O.J. Simpson has been granted parole on a 4-0 verdict from the Nevada Parole Board nine years after his armed robbery conviction. He will be released in October.
Simpson was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison, with nine years without the possibility of parole, for his role in planning a 2007 armed robbery in which he tried to take back items that he said were stolen from him.
Simpson was likely to be granted parole based on Nevada’s guidelines. Nine years was a long sentence for the crime, and because of his age, his lack of previous criminal convictions, and his release circumstances, he was deemed to be low-risk. The parole board did not take into account the double murder trial from 1995, in which Simpson was found not guilty in criminal court but liable in civil court.
Simpson was supported by his daughter, Arnelle Simpson, and his friend and victim of the robbery, Bruce Fromong.
However, the hearing was fairly bizarre. Rather than showing remorse, as he was expected to do, Simpson made excuses for his actions, plus made some other statements that aren’t remotely true.
Among the most remarkable statements was, “Nobody has ever accused me of holding any weapon on them.”
This is the sound clip of the O.J. Simpson parole hearing, I say. https://t.co/vYdiIkXpxP
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) July 20, 2017
"I've basically spent a conflict free life." OJ Simpson at his parole hearing.
— Joe Flint (@JBFlint) July 20, 2017
Simpson also apparently wants to get into the media.
https://twitter.com/werlysportslaw/status/888090979508645888
Even weirder is that one of the parole board members was wearing a Kansas City Chiefs tie.
https://twitter.com/CALhardee/status/888084833779544064
It can’t be an O.J. Simpson episode without it becoming a circus, so that was fitting. In two months, the next chapter of the O.J. Simpson saga begins.
He sounds like my Dad did when he was in early senility. Just does quite “et it” with logic and thoughts proven wrong. It’s best if he does cameos and shuts up most of the time. Lotta hits in the head he took. His best days are way in the rear view. Sad to say. I’m betting he gets in legal trouble again. He’ll need someone to keep him out of trouble. Basically he’s a murderer with a very rich fantasy life.