11/19/07
One reason for the lengthy hearing could be his celebrity. Having been declared not guilty for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, and Ron Goldman in 1995, Simpson has made for an interesting case. But another reason, according to an article on www.abcnews.go.com, is that "it makes good legal sense to drag the hearing out."
Because of a Supreme Court ruling in 2004, witnesses who testify in a hearing but are unavailable to appear at trial can still have their testimonies read aloud during the trial. This means lawyers are leaving no witnesses to chance and are collecting as many transcripts as they can. Therefore, the pretrial lengthens.
But Simpson's case is also complicated.
"It may well clarify
Nevada law because of the range of crimes alleged — regular robbery, potential armed robbery, burglary, aggravated burglary, kidnapping. Add to that Simpson's claim of self-help, which would disappear if a weapon was involved...All this is interesting, cutting-edge stuff because case law is all over the place...That all influences the court to make sure and take its time and not screw anything up," said University of Nevada law professor Christopher Blakesley.
Simpson could be tried as soon as Thursday, November 15.
