O.J. Simpson: Bid For New Trial Rejected By Judge

Looks like O.J. Simpson will continue to spend time in jail. In Las Vegas on Tuesday, Simpson’s bid for a new trial was rejected by Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell. Simpson has been...
O.J. Simpson: Bid For New Trial Rejected By Judge
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  • Looks like O.J. Simpson will continue to spend time in jail.

    In Las Vegas on Tuesday, Simpson’s bid for a new trial was rejected by Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell. Simpson has been serving a jail sentence in Las Vegas after he was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping more than five years ago.

    Simpson made the bid for a new trial because he said his original lawyer, Yale Galanter, messed up his trial.

    Judge Bell said, “All grounds in the petition lack merit and, consequently, are denied.” She added that six co-conspirators were involved in the crimes and that Simpson asked two of those co-conspirators to bring weapons to the hotel room where the kidnapping and robbery occurred.

    Patricia Palm, Simpson’s new lawyer said she wouldn’t speak until she had spoken to “The Juice,” but her co-counsel, Ozzie Fumo said they would more than likely be appealing to the Nevada Supreme Court.

    Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said, “I believe Mr. Simpson received a fair trial and had more than competent counsel.” Wolfson’s wife was the judge who presided over the 2008 trial where Simpson was convicted.

    Simpson maintains that he was just trying to get back memorabilia and personal items from two dealers who sell sports collectibles. Simpson said, “It was my stuff. I followed what I thought was the law. My lawyer told me I couldn’t break into a guy’s room. I didn’t break into anybody’s room. I didn’t try to muscle the guys. The guys had my stuff, even though they claimed they didn’t steal it.” He added, “I just wish I never went to that room.”

    Palm, Fumo, and Tom Pitaro believed they presented evidence that Galanter knew about Simpson’s plans to get his memorabilia back, and even told Simpson it was okay to get those items back. And instead of stepping down and being a witness for Simpson’s case, he continued to represent him as his lawyer in the trial. They also showed the court that Galanter “advised Simpson not to testify, failed to hire experts and investigators to help his case while pocketing much of the nearly $700,000 they say he was paid, and reached a pretrial agreement with prosecutors not to enter evidence into the trial record of phone calls that raised questions about whether he had knowledge of the heist.”

    Thirteen years to the day Simpson was acquitted of the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, he was convicted in Las Vegas. He was sentenced to nine to 33 years in the Nevada state prison in December 2008.

    Parole commissioners granted Simpson parole on five concurrent sentences in July, but this didn’t grant him his freedom. Simpson still has four years to serve for other convictions from the 2008 case.

    [Image via YouTube.]

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