"Hi ho, hi ho-It's off to jail I go"
The arrest of O.J. Simpson last week in Las Vegas for robbing sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint has brought back an ugly demon from our past that we would just as soon forget. Now, we get to go through another legal circus centered around a double-murderer who got away with his crime to go on living a pathetic existence signing autographs for a livelihood while living the low-life in Miami, all the while, hiding his assets from the Goldman family. In addition, we also get to view the "victims" of this latest crime, a group of middle-aged men who buy, sell, trade and maybe steal autographed sports memorabilia for a living. With victims like these, who needs perpetrators?
Nevertheless, America is in for another legal circus because this is, after all, O.J. Simpson. For many, it is hoped that Simpson will finally take a fall and go where he should have been in the first place-jail. For some, Simpson is a sympathetic figure-the black victim of a racist, white justice system that will hound him for the rest of his life. For others, Simpson is just another celebrity from whom to obtain an autograph.
At this point, the facts of the case are murky. We do know that Simpson and some accomplices walked into a hotel room that was wired for sound by one of the victims, Thomas Riccio. What is heard on the tape are voices shouting expletives and Simpson ordering people not to let others leave the room and to bag up the "sh..". It has been charged that at least one gun was present. Due to the taping, many are charging that Simpson was "set up", a term that can have different legal implications. Set up or not, no one forced Simpson and his gang to break into a room and hold people at gunpoint while restricting their liberty to leave and taking away property (which may or may not have actually been Simpson's). In listening to the tape, I was struck by the sound of middle-aged men talking like high school gang members on the verge of a fight.
As unsympathetic a figure as Simpson is, his victims are not so sympathetic either. One, Alfred Beardsley, has since been arrested for a parole violation for a previous conviction for stalking. He is described as a strange type who has had a series of brushes with the law and instances of bizaare behavior, according to news reports. Thomas Riccio looks like someone right out of central casting if you were looking for someone to play a union bruiser or con-man. Both of these characters have appeared on Larry King on Life Support ("Let me tell you how it went down, Larry") as well as other venues enjoying their 15 minutes of fame. Is this typical of those who make their living around washed up athletes and their autographs and memorabilia? I sure don't envy the prosecutor who takes this can of worms to trial.
So now, Simpson is back home in Miami preparing another legal defense. Does he has enough money for another legal "dream team"? We shall see. Once the trial starts, hold on to your hats. All the "legal experts" will be there in Las Vegas providing opinion and commentary. I guess that would include Greta Van Susteren and her "panel of experts". Translation: out of work attorneys who have plenty of time on their hands. Dan Abrams will be there, Court TV, and, of course, the ubiquitous LA attorney, Gloria Allred, all weighing in on the day's events. Maybe Gloria, a noted victims' rights attorney and ambulance chaser, will find someone in this case to represent. She usually does.
I know the party line is that we have to let the facts come out at trial and let justice prevail. However, a part of me (a big part) would like to see the whole bunch of these characters go away for something, anything, maybe mopery or conspiracy to commit mopery. Hey! How about we just send them all to Guantanemo? At least there will be one terrorist in the bunch.
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