NCJ Number
171967
Journal
Sociological Spectrum Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-September 1997) Pages: 305-322
Date Published
1997
Length
18 pages
Annotation
A case study of the O.J. Simpson criminal trial is presented that addresses the importance of the media in the contemporary criminal justice system.
Abstract
First, a synthesis of labeling theory and postmodernism leads the authors to describe the "demonization" of Simpson, the media-generated process that transformed a cultural hero into a brutal murderer in his fall from grace. Second, several scenarios of contemporary media implosion embedded within the trial process are described. Implications of the trial for the criminal justice system are considered as they pertain to social constructions of race and racial justice, the role of cameras in the courtroom, and sociological dimensions of celebrity defendants and lawyers. The authors point out that media coverage gives the impression of slanting a story toward one side or the other at the expense of fairness. 26 references