LAS VEGAS (AP) -- News conferences, several felony charges, a walk in handcuffs and detention in a holding cell without bail -- it is clear authorities are not giving O.J. Simpson any celebrity breaks.

 

 

 

Police insist such treatment is prudent for a man whose name is synonymous with a famous slow-speed chase from officers in a white Ford Bronco. But legal experts are questioning whether Simpson is being singled out for extra-tough prosecution in his casino-hotel robbery case as payback for his murder acquittal more than a decade ago.

 

 

 

"It is regrettable that America has not gotten over the O.J. Simpson criminal case," said Carl Douglas, who was co-counsel with Johnnie L. Cochran in Simpson's 1995 criminal trial for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend.

 

 

 

"The fact that he is being held without bail seems unfair and over the top," Douglas said. "O.J. has always been able to satisfy his obligations to the court. He cooperated with the authorities in this case. He is not a flight risk. And he certainly can't hide anywhere."

 

 

 

At least six plainclothes policemen, accompanied by a handful of hotel security guards, arrested Simpson on Sunday at The Palms hotel. He was accused of leading an armed heist of sports memorabilia. The former professional football star said he was only reclaiming possessions that had been stolen.

 

 

 

"By our standard, there was no major show of force," Sgt. John Loretto said.

 

 

 

Simpson was handcuffed and taken in a police vehicle to the Clark County Detention Center to be booked on six felonies, including two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon. If convicted of the charges, he could get up to 30 years in state prison on each robbery count alone.

 

 

 

Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith, who made the decision to hold Simpson without bail, was "concerned about the flight factor" and because Simpson had no ties to the Las Vegas area, said Judge Nancy Oesterle, who addressed reporters on Monday.

 

 

 

Arraignment was set for Wednesday. Yale Galanter, Simpson's lawyer, said he was preparing a bond motion and will ask for Simpson's release on his own recognizance when he appears in court for his scheduled arraignment.

 

 

 

"If it was anyone other than O.J. Simpson, he would have been released by now," he said.

 

 

 

Police said they were giving Simpson no special treatment, other than keeping him separated from the rest of the general prison population for his own protection.

 

 

 

In June 1994, Los Angeles police gave Simpson a day and a time to turn himself in to face allegations he had killed ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. It was a courtesy, said then-prosecutor Marcia Clark, often extended to celebrities or those with no criminal record.

 

 

 

Instead, Simpson jumped in an SUV, apparently with a loaded gun and ready to commit suicide, and led police and media helicopters on a dramatic, televised chase before surrendering.

 

 

 

"The Bronco chase was a nightmare," said Clark, now a special correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight." "Certainly he has abused that courtesy, so I would not expect anyone to extend it to him again."

 

 

 

In a clear misstatement, Capt. James Dillon said Friday at a news conference that, because Simpson was involved, police were being extra careful to conduct "a thorough, biased and competent investigation."

 

 

 

But some think the misstatement might have been more than an accident.

 

 

 

Jerry Reisman, a New York lawyer who represented O.J. Simpson in the early 1990s in business and real estate matters, said the public and law enforcement "are looking for some sort of conviction for those who want justice for Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Everyone wants to be the one that gets him."

 

 

 

Experts also raised questions about the decision to release a man who police said carried a gun in the alleged holdup of two collectors at a Palace Station casino hotel room.

 

 

 

Walter Alexander, 46, was released without bail, despite facing charges almost identical to Simpson's. Legal experts said that may indicate his testimony could be key to convicting Simpson.

 

 

 

On Monday, another man suspected in the alleged heist, Clarence Stewart, surrendered, police said. Stewart, 35, lived at one of the residences that police searched early Sunday to recover some of the memorabilia. Stewart turned over some of the missing goods, including footballs bearing autographs, Lt. Clint Nichols said.

 

 

 

Stewart was held on six felony charges: two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary with a deadly weapon and conspiracy. He was awaiting a bail decision.

 

 

 

An apparent audiotape of O.J. Simpson's standoff with men he accused of stealing his memorabilia begins with the former National Football League star demanding, "Don't let nobody out of here."

 

 

 

"Think you can steal my s--- and sell it?" the voice identified as Simpson's said, in a recording released by celebrity news Web site TMZ.com.

 

 

 

A big hurdle for prosecutors will also be determining who owned the memorabilia, including Simpson's Hall of Fame certificate.

 

 

 

Bruce Fromong, one of the sports memorabilia dealers who said he was robbed, told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday that the items did not belong to Simpson.

 

 

 

"If you're asking did they once belong to him, yes, they did," Fromong said. "But these were things that belonged to him a long time ago."

 

 

 

In 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica returned $33.5 million in judgments against Simpson in a wrongful-death lawsuit by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

 

 

 

David Cook, an attorney for Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, said he intended to file requests in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday to obtain ownership of the seized sports memorabilia for sale to satisfy the judgment. He said one key item was the suit that he Simpson wore on the day he was acquitted.

 

 

 

"Assuming that this case is resolved one way or another, at the end of the case, the stuff will never go back to Mr. Simpson," Cook vowed. "He's going to walk out of Clark County empty-handed."

 

 

 

Thomas Mesereau Jr., the defense attorney who represented Michael Jackson in a high-profile trial two years ago, said of the Simpson arrest: "This is the kind of case that will test how fair and professional our legal system is. When you have such a groundswell of dislike for someone, you have to make sure they are treated like anyone else."

 

 

 

what do you think?

All I can say is that he deserves whatever he gets. He had an easy free 12 years already.. If he gets out of this one.. well I don't know what i'll do.

Wait, what did he do this time? :-k

Wait, what did he do this time? :-k

 

 

 

Armed robery at a hotel. He has it comming he better get what he deserves. Hopefully he doesnt end up like another Paris in terms of jail.

I feel he deserves what he got. Just because someone is famous, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be off the hook for their actions..

If I had done it...

Wait, what did he do this time? :-k

 

 

 

Armed robery at a hotel. He has it comming he better get what he deserves. Hopefully he doesnt end up like another Paris in terms of jail.

 

 

 

Isn't he already rich enough? (I have no idea about him, if he's rich or poor)

 

 

 

P.S. OJ Simpson fun fact: OJ Simpson is on a team called 'The Assassins' in a new NFL game for PS3 and Xbox360.

Wait, what did he do this time? :-k

 

 

 

Armed robery at a hotel. He has it comming he better get what he deserves. Hopefully he doesnt end up like another Paris in terms of jail.

 

 

 

Isn't he already rich enough? (I have no idea about him, if he's rich or poor)

 

 

 

P.S. OJ Simpson fun fact: OJ Simpson is on a team called 'The Assassins' in a new NFL game for PS3 and Xbox360.

 

 

 

He was stealing sports memorabilia that he insisted was "his".

If I had done it...

 

 

 

Great Post... :roll:

 

 

 

Anyway Kinda stupid to rob a casino when your rich already?

If I had done it...

 

 

 

Great Post... :roll:

 

 

 

Thanks for missing the ironic reference, champ.

If I had done it...

 

 

 

Great Post... :roll:

 

 

 

Thanks for missing the ironic reference, champ.

 

 

 

No Problem, Love you really

It's ok to be on a different wavelength to everyone else.

It's ok to be on a different wavelength to everyone else.

 

 

 

grow up, kid. Just keep telling yourself you're funny and better than everybody else because you have a high post count, honestly, one it migh come true!

 

 

 

#-o

It's ok to be on a different wavelength to everyone else.

 

 

 

grow up, kid. Just keep telling yourself you're funny and better than everybody else because you have a high post count, honestly, one it migh come true!

 

 

 

#-o

 

 

 

Its true some times Bubsa Pisses me off with a post which has nothing to do with the actual topic (Mabye I just dont understand his logic)

 

 

 

But Id rather have someone like him over you

It's ok to be on a different wavelength to everyone else.

 

 

 

grow up, kid. Just keep telling yourself you're funny and better than everybody else because you have a high post count, honestly, one it migh come true!

 

 

 

#-o

 

 

 

Its true some times Bubsa Pisses me off with his a post which has nothing to do with the actual topic (Mabye I just dont understand his logic)

 

 

 

But Id rather have someone like him over you

 

 

 

i'm just quoting what he said to me earlier, but if you can't grasp that either.

 

 

 

:-k

He has point, you just can't grasp anything.

 

Hence, my post and the circle of life is complete.

Its true some times Bubsa Pisses me off with a post which has nothing to do with the actual topic (Mabye I just dont understand his logic)

 

 

 

That post had everything to do with the actual topic. I can't believe you are talking about OJ Simpson and have no idea what he was talking about.

Bubsa IS funnier and better than you, but its not because of his post count. Bubsa makes less than two posts for every one of yours. That's not that much different.

 

 

 

5.50 posts per day

 

10.37 posts per day

Its true some times Bubsa Pisses me off with a post which has nothing to do with the actual topic (Mabye I just dont understand his logic)

 

 

 

That post had everything to do with the actual topic. I can't believe you are talking about OJ Simpson and have no idea what he was talking about.

 

 

 

Everyone Owns me :(

Its true some times Bubsa Pisses me off with a post which has nothing to do with the actual topic (Mabye I just dont understand his logic)

 

 

 

That post had everything to do with the actual topic. I can't believe you are talking about OJ Simpson and have no idea what he was talking about.

 

 

 

Everyone Owns me :(

 

 

 

Well when you post the same joke twice in a thread because no one laughed at it the first time, it aint that hard, buddy.

 

Well when you post the same joke twice in a thread because no one laughed at it the first time, it aint that hard, buddy.

 

 

 

toucḫ̩̉̉