O.J. Simpson Attorney Robert Shapiro Says He 'Knew There Would Be No Conviction'
Robert Shapiro says he outflanked the prosecution.
-- O.J. Simpson’s first defense attorney, Robert Shapiro, has discussed new details from the “trial of the century” for the first time in 20 years.
Shapiro is portrayed by John Travolta in the hit FX series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”, which has stoked interest in the trial.
The attorney stepped into the spotlight in an interview Tuesday with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.
Shapiro, 73, said that a lot of what people think they know about the trial is wrong.
When asked whether the dream team of attorneys won the case or the prosecution lost it, he told her the verdict was “a combination of both.”
“The prosecution wedded themselves to one knife, one killer theory,” Shapiro said. “There is a strong possibility that more than one person was involved.”
Shapiro highlighted two major factors in the successful outcome for the defense.
He “outmaneuvered Marcia Clark by making her believe [he] wasn’t ready,” he said. “The judge asked, ‘Mr. Shapiro, what’s your position?’ ‘Your honor, we’re ready for trial.’ Looks at Marcia Clark and says, ‘Call your first witness.’ And you could see the blood come out of her face, and from that day on, I knew, there would be no conviction,” Shapiro recalled.
The other main factor, he said, was that the prosecution “did not understand the evidence.”
Shapiro admitted to trying on the glove before the trial and said he knew it would not fit Simpson.
He said he instructed Simpson, “‘I want you to walk as close to the jury as you can, hold up your hand like you’re holding the Olympic torch and pull and tug on that glove, because it will not fit.’ And clearly it didn’t.”
Shapiro also recalled what Simpson whispered to him directly after the verdict was read: “You had told me this would be the result from the beginning. You were right.”