# Is O.J. guilty of murder (NOT a debate but a legal question)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-o-j-guilty-of-murder-not-a-debate-but-a-legal-question/496653>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-o-j-guilty-of-murder-not-a-debate-but-a-legal-question/496653 "2009-05-16T16:45:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-o-j-guilty-of-murder-not-a-debate-but-a-legal-question/496653/21 "2009-05-19T11:13:57Z")

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So, one can be found to have “caused” a death (civil trial), but not be guilty of actually killing that person (criminal trial). American jurisprudence at its best! It is equivilent to squaring the circle. Of course, the victim is still dead-will our distinguished legal scholars enlighten us…should the penalties for “causing” a death be the same as for “killing”?

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-o-j-guilty-of-murder-not-a-debate-but-a-legal-question/496653/22 "2009-05-19T12:29:07Z")

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There are hundred ways one can be liable for a death without it being what we think of as murder. A plane crash casued by a malfunction means that the company is liable for the deaths of all the passengers and crew, it dose not mean that murder has occured.

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