Washington, DC, October 3, 1995 -- "The 'not guilty' verdict in the O.J. Simpson case highlights the importance of America's precious constitutional system of justice," declared Robert Fogelnest, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, reacting to today's verdict in the trial of O.J. Simpson.
"This defendant had the resources to meet the government on a level playing field,
and our system accorded him every opportunity to counter the prosecution's case. The
jury heard the critical arguments, theories, and evidence, and in the end determined
what was valid and what was not. The jurors fulfilled their responsibility to hold the
government to its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Any lesser standard
would imperil us all, guilty and innocent alike."
"Whether you believe the evidence pointed to innocence or guilt, the lawyers,
judge, and jurors labored under conditions more difficult than any that have ever
existed before. They are all to be commended for their sense of public duty and their
dedication," he noted.
"The American justice system, with its presumption of innocence and trial by jury,
is the envy of the world. Wholesale change is the last thing we need. The result in the
O.J. Simpson case is 'Exhibit One' against the knee-jerk calls some have made for
undoing our system and the more than two centuries of collective wisdom and justice
that underlie it," Fogelnest pointed out.
"To paraphrase Mark Twain, 'Rumors of the jury system's demise have been
greatly exaggerated,'" he said.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)