by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright September 19, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

.J. Simpson posted $125,000 bail and walked out of Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas Sept. 19, charged with ten counts of armed robbery, kidnapping, assault, etc., with his lawyer Yale Galanter at his side. Twelve years before, Simpson was acquitted of double homicide and limped out of Los Angeles Superior Court a free man, largely due to the extraordinary talents of the late Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Simpson, a former USC Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Fame running back with the Buffalo Bills, found a convoluted way back to jail. Since his acquittal, Simpson has had numerous brushes with the law. He lost a civil verdict for wrongful death of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman Feb. 3, 1997, awarding the plaintiffs' families $33.5 million. Since Ron and Nicole's blood-soaked bodies were found June 12, 1994, Simpson's life has been a tabloid freak-show.

      There was a strange déjà vu watching the now 60-year-old former football great, CBS analyst and Hertz Rental Car spokesman, whisked off to jail, bailed out and now waiting arraignment on numerous felonies should the Clark County DA's case hold up—which is a big if. On last Saturday night Sept. 15, Simpson was apparently involved, along with several other suspects, in armed robbery of O.J.-sports memorabilia owned by Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong. O.J. said he tried to reclaim stolen items, when he entered the hotel room of Beardsley and Fromong. “You can't rob something that is yours,” said Galanter, O.J.'s attorney. Gallanter revealed O.J. said, “You've got stolen property. Either you return it or I call the police,” admitting Simpson tried to take the law into his own hands. Simpson reportedly prevented Fromong from calling the police, “by ripping it [cell phone] out of his hand.”

      Simpson apparently decided to reclaim his property after getting tipped off by another Calif. auctioneer Tom Riccio. Ricco apparently told Simpson Beardsley and Fromong possessed stolen O.J. property, prompting him to intervene Saturday night. Las Vegas Police arrested Walter Alexander and Clarence Stewart, both released on bail. A fourth suspect, 49-year-old Michael McClinton, surrendered Tuesday. Two other suspects are being sought. Clark County prosecutors were busy trying to make a plea deals with Alexander, Stewart and McClinton. Ricco sold an audiotape of the Saturday night incident to celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com in which O.J. can be heard telling Beardsley and Fromong to hand over the goods. Beardley has been arrested for a parole violation and awaits extradition to California. Fromong suffered a heart attack Sept. 16 and remains at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in critical condition.

      While Las Vegas prosecutors would like to get into the O.J. act, their two star witnesses remain dubious. Beardsley has indicated he has no intent of pressing charges. Fromong, for now, remains incognito on life-support. “O.J. came up with some way-out ideas before I finally agreed to the last one, which didn't go the way he said it would go. “I didn't do anything wrong was the bottom line,” Riccio told the Fox News Channel. Simpson, Alexander, Stewart and McClinton are charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of robbery with a use of a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit robbery, and a misdemeanor, conspiracy to commit a crime. With Beardsley and Fromong questionable, the D.A. will have to get plea deals against O.J.

      Alexander, 46, of Mesa, Ariz., claims that Simpson was set up by Riccio, who sold his tape to TMZ.com. “It sounds like a setup to me,” Alexander told ABC's “Good Morning America,” claiming that Simpson was tipped off by Riccio. But whether Riccio orchestrated anything, Simpson and at least three other witnesses engaged in numerous felonies with the expressed purpose, according Galanter, to reclaim Simpson's property. Speaking too glibly, Galanter, a savvy LA defense attorney, already admitted that you can't rob something that doesn't belong to you. He's handed Las Vegas authorities the rope needed to hang Simpson, admitting, whatever occurred in Beardsley and Fromong's hotel room, that O.J. tried to reclaim his possessions. Without the victims cooperating with the Las Vegas D.A., prosecutors can only get other suspects to cut plea deals and testify against O.J.

      Beating double-murder charges in 1995, O.J. found a way to finally do some time. While there are a lot of unknowns as the Las Vegas D.A. prepares for arraignment, there's enough evidence that Simpson participated in armed robbery to reclaim “stolen” memorabilia. Whether or not Riccio setup O.J. is neither here nor there. Free on $125,000 bail, Simpson was forced to surrender his passport and admonished to avoid talking to other witnesses by Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Joseph Bonaventure. Ordered back to court Oct. 22, Galanter will have a lot of explaining to do, especially after admitting O.J. got back property that was rightfully his. Whether Fromong survives his heart attack or whether Beardsley presses charges, won't stop prosecutors from cutting plea deals, seeking testimony against Simpson and paving the way for some belated justice.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2005 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.