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December 05, 2008
Judge Sentences O.J. Simpson To 15 Years In Prison For Las Vegas Hotel Armed Robbery.
Judge sentences O.J. Simpson to 15 years in prison for Las Vegas hotel armed robbery.
O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping in a failed attempt to recover sports memorabilia from two collectibles peddlers.
There will be the possibility of parole after six years, Judge Jackie Glass said.
His co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart received the same sentence.
Before the judge handed down his sentence, Simpson apologized to her and the Las Vegas court after learning he won't be able to be freed on bail if he appeals.
Simpson appeared for his sentencing in a blue prison jumpsuit, shackles and handcuffs.
"I stand before you today sorry," an emotional Simpson told Glass, fighting back tears. "I am apologetic to the people of Nevada. ... When I came here, I came here for a wedding. I didn't come to reclaim property."
He said he thought he was taking advantage of an opportunity to retrieve items that were rightfully his.
"In no way did I mean to hurt anybody, to steal anything from anyone," Simpson said. "I didn't want anybody else's stuff. I just wanted my own. I realize that I was stupid. I am sorry. I didn’t know that I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was retrieving property from friends. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for all of it."
The 61-year-old former football star, who walked away a free man after a celebrated murder trial, faces mandatory prison time of between six years and life behind bars.
Before Glass read his sentence, she ruled that Simpson cannot be freed on bail pending a possible appeal.
She told Simpson that this case was unusual because everything was caught on tape.
"The evidence in this case was overwhelming," she said. "This was actually a very violent event."
Neither Simpson, who was acquitted of the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles, nor his co-defendant and former golfing buddy, 54-year-old Stewart, testified at trial.
Stewart also spoke at the sentencing hearing and apologized to the state of Nevada. He said he bore no ill will toward anyone involved. He asked the court for leniency and said he prays for forgiveness.
Simpson and Stewart were convicted Oct. 3 of 12 criminal charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery.
Jurors who heard 13 days of testimony said after the verdict that they were convinced of Simpson's guilt because of audio recordings middleman Thomas Riccio secretly made of the Sept. 13, 2007, Palace Station casino hotel confrontation with sports memorabilia brokers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong.
Simpson's lawyers called his actions "stupid" and admitted he broke the law, but said they didn't rise to the level of criminality that would warrant a long prison sentence. They asked Glass to show mercy.
Glass responded during her statements that she believed "it was much more than stupidity."
Wild Thing's comment........
This Judge is awesome. She is tuff and good and she said something I did not know. I have not kept up with this but when the Judge spoke today she said that every single thing was on tape.
The planning of what they were going to do.
The phone calls were also on tape.
The events in their hotel rooms how they were going to end up doing what they did.
The actual entering the room to try and pull this off
The events that happened in the room.
Every single thing on tape, and the Judge said never before has she had a case where every part of the case was on tape.
I lived in California. when the other OJ trial was going on and that one I watch from beginning to end. I had met Nicole once, worked with OK on one TV show so I was very interested. This creep got away with murder!!!!!!!
It is interesting that even though he was NOT found innocent, they never said that with the other trial in Los Angeles. He got away with murder and now he goes away for this.
Like Al Capone, he committed all kinds of crimes and they could never get him on them . Not until he got in trouble for Income tax evasion. That is what he went to jail for.
Posted by Wild Thing at December 5, 2008 01:50 PM
Comments
It is about time he got what was coming to him. It just follows the belief that a person can never truly get out of doing something they did wrong. His ethics were bound to slip up again. Justice done.
Posted by: Emily at December 5, 2008 03:09 PM
There's an interesting blog I posted about OJ at www.ebmpublishing.com. I find it ironic that he was sentenced to a violent act after being found not guilty 13 years ago for a non-violent act. But the question remains, what if he wasn't involved in Nicoles murder? We have to ask ourselves that. Nonetheless, he's gone.
Posted by: Kendall at December 5, 2008 03:41 PM
This is the worst conviction and sentencing I have ever seen.
I've seen murderers get less time than that. He was basically convicted for trying to recover his own property and the entire case was based upon hear say when it came to proving that he had a gun because the police never recovered one or saw one. Lets face it he got a raw deal and I think the American people would think so if it were'nt for his previous case.
Posted by: Bishop at December 5, 2008 04:33 PM
Emily, I agree, justice has been done.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 5, 2008 05:04 PM
Kendall, regarding the murder of Nicole, I have no doubts, no questions at all that OJ was guilty.
But this case today is not about that and he finally has been found guilty of wrong doing in regards to this case the post is about.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 5, 2008 05:07 PM
It is about time justice is serve for more than a decade Simpson as been involed with several cases such as the murder trial, then the civil trial and now this. You would think after his first trial he learned his lesson but I guess not to bad. I just feel sorry for the guy now he has to spend his golden years behind bars instead of playing golf but that is Karma.
Posted by: Vanessa at December 5, 2008 05:08 PM
Bishop, all OJ had to do was get a lawyer to work to get his stuff back if it really was his stuff. What he did is against the law in Las Vegas. There are other States where what he did would not be a crime.
This was an excellent case because as the Judge stated every single thing done was on tape. There was no way OJ could say he was innocent it was an easy case and justice was done.
His followers and fans won't like it, and I say tuff. They should pick a better person to worship. OJ is troubled man, a violent man and I am glad the Judge did the right thing.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 5, 2008 05:13 PM
O.J. Simpson is the cream of the stupidity crop. Not only did a white jury, not convict you of murdering two persons, but said there was no way you could have done it. You were acquitted and yet you still chose to mess-up again. Who in their right mind would do such a thing? I’ll tell you who, O.J. Simpson, that’s who.
In O.J’s defense, he said, “ In no way did I mean to hurt anybody, to steal anything from anyone," Simpson said. "I didn't want anybody else's stuff. I just wanted my own. I realize that I was stupid. I am sorry. I didn’t know that I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was retrieving property from friends. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for all of it."
The sad thing is, there was actual video taped evidence showing what had happened. The judge was even quoted saying, “The evidence in this case was overwhelming," she said. "This was actually a very violent event."
I have no clue what was running through his mind before, or even after, but I do know this, he got a while to sort it out.
Posted by: Thomas Powell at December 5, 2008 05:22 PM
OJ got what he deserved for what he did in Nevada separate from anything that he did in California or elsewhere as this arrogant POS thinks that he is above the law and it doesn't apply to him. Well, OJ up yours.
http://www.bakedziti.net/images/oj_simpson.jpg
In fact, he was sentenced to 33 years and will be eligible for parole only after nine years.
O.J. sentenced to as many as 33 years for robbery
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_on_en_ot/oj_simpson;_ylt=AnOR4OMfzRA2itjUwph9ocB34T0D
I was in a store this afternoon and overheard a couples of guys saying that because Obama was elected President this long prison sentence was expected retaliation. More stupid Kool-Aid drinkers in the trough of black victimization as an excuse for their own lack of responsibility and achievement.
Posted by: Les at December 5, 2008 05:29 PM
Kendall Bishop whoever, didn't you read the Judges statements ? Everything OJ did was on tape, it was a slam dunk for the prosecution. It was only a matter of who could cut a deal first to get the least time.
So much for the statements from the peanut gallery.
Before I proceed with this I know OJ killed his wife and Ron Goldman and he created a huge miscarriage of justice and laughed at the system 13 years ago and maybe this is Justice delayed...
But being from Buffalo, New York I have never seen a finer Running Back than OJ. I will get arguments here, but on the basis of reaching the Second level, he had no equal. Even when the Bills sucked and that was often, OJ always made it worth while to go to the game for 10 years I went to those games and I don't regret it.
But that is history and a memory. What he got away with 13 years ago is/was despciable. So as I said, this was purely justice delayed not quite on par with the first crime but at his age it will be comparable.
Posted by: Mark at December 5, 2008 05:31 PM
The judge did the right thing.
The sentencing was minimal. She could have been more severe sentencing him yet no matter how much more he got it still would not have been harsh enough to a lot of people.
Posted by: Claude G at December 5, 2008 06:38 PM
I guess bishop's been drinking some of O'Vomits cool-aid.
Posted by: cuchieddie at December 5, 2008 07:24 PM
What some folks miss here is the fact that OJ, with his henchmen planned the 'sting', they carried it out with a firearm involved on the behalf of OJ. Culpable no less than the mastermind of a bank robbery that implicates the felon holding the house hostage, the driver of the getaway car and the rest of the gang guarding the doors. Try looking down the barrel of any firearm held on you by a criminal and you'll have a different perspective.
OJ had prior knowledge of the goods to be fenced, he could have at any time engaged local law enforcement to accompany him to the scene, he made a very bad judgement, when his armed thugs threatened the dealer and endangered passers by, he compounded it by trying to mute the circumstances by saying there was no gun to the gang to coerce the rest into denying the fact that there was an armed altercation.
He let his disregard for former judgements against him guide his actions, not sharing the booty with the Goldman's has cost him his freedom. He let it all hang out and he stepped on it badly.
He needs a long and well deserved rest to restore his arrogance Food, lodging, medical care and personal guards, it doesn't get any better than this.
As for the judge, she sentence him basicly to the minimum sentences, she only let one sentence run consecutively, the firearms assault charge, she could have ran them all that way instead of concurrently. Don't do the crime unless you can do the time.
Bottom line he wasn't in California this time and he didn't have a hired team of high-profile lawyers, that included F. Lee Bailey, Barry Scheck, Robert Shapiro, Robert Kardashian, Alan Dershowitz, Gerald Uelmen and Johnnie Cochran. Lance Ito wasn't the judge either.
Posted by: Jack at December 5, 2008 07:29 PM
Looks like y'all have not only the post covered but did a number on Kendall and Bishop too!!
May I add...
Hey OJ! --It SUCKS to be YOU azzhole!!
Posted by: sierrahome at December 5, 2008 08:27 PM
