O.J. is free for now

By: By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson again walked free from a Las Vegas jail late Wednesday, hours after a judge blistered him for “arrogance or ignorance” for breaking bail terms in a robbery case.
Simpson posted bond and was released from jail just after 11 p.m. He walked out by himself and quickly got into a white Mercedes and was driven away without comment to the dozen members of the news media on hand.
Earlier in the day, with his hands cuffed at his waist and a defeated expression on his face, Simpson listened to a lecture from Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass as she doubled his bail to $250,000.
“I don’t know Mr. Simpson what the heck you were thinking — or maybe that’s the problem — you weren’t,” Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass told Simpson.
“I don’t know if it’s just arrogance. I don’t know if it’s ignorance. But you’ve been locked up at the Clark County Detention Center since Friday because of arrogance or ignorance — or both.”
Glass said that the initial court order to not contact other defendants was clear and she warned that if anything else happened Simpson would be locked up again.
Simpson was picked up by his bail bondsman, Miguel Pereira of You Ring We Spring, in Florida on Friday and was brought back to Nevada on allegations he violated terms of his release.
The district attorney charged that Simpson left an expletive-laced phone message Nov. 16, telling Pereira to tell co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart how upset Simpson was about testimony during their preliminary hearing.
Simpson attorney Yale Galanter immediately said that Simpson made the call and the judge did not allow the recording to be heard.
Stewart and fellow co-defendant Charles Ehrlich did not have to appear for the hearing and remain free on bail.
The three men pleaded not guilty Nov. 28 to kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, coercion and conspiracy charges. A kidnapping conviction could bring a life sentence with the possibility of parole. An armed robbery conviction carries mandatory prison time.
Three other former co-defendants have pleaded to lesser charges and testified against Simpson at a previous hearing.
Simpson has denied any knowledge about guns being involved in the confrontation with memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley. He has said he intended only 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 1995 in the slayings of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

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