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the intense publicity surrounding the case, the twenty-four jurors chosen to hear Simpson’s trial— twelve primary jurors and twelve alternates—were sequestered for over eight months. Both the defense and prosecution wanted to make sure that the jurors could hear the case without being biased by news reports and opinion pieces that proclaimed Simpson’s guilt or innocence. Due to the long time it took for evidence to be presented at Simpson's trial, ten of the original jurors had to be replaced by alternates. Finally, in early October 1995 the

At the time of his arrest in 1994, O.J. Simpson was very popular. The former NFL star had developed a successful career as a movie actor.

twelve jurors were ready to reveal Simpson’s fate. After many months of hearing the evidence, the Simpson jury deliberated for just four hours. It surprised everybody—even Simpson—when the jurors re-entered the courtroom so quickly after the trial ended. Members of the prosecution team were not even at the courthouse. As a

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Contemporary Issues: Criminal Justice System