Former football star O.J. Simpson, who is better known for being acquitted of his ex-wife’s murder, will remain behind bars on armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges. Simpson and his lawyers lost an attempt to get him a new trial.
This latest attempt from his legal team included a list of 22 reasons why Simpson should get a new trial, reports CNN. But Clark County Judge Linda Marie Bell had a response for every point and none of them made Simpson’s lawyers happy.
“Given the overwhelming amount of evidence, neither the errors in this case, nor the errors collectively, cause this court to question the validity of Mr. Simpson's conviction,” Bell wrote.
Simpson's lawyer, Patricia Palm, told The Associated Press that she did speak with Simpson and he was disappointed by the news. Still, they have vowed to keep fighting, as they believe Simpson had poor representation during the original Las Vegas trial. Simpson was sentenced to nine to 33 years behind bars for what he claimed to be an attempt to take sports memorabilia back from a dealer at a casino.
Their next step is to appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court and if that doesn’t work, they could go to the federal courts.
“We're confident that when we get to the right court we'll get relief because he deserves relief, because he didn't get a fair trial,” Palm told the AP.
“I believe Mr. Simpson received a fair trial and had more than competent counsel,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said, supporting Bell’s decision.
Simpson did win college football’s Heisman Trophy, played in the NFL and was a TV commentator, but he became a household name during his 1994 murder trial. He was accused of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. He was later acquitted after a long trial.