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NBC News Poll: 10 years after Simpson verdict

An NBC News poll commissioned 10 years after the O.J. Simpson verdict shows that race is still a large factor in public opinion.
/ Source: NBC News

Q1: From what you've heard, do you think O. J. Simpson murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman?

        Total   White   Black   Other   

Yes    77%   87%     29%    68%

No     22      12       70      30                                              

Q2: [ASKED ONLY OF THOSE WHO ANSWERED YES IN Q1] Which comes closer to your view of the prosecutors in the O.J. Simpson criminal trial: 

                                       Total    White  Black  Other   

They did the best job they
could in the circumstances.  37%     37%    48%    34%

They blew it--they should have
been able to get a guilty
verdict, but they didn't       63        63       53       66

                                                     

Q3: As you may know, there were nine African-Americans on the first jury in the O.J. Simpson criminal trial and nine whites on the second jury in the civil trial. Do you think that the racial makeup of the two juries was:

                                        Total   White  Black  Other   

Single most important reason   1%    0%      1%     0%

A very important reason          11    12       13       6

Only somewhat important        31     31       31    31

Not important at all                35     36       33    34

                                                   
Q4: As you may know, O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson had two young children who lived with her family during the first trial and now live with him. Do you think it is appropriate or inappropriate for O.J. Simpson to have custody of those children?                                        

                 Total   White   Black   Other   

Appropriate   41%   33%    83%    44%

Inappropriate    58    66     15       55

                                                     

Q5: If you could have dinner with O.J. Simpson, would you? 

          Total   White  Black   Other   

Yes      25%     17%  63%     33%

No       74        82      37       66

NBC News commissioned Knowledge Networks to field these questions between May 28-June 1, 2004. 1,186 panel members responded to the survey. The survey sample includes an over-sample of 366 African Americans. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Sampling error for subgroups may be higher.