O.J. Convicted; Life Sentence Possible

Verdict In Vegas Kidnap/Robbery Case Comes 13 Years To Day After His Acquittal In Double Murder Case

(CBS/AP)  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.

It only took the jury one day to reach its verdict, reports CBS News correspondent Manuel Gallegus.

A weary and somber Simpson released a heavy sigh as the charges were read by the clerk in Clark County District Court.

The Hall of Fame football star was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 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.

Simpson's co-defendant, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, also was found guilty on all charges in the Las Vegas case.

Sentencing for the 61-year-old former football star was set for Dec. 5.

Journalist Michael Bryant of Legal Edge Network told Early Show anchor Chris Wragge that the verdict could send Simpson to prison for life.

"You're looking at, if you want to do the math here, 132 years to life, if you start calculating each count, plus the enhancement for the use of a gun which could effectively double the years for the count," Bryant said. "Yes, he is 61 years old, and prison at that age is not an easy haul.

"I would be shocked if Simpson gets life in prison based on this," said CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen. "This is a not a 'life in prison' sort of a case. But he's not going to get a slap on the wrist, either, and his chances of getting a new trial on appeal are really remote.

"This was not a complicated case either in law or in fact," Cohen said.

Simpson's girlfriend and his supporters in the courtroom were in tears. The judge then denied a defense request to let the men go free pending appeal.

They were immediately handcuffed cuffed and taken into custody. Simpson showed little emotion as officers walked him out of the courtroom.

His sister, Carmelita Durio, sobbed behind him in the arms of Simpson's friend, Tom Scotto, who said "I love you" as Simpson passed by. As spectators left the courtroom, Durio collapsed.

Simpson's defense was that he only confronted the men so he could get back personal items that were taken from him but prosecutors called it a planned assault with a deadly weapon, saying Simpson was arrogant thinking he could get away with it.

Jurors declined to answer questions after the verdict was read.

The judgment came 13 years to the day after Simpson was cleared of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century.

"I don't like to use the word payback," defense attorney Yale Galanter said. "I can tell you from the beginning my biggest concern ... was whether or not the jury would be able to separate their very strong feelings about Mr. Simpson and judge him fairly and honestly."

"Theoretically, you would like to think so," Bryant said, "but we can't get in their heads to find that out. They started with 500 jurors to whittle it down to those who could do just that, but is it really possible? Is it possible to take what you learn so much about so many years ago and just wipe the slate clean? "

Bryant said the question may be moot because of the preponderance of evidence in the Las Vegas case. "The thing you can't forget here is there was a lot of evidence that these crimes took place," he said.

Galanter said his client had expected the outcome, and in a courthouse conversation with an Associated Press reporter on Thursday, Simpson had implied as much.

Simpson said he felt melancholy and that he was "afraid that I won't get to go to my kids' college graduations after I managed to get them through college."

Galanter said it was not a happy day for anybody. "His only hope is the appellate process," he said.

Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said prosecutors would not comment until the case was "completely resolved."

Judge Jackie Glass made no comment other than to thank the jury for its service and to deny motions for the defendants to be released on bail.

She refused to give the lawyers extended time to file a motion for new trial, which under Nevada law must be filed within seven days. The attorneys said they needed time to submit a voluminous record.

"I've sat through the trial," Glass said. "If you want a motion for new trial, send me something."

Stewart's attorney, Brent Bryson, promised to appeal.

"If there was ever a case that should have been severed in the history of jurisprudence, it's this case," he said of unsuccessful attempts to separate Stewart's case from Simpson's because of the "spillover" effect.

From the beginning, Simpson and his 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.

"The audiotape recording of the incident overcame, I think, serious doubts that jurors may have had about the credibility and the reliability of the witnesses against Simpson," Cohen told CBS News.

"And when the defense argued that he case turned on Simpson's intent when he went into that hotel room, jurors simply didn’t buy that Simpson had any innocent motives."

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, 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."

[wl7bzh]

Let me guess-O.J. is going to spin this situation so that he was in some way a victim.

[summarex]

Sounds like Glass closing up for the goldfingers and their deservedly dead gigolo son. I hope black folks don''t take this lying down. I hope they understand why Simpson was targeted for 13 years and I hope they do whatever is necessary to get them man released.

[silverstar06]

It''s pretty messed up that OJ could not get a fair case if his life depended on it.
How would any attorney find a sane and reliable jury in Las Vegas in the first place? Living in the middle of the desert, mesmerized by all the flashing lights, I''m sure their heads are waaay caught up in the sensationalist media''s vacuum that warped his first case into a frightening two-headed baby. An LA jury found him not guilty of murder 13 years ago. I think that is pretty reliable.

[emeraldblue]

The irony is uncanny. Convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping, 13 years to-the-day after being acquitted of murder. His prosecutor''s name in the L.A. trial? Marcia Clark. Court where he was convicted? Clark County.

Boo hoo for you, melancholy because you won''t get to attend your children''s college graduation. Nicole won''t either, nor did she get to watch and adore them growing up. That''s because you robbed your children of their loving mother and kidnapped all of their hopes for happiness.

[tapsettle]

Just think - the crime wouldnt even have happened if america didnt have such a stupid joke of a justice system. Everyone knew he was guily of murder because the evidence was overwhelming, and yet stupid americans acquitted him because the stupid country doesnt know right from wrong anymore, hence a ''torture and murder'' foreign policy too.

[yamuttya]

There''s stupid.
There''s moronic.
Then there''s O.J.

[summarex]

Lets free OJ and rid the world of Goldmans

[swwils]

Well,well,well you can run ,and hide but Karma will get you everytime.Don''t do the crime if you can''t do the time.No more 18 holes of Golf my friend.I doubt if Nevada has a country club State Prison.Commisary stinks man,Turkey is the meat of the day everyday.Life in the joint ain''t no fun,no matter how much green you have.It''s like a communist society,everyone wears the same dud''s,everyone dines together.Of course O.J. will have special priveleges,it''s called Protective coustody.Like the baby rapers for his own protection,someone might hurt him.or worse.Just like Jeffery Dahlmer mop bucket too the skull.

[duejustice]

Does this mean that his address has changed and he no longer lives in Florida where his retirement is no longer protected?

[tapsettle]

Lets free OJ and rid the world of Goldmans
------
Posted by summarex

See !!! I told you americans were stupid. This turrd obviously has an IQ lower than a brain-damaged lemming. No wonder the country is stuffed with dumbos like summarex allowed to vote.

[swwils]

I bet that high dollar attorney already has an appeal in.I sure as hell wouldn''t want to go to the joint at 61,and a celebrity.Some young punk might shank you just to get famous.Yeah if he get''s any time it will be protective coustody for O.J.,sleeping and eating with snitches,child molesters,and scared punks will be his daily buddies.

[longtree-2009]

Not a Simpson fan. Don''t see the kidnapping charge at all. Don''t see the robbery charge if he was only trying to retrieve his property. If there were guns, then charges of brandishing a gun makes sense. It looks like Simpson might be railroaded since he was tried and acquitted for the death of two people. If it is life sentence, it seems like too much. After all in CA 1 person got some 6 years for killing someone while driving drunk and another one got 18 years for killing 4 people while driving drunk. None of the Judicial, Jury, prosecutors, overall system, makes sense.

[thisandthat1]

No more games of golf, no more hiding assets from the Goldmans, no more living the high life with your Nicole Brown look-a-like girlfriend in your expensive house. There''s no golf courses where you''re going now! I feel very happy for Fred Goldman and his family today. It''s called Karma, O.J., you POS murderer!

[summarex]

It''s incredible how the media manipulates things. If this had been a white guy, the talk on the TV shows would have been about the right of a man to retrieve what is obviously his own property. Of course, kidnapping and robbery charges would never have been filed. How can you steal something that belongs. And the man would have been released after paying a fine.

Let''s start by boycotting Las Vegas!

[airboatboy1]

Boycott Vegas! Are ya kiddin'' me? What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Guess OJ might stay there for a long time! Good riddance, you racist murderer.

[edlo3]

he got this sentence because of his earlier crime, also because he is black.

[gjonago]

He got away with murder, lets get off the *** that he was found guilty because he was black. He deserves whatever he gets

[dewbug2]

It''s about freakin'' time!!!!!
and you dipsticks who think he had a right to take his "proppity" by force are full of poop.....if someone allegedly steals something from you,and it''s gone for some considerable time, you get the police involved, you don''t "John Wayne" them.You only take it back if you can do so immediately, not several months later.You only act like an azz if you ARE an azz, a concieted arrogant one at that.
and speaking of azzes, someone had better cover his real soon, because where he be goin'', they like new ones!

[dewbug2]

adt 14, since when does armed robbery and 11 other counts warrant two years in jail,and an obvious murder 13 years ago get NOTHING ???? get real!

[dewbug2]

HEY SUMMAREX.....GO BACK 13 YEARS AND RECONSIDER YOUR COMMENTS....I THINK YOU BE A LITTLE BIT "RAYCISS" YOU SEFF.

[rudy654-2009]

This is definitely a situation where his getting off for killing his wife, heavily influenced this case. The prosecutor claims that Simpson''s ownership of the memorabilia was irrelevant; it was still a crime to try to take things by force. However, his ownership of memorabilia is relevant as it speaks to motive. It could then be reasoned that he conducted a citizen''s arrest in retrieving it. What court would fault a man for going after his stolen possessions? In any other case that would be taken into serious consideration.

I believe Simpson is guilty of his wife''s murder, so I have no sympathy for him as the individual he is. I got into all kinds of arguments with people who felt he wasn''t guilty.

But, I simply don''t like this case for its own merits, Simpson not withstanding.

[rudy654-2009]

and you dipsticks who think he had a right to take his "proppity" by force are full of poop
***************

Says the redneck with his last two teeth about 3 space apart.

[rudy654-2009]

That jury that let himoff in Cal was so stupid most of them couldnt even talk.
***********

While I didn''t agree with that jury, I could hear that they talked just fine.

[rudy654-2009]

he did not get a sentence this was a verdict
and his sentence should reflect this crime only
which seems about 1 -2 years county jail/probation



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by adt14 at 06:53 AM

On the merits of the case itself, and not who he is, I agree.

[pirmin3]

Bubba gonna luv porkin'' him an athlete wid doze big muscles. Hope he gets life.

[thomderr]

I was one who originally had no opinion on the murder trial verdict. But one must admit that the guy sure didn''t act as if he hadn''t committed the crime.

And now? No, it''s not pay-back. What the legal system is saying is that if you know your stolen items are in a particular place, you call the police to go get them. You don''t go get them yourself with a gun.

The man has become an arrognt idot.

It is a shame at the idolization we place on some of our ''star'' athletes.

[jodyrae4]

Karma is a ***...huh O.J.

[kittykatty2]

rudy and all you chit house lawyers...do you know why you aren''t representing folk in a court of law? Because YOU AIN''T LAWYERS. Get some legal education...your ideas of what a person can or cannot do with respect to their property and how they can get it back is laughable. Kidnapping, in this case, is a legal term. Stop relying on your voracious television legal knowledge to try and reconcile this crime and his actions with a true and proper court of law.

[ajayvee]

I wonder how Mr. Golddigger and his family will handle this sudden loss of income?

[shimano35]

How about more riots in the city streets!!!!! But hey, NO STEREOTYPING!!!!

[upto1947]

prosecutors will run for office, hopes to be on Presidential ticket in 2012. He will fit right in with the rest of the crooks.

[hot4real]

OJ trial and convinction is a racial attack and therefore must be resisted. there is no where in the world where people go rob their own belonging.
It is clear that it is a racist attack on Brown "black" people USA wide. i call on African americans to organise an operation to free Oj from the racist justice system and racist police force so that he can go live in exile. Time to resist these devilish people with all our ability.

[toby2957]

OJ''s in jail now. Good riddance.

End of story. Next!

[wl7bzh]

OJ trial and convinction is a racial attack and therefore must be resisted. there is no where in the world where people go rob their own belonging.
It is clear that it is a racist attack on Brown "black" people USA wide. i call on African americans to organise an operation to free Oj from the racist justice system and racist police force so that he can go live in exile. Time to resist these devilish people with all our ability.

Posted by hot4real at 08:46 AM : Oct 04, 2008

I''m so glad you posted.

Between your post, OJ''s conviction, Sharpton/Jackson''s antics the defense of ima victim because of my race, creed, color or sexual orientation just got weakened even more.

Do the world a favor, keep posting like you''ve been posting.

[liberalme]

Dont worry OJ, Obama will Pardon you. He will follow Rev Wrights Black Value System. Everything for Blacks.
SO dont worry. OBama and Ayers will lobby for your release.

Posted by jaxsterling6 at 08:28 AM : Oct 04, 2008

Idiot

[jediservant]

OJ trial and convinction is a racial attack and therefore must be resisted. there is no where in the world where people go rob their own belonging.
It is clear that it is a racist attack on Brown "black" people USA wide. i call on African americans to organise an operation to free Oj from the racist justice system and racist police force so that he can go live in exile. Time to resist these devilish people with all our ability.


Posted by hot4real at 08:46 AM : Oct 04, 2008

--------------
I call on all Black people to do what is right and seek to be honest citizens and stop turning a blind eye to evil doer%u2019s.

[mutantdog]

Sure, there''s plenty of racism in this country... but how exactly is it racism to convict somebody for a crime that anybody ought to be convicted of?

[airboatboy1]

I hope OJ gets him a job in prison and the Goldmans go after that money. He could get a job sharpening the mess hall knives or maybe another book about how not to retrieve your personal possessions in Las Vegas.

[greeneyes222]

Now give OJ a nice, long sentence. He''s earned it.

[bb19631]

It''s not about the items stolen, even if they were his. He went about it the wrong way. It has nothing to do with a racial agenda. He''s guilty- to bad for him. Pay the price like every other criminal element!

[honestabe8]

This is an outrage! Now Nicole and Ronald''s killers are free to wander the golf courses of America!

[timothyone-2009]

His own property???? Who decides that??? OJ?? The LAW???

He claims that he had no access to the courts in the matter because of his past. Well, whose fault would that be?

I cannot be accused of racism in this matter, as I am of the same race as OJ. He is guilty, was guilty, and will remain guilty. The man was insane enough to think he could do these things and get away with it.

And the real reason he didn''t go to court to recover these items is because his past victims had judgements against him that would have taken anything he did recover legally. He was trying to hide and recover assets at the same time. Greed got him. He was greedy with his woman then, and his property now.

He''s finally getting justice, and race has nothing to do with it. Most blacks see it just as I do.

If you good folk of all races want to reverse the appearance of racism in cases like this one, you have the chance to prove decency still exists in America by voting for Obama. Please!

[ladyephesus1]

Im adding my two cents for today and hope that you all understand this real good;

The OJ case is not about politics. It is about committing a crime years ago and thinking you can walk free and that God has forgotten about it.
OJ was given a second chance and basically took
the law into his own hands after slipping through the cracks the first time. If he was smart, he would sat his arse down somewhere in another country and chilled out the rest of his life.

Sooo, because he thinks he walks on water and
committed the perfect crime the first time,
he tried the chit again and now he can finally
count his fingers and toes all day long and think of everything he put the families through including his own children.

Nuff said!

[jlmcscanner]

OJ trial and convinction is a racial attack and therefore must be resisted. there is no where in the world where people go rob their own belonging.
It is clear that it is a racist attack on Brown "black" people USA wide. i call on African americans to organise an operation to free Oj from the racist justice system and racist police force so that he can go live in exile. Time to resist these devilish people with all our ability.


Posted by hot4real at 08:46 AM : Oct 04, 2008

BLAH BLAH BLAH, same B.S. from a group of "people" that think following the law does not pertain to them.Blame someone else for your own shortcomings this reminded me of Oprah`s mother owning 150K to a department store and THEN saying it was the STORES FAULT for giving her credit !!! Simpson lost his title to those items he stole when he lost the civil case, no matter anyway because it`s FINALLY OVER !!!

[sean5002]

************

OJ is NOT very smart! And he have no one else to blame but himself, If I was Oj and got lucky in getting off , I would have pick up and take whatever assets I have and move to france , Canada.. even brazil. If he really wanted to remain in America then move far away to a farm in Montana or even Alaska and stay out of site . because he should have known they would be waiting to bust him if he even jaywalk.

[formrusmcsgt]

From the beginning, Simpson and his lawyers argued the incident was not a robbery, but an attempt to reclaim mementos that had been stolen from him.
---
Then why didn''t he file suit to recover his property like any sane person would?

The question answers itself......

[photographe09]

Well OJ, maybe the glove did''nt fit, but here the video did. He got away with murder but then gets caught and convicted for a simple petty theft charge. I''m sorry for stupid thinking he can get away with murder (oh he did!) and everything else just because he is OJ. Well justice may be blind may be late but when it gets you its over. Maybe the next time we hear about OJ it will be about the breakfast drink.

[ddaymichael]

Could someone please explain to me how a couple of baseballs autographed by Pete Rose were OJ''s property to be reposessed by any means necessary?

This had very little to do with the American legal system and very much to do with karma. He had it coming and it finally arrived thirteen years too late.

[sanfelz]

Simpson''s attorneys tried to distinguish a "recovery" from a "robbery". Such nonsense. Honest people call the police when they become aware that someone has possession of their property,

[mahdeealoo]

OJ''s astrological "chart" shows many many years in confinement. Probably more than enough to last the rest of his life. And there is no escape from that.