OPINION: By Carl E. Douglas

Thirty years ago, when the verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial was announced, half the nation exhaled in relief and the other half gasped in disbelief. I was there, a member of the defense team many dubbed the “Dream Team.” I remember vividly the polarized emotions that followed. But I also remember something else—something we have since lost: a respect for the rule of law.

Back then, as contentious and polarizing as the Simpson case was, our nation’s leadership set a tone of restraint and respect. President Bill Clinton, who almost certainly disagreed with the jury’s decision, did not attack the jurors, question their intelligence, or undermine their legitimacy. He did not label the verdict a miscarriage of justice. He respected the process, and in doing so, se

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