[9/19] O.J. Simpson Granted $125,000 Bail

[CRSone]

From ABC News:

O.J. Simpson Granted $125,000 Bail
Simpson Ordered to Surrender Passport, Stay Away From Witnesses
By SCOTT MICHELS

Sept. 19, 2007 —

A Las Vegas judge set bail today at $125,000 for O.J. Simpson for his alleged role in the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room.

In front of a packed courtroom, Judge Joe M. Bonaventure ordered Simpson to surrender his passport to his attorney and to avoid contact with the accusers and witnesses in the case. Simpson's attorneys and the Las Vegas district attorney said they had agreed on the terms and amount of Simpson's bail before the hearing.

Reminiscent of the scene in a Los Angeles courtroom almost 15 years ago, Simpson walked into the Las Vegas courtroom, handcuffed, in a blue prison uniform surrounded by guards. Seated behind him in the courtroom were his daughter Arnell Simpson, his girlfriend of seven years, Christie Prody, his sister and brother-in-law, the prosecutor in his 1995 trial Marcia Clark and a slew of reporters, many of whom were witnesses to the spectacle of his 1995 trial.

Asked whether he understood the terms of his bail, Simpson said, "yes, sir" in a quiet, scratchy voice. He didn't enter a plea or speak to the courtroom audience. His lawyer later said Simpson would enter a plea of not guilty.

After the arraignment, Simpson's attorneys walked out of the courthouse to meet a teeming throng of reporters and photographers. At a news conference, Simpson's attorney Yale Galanter said Simpson would post bond and would shortly return to his home in Miami.

"We expect Mr. Simpson to be processed and released fairly quickly," Galanter said. "He's relieved. This has been a very harrowing experience for him."

"He just wants to get home and be with his family," said Galanter, who called the bail "extremely reasonable."

Simpson and two other men face 11 charges, including kidnapping and robbery with a deadly weapon, that could send the former football star to prison for the rest of his life. Two sports memorabilia dealers have accused Simpson and several of his associates of robbing them at gunpoint inside their hotel room at the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas.

Prosecutors do not claim that Simpson was armed, but according to a recently released police report, the dealers Alfred Beardlesy and Bruce Fromong said that two of the men with Simpson brandished semiautomatic guns during the incident.

Simpson has said that he was only retrieving memorabilia that he said was stolen from him.

Police say that Simpson went to the hotel room on the pretext of brokering a deal with Beardsley and Fromong to buy the memorabilia. The dealers have said that the deal was arranged by Thomas Riccio, an auction-house owner, and that they didn't know that Simpson was one of the supposed buyers.

According to an arrest report, Simpson and the other men burst into the room and the collectors were ordered at gunpoint to hand over several items, including football-game balls signed by Simpson, framed awards and baseballs autographed by Pete Rose, which they said were worth as much as $100,000.

Beardsley told police that one of the men with Simpson brandished a pistol and frisked him.

"I'm a cop and you're lucky this ain't L.A. or you'd be dead," the man said, according to the report.

Simpson yelled at Beardsley, according to the report, saying, "I thought you were my friend," and "give me my s--t back."

Two defendants Walter Alexander, 46, and Clarence Stewart, 53, were arrested and released pending court appearances. A fourth suspect, Michael McClinton, 49, of Las Vegas, surrendered to police Tuesday.

Police were seeking two other unidentified accomplices.

A hearing in Simpson's case was scheduled for the week of Oct. 22, though Galanter said he didn't expect the case to go to trial until next year.

[Birdman Jr]

Damn, I didn't think he'd get bail at all.

[Playa2K6]

OJ was setup.

[mocro]

so we goin to get a new bronco chase on tv or not...

[PradaFrames]

about muthafuckin time. they had dude in there like he had pistol on him pointin at people and rapin folks. he didn't touch none just bossin they asses around they talkin bout no bail gtf outta here with that shit.. but OJ I think they gone get u this time my dude. u know some white folk still shittin in they pampers on yo murder trial. but I wanna know why all this on the news. but noone is covering the jena 6 march.. racist muthafuckas. fuck them reporters and whoever else controls the news!

[chix100]

OJ was setup fo sho!

[DrYacub]

This was clearly a setup.
Whats crazy is the fact they held him without bail, and then only gave him $125,000 bail?!

[killa_psy]

i thought it would been somethin higher

[CRSone]

Originally Posted by PradaFrames

I wanna know why all this on the news. but noone is covering the jena 6 march..

Co-Sign. I Only Heard about the Jena Six from 3 Places - Here, Good Morning America, and The Radio Morning Shows - Hell The New York Times Just Reported On It TODAY!. My Sociology Prof. asked if anyone knew about it And out of 40+ people in the room...3 Hands went up...Such A damn Shame

[ckslums]

crazy! oj keeps fuckin up but he's still my dude, dont know how this will shape up tho