Three Decades Later, Cop in OJ Case Is Punished

It's a strange development for one of the central figures in the OJ Simpson trial. Three decades later, former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman has been formally barred from working as a police officer in California, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The punishment doesn't have much practical effect: Fuhrman is 72, he retired from the force in 1995, and he has never expressed any interest in returning in any capacity. Still, the belated penalty took effect in May, reports the Chronicle. The move stems from a newly passed law that prohibits people from becoming officers if they've been convicted of a felony.

As it turns out, that applies to Fuhrman, finder of the infamous bloody glove, who pleaded no contest to perjury decades ago. As the AP explains, he testified during the Simpson trial that he hadn't made any racial slurs, but a recording later played in court proved that to be untrue. Reached for comment by the AP, Fuhrman replied: "That was 30 years ago. You guys are really up to speed." When told about the new punishment reported by the San Francisco newspaper, he said, "Good for them, have a nice day," and hung up. The Chronicle notes that Furhman's was the only conviction stemming from the double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

(More Mark Fuhrman stories.)