As the Los Angeles Superior Court's media liaison, Jerrianne Hayslett had unprecedented access to the trial - and met with Judge Lance Ito daily - as she attempted, sometimes unsuccessfully, to mediate between the court and members of the media and to balance their interests. In Anatomy of a Trial, she takes listeners behind the scenes to shed new light on people and proceedings and to show how the media and the trial participants changed the court-media landscape to the detriment of the public's understanding of the judicial system.

For those who think they've already read all there is to know about the Simpson trial, this audiobook is an eye-opener. Hayslett kept a detailed journal during the proceedings, in which she recorded anecdotes and commentary. She also shares previously undisclosed information to expose some of the myths and stereotypes perpetuated by the trial, while affirming other stories that emerged during that time. By examining this trial after more than a decade, she shows how it has produced a bunker mentality in the judicial system, shaping media and public access to courts with lasting impact on such factors as cameras in the courtroom, jury selection, admonishments from the bench, and fair-trial/free-press tensions.

The first account of the trial written with Judge Ito's cooperation, Anatomy of a Trial is a pause-registering narrative. It also includes perspectives of legal and journalism authorities and offers a blueprint for how the courts and media can better meet their responsibilities to the public. Even today, judges, lawyers, and journalists across the country say the Simpson trial changed everything. This audiobook finally tells us why.