
I say former sports hero because Simpson no longer has that special admiration. Today the public treats him with suspicion at best and many believe he somehow got away with double murder. Today and for always, Simpson is a kind of a dark celebrity, more famous for his perceived connection to a despicable and brutal crime than his outstanding achievements on the gridiron.
Now Simpson is on trial as a jury has to figure out just which group of thugs, thieves and liars robbed the other of Simpson’s personal memorabilia. The stories have changed despite sporadic surreptitious recordings by ringleader and convicted arsonist, Thomas Riccio. Riccio has profited by more than $200 K for arranging the entire event police and prosecutors are calling an armed robbery/kidnapping.
Prosecutors have used those tricks and tools defense attorneys will never have. One is the ability to buy whatever testimony they want through immunity and get out of jail free cards given to confessed criminals. The other is a trashy stunt they pulled with their own prosecution witness, Alfred Beardsley.
When prosecutors called sports memorabilia dealer, Beardsley as their witness he was in custody for a parole violation in California. They cleaned up Beardsley, dressed him in a suit for court and delivered him to the jury looking like any ordinary businessman. But when Simpson’s lawyer’s called for Beardsley as a defense witness a few days later he was brought into court wearing jail garb and chains. This was a cheap shot to say the least.
Simpson must sit as an all White jury passes judgment on him on this case that was only filed because he was O.J. Simpson. Simpson faces life in prison should he be convicted in a case where nobody was injured and the property taken was in fact Simpsons'. Will O.J. Simpson get a fair verdict in Sin City? The odds are against that happening.