On July 20th, a Nevada parole board unanimously agreed to release O.J. Simpson from his current prison term only nine years into his 33-year sentence. He was incarcerated for armed robbery as well as kidnapping. As a result, the former NFL star will walk out of the Lovelock Correctional Center a free man as early as October 1 of this year.
The 2007 crime
In 2007, Simpson and a group of accomplices broke into a hotel room where sports memorabilia dealers were staying. Simpson’s goal? To recover items he still maintains belonged to him that he wanted back. Some of the accomplices were armed–though Simpson says he had been unaware of this–and the events that took place resulted in Simpson’s arrest and a conviction on 12 criminal counts. His sentence was nine to 33 years.
Simpson supporters have been quick to argue that this sentence was vastly out of proportion to the crime. They staunchly maintain that Simpson was being punished for two murders in 1994 for which he was acquitted.
A plea for freedom
Appearing on Thursday before the four-person parole board through a video link, 70-year-old Simpson referenced the 2007 hotel ordeal, emphasizing the fact that he never pointed a gun at anyone or made threats of any kind during the crime that landed him in the Lovelock Correctional Center. He believed he was simply going back to claim what he believed was rightfully his property.
Further, Simpson shared two reasons he believes he is ready to do life outside the correctional center. First, he hasn’t had a drink in nine years. Second, he has maintained a “conflict-free life.” He even explained that he was often the one to mediate conflicts among fellow inmates, many of whom he did much to help during his time behind bars.
Asked by one of the parole board members, “Are you humbled by this incarceration?” Simpson answered, “I wish this never would have happened.” Adding, “I am sorry that things turned out the way they did.”
He told parole board members, “I’ve done my time. I’ve done it as well and as respectfully as I think anybody can. “Then, I want to get back to my kids.”
His oldest daughter made an emotional plea for her father’s release. Also, in a surprising twist, one of the men Simpson robbed in 2007, Bruce Fromong, even urged the board to free Simpson, saying, “I’ve known him a long time. He’s not a threat to anyone out there.” He said that he and Simpson had been friends for almost 27 years and that Simpson had reached out and apologized to him for what happened in the hotel and that he had accepted the apology.
From noteworthy to notorious
As one of the most iconic people of his time, Simpson’s fall from grace happened swiftly and decisively. In the 90s, the NFL star was bolstered to fame as a Heisman Trophy winner who’s every athletic move was cataloged and discussed in the spotlight. One of America’s best-known athletes, his face graced the covers of magazines, was printed on front pages, and was lauded in commercials of all kinds. Few athletes have outranked his popularity.
He captured international attention in vastly different ways–most notably, during his dramatic 1994 arrest. His former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, were found brutally murdered, and Simpson was almost immediately determined to be the lead suspect. Though he would be acquitted of the murders the following year, the 11-month trial has often been called “the trial of the century.” Simpson was later found liable for the two deaths when a civil suit was brought against him two years after the acquittal by the Brown and Goldman families.
Though this current legal battle did not involve his 1994 arrest and 1995 acquittal, it has undoubtedly become part of his legacy wherever he goes. The parole board made it clear to Simpson on Thursday that his 1995 acquittal would not factor into their decision in any way.
“A Better Christian”
In words that might be considered understated, Simpson told the parole board, “I was always a good guy, but I could have been a better Christian.”
No doubt many of Simpson’s previous or current supporters hope he will take these words–and his soon-to-be recovered freedom–to heart for the rest of days on earth. Not many men are given multiple chances, but beginning with football, Simpson has long defied the odds stacked against him.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
