Did OJ Simpson go free? Former NFL running back released early as parole ends in Nevada
Former NFL star and actor OJ Simpson was granted early release from his five-year parole sentence for good behavior. He was under parole supervision until February 9, 2022, but was officially released in December 2021.
Nevada attorney Malcolm LaVergne also deemed Simpson as a “free man” while speaking to the Associated Press on December 14, 2021:
“Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now.”
OJ Simpson, the professional football player-turned-movie-star whose double murder trial gripped and divided the United States, is a free man after finishing his parole. | More: bit.ly/3s9nbMU https://t.co/GCMUwR1lFy
The former NFL player was convicted in October 2008 for organizing an armed robbery in 2007 and leading five men, including two gunmen, to a Las Vegas casino hotel to confront a sports memorabilia dealer.
He was initially sentenced to 33 years in prison but was granted parole in 2007 after serving nine years in jail due to good behavior. Following his release from prison, OJ Simpson remained under parole and stayed in a gated community in Nevada.
The athlete told authorities he intended to move to Florida before his parole sentence. However, in a 2019 interview with AP, his friends “persuaded” him to stay in Las Vegas. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi disagreed with Simpson serving parole in Florida.
It is unknown if Simpson will stay in Nevada after his early parole release.
A look into OJ Simpson’s legal battles
OJ Simpson was once considered one of the most prominent sports personalities in the U.S. and is a known actor, broadcaster, and advertising spokesman. However, in 1994, he became a defendant in the murder case of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
The NFL Hall of Famer faced a high-profile trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, spanning 11 months. The case was considered one of the most highly publicized trials in history and was even deemed the “Trial of the Century.”
On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman were fatally stabbed outside the former’s condominium in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Simpson was later declared the primary suspect based on circumstantial evidence after detectives discovered a blood-stained glove inside his house.
However, the former Buffalo Bills running back was acquitted of both charges of murder in 1995. He was represented by a high profile “Dream Team” of attorneys led by Robert Shapiro, directed by Johnnie Cochran, and included lawyers F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian, Shawn Holley, Carl E. Douglas, and Gerald Uelmen.
Despite a strong case against Simpson, the talented team of attorneys convinced the jury of a “reasonable doubt” in DNA evidence and successfully received a “not-guilty” verdict from the court. In February 1997, Ronald Goldman’s family filed a civil lawsuit against OJ Simpson after his acquittal.
A new jury found the NFL star responsible for the deaths and awarded Goldman’s family $33.5 million in compensation and damages. Earlier this year, it was revealed Simpson owes at least $60 million to the victim’s family.
In February 2001, OJ Simpson was arrested for battery and burglary of an “occupied conveyance” by snatching off glasses from a motorist during a traffic dispute. He could have faced up to 16 years in prison if convicted but was acquitted of the charges.
That same year, Simpson's home was searched after the FBI received a tip related to a major drug trafficking ring. No illegal drugs were found at his residence, but authorities discovered a satellite TV program stealing equipment.
In 2002, the star athlete was arrested for speeding a waterboat through a manatee protection zone in Miami and was fined for a “speeding infraction.”
In 2004, DirecTV filed a lawsuit against OJ Simpson for pirating its broadcast signals using unlawful devices. He was ordered to pay $25,000 to the company and $33,678 in attorney's fees.
On September 13, 2007, OJ Simpson led five men, including two with guns, to take sports memorabilia from two sports collectibles dealers at the Palace Station hotel and casino in Los Angeles.
The 74-year-old was arrested two days after the incident and charged with multiple counts of felony, including “criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon.” He admitted to committing the crime but claimed he took the previously stolen item from him during his 1995 acquittal.
Following a preliminary trial, OJ Simpson was held tried for all 12 counts but pled not guilty in November 29, 2007. The following year, he was detained in Florida and extradited to Las Vegas for violating his bail terms by contacting his co-defendant Clarence "CJ" Stewart.
He was imprisoned in the Clark County Jail but later released on bond. However, he was found guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008, and sentenced to 33 years in prison with the possibility of parole after nine years.
OJ Simpson was granted parole in 2007 after serving nine years at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. He has now been released from his parole sentence nearly three months before his scheduled date.