VLS Prof Doesn't Hide His Feelings
Dublin Core
Title
VLS Prof Doesn't Hide His Feelings
Subject
Mello, Michael.
Simpson, O. J.
Description
Vermont Law Professor Michael Mello, while teaching a seminar on capital punishment, could not hide his feelings regarding the O. J. Simpson court case verdict.
Creator
Marquard, Bryan K.
Source
Valley News Staff Writer
Publisher
HIST 298, University of Mary Washington
Date
October 3, 1995 [according to the O.J. Simpson verdict date]
Rights
The materials in this online collection are held by Special Collections, Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington and are available for educational use. For this purpose only, you may reproduce materials without prior permission on the condition that you provide attribution of the source.
Format
1 JPG
300 DPI
Language
English
Coverage
South Royalton, VT
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
[start page one]
[heading]
VLS Prof Doesn't Hide His Feelings
[subheading]
By BRYAN K. MARQUARD Valley News Staff Writer
[start of the first column]
SOUTH ROYALTON- At Vermont Law School, Professor Michael Mello was teaching a capital punishment seminar a few hours after the verdicts were announced in the O.J. Simpson case.
Mello, an expert who has been involved in dozens of capital punishment cases in Florida, makes no secret of his feelings about the Simpson case.
A footnote in his curriculum vitae gives a concise list of the major newspapers he has appeared, but notes, "I am pleased to say that I have never been quoted in the Nicole Brown Simpson/Ron Goldman murder trial."
Nevertheless, he paused to invoke that case during a seminar that is a clinic on preparing a U.S. Supreme Court certiorari petition on behalf of his client, Joseph Spaziano, who is on death row in Florida for a murder in which the state's chief witness has now recounted his testimony.
"We can't let this day pass without a reference to the O. J. Case," Mello told the second- and third-year law students in the seminar. "As it turns out, I have a tie-in to Joe's case."
[start of the second column]
He then held up an editorial cartoon for the Miami Herald. On one side of the panel, Simpson was dancing, his shackled hands above his head with the shackle breathing. On the other side, Spaziano sat in an electric chair while the governor of Florida threw the switch. Simpson and the governor were smiling; Spaziano's head was covered with a hood and smoke was rising from his body.
Above Simpson, the text read, "Los Angeles, CA: Defendant faces voluminous forensic evidence, witnesses, and strong motive, but his case is investigated by a foul-mouthed, egomaniacal, racist cop..."
Above Spaziano, it read, "Tallahassee, FL: Defendant faces no forensic evidence, motive, and a main witness who admits to lying after police coerced his incriminating testimony..."
The grim, biting humor of the cartoon was mitigated a while later when a student misheard a judge's name that came up in the discussion.
"They have another Judge Ito in Florida?" the student asked.
"No, Judge Eaton," Mello replied.
"There's only one Lance Ito and there's no Dancing Eatons," he said, alluding to the Dancing Itos, a comedy sketch that has become a staple of The Tonight Show.
[end of article]
[heading]
VLS Prof Doesn't Hide His Feelings
[subheading]
By BRYAN K. MARQUARD Valley News Staff Writer
[start of the first column]
SOUTH ROYALTON- At Vermont Law School, Professor Michael Mello was teaching a capital punishment seminar a few hours after the verdicts were announced in the O.J. Simpson case.
Mello, an expert who has been involved in dozens of capital punishment cases in Florida, makes no secret of his feelings about the Simpson case.
A footnote in his curriculum vitae gives a concise list of the major newspapers he has appeared, but notes, "I am pleased to say that I have never been quoted in the Nicole Brown Simpson/Ron Goldman murder trial."
Nevertheless, he paused to invoke that case during a seminar that is a clinic on preparing a U.S. Supreme Court certiorari petition on behalf of his client, Joseph Spaziano, who is on death row in Florida for a murder in which the state's chief witness has now recounted his testimony.
"We can't let this day pass without a reference to the O. J. Case," Mello told the second- and third-year law students in the seminar. "As it turns out, I have a tie-in to Joe's case."
[start of the second column]
He then held up an editorial cartoon for the Miami Herald. On one side of the panel, Simpson was dancing, his shackled hands above his head with the shackle breathing. On the other side, Spaziano sat in an electric chair while the governor of Florida threw the switch. Simpson and the governor were smiling; Spaziano's head was covered with a hood and smoke was rising from his body.
Above Simpson, the text read, "Los Angeles, CA: Defendant faces voluminous forensic evidence, witnesses, and strong motive, but his case is investigated by a foul-mouthed, egomaniacal, racist cop..."
Above Spaziano, it read, "Tallahassee, FL: Defendant faces no forensic evidence, motive, and a main witness who admits to lying after police coerced his incriminating testimony..."
The grim, biting humor of the cartoon was mitigated a while later when a student misheard a judge's name that came up in the discussion.
"They have another Judge Ito in Florida?" the student asked.
"No, Judge Eaton," Mello replied.
"There's only one Lance Ito and there's no Dancing Eatons," he said, alluding to the Dancing Itos, a comedy sketch that has become a staple of The Tonight Show.
[end of article]
Original Format
Newspaper
Contributor of the Digital Item
Morton, Mariah
Student Editor of the Digital Item
Williams, Megan
Files
Citation
Marquard, Bryan K., “VLS Prof Doesn't Hide His Feelings,” HIST299, accessed March 12, 2026, https://hist299.umwhistory.org/items/show/238.