Simpson could have taken plea deal for less time

[samanthajane13]

By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer Ken Ritter, Associated Press Writer – 48 mins ago



LAS VEGAS – O.J. Simpson is headed to prison for at least nine years, but a prosecutor says the former football star could have spent less time behind bars if he had accepted a plea deal before he was convicted.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger said Simpson was offered a deal for less prison time than the nine- to 33-year prison terms the graying former football star was sentenced to on Friday for kidnapping and assaulting two sports memorabilia dealers with a deadly weapon.

"Mr. Simpson wanted something just short of a public apology," Roger said. "We didn't think that was appropriate."

Roger did not offer specifics of the deal and Simpson's defense lawyers declined to discuss details.

"There was nothing that was palatable. Nothing acceptable," Simpson lawyer Yale Galanter said.

Co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart also rejected a deal that would have had him plead guilty to unspecified reduced charges in return for a promised sentence less than the 7 1/2 to 27 years he received, the prosecutor and defense lawyers said.

"It was a universal deal," said Stewart's lawyer, Brent Bryson. "Both defendants had to accept it. As we know, that didn't happen."

An emotional and hoarse Simpson said nothing about plea deals when he stood in shackles and blue jail garb and apologized before he was sentenced by Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass.

"In no way did I mean to hurt anybody, to steal anything from anyone," Simpson said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it."

The judge said she was not convinced, and she denied that Simpson's acquittal in Los Angeles in the 1994 slaying of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, had any effect on a sentence that will make Simpson 70 years old before he is eligible for parole.

"I'm not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else. I want that to be perfectly clear to everybody," the judge said.

She called the evidence overwhelming, with the planning, confrontation and aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape.

"You went to the room, and you took guns," Glass told Simpson. "You used force. You took property, whether it was yours or somebody else's. And in this state, that amounts to robbery, with use of a deadly weapon."

"And Mr. Stewart, you got caught up in something," the judge added. "I'm not sure how much you knew. But clearly Mr. Simpson knew."

Simpson and Stewart were each convicted Oct. 3 of 12 criminal charges, including the kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon which led to their sentences, and the armed robbery, conspiracy and burglary sentences that the judge folded in with the rest. Glass threw out two coercion charges.

"We were preparing Mr. Simpson for the worst," Galanter said later. "We felt we did really well. Obviously, he's upset about the possibility of doing nine years."

Roger called it "a fair and just sentence under the circumstances" and said during a news conference that because the crimes were considered violent felonies, Simpson and Stewart won't be eligible for good time credits to lessen the minimum sentences.

The prosecutor said he did not expect they would immediately be released when they do seek parole.

Galanter and Bryson said they intend to appeal their clients' convictions. But they postponed plans to file notices of appeal Friday, after Glass asked them attend a Tuesday morning restitution hearing concerning the items stolen from memorabilia peddlers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley.

The hearing will coincide with sentencings for four former co-defendants in the case who took plea deals and testified against Simpson and Stewart. Michael McClinton, Charles Cashmore, Walter Alexander and Charles Ehrlich each could get probation or prison time. McClinton could get up to 11 years; the others face less.

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081206/ap_en_mo/oj_simpson

[utl768]

it could be stewart here maybe that rejected it for them as it never seemed likely at least by me that stewart was going to face much if any jail time

[martin II]

Originally Posted by utl768

it could be stewart here maybe that rejected it for them as it never seemed likely at least by me that stewart was going to face much if any jail time

Well the prosecution gave each of the other "defendants" seperate plea deals.
why would they make the plea offers to oj and stewart "universal" causing both to agree or no deal. that seems unfair. Stewarts sentence was very unfair.

[mu8shark]

Originally Posted by martin II

Well the prosecution gave each of the other "defendants" seperate plea deals.
why would they make the plea offers to oj and stewart "universal" causing both to agree or no deal. that seems unfair. Stewarts sentence was very unfair.

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

[William Anthony]

Originally Posted by mu8shark

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

Let's abandon the concept of having the punishment fit the crime. Let's abandon the concept that the state is required to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt in favor of judicial expediency and economy. Commit or be accused of a crime, plead guilty whether guilty or not and get out of jail sooner.

[martin II]

Originally Posted by mu8shark

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

I understand you post
For the first few days Mcclinton and Alexander played both ends against the middle.Both were tapped by the groom damanding that the groom and oj pay them $50,000 to slant their testimony in ojs favor. Mcclinton even went so far as to remind the groom that he could be a dangersu person.

Alexander testified in the opriginal hearing that he had told oj that he would slant his testimony of paid.

mcClinton had three interviews with the da during his demand for money was rejected and it was then that he remembered that oj had asked him to bring guns.

The groom contacted the le and gave them the mcclinton money demand tape. LE put the tape in their files and did nothing.

Alexander had a beef with oj because oj had refused his request to pay for Alexanders fathers funeral expenses.

Considering ALexanders testimony that he would testify in ojs favor for money, why would the DA believe his changed testimony against oj.Or did it not matter as long as they got him on the stand saying what they needed him to say. seems to me Alexander escaped being tossed under the bus because he was willing to lie. imo

[martin II]

Originally Posted by mu8shark

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

I understand the concept that some das work under.
Now considering how some will get out early for their crimes especially mcclainton and Alexander that made their own decisions to bring guns into the room. Did the peiople of Nevada get true justice?

[martin II]

Originally Posted by mu8shark

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

It is the prosecution that makes the decision as to who will be offered a plea,
when this offer will be made to the defense and thereby who is offered the chance to evade being tossed under the bus first. right?

[William Anthony]

Originally Posted by mu8shark

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

I guess that would have been Riccio, whom most directly involved in the incident, other than LE, feel that he was the manipulator.

[Vanillaangel]

I do believe there is justice in the world, even if the system itself fails to effect it against someone who sorely deserves it. As such, I believe Riccio will sooner or later get his. He's too much of a low life not to have the fates find him eventually.

As for this case, I can't imagine the frustration OJ experienced learning the things he thought were secure, were instead stolen and up for sale to the highest bidder.
When no one would help him acquire his things legally, what was he to do!? This may have been an ill advised solution on his part, but for all he's endured it was probably inevitable.

I feel for the man. I really do. And though I know I'm in the minority in that regard, it can't be helped.

I hope his appeal is successful. The judge in this case was less than impressive, nor impartial, in her jurist representation in this case. The same can be said, in my opinion only of course, for the DA. It is impossible to steal one's own stolen merchandise. And yet, in matters of law that fact didn't seem to matter at all when it was OJ Simpson's merchandise.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. OJ, you must be able to bench press Rhode Island by now. Keep the faith.

[William Anthony]

Originally Posted by Vanillaangel

I do believe there is justice in the world, even if the system itself fails to effect it against someone who sorely deserves it. As such, I believe Riccio will sooner or later get his. He's too much of a low life not to have the fates find him eventually.

As for this case, I can't imagine the frustration OJ experienced learning the things he thought were secure, were instead stolen and up for sale to the highest bidder.
When no one would help him acquire his things legally, what was he to do!? This may have been an ill advised solution on his part, but for all he's endured it was probably inevitable.

I feel for the man. I really do. And though I know I'm in the minority in that regard, it can't be helped.

I hope his appeal is successful. The judge in this case was less than impressive, nor impartial, in her jurist representation in this case. The same can be said, in my opinion only of course, for the DA. It is impossible to steal one's own stolen merchandise. And yet, in matters of law that fact didn't seem to matter at all when it was OJ Simpson's merchandise.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. OJ, you must be able to bench press Rhode Island by now. Keep the faith.

Welcome.

[martin II]

Originally Posted by mu8shark

There is a saying in some prosecutors office, first to the bus stop , gets to get on the bus, the others get thrown under it. . In order words, the first to turn state's witness is going to get the best deal. And remember OJ was the planner, the one who spoke and rounded up the others. Obviously they wanted him worse than anyone else. It is the way it is, it is not unusual, it is the way it would have been done in any other case. The first one to turn gets the best deal.

I think what you have described is the lazy way to prosecute.Sammy the Bull
testified that he had killed 19 people at the order of his mob boss John Gotti.
Gotti was convicted but there was strong public opinion against the DA allowing Sammy to evade jail for these murders.

I think the prosecutor should have prosecuted all involved in the vagas case equally as that is the only way the people of Nevada could have received Justice.It evaded them in this case.imo

[Vanillaangel]

Originally Posted by William Anthony

Welcome.

Thank you.

[martin II]

Originally Posted by Vanillaangel

Thank you.

You are welcomed by me also.

[William Anthony]

Originally Posted by Vanillaangel

Thank you.

I hope that this will not be your last visit as your post is intelligent and well articulated and I think that we may have a cordial exchange of opinions. I sense from your post that you have formed no opinion of the criminal trial, or, if you have, desire to stay out of the fray, which I can understand and respect. It seems as if this case has only just begun in regard to other possible charges and the matters to be considered on appeal. In any event, it was nice to hear a post tempered with reason and mercy and hope you will return.