O.J. Simpson was tried and convicted in 2008 of kidnapping and armed robbery. He is serving nine to 33 years in a Nevada prison for his role in leading group of men, some of whom were armed, into a Nevada hotel to confront two memorabilia dealers. Simpson says the men had property of his that was stolen from him and were trying to sell it.
After his conviction, Simpson filed an appeal in 2010. He alleged then that he should receive a new trial because some of the prospective jurors were dismissed simply because they were black. The Nevada Supreme Court rejected that claim, which listed eight issues with the trial, saying they were all “without merit.”
Simpson’s attorney Yale Galanter said in 2010 that he planned to fight on with “a very long line of appeals.”
The Nevada Supreme Court did overturn the conviction of one of Simpson’s cohorts because they felt his ability to get a fair trial was hurt by Simpson’s notoriety.
Now Simpson is trying again, this time with another common tactic: He is blaming Yale Galanter, his now-former-lawyer.
Simpson’s new lawyers are saying that Galanter actually knew about the confrontation Simpson was convicted for before it took place. They argue that evidence at the 2008 trial “tended to indicate that Galanter was involved in the alleged conspiracy.”
“Galanter’s personal interest in hiding his pre-incident involvement is sufficiently substantial to indicate the existence of an actual conflict,” their appeal argues.
Simpson insists that he did not know that any of the men that were with him were armed when they confronted the memorabilia dealers. Therefore he feels he should only have been convicted of a lesser crime. He argues that Galanter did not pursue that as a line of reasoning to get him a lighter sentence.
A Clark County District Court judge has already heard Simpson’s argument on this matter and ruled that he failed to demonstrate how Galanter’s actions led to his conviction. Now Simpson’s hope for earlier release lies with the Nevada Supreme Court again.
Currently, Simpson is not eligible for parole until 2017. Many see Simpson’s conviction and imprisonment on these charges as fitting but late punishment for the killing of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman back in 1994. Simpson was acquitted of those charges in one of the most celebrated trials ever. But a later civil trial did find him responsible for their deaths.