Podcast Summary

RedHanded – OJ Simpson Part Two: The Gloves Are Off | #430

Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Hannah & Suruthi

Episode Overview

The final RedHanded episode of 2025 is the long-awaited conclusion to their deep dive into the O.J. Simpson case—the murder trial that transfixed America and forever altered perceptions of the justice system, celebrity, police racism, and media spectacle. Picking up from Part One, the hosts recount the dramatic trial proceedings and surreal aftermath, zeroing in on the prosecution’s “slam dunk” evidence unraveling due to catastrophic errors, naked jury manipulation, and the infamous moment the glove didn’t fit. The episode is bursting with biting commentary, dark humor, and moments of real outrage and disbelief.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recap and Case Setup

• The hosts immediately remind listeners they are in no way entertaining the possibility of O.J. Simpson's innocence (“O.J. Simpson done did it and now he done dead so he can't get me.” – [03:41] A).
• Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were brutally murdered between 10–11pm June 13, 1994; forensic evidence (blood, glove, hat, footprints) pointed directly to Simpson ([05:33] B).
• The defense, dubbed the Dream Team, knew they couldn’t win on evidence and instead went for an all-out attack on the credibility of the prosecution and LAPD ([08:17] A, [08:38] B).

2. The Dream Team’s Strategy and the Prosecution’s Pitfalls

• Defense’s approach: Sow doubt by smearing the police and highlighting systemic racism—especially through Mark Fuhrman, a detective with a history of documented racism ([17:05] B, [18:23] A).
• Prosecution (Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden) believed the overwhelming evidence would be enough: “They thought the evidence speaks for itself. But that only works if the jury are actually listening.” ([10:32] B)
• Jury manipulation was central: The defense played to racial divisions and jury exhaustion, not the facts.

3. Key Witnesses & Evidence

• Alan Park (Simpson’s limo driver) provided a crucial timeline, placing Simpson away, then suddenly seen entering his home just before leaving for his flight ([11:24] B–[13:06] B).
• The vanished duffel bag, presumed to hold the bloody murder clothes, was never found ([13:06] B).
• The “Rockingham Glove” (right-hand glove with victims’ blood) was discovered by Mark Fuhrman, which backfired spectacularly for prosecution when his racism was exposed ([15:13] A–[25:41] B).

4. The Mark Fuhrman Catastrophe

• Marcia Clark presented Fuhrman as a solid witness, not realizing tapes existed of his stunningly racist and misogynist statements ([17:05] B, [22:36] A).
• The Dream Team seized on these tapes, turning the case into a referendum on police racism, especially potent in LA’s post-Rodney King climate ([21:23] B).
• “It’s the equivalent of the blood trail, but for the f***ing defense.” ([23:09] A)
• Fuhrman even maligned Judge Ito's wife on tape, threatening mistrial ([24:03] A).
• The defense now aimed for acquittal, not just a hung jury ([25:49] B).

5. Jury Breakdown and Deliberations

• The jury was heavily sequestered for 266 days, fostering tension and resentment ([27:50] A–[31:09] A).
• Jurors were dismissed for odd reasons—potentially targeted removals orchestrated by the defense ([31:27] B–[33:58] B).
• The Dream Team removed the “most dangerous” juror to their case, perhaps via anonymous letter ([33:09] B).
• Host frustration with the U.S. jury system is palpable: “Even if you were to sequester a jury...there’s too much information. You cannot have an uninformed jury. You cannot guarantee a fair trial.” ([28:48] B)
• Deliberations lasted only THREE hours—average is one day per week of trial ([47:05] B), perfect fodder for a verdict based on expedience, not evidence.

6. Physical Evidence and Trial Theater

• The prosecution’s evidence pile was fatally undermined by one blunder: asking O.J. to try on the infamous gloves in front of the jury. With swollen hands (likely purposefully) and latex gloves underneath, “they didn’t fit.” ([36:43] B)
• “OJ just turns to Johnny Cochran and goes ‘too tight’.” ([38:55] B)
• The hosts stress: the sales receipt and rare nature of the gloves would have been conclusive in itself ([36:43] B–[38:55] B).
• Additional forensics: footprints, hair, and fibers linking O.J. everywhere—but all of it overshadowed by the glove debacle and defense showmanship ([39:10] A).

7. The Role of Race and Public Tensions

• Johnny Cochran’s summation channeled all anger over racist policing, telling the jury: “Are you with the man or are you with the brothers?” while the Dream Team literally wore African pattern ties ([26:15] B, [43:25] B).
• The “if the glove don’t fit, you must acquit” line achieves instant legal meme status ([43:34] A).

8. Verdict and Cultural Backlash

• The not guilty verdict (“we’ve got to protect our own”) was greeted with elation by some and horror by others ([47:59] B).
• Marcia Clark’s “I did everything I could” to Ron Goldman’s sister ([49:04] A).
• O.J. celebrated at home with a publicity-ready party; Shapiro (bitter about being upstaged by Cochran) admitted on TV the defense “played the race card and we played it from the bottom of the deck.” ([49:56] B).
• The hosts muse on how the case did nothing to improve justice for ordinary people in black communities, but only served O.J. ([51:51] B).

9. Aftermath: O.J. in Civil Court and Beyond

• 1997: O.J. found liable in civil suit, ordered to pay $33 million to the Goldmans; he never pays, hiding assets in shell companies ([58:04] A, [60:10] B).
• Nicole’s family remains quiet—potentially due to custody or financial leverage ([58:11] B).
• O.J. responds to the civil verdict with an ice cream—and a financial shell game ([60:54] B).
• Failed attempts at reinvention: moves to Florida, reality TV, ghostwritten book If I Did It ([61:25] B–[64:59] A).
• The book, originally canceled, was eventually awarded to Ron Goldman’s family in court—cover changed to highlight “I Did It” ([72:15] B).
• Ron Goldman's sister, Kim, is spotlighted for her efforts, while Denise Brown remains highly critical ([72:16] B).

10. Final Years and Death of O.J. Simpson

• In 2007, O.J. was convicted (ironically, almost to the day of his murder acquittal) of armed robbery and kidnapping—sentenced to 33 years, served nine ([69:13] B).
• Died in April 2024, still a celebrity to some, his legacy as “the Brentwood Butcher” cemented ([70:59] B).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “O.J. Simpson done did it and now he done dead so he can't get me.” – Suruthi [03:41]
• “They thought the evidence speaks for itself. But that only works if the jury are actually listening.” – Hannah [10:32]
• Regarding Mark Fuhrman: “He’s the archetypical bullying, racist LAPD cop... Everything that is suspected of the LAPD, Mark Fuhrman does it times 100 million and he’s proud of it.” – Hannah [18:23]
• “It’s the equivalent of the blood trail, but for the f***ing defense.” – Suruthi [23:09]
• “If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.” – Johnnie Cochran as quoted by hosts [43:34] A
• “Three hours! For reference, the average jury deliberation time is one day per week of trial.” – Hannah [47:05]
• “OJ’s own lawyer went on TV and essentially told the nation that he was guilty and he just got away with it.” – Hannah [50:06]
• “I don’t think the people that acquitted him didn’t think he did it. I think they were just like, fair’s fair. I don’t want him to go to prison. That’s what it feels like to me... faced with this level of evidence.” – Suruthi [41:39]
• “Maybe to be that good, you have to be that bad. Can you be that good at something without losing it somewhere else? I don’t know.” – Hannah [70:59]
• “I did it on purpose by O.J. Simpson. There you go, the end.” – Hannah [74:23]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:41] – Hosts officially set the tone: “O.J. done did it.”
• [05:33] – Recap of physical evidence at Bundy and Rockingham.
• [11:24] – Alan Park's testimony and O.J.'s timeline the night of murders.
• [15:13] – Discovery of the gloves and the Fuhrman debacle begins.
• [17:05] – Mark Fuhrman's racist history is exposed.
• [25:49] – Dream Team eyes acquittal, not just a hung jury, after tapes.
• [27:50] – Jury described as “already ready to kill each other” during sequestration.
• [33:09] – Mysterious removal of a key juror—possibly defense interference.
• [36:43] – “The Gloves Didn’t Fit”: disastrous live demonstration.
• [43:25] – “If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.”
• [47:05] – Jury deliberates for only three hours.
• [49:04] – Prosecution’s defeat and O.J. walks free.
• [58:04] – Civil trial verdict; O.J. ordered to pay but evades responsibility.
• [61:25] – O.J. attempts notoriety with “If I Did It.”
• [69:13] – O.J.’s 2007 conviction: the downfall.
• [70:59] – Reflection on legacy, death in 2024.
• [72:15] – Goldman family’s control of “If I Did It” proceeds.

Concluding Thoughts

The hosts close with relief and exhaustion at finally tackling America’s most notorious trial—a “story so unbelievable” and so thoroughly saturated with evidence, systemic failings, and cynicism that it hardly seems real. They highlight that the real victims—Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman—are lost behind the media circus, and that a monster walked free not because of America’s justice, but because he embodied everything broken within it.

“Glad it’s on record. RedHanded have done O.J. Simpson. Now, let’s never talk about O.J. Simpson again.” – Suruthi [75:16]

For more on the case, the hosts recommend Kim Goldman's podcast, Confronting O.J. Simpson. And, true to the RedHanded style, the episode leaves listeners both horrified, entertained, and maybe just a little more skeptical about the systems meant to protect us.