The Rodney King Trial And Verdict - 2143 Words

We are fools to think racism is something of the past. Racism is very much alive in this century as it was in the last century. The Rodney King trial and verdict will forever be identified as a moment in recent history that outraged the diverse residents of Los Angeles County and the rest of America. Not only did it expose the police brutality African Americans endure, but it showed the discrimination of a jury mostly made of white people. My family lived in Los Angeles during the late 80’s and into the 90’s, and they still remember how dangerous walking in the streets was during those years. The police did not only discriminate African Americans, they also victimized Mexican Americans. The Rodney King trial and verdict of 1992 generated riots across Los Angeles after four police officers accused of beating King were acquitted. The verdict revealed the unjust racial treatment towards African Americans and it became a symbol of police brutality and injustice that is stil l seen today. Rodney King was a black motorist who was beaten and arrested by four white police officers in Los Angeles on March 3, 1991. The policemen were unaware of being filmed until, George Holliday, captured the beating on videotape from his apartment window and released it to the press (Alexander, Jacobs, and Seidman, 2000). This incident was not a shock to individuals living in the Los Angeles County as it was common to be victimized by policemen. The difference in Rodney King’s case with otherShow MoreRelatedPolice Report On The Los Angeles Police Department1584 Words   |  7 Pagespresented in the trial, and the police reports and conversations post beating of Rodney King, it will be clear whether or not justice was served and how the results of this trial affected the Los Angeles community, and policing in the U.S for years to come. The Trials of Los Angeles Police Officers in connection with the beating of Rodney King is a UMKC law report that analysis the background of the Rodney king incident, the trial and the aftermath. On March 2, 1991, Rodney Glen King was at a friendsRead MoreJustice Is One Of The Most Important Moral And Political Concepts898 Words   |  4 Pagesthrough the Rodney King case and the shooting of Latasha Harlins. Rodney King and Latasha Harlins experienced racial injustice, which can be defined as the denial of rights based on an individual’s race or racial background. Both two victims were mistreated for the color of their skin and were stripped from their equal rights and opportunities. In Los Angeles, California, four Los Angeles police officers had been caught beating an unarmed African-American motorist, Rodney King. Rodney King had severeRead More Abusing the Force Essay1237 Words   |  5 Pageswork leads to an insular and close-knit occupational culture that results in a strong distinction between members of the police and society. An in-depth investigation on police brutalization and its causes of corrupting within the 1991 beating of Rodney King is evaluated by means of the credibility within the rights of citizens in Canada and the United States, the effects from prejudice affliction, and the societal disparagement on morals of the cultures in policing. Corruption is both a resultRead MorePolice Brutality Over The Years1458 Words   |  6 Pagesthat juries acquit the police, cops get their jobs back, and brutality happens again. One of the most broadcasted cases of police brutality, was the beating of Rodney King. On the night of March 2, 1991, a bystander named George Holiday, videotaped the moment when five officers used excess force on an African American man named Rodney King, beating him with batons as he struggled on the ground. Also, it was recorded that an officer stomped on King’s shoulder causing his head to hit hard against theRead MoreThe La Riots : Perception Vs. Reality1845 Words   |  8 PagesReality The Los Angeles riots of 1992 was one of the largest scale riots in American history. Though the riots started just hours after the infamous not guilty verdict in the Rodney King trial, there were many factors that contributed to the anarchy created by certain members of the Los Angeles community. The media’s coverage of the trial and riots focused on the concept that the black community had reached their boiling point, and was now rebelling in protest of police brutality against them. NewsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The 1991 Beating Of Rodney King 1814 Words   |  8 PagesThe 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police provides rich case material in how an attack perceived as unjust can backfire. George H. W. Bush said, â€Å"The last thing the leaders of Los Angeles expected in the early 1990s was that their city would become the scene of the nation s deadliest urban race riot since the Civil War.† The race riot that Mr. Bush is referencing are the Los Angeles race riots that occurred as a result of Rodney King’s arrest in 1991 exemplified the deep tensions betweenRead MoreSimpson s Success Story Essay1929 Words   |  8 Pagescould buy. Thus began the conundrum regarded as the Trial of the Century. As aforementioned, Simpson hired a defense team that was referred to as the â€Å"Dream Team.† This legal team consisted of Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian, Shawn Holley, Carl E. Douglas, Gerald Uelmen, Barry Scheck and Peter Neufield. Simpson’s defense team was the best money could buy, and they were ready for a fight. The trial came about in light of an incident of police brutalityRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Criminal Justice System1500 Words   |  6 Pagesit was lopsided during the Simpson trial. During the tumultuous 1990s, there were many racial incidents, most famously the Rodney King incident. After the assault of African American Rodney King, an all white jury acquitted several white police officers of assaulting King (Kelly, 1). This led to the criminal justice system to be questioned if it â€Å"...was being fair to all individuals regardless of race or socio-economic status.† (Kelly, 1) When the Simpson trial started to form, Simpson’s â€Å"Dream Team†Read MoreRodney King Term Paper3279 Words   |  14 Pages Rodney King and the Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back At 12:30 A.M. on March 3, 1991, Tim and Melanie Singer, a married team of the California Highway Patrol, noticed a Hyundai speeding along the Foothill Freeway in northeastern L.A. The car belonged to Rodney Glen King, a native Californian who had recently been released from prison for threatening and assaulting a storeowner. Immediately, the Singers exited the highway, returned behind King’s vehicle, and began to pursue at speeds up to 117Read MoreThe Opening Day Of The Trial2708 Words   |  11 Pagesgun, and a passport in Cowling s vehicle† (Linder Par. 7). This would soon become one of the most famous cases in United States history: People of the State V. Orenthal James Simpson. The opening day of the trial was set to January 24, 1995. On January 24, 1995 one of the most famous trials in American History was about to begin. Orenthal James Simpson had been accused of murder. Who was Orenthal James Simpson and what was he thought of by the media? Nicole Brown Simpson s ex husband Orenthal James