Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2017)
July 26, 2017 Page 5 L egaL N otices Need to publish a court document or notice? Need an affidavit of publication quickly and efficiently? Please fax or e-mail your notice for a free price quote! Fax: 503-288-0015 e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com The Portland Observer O.J. Simpson attends his parole hearing at Lovelock Correctional Center Thursday in Lovelock, Nev. Simpson Granted Parole Release may come as early as Oct. 1 (AP) — O.J. Simpson was granted parole Thursday after more than eight years in prison for a Las Vegas hotel heist, success- fully making his case in a nation- ally televised hearing that reflect- ed America’s enduring fascination with the former football star. Simpson, 70, could be a free man as early as Oct. 1. By then, he will have served the minimum of his nine-to-33-year armed-rob- bery sentence for a bungled at- tempt to snatch sports memorabil- ia and other mementos he claimed had been stolen from him. He got the four votes he need- ed from the parole commissioners who heard his case. In agreeing to release him, they cited his lack of a prior conviction, the low risk he might commit another crime, his community support and his re- lease plans. During the more than hour-long hearing, Simpson forcefully insist- ed — 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 crime. “I’ve done my time. I’ve done it as well and respectfully as I think anybody can,” he said. Inmate No. 1027820 made his plea for freedom in a stark hearing room at the Lovelock Correction- al Center in rural Nevada as four parole commissioners in Carson City, a two-hour drive away, ques- tioned him via video. Simpson, gray-haired but look- ing trimmer than he has in recent years, walked briskly into the hearing room dressed in jeans, a light-blue prison-issue shirt and sneakers. He laughed at one point as the parole board chairwoman mistakenly gave his age as 90. The Hall of Fame athlete’s chances of winning release were considered good, given similar cases and Simpson’s model be- havior behind bars. His defenders have argued, too, that his sentence was out of proportion to the crime and that he was being punished for the two murders he was acquitted of during his 1995 “Trial of the Century” in Los Angeles, the stab- bings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Before the hearing conclud- ed, one of the dealers Simpson robbed, Bruce Fromong, said the former football great never point- ed a gun at him during the con- frontation, adding that it was one of the men with him who did so. Fromong said Simpson deserved to be released. Simpson’s eldest child, 48-year-old Arnelle Simpson, also testified on his behalf, saying her father is not perfect but realizes what a mistake he made and has spent years paying for it. “We just want him to come home, we really do,” she said. Simpson said that he has spent his time in prison mentoring fel- low inmates, often keeping others out of trouble, and believes he has become a better person during those years. Asked if he was confident he could stay out of trouble if he’s released, Simpson replied that he learned much during an alterna- tive-to-violence course he took in prison and that in any case he has always gotten along well with people. “I had basically spent a con- flict-free life,” he said — a remark that lit up social media with scorn- ful and sarcastic comments given the murder case and a raft of alle- gations he abused his wife. In a final statement to the board he apologized again. “I’m sorry it happened, I’m sor- ry, Nevada,” he said. “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.” Several major TV networks and cable channels — including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC and ESPN — carried the proceed- ings live, just as some of them did two decades ago during the Ford Bronco chase that ended in Simp- son’s arrest, and again when the jury in the murder case came back with its verdict. Simpson said if released he plans to return to Florida, where he was living before his incarcer- ation. “I could easily stay in Nevada, but I don’t think you guys want me here,” he joked at one point. “No comment, sir,” one of the parole board members said. An electrifying running back dubbed “The Juice,” Simpson won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football play- er in 1968 and went on to become one of the NFL’s all-time greats. The handsome and charismatic athlete was also a “Monday Night Football” commentator, sprinted through airports in Hertz rent- al-car commercials and built a Hollywood career with roles in the “Naked Gun” comedies and other movies. All of that came crashing down with his arrest in the 1994 slay- ings and his trial, a gavel-to-gavel live-TV sensation that transfixed viewers with its testimony about the bloody glove that didn’t fit and stirred furious debate over racist police, celebrity justice and cam- eras in the courtroom. Terence Keller A full Service Realtor • List & Sell your House • Find your New Home • Help you Invest • Find you the Best Loan • Help with Pre-Sale Prep • Hold Open House to sell your home Portland is my Town Call Terence Keller 503 839-6126 Liberty Group Realtors Inc. terencekellersr@gmail.com • Oregon License 200306037 5010 NE 9th Ave Portland, Or 97211 Phone: 503 284-2989 We specialize in a variety of cuts for men and women, hot towel razor shaves, braiding, hair extension, Shampoo, blow dryer and Platinum fade. Call Today or Walk in !!!