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| OJ Simpson testifies in attempt to free himself from armed robbery sentence | OJ Simpson testifies in attempt to free himself from armed robbery sentence |
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| OJ Simpson, the NFL star and Hollywood actor who was infamously acquitted of murdering his former wife and her friend 18 years ago, testified in a criminal case for the first time on Wednesday, in an attempt to free himself from jail on unrelated charges. | OJ Simpson, the NFL star and Hollywood actor who was infamously acquitted of murdering his former wife and her friend 18 years ago, testified in a criminal case for the first time on Wednesday, in an attempt to free himself from jail on unrelated charges. |
| Simpson was brought into a courtroom in Las Vegas dressed in a dark blue prison jumpsuit and shackled by hand and ankle. He was giving evidence in his own defence in an attempt to overturn the nine- to 33-year sentence he is serving for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping, and gain a retrial. Simpson was found guilty of leading a group of armed men into the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas and stealing sports memorabilia from a hotel room. | Simpson was brought into a courtroom in Las Vegas dressed in a dark blue prison jumpsuit and shackled by hand and ankle. He was giving evidence in his own defence in an attempt to overturn the nine- to 33-year sentence he is serving for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping, and gain a retrial. Simpson was found guilty of leading a group of armed men into the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas and stealing sports memorabilia from a hotel room. |
| Grey haired and stocky, Simpson, 65, presented his actions as an innocent attempt to retrieve items that belonged to him – watches and rings he had been given upon retirement, footballs signed by other stars or kept at the end of significant games, and family photographs. | Grey haired and stocky, Simpson, 65, presented his actions as an innocent attempt to retrieve items that belonged to him – watches and rings he had been given upon retirement, footballs signed by other stars or kept at the end of significant games, and family photographs. |
| "I knew I had a lot of things missing," he said. "It was pictures, a photo album of my mother that really got my attention." All he wanted, he said, was to get the items back. "They belonged to my kids. I wanted them to have them." | "I knew I had a lot of things missing," he said. "It was pictures, a photo album of my mother that really got my attention." All he wanted, he said, was to get the items back. "They belonged to my kids. I wanted them to have them." |
| Simpson gave evidence in a 1997 civil trial in which he was ordered to pay $33.5m in damages for the wrongful death of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, but he has never before testified in a criminal case. Legal experts have indicated that his attempt to get a retrial is a common procedure, but one that rarely succeeds in the US. | Simpson gave evidence in a 1997 civil trial in which he was ordered to pay $33.5m in damages for the wrongful death of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, but he has never before testified in a criminal case. Legal experts have indicated that his attempt to get a retrial is a common procedure, but one that rarely succeeds in the US. |
| In his testimony, Simpson tried to lay blame for his conviction on bad legal advice from his then lawyer, Yale Galanter. He said that he had discussed the plan to recover the missing items with Galanter just a day before the raid happened and that Galanter had approved. Simpson said Galanter had advised him that he could use some force and physically detain the men holding his possessions until the police arrived. | In his testimony, Simpson tried to lay blame for his conviction on bad legal advice from his then lawyer, Yale Galanter. He said that he had discussed the plan to recover the missing items with Galanter just a day before the raid happened and that Galanter had approved. Simpson said Galanter had advised him that he could use some force and physically detain the men holding his possessions until the police arrived. |
| "The overall advice he game me was you have the right to get your stuff," he said. "He used the example if you walk down a street and see your laptop in the front seat of a car, you can break the car window to retrieve the laptop." | "The overall advice he game me was you have the right to get your stuff," he said. "He used the example if you walk down a street and see your laptop in the front seat of a car, you can break the car window to retrieve the laptop." |
| But Galanter advised him that he must not commit trespass, Simpson said. | But Galanter advised him that he must not commit trespass, Simpson said. |
| Under examination by his defence attorney, Simpson said that no discussion of force had taken place in devising the plan. "If they didn't give you the stuff then you have to call the police," he said. "That's what I told everybody involved." | Under examination by his defence attorney, Simpson said that no discussion of force had taken place in devising the plan. "If they didn't give you the stuff then you have to call the police," he said. "That's what I told everybody involved." |
| Were weapons discussed, Simpson was asked. "No weapons," he said, "there was never any discussion of any weapons." | Were weapons discussed, Simpson was asked. "No weapons," he said, "there was never any discussion of any weapons." |
| The hearing was the latest effort by Simpson to shorten his sentence. In 2010, the Nevada supreme court refused to throw out the conviction on grounds that his trial was tainted by the infamy of his acquittal in the Brown-Goldman murder case. Should he lose this latest attempt to gain a retrial, he will be eligible for parole, at the earliest, in five years' time. | The hearing was the latest effort by Simpson to shorten his sentence. In 2010, the Nevada supreme court refused to throw out the conviction on grounds that his trial was tainted by the infamy of his acquittal in the Brown-Goldman murder case. Should he lose this latest attempt to gain a retrial, he will be eligible for parole, at the earliest, in five years' time. |
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