O. J. Mayo

Mayo in December 2008.
No. 32 – Memphis Grizzlies
Shooting guard / Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1987-11-05) November 5, 1987 (age 24) Huntington, West Virginia, USA
Nationality	American
High school	Rose Hill HS (Ashland, Kentucky) North College Hill HS (North College Hill, Ohio) Huntington HS (Huntington, West Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College	USC (2007–2008)
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	2008–present
Career history
2008–present	Memphis Grizzlies
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2009) All-Pac-10 First Team (2008)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Ovinton J'Anthony "O. J." Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He signed with the Grizzlies on July 8, 2008.^[1] He played college basketball for the University of Southern California (USC). As an athlete at Huntington High School and North College Hill High School in Cincinnati, he was considered by several media outlets to be the best high school basketball player in the United States.^[2]

He chose to enter the 2008 NBA Draft instead of completing his three remaining years of college eligibility; when he chose Bill Duffy and Associates as his agency, he lost his NCAA eligibility. He was taken third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 26, 2008.^[3] Following the draft, Minnesota traded him and three other players to the Grizzlies in exchange for Kevin Love and three players.

Mayo was a part of the 2008 U.S. Select Team to help get the Olympic team ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.^[4]

High school[link]

Mayo began playing high school basketball at Rose Hill Christian High School in Ashland, Kentucky. In Kentucky, grade schoolers can play high school basketball, and Mayo averaged 23.1 points for Rose Hill's varsity team while in seventh grade. In eighth grade, he tallied 20.5 points per game and was named a first-team all-state player by the Louisville Courier. Mayo then moved to suburban Cincinnati to live with grandfather Dwaine Barnes. Mayo was still in eighth grade when he enrolled at North College Hill High School in April 2003. The Cincinnati Enquirer and local television stations sent reporters to cover Mayo's first day of school at NCH.^[5]

The 18-year-old junior guard was selected as Mr. Basketball of Ohio for the second consecutive season, in addition to being named Associated Press Division III Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He averaged nearly 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists per game. He also led his team to three consecutive AP poll titles and garnered much attention from the media, appearing in the pages of Sports Illustrated among other publications. Much like another high school star from Ohio (St. Vincent–St. Mary High School), LeBron James, Mayo drew large enough crowds to force his team into seeking larger venues to support the growing crowds, and often attracted National Basketball Association stars such as James and Carmelo Anthony to watch his games playing for the D-1 Greyhounds.

In February 2006, Mayo attracted the largest crowd to ever see a high school game in Cincinnati, Ohio when 16,202 fans watched North College Hill fall to the nation's number one rated team, Oak Hill Academy.^[6] Mayo had been considered a lock to make the leap straight from high school to the NBA, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and its players instituted a rule that a player must be at least a year out of high school before he can enter the NBA, effectively curtailing those plans. On July 5, 2006, it was reported by ESPN that he would attend USC.^[7] On July 8, however, WSAZ-TV reported that USC was only one of three colleges that Mayo was considering: the other two being Kansas State University and the University of Florida.

Mayo enrolled at Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia for the 2006–07 school year. He formally committed to USC in November 2006.^[8]

In January 2007, Mayo allegedly assaulted referee Mike Lazo after being ejected from a Huntington High game vs. Capital High School at the Charleston Civic Center.^[9] According to West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission rules, Mayo was suspended for two games. However, due to allegations supported by video evidence that Lazo had overreacted and faked the incident, a temporary restraining order was signed by Cabell County Circuit Court Judge Dan O'Hanlan, temporarily lifting the suspensions on Mayo and five other players suspended due to incidents at that game.^[10] However, shortly after, the restraining order was nullified and Mayo was suspended for three games, a punishment that Mayo described as "fair".^[11]

On March 9, 2007, Mayo and three other men were cited by the Cabell County Sheriff's Dept. for misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana. Officers found the cannabis in a car in which Mayo was a passenger and, since no one claimed possession, all occupants were ticketed.^[12] Charges against Mayo were dropped on March 12, 2007 after one of the other passengers in the vehicle took responsibility for the marijuana.^[13]

Awards and Honors[link]

Mayo was selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the 2007 recipient of the Bill Evans Award for the state's boys basketball player of the year. Mayo led the state in scoring for the 2006–2007 season at 28.4 points per game. Runner-up in the voting was teammate Patrick Patterson.^[14]

On March 17, 2007, Mayo led Huntington High School to its third consecutive Class AAA basketball championship in the state of West Virginia with 103–61 rout of South Charleston. Mayo finished with a triple-double: 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. In his final moments with a minute left in the game, Mayo threw the ball off the backboard from the free-throw line, caught it in midair, and dunked. He then threw the ball deep into the stands and held up three fingers, a reference to Huntington High's three-straight basketball state championships.^[15]

He graduated in May 2007 and signed a letter of intent to enroll at USC. He scored a 29 on the ACT, placing him in the 95th percentile nationally.^[16]

College career[link]

OJ Mayo in January 2008 as a college basketball player.

Mayo had given Kansas State a soft verbal commitment to play for them,^[17] but retracted it when head coach Bob Huggins announced he would take the same position at West Virginia. Frank Martin, by whom Mayo was recruited, was named head coach. Former teammate at North College Hill High School Bill Walker opted to stay and play for Martin.

Mayo enrolled at the University of Southern California in Summer 2007, taking two classes.^[18] While waiting for the season to begin, he began playing pickup basketball against current NBA players Kobe Bryant, Sam Cassell, Kevin Garnett, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., D. J. Augustin, Jason Kidd, Adam Morrison, and J. J. Redick.^[18]

In the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, the Trojans lost to UCLA, featuring Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook, in the semi-finals. Both Mayo and Love were selected to the All Pac-10 tournament team. In his NCAA Tournament debut with the Trojans, Mayo scored 20 points as USC was beaten by Kansas State and freshman Michael Beasley and old high school teammate Bill Walker.

Mayo did not return for his sophomore season, opting to instead enter the 2008 NBA draft.

Improper benefits and rules violation[link]

On May 11, 2008, ESPN.com reported that a former "confidant", Louis Johnson, revealed on ESPN's TV show Outside the Lines that Mayo received numerous gifts in violation of NCAA rules. The report states that Mayo received the gifts from Rodney Guillory before and during his tenure at USC. Guillory is said to have received the money from the Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management (BDA).^[19] On May 2, 2008, Mayo cut ties with BDA. He then hired Leon Rose to be his agent.

In April 2009, the NCAA combined its investigations of Mayo and former running back Reggie Bush into a single probe of the Trojans' athletic program.^[20]

On January 3, 2010, USC announced that it had determined Mayo was ineligible for the 2007-2008 season because he received improper benefits. As a result, USC vacated all 21 of its wins from the 2007-08 season, dropping its record to 0-12. A vacated game does not count as a win for the other team, but is officially treated as having never happened. USC also withdrew from postseason consideration (including the Pac-10 conference tournament) for the 2009-10 season.^[21][22]

NBA career[link]

2008–09 season[link]

On June 26, 2008, O. J. Mayo was selected 3rd overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later that day, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, along with Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner, swapping them for the 5th overall pick Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins.^[23] In his NBA Summer League debut, Mayo had 15 points to lead the Grizzlies to an 88–75 win over the New Orleans Hornets. During his rookie season, Mayo scored 30 or more points seven times.

Mayo was the runner-up for the 2008–09 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, finishing second behind Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

2009–10 season[link]

On November 1, 2009, O.J. Mayo scored a career high 40 points against the Denver Nuggets on 17 of 25 shooting.^[24]

2010–11 season[link]

Mayo was late for a game-day shootaround and was taken out of the starting lineup starting November 20, 2010.^[25] On a return flight to Memphis from Los Angeles, Mayo was involved in a fight with teammate Tony Allen over a debt from an in-flight card game.^[25]

On January 27, the NBA suspended Mayo for 10 games following a positive test for the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which violates the league's anti-drug program. Mayo blamed an over the counter supplement that he didn't know was banned by the NBA for the positive test, but he declined to say which supplement he used.^[26] He later said an unnamed energy drink he bought at a gas station contained the banned substance.^[25]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Personal[link]

His parents are Alisa Mayo and Kenneth Maurice Ziegler. Mayo did not live with his father while growing up. Ziegler was charged on December 23, 2010 with attempted murder after he hit a police officer with his car in Huntington, West Virginia.^[25]

Mayo's half-brother, Todd, committed to Marquette University in 2011.^[27]

See also[link]

• 2006 high school boys basketball All-Americans

References[link]

External links[link]

• NBA-profile
• USC Player Bio: O. J. Mayo

O. J. Simpson Simpson photographed in 1990. No. 32 Running back Personal information Date of birth: (1947-07-09) July 9, 1947 (age 64) Place of birth: San Francisco, CA Career information College: Southern California NFL Draft: 1969 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 Debuted in 1969 Last played in 1979 Career history Buffalo Bills (1969–1977) San Francisco 49ers (1978–1979) Career highlights and awards Rated #40 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com as of 2009 season 6× Pro Bowl selection (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976) 5× All-Pro selection (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976) 4× NFL Rushing champion (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976) NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team 1968 Heisman Trophy 1968 Maxwell Award 1968 UPI Player of the Year 1967 Walter Camp Award 1967 UPI Player of the Year 1973 NFL MVP 1973 NFL Offensive Player of the Year 1973 Bert Bell Award 1973 Pro Bowl MVP 1973 Hickok Belt win[1] 3× UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year (1972, 1973, 1975) 1973 AP Man Athlete of the Year Career NFL statistics Rushing yards 11,236 Average 4.7 Rushing TDs 61 Stats at NFL.com Pro Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame

Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American college and professional football player, football broadcaster and actor. Simpson was a running back, the American Football League's Buffalo Bills' first overall pick in the 1969 Common Draft, and the first professional football player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set in 1973. While five other players have passed the 2,000 rush yard mark he stands alone as the only player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a fourteen-game season (professional football changed to a sixteen-game season in 1978). He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1 ypg. Simpson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He also had a successful career in acting and sports commentary.

In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman after a lengthy, internationally publicized criminal trial – the People v. Simpson. In 1997 a civil court awarded a judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths; to date he has paid little of the $33.5 million penalty.^[2] His book, If I Did It (2006), which purports to be a first-person fictional account of the murders had he actually committed them, was withdrawn by the publisher just before its release. The book was later released by the Goldman family.^[3] In September 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with numerous felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping.^[4] In 2008, he was found guilty^[5][6] and sentenced to thirty-three years' imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole.^[7] He is serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada.^[8]

Early life[link]

Simpson was born in San Francisco, the son of Eunice (née Durden; October 23, 1921 – San Francisco, California, November 9, 2001), a hospital administrator, and Jimmy Lee Simpson (Arkansas, January 29, 1920 – San Francisco, California, June 9, 1986), a chef and bank custodian.^[9] Simpson's maternal grandparents were from Louisiana.^[10] His aunt gave him the name Orenthal, which supposedly was the name of a French actor she liked.^[11] Simpson has one brother, Melvin Leon "Truman" Simpson, and one living sister, Shirley Simpson-Baker, and one deceased sister, Carmelita Simpson-Durio. As a child, Simpson developed rickets and wore braces on his legs until the age of five.^[12] His parents separated in 1952.^{[citation needed]}

At Galileo High School in San Francisco, Simpson played for the school football team, the Galileo Lions. From 1965 to 1966, Simpson was a student at City College of San Francisco, a member of the California Community College system. He played both offense (running back) and defense (defensive back) and was named to the Junior College All-American team as a running back.

College football career[link]

Simpson gained an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California where he played running back in 1967 and 1968. Simpson led the nation in rushing in 1967 when he ran for 1,451 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He also led the nation in rushing the next year with 355 carries for 1,709 yards.

In 1967, he starred in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game and was a Heisman Trophy candidate as a junior, but he did not win the award. His 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter tied the game, with the extra point after touchdown providing the win. This was the biggest play in what is regarded as one of the greatest football games of the 20th century.^[13]

Another dramatic touchdown in the same game is the subject of the Arnold Friberg oil painting, O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight. Simpson also won the Walter Camp Award in 1967 and was a two-time consensus All-American.^[14] He ran in the USC sprint relay quartet that broke the world record in the 4x110 yard relay at the NCAA track championships in Provo, Utah in June 1967. (While this time has not been beaten, the IAAF now refers to it as a world's best, not a world record. The scarcity of events over distances measured in imperial units resulted in the designation change in 1976.)^[15]

In 1968, he rushed for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award that year. He still holds the record for the Heisman's largest margin of victory, defeating the runner-up by 1,750 points. In the 1969 Rose Bowl where No. 2 USC faced No. 1 Ohio State, Simpson ran for 171 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run in a 16–27 loss.^[16]

Professional football career[link]

Buffalo Bills[link]

Simpson was drafted by the AFL's Buffalo Bills, who got first pick in the 1969 AFL-NFL Common Draft after finishing 1–12–1 in 1968. Early in his professional football career, Simpson struggled on poor Buffalo teams, averaging only 622 yards per season for his first three.

He first rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1972, gaining a total of 1,251. In 1973, Simpson rushed for a record 2,003 yards, becoming the first player ever to pass the 2,000-yard mark, and scored 12 touchdowns. Simpson gained more than 1,000 rushing yards for each of his next three seasons. From 1972 to 1976, Simpson averaged 1,540 rushing yards per (14 game) season, 5.1 yards per carry, and he won the NFL rushing title four times. Simpson had the best game of his career during the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions on November 25, 1976, when he rushed for a then record 273 yards on 29 attempts and scoring two touchdowns.

Simpson's 1977 season in Buffalo was cut short by injury.

San Francisco 49ers[link]

Before the 1978 season, the Bills traded Simpson to the San Francisco 49ers for a series of draft picks.^[17] He played two seasons.

Summary[link]

Simpson gained 11,236 rushing yards, placing him 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list; he now stands at 17th. He was named NFL Player of the Year in 1973, and played in six Pro Bowls. He was the only player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14 game season and he's the only player to rush for over 200 yards in six different games in his career. Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.

Simpson acquired the nickname "Juice" as a play on "O. J.", an informal abbreviation for "Orange Juice". "Juice" is also a colloquial synonym for electricity or electrical power, and hence a metaphor for any powerful entity; the Bills' offensive line at Simpson's peak was nicknamed "The Electric Company."

Acting career[link]

Simpson in 1990 in Saudi Arabia while visiting American troops during the lead-up to the first Gulf War

Even before his retirement from football and in the NFL, Simpson embarked on a successful film career with parts in films such as the television mini-series Roots, and the dramatic motion pictures The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn One, The Klansman, The Towering Inferno, and the comedic Back to the Beach and The Naked Gun trilogy. In 1979, he started his own film production company, Orenthal Productions, which dealt mostly in made-for-TV fare such as the family-oriented Goldie and the Boxer films with Melissa Michaelsen and Cocaine and Blue Eyes, the pilot for a proposed detective series on NBC. NBC was considering whether to air Frogmen, another series starring Simpson, when his arrest canceled the project.^[18]

Simpson's amiable persona and natural charisma landed him numerous endorsement deals. He was a spokesman for the Hertz rental car company. He would be depicted running through airports, as if to suggest he was back on the football field. Simpson was also a longtime spokesman for Pioneer Chicken and owned two franchises, one of which was destroyed during the 1992 Los Angeles riots; as well as HoneyBaked Ham, the pX Corporation, and Calistoga Water Company's line of Napa Naturals soft drinks. He also appeared in comic book ads for Dingo cowboy boots.

Besides his acting career, Simpson worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC.^[19] He also appeared in the audience of Saturday Night Live during its second season and hosted an episode during its third season.^[20][21]

Family life[link]

Simpson with daughter, Sydney Brooke, 1986

On June 24, 1967, Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley. Together they had three children: Arnelle L. Simpson (born December 4, 1968), Jason L. Simpson (born April 21, 1970) and Aaren Lashone Simpson (born September 24, 1977). In August 1979, Aaren drowned in the family's swimming pool a month before her second birthday.^[22] Simpson and Whitley were also divorced that same year.^[23]

On February 2, 1985, Simpson married Nicole Brown. They had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (born October 17, 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (born August 6, 1988), and were divorced in 1992.

Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were murdered on June 12, 1994. Simpson was charged with their deaths and subsequently acquitted of all criminal charges in a controversial criminal trial. In the unanimous jury findings of a civil court case in February 1997, Simpson was found liable for the wrongful death of Ronald Goldman and battery of Nicole Brown.

Legal history[link]

Criminal trial for murder[link]

In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge and was separated from Nicole Brown, to whom he was paying child support. On June 12, 1994 Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were found dead outside Brown's condominium. Simpson was charged with their murders. On June 17, after failing to turn himself in, he became the object of a low-speed pursuit in a white Ford Bronco SUV that interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals. The pursuit, arrest, and trial were among the most widely publicized events in American history. The trial, often characterized as "the trial of the century," culminated on October 3, 1995 in a jury verdict of not guilty for the two murders. The verdict was seen live on TV by more than half of the U.S. population, making it one of the most watched events in American TV history. Immediate reaction to the verdict was notable for its division along racial lines: polls showed that most African-Americans felt that justice had been served by the "not guilty" verdict, while most white Americans did not.^[24] O. J. Simpson's defense counsel included Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, and F. Lee Bailey.

Wrongful death civil trial[link]

On February 5, 1997 a civil jury in Santa Monica, California unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. Daniel Petrocelli represented plaintiff Fred Goldman, Ronald Goldman's father. Simpson was ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages. However, California law protects pensions from being used to satisfy judgments, so Simpson was able to continue much of his lifestyle based on his NFL pension. In February 1999, an auction of Simpson's Heisman Trophy and other belongings netted almost $500,000. The money went to the Goldman family.

A 2000 Rolling Stone article reported that Simpson still made a significant income by signing autographs. He subsequently moved from California to Miami. In Florida, a person's residence cannot be seized to collect a debt under most circumstances. The Goldman family also tried to collect Simpson's NFL pension of $28,000 a year^[25] but failed to collect any money.^[26]

On September 5, 2006, Goldman's father took Simpson back to court to obtain control over his "right to publicity" for purposes of satisfying the judgment in the civil court case.^[2] On January 4, 2007, a Federal judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Simpson from spending any advance he may have received on a canceled book deal and TV interview about the 1994 murders. The matter was dismissed before trial for lack of jurisdiction.^[2] On January 19, 2007, a California state judge issued an additional restraining order, ordering Simpson to restrict his spending to "ordinary and necessary living expenses".^[2]

On March 13, 2007, a judge prevented Simpson from receiving any further compensation from the defunct book deal and TV interview. He ordered the bundled book rights to be auctioned.^[27] In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family to partially satisfy an unpaid civil judgment. The book was renamed If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, with the word "If" reduced in size to make it appear that the title was "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer", and comments were added to the original manuscript by the Goldman family, author Pablo Fenjves, and prominent investigative journalist Dominick Dunne. The Goldman family was listed as the author.^[3]

Alleged confession[link]

Mike Gilbert, a memorabilia dealer and former agent and friend of Simpson, wrote a book titled How I Helped O.J. Get Away with Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse.^[28] He states that Simpson had smoked marijuana, took a sleeping pill and was drinking beer when he allegedly confided at his Brentwood home weeks after his trial what happened the night of June 12, 1994. According to Gilbert, Simpson said, "If she hadn't opened that door with a knife in her hand...she'd still be alive."^[29] Gilbert claimed Simpson had confessed. However, Simpson's current lawyer, Yale Galanter, said none of Gilbert's claims are true and that Gilbert is "a delusional drug addict who needs money. He has fallen on very hard times. He is in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service."^[29]

Miscellaneous legal troubles[link]

The State of California claims Simpson owes $1.44 million in past due taxes.^[30] A tax lien was filed in his case on September 1, 1999.^[31]

In February 2001, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida for simple battery and burglary of an occupied conveyance for allegedly yanking the glasses off another motorist during a traffic dispute three months earlier. If convicted, Simpson faced up to sixteen years in prison. He was put on trial and quickly acquitted on both charges in October 2001.^[32]

Simpson's Miami home was searched by the FBI on December 4, 2001 on suspicion of ecstasy possession and money laundering. The FBI had received a tip that O.J. Simpson was involved in a major drug trafficking ring after 10 other suspects were arrested in the case. Simpson's home was thoroughly searched for two hours, but no illegal drugs were discovered, and no arrest or formal charges were filed following the search. However, investigators uncovered equipment capable of stealing satellite television programming which eventually led to Simpson being sued in federal court.^[33]

On July 4, 2002, O.J. Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida for speeding through a Manatee Protection Zone and failing to comply with proper boating regulations. His attorney, Yale Galanter, was able to get the misdemeanor boating regulation charge dropped and Simpson only had to pay a fine for the speeding infraction.^[34]

In March 2004, satellite television network DirecTV, Inc. accused Simpson in a Miami federal court of using illegal electronic devices to pirate its broadcast signals. The company later won a $25,000 judgment, and Simpson was ordered to pay $33,678 in attorney's fees and costs.^[35]

Las Vegas robbery[link]

Wikinews has related news: O. J. Simpson sentenced to 15 years in prison OJ Simpson found guilty in kidnapping, armed robbery case

In September 2007, a group of men led by Simpson entered a room at the Palace Station hotel-casino and took sports memorabilia at gunpoint, which resulted in Simpson being questioned by police.^[36][37] Simpson admitted to taking the items, which he said had been stolen from him, but denied breaking into the hotel room; he also denied that he or anyone else carried a gun.^[38][39] He was released after questioning.

Two days later, however, Simpson was arrested^[4] and initially held without bail.^[40] Along with three other men, Simpson was charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon.^[41][42] Bail was set at $125,000, with stipulations that Simpson have no contact with the co-defendants and that he surrender his passport. Simpson did not enter a plea.^[43][44]

By the end of October 2007, all three of Simpson's co-defendants had plea-bargained with the prosecution in the Clark County, Nevada court case. Walter Alexander and Charles H. Cashmore accepted plea agreements in exchange for reduced charges and their testimony against Simpson and three other co-defendants, including testimony that guns were used in the robbery.^[45] Co-defendant Michael McClinton told a Las Vegas judge that he too would plead guilty to reduced charges and testify against Simpson that guns were used in the robbery. After the hearings, the judge ordered that Simpson be tried for the heist.

Simpson's preliminary hearing, to decide whether he would be tried for the charges, occurred on November 8, 2007. He was held over for trial on all 12 counts. Simpson pleaded not guilty on November 29. Court officers and attorneys announced on May 22, 2008, that long questionnaires with at least 115 queries would be given to a jury pool of 400 or more.^[46] Trial was reset from April to September 8, 2008.^[46]

In January 2008, Simpson was taken into custody in Florida and flown to Las Vegas where he was incarcerated at the county jail for allegedly violating the terms of his bail by attempting to contact Clarence "C.J." Stewart, a co-defendant in the trial. District Attorney David Roger of Clark County provided District Court Judge Jackie Glass with evidence that Simpson had violated his bail terms. A hearing took place on January 16, 2008. Glass raised Simpson's bail to US$250,000 and ordered that he remain in county jail until 15 percent was paid, in cash.^[47] Simpson posted bond that evening and returned to Miami the next day.^[48]

Simpson and his co-defendant were found guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008.^[5] On October 10, 2008, O. J. Simpson's counsels moved for new trial (trial de novo) on grounds of judicial errors (two African-American jurors were dismissed) and insufficient evidence.^[49] Galanter announced he would appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court if Judge Glass denied the motion.^[49] The attorney for Simpson's co-defendant, C.J. Stewart, petitioned for a new trial, alleging Stewart should have been tried separately, and cited perceived misconduct by the jury foreman, Paul Connelly.^[49][50][51]

Simpson faced a possible life sentence with parole on the kidnapping charge, and mandatory prison time for armed robbery.^[52] On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a total of thirty-three years in prison^[53] with the possibility of parole after about nine years, in 2017.^[7] On September 4, 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court denied a request for bail during Simpson's appeal. In October 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his convictions.^[54] He is now serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center.^[55]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of American Football League players
• Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: O. J. Simpson

• Member Pro Football Hall of Fame: profile
• O. J. Simpson at the College Football Hall of Fame
• O. J. Simpson at the Heisman Trophy
• O. J. Simpson at Pro-Football-Reference.com
• O. J. Simpson at the Internet Movie Database
• O.J. Simpson Profile at USC Legends