A man in a chicken suit was one of many characters outside the Clark County Regional Justice Center Thursday during O.J. Simpson’s preliminary hearing on robbery charges. (Steve Marcus /LAS VEGAS SUN)
By Andy Samuelson
LAS VEGAS SUN
The Circus of the century revisited Las Vegas again on Thursday, chalk full of the usual cast of characters. You know, bunnies, chickens, and of course, the man of the moment — Mr. O.J. Simpson himself.
Simpson didn’t testify Thursday during the start of a preliminary hearing, which will determine whether there is enough evidence to take the former football great and two other co-defendants, Clarence “C.J.” Stewart and Charles Ehrlich, to trial for an alleged armed robbery at Palace Station hotel-casino on Sept. 13. But that didn’t stop media members across the U.S. and abroad from flooding the Clark County Regional Justice Center to snap up the celebrity’s latest scandal.
Thursday’s highlights: Bruce Fromong, one of the two sports memorabilia dealers that were allegedly robbed, testified that Simpson arrived with his accomplices “in a military invasion fashion” and yelled loudly that they had items belonging to him.
“O.J. was screaming, ‘This is all my s—. This all belongs to me. You stole this from me. Let’s pack up. Let’s get out of here,’” Fromong said, according to the Associated Press.
Simpson’s attorney, Gabriel Grasso, tried to show during cross-examination that Fromong was just looking for a big payday.
Another witness and memorabilia dealter, Thomas Riccio, who recorded the night’s events, testified he set up the meeting with Simpson, hoping to make money off it. Riccio said Simpson, however, wasn’t after money, and instead wanted to retrieve his storied football memorabilia for his family to have as keepsakes.
“A lot of people forget the fact that O.J. was one of the greatest football players,” Riccio said.
Fromong and Riccio were among eight witnesses expected to be called by the prosecution. The hearing was to continue Friday.
Simpson and the two other 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 of parole. An armed robbery conviction could mean mandatory prison time.
O.J. Simpson is escorted inside the Clark County Regional Justice Center Thursday as media members swarm his every move. (Steve Marcus /LAS VEGAS SUN)
Here’s a quick look at how some other media outlets covered the case:
(YAHOO!) Full Coverage: O.J. Simpson: Yahoo! continued its thorough coverage of the case on Thursday. In addition to all of the wire reports, the site linked to several other news organizations and updated their extended photo gallery, filled with pictures throughout the span of this case.
(MiamiHerald) O.J.: ‘Let the circus begin’ The Miami Herald had a few interesting reads from the latest Simpson saga. The first was by Evan S. Benn, who was on the same flight as Simpson Wednesday night to Las Vegas, and gave his account of the trip. He even quotes Simpson as saying: ”Let the circus begin,” as he walked off the plane. The second story focuses on Tom Scotto, who asked Simpson to be his best man in his September wedding in Las Vegas when the alleged robbery happened. Scotto and his wife, Sabrina, flew with Simpson to Las Vegas for Thursday’s hearing to show their support. “He’s a friend, and I’m supporting my friend,” Tom Scotto, told the Herald. The Miami newspaper also had a running blog to keep readers informed of the day’s court happenings.
(msnbc) Memorabilia dealer testifies on O.J. robbery: NBC News had an exclusive surveillance video of Simpson and the other five men involved with the alleged robbery at Palace Station moments before it occurred.
Vegas’ youngest judge, with ponytail and pinball machine, gets O.J. Simpson prelim: Court TV tells the story of Judge Joe M. Bonaventure, who is presiding over the preliminary hearing. Bonaventure, whose father, Joseph T. Bonaventure, was one of Vegas’ most famous jurists.
Day 1: Two Witnesses Take Stand in O.J. Simpson Hearing: Ch. 8’s Mark Sayre gives a rundown of the day’s key events in his blog. Much like most other Las Vegas news organizations, Channel 8 has blowout coverage of the case.
Wednesday, Sept., 19, 2007.
Tuesday, Sept., 18, 2007.
Monday, Sept., 17, 2007.
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