Civil jury finds O.J. Simpson liable in killings of wife, her friend 20 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 4 1997)


Video: 'OJ Simpson Civil Trial Verdict Part 1'

(Tuesday, February 4, 1997, 7:15 p.m. PST) — The case that has riveted America for two and a half years, divided the nation by race and sex, and raised troubling questions about the power of celebrity and the nature of justice ended tonight when O. J. Simpson was found liable in the civil lawsuits brought by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman.

In a unanimous decision, which starkly contradicted Simpson’s acquittal by a criminal jury on murder charges in October 1995, the jury awarded the Goldman family $8.5 million in compensatory damages. For technical legal reasons, the Brown family did not seek compensatory damages.


Video: 'OJ Simpson Civil Trial Verdict Part 2'