Chinese language - O.J. Simpson freed after posting bail

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WORLD / America

O.J. Simpson freed after posting bail

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-20 09:49

Simpson, standing in court in a blue jail uniform and handcuffs, furrowed
his brow as the judge read the list of charges against him. Gone was the
slight smirk he flashed when he was arrested.

He answered quietly in a hoarse voice and nodded as the judge laid out
restrictions for his release, including surrendering his passport to his
attorney and having no contact with co-defendants or potential witnesses.

Simpson did not enter a plea.

"Mr. Simpson do you understand the charges against you?" the judge asked.

"Yes, sir," Simpson responded.

Galanter said after the hearing that the $125,000 bond was reasonable.

The oddity of the case has attracted a swarm of media, including Marcia
Clark, who unsuccessfully prosecuted Simpson for the 1994 murders and was
reporting for "Entertainment Tonight." A helicopter television crew
followed Simpson's vehicle leaving the court, strangely reminiscent of
the slow-speed chase in which he once fled police in a white Ford Bronco.

Simpson, 60, was expected to fly home to Miami later Wednesday. He was
arrested Sunday after a collector reported a group of armed men charged
into a hotel room at the Palace Station casino and took several items.

The Heisman Trophy winner spent three nights in jail after being charged
with kidnapping, robbery with use of a deadly weapon, burglary while in
possession of a deadly weapon, coercion with use of a deadly weapon,
assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy
to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Authorities allege that the men went to the room Thursday night on the
pretext of brokering a deal with two longtime collectors, Beardsley and
Fromong. According to police reports, the collectors were ordered at
gunpoint to hand over several items valued at as much as $100,000,
including football game balls signed by Simpson, Joe Montana lithographs,
baseballs autographed by Pete Rose and Duke Snider and framed awards and
plaques.

Beardsley told police he expected that night that the collection would
earn $35,000 from the "client" he had never met.

Beardsley told police that one of the men with Simpson brandished a
pistol, frisked him and impersonated a police officer, and that another
man pointed a gun at Fromong.

"I'm a cop and you're lucky this ain't LA or you'd be dead," the man
said, according to a police report.

Authorities said Beardsley, of Burbank, Calif., was paroled in March 2006
after serving 11 months of a two-year sentence for stalking a woman in
Riverside County.

He was arrested at his room at the Luxor hotel Wednesday for violating
parole. Seth Unger, spokesman for the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, said Beardsley was required to get
written approval before traveling more than 50 miles from home or leaving
home for more than 24 hours.

Beardsley was held without bail pending an extradition hearing Monday.

Court records show Riccio also has a criminal history, including grand
larceny in Florida in 1984 when he received three years of probation.

Riccio has said he was not concerned with how his past might affect his
credibility "because everything's on tape. That's why it's on tape."

He also said he had been promised some form of immunity by prosecutors.

Two other defendants, Walter Alexander, 46, and Clarence Stewart, 53,
were arrested and released pending court appearances. Stewart turned in
some of the missing goods and Alexander agreed to cooperate with
prosecutors, authorities said. A fourth suspect, Michael McClinton, 49,
of Las Vegas, surrendered to police Tuesday.

Police were seeking two other suspects, whom they had not identified.

Armour said if the three other suspects who have been arrested turn on
Simpson in exchange for lighter sentences, it could help the prosecution,
but also damage their credibility. Allegations of a setup could also cast
doubt on their testimony, he said.

"But at the end of the day, that may not matter as much as whether they
think he (Simpson) deserves some punishment for something," Armour said.

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