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The Latest: OJ Simpson is granted parole in armed robbery

Published Jul. 21, 2017 3:18 a.m. ET

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AP

LOVELOCK, Nev. (AP) The Latest on O.J. Simpson's parole hearing (all times local):

9:35 p.m.

Nine years after trying to snatch sports memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel-room heist, O.J. Simpson will walk free as soon as Oct. 1. The former football star and one-time defendant on Los Angeles murder charges was granted parole Thursday after his sister and one of the collectibles dealers robbed at gunpoint spoke on his behalf. Simpson was, at turns, remorseful, jovial and defensive at the hearing on live TV.

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3:45 p.m.

O.J. Simpson has been granted parole after spending nearly nine years in prison for a Las Vegas armed robbery, successfully making his case for freedom in a nationally televised hearing.

The 70-year-old Simpson could be released as early as Oct. 1. By then, he will have served the minimum of his 33-year sentence for a botched effort to snatch sports memorabilia he claimed had been stolen from him.

Simpson was, by turns, remorseful, jovial and defensive during Thursday's hearing on live TV.

The four parole commissioners who voted to allow him to go free cited the low risk he might commit another crime, his community support and a release plan that includes moving to Florida.

The eldest of Simpson's four children and one of the collectibles dealers he robbed testified on his behalf.

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1:15 p.m.

Florida corrections officials say they must accept Nevada's request to supervise O.J. Simpson if it meets all needed criteria.

Michelle Glady of the Florida Department of Corrections says Simpson would be assigned a Florida probation officer and supervised under the conditions of his parole.

Simpson told a Nevada parole board that will allow him to be released in October that he wanted to live with family in Florida.

Simpson has spent more than eight years behind bars for armed robbery and assault with a weapon after trying to take back sports memorabilia in a budget hotel room in Las Vegas.

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12:55 p.m.

A Nevada parole official says if O.J. Simpson is cleared to be supervised in Florida, he would report to a Florida parole officer.

Capt. Shawn Arruti of the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation told reporters Thursday after Simpson was granted parole that if he violated the terms of release, he would come back to Nevada to have his parole revoked.

Arruti says Florida parole officials will decide whether to accept Simpson, but it's common when an inmate has family in the area like he does.

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12:50 p.m.

Corrections officials say O.J. Simpson will spend his last few months behind bars preparing his plan for release.

Warden Isidro Baca of the Nevada Department of Corrections said Thursday after Simpson was granted parole that there would be no announcement when Simpson is moved from the prison where he's been housed for nearly nine years for armed robbery.

Parole lasts until Simpson's discharge date: Sept. 29, 2022

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12:40 p.m.

A parole official says he reached out to counterparts in Florida ahead of O.J. Simpson's hearing to see if they would agree to supervise him if he was released from prison later this year.

Capt. Shawn Arruti of the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation told reporters Thursday after Simpson was granted parole that he made advance plans because the former sports star was interested in living with family in Florida.

Arruti says Florida parole officials have up to 45 days to investigate but the acceptance rate is high when there's family in the area.

He says that of Florida won't allow Simpson to move there, the department would work with him for a plan to stay in Nevada or to pick another state if he has a plan and support system.

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12:30 p.m.

O.J. Simpson's sister began weeping as the third of four parole commissioners voted to release the former football star October.

Shirley Baker then began hugging Simpson's daughter, Arnelle, who had been holding a hand over her mouth Thursday in the parole hearing room at a Nevada prison.

A corrections officer led Simpson away. As they walked alone down a hallway, Simpson raised his hands over his head in a gesture of victory and said, ''Oh God, oh!''

He has served nearly nine years for armed robbery and assault with a weapon when he tried to take back sports memorabilia in a hotel room in Las Vegas.

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12:25 p.m.

O.J. Simpson's attorney says prison officials should strip the pension benefits from a former guard who wrote a book about his experiences behind bars with the former football star.

Malcolm LaVergne says Jeffrey Felix's book, ''Guarding the Juice,'' included false information. LaVergne says Simpson was a model inmate who had positive interactions with corrections department officials.

The attorney spoke to reporters outside a Nevada prison Thursday after Simpson was granted parole for armed robbery and assault with a weapon.

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12:20 p.m.

O.J. Simpson's lawyer says his client has taken plenty of responsibility for the armed robbery that sent him to prison for nearly nine years.

Malcolm LaVergne was defensive as he spoke to reporters outside a Nevada prison Thursday after Simpson was granted parole. He dismissed a reporter's question about whether Simpson has fully acknowledged his role in the confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel room.

Simpson told the parole board that he's sorry ''that things turned out the way they did'' and had no intent to commit a crime. At one point, he also said he had basically lived a ''conflict-free life.''

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12:10 p.m.

A Nevada parole board allowing O.J. Simpson to go free in October has cited his compliance with prison rules, his lack of prior convictions, his low risk of committing another crime, his community support and stable release plans.

The four commissioners decided Thursday that the 70-year-old former football, TV and movie star can be paroled after serving his minimum nine-year term for armed robbery and assault with a weapon. He tried to take back sports memorabilia in a hotel room in Las Vegas.

The chairwoman of the board says it didn't look favorably on parole violators. The commissioners will release a final order with the conditions of Simpson's release.

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11:55 a.m.

O.J. Simpson will be paroled after serving nine years in prison for a botched bid to retrieve sports memorabilia in Las Vegas.

A Nevada parole board decided Thursday that the 70-year-old former football, TV and movie star will be released in October after serving his minimum term for armed robbery and assault with a weapon.

Simpson responded emotionally, saying, ''Thank you, thank you, thank you.''

Four parole commissioners in Carson City questioned Simpson by videoconference from the Lovelock Correctional Center in rural Nevada. He has been held there since he was convicted in 2008.

The conviction came 13 years to the day after he was acquitted of murder in 1995 in the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles.

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11:50 a.m.

A Nevada parole board is getting ready to issue its decision on whether to grant O.J. Simpson release from prison.

Simpson was seated back in the parole hearing room at a Nevada prison Thursday, chatting and laughing with his attorney and others in the room apparently unaware the microphone is picking up his conversation.

The four commissioners who questioned Simpson by videoconference heard testimony from Simpson, his daughter and the victim in the armed robbery that put the former sports start in prison for nearly nine years.

The 70-year-old Simpson is asking four Nevada parole board members to release him in October. He has a good chance after they sided with him once before and because he's kept a clean prison record.

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11:25 a.m.

A Nevada parole board is heading into deliberations on whether to grant O.J. Simpson release from prison.

The four commissioners who questioned Simpson by videoconference walked out of the room after hearing testimony from Simpson, his daughter and the victim in the armed robbery that put Simpson in prison for nearly nine years.

Connie Bisbee, chairwoman of the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners, said it would take about 30 minutes to make a decision. It has to be unanimous.

Two other commissioners monitored the hearing and will weigh in if the other four don't reach a unanimous decision.

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11:20 a.m.

One of the sports memorabilia dealers in the robbery that put O.J. Simpson in prison has told a Nevada parole board that the former sports star apologized to him and he accepted it.

Bruce Fromong says he and Simpson have been friends for almost 27 years and that Simpson is not a threat. He says Simpson's nearly nine years behind bars is ''way too long'' and that it's time for him to go home to his family and friends.

He said Simpson is a good man and made a mistake. Turning to Simpson, Fromong said that if Simpson was released: ''Juice I'll be here tomorrow for you.''

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11:10 a.m.

One of the sports memorabilia dealers in the robbery that put O.J. Simpson in prison has told a Nevada parole board that the former sports star was misled about what was going to be at a Las Vegas hotel for him to recover.

Bruce Fromong says he and Simpson have been friends for almost 27 years and that Simpson never ''held a gun on me.''

Simpson's lawyer, Malcolm Lavergne, said earlier that Fromong called his office and they talked about how Simpson had apologized and he had accepted it.

Simpson has spent more than eight years behind bars for armed robbery and assault with a weapon after trying to take back sports memorabilia in a budget hotel room in Las Vegas.

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11:10 a.m.

O.J. Simpson has told a Nevada parole board that he is sorry ''that things turned out the way they did'' and had no intent to commit a crime.

Simpson also says he will be ''no problem'' and would like to get back to family and friends. He says no one has represented his prison better than himself.

He says he would like to get back to his family and friends.

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11:05 a.m.

O.J. Simpson's attorney says he has talked to the sports memorabilia that was robbed and that the two had made things right.

Malcolm Lavergne told a Nevada parole board that Bruce Fromong called his office and they talked about how Simpson had apologized and he had accepted it.

Fromong is a longtime friend of Simpson's and would testify in favor of release before the board Thursday.

Simpson has spent nearly nine years behind bars for armed robbery and assault with a weapon after trying to take back sports memorabilia from Fromong and another collectibles dealer in a budget hotel room in Las Vegas.

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11 a.m.

O.J. Simpson's lawyer has read a letter from his client to a Nevada lawmaker thanking him for providing educational materials to the prison where the former football star has been housed for nearly nine years.

Simpson wrote to state Assemblyman Ozzie Fumo, one of his former attorneys, that the education provided behind bars helped him learn new skills. The letter was read aloud Thursday at Simpson's parole hearing.

He cited a computer course he took that would allow him to better communicate with his children and perhaps even do a webcast or blog in the future.

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10:55 a.m.

With her father looking on, Simpson's daughter has tearfully told parole commissioners that her father's choices were wrong, but he has been a perfect inmate.

Arnelle Simpson has asked a Nevada parole board to let her father come home.

The 70-year-old Simpson is asking four Nevada parole board members to release him in October. He has a good chance after they sided with him once before and because he's kept a clean prison record.

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10:55 a.m.

Arnelle Simpson, O.J. Simpson's oldest child, is speaking on behalf of the family at his parole hearing in Nevada, saying they just want him to come home.

She told the parole board Thursday that the family realizes he's not perfect but has done the best he can. She says he didn't make the right decision in 2008 when he tried to take back sports memorabilia in a budget hotel room in Las Vegas. He was convicted of armed robbery and has spent nearly nine years behind bars.

Arnelle Simpson says she knows her father is remorseful, and the family wants him home so they can move forward. She called her father her best friend and her rock.

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10:45 a.m.

A Nevada parole board says O.J. Simpson has requested to live in Florida if he is released from prison.

Simpson then said, laughing, ''I could easily stay in Nevada but I don't think you guys want me here.''

The chairwoman of the parole commissioner said, ''No comment here.'' Parole commissioners say he applied to live with family in Florida.

Simpson has spent more than eight years behind bars for armed robbery and assault with a weapon after trying to take back sports memorabilia in a budget hotel room in Las Vegas.

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10:40 a.m.

A Nevada parole official has told O.J. Simpson that the board has received hundreds of letters in support and opposition to his release from prison.

Parole Commissioner Susan Jackson said Thursday that the opposition letters requested the board take into account his 1995 acquittal on murder charges in the death of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman as well as a civil court decision that found him liable for the deaths.

But Jackson says the board would not take that into account. Simpson thanked the board.

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10:40 a.m.

O.J. Simpson has told a Nevada parole board that he has been humbled by his incarceration.

Simpson also said Thursday he's never made any excuses during his years in prison, but he wishes he had not brought two ''security'' men along to the Las Vegas hotel room encounter that led to his conviction.

The 70-year-old Simpson is asking four Nevada parole board members to release him in October. He has a good chance after they sided with him once before and because he's kept a clean prison record.

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