One of O.J. Simpson's closest friends shared a message from him in the sports section of USA Today. Over a phone conversation, Tom Scotto told USA Today that Simpson said, "Tell them we will be playing golf again soon." Scotto and Simpson have known each other for years. According to Scotto, Simpson may walk free after meeting parole board members on Thursday. The meeting will be scheduled to take place in Nevada.
If granted parole, Simpson could walk free on October 1. According to the interview Scotto gave USA Today, Simpson sounded enthusiastic about his possible parole. Scotto said Simpson is "very positive."
For the past nine years, Simpson has been imprisoned at the Lovelock Correctional Center. Back in 2008, the famous football player was sentenced to a minimum of nine years along with a maximum of 33 years. The heavy Simpson was found guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping. The case involved an altercation concerning sports memorabilia. According to Simpson, the memorabilia had been taken away from him.
Prosecutors said that although Simpson was not himself armed, he led a group of four men who used guns and threats of violence to forcefully take items from sports memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley in 2007. Two men of the group testified that they carried arms.
The meeting between Simpson and the parole board members will be conducted through a videoconference, according to ABC News. Simpson will be online via video and will be questioned by four state members of the parole board. These members will be in Carson City while Simpson will be in the Lovelock Correctional Center.
Another two members of the parole hearing board will monitor the exchange, according to David Smith, a parole examiner. The hearing report will not be made public right away as the examiners will need time to evaluate any potential risks in granting Simpson parole. Once the decision is made, the public will be given the necessary information.
In Simpson's case, the parole board meeting will be considering several factors before making a definitive statement about whether they will grant him parole. Simpson's age will be brought into consideration. Apart from his age, his conviction will receive thorough assessment to see if it was for a violent crime. They will also evaluate whether Simpson has a past record of criminal behavior — which he does not. The examiners will also be interested in knowing about Simpson's future plans.
All of these factors will be keenly calculated before announcing whether Simpson will be granted parole or not.
