The Juice will be loose
O.J. Simpson granted parole
The notorious O.J. Simpson was granted parole Thursday after more than eight years in prison for a Las Vegas hotel heist. He could be a free man as early as Oct. 1.
O.J. Simpson was granted parole Thursday after more than eight years in prison for a Las Vegas hotel-room heist, successfully making his case for freedom in a nationally televised hearing that reflected America’s enduring fascination with the former football star. Simpson, 70, could be released as early as Oct. 1. By then, he will have served the minimum of his nine- to 33-year armed-robbery sentence for a bungled attempt to snatch sports memorabilia and other mementos he claimed had been stolen from him. All four parole commissioners who conducted the hearing voted for his release after about a halfhour of deliberations. They cited, among other things, the low risk he might commit another crime, his community support and his release plans, which include moving to Florida. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Simpson said quietly as he buried his head on his chest with relief. As he rose from his seat to return to his prison cell, he exhaled deeply. Then, as he was led down a hall, the Hall of Fame athlete and onetime murder defendant in the 1995 “Trial of the Century” raised his hands over his head in a victory gesture and said: “Oh, God, oh!” Simpson’s sister, Shirley Baker, wept and hugged Simpson’s 48-year-old daughter Arnelle, who held a hand over her mouth. During the more than hourlong hearing, Simpson forcefully insisted — as he has all along — that he was only trying to retrieve items that belonged to him and never meant to hurt anyone. He said he never pointed a gun at anyone nor made any threats during the holdup of two sports memorabilia dealers. “I’m sorry it happened, I’m sorry, Nevada,” he told the board. “I thought I was glad to get my stuff back, but it just wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t worth it, and I’m sorry.” Inmate No. 1027820 made his plea for freedom in a stark hearing room at the Lovelock Correctional Center in rural Nevada as the parole commissioners questioned him via video from Carson City, a two-hour drive away. Grey-haired but looking trimmer than he has in recent years, Simpson walked briskly into the hearing room in jeans, a lightblue prison-issue shirt and sneakers. He chuckled at one point as the parole board chairwoman mistakenly gave his age as 90.