All night jury gets it right OJ Simpson found guilty on all 12 counts

I have never seen a verdict come in after 5 p.m. or so but shortly before 2 a.m. EST on a Friday night mind you, this jury comes back with a overwhelming guilty verdict on the juice. He's facing life in prison. Don't bend down to get the soap.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/us...tml?ref=sports

Jury finds O.J. Simpson guilty on all charges

(10-03) 23:26 PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) --

O.J. Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and a friend, was found guilty Friday of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.



The 61-year-old former football star could spend the rest of his life in prison after he is sentenced Dec. 5.

A weary and somber Simpson released a heavy sigh as the charges were read in rapid fire by the clerk in Clark County District Court. He was immediately taken into custody.

The Hall of Fame football star was found guilty of kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges for gathering up five men a year ago and storming into a room at 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 he brought a gun at Simpson's request.

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 in the arms of Simpson's friend, Tom Scotto. As spectators left the courtroom, Durio collapsed and paramedics were called, according to court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer.

The jurors made no eye contact with the defendants as the entered and each of them answered firmly when asked if "this was their individual verdict."

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, but she rejected that.

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

The verdict came 13 years after Simpson was cleared of murder in Los Angeles in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century.

From the beginning, Simpson and lawyers argued the incident in Las Vegas was not a robbery; instead, they said, he was trying to reclaim mementos that had been stolen from him. He said he did not ask anyone to bring a gun 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!' â?? six very large people detaining these two victims in the room with the intent to take property through force or violence from them â?? 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 years.

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 initially 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 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 confrontation in the hotel room, said he netted $210,000 on the tapes from the media. He received immunity, and his recordings became the heart of the prosecution case.

Similarly, minutes after the Sept. 13, 2007, confrontation, 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 incident.

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. And the judge told jurors they had to put aside Simpson's earlier case.

Simpson's lawyers also expressed fears during jury selection that people who believed he got away with murder a decade ago might see this case as a chance to right a wrong.

As a result, an usually 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 he should have been convicted of murder.

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."

He's guilty and it seems he just went crazy and was like, let's go take back my memorabilia at gunpoint =/

Maybe ask to buy it?

The chewbacca defense fails you this time OJ

'being stupid and frustrated doesn't mean he's a criminal'

Good one Lawyer ;) How about the part about the kidnapping and armed robbery, that's the part that makes him a criminal, regardless of being stupid and frustrated.

Thank God Nevada got it right. Now, who else can we send from Calif. to Vegas to 'pretend' they are 'taking the law into their own hands' and send the rest of these killers there!

It is about time! 2 A.M. in Vegas--well, it is a 24 hour town, most likely the jurors had to get to work! Good for them!

I would like to have seen T.V. shots of him when he got his 'not guilty' verdicts! It sure wasn't the same reaction with these verdicts! Have them side by side for verdict reading (Guilty/Not Guilty)! Who cares now, the kidnapper and armed robber (could add a lot more, but not prooven yet) is off the streets!

Now, his book will come out---Guilty: How I did it! PR :rastasmoke:

Karma always wins in the end.:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by painretreat

It is about time! 2 A.M. in Vegas--well, it is a 24 hour town, most likely the jurors had to get to work! Good for them!

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Well actually it was 2 a.m. EST 11 p.m. Vegas (PST) time. Still that's odd for a jury to come back that late and bring everyone into court for the reading.

13 years to the date of his not guilty verdict. Should have stayed in Miami you freaking idiot. How did he not know that they would be like:

"I got robbed!"
"Do you know who?"
"Hell yeah, it was OJ!"

I'm surprised Fred Goldman isn't already doing the news show circuits just rubbing it in OJ's face.

The Goldmans deserve something for god sake........Good to see balance return although the road was a pretty twisted bizarre one. Man should have been in jail since the orginal MURDERS HE COMMITTED!!!