Former Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson was convicted in 2008 on kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges. Yesterday, the same three judges that sentenced him to 9-33 years in a Nevada prison denied Simpson's appeal for a new hearing.
Simpson allegedly entered a man's Las Vegas hotel room looking to retrieve memorabilia he says the man stole. Simpson, an accomplice (C.J. Stewart), and four other men confronted two sports memorabilia dealers in September of 2007 in the hotel room. Simpson's lawyers claim he lacked the necessary intent to commit a crime because he was retrieving personal items when he entered the hotel room.
In answering Simpson's call for a new hearing, the justices replied with a terse sentence, merely stating: "Rehearing denied." Simpson's lawyers will now petition for and appeal to the entire seven-person Nevada state high court.
Stewart's conviction was overturned, and he has since pled no contest to a reduced sentence. The judges ruled that his trial was tainted by Simpson's presence and the notoriety stemming from his murder trial in 1995. Stewart is now serving three years probation and nine months of home detention.