O.J. Simpson Will Stand Trial, Faces Life in Prison

More than a decade after his acquittal on murder charges, O.J. Simpson will again stand trial and faces the possibility of life in prison.

The Associated Press reports,

The former football star said he wasn’t surprised when a justice of the peace ordered him on Wednesday to defend himself against charges including kidnapping and armed robbery in a suspected sports memorabilia heist. He also said he trusted jurors to do what’s right.

“If I have any disappointment it’s that I wish a jury was here,” Simpson told The Associated Press before he left the courtroom. “As always, I rely on the jury system.”

Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure refused to dismiss any charges in a 12-count complaint against Simpson and co-defendants Clarence “C.J.” Stewart and Charles “Charlie” Ehrlich, which stem from a Sept. 13 confrontation in a casino hotel room. Prosecutors accuse Simpson of leading the suspected armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers.

The defendants are to enter their pleas on Nov. 28.

Maybe we will get it right this time and put this sucker behind bars. Can you imagine? He gets away with murder, but gets life in prison for stealing his own sports memorabilia.

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Phil Spector Murder Case Ends in Mistrial – NSFW Picture of Murder Victim

Because of two non-conformists, Phil Spector, the person that I believe murdered a woman, is as free as O.J. Simpson so he can threaten to kill other people.

The jury deliberated for 12 days, taking six ballots, but was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Jurors told Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler they were split 10-2, without indicating which way they were leaning. They added there was nothing Fidler could do to help them arrive at a unanimous verdict.

Fidler discharged the nine men and three women, thanking them for their service.

Spector went on trial in April, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of B-movie queen Lana Clarkson after a night out in the clubs of Hollywood.

The judge told attorneys to return to his Los Angeles, California, courtroom on October 3 to discuss the next legal move.

Spector, 67, did not take the witness stand at the trial.

Deliberations were arduous, entering the third week on Monday. Last week, jurors received new instructions on the law and were told to start over after the foreman declared the panel was deadlocked 7-5.

The jury’s inability to reach a verdict capped a five-month trial that played like a Hollywood film noir classic — with a twist of the bizarre.

Normally reclusive, Spector had spent a rare night out on the town, found Clarkson at the House of Blues at closing time and invited her home for a drink in the wee hours of February 3, 2003.

After initially turning him down, she agreed to accompany him, according to testimony.

Hours later, police were summoned to Spector’s mansion in Alhambra, a suburb of Los Angeles. The diminutive music producer had wandered into the driveway in the predawn and told his Brazilian-born chauffeur, “I think I killed somebody,” according to the driver’s testimony.

Clarkson was found inside, slumped in a chair in the foyer. She had been shot in the mouth. A .38-caliber Colt Special revolver lay at her feet. It appeared someone had attempted to clean up the blood with a diaper found in the guest bathroom.

Spector’s attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup, grabbed the gun and took her own life.

But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace, with five women telling harrowing tales on the witness stand of the music producer threatening them with firearms. Spector’s driver testified he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home, pistol in hand, saying, “I think I killed somebody.”

What other’s said:

• Defamer says, “We’re not sure what we’re supposed to be feeling right now; we’re mulling outrage, but then we start picturing that adorable Great Dane and that parade of fun wigs and we just can’t seem to muster it–which could very likely be the same thought process going through the minds of those stubborn holdouts.”
• Felt Up says, “Phil, O.J., and Robert Blake should do a reality show called, oh I don’t know, “Killas In Da House!” or something. Every week, a middle-aged blonde lady would move in and they could compete to see who can kill her the fastest.”

source: Mistrial declared as Spector jury hangs 10-2 [cnn]

NSFW picture of Lana Clarkson at the crime scene, after the jump.

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