OJ Simpson sentenced to 15 years

I just read that it was up to 33 years..the 15 was just for just one count of what he did.

O.J. Simpson Sentenced to as Much as 33 Years for Robbery
O.J. Simpson Goes to Prison for Hotel Armed Robbery
O.J. Simpson appears during his sentencing hearing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.
O.J. Simpson appears during his sentencing hearing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.

12/05/2008 1:22 PM ET; Updated 2:56 PM ET

LAS VEGAS (AP)- A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to as much as 33 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity."

The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stone-faced when Judge Jackie Glass quickly rattled off his punishment soon after he made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, choking back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry."

Simpson said he was simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos, including his first wife's wedding ring, from two dealers when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room on Sept. 13, 2007.

But the judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been killed. She said the evidence was overwhelming, with the planning, the confrontation itself and the aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape.

Glass, a no-nonsense judge known for her tough sentences, imposed such a complex series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that even many attorneys watching the case were confused as to how much time Simpson got.

Simpson could serve up to 33 years but could be eligible for parole after nine years, according to Elana Roberto, the judge's clerk.

The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson's 1994 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

"I'm not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else," Glass said.

Simpson was immediately led away to prison after the judge refused to permit him to go free on bail while he appeals.

Simpson's co-defendant and former golfing buddy, Clarence "C.J. Stewart, also was sentenced to at least 15 years.

Outside court, Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, and sister, Kim, said they were delighted with the sentence.

"We are thrilled, and it's a bittersweet moment," Fred Goldman said. "It was satisfying seeing him in shackles like he belongs."

The Goldmans took a measure of credit for Simpson's fate, saying their relentless pursuit of his assets to satisfy a $33.5 million wrongful-death judgment "pushed him over the edge" and led him to commit the robbery to recover some of his sports memorabilia.

Simpson and Stewart were both brought to the courtroom in dark blue jail uniforms, their hands shackled to their waists with chains. Simpson, who looked weary and had not been expected to speak, delivered a somber statement to the judge.

As he spoke in a hoarse voice, the courtroom was hushed. His two sisters, Shirley Baker and Carmelita Durio, sat in the front row of the courtroom, along with his adult daughter.

Both men were convicted Oct. 3 of 12 criminal charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery.

"As stupid and as ill-conceived as it was, it wasn't something that was from this evil mind they teach us about," Simpson attorney Yale Galanter said before sentencing.

"Not bright, not smart, not well thought out, but certainly not from an evil mind," Galanter said.

Most of the 63 seats in the courtroom were taken by media, lawyers and family members of the defendants. Fifteen members of the public were also allowed.

After sentencing was over, the Goldmans left the courtroom and Kim threw her arms around her father and wept.

Simpson's sisters declined to comment, but Shirley Baker said on her way out: "It's not over."

Jurors who heard 13 days of testimony said after the verdict that they were convinced of Simpson's guilt because of audio recordings that were secretly made of the Sept. 13, 2007, robbery at the Palace Station casino hotel.

The confrontation involved sports memorabilia brokers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong. It was recorded by collectibles dealer Thomas Riccio, who was acting as middleman.

"Don't let nobody out of this room!" Simpson commands on the recordings, and instructs other men to scoop up items he insists had been stolen from him.

On Tuesday, Glass is scheduled to sentence four former co-defendants who took plea deals and testified against Simpson and Stewart.
Unrated

DID any one see the Goldmans reaction? I hope they can have a little closure after all this time.I hope that peice of gutter shit becomes some big dudes bitch and gets ass raped on a weekly basis.

It's about time. I'm glad he committed the crime in Nevada cause I have yet to see any sort of celebrity or athlete get convicted of a crime in CA.

nothinghead wrote:

Best headline I read about this: "Former Running Back to Become Former Tight-End."

As much as O.J. is a prick who deserves to rot in jail (allegedly), it's hard to feel really good about this kind of retroactive justice in a legal sense. The judge kept saying it had nothing to do with his 1995 case, but I don't think anyone truly believes that--especially not in light of the sentence.

On the bright side, it is O.J., so fuck him.

I really don't think the sentencing did have anything to do with the murder. I really think the judge here was just if anything 'protecting' Las Vegas. You had someone come into Nevada who wasn't a resident with guns and threatening people. It's all on tape and his attitude didn't help.

tybird wrote:

This is actually all part of his elaborate plan to find the "real" killers. :rolleyes:

HA! I think so as well. Getting at it from the inside.


I hope Simpson gets what he deserves.

OJ got off because of corrupt cops, and now he is going to prison because of corrupt cops and prosecuters. What a fucked up world.

Imagine going to jail for confronting people you know that stole probably hundreds of thousands of dollars from you.

I wish people were as vigilant in helping those wrongly convicted.

macgyver06 wrote:

I'm pretty sure he was innocent of murdering two people according to the state of California and by a jury of his peers. However, my news sometimes is incorrect.. but lemme guess.... you got your own news source...


Ignorant Times

Remember, there were two trials.

Criminal Court he was not guilty.

Civil Court he was declared guilty. Boo yaa.

I'm not attacking you, but if you were around at the time of the trial you would recall that O.J.'s well paid attorneys successfully turned the case from a murder trial into a trial on racism. It wasn’t too hard considering O.J. had the Harlem Globetrotter’s of lawyers versus the state of California’s version of the Washington Generals (not to mention that the LAPD was so corrupt and inept it wasn’t even funny). I’m glad he was let off the first time because the rioting would have been disastrous. But in the end it all worked out.

macgyver06 wrote:

no need to try and educate someone.. I know there were two cases and he was FOUND INNOCENT ON CHARGES OF MURDERING 2 PEOPLE.... READ YOUR ORIGINAL REPLY... in the civil court he was found responsible... not guilty of murdering. BOO NOTHING... my god.. this place doesn't change... people arguing facts presented clearly to them... ABSURD!

and guess what... I WAS AROUND FOR THE TRIAL... lol the whole world was...hehe and guess what else.. we all remember the trial... and you know what the key part of a trial is???


THE VERDICT


INNOCENT

One final volley before I retire from "A Moving Train" (this place is too depressing) . . . he wrote a book called "I Did It".

Yahtzee!