CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #3 and Call-Back, September 1995

This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on a range of political and social issues. This survey focused on the O.J. Simpson murder trial, with an initial survey after the closing arguments were concluded and a call-back of some of the respondents after the verdict was announced. Initial questions examined respondents' confidence in the American justice system, their opinions on what they believed were the prosecution's and defense's strongest pieces of evidence, and whether they believed O.J. Simpson to be guilty or not guilty. Respondents were also asked in the initial survey how closely they followed the trial and whether the lawyers and Judge Lance Ito behaved properly during the trial. In the call-back portion of this survey, respondents were queried as to whether they agreed with the not-guilty verdict and whether they believed the jury spent enough time in deliberations. They were also queried as to whether the Simpson trial would make them less or more likely to serve on a jury and whether television had made a difference in the outcome. Respondents were asked for their opinions on the criminal justice system in general and whether it was biased for or against Blacks. Background information on respondents in the initial survey includes voter registration status, political party, political orientation, education, age, sex, race, and family income. Age is the only demographic information provided in the call-back.