New effort filed to free O.J. Simpson in Nevada
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A new lawyer for O.J. Simpson filed a new attempt Tuesday to gain his release from Nevada state prison, alleging the former football star was so badly represented in his trial and previous lawyers that he deserves a new one.
A 94-page document filed Tuesday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas faults trial strategy and performance of attorneys Yale Galanter of Miami and Gabriel Grasso of Las Vegas, but maintains Simpson's same basic defense - that he wanted to confront sports memorabilia dealers to recover family photos and personal mementoes, and that he didn't know the men he took along with him had guns.
Simpson was convicted in 2008 of charges including kidnapping and armed robbery in the caper involving five cohorts, the two memorabilia dealers and a middle man who arranged the meeting. Simpson, 64, is serving nine to 33 years in a northern Nevada prison.
Simpson had been drinking, the court filing alleges, and "to this day, Simpson does not know whether there were actually guns pulled or displayed in the room" during the 2007 encounter at the Palace Station casino-hotel.
Almost all of the 22 grounds attorney Patricia Palm of Las Vegas cited in the document, called a writ of habeus corpus, fault Galanter and Grasso.
They have traded lawsuits in recent months, with Grasso alleging that Galanter stiffed him on payment for his work and Galanter alleging the claim is slanderous.
Simpson lost previous appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court, and Tuesday's filing is part of a common next-step appeals strategy to blame trial and initial appeals lawyers for a defendant's conviction.
Galanter declined immediate comment Tuesday until he read the document.
Grasso said he hadn't read it, but "I'm behind O.J. and I hope this petition helps him get out of prison."
Simpson's current lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, declined to comment.
Palm is due to argue the case July 3 before Clark County District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney in Las Vegas.
A 94-page document filed Tuesday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas faults trial strategy and performance of attorneys Yale Galanter of Miami and Gabriel Grasso of Las Vegas, but maintains Simpson's same basic defense - that he wanted to confront sports memorabilia dealers to recover family photos and personal mementoes, and that he didn't know the men he took along with him had guns.
Simpson was convicted in 2008 of charges including kidnapping and armed robbery in the caper involving five cohorts, the two memorabilia dealers and a middle man who arranged the meeting. Simpson, 64, is serving nine to 33 years in a northern Nevada prison.
Simpson had been drinking, the court filing alleges, and "to this day, Simpson does not know whether there were actually guns pulled or displayed in the room" during the 2007 encounter at the Palace Station casino-hotel.
Almost all of the 22 grounds attorney Patricia Palm of Las Vegas cited in the document, called a writ of habeus corpus, fault Galanter and Grasso.
They have traded lawsuits in recent months, with Grasso alleging that Galanter stiffed him on payment for his work and Galanter alleging the claim is slanderous.
Simpson lost previous appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court, and Tuesday's filing is part of a common next-step appeals strategy to blame trial and initial appeals lawyers for a defendant's conviction.
Galanter declined immediate comment Tuesday until he read the document.
Grasso said he hadn't read it, but "I'm behind O.J. and I hope this petition helps him get out of prison."
Simpson's current lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, declined to comment.
Palm is due to argue the case July 3 before Clark County District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney in Las Vegas.
