Slow Burn: The L.A. Riots | Episode 5: "The System"

Release Date: December 8, 2021
Host: Joel Anderson (Slate Podcasts)

Overview

This episode delves into the trial of the four LAPD officers charged with the beating of Rodney King, dissecting how the American justice system grappled with one of the most explosive cases of police brutality ever caught on tape. Through first-person interviews, courtroom analysis, and reflection on the broader context of race and justice in 1990s Los Angeles, host Joel Anderson unpacks how the system itself shaped the trial's outcome—and fueled outrage that ultimately ignited the L.A. Riots.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defense Preparation and Change of Venue

[03:00-13:40]

• Initial Reactions & Defense Strategy: Attorney John Barnett is recruited after the video airs. He anticipates a hostile environment for the defense due to overwhelming public opinion.
  • Quote (Barnett): “I thought then, and I think now, that it was a shocking display. You can see the brutality of it.” [02:35]
• Search for a Favorable Jury: Defense attorneys quietly acknowledge the importance of a predominantly white jury.
  • Quote (Russell Cole, Defense Attorney): “The defense wanted to try to get the trial into a county where there was a better chance for a predominantly white jury. No question about it…That was just the truth.” [08:20]
• Judicial Maneuvering: Unusual judicial behind-the-scenes communication is revealed (improper ex parte message from Judge Kamins to the prosecution).
• Final Venue Chosen: Judge Stanley Weisberg moves the trial to Simi Valley in Ventura County—an overwhelmingly white, law-enforcement-friendly community.
  • Quote (Roger Gunson, Prosecutor): “They characterize it at better schools or safer places…but they were all moving out there for the same reason.” [13:40]

2. Jury Selection and Its Impact

[14:00-20:30]

• Of 260 potential jurors, only six are Black—and all are excused before final selection.
  • Quote (Jo Ellen Demetrius, Jury Consultant): “The ones that were there obviously were going to be under a lot of pressure. I think these people just basically were scared and figured out the way to get out of it…” [16:35]
• The final jury: 10 white, 1 Latino, 1 Asian American; most strongly pro-law enforcement.
  • Quote (Demetrius): “We had four of our top 10 jurors on that jury…if there could be a slam dunk, this was a slam dunk.” [20:15]

3. The Prosecution's Case: Struggles and Shortcomings

[22:00-35:00]

• Key Witnesses: The prosecution doesn't call Rodney King and can’t find an expert witness willing to testify against LAPD.
  • Quote (Terry White, Lead Prosecutor): “Looking back on it now, I think [King] had PTSD…he just didn’t recall it.” [26:50]
• Melanie Singer’s Testimony: Highway Patrol Officer Singer testifies King did not attack officers, but under cross-examination, she is forced to admit in a prior report she described King as throwing “wild swings.” This undermines her credibility.
  • Quote (Mike Stone, Defense Attorney): “I was able to make her look foolish.” [31:15]
• Prosecutorial Hurdles: LAPD Chief Daryl Gates refuses to testify, maintaining the 'code of silence.'

4. The Videotape as Evidence

[35:00-43:00]

• While George Holliday’s video is central, its constant replay—and the defense’s focus on an unedited version showing a moment King "lunged"—dulls its impact on jurors.
  • Quote (Rick Serrano, LA Times Reporter): “You do get desensitized by it. That was part of the defense’s strategy…frame by frame, you lose…the effect of it.” [40:15]
• Both sides rely on the video, but the defense uses it to claim officers felt threatened.

5. Defense Testimony: Officer Narratives

[43:00-57:00]

• Stacey Koon’s Performance: The supervising officer methodically walks through the video, framing use of force as justified and systemic.
  • Quote (Coon): “I was trying to get Mr. King to submit using pain compliance.” [51:15]
  • Quote (Coon, on every blow): “It’s reasonable and necessary using the minimum force.” [53:10]
• Cross Examination: Koon is forced to admit it was the most violent use of force he’d seen but does not waiver on its necessity. He advances a theory that King was high on PCP (proven false).
• Lawrence Powell’s Poor Showing: Exposed for racist remarks (“Gorillas in the mist”) and poor defense of his actions.
  • Quote (Powell, asked if King was an animal): “He wasn’t an animal, was he? No, sir. Just acting like one.” [56:00]
• Theodore Briseno’s Break from the Pack: Briseno tries to distance himself, claiming he tried to stop the beating, hinting at cracks in the LAPD’s 'blue wall.'
  • Quote (Barnett): “My story was going to be Ted Brasino has nothing much to do with this, and you can make whatever decisions you want about the other officers…” [58:40]

6. Closing Arguments and the Role of Race

[01:02:00-01:09:00]

• Terry White’s Summation: Centers the video and the humanity of Rodney King.
  • Quote (White): “At some point you have to look at that video and say: enough is enough.” [01:03:55]
• Defense’s Appeal: Shifts sympathy to officers; argues they “don’t get paid to lose street fights.”
  • Quote (Mike Stone): “We leave it to them to take care of the mean streets so that we can safely enjoy our lives…” [01:07:29]
• Race addressed directly only in cross-examination—the system’s discomfort with open discussion of the racial element is implicit.

7. Verdict and Shockwaves

[01:10:00-01:20:00]

• On April 29, 1992, after seven days of deliberation, the jury acquits all four officers on all but one count.
  • Quote (Joel Anderson): “You got to be kidding.” [01:13:17, quoting spectator]
• The judge himself appeared stunned by the verdict forms.
  • Quote (Rick Serrano): “I remember the look on his face told me this may not be good…” [01:12:50]
• Immediate anger erupts outside the courthouse and across Los Angeles.
  • Quote (Anonymous protester): “This was a modern day lynching…total injustice.” [01:15:14]
  • Quote (Rodney King’s autobiography): “I just wanted to close my eyes and open them as another person somewhere a thousand miles away.” [01:15:55]
• Terry White maintains composure:
  • Quote (White): “You present the evidence to an impartial trier of fact…and sometimes you disagree with the verdict, but that’s the way the system works.” [01:16:40]
• Set Up for the Riots: The episode closes with a foreshadowing of the imminent explosion of rage that gripped L.A. the moment the system’s verdict was announced.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Russell Cole on Venue:
  “It was the sense of relief, if not being pleased, that we ended up in Simi Valley.” [13:55]

• Jury Consultant Jo Ellen Demetrius:
  “If there could be a slam dunk, this was a slam dunk.” [20:15]

• Stacey Coon’s Testimony:
  “I was trying to get Mr. King to submit using pain compliance.” [51:15]

• Closing Argument (Defense):
  “These defendants do not get paid to lose street fights...We leave it to them to take care of the mean streets so that we can safely enjoy our lives.” [01:07:29]

• Protester outside courthouse:
  “This was a modern-day lynching...total injustice.” [01:15:14]

Important Timestamps

• [03:00] – John Barnett hired to defend Theodore Briseno
• [08:20] – Russell Cole on unspoken aims of defense venue change
• [13:40] – Ventura County and Simi Valley selected as trial venue
• [16:35] – Black jurors excused in selection process
• [20:15] – Jury consultant declares panel a “slam dunk” for defense
• [26:50] – Prosecutor Terry White on Rodney King’s inability to testify
• [31:15] – Melanie Singer cross-examined, credibility challenged
• [35:00-40:15] – Prosecution and defense strategies with the video evidence
• [51:15] – Stacey Coon details "pain compliance"
• [56:00] – Powell’s “acting like an animal” comment
• [58:40] – Briseno attempts to distance himself from other officers
• [01:03:55] – Terry White’s closing argument: “Enough is enough.”
• [01:07:29] – Mike Stone’s appeal to jurors’ sympathy for officers
• [01:12:50] – Judge’s reaction to verdict forms
• [01:13:17] – Acquittal announced in court
• [01:15:14] – Protester reaction outside courthouse
• [01:16:40] – Terry White on respecting the jury verdict

Tone and Style

• The episode maintains a journalistic, investigative tone—measured but emotionally charged due to the gravity of the subject matter.
• Interview clips are direct; many capture moments of frustration, disbelief, and the lingering pain of institutionalized injustice.
• The host, Joel Anderson, balances critical analysis with empathy, often highlighting the personal impact of the verdict on those involved and the surrounding communities.

Conclusion

“The System” powerfully exposes how the machinery of American justice—through jury selection, expert testimony, media spectacle, and the decisions of individuals—shaped the outcome of the Rodney King trial and set the stage for the L.A. Riots. The episode lays bare how, for all the “evidence”—including the now-iconic videotape—the system itself became complicit in denying justice, undermining public faith, and fueling a crisis that would consume Los Angeles in flames in the days that followed.

For continued coverage: Next episode, “L.A. Catches Fire,” looks at how the city and the nation reacted when the system’s verdict collided with decades of frustration and outrage.