‘What the f*** dude’: Marcia Clark reveals rage over Mark Fuhrman racist tapes and says she would have found OJ Simpson not guilty too if she were a jury member while disgraced cop gets emotional saying tapes ‘ended his life’

  • New documentary OJ: Made In America makes clear it was partly the actions of LAPD officer Mark Fuhrman that sank the case
  • Fuhrman was the most important witness for the prosecution as he found a bloody glove on Simpson's property that matched the one at the scene
  • He denied planting the glove in Simpson's yard and said he hadn't used the N-word in the previous 10 years
  • But the defense found tapes of him using that word an astonishing 41 times while helping a writer on a screenplay
  • That is when, according to Clark, the trial became about race and not the two victims 

Marcia Clark was constantly criticized during, and after, the OJ Simpson trial by the American public, but as the new documentary OJ: Made In America makes clear it was much more the actions of Los Angeles Police Department officer Mark Fuhrman and her own co-counsel Christopher Darden that sank the case.

Darden was the one who decided to make Simpson try on the infamous black gloves in front of the jury during the trial, something Clark had said they would not be doing on multiple occasions.

She said there was nothing for them to lose, having already proven Nicole Brown bought the items and showing photos of the defendant wearing them.

But Darden ignored Clark and as everyone now knows the gloves did not fit.

Simpson’s former agent Mike Gilbert revealed though that this was not because they had shrunk or were the wrong gloves, but rather because Simpson had stopped taking his arthritis medicine for two weeks knowing his hands would swell and his joints become stiff.

Then there was Fuhrman, who in his first round of questioning shot down insinuations he planted the glove in Simpson’s yard while also denying he had used the N-word in the previous 10 years.

Then, the defense found tapes of him using that word an astonishing 41 times while helping a writer on a screenplay.

Clark said she learned about the tapes the day they arrived in LA, and her reaction was: 'What the f**** dude?’

Scroll down for video

Marcia Clark (pictured in OJ: Made in America) said she learned about the tapes showing Mark Fuhrman using the N-word on the day they arrived in LA, and her reaction was: 'What the f**** dude?’

Marcia Clark (pictured in OJ: Made in America) said she learned about the tapes showing Mark Fuhrman using the N-word on the day they arrived in LA, and her reaction was: 'What the f**** dude?’

Fuhrman (pictured in the documentary) denied having used the N-word in the previous 10 years. Then, the defense found tapes of him using that word an astonishing 41 times while helping a writer on a screenplay

Fuhrman (pictured in the documentary) denied having used the N-word in the previous 10 years. Then, the defense found tapes of him using that word an astonishing 41 times while helping a writer on a screenplay

'Listening to that I felt like someone just opened a drain pipe and rolled it all over my body,’ added Clark.

The lead prosecutor then went a step further, saying she too would probably believe that Fuhrman planted evidence had she heard these words.

‘I didn’t want to look at him and I just thought: "You make me sick,"’ said Clark.

‘You have been a liar throughout and the only reason i know you didn’t plant the evidence is because you couldn’t have. Otherwise, I’m with them.’

That is when, according to Clark, the trial became about race and not the two victims. In one clip from the trial she is seen reading an editorial cartoon at the time to Judge Lane Ito in which a child asks her mother what the N-word is that everyone is afraid to say.

‘Nicole,’ answers the mother.

Fuhrman meanwhile spoke about his actions for one of very few times in the 20 years since the trial, getting emotional at one point as he talked about what he lost because of those tapes.

‘When you hear those things [in the tapes], some of the characters in that screenplay are wrapped around some of the people I knew in the LAPD and other departments, said Fuhrman as way of explanation.

‘I can remember where I heard them. I can remember some who said them. Then, there's a little exaggeration.’

That is when, according to Clark, the trial became about race and not the two victims. Pictured, Fuhrman is questioned by  Clark about finding the bloody glove, shown on the screen above, at OJ Simpson's home

That is when, according to Clark, the trial became about race and not the two victims. Pictured, Fuhrman is questioned by Clark about finding the bloody glove, shown on the screen above, at OJ Simpson's home

Clark said the only reason she didn't believe Fuhrman planted evidence against Simpson (pictured during his trial) was that he couldn't have done so

Clark said the only reason she didn't believe Fuhrman planted evidence against Simpson (pictured during his trial) was that he couldn't have done so

He then said of the release of the tapes and their very public reception: ‘Yeah, it was pretty bad. And there’s nothing you can take back, like an “Oh gee gosh, sorry.”’

Fuhrman went on to say that what bothered him most was that he had always been so fair, claiming he never used tasers or sticks and that he was ‘fair on the street’ during his years as a cop.

He then became emotional as he spoke about how much his life changed, losing friends and family and everything he had worked for after coming from very little.

‘For you, it’s a documentary,’ he told the producer interviewing him.

‘For me, it’s the end of my life. You know, I’m going to tell you a story. In 1989 I was married, I had a house, I had a daughter who was born in 91, a son who was born in 93, had this group of friends, unbelievable friends.

‘Every one of them was different than me though - they all came from intact families. Fathers, houses they sill go back to, rooms that they still had, but they welcomed me into this group.

‘I thought i had it made. I finally was happy for the first time in my life, then I answered a phone.’

In addition to ruining Fuhrman’s life those tapes, in the opinion of many, also meant that justice would not be served in the murder case, and there would be no punishment for the person who may have ended the brief lives of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.

‘What was going on inside the courtroom was manipulation to the extreme,’ said Clark.

‘The whole case got forgotten now. It was all about Fuhrman. It was all about racial justice.’

Fuhrman was the most important witness for the prosecution in the Simpson trial as he discovered a bloody glove on the football player's property that matched the one found at the scene where his ex-wife was murdered alongside Goldman.

He also discovered blood on the Bronco outside Simpson's home the night of the murder.

Fuhrman (pictured in court) spoke about his actions for one of very few times in the 20 years since the trial, getting emotional at one point as he talked about what he lost because of those tapes

Fuhrman (pictured in court) spoke about his actions for one of very few times in the 20 years since the trial, getting emotional at one point as he talked about what he lost because of those tapes

As a result, the defense team worked hard to discredit him at the trial, with lawyer F. Lee Bailey hinting through his questions during cross examination that Fuhrman might be a racist who planted the glove at Simpson's home.

To drive this home, Bailey at one point asked Fuhrman if he had ever used a racial slur, specifically the N-word, at any point in the past 10 years.

The LAPD detective answered Bailey, under oath, saying he had not used the word in the past 10 years as of that date, March 15, 1995.

On September 5, 1995, jurors in the case heard a recording of Fuhrman briefly saying the N-word twice, including when he spoke about his hometown by saying; 'We have no n****** where I grew up.'

They did not however hear what came before that line of the tapes, which was: 'People there don't want n****** in their town. People there don't want Mexicans in their town.

'They don't want anybody but good people in their town, and anyway you can do to get them out of there that's fine with them. We have no n****** where I grew up.'

They also did not hear the 39 other times Fuhrman used the N-word tapes obtained by the defense.

That brief recording heard by the jury was taken from 13 hours of interviews between Fuhrman and screenwriter Laura McKinny recorded between 1985 and 1994, with the last tape being made a month after Simpson was charged in his wife's murder.

Fuhrman first uses the racial slur while complaining about changes in the LAPD, saying; 'That we've got females ...and dumb n******, and all your Mexicans that can't even write the name of the car they drive.'

He also uses it when discussing his issues with his fellow Americans donating money to other countries, saying; 'You know these people here, we got all this money going to Ethiopia for what. To feed a bunch of dumb n***** that their own government won't even feed.'

The prosecution made Fuhrman one of its most important witnesses  as he found a bloody glove on Simpson's property that matched the one at the scene. Pictured, Defense attorney F Lee Bailey (standing up) cross examines Fuhrman as  Clark (left) and her co-counsel Christopher Darden (center) listen

The prosecution made Fuhrman one of its most important witnesses as he found a bloody glove on Simpson's property that matched the one at the scene. Pictured, Defense attorney F Lee Bailey (standing up) cross examines Fuhrman as Clark (left) and her co-counsel Christopher Darden (center) listen

Darden was the one who decided to make Simpson try on the infamous black gloves (one of them is pictured at the scene) in front of the jury, ignoring Clark's advice. As everyone now knows they did not fit

Darden was the one who decided to make Simpson try on the infamous black gloves (one of them is pictured at the scene) in front of the jury, ignoring Clark's advice. As everyone now knows they did not fit

More than once though he is describing a violent incident, like when he tells a story about beating up a suspect in his custody.

'We basically get impatient with him being so f****** stupid. Which I thought he was. So I just handcuffed him and went the scenic route to the station.

'We searched him again and found the gun. Went over to the baseball diamond and talked to him. When I left, Dana goes, "No blood Mark."

'"No problem, not even any marks, Dana." Just body shots.

'Did you ever try to find a bruise on a n*****. It is pretty tough, huh?'

Another time he is complaining about members of the force no longer being allowed to use certain methods of force on suspects.

'We stopped the choke because a bunch of n****** have a bunch of these organizations in the south end, and because all n****** are choked out and killed - 12 in 10 years.

'Really is extraordinary, isn't it?'

Fuhrman also uses the slur while explaining his reasons for possibly pulling over a motorist, saying; 'N***** drivin' a Porsche that doesn't look like he's got a $300 suit on, you always stop him.'

In his final recording, Fuhrman talks about the Simpson case and having discovered the glove, telling McKinny; 'I'm the key witness in the biggest case of the century. And, if I go down, they lose the case. The glove is everything. Without the glove - bye, bye.'

He later says; 'Well, the funny thing about it is just like the attorney said, `For the rest of your life, this is you: you're bloody glove Fuhrman, that's it.

'He says you might as well make it pay off, if you don't make it pay off, all you're doing is going through all this heartache for nothing. Go for Shapiro, he's an a******.'

Fuhrman also angrily refers to Simpson's lawyer Robert Shapiro as a 'Jew' and says that he looks forward to filing a libel lawsuit against him after comments he made about the detective in a New Yorker story.

The day after the tapes were played for the jury, Fuhrman once again took the witness stand and said to every question asked by the defense; 'I wish to assert my 5th Amendment privilege.'

He even gave that response to the last question asked by the defense as to whether or not he planted evidence at Simpson's home.

The jury was not present for Fuhrman's testimony.

He pleaded no contest to the charges in October of that year and received three-years probation, making him the only person involved in the Simpson case to be convicted on any charges.

Fuhrman retired from the LAPD soon after the tapes emerged and accepted a plea on his perjury charges.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now