OJ Simpson Convicted

[BNaylor]

Well, it looks like he has to pay for this one. Convicted on all 12 charges. 15 years to life in prison.

AP
Oct. 4, 2008

LAS VEGAS - O.J. Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after he was acquitted of murder in 1995, was found guilty Friday of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Article

Also, feel free to discuss aspects of criminal law, prosecutions and punishment as it relates to the Simpson case or even others.

[xeroinfinity]

Yeah Bob, sounds like the jury had some underlying animosity toward OJ for his not guilty verdict in his murder trial.

I feel if his merchandise was stolen, then the guy(s) who had possesion should be charged with receiving stolen merchandise and or theft.
And OJ didnt even have a gun so I dont see how he could get the full term of life in prison for something so trivial.

I think he was framed agian.

[VR43000GT]

It's too bad his life couldn't have been given to someone who deserved it and could have made something of it. It's about time he was removed from society.

[xeroinfinity]

He did go about this the wrong way but I dont feel he was guilty of all 12 counts.
Like 1st degree kidnaping ?!

Thier's petafiles out there who get caught kidnapping and molesting and they dont get life in prison.
Maybe Nevada laws differ then the rest of the U.S. ..

Either way he's screwed(pune intended)in prison.

[BNaylor]

For what good it will do he can always file an appeal after the Judge denies the Motion for New Trial. I'm quite sure his lawyer is going to do that. I think his sentencing trial is set for December 5. Curious to see what he gets for punishment.

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

Thier's petafiles out there who get caught kidnapping and molesting and they dont get life in prison.
Maybe Nevada laws differ then the rest of the U.S. ..

Speaking of weird or draconian state penal codes. In Texas you can be convicted of murder now in an automobile related accident death where you are negligent. The vehicle is being used as the weapon. The old manslaughter days are gone.

[ericn1300]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Speaking of weird or draconian state penal codes. In Texas you can be convicted of murder now in an automobile related accident death where you are negligent. The vehicle is being used as the weapon. The old manslaughter days are gone.

Wouldn't that be dependent on intent to use the vehicle as a weapon? If I pick up a hammer and attack you that is intent, if the hammer falls out of my tool belt while I'm on the roof and hits you in the head, thats negligence and maybe manslaughter. What if I swerve to miss a cow and roll the car killing my passenger? Does this law carry the death penalty?

Oh, and I don't have much sympathy for Simpson. He is a public figure and if after his acquittal on murder charges he pulls off a crime like this he should expect to have the book thrown at him. I guess this will end his hunt for the real killers, which we have to assume are golfers since that's were he spent most of his time looking.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by ericn1300

Wouldn't that be dependent on intent to use the vehicle as a weapon? If I pick up a hammer and attack you that is intent, if the hammer falls out of my tool belt while I'm on the roof and hits you in the head, thats negligence and maybe manslaughter. What if I swerve to miss a cow and roll the car killing my passenger? Does this law carry the death penalty?

Nope. Not under the revised Texas criminal statutes (penal code). Of course states will vary. So far two cases to date in my county alone since the new law came out. See link below.

No capital punishment.

El Paso Times
09/30/2008

Nuñez's defense lawyer, Francisco F. Macias, said during a trial break that he will try to prove that what happened should not have been charged as a murder.

"I hope I'm able to show to the jury that it's an overreaction to what happened. I think this is the wrong case to call murder," he said.

In December 2007, Eduardo Sandoval was the first person in El Paso to be charged with murder in connection with a driving-while-intoxicated offense. Sandoval was convicted on two counts of murder in the March 14, 2007, deaths of Amanda Carrasco and James Michael "Mike" Kaiser, who were killed on Mesa Street and Cincinnati Avenue. Sandoval was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Click here

[ericn1300]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Nope. Not under the revised Texas criminal statutes (penal code). Of course states will vary. So far two cases to date in my county alone since the new law came out. See link below.

No capital punishment.

[/i]

Looks like a boondoggle to me. Lawyers wrote the law, and other lawyers will fight it, and in the end who wins? The lawyers will profit but where is the benefit to society? What real problem does this law address?

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by ericn1300

Looks like a boondoggle to me. Lawyers wrote the law, and other lawyers will fight it, and in the end who wins? The lawyers will profit but where is the benefit to society? What real problem does this law address?

Thats a good point. I'm not in favor of these laws and over zealous prosecutors. A lot of controversy in Texas over it. I recall the MADD people were the biggest lobbyists in favor of the law and they wanted the DWI laws stiffened up to include bringing the murder charges for repeat DWI offenders.

Here is a good explanation better than what I could present. A few Judges are throwing some of these cases out but as you can see there are still prosecutions.

A Judge's Take on DWI Murder

[xeroinfinity]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

For what good it will do he can always file an appeal after the Judge denies the Motion for New Trial. I'm quite sure his lawyer is going to do that. I think his sentencing trial is set for December 5. Curious to see what he gets for punishment.

I'm sure they'll throw the book at him just to set an example. He sure doesnt have the cash to pay many high dollar fines.
I did hear its going to be appealed and maybe even a retrail because some of the jury memebers were biased and made comments to that nature.

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Speaking of weird or draconian state penal codes. In Texas you can be convicted of murder now in an automobile related accident death where you are negligent. The vehicle is being used as the weapon. The old manslaughter days are gone.

I think Indiana has some new laws set up like this, especialy for DUI accidents.
One of my wifes relatives was under the influence and wrecked and killed his own brother and a friend, he got manslaughter, spent 7-8 years in prison and years of probation....but then he was ran over by a drunk driver in Chicago , died a week after his release from prison.

Then I read in the paper not long ago another man did something simular and he got 20 yrs for "vehicular homicide"(Vehicular Manslaughter). He was a repeat DUI offender though.

Originally Posted by ericn1300

Wouldn't that be dependent on intent to use the vehicle as a weapon? If I pick up a hammer and attack you that is intent, if the hammer falls out of my tool belt while I'm on the roof and hits you in the head, thats negligence and maybe manslaughter. What if I swerve to miss a cow and roll the car killing my passenger? Does this law carry the death penalty?

Yes a car is considered a weapon if your intent is to kill, just as a gun, knife or hammer. If you are drunk and hit the cow and killed your passager(s) you'll possibly get a vehicular manslaughter charge.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

I'm sure they'll throw the book at him just to set an example. He sure doesnt have the cash to pay many high dollar fines.
I did hear its going to be appealed and maybe even a rettrial because some of the jury memebers were biased and made comments to that nature.

From what I've read his co-defendant probably has the best chance of winning an appeal since the argument is they were tried together.

Here is some interesting trivia about the case. 13 was his unlucky number.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - In Las Vegas where luck means everything, O.J. Simpson came out the big loser and his unlucky number was 13.

The former football star has been convicted in an armed robbery and kidnapping that happened on September 13th, 2007. And the Las Vegas verdict late last night came in on the 13th anniversary of Simpson's Los Angeles murder acquittal. The jury deliberated for 13 hours yesterday after a 13-day trial.

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=9124611

[xeroinfinity]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

From what I've read his co-defendant probably has the best chance of winning an appeal since the argument is they were tried together.

Yeah he probly will get a different verdict or retrial. I guess all the other guys with him at the time(crime) got off easy for testifying against OJ. That sure didnt help him much.

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Here is some interesting trivia about the case. 13 was his unlucky number.

[/i]

That is strange how 13 worked against him.
Maybe now he knows not to gamble in Vegas.
Wasnt his jersey # 32 ?

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

Wasnt his jersey # 32 ?

Yup. I think at both USC and in the NFL. Back then the AFL.

[xeroinfinity]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Yup. I think at both USC and in the NFL. Back then the AFL.

...to bad it wasn't 13 also.

['97ventureowner]

I guess what happened in Vegas will stay in Vegas
Maybe he'll hire Robert Blake's or Phil Spector's lawyers for the appeal.