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Title: O.J. Simpson found guilty of all charges in Nevada
Source:
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URL Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3624079
Published: Oct 4, 2008
Author: AP
Post Date: 2008-10-04 02:38:33 by christine
Keywords: None
Views: 690
Comments: 10
LAS VEGAS -- O.J. Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after he was acquitted of murder in 1995, was found guilty Friday of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room. Simpson, 61, could spend the rest of his life in prison. A weary and somber Simpson released a heavy sigh as the charges were read by the clerk in Clark County District Court. He was immediately taken into custody. The Hall of Fame football star was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and 12 other charges for gathering up five men a year ago and storming into a room at a hotel-casino, where the group seized several game balls, plaques and photos. Prosecutors said two of the men with him were armed; one of them said Simpson asked him to bring a gun. The verdict came 13 years to the day after Simpson was cleared of murdering his ex-wife and a friend of hers in Los Angeles in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century. Simpson's co-defendant, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, also was found guilty on all charges and taken into custody. Simpson showed little emotion as officers handcuffed him and walked him out of the courtroom. His sister, Carmelita Durio, sobbed behind him. From the beginning, Simpson and lawyers argued the incident was not a robbery, but an attempt to reclaim mementos that had been stolen from him. He said he did not ask anyone to bring a weapon and did not see any guns. The defense portrayed Simpson as a victim of shady characters who wanted to make a buck off his famous name, and police officers who saw his arrest as an opportunity to "get" him and avenge his acquittal. Prosecutors said Simpson's ownership of the memorabilia was irrelevant; it was still a crime to try to take things by force. "When they went into that room and forced the victims to the far side of the room, pulling out guns and yelling, 'Don't let anybody out of here!' -- six very large people detaining these two victims in the room with the intent to take property through force or violence from them -- that's kidnapping," prosecutor David Roger said. Kidnapping is punishable by five years to life in prison. Armed robbery carries a mandatory sentence of at least two years behind bars, and could bring as much as 30. Simpson, who now lives in Miami, did not testify but was heard on a recording of the confrontation screaming that the dealers had stolen his property. "Don't let nobody out of this room," he declared and told the other men to scoop up his items, which included a photo of Simpson with former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Four other men charged in the case struck plea bargains that saved them from potential prison sentences in return for their testimony. Some of them had criminal records or were otherwise compromised in some way. One, for example, was an alleged pimp who testified he had a revelation from God telling him to take a plea bargain. Memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio, who arranged and secretly recorded the hotel-room confrontation, said he netted $210,000 from the media for the tapes. Similarly, minutes after the Sept. 13, 2007, incident, one of the alleged victims, sports-memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley, was calling news outlets, and the other, Bruce Fromong, spoke of getting "big money" from the case. Simpson's past haunted the case. Las Vegas police officers were heard in the recordings chuckling over Simpson's misfortune and crowing that if Los Angeles couldn't "get" him, they would. During jury selection, Simpson's lawyers expressed fears that people who believed he got away with murder might see this case as a chance to right a wrong. As a result, an unusually large pool of 500 potential jurors was called, and they were given a 26-page questionnaire. Half were almost instantly eliminated after expressing strong feelings that Simpson should have been convicted of murder. The judge instructed the jurors to put aside Simpson's earlier case. In closing arguments, defense attorney Yale Galanter acknowledged that what Simpson did to recover his memorabilia was not right. "But being stupid, and being frustrated is not being a criminal," he said. He added: "This case has taken on a life of its own because of Mr. Simpson's involvement. You know that. I know that. Every cooperator, every person who had a gun, every person who had an ulterior motive, every person who signed a book deal, every person who got paid money, the police, the district attorney's office, is only interested in one thing: Mr. Simpson."
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#1. To: christine (#0)
Simpson will appeal. Surely some error will be found and he'll skate.
A once free nation established through Revolution is now forbidden from questioning the authorities without fear of being defamed, renditioned or murdered.
I hope he gets life with no parole. He won't last long in prison. Even most prisoners won't tolerate someone like him.
God is always good!
The other half lied through their teeth so they could get on the jury and hang the murdering bastard. "In closing arguments, defense attorney Yale Galanter acknowledged that what Simpson did to recover his memorabilia was not right. "But being stupid, and being frustrated is not being a criminal," he said." No, but, doing stupid, and doing frustrated very often is!
"(S)omeone like"... who, a black who killed a couple of white people? Colin Ferguson is a hero in prison for murdering six white people and injuring nineteen others on the Long Island Railroad. Hell, King Juice Ali Muhammad will be running "his" NV prison in no time. He'll prefer white bitches for his pleasure, of course.
I can't tell you how happy it made me to see that headline! Murdering scumbag finally may get to spend a little time where he should have been for the last thirteen years.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. Perhaps while in prison he can locate Nicole's real killer.
AIPAC/PNAC/ADL/NAACP/FEDERAL RESERVE/SPLC/JINSA/ACLU/CHRISTIAN ZIONISTS/AEI/FEDERAL MEDIA & HOLLYWOOD: Oh, those Islamofascists.
Oh no!!! This will throw the 'roids and the sympathetic white guilters into a frenzy.
But he probably hasn't searched all the sandtraps on all the golf courses yet. That is where he has been looking for the last thirteen years.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. Well, that's a little odd. Why would there be a picture of him with Hoover?
Rivers of blood were spilled out over land that, in normal times, not even the poorest Arab would have worried his head over." Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
This guy killed his ex-wife after abusing her while married. He is lowest of the low and most prisoners will despise him IMO.
God is always good!
#2. To: christine (#0)
#3. To: christine, Jethro Tull, Ferret Mike (#0)
As a result, an unusually large pool of 500 potential jurors was called, and they were given a 26-page questionnaire. Half were almost instantly eliminated after expressing strong feelings that Simpson should have been convicted of murder.
#4. To: RickyJ (#2)
Even most prisoners won't tolerate someone like him.
#5. To: christine (#0)
O.J. Simpson found guilty of all charges in Nevada
Lord Acton
#6. To: christine (#0)
#7. To: all (#0)
#8. To: wbales (#6)
Perhaps while in prison he can locate Nicole's real killer.
Lord Acton
#9. To: christine (#0)
which included a photo of Simpson with former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.
#10. To: HOUNDDAWG (#4)
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