("The Plea," "Innocence Lost"), revisits the "perfect storm" that was the O. J. Simpson trial. Through extensive interviews with the defense, prosecution and journalists, Frontline explores the dominant role that race played in the most controversial verdict in the recent history of the American justice system. When's it on? Visit the Site Download Questions (PDF file - Adobe Reader required) What do you think the O.J. trial told us about race in America? How much do you think "black/white" perceptions of the same issues have changed since the O.J. trial? What do you consider the most egregious aspect of the trial and its aftermath? On the day of the verdict, an estimated audience of 150 million Americanswatched. Why do you think everyone was so fixated on the trial? Do you approve of televising trials? Why or why not? Can you think of other verdicts that have been as controversial? A (white) Georgetown law student and an (African-American) barber both say, "They framed a guilty man." Do you agree? Why or why not? What do you think is the role of a defense lawyer? A USC professor says that O.J. got the same breaks a rich white man would get because he could buy them. How much of a role do you think money plays in the justice system? Have you ever spoken with non-Americans about the trial? What do they think?
© PBS 1995-2009. All rights reserved.