O.J. sentenced to 17½ Years for armed hotel robbery

Retired American football player, Orenthal James famously known as O.J. Simpson has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with consecutive terms that could  extend his time behind bars 2½ years or more. A weary and beaten-looking Simpson, 61, was found guilty guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping on Oct. 3 - 13 years to the day after his acquittal in the so-called trial of the century for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles. Simpson remained calm while his tough sentence was delivered.

Just before his arrest he was apologizing for his crime and trying to justify his actions. He choked back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry." Judge confirmed that his sentence is the result of Los Vegas robbery case and has nothing to do with slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. But Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, and sister, Kim, said they were delighted with the sentence. "We are thrilled, and it's a bittersweet moment," Fred Goldman said. "It was satisfying seeing him in shackles like he belongs."

"I'm not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else," Judge Jackie Glass. said. The Judge added "The problem is that I can't ignore that the behavior at the time ... was reckless ... A gun was used ... property was stolen ... and now I will sentence you," Judge Glass said. Simpson said he and five other men were simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room but judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been shot.

(source: people.com)