Is O.J. Getting A Fair Shake?
Cops Say Yes; Defense Attorney And Some Critics Aren't So Sure
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Las Vegas court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer, center, talks to reporters about the arrest of O.J. Simpson, Las Vegas, Sept. 17, 2007. In white pants with a clipboard: Judge Nancy Oesterle, whose job is handling the media. (AP)
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O.J. Simpson says the items he is accused of stealing in an armed robbery belonged to him. If the charges he already faces stick, and lead to conviction, he could wind up spending many years in prison. (AP/Las Vegas Metropolitan P.D.)
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Some of the sports memorabilia in the alleged robbery date back to O.J. Simpson's glory days as a football star. Above: O.J., a running back for the 49ers, exits Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, Dec. 16, 1979. (AP (file))
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A bail bondsman drives past the Vegas jail, Sept. 17, 2007, where O.J. Simpson is being held on robbery charges - without bail, and separate from the other inmates at the jail, for his own protection. (AP)
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Walter Alexander, 46, of Mesa, Ariz., a friend of Simpson's, was the first to be arrested in the alleged robbery (above, his booking photo, Sept. 15, 2007). He was released without bail a few hours later. (AP/Las Vegas Police Dept.)
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Play CBS Video Video O.J. Simpson Arrested
O.J. Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas on charges of alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia, in a bizarre case that has put the former NFL player behind bars. Jeff Glor reports.
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CBS Evening News, 09.16.07
Sunday: O.J. Simpson is arrested, jet crashes in Thailand, wildfires rage in California, Iowa caucuses generate big bucks, banks raise ATM fees, and an unlikely designer shows sex appeal.
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O.J. Simpson Arrested
Former NFL star O.J. Simpson was arrested on felony charges in an alleged armed robbery that took place in Las Vegas. Bill Whitaker reports.
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Photo Essay
Murder In Brentwood
A look back at the Simpson-Goldman murders.
Police insist such treatment is prudent for a man whose name is synonymous with a slow-speed chase from officers in a white Ford Bronco. But legal experts are questioning whether Simpson is being singled out for extra-tough prosecution in his casino-hotel robbery case as payback for his murder acquittal more than a decade ago.
"It is regrettable that America has not gotten over the O.J. Simpson criminal case," said Carl Douglas, who was co-counsel with Johnnie L. Cochran in Simpson's 1995 criminal trial.
"The fact that he is being held without bail seems unfair and over the top," Douglas said. "O.J. has always been able to satisfy his obligations to the court. He cooperated with the authorities in this case. He is not a flight risk. And he certainly can't hide anywhere."
At least six plainclothes policemen, accompanied by a handful of hotel security guards, arrested Simpson on Sunday at The Palms casino-hotel. He was accused of leading an armed heist of sports memorabilia. Simpson said he was only reclaiming possessions that had been stolen.
"By our standard, there was no major show of force," Sgt. John Loretto said.
Simpson was handcuffed and taken in a police vehicle to the Clark County Detention Center to be booked on six felonies, including two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon. If convicted of the charges, he could get up to 30 years in state prison on each robbery count alone.
Simpson became inmate number 2648927.
Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith, who made the decision to hold Simpson without bail, was "concerned about the flight factor" and because Simpson had no ties to the Las Vegas area, said Judge Nancy Oesterle, who addressed reporters on Monday.
Arraignment is set for Wednesday. Yale Galanter, Simpson's lawyer, said he was preparing a bond motion and will ask for Simpson's release on his own recognizance.
"This is the kind of case that will test how fair and professional our legal system is. When you have such a groundswell of dislike for someone, you have to make sure they are treated like anyone else."
Thomas Mesereau Jr., the defense attorney who won an acquittal for Michael Jackson in 2005
"You can't rob something that is yours," Galanter said. "O.J. said, 'You've got stolen property. Either you return it or I call the police."'
Police said they were giving Simpson no special treatment - other than keeping him separated from the rest of the general prison population for his own protection.
In June 1994, Los Angeles police gave Simpson a day and a time to turn himself in to face allegations he had killed ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. It was a courtesy, said then-prosecutor Marcia Clark, often extended to celebrities or those with no criminal record.
Instead, Simpson jumped in an SUV, apparently with a loaded gun and ready to commit suicide, and led police and media helicopters on a dramatic, televised chase before surrendering.
"The Bronco chase was a nightmare," said Clark, now a special correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight." "Certainly he has abused that courtesy, so I would not expect anyone to extend it to him again."
In a clear misstatement, Capt. James Dillon said Friday at a news conference that, because Simpson was involved, police were being extra careful to conduct "a thorough, biased and competent investigation."
But some think it might have been more than a slip of the tongue.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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See all 107 Comments"Walter Alexander, 46, of Mesa, Ariz., was released without bail, despite facing charges almost identical to Simpson''s." - from this article
You''re right, nikkicatt1, the judge sure didn''t cater to OJ. Sounds to me like the judge might have gone a little too far in the other direction.
The flaw in your argument is that there was all kinds of "DNA" evidence against OJ and he was still let off. Why?, because he''s black and had mostly a black jury. So what that equates to is this -- OJ was let off because he''s black, the blacks in LA dont like cops and didnt want to convict him, and once the race card gets pulled out, the blacks jump right on board.
Hopefully the patheticly overzealous district attorney and his minions lose their ability to practice law (or should I say not practice law) over this ethics breach.
No, that test was flunked in 1995 when Simpson was aquitted.
As far as I am concerned OJ can rot in the fiery place the devil inhabits for eternity.
A BLACK MAN IN RACIST AMERICA AND WE ASK THAT QUESTION?
Any bigoted white supremacist that is not in denial of America''s racist history, say OJ is getting a ''fair'' shake and you will be believed by the masses. LOL
Or post inflammatory comments like our friend Agnim. (among others)
Posted by b48151 at 11:59 AM : Sep 18, 2007
Exactly. In this case, I''m not too concerned whether he is "getting a fair shake." 1 injustice + 1 injustice might just = justice in this case.
He didn''t call the police, he didn''t wait for them to do their job, and all because he''s OJ, b..it..ch! OJ don''t have to obey laws like everyone else, get it? Now why you got this poor, persecuted murderer (ooooops...never convicted) in jail and not letting him out to play golf? How is that fair...it''s OJ, remember? He..ll, he beat murder. Armed robbery is a snap.
These lawyers who come up with this kind of defense c..rap need to be run out of town.
Should anyone really care about his trials?
A) almost all black people i know or have ever heard comment on him (besides lawyers) think hes guilty and make fun of him.
B) The guy does and says low integrity things because hes a jerk and feels invulnerable
C) He was pretty clearly guilty of the murders and at minimum horrendous abuse, and got off on technicalities.
Let them do what they need to do and stop defending him. Hes the WRONG poster child to defend for human rights and liberty.
How many bad things does this guy have to commit to realize that he, at best, is an illiterate or semi-literate low life like any other criminal.
Sheeeesh!
your writing is really bad. If you are trying to be artistic maybe you need to go work at the local convienience store, because that is not art, it is just garbage
bxjohnson: Your claim to fame?
WHO CARES?!!!!!
If O J truly did it and says today that he is sorry. The Goldmans still won''t know how to forgive. Learn to forgive. It is a powerful source for healing.
Gotta love America, home to hundreds of thousands of lawyers out to make money any way they can.
Anyone ever hear of any other case like this where someone is found criminally innocent, then in a civil case is ordered to pay ANYONE for the rest of their darned life?
What gives here?
Gotta love America, home to hundreds of thousands of lawyers out to make money any way they can.
Anyone ever hear of any other case like this where someone is found criminally innocent, then in a civil case is ordered to pay ANYONE for the rest of their darned life?
What gives here?
Gotta love America, home to hundreds of thousands of lawyers out to make money any way they can.
Anyone ever hear of any other case like this where someone is found criminally innocent, then in a civil case is ordered to pay ANYONE for the rest of their darned life?
What gives here?
Gotta love America, home to hundreds of thousands of lawyers out to make money any way they can.
Anyone ever hear of any other case like this where someone is found criminally innocent, then in a civil case is ordered to pay ANYONE for the rest of their darned life?
What gives here?
Gotta love America, home to hundreds of thousands of lawyers out to make money any way they can.
Anyone ever hear of any other case like this where someone is found criminally innocent, then in a civil case is ordered to pay ANYONE for the rest of their darned life?
What gives here?
Gotta love America, home to hundreds of thousands of lawyers out to make money any way they can.
Anyone ever hear of any other case like this where someone is found criminally innocent, then in a civil case is ordered to pay ANYONE for the rest of their darned life?
What gives here?
He had a gun and assaulted someone!! Even if it was his, he still broke the law big time. I recently read that the Nev. prisons are "run" by motorcycle gangs. Hmmmmm..........doesn''t sound like a place where others would treat him like a big football star.
It took awhile, but if all I''ve read about this robbery - then let him finally go to prison and rot there or worse.
He''s on tape barging in to someone else''s private room, surrounded by thugs with guns, demanding stuff that may or may not be his, and he''s charged with robbery. That''s fair.
He has a proven history of flight to avoid prosecution, i.e. the Bronco Chase.
He has had many criminal charges filed against him in the past.
He lost a wrongful death case for which he has not paid the required judgment.
He''s a flight risk. Set a high bail. His thug friends can post bond for him, and watch him and his Nicole-look-alike only older and puffier flee the country.
Good bye, good riddance.
Try forgiving that, especially when the person who did it is playing golf for a living.
Maybe when it happens to you you''ll be able to say what the Goldmans ''should'' do. Until then, don''t be so self righteous as to impose some irrational religious halo over a gory double homicide.
I am sick of the media.
I am sick of opportunists like Fred Goldman and all others who revel in their 15 minutes of fame.
Would anyone be as interested after all these years and would OJ be as hated if any of the following 3 scenarios replaced the current one:
1. OJ black, Nicole black
2. OJ white, Nicole black
3. OJ white, Nicole white
THE ANSWER IS NO!!!
then i guess you don''t believe in the criminal justice system since OJ was found "not guilty". the difference between his case & Robert Blake''s is 2 victims vs 1 victim. all other aspects are the same. where''s the continuing uproar over the Robert Blake case?
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