O.J. Simpson, a packed courtroom, people hollering his name outside the courthouse, a media throng… What's familiar about this scenario?
The first day of what will likely be a two-day preliminary hearing to determine whether O.J. Simpson and two others should stand trial on robbery-related charges kicked off Thursday in Las Vegas, with one of his alleged victims testifying that the ex-footballer and his armed cronies burst into his hotel room in "military invasion fashion."
Sports memorabilia collector Bruce Fromong, the first of eight witnesses scheduled to appear, said in court that he didn't know who he was supposed to meet with on Sept. 13, the day Simpson allegedly stole $80,000 worth of items from him and fellow collector Alfred Beardsley, only that an "anonymous buyer" was interested in his stuff.
"When he came in, he kind of stopped, he looked at me and I looked at him," recalled Fromong, who said that he's known the Naked Gun actor for at least a decade.
"There was a lot of hollering and yelling and O.J. was yelling, particularly at Alfred Beardsley, saying, 'I thought you were a good guy, I thought you were my friend. You stole from me,'" Fromong testified.
Simpson and two others, Clarence Stewart Jr. and Charles Erlich, are facing 11 felony counts of armed robbery, burglary, kidnapping, assault, conspiracy and coercion stemming from their run-in with Fromong and Beardsley in Room 1203 at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino.
A run-in that, according to Simpson, who could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted, did not involve guns.
Three of Simpson's accused accomplices, however, have either agreed to plea, or have already pleaded to, lesser charges and plan to testify that the former star running back told them to bring weapons.
At least two of the dealmakers, Mike McClinton and Walter Alexander, were carrying guns, according to police. Charles Cashmore is the other man who has agreed to turn states evidence. A search of McClinton's home turned up two guns that fit the weapon descriptions given to police.
Fromong told the packed courtroom that one of those men pointed a gun at his face and said, "I'll shoot your ass."
After about five or six minutes, Simpson told his five-man crew to grab the memorabilia. Which they did, hauling the goods, including the Heisman Trophy winner's signed All-American ball, away in Palace Station pillowcases.
"O.J. was screaming, 'This is all my s--t. This all belongs to me,'" Fromong said. "You stole this from me. Let's pack up. Let's get out of here."
Prosecutors also played some of the tape made by memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio, who testified Thursday that he contacted Simpson to set up the meeting with Fromong and Beardsley. Riccio, who reserved the hotel room in his name, was granted immunity after turning his recordings over to authorities.
Simpson has maintained that he only planned to confront Beardsley and Fromong, who suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized for a short time following the meeting, because he had been told that they had items that had been stolen from him by his former licensing agent, Richard "Mike" Gilbert.
"You have proof that these items were legitimately obtained by Mr. Gilbert," Simpson attorney Gabriel Grasso challenged Fromong during his cross-examination.
"I have no idea how Gilbert obtained these items," Fromong replied, referring to the cache that also included a number of non-football treasures, such as a bunch of baseballs autographed by Pete Rose and a framed photograph of Simpson with late FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.
Like Simpson, he was contacted by Riccio, Fromong said.
(Gilbert has told the Los Angeles Times that Simpson gave him a number of things, including the suit he was wearing when he was acquitted of the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, when Gilbert was helping him clean out his Brentwood mansion.)
Simpson could be seen shaking his head during portions of Fromong's testimony. Grasso also read back a portion of the collector's statement to police, in which he quoted Simpson as saying, "Get my s--t. Leave the other stuff alone."
The hearing is scheduled to continue Friday. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joseph M. Bonaventure will likely render his decision about a trial next week.
1 comment:
they should just leave oj alone, people and the media are making him out to be worse than he is. He was aquitted of the bundy murders and because they never found the murderer doesnt mean he did it. I just feel that if oj gets alot of jail time for this incident it will be risiculous. He went there to get his OWN items not with the intent to steal. If there was intent he wouldve said before going intop the room ,"make sure you take it all including whats not mine" or something like that. Anyhow...most of the stuff was his and i know i would be pissed if i walked in and saw a supposed friend with a bunch of my belongings i didnt five to him...He reacted like most people in that sitauation, but people are so consumed with trying to convict him they are blinding themselves to the facts.
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