Customer Reviews

O.J. the Last Word

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I would have thought it impossible to write a book on the OJ trial and hardly mention it, but Gerry Spence has pulled it off stupendously. In addition to rambling endlessly about his own great escapades as a cross between Abe Lincoln and Davey Crockett, he travels all over the roadmap in some kind of "stream of consciousness" writing I've never seen get past an editor. His totally disjointed, repetitive orgy of self-admiration actually began to fascinate me, wondering if he could really keep it up for 262 pages. Not only did he do it--he included an index. For WHAT?

Here's a book that could only have been dictated, transcribed and edited purely by "spell check." I don't blame Spence for "writing" this book. I blame St. Martin's for publishing it.

I disagree with the previous reviewers about how great the author thinks he is. He admits his participation in the media-barrage. And he writes with the enthusiasm of conviction. I liked his defense of the jurors and Judge Ito and I didn't think he was too hard on the prosecutors. I guess it comes down to whether you agree with his bottom line: better a guilty man get off than an innocent one be wrongfully convicted.

Gerry Spence was born and raised in Wyoming, and has lived there all his life. He has not lost a criminal case in his forty-year career, nor a civil case before a jury in twenty-five years. He is the Earl Rogers of our generation. He refuses to represent banks, insurance companies, big business, big corporations, and the rich and famous (unless there is a public issue involved).

This book contains his comments on the trial, and much more on the justice system, and other events of the times. OJ Simpson first wanted him as his defense lawyer; he talked to R. Shapiro , and then viewed the trial. He has many comments on this event. The "experts" who never tried a murder case, never saw the inside of a jail, never worked in a courtroom, but were interviewed by the media. He compares them to professors of surgery who have never used a scalpel! Gerry Spence writes about many things that need more discussion. He says that the collective wisdom of a jury is superior to any one judge or lawyer; I think this would be due to the dialogues involved in summing up different viewpoints. He noted that the OJ Trial was used to attack the jury system, and the rights of all citizens; but this has failed too.

Gerry Spence believes that OJ was guilty; but the evidence (and the jury) said otherwise. He mentions the person who claimed to have seen OJ at 10:45 driving north on Bundy, and sold her story for $5000 (she needed the money). This witness was never used by the prosecution or the defense. Since OJ was talking on the intercom to the limo driver at this time, he could not have been the driver of the "white vehicle". How reliable could this witness be? "Too good to be true"? The author doesn't discuss the possibility of "false witnessing" in this or other cases: e.g., "Tom Mooney" by Curt Gentry.

Gerry Spence notes that the jury system is a defense agains prosecutorial and judicial tyranny. If you have never read any of his books, this is a good one to start with. Chapter 19 discusses the mass psychology of people on the guilt of OJ (and others). It is well worth reading. Stephen Singular's "Legacy of Deception" said "all the blood evidence is suspect". I believe the socks and the glove were planted. If a guilty OJ could dispose of the bloody clothes, shoes, knives, etc. then the socks and glove would also be gone.

Spence is one of the great lewyers of all time. It makes sense, then, that he should bring some light to all the furor over the OJ Case. He has explained, for the first time, what really happened in the case and why the Prosecution lost what appeared to be an "air tight" case. As he does in many of his books Spence takes the opportunity to moralize about our justice system and about its control by the corporate oligarchy. I wonder if anyone is paying attention? The man is right, and we need to wake up to what he is saying. Justice is not being done in America's courts and there is reason for it and a solution. Spence understands. Many who try cases regularly understand. The public needs to be made to understand before it is to late. Like Pastor Niemoller in Nazi Germany, we can wait too long to speak out. Read this book and then do something. We are in trouble with our justice system and it needs to be fixed.

Gerry Spence is an amazing writer.

In The Last Word, Gerry takes you on a whirwind of thinking more like a human being than an attorney, in other words, relating to the jury.

Spence over and over talks about how the defense messed up by either not calling witnesses, presenting evidence, or boring the jury.

Spence tends to go completely off course at times, only to reel you back in with his main point, and there in lies both the brilliance and problem with the book.

You pick up the book thinking you're reading about how Spence would have tried the case, or how OJ got away with murder, and instead Spence starts talking about stuff like freedom and how attorneys should make the case easier to understand for a jury, which consists of typical people like teachers, custodians or middle income class people, and not attorneys and their degrees.

Overall, the book is good. Spence presents certain evidence that was would have undoubtedly turned the case, like the Frogman series OJ was shooting where he happened to be an assassin who slits the throat of his enemy, much in the same fashion that he may have done to Nicole Simpson.

good book, just be warned about Spence's ramblings which can also lead to enlightment.

This tome takes it's time getting off the ground - Mr. Spence writes much as he speaks on the "Expert Talking Head" circuit - slowly, deliberately, directly. And with that statement, comes the inevitable...he likes to talk about himself, what he looks like, where he's been. That's ok.
So we have a Legal Genius with a large Ego considering the case against an Athletic Legend with a larger Ego. You know you're gonna get alot of "listen and learn, kid" stuff.
There still *is* alot to learn and this book is evidence of that. I did not know that Spence had been contacted not only by Simpson but by his first laed Attorney, Shapiro. Or about the unprofessional behavior of two of the biggest "stars" on the courtroom floor, Clark and Darden. One knows the law but it's okay to act as if she doesn't because she's a "go Girl" working Mom lawyer; one didn't know that if you lose control in Court, especially when your partner has the floor...you could get locked up, and make the Jury think your team is a joke.
Although it takes alot of Chapters to get to the heart of the book, the possible/probable motivation for O.J. Simpson's (believed) actions that evening in 1994 - his portrayal of a night stalker in "Frogman" garb [the made for TV movie never released that he took part in] - is carefully layed out.
Spence writes an engrossing (but admittedly improbable) scenario for a Marcia Clark cross-examination of the Defendant, along those lines. "What happened to the box of knives given to you by the Director?". That kind of thing.
To the reviewer who didn't think much of this book who added that the "gloves were planted" [Fuhrman went into the LAPD prop department, then entered the Lab. and removed O.J.'s blood from the vial - thought the blood was contaminated, anyway? - oh, well], Gerry offers this stunning observation: Yes, the blood on the gate and on the socks very, very possibly was added by someone. That, to me, is a stunning statement by a Lawyer of Spence's stature.
Book is 274 pages and has a nice, tight intro. by the Author. I enjoyed his upfront detail (Chapter One, page one) on how "The Dream Team" was not much more than a clever phrase, in the respect that it's (eventual) "Manager" was no Clarence Darrow.

Gerry Spence has several books on the market that detail his opinions regarding the state of modern America. Most of them, while the opinions are worth reading, tend to suffer from long, meandering repetition, that lose or sedate the reader. Employing this technique in the courtroom is probably one of the reasons Spence is such a successful trial lawyer. This book however is different. It gets right to the point, and it stays on it without wearing itself out. More importantly, while this is a book about the day-to-day events of the trial, and his thoughts regarding it, a good bit of it pertains to how this trial has been perceived by the masses and the media, and its effect on people's perception of what real trial law is about. Along the way Spence manages to input the same set of thoughts and ideas that make up the bulk of his other writings, only this time he gets to the point quickly and attaches them to a tangible event that most of us remember very well -- even those of us who tried desperately to avoid it -- the media circus surrounding the trial.

Be warned, this book does not strive to tell the reader what her or she wants to hear. And Spence, an accomplished lawyer, is capable of upsetting people by presenting arguments that tend to compel them to believe things they do not wish to. Nor is this a book that hides its feelings behind a shield of political correctness. It is not rude and does not deliberately seek to offend anyone, but those who base their perceptions of this world on the false eloquence we frequently see on TV might be taken back. Which is yet another reason why this book should be highly recommended.

Want to be disturbed, want to risk a difficult self-evaluation, want to endorse some uncomfortable facts about this Country's History? I guess it will be decided on why you read. Mr. Spence, "I say we must celebrate the verdict in the Simpson case, and honor the jurors for their wisdom and their unappreciated gift of freedom they have delivered to us". The first time through that statement, hopefully, will stir some emotion within anyone regardless of their color, or opinion that, "justice was aborted in this case..." And then after the emotion has passed, sit back and think about all Mr. Spence has written, and how you as an individual have any sort of race bias within you. I do not consider myself racist, but I am to a degree very wrong. If I pick up the latest novel by Robert Ludlum is there any thought given to who is behind the cash register? answer for me is no. Why then a pause regarding a book on the case of this person Mr. Simpson? I did pause when an African-American was behind the counter. Why? I thought that here in the middle of my day why do I want to possibly engage in, if not an uncomfortable moment, an outright argument. I had been routinely exposed to polls splittig the opinions of the guilt or innocence of this man based on color, and it gave me pause. Embarassing for me, and symptomatic of what the trial, and Mr. Spence's well-written book are all about. The versions of this Country's History are often great works of fiction. How would any white individual take a person of color to The Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. and not be embarassed? Mr. Jefferson used his slaves as currency for debts, and other functions that Mr. Spence will share with readers. "All men are created......several typos follow? Mount Vernon was the home to 300+ slaves, that Mr. Washinton generously "gave" their freedom to.........after he died. What a monumental meaningless act of arrogance, that resounds with others like it, to this day, to our Nation, to the States we live in, and the Towns we call home. He "gave" these people something that was not his to take or give. There is a museum on our National Mall to he Holocaust of World War II. Where is the same type of prominence at least equally worthy of note, and unique in that it happened HERE, ON OUR SOIL, to the African Americans, and Native Americans of this Country? Saddam gasses his people, we stand tall and condemn the man, and he doubtlessly deserves it. If we had the Helicopters and the gas in the 19th Century we would have used them too. Ugly fact, absolutely, one of the many issues we need to deal honestly with? only if we care about the length and quality of our Country's Future. Mr Spence said, "it takes a certain amount of courage to live in a Democracy". Sir Winston Spencer Churchill said, "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time". You want to be moved, made a bit uncomfortable with all that you may have felt about this case, want to produce ideas that can improve all of our lives? Read Mr. Spence's book it will catalyze you! Democracy is something you have to want and to work for, it's a demanding system to live under. Name anything worthwhile that isn't. What's the alternative? Francis McInerney

Another OJ book. Nothing new, nothing unique. Spence spends 300+ pages trying to convince the reader of what a fantastic lawyer he is. The more interesting sections revolved around details of Nicole's sexuality. She was obsessed with giving b***jobs, which became known as a "Brentwood hello". Everyone in this book gets one. Everyone!

My Dad told me Gerry Spence is a great writer (my dad read "How to Argue..."), so I decided to try this title. It was quite fun to read but sometimes it took me a number of reads to understand his analogies. And I agree that at some points he does appear rather arrogant, as if he's the only one who knows everyone else's mistakes. But some of his "insights" are pretty interesting. So all in all it's a "fun" read but not at all fantastic. Maybe his other books will be better.