O.J. was a very popular celebrity before his wife was killed. He enjoyed great success as a comedic actor in the Police story parodies and other projects.
O.J. was viewed very favorably in both the white and black communities. He was thought of as being well-spoken and handsome. Corporations like Hertz had recruited him as a spokesman for their businesses.
O.J.'s popularity made any prosecution against him an arduous undertaking.