Mark Fuhrman

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mark Fuhrman
Fuhrman in 2008
Born (1952-02-05) February 5, 1952 (age 72)
Eatonville, Washington, U.S.[1]
Police career
Country United States
Department Los Angeles Police Department
Service years1975–1995
StatusRetired
Rank
  • Sworn in as Officer (1975)
  • Officer (1975–1989)
  • Detective (1989–1995)
Other work
  • Author
  • Radio host
Military career
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service/branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service1970-1975
RankSergeant

Mark Fuhrman (born February 5, 1952) is a former

O. J. Simpson murder case
.

In 1995, Fuhrman was called to testify regarding his discovery of evidence in the Simpson case, including a bloody glove recovered at Simpson's estate. During the trial, witnesses claimed that during the 1980s, Fuhrman frequently described African Americans with a racist epithet, claims he denied. In response, Simpson's defense team produced recorded interviews with Fuhrman and witnesses proved that he had repeatedly used racist language during those interviews.[2] As a result, the defense claimed that Fuhrman had committed perjury and was not a credible witness. The credibility of the prosecution has been cited as one reason Simpson was acquitted.[3] The defense claimed that Fuhrman planted key evidence as part of a racially motivated plot against Simpson. When asked under oath (with the jury not present), Fuhrman declined to answer all questions, invoking his Fifth Amendment right. These questions included whether he planted or manufactured evidence.

Fuhrman retired from the LAPD in 1995. In 1996, he pleaded

no contest to perjury for his false testimony related to his use of racial epithets. Fuhrman has claimed that he is not a racist and apologized for his use of racist language.[4] Some of his former coworkers who are minorities have expressed support for him.[5] Fuhrman maintains that he did not plant or manufacture evidence in the Simpson case, and Simpson's defense team did not present any evidence to contradict this claim.[6]

Since his retirement from the LAPD, Fuhrman has written true crime books and hosted talk radio.

Life before the O. J. Simpson murder trial

Fuhrman was born in

honorably discharged in 1975.[8] After leaving the military, Fuhrman entered the Los Angeles Police Academy and graduated in 1975.[9]

In 1981, Fuhrman requested leave for workers' compensation. During a psychiatric interview regarding this claim, Fuhrman expressed racist sentiments, stating that he stopped enjoying military service because of alleged insubordination from Mexican-Americans and African-Americans, whom he described as "niggers".[10][11] Fuhrman received workers' compensation and remained on paid leave until 1983. During this time, Fuhrman attempted to leave the police force permanently and receive a stress disability pension. In a 1982 psychiatric interview, he claimed that he had "tortur[ed] suspects and con[ned] internal affairs detectives", that he would choke suspects and break their arms and legs "if necessary", and that he had pounded suspects' faces to "mush".[10][11] Fuhrman claimed that he was afraid he would kill someone if he were returned to street patrol.[11] Although several psychiatrists recommended that he be removed from duty completely, and others recommended that he not be allowed to carry a gun,[11] the City of Los Angeles argued that Fuhrman's statements were merely part of an elaborate ruse to win a pension.[10] In 1983, Fuhrman lost his case, and a subsequent appeal to Superior Court was rejected; therefore, Fuhrman returned to active duty as a police officer.[10][11]

In 1985, Fuhrman responded to a domestic violence call between retired

spousal abuse.[13] Fuhrman was promoted to detective in 1989.[1] In October 1994, he worked to prove the innocence of Arrick Harris, an African-American male who Fuhrman believed had been falsely implicated for murder.[14] Fuhrman retired from the LAPD in early 1995, after serving as a police officer for 20 years.[15][16]

Role in the O. J. Simpson murder trial

Main article:
O. J. Simpson murder case

Background

During Simpson's and Brown's eight-year marriage, Simpson repeatedly physically abused her and threatened to kill her, leading her to call the police on several occasions. Fuhrman responded to one of these calls and encountered Brown hiding in her Mercedes as Simpson was trying to break the windshield with a baseball bat. In a 2016 interview with Ezra Edelman in O.J.: Made in America, Fuhrman claimed that he twice asked Simpson to put the bat down, and when Simpson refused, Fuhrman got his baton out and threatened him with violence if he continued. Simpson then obeyed and apologized, and Fuhrman offered Brown the chance to press charges so he could arrest Simpson; when she declined, Fuhrman went away telling her, "It's your life."[17]

Brown and Ron Goldman were murdered outside Brown's

exigent circumstances – specifically, a concern that Simpson himself might have been harmed.[21]

In Simpson's guest house, detectives found

not guilty.[26]

Defense team's strategy

In an article by Jeffrey Toobin in the July 25 issue of The New Yorker, the defense revealed that they planned to play "the race card".[10] Specifically, Simpson's defense team alleged that Fuhrman planted the glove found at Simpson's estate as part of a racially motivated effort to frame Simpson for the murders.[10] The article detailed Fuhrman's prior use of racist language and claims of violence made during his 1981–1982 psychiatric interviews.[10] Although Fuhrman's psychiatric reports were later ruled inadmissible in the case because they were determined to be too old to have direct relevance,[27] the New Yorker article was published before jury selection was finalized or jury sequestration had taken place.[26][28] Potential jurors were asked how much exposure to the Simpson case they received from The New Yorker (among other media outlets) as part of the jury selection process.[29] They were also asked their opinions of Fuhrman and other witnesses who had testified at the preliminary hearing.[29]

The trial began on January 24, 1995,[26] and Fuhrman took the witness stand for the prosecution on March 9.[21] During cross-examination on March 15, attorney F. Lee Bailey asked Fuhrman whether he had used the word "nigger" in the previous 10 years, to which Fuhrman replied that he had not.[26] The defense tried to introduce witnesses and audiotape evidence to prove that Fuhrman had lied under oath, that he had a particular animus against interracial couples, that he had a history of perpetrating violence against African-Americans, and that he had a history of being willing to fabricate evidence or testimony.[30][31] In accordance with the California Evidence Code,[32] the prosecution sought to exclude this evidence by arguing that it was too inflammatory and could prejudice the predominantly black jury. Although they conceded that Fuhrman used racial epithets on the tape, the prosecution suggested that the remainder of the material was merely exaggerated "puffing and blowing".[33]

On August 31, Judge Lance Ito ruled that evidence could be introduced to prove that Fuhrman had lied about use of the word "nigger", but that claims of violence and police misconduct were inadmissible.[30] On September 5, the defense produced multiple witnesses and audiotapes to establish that Fuhrman had used the word "nigger" within the last 10 years.[4] The tape eventually resulted in a perjury charge against Fuhrman, to which he pleaded no contest. First, Laura Hart McKinny took the stand. Between 1985 and 1994, Fuhrman gave taped interviews to McKinny, a writer working on a screenplay about female police officers. Fuhrman was working as a consultant for McKinny on the understanding that he would be paid $10,000 if a movie were produced. The recordings contain 41 instances of the word "nigger" used as recently as 1988,[34] including references in which Fuhrman claims to have perpetrated violence against African-Americans.[31] In the recordings, he also says he thinks it is sometimes necessary to lie as a police officer and that he has given testimony about events he did not actually witness.[31]

After McKinny, witness Kathleen Bell testified. She had met Fuhrman at a Marine recruiting station in 1985 or 1986,

Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[40]

During his closing argument, defense attorney Johnnie Cochran called Fuhrman "a lying, perjuring, genocidal racist",[41] likening him to Adolf Hitler.[42] He argued that Fuhrman had planted the bloody glove on Simpson's estate as part of a racially motivated plot against Simpson, which could be traced back to Fuhrman's first encounter with the interracial couple in 1985.[41] Although there was no evidence to suggest that Fuhrman had planted the glove, his perjury about his use of the word "nigger" was widely seen as severely damaging the prosecution's credibility in front of the mostly black jury, especially in the wake of the Rodney King trial,[43] and has been cited as one of the main reasons Simpson was acquitted.[3]

Aftermath

Fuhrman's words on the tapes resulted in his being widely condemned, including by the prosecution. His use of racial epithets and accusations that he had planted evidence became a focal point of the trial and attracted enormous media attention that for a time eclipsed coverage of the crime itself, such that Ron Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, sarcastically told the media, "This is now the Fuhrman trial. It is not the trial of O. J. Simpson, the man accused of murdering my son and Nicole."[44]

After the trial, there was widespread pressure on

California Attorney General, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.[46]

On July 5, 1996, Lungren announced that he would file perjury charges against Fuhrman and soon thereafter offered Fuhrman a plea bargain. On October 2, Fuhrman accepted the deal and pleaded no contest to the charges. He was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $200.[47] Fuhrman is the only person to have been convicted of criminal charges related to the Simpson case.[48] His probation ended early in 1998, and his felony charges were expunged 18 months later.[49]

In an October 1996 television interview with Diane Sawyer, Fuhrman said he did not plant evidence in the Simpson case. He said he is not a racist, and apologized for his use of racist language. He said he had forgotten about the existence of the audiotapes and that they were merely part of a misguided effort to have a fictional screenplay produced.[50] A police investigation of the claims of violence on the tapes found that Fuhrman had grossly exaggerated,[51] and many of his minority former coworkers have expressed support for Fuhrman and said they do not believe he is a racist.[5]

In his book

death penalty case — as the Brown and Goldman murder case might have become — can be sentenced to death themselves.[14][53] Bugliosi further argues that Fuhrman was one of the victims in the case and that his lying under oath about racial epithets did not rise to the level of indictable perjury, because it was immaterial to the actual facts of the case.[14]

Post-trial career

Murder in Brentwood

After retiring from the LAPD in early 1995, Fuhrman moved to

ISBN 0895264218), which includes a foreword by Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor of the Charles Manson case. In the book, Fuhrman apologized for the racist remarks on the audiotapes, terming them "immature, irresponsible ramblings" made because of a desire to make money; he contends that the tapes were merely part of a screenplay. He argued that Lungren had charged him to garner black support for a planned campaign for governor of California
, in 1998.

Despite being told that Lungren's case was "flimsy at best", Fuhrman said that he felt that he had no choice but to plead no contest. He claimed that he could not afford to mount an adequate defense; he already owed thousands of dollars in legal bills, and the city's Police Protective League would not help him pay them. He also claimed that he could not pay the living expenses for a trial that would take several months (or years, in case of an appeal). He also believed that he could not get a fair trial in the racially charged climate of the time, and he thought that an acquittal would have caused a riot which would have been similar to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He also wanted to protect his family from harassment by the press.[45]

Fuhrman has stated that he believes that the LAPD could have arrested Simpson on the afternoon of June 13, based on the blood evidence and his apparently contradictory statements during questioning; however, he believes that senior LAPD officials did not want to take a chance on being wrong about Simpson and they wanted to wait until the preliminary genetic evidence came in.[45] Fuhrman argues that several errors which were made by his LAPD colleagues permitted the defense team to allege that there was suspicious police conduct at Nicole Brown Simpson's residence. For instance, Fuhrman has claimed that the initial search warrant which was submitted by one of the detectives who was investigating the case, Phillip Vannatter, was too short and it did not include enough details regarding the probable cause and the evidence which was on hand at the time. Fuhrman has also argued that major pieces of evidence were mishandled and he also believes that his colleagues did not realize that their every move would be scrutinized in court due to the nature of the case.[45]

Fuhrman asserts that the police and the prosecution made other errors that reduced the chances of a guilty verdict. For example, Fuhrman and his partner, Brad Roberts, found a bloody fingerprint on the north walkway gate of Nicole Brown Simpson's house. According to Fuhrman, at least some of it belonged to the suspect, because there was enough blood at the scene to suggest that the suspect was bleeding. This piece of evidence was potentially critical; Simpson claimed that he'd cut himself on the night of the murders but he hadn't been to his ex-wife's house in a week. Had the fingerprint been tied to Simpson in any way, it could have been a crippling blow to his defense. It also could have contradicted the defense team's allegation that Fuhrman planted the glove, since Fuhrman did not know nor did he have a reason to know that it was Simpson's blood;[45] however, the fingerprint was destroyed at some point and at trial, it was only mentioned superficially. In fact, Fuhrman later discovered that Vannatter and Lange did not even know that the fingerprint was there because they never read Fuhrman's notes. Roberts could have offered testimony that would have corroborated the existence of the fingerprint and several of Fuhrman's other observations, but the leading prosecutor Marcia Clark never asked him to testify. This rankled Fuhrman almost as much as Vannatter's and Lange's failure to read his notes; Furhman believed that Clark decided not to call Roberts to avoid embarrassing Vannatter on the stand.[45]

Fuhrman has said that he feels that the prosecution abandoned him once the tapes were made public. He said that he pleaded the Fifth Amendment after he could not get the prosecution to call him to the stand for a

mistrial.[54]

Other books

For his next book, Murder in Greenwich (1998,

2002 television movie starring Christopher Meloni as Fuhrman.[57]

In 2001, Fuhrman published Murder in Spokane: Catching a Serial Killer (

ISBN 0060853379
), which emphasized gaps in the medical and legal records that might allow for the possibility that Schiavo was murdered.

In 2006, Fuhrman published A Simple Act of Murder: November 22, 1963 (

ISBN 1596985844
), which addressed the fine line between crime reporting and entertainment.

Radio and television commentary

Fuhrman is a forensic and crime scene expert for

Mapleton Communications, LLC, of Monterey, California.[60]

Personal life

Fuhrman has been married three times. He was a collector of various war

memorabilia and medals.[1]

In popular culture

In

American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson, Fuhrman is portrayed by Steven Pasquale. He was portrayed by Alexander Man in Joshua Newton's film Nicole & O.J.. In Captain America: Civil War, he is mentioned by character Sam Wilson (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Butterfield, Fox (March 2, 1996). "Behind the Badge: A Special Report". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c "Witnesses Tell Jury of Fuhrman's Racial Epithets: Simpson trial: Ex-detective disparaged interracial couples and bragged about making up charges, two women say. The session ends with the playing of writer's tapes". Los Angeles Times. September 6, 1995.
  3. ^ a b "Why LAPD Det. Mark Fuhrman May Have Helped OJ Simpson Get Away With Murder". Mic. February 17, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Claude. "A Chilling TV Interview Lays Bare Mark Fuhrman, Racist And Liar". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Co-Workers Paint Different Portrait of Mark Fuhrman LAPD: In contrast to racist boasts on tapes, black, Latino colleagues describe a hard-working, unbiased cop". Los Angeles Times. November 8, 1995.
  6. ^ "Detective grilled about bloody glove at estate, past testimony O. J. SIMPSON TRIAL". The Baltimore Sun. March 15, 1995.
  7. ^ Adams, Lorraine (August 22, 1995). "Stories Of Fuhrman Depict Racist Braggart". The Seattle Times.
  8. ^ "Military Books − Mark Fuhrman". Military-Writers.com. 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "Witness for the Prosecution". People.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g An Incendiary Defense, The New Yorker, July 25, 1994; accessed March 6, 2016.
  11. ^
    The Los Angeles Times
    . Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  12. ^ "O.J. Trial Lawyer Asserts Conspiracy Is to Blame". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Neyfakh, Leon (February 2, 2016). "Fact vs. Fiction in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story?". Slate.
  14. ^
    ISBN 0-393-04050-X
    .
  15. ISSN 2641-9599
    . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  16. ISSN 2165-1736
    . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  17. ^ Nemetz, Dave (June 17, 2016). "'O.J.: Made in America': 5 Things We Learned From Part 4". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  18. ^ "First Officer at Scene Ends Long Simpson Testimony". Los Angeles Times. February 15, 1995.
  19. ^ "New Straits Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  20. ^ a b "Philip Vannatter, 70, Dies; O. J. Simpson Investigator". The New York Times. January 24, 2012.
  21. ^ a b "O.J. Simpson trial: Mark Furhman denies being a racist".
  22. ^ Craig Wolff (March 23, 1997). "Look Who's Talking". The New York Times.
  23. ^ Amanda Remling (February 2, 2016). "O.J. Simpson Case: Facts About Nicole Brown Simpson's Death, The Murder Trial Before 'American Crime Story'". International Business Times.
  24. ^ "List of the evidence in the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial". USA Today.
  25. ^ "Ex-prosecutor: O.J. Simpson lawyer tampered with glove". USA Today.
  26. ^ a b c d "Chronology of the O. J. Simpson Case".
  27. ^ "A Detective Could Become An Issue at Simpson Trial". The New York Times. February 21, 1995.
  28. ^ "A Jury Is Chosen to Hear The Simpson Murder Case". The New York Times. November 4, 1994.
  29. ^ a b Rex Sorgatz (February 22, 2019). "Document: The Jury Selection Questionnaire from the OJ Simpson Trial". Medium.
  30. ^ a b c "Ito's Final Decision on the Fuhrman Tapes". Court Document. Jack Walraven. January 20, 1995. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  31. ^ a b c "My World and Welcome... Info Pages: Excerpts from the Fuhrman Tapes".
  32. ^ Cal. Evid. Code § 352
  33. ^ "Prosecutor To Ask Ito To Step Down Fuhrman Tapes Raise Conflict Of Interest". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 16, 1995. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015.
  34. ^ a b c d Seigel, Jessica (September 6, 1995). "SIMPSON JURY FINALLY HEARS FUHRMAN'S SLURS". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  35. ^ "FUHRMAN TAKES A BEATING". Time. September 5, 1995.
  36. ^ "MARK FUHRMAN'S CHILDHOOD RACISM EXPOSED ON A 2-PART 'LEEZA'".[permanent dead link]
  37. ^ "Simpson Jury Hears of Racist Incidents". The New York Times. September 6, 1995.
  38. ^ Testimony of Roderic Hodge, umkc.edu; accessed March 6, 2016.
  39. ^ Fuhrman's Comments Introduced At The O.j. Simpson Trial
  40. ^ "Fuhrman Invokes 5th Amendment, Refuses to Testify". Los Angeles Times. September 7, 1995.
  41. ^ a b "Acquit Simpson and Send Police a Message, Cochran Urges Jury". Los Angeles Times. September 28, 1995.
  42. ISBN 9780684832647
    – via Internet Archive. lying, perjuring, genocidal racist.
  43. ^ Ross, Janell (March 6, 2016). "That knife allegedly found on O.J. Simpson's property says plenty about why he was acquitted". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  44. ^ Dunne, Dominick. "How O.J. Simpson's Dream Team Played the "Race Card" and Won". Vanity Fair.
  45. ^
    ISBN 0-89526-421-8
    .
  46. ^ "Fuhrman May Be Charged With Perjury at Simpson Trial" November 1995 article originally appearing in the Los Angeles Times. Accessed January 8, 2008.
  47. ^ "Fuhrman Bargains Out Of Jail Time". Chicago Tribune. October 3, 1996.
  48. ^ Trex, Ethan. "Four Famous People Convicted of Perjury". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  49. ^ "Mark Fuhrman's perjury probation ends". CNN. April 24, 1998. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015.
  50. ^ "Fuhrman Grants Interview, Apologizes for Slurs". Los Angeles Times. October 8, 1996.
  51. ^ Los Angeles Police Report Says Fuhrman Overstated Brutal Exploits, The New York Times, May 6, 1997.
  52. ^ "2011 California Code :: Penal Code :: Part 1. Of Crimes and Punishments [25 - 680] :: Chapter 5. Perjury and Subornation of Perjury :: Section 128". Justia Law.
  53. ^ "Law section". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
  54. ^ a b "Prosecutors Drop Demand That Ito Step Down In Case". The New York Times. August 17, 1995.
  55. ^ The Martha Moxley Murder – Whirlpool of Doubts, trutv.com; accessed March 6, 2016.
  56. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  57. ^ Murder in Greenwich (TV Movie) details, IMDb.com; accessed March 6, 2016.
  58. ISSN 1939-442X
    . Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  59. ^ "Mark Fuhrman". Fox News. June 15, 2022.
  60. ^ "Mark Fuhrman, detective in O.J. Simpson case, loses talk show". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. November 16, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2020.

External links

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