The Truth About the O.J. Simpson Trial: By the Architect of the Defense

Former defense attorney Bailey (The Defense Never Rests) brings nothing new to the table in this insider account of the O.J. Simpson double murder trial, for which he was a member of the team that got the former football star acquitted. Simpson was alleged to have murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman outside her Los Angeles home the night of June 12, 1994. Bailey describes infighting among the defense team, as well as his admiration for lead attorney Johnny Cochran. Besides sloppy police work and evidence collection, plus the now-famous glove that didn't fit Simpson ("If it doesn't fit, you must acquit"), the author notes, it was Bailey's cross-examination of LAPD Det. Mark Fuhrman that sank the prosecution's case. Bailey's line of attack forced Fuhrman, who was on tape boasting of planting evidence to frame minorities, to plead the fifth on further questioning. After almost a year, the trial ended with a verdict of not guilty, but the controversy and racial rifts it caused continue to this day, Bailey writes. (No surprise, Bailey still insists on his client's innocence.) This is a good place to start for anyone unfamiliar with the media circus around the trial. (June)