What I predict will happen is he'll get 10 years or so and a year from now it'll be overturned in the Appellate Court and he'll get out.
CNN reports that the former football great who thirteen years ago was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and boyfriend was sentenced to serve a minimum of 9 years for his recent conviction of robbery, assault and kidnapping.
The Las Vegas Sun has a fascinating article about the ambiguous nature of the sentencing guidelines in cases like this.
I'm sticking by the second half of my prediction. In my opinion there have rarely been charges as trumped up as these. The kidnapping is absolutely ridiculous and the robbery and assault left plenty of room for doubt. We'll see you next year in the Appellate Court. Of course, District Judge Jackie Glass doesn't think so.
"When you take a gun with you and you take men with you ... in a show of force, that's not just a 'Hey, give me my stuff back,' " Glass said. "That's something else. And that's what went on here, and that's why we're all here.
"I have to tell you, it was much more than stupidity. ... You went to the room, you took guns -- meaning you and the group -- you used force, you took property, whether it was yours or somebody else's, and in this state, that amounts to robbery with the use of a deadly weapon."
I say it may amount to robbery in
What if the judge and jury in this case really did give him payback for what they feel was a wrong acquittal 13 years ago? How would you feel about that?
That's how American justice often works... Jack Kevorkian got a "payback" sentence too. When courts think you have the attitude that you are above the law, that's what they will do to you.
ReplyDeleteOJ's sentence might be a payback sentence like Dahmer's was. There's usually a few youngsters in prison that will want to test if OJ is as "bad a mofo" as he used to be, and he's old and well past his prime.
ReplyDeleteQuite possible he won't live to early release.
Either they'll take him in as a hero, he'll get shanked, or he'll be in "protective solitary confinement".
I can see a Peckerwood or Aryan or even the Meskin Mafia or Crips and Bloods giving the old man "the old college try" if he stays in general population. Just for bragging rights.
Speaking as somebody who's known some of all of the above type criminals, being as Mike likes my commentary based on real life experiences.
He's not going to have a good time, any way you look at it, even if credited with "good time".
Guards will get bored with him autographing jerseys and footballs for their kids in short order, too. Then he'll just be a whiner to them.
I hate to be dismissive, as the failings of the US Judicial system are a HUGE issue for me.
ReplyDeleteBut we're talking about an admitted double-murderer and a generally violent person now off the streets...maybe forever as Tom points out.
I find it very difficult to have a hard time with that fact.
But then again, 9 years for Armed assault and robbery (If you don't think this was robbery, Mike, then at BEST it was violent vigilantism...and that's a damn serious crime as well) I don't see much wrong with that personally.
As I was taught when I was 5 years old and caught stealing candy from a five and dime store and whining about the severe punishment I received for that on top of having to go back and give it back and apologize to the store owner...
ReplyDeleteDon't do the crime if you can't do the time.
Maybe he thought he was a superhero after getting away with the murders? He turned out not to be, aye? I reckon OJ a megalomaniacal sociopath who finally hung himself. Law of averages...it'll eventually catch up to you, one way or another, if you treat other humans in society as objects to be used at your whim.
Kevorkian I guess had gotten away with what he was doing a few times and then they cracked down on him. But, Dahmer? Isn't he the one who got caught with some chopped up body parts in his freezer? His payback came later in prison, which is different.
ReplyDeleteOJ's payback will happen in prison. That was my point or didn't you read what I wrote?
ReplyDeleteTom, I read everything you write. I was referring to what I wrote in my post, which was about payback by the judge and jury.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I don't think O.J.'s gonna have anything to worry about. He's a charasmatic character. He'll recruit a few sycophantic followers to watch his back and if need be to fight his battles for him. Then he'll be out on Appeal.