The Juice on the Loose? O.J. Simpson May Be a Free Man Soon

Former NFL superstar running back O.J. Simpson may be a free man soon.

The one-time sports icon whose life imploded after he was arrested and put on trial for the savage murder of his ex-wife could be released from prison in October if all goes well.

Simpson, who was not only a phenomenal running back but also a friendly African-American face who struck it big with marketers in the 1970’s and paved the way for future black pitchmen, has been cooling his heels in a Nevada prison since 2008.

While “The Juice” managed to beat the rap for allegedly nearly cutting off the head of Nicole Brown Simpson and then butchering her friend Ron Goldman, it was inevitable that trouble would find him again just as it always does when it comes to criminals.

O.J. never lived up to his promise to set things right by devoting his life to searching for the “real killers” but in an ironic twist of fate, he was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in connection to a 2007 sports memorabilia show fracas.

Simpson wasn’t quite so lucky this time and was sentenced to a 9 to 33-year prison term for his role in the crime. Hey, Al Capone was never convicted of murder either but the long arm of the law has a way of grabbing scoundrels around the neck sometimes.

Now Simpson is due for his parole hearing and legal experts are anticipating that he will be released from prison in early October.

According to an ABC News report “OJ Simpson’s parole hearing date set for July 20”:

O.J. Simpson is set to face a parole board on July 20, the Nevada Department of Corrections announced today.

Simpson was arrested in 2007 during a botched robbery in Las Vegas when he led a group of men into a hotel and casino to steal his own sports memorabilia at gunpoint. He was charged with a number of felony counts, including kidnapping and armed robbery. He was found guilty and sentenced to 33 years in prison. He is serving his time at Lovelock Correctional Facility in Nevada.

The former football star contended the memorabilia and other personal items belonged to him. His bid for a new trial in the case was rejected in 2013, but he was granted parole that same year on some of the charges, based on good behavior. He was not released from prison at that time, since his prison sentences were set to run consecutively. Simpson had to wait until this year to appear again before the parole board.

If Simpson is granted parole next month, he would be released in October.

While the world may never know who actually murdered Simpson’s wife and her friend, it is beyond dispute that O.J.’s trial marked the beginning of the current era of media sensationalism that soon swallowed up real news. This author’s personal belief is that whether or not he did the actual wet work, that “the Juice” was there when the killing went down.

That is a legacy that he will always have whether he is freed from the slammer or not.

In an interesting side note, his famous ride is still out there and according to reports, in very good condition.