GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
America remains as racially divided as ever over the guilt or innocence of O.J. Simpson. On Wednesday evening, one day after the Santa Monica, California jury found Simpson liable in the suits brought by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, a Gallup poll found whites and blacks unchanged in their positions toward Mr. Simpson. The vast majority of whites believe that Simpson is responsible for the deaths and feel that the jury in the civil trial made the right decision; blacks overwhelmingly reject the latest verdict, as well as the original murder charges.
This same type of racial gulf in attitudes towards the former football star has been evident in Gallup polling conducted all the way back to July of 1994, shortly after the celebrated Bronco police chase and Simpson's formal arrest.
White America's view of Simpson's guilt or innocence is quite clear: 68% say that the civil jury made the right decision Tuesday night in finding him responsible, and 71% say that the murder charges are probably or definitely true. Although whites have become more certain in their feelings about Simpson's guilt over the last two and a half years, the same basic results were found in a Gallup poll on July 22, 1994, when 66% of those whites interviewed said that the charges were probably or definitely true.
For blacks, the pattern is much different. Only 26% say that the civil jury's decision Tuesday was the right one, and only 28% say that the original charges that Simpson murdered the two victims are probably or definitely true. Here again, the general findings over time among blacks have not changed substantially: only 24% said that the charges were true in the first post-Bronco chase poll conducted in July of 1994.
A majority of blacks also say that they feel at least somewhat sympathetic to Simpson, compared to only about a third of whites.
Few Satisfied with Outcome
There is one issue on which both whites and blacks agree: close to
two-thirds of both groups say justice was not served by the overall
outcome of the two trials. However, the reasons for the different
reactions of whites and blacks are starkly different.
Most whites, as well as most people who feel "Simpson is guilty" overall, feel justice was not served in the case because O.J. Simpson was not sentenced to jail. Most blacks, as well as most people who hold that Simpson is innocent, are dissatisfied because they contend Simpson has been unfairly punished.
Mixed Reaction to Monetary Damages
Americans are of three minds when it comes to the monetary damages
Simpson will be required to pay to the victims' families. Roughly
one-third (30%) think Simpson should be required to pay more than
the $8.5 million already assessed by the civil jury; another 28%
think the $8.5 million is sufficient, and 31% think the $8.5 is
already too much.
Even those Americans who consider Simpson guilty don't necessarily think he should be required to pay more in punitive damages. Among this group, just 41% would increase his payment to the families, while one third think it is about right and 16% say even $8.5 million is too much.
Not surprisingly, a majority of blacks feel the compensatory damages already awarded to the Goldman family are too high for Simpson to have to pay. Whites are about equally split as to the amount he should have to pay.
Racial Impact
Immediately after the criminal trial verdict, in October of 1995,
whites were significantly more likely than blacks to say that the
trial hurt race relations (although a majority of both groups
agreed that the trial had a negative effect). Now, immediately
after the civil trial, there has been a substantial increase in the
number of blacks who say that the trial has hurt race relations, to
the point where blacks are slightly more likely to agree with this
statement than are whites.
Survey Methods
The results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly
selected national sample of 438 adults, including 361 whites, and a
separate sample of 332 blacks. The survey was conducted on February
5, 1997. Results based on the national sample have a margin of
error of plus or minus five percentage points. Results based on
either whites or blacks have a margin of error of plus or minus 6
points.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. Polls conducted entirely in one evening, such as this one, are subject to additional error or bias not found in polls conducted over several days.
As you many know, the jury in the O.J. Simpson civil trial announced their verdict yesterday that O.J. Simpson is responsible for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Do you think the jurors in this trial made the right decision, or the wrong decision?
| Simpson: Civil Trial Verdicts | |||
| Right | Wrong | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 68% | 16 | 16 |
| Whites | 74% | 10 | 16 |
| Blacks | 26% | 50 | 24 |
| Trend - Criminal Trial Verdicts | |||
| 1996 Apr\May** | |||
| Total | 30% | 60 | 10 |
| Whites | 24% | 66 | 10 |
| Blacks | 73% | 16 | 11 |
| 1995 Oct 19-22 | |||
| Total | 42% | 48 | 10 |
| Whites | 36% | 53 | 11 |
| Blacks | 89% | 6 | 5 |
| 1995 Oct 5-7 | |||
| Total | 47% | 44 | 9 |
| Whites | 42% | 49 | 9 |
| Blacks | 78% | 10 | 12 |
As you may know, in the criminal trial held two years ago, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty. In the recent, civil trial, he was found responsible for the deaths, and will be required to pay monetary damages. Overall, thinking about how everything has turned out in the O.J. Simpson case, do you feel that justice has been served, or not?
| Total | Whites | Blacks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, served | 30% | 31% | 24% |
| No, not served | 61 | 60 | 66 |
| No opinion | 9 | 9 | 10 |
As you may know, the jury in the Simpson civil trial decided that O.J. Simpson should pay $8.5 million dollars as compensation. Now, the jury has to decide whether O.J. Simpson should pay additional money to the families as punishment. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view in this matter -- (RANDOM ORDER) O.J. Simpson should be required to pay more than $8.5 million; the 8.5 million is sufficient; the 8.5 million is too much
| Total | Whites | Blacks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Should pay more | 30% | 33% | 5% |
| Sufficient | 28 | 29 | 27 |
| Too much | 31 | 26 | 61 |
| No opinion | 11 100% |
12 100% |
7 100% |