Are you an OJ follower? If so, you’ve probably heard of my friend, Paul Connelly, the jury foreman on the Las Vegas robbery case. The OJ Team has been taking pot shots at him ever since the conviction, but a couple of weeks ago they engaged in what I thought was outright slander.Media outlets spread the story far and wide that a Team OJ investigator found Connelly was fired from a job at an unnamed soft drink company because he made racially disparaging statements. Since this isn’t true, I’ve been waiting to hear some sort of retraction or other statement. Guess it’s a good thing I’m not holding my breath.
I’ve known Paul for over ten years, and at one time he worked with my husband at the Unnamed Soft Drink Company of recent media reports. I remember when Paul left the job in question, and racial comments had nothing to do with it. He was not fired; he resigned. I’d like to know where this investigator got his information. Where is the paperwork that supports what he is saying? Who did this investigator talk to? Why is it okay to smear someone’s name without backing up the allegation? Or is silence supposed to erase the thousands of Google hits that Paul’s name now returns?
Paul Connelly is an average guy, a hard-working family man who is tired of finding a media circus in his front yard. He is a conscientious citizen who did his best to do what he was instructed to do: look at the evidence and render a verdict on the case in front of him. The trial is over, and Paul wasn’t the defendant. Besides that, is all this mud-slinging getting Team OJ anywhere? From the state of their client’s case, I guess I’m not the only one unimpressed with their tactics.
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Photo couresty of Jason Morrison at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/952313
Well, hopefull the 8, 14, 18, or 33 years (as reported by all the "unamed" news outlets) should let them know that no matter how much mud slinging you do- in this case, your client is a bonifide a**, and deserves everything he gets. ("If I did it") As for not having a fair trial, due to his previous aqquittal- I ask all people around me- do you relly care? I dont- quite frankly,and I think Americans in general have much larger things to worry about. Congratulations sir, for making what I believe to be a very good decision. As for journalism that must be researched, and proved to be true before writing all about it, Im not sure there is much of that around anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe media outlets were unamed because they were too numerous to list. Two AP reporters have covered various aspects of the trial, and newspapers across the country have picked up those stories off the wire.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many people have lost their faith in journalism these days.