O.J. Simpson Pleads Not Guilty

Trial Date Set For April 7, 2008 For Armed Robbery And Kidnapping Case

(AP)  O.J. Simpson firmly told a judge "not guilty" Wednesday at his arraignment on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers.

Simpson stood and entered his plea before Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass, who will preside at his trial along with co-defendants Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles "Charlie" Ehrlich.

Ehrlich and Stewart also entered pleas of not guilty.

A trial date of April 7, 2008, was set.

Simpson appeared at ease before the start of the arraignment, smiling and chatting with his attorneys, and again when he left the courthouse. He did not speak to reporters before being driven off in a sport utility vehicle, but he rolled down a window and smiled.

Twelve charges were lodged against the trio two weeks ago after a justice of the peace held a preliminary hearing and determined there was enough evidence for them to stand trial.

That 3½-day hearing offered a nationally televised glimpse of what could come at trial — with sometimes stunning testimony from witnesses including the two men who say they were robbed at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room and three former co-defendants who accompanied Simpson but took plea deals in return for their testimony.

Simpson, Stewart and Ehrlich each face kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, coercion and conspiracy charges. A kidnapping conviction could bring a life sentence with the possibility of parole. An armed robbery conviction carries mandatory prison time.

Defense attorneys lost a bid during an earlier hearing to get any charges dismissed, despite claims they were based on accounts by "crackheads and groupies and pimps and purveyors of stolen merchandise and gun carriers and con artists and crooks."

Prosecutor Chris Owens responded that Simpson surrounded himself with the men who testified.

During Wednesday's brief arraignment, the judge cut short an effort by one defense attorney to challenge an amended complaint filed Monday listing Stewart and Ehrlich as possible witnesses, but not Simpson.

A spokesman for Clark County District Attorney David Roger called omitting Simpson's name a "clerical oversight." He said co-defendants are routinely listed as possible witnesses in criminal cases and that Simpson's name would be added to the list.

The new document makes no changes in the charges against the three men, but drops Michael McClinton as a defendant. McClinton, who testified that he brought guns to the Sept. 13 confrontation with sports collectibles dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley, is on the list of 78 potential trial witnesses.

Stewart's attorney has said he might move to separate his client's case from Simpson's.

Neither Stewart, 53, a Simpson friend and golfing buddy from North Las Vegas, nor Ehrlich, 53, a friend from Miami, are accused of wielding weapons during the alleged heist.

Simpson and his lawyers contend that he never asked anyone to bring guns to the hotel room at the Palace Station casino and he did not know anyone had guns.

McClinton and Walter Alexander, two former Simpson buddies who say they had guns, pleaded guilty to lesser offenses and testified in return for a chance at probation.

Alexander stunned the courtroom when he testified that he had offered to slant his testimony in Simpson's favor if he was paid.

Simpson attorney Yale Galanter, who in cross examination accused Alexander of running an Internet prostitution ring in Mesa, Ariz., accused Alexander of offering his testimony for sale.

Simpson, 60, of Miami, has maintained that he intended only to retrieve items that had been stolen from him by a former agent, including photographs, football awards and the suit he wore the day he was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Prosecutors allege the heist netted tens of thousands of dollars of sports collectibles that bore no connection to Simpson.

[kevzgrl]

Innocent until PROVEN guilty - yeah, right.....
Just like he was with poor Nicole and Ron 13 years ago. The lying, murdering sack of pooh probably believes his own story by now - hope they let him go so he can get back out there looking for the REAL killers. Maybe he will find them right next to the REAL thief/liar - standing in front of his mirror.

[ssm9451]

When (if) OJ is found guilty, watch out for the riots in LA. Whew...... But I believe he''ll get off this also. He is an embarrassment to his gender.

[kristin1228]

Cant hate the man for trying! He got away with murder, why not this?? Everybody, doesn''t matter who you are, black, white, hispanic, chinese, knows that he murdered Nicole, plain and simple. This man is a liar, if he did it once, he will do it again. Just a shame, OJ, that you got caught on something doing far less worse than what you were aquitted for....should have stopped while you were ahead!

[downtowner97]

OJ is going to be tried for murder by this jury. He should have left the country.

[runningralph]

OJ was paying Nicole $15,000 a month to take care of the kids. She and Faye Reznik blew all that on drug dealers, then they picked up tricks at the Bela Luna to get more dope. On one occasion OJ caught Nicole giving a john oral *** downstairs while the kids were upstairs. That''s why he beat her up. But being a drugged out ***, Nicole couldn''t stop. So OJ killed her. Or maybe he got AC or someone else to do it. But I don''t blame him. Nicole had it coming. If I was in his shoes I might have done the same thing. It used to be in Texas if a man caught his wife doing another man he could kill her and not be prosecuted. I don''t approve of that but I understand it. People get very upset about that sort of thing. Poor Ron Goldman was just bringing Nicole''s glasses back. Wrong place, wrong time. Tough break.

[cmp271]

Why are we even responding to this???

The gun doesn''t fit!!

Who cares about this case. I can''t stand this person, however, he was set up, and undoubtedly by the Goldman''s. I hope his attorney''s look in to that. NO jail deserves this guy as an inmate. No state deserves the cost of his incarceration!

[dakotaclark]

Hmmm...

OJ Simpson is nothing but a buffoon who actually believes he is above the law.

One only has to look at his fancy footwork, the tango and cha%u2013cha, he does to try to avoid any responsibility toward paying the Goldman%u2019s legal judgment against him.

He is also an opportunist who lives off his football pension and the charity of what few friends he has.

He is just a parasite with celebrity status.

Nevertheless, he deserves, and will have, his day in court.

However, this time, it looks and sounds like the prosecutors in this case has all of their i-s dotted, their t-s crossed, and their e-s and l-s have nice loops.

[speakinup]

Wh cares about this murdering, lying sack-of-sh*it.

[christiansin]

OJ was just there looking for the real killers.

He''s in trouble now though since Johnny Cochran is dead.

[konabike]

Hope this guy goes to Jail for LIFE! Scumbag....

[ssm9451]

Remember,, the justice system is a, ''catch & release'' system. He''ll never see the inside of a prison cell-I''ll bet ya.

[killtheliars]

Juice, juice, juice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!