Society has developed an insatiable fascination with celebrities. We love to see them rise, but more notably, we love to see them fall. 

Celebrities are no strangers to getting into problems with the law, and because of their visibility, their trials often become worldwide spectacles. 

According to a reliable Toronto criminal lawyer, murder trials require highly experienced and skilled lawyers as the cases are often very complex. With the wealth and power that many celebrities have, they can hire the best criminal lawyers out there and, at times, can evade harsh sentencing- even when on trial for murder.

Here is a brief overview of 4 major celebrity murder trials.  

1. OJ Simpson

In 1994, football superstar OJ Simpson was charged with the murder of his ex-wife and her alleged lover, resulting in one of the most notorious celebrity trials of all time. The trial received international recognition and was highly publicized due to OJ's level of celebrity and the severity of the crime. 

After the police found a blood-stained glove on his property, OJ was charged with double homicide. When he failed to turn himself in, a police chase broke out that ultimately ended in OJ's arrest. The chase was televised and is estimated to have been watched by 95 million people. 

The trial lasted for 11 months, but OJ's dream team of lawyers were able to get him acquitted of both charges; however, many still aren't convinced of his innocence. After the trial, OJ's ex-wife's father filed a civil suit against him in which the jury found Simpson to be guilty of the double homicide. Her family was supposed to be compensated $33.5 million, but have yet to receive the total amount. 

2. Phil Spector

Phil Spector was a famous record producer and musician who was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. 

On the day of her death, the pair were together at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. From there, they were driven to Spector's mansion by his driver. About an hour after they were dropped off, the driver heard a gunshot then saw Spector leaving his house holding a gun. 

Spector went through two trials before he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to nineteen years to life in 2009. He died in prison in early 2021 

3. Snoop Dogg

As one of the biggest rappers in the game, when Snoop Dogg was charged with murder in 1993, many people took notice. 

Snoop was charged with first-degree murder after his bodyguard McKinley Lee shot and killed Phillip Woldermariam, a rival gang member. The case didn't go to trial until two years later and ultimately ended in Snoop's acquittal on the basis that Woldermariam also had a gun and thus Lee was allegedly acting in self-defence. 

4. Mark Wahlberg

Before he ever stepped into the spotlight, Mark Wahlberg was part of a gang and had been arrested multiple times for drug-related and other offences.

When he was just 16, Wahlberg was charged with his most serious crime after attacking two men, one of which was left blind. Wahlberg was then charged with attempted murder, but the charge was later reduced to criminal contempt. 

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison; however, he only served 45 days.