O.J. Simpson has been sentenced to a minimum of nine years behind bars for his role in an armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel.
The O.J. Sentencing
A judge delivered O.J. Simpson’s sentencing Friday, saying the crime “was much more than stupidity.” Simpson, now 61, had claimed he was only trying to get back memorabilia and didn’t intend to steal anything. He reportedly cried as he delivered an emotional statement, claiming he was “sorry and confused.”
No Bail
Simpson will not be allowed to post bail in the time allotted for a potential appeal — and his lawyers have already indicated they do plan to appeal.
Conviction Connection
O.J. Simpson had been convicted exactly 13 years after being acquitted in the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and friend Ron Goldman. This time around, a Las Vegas jury found Simpson guilty of barging into a room with five other men at the Palace Station hotel and taking expensive memorabilia at gunpoint. He was convicted on 12 separate charges centered on kidnapping and armed robbery.
Concurrent Sentences
The judge issued a series of concurrent and consecutive sentences, which is why the exact amount of jail time is not a firm number. Simpson could become eligible for parole after nine years but could end up serving as long as 33 years total. The judge insisted her decision was completely unrelated to Simpson’s acquittal in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
