Because I’m still incensed by Romoan Polanski, child rapist and fugitive, and his defenders, some of whom I am thoroughly disappointed to learn about (Natalie Portman, Sam Mendes, and Salman Rushdie signed the petition in favour of the child rapist and fugitive), I am linking to this article by Ariel Gonzalez and this article by Megan Carpentier, both of which were featured on today’s Huffington Post. Gonzalez’s article is short and Carpentier’s is a little longer, but please read these articles because they are very, very important (especially Carpentier’s). Here’s the first paragraph of Gonzalez’s article:

Right-minded souls who reject claims of mitigating circumstances in the case of Roman Polanski should follow the example of Fred Goldman. He’s the father of Ron Goldman, the waiter who was butchered along with Nicole Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife. Since Simpson’s acquittal in 1995, Mr. Goldman has refused to utter the name of his son’s accused murderer. Instead he calls him “the killer.” This is what Polanski’s opponents should do on TV. Refer to him only as “the child rapist.” Remind people of what he is. Put his defenders on the spot. Notice how they avoid mentioning the specific crime to which he pleaded guilty. And when they do, they’re made to wish they hadn’t. (We’ll get to Whoopi Goldberg in a moment.) So let them bring up the Holocaust, Charlie Manson, Judge Rittenband. It’ll make no difference. Every time viewers hear “the child rapist,” their hearts will harden against any morally relativistic argument.

And here are some excerpt’s from Carpentier’s article:

In 1977, Roman Polanski offered to take pictures of a 13-year-old girl for French Vogue. He then gave her champagne and drugs, insisted she remove her clothes, and raped her. He has been carefully tending to his alternative mythology of that night ever since….

As part of the pre-sentencing period after his plea agreement, Polanski was allowed to fly to Europe to complete a movie, where he was photographed with another underage lover…who was 15…. Polanski then declined to return to the United States for sentencing….

Thereafter, Polanski gave an interview in which he excused his behavior by saying that his ephebophilic urges were universal to men: “Everyone wants to fuck young girls,” he told his interviewer, probably adding to the court’s concern that his behavior was continuing and would continue. Obviously, a legal system designed to protect women from rapists and sexual predators shouldn’t be keen to show leniency to a rapist as unrepentant and unapologetic as Polanski….

…rape isn’t about sex, at least insofar as most (normal) people understand sex.

Who would want to perform sexual acts on a crying, protesting, resisting woman? One rendered unconscious or semi-conscious? It’s grotesque to think about what rape is: a crying, fearful, unresponsive, protesting woman in pain, or one that simply lies there, unconscious, and must be moved like a rag doll to achieve her rapist’s ends. It’s not sex as much as its an assault, a penetration with a painful but non-deadly weapon. And people don’t want to think about Polanski in that way, for their own reasons–but that doesn’t mean it’s not exactly what he did to his victim.

And why would someone resort to it, we ask ourselves, when the alternative is better? The fact is that rapists don’t resort to rape: they choose it. Given all the women in the world who would have willingly had sex with Roman Polanski in 1977, he chose to rape an unwilling 13-year-old girl. He preferred it. Maybe he always preferred it, and this was the only child who ever came forward and called her rape by its name (a common occurrence among sex offenders: witness how long some Catholic priests continued to rape children without being caught).

I wouldn’t have even realized it if I hadn’t seen it on ESPN.

Fifteen years ago, today.

The slowest high-speed chase in history.

But you couldn’t stop watching.

It was Sunday, July 17, 1994.

According to the ESPN report, it was actually a pretty big day in sports … Arnold Palmer’s final U.S. Open round, … a big Ken Griffey Jr. HR, … NBA Finals Game 5, … the New York Rangers’ Stanley Cup parade.

But if it hadn’t been the opening day of the World Cup, I may have missed any live coverage of that bizarre day.

What I saw of the slowest high-speed chase in world history I witnessed from a bungalow in the Bahamas. I was on vacation with my girlfriend, Eli, and her family. Her father was Italian and a huge soccer fan. The only reason we watched TV that day was so he could see the first day of the World Cup being held in the U.S.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

O.J. Simpson on the run. There was no way he did it. Had to be some mistake. He was framed, he was covering for someone. It had to be something else. O.J. Simpson? A double-murderer? No way.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt for quite some time. It was a sad story, in a way. But eventually I joined most sane people at the conclusion that he killed his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and the unlucky Ronald Goldman.

I remember where I was when the not guilty verdict was read, standing with about 50 others, including my friend Tyrone Walker, in one of the lounges in Clemson’s old University Union. A bunch of people cheered. A bunch were angry. A bunch, like Tyrone and myself, simply couldn’t believe what we had just heard.

Our security guard at the newspaper, Mr. Black, and I talked about that trial tonight. It’s amazing the things and people who have become part of the culture as a result of that tragedy. It amazes me how easy it was to list their names. Some were famous before, but most were about to get their five minutes …

Christopher Darden and Marcia Clark.

Robert Shapiro and Johnnie Cochran.

F. Lee Bailey and Alan Dershowitz. And Barry Scheck.

Judge Lance Ito and Henry Lee.

Roger Cossack and Greta Van Susteren.

Mark Fuhrman and Kato Kaelin.

A.J. Cowlings, Fred Goldman and Denise Brown.

Robert Kardashian and Traci Adell.

Do you remember them all? And what they did?

Remember how many people covered the trial. I t made Court TV. Cosack and Van Susteren had a show that ran for eight years that never would have come into being if not for the trial. Van Susteren is still on the air.

Did you know, despite leading the police on that ridiculous chase, no charges were ever filed against Cowlings? In fact, O.J. was never charged with evading arrest, either.

It just seemed so surreal. O.J. Simpson running. I mean really on the run. I spent the rest of my week in the Bahamas certain that by the time we returned home, all this would be settled. Little did I know ….

And it all started for me, like most Americans, with those oh-so-familiar film clips of a white Ford Bronco making it’s way down a California freeway.

Pittsburgh mother Grace DeIuliis is using public relations and social media to shape the prosecution of her child’s accused attacker.17-year-old Robertino DeAngelis is charged with attempted homicide against his ex-girlfriend Sarah DeIuliis, Grace’s daughter. DeAngelis is alleged to have lured Sarah to a secluded area and beaten her over the head with a hammer until an off-duty police officer came upon the scene. Judge Anthony Mariani has sent the case to juvenile court, triggering Grace’s crusade to have the accused attacker tried as an adult. She is on Twitter and Facebook and has launched a blog, “Adult Time for an Adult Crime.” 

Grace DeIuliis has hired Forge Communications to raise public awareness and help convince Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala to appeal the judge’s decision. On its Web site, Forge shows “Litigation Support” as a specialty, protecting and enhancing the public image of a legal firm’s client to improve the odds of a favorable verdict. Brief case studies outline Forge’s successful work on behalf of defendants, the typical recipients of such PR efforts. This time, Forge is working against the defendant in the employ of a mother fighting the system.

Grace DeIuliis’ family attorney, John Gismondi, is quoted as saying the DA is not happy about his client’s PR campaign, especially since the prosecutor’s office has already declined to challenge the judge’s decision to send the case to juvenile court. I believe Mr. Gismondi’s conclusion. When I co-managed media relations for the Santa Barbara County District Attorney during the Michael Jackson criminal trial, I saw staunch adherence to the prosecutorial adage: “We do not want to try this case in the media.” However, DAs have little choice regarding media presence when a case captures public attention. The deck is stacked against them. A defense attorney is expected to grandstand, but a DA who is comfortable before the cameras often invites rebuke.

High profile defendants and “persons of interest, ” such as Drew Peterson and Rod Blagojevich, routinely enlist public relations pros (the ex-cop and ex-governor use the same PR agency). Companies defending against civil action are wise to take a similar course. Grace DeIuliis is now adapting the model to pursue her agenda within the justice system. More than a decade has passed since the media locked onto an aggrieved Fred Goldman as he protested the unfolding O.J. Simpson murder trial. Today, thanks to the Web and social media, activists are their own broadcasters.

Ms. DeIuliis’ attorney and other quoted experts are right in warning that her campaign may backfire. She may come off as a bully or loudmouth. Her use of a PR agency may seem like overkill. The DA is likely to resent and resist further pressure. In the end, Grace DeIuliis may fail in having Robertino DeAngelis tried as an adult, but she has already succeeded in reminding us that no one has to take “no” for an answer in the Internet age.

Unless his planned legal appeals go through, O.J. Simpson, 67, faces the prospect of spending at least 15 years and up to 33 years in jail.  Simpson, as it stands now, will be eligible for parole in 2017.

Simpson and Clarence “C.J.” Stewart were found guilty on 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping stemming from their October 2008 case that involved a Palace Station hotel confrontation in Las Vegas over sports memorabilia. Simpson contended the items had been stolen from him.

Simpson, a frequent Las Vegas nightlife visitor before his trial, sat quietly and showed little emotion at the defense table as he listened to the verdicts being read.

Some say the ruling provided fitting justice and a degree of family payback for the verdict that came 13 years earlier to the day when a Los Angeles jury acquitted Simpson of double-murder, in what many called the trial of the century, for allegedly killing his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. 

After the murder trial, Simpson was  then dragged into civil court, where the burden of proof wasn’t as strict, and was found guilty of wrongful death.  Although he was ordered to pay the estates of his victims $33 million, he has only paid the Goldman family $500,000 – the proceeds of an auction of his coveted Heisman Trophy.

Life is not woe and suffering for the gridiron star and actor.

Simpson has the dough- and plenty of it.  While cooling his heels in prison, he still continues to collect his NFL pension, Screen Actors Guild pension, and a private pension, all earning him, depending on the market conditions, anywhere from $15,000 to $60,000 a month, says his lawyer, Yale Galanter. 

The Goldmans and Browns can’t put a lien on Simpson’s money because all his pensions are protected from creditors by federal law.

Simpson now laments (?) and spends his leisure time at the Lovelock Correction Center, a small and relatively new prison located near Reno, Nevada.

Spartan existence you say?  Pshaw!  Simpson now benefits from such amenities as a television in his cell, although he lamented the lack of HBO, and is allowed to play checkers and cards with his fellow convict roomies. “If I have to be in prison,” Page Six recently quoted him as saying, “this is the place to be.”   

And he apparently loves the prison chow, getting back up to “fighting” weight- a whole lot better then his stay at the Clark County jail in Las Vegas where he lost 25 pounds eating ‘mystery’ meat.

Simpson never ceases to amaze and run out of rabbits to pull from his plush, velvet scull cap.

Our perception has told us there is NO WAY OJ Simpson could possibly be innocent. There is the DNA, the footprints, the blood, hair and fiber, that Mountain of Evidence. The good old American press has “Brain Washed” most of us into believing that OJ just has to be guilty.

They belittled the criminal jury and forced the civil jury to find him guilty or risk being shamed!

There is at least ONE WAY that OJ could be innocent and I suggest to you that is what happened. We know OJ was there that night. I am going to tell you what time he got there and what time he left, Nicole and Ron were already dead when he got there. OJ moved the bodies of Nicole and Ron in an effort to help them.

OJ prayed that night. Ron Goldman tells us who is the killer! I am going to tell you why OJ doesn’t just tell us what happened that night.

First I give you preliminary information and tell you why I, the author am uniquely qualified to determine whether OJ is guilty. Then I will tell you why OJ IS NOT GUILTY. We go through the evidence and explain why OJ doesn’t just tell us the truth! Finally, I tell you, WHO IS THE KILLER! I add commentary and wrap it up.

OJ Simpson is Innocent: Almost a Perfect Crime is available at Amazon for $9.95. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

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Other Products of Interest

• If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer
• O.J. Is Guilty But Not of Murder
• Murder In Brentwood
• The Frame of the Century?
• Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case

Twenty seven years ago, the brutal murder and decapitation of young Adam Walsh captivated this nation.  His father, John, became an American symbol of catching the bad guys.  The elder Walsh has obviously done more good than bad since his son was snatched up at a Sears department store back in the day.  Without coming off as a cold hearted blogger, it would be safe to say that the Walsh’s are living far better today than they were the day that Adam came up missing.

Financially, life has been good to John and his family since he has been on America’s Most Wanted.  Look, I have nothing negative to say about that, but when I saw the news conference that they have named the killer of Adam, I had to kind of shake my head.  John knew that the guy who was named (and has been dead for a while himself) had been the killer for a very long time. 

What I’m trying to wrap myself around is why the cops have just now come to the realization that this guy was the murderer.   Honestly, with the whole thing of people’s kids coming up missing and stuff, you would have thought that Walsh would’ve pressed the cops to solve his son’s crime after all these years.  There is a generation of people who don’t even know that the man with the leather jackets and reading the tough guy scripts on TV was the father of a boy who suffered a very brutal death. 

I feel for the Walsh family because of what happened to their son, but when people turn into “activists”, should they profit from it?  Is it safe to say that Walsh has become a “celebrity” due to his misfortune?  Is there something fundamentally wrong with that or not?  Or does that desire to bring about justice fuel a person to become active in their endeavor?

If so or if not, what makes John Walsh any different than from Fred Goldman?  I don’t cut Fred any slack because he’s been chasing O.J. Simpson around for all these years trying to get money from him due to his son’s death.  What would Goldman have done if it was some broke dude who killed his son?  The military had the SGLI (Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance) policy that was maxed out at $400,000 for military personnel.  Do you think that the families of troops killed in war deserve more than $400,000 in death benefits?  Why does Fred Goldman get celebrated for chasing down some $30 million judgement from Simpson?

What’s a parent to do?

I’ve been trying to figure out how to address this news story since I first saw it crawl across the bottom of the ESPN screen last Friday. As I told Fish on the phone when I first started thinking about it I don’t have a lot of ground to stand on to criticize Fred Goldman — I haven’t had a son murdered. I haven’t had to deal with that grief, the questions, the pain of a loss that great. And so my reaction may seem contrite, mean-spirited, or uninformed. I’m sorry (I’m not sure to who exactly) if this doesn’t come across as perfect as it should.

So, OJ was sentenced to prison late last week for kidnapping and armed robbery. It’s an odd chapter in the life of a once proud football icon who has lived everyday since 1995 with half or more of Americans believing him guilty of killing his ex-wife and her acquaintance, Ron Goldman.

I was transitioning from junior high to high school during the initial OJ Simpson trial. I distinctly remember the first reports on ESPN of the murder, the picture of the front steps of Nicole Simpson’s house behind yellow police tape covered in blood. I remember sitting in my room on my plush black and white chair, age 14, watching the OJ Bronco chase. I was in Geometry class in 1995 as a sophomore in high school when the verdict was reached that OJ was innocent of the charges. I can remember the exact classroom and chair I was sitting in when we watched the news unfold on our classroom TV. I was elated at the time. I was gullible I suppose and, as a sports fan, refused to believe that an historical icon of Simpson’s caliber would be able to commit such a hate-filled atrocity.

Of all the media players from that original trial, Marcia Clark, Judge Ito, Johnny Cochrane, and OJ himself, Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman’s father, was just as much a public figure. It seemed like he was always standing in front of a sea of microphones, declaring OJ’s guilt and demanding justice. There was an obvious pain in his words and expressions. But as a 15 year old he was nothing more than a talking head to me. He became just a mental footnote to the OJ trial, someone attached, but not someone I spent a lot of time thinking about.

Then came last week’s sentencing and Fred Goldman popped up again. Or at least to me he popped up again since I really hadn’t paid attention to OJ’s latest scrape with the law. OJ had entered a media zone where I wasn’t surprised by anything he did or could have done.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081208/ap_on_re_us/oj_simpson

As mentioned earlier when I first heard that Fred Goldman had attended the sentencing hearing for OJ I told Fish that I was surprised. What could he possibly gain from seeing OJ sentenced for a completely unrelated crime? The quotes from Mr. Goldman and his family in the article linked above are filled with contempt and utter hate for OJ. It’s like Mr. Goldman has been obsessed with OJ for the past 13 years, following his every move, waiting for some type of revenge. As mentioned in the article OJ was found liable for the death of Ron Goldman in the 1997 civil trial. The Goldman’s were awarded a handsome sum of money for the verdict. But that doesn’t seem to have been enough. Because what this all seems to be is not a search for justice, but for revenge. They are looking to exact suffering on OJ for the same suffering their son went through. Eye for an eye. Their hope for the future is based upon the complete destruction of another man’s life.

Don’t misunderstand me. While as a 15 year old I may have blindly assumed OJ was innocent of the murder charges, it is pretty clear that the evidence as presented to the public shows OJ committed the crimes. It has been shown he wasn’t the perfect individual everyone assumed he was. He was abusive, controlling, and apparently, a pretty good liar. He was, and probably still is, not a very good person.

But he is still a person. He is flesh and bone just like I am. He has a soul, and although some would like to believe that it is some brand of evil, I believe it is redeemable just like everyone else. And so reading about the hate the Goldman’s have for OJ, their lust for revenge, their desire for his destruction, is disheartening. What good can come of it? They have let OJ destroy their lives and their hate has blackened their souls.

It’s easy to look back and say what should have happened, what response would have been better in the face of their loss. And again I don’t know personally what they have gone through. But I’m not judging as much as discerning what is right and wrong. The right response is clearly laid out in Jesus’ sermon on the mount:

 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell… ”You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…”You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  – Matthew 5:21-22, 38-39, 43-45

Granted, these are commands from Jesus to his followers, to those who are daily being transformed into his likeness, it is the way to be god-like in your daily life, so it cannot be expected of people who lack the presence of Jesus in their lives. But that doesn’t cease to make it the right response.

Continued anger, like a smoldering fire, will eventually consume your soul. When a son is lost the loss will never be truly forgotten. But forgiveness means as much if not more to the forgiver as it does to the forgiven. It is good for the soul. I hope that the Goldman family has reached some level of satisfaction with OJ’s incarceration.  I hope they can move on with their lives. I hope that their tragedy will bring out the best in their lives, not the worst.

Finally, after all of these years, I can now leave my house without fear knowing that this vile, dangerous man is off of the streets. (Actually, I also had to pretty much completely ignore black people as well because I could never be sure if it was OJ in a disguise). Whew…The sun is a little brighter, the air a little cleaner, and the world a better place to be now that Orenthel has been taken out of the picture.

I hope all of you fellow OJ haters feel as good as I do. Sure, I am going to miss seeing Fred Goldman and Denise Brown on TV anytime anything remotely OJ related gets mentioned. I do feel kind of bad for them because I doubt OJ is going to make much cash in prison so whatever they have been getting from him all of these years now goes away. I am sure they will find a job doing something equally valuable to their OJ livelihood.

The good news is now we can focus all of our attention on the other celebrity killer that got away with murder. No, not Robert Wagner. I mean Robert Blake. You remember Robert Blake, don’t you? Here’s a pic:

That’s right, the guy from The Little Rascals and, more famously, Baretta. As you no doubt recall, Bob killed his white, blond haired wife Bonnie Lee Bakley in 2001. Blake was also found “not guilty” in his wife’s murder despite an avalanche of evidence. District Attorney Steve Cooley described the jury as “incredibly stupid”. On the night of his acquittal several fans of Bob celebrated at Blake’s favorite hangout, Vitello’s. However, he was not quite off the hook. Later that year, Blake was found guilty in a civil case filed by Bakley’s three children.

Man, do you remember all of that outrage you felt when Blake was acquitted? Do you remember the “take that you bastard” feeling you had when he lost the civil case? How about every time you see someone from the Bakley family… that sense of sorrow you feel in the pit of your stomach. And the hope against all hopes that one day, some day, Robert Blake will get the sentence he deserved for killing his lovely wife. It is all simmering inside of you isn’t it?

Oh wait, it’s not? Hmm…that seems odd. Let me compare the two again. Rich and famous? Check. Killed white, blond wife? Check. Found not guilty in criminal trial? Check. Found guilty in civil case? Check. What the hell am I missing? Where is the outrage and the, I can’t wait until we nail his a**, fury ? What is the defining difference in the two cases? It should be as obvious to me as black and white. Hey…wait a minute… 

So, for the last time, you racist OJ haters can now keep your collective mouths shut. Until you want to show equal outrage at other celebrity killers who just happen not to be black, you have nothing else to say. OJ is in jail. You are now a whole person again. I have nothing left to say to you but always like to think of the immortal words of Clark Griswold to express my feelings towards the hypocrites out there:

“I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, fore-fleshing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is. Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where’s the Tylenol?”

OJ sentenced. What a pathetic figure. I will not use the word tragic, because Simpson seems to lack some nobility, some sense of decency and connection to the rest of us that precludes offering the grace of tragedy. What a long and sordid saga. Hopefully it is now over for the rest of us. It continues for Simpson and his family.

The Brown family issued a sober statement, and my heart goes out to them. One hopes this puts this behind them as well, and that the memories of the daughter and sister can be considered in a more filtered light.

And the confession: Can Fred Goldman go away now? I have to say that, closely behind OJ Simpson on my list of “can theyy disappear now, please?” is the righteous and obsessed with retribution Fred Goldman. The man now has to be an empty shell. What will he do without Simpson? Perhaps now he can find real meaning in what is left of his life. Take the shackles off Fred. Your sentence is over. You a, and have ever been, our own warden.

Jailed at last. Jailed at Last. OJ Simpson Jailed at Last.  It took 13 years but Yes We Can.   Yes we can incarcerate you.  Yes we can entrap you.  Yes we can confine you in Las Vegas. Yes we can. OJ. Yes We Can.

Hopefully, Bush does not get confused and pardon the Juice.  It would be kind of funny if he did though.  Even better if Obama gave him a pardon on the first day of office.  Take that to those who say I’m not black enough.  You never know because Obama is up to something.  He is buying his wife a $30,000 diamond ring.  I think Kobe dropped 6 million so its probably not too bad of a deal.  You have to also consider that Rape diamonds are always over priced like in that movie.  I digress.

Anyway, I am happy for this country and happy for OJ.  I’m happy that somebody is going to make a glove fit on OJ.  I am happy that he will be able to personally cross examine an entire population of real killers.  I am happy that that he has to give his nine cent salary a day to Ron Goldman’s family.  I am happy that I will never have to hear from Fred Goldman and his stupid mustache again.  I’m happy that I will not have to hear from OJ again.  Happy Holidays.

No Release on Bail Pending Appeal

Las Vegas, NV – December 5, 2008

O.J. Simpson appeared despondent and close to tears as he told the Judge he was “sorry and confused” and then launched into a disjointed and emotional attempt to explain his actions. He reportedly said, “…I’m sorry,” at least four times.

A Las Vegas jury of nine women and three men found Simpson guilty of storming a Las Vegas casino hotel room in September 2007 along with five friends. According to testimony, at least two of the group carried guns and seized O.J. sports memorabilia worth thousands of dollars from dealers, Bruce L. Fromong and Alfred Beardsley.

Four of Simpson’s accomplices pleaded guilty and testified against O.J. Simpson in the trial that at times rekindled the public’s memory of his sensationalized and racially charged trial in 1995 on the charges of killing his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted of the charges by a predominantly Black jury – a verdict decried by many, including the families of the victims, as a “miscarriage of justice.”

In October, when Simpson was convicted, Fred Goldman, father of murder victim Ron Goldman, told CNN that he was “absolutely thrilled to see the potential that he [Simpson] could serve the rest of his life in jail, where the scumbag belongs.” Today, accompanied by his daughter Kim, Goldman told CBB, “We are thrilled, and it’s a bittersweet moment,” Fred Goldman told reporters, “It was satisfying seeing him in shackles like he belongs.” The news of O.J. Simpson’s stiff sentencing has sparked a flurry of Internet activity to new sites and spurring a torrent of editorial comments by bloggers and members of social networking sites. The consensus opinion is that O.J. is getting his “just desserts.”

Read the full text “O.J. Simpson Gets Hefty Prison Sentence”

By Calvin Palmer

Tears were not enough to save O.J. Simpson from jail today.  Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass handed down a 15-year jail sentence for the kidnapping and robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas casino.
 
Addressing the court, Simpson said: “I stand before you today sorry and somewhat confused.
 
“When I came here, I came for a wedding.  I didn’t come here to reclaim property… In no way did I mean to hurt anybody.  I didn’t want to steal anything from anybody.  I just wanted my personal things.”
 
“I’m sorry,” he said as his voice cracked with emotion.  “I’m sorry for all of it.”
 
Earlier Judge Glass rejected a request by the former NFL star’s lawyers to free him pending appeals.
 
Simpson, 61, was found guilty on all charges in October at the Las Vegas court, along with his accomplice Clarence Stewart who was also sentenced to 15 years in prison.
 
Simpson recruited Stewart and four other men to help hold the sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint at the Palace Station casino hotel and steal hundreds of items in several pillowcases.
 
The other four men – Charles Cashmore, Walter “Goldie” Alexander, Michael “Spencer” McClinton and Charles Ehrlich – agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testified against Simpson and Stewart.  On Tuesday, they will appear before Judge Glass for sentencing.
 
The judge said that Simpson’s behavior amounted to much more than stupidity.
 
“It was a very violent event, guns were brought and the potential for harm to occur in that room was tremendous,” she said.
 
Glass made it clear that she was sentencing Simpson solely for the case in Las Vegas and not for any of his past actions.
 
“I’m not here to sentence Mr. Simpson for what happened previously,” she said.  “I’m not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else.”
 
Simpson achieved international notoriety when he was cleared of murdering his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles in 1995.

Fred Goldman, Ronald’s father, was in the courtroom to hear the sentencing.  Outside the court, he expressed his satisfaction with today’s verdict.
 
 ”It’s a bittersweet moment that this SOB will be in jail for a long time,” Goldman said.  “He still had that arrogant look on his face when he came in and he still had that arrogant look when he walked out.  He’s going to be where he belongs.”
 
Simpson will appeal his conviction.  His attorney Yale Galanter said that jury bias will form the cornerstone of that appeal after it emerged that almost half of the jury believe Simpson should have been convicted of the double murder more than a decade ago.
 
[Based on reports by the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian and The Times.]