Summary

NAME: US SIMPSON 20071108I TAPE: EF07/1346 IN_TIME: 10:59:39:12 DURATION: 00:02:49:21 SOURCES: AP TELEVISION/ABC DATELINE: Various, 7 Nov/FILE RESTRICTIONS: see script SHOTLIST: AP Television Las Vegas, Nevada - 7 November 2007 1. Exterior of courthouse 2. Various of sign reading in English "Regional Justice Center 3. Close-up of road sign reading (English road closed 4. Various of media trucks and press AP Television Los Angeles, California - 7 November 2007 5. Wide of University of Southern California, Law Professor, Jean Rosenbluth walking 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jean Rosenbluth, USC Law Professor: "You don't even have to say OJ Simpson, you just have to say OJ and really people all over the world know what that means, when you say that, its and indictment of the American justice system. The stakes here can be seen as quite large, in a sense the opportunity to correct a wrong, even though it really won't be what's taking place, you can't be tried again for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson." FILE AP Television Las Vegas, Nevada - 16 September 2007 7. Pan of OJ Simpson in handcuffs, being led away by police AP Television Los Angeles, California - 7 November 2007 8.SOUNDBITE: (English) Jean Rosenbluth, USC Law Professor: "Co-defendant testimony is a double-edge sword, it's the best testimony in the sense that these people were eyewitnesses and they were there, but on the other hand the jury tends to be a little sceptical because they are, or at least can be perceived to be just seeking a better deal for themselves and some juries may think they are willing to say anything." FILE AP Television Las Vegas, Nevada - 18 September 2007 9. Wide of exterior of Palace Station Hotel AP Television Los Angeles, California - 7 November 2007 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jean Rosenbluth, USC Law Professor: "You know, there is no allegation here that anybody was actually injured, or the weapons were actually used, but the law even rightly or wrongly, whatever you might think doesn't really care about that, if you pull out a gun, you bring a gun to a crime that is going to seriously increase the penalties that you face." FILE ABC- No Access North America/Internet Las Vegas, Nevada - 18 September 2007 8. Memorabilia dealer, Tom Riccio walking out of building 9. Close-up of picture of Riccio with OJ Simpson on computer screen 10. Pan from computer screen to Riccio 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Riccio, memorabilia dealer: "I wanted to audio tape before OJ got in there, them basically spinning their tale about how they received this embezzled collection from Oj's ex-agent." 12. Close-up of OJ memorabilia AP Television Fort Lauderdale, Florida - September 20, 2007 14. O.J. surrounded by police walking through airport terminal STORYLINE: After being acquitted more than a decade ago in one of the most sensational murder cases in US history, O.J. Simpson could be looking at hard time if convicted for taking part in a scheme to grab some sports memorabilia he claimed belonged to him. Simpson and two co-defendants face 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and coercion. A kidnapping conviction could result in a sentence of life in prison with the possibility parole. An armed robbery conviction could mean mandatory prison time. One charge alone, robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, carries a mandatory sentence of two to 15 years. The defence and the public will get a preview of the prosecution's case beginning on Thursday at a preliminary hearing where a judge will be asked to decide whether there is enough evidence to take the case to trial sometime next year. Simpson was arrested and accused along with five others of bursting into a Las Vegas hotel-casino room with guns September 13 and stealing a trove of sports items from two memorabilia dealers. No one disputes that Stewart, Ehrlich and former co-defendants Michael McClinton, Walter Alexander and Charles Cashmore went with Simpson and California collectibles broker Tom Riccio to meet memorabilia dealers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong in a Las Vegas casino hotel room. Prosecutors say at least one gun was drawn. Simpson, 60, of Miami, has maintained in interviews and through his lawyers that no guns were displayed, he never asked anyone to bring guns and he did not know anyone had guns. But Cashmore, a journeyman labourer said McClinton displayed a gun. Alexander told police after his September 15 arrest that he and McClinton carried guns, but that he kept one in his waistband while McClinton displayed his as Beardsley and Fromong were frisked. McClinton, who later turned the two handguns over to police and surrendered his concealed weapons permit, is expected to bolster that account. "There is no allegation here that anybody was actually injured, or the weapons were actually used," said Jean Rosenbluth, a University of South Carolina Law Professor. "But the law even rightly or wrongly, whatever you might think doesn't really care about that, if you pull out a gun, you bring a gun to a crime that is going to seriously increase the penalties that you face," she added. The case is likely to pivot on Simpson's contention that he didn't ask anyone to bring guns, that he didn't know anyone had guns, and that no guns were displayed. He has said that all he wanted was to retrieve items that had been stolen from him by a former agent, including the suit he wore the day he was acquitted of murder in Los Angeles. The man who claimed to have arranged the meeting of the former athlete and the collectors, Tom Riccio, a memorabilia dealer, recorded the incident and sold the audio to the celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com. "I wanted to audio tape before OJ got in there, them basically spinning their tale about how they received this embezzled collection from Oj's ex-agent," Riccio said. Riccio claimed that Simpson hatched the idea himself. He added he made the tape not to use against OJ, but to help him prove the souvenirs in the hotel room were Simpson's. Three of Simpson's co-defendants have pleaded guilty or agreed to do so and are expected to testify against him. Nevertheless, the prosecution's case has certain weaknesses, including some unsavory witnesses. Of the eight men who were in the room with Simpson, six have run afoul of the law before, with convictions for arson, theft, cocaine trafficking and assault among them. Simpson has maintained that he wanted to retrieve items that he claimed had been stolen from him by a former agent, including the suit he wore the day he was acquitted in Los Angeles. Simpson, 60, of Miami, has maintained in interviews and through his lawyers that no guns were displayed, he never asked anyone to bring guns and he did not know anyone had guns. Moreover, Simpson's lawyers have argued that the men who turned against him lied to win generous plea bargains for themselves. Law Professor Rosenbluth said no one will be able to avoid an undercurrent of deja vu with Simpson sitting in court. "You don't even have to say OJ Simpson, you just have to say OJ and really people all over the world know what that means, when you say that, its and indictment of the American justice system. The stakes here can be seen as quite large, in a sense the opportunity to correct a wrong, even though it really won't be what's taking place, you can't be tried again for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson," said Rosenbluth. Authorities have said many more items were taken from the room, including football game balls signed by Simpson, Joe Montana lithographs, baseballs autographed by Pete Rose and Duke Snider, photos of Simpson with the Heisman Trophy, and framed awards and plaques. Police estimated the combined value at up to 100,000 US dollars.