INTERVIEW EDGE • JULY 1995

Body Language Indicted in OJ Simpson Trial

When the jurors in the O. J. Simpson case filed into the courtroom after reaching their verdict, commentators made much of the fact that not one jury member looked directly at Simpson.

This was interpreted as a blow for the defense, because according to conventional wisdom, a jury that has voted for acquittal will smile and nod at the defendant.

While the world waited for the verdict to be read the next morning, rumor had it that even Simpson's attorneys were worried. As it turned out, of course, Simpson was found "not guilty." While we will all probably debate the verdict for years to come, we can at least agree that in this case, body language was "guilty" of failing to accurately predict behavior.