LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Onetime "Trial of the Century"
defendant O.J. Simpson could be freed as early as Sunday from prison in Nevada,
where he has been held since 2008 for a botched robbery, but the time and place
of his release remain secret, his plans largely unknown.
Simpson, 70, won his freedom from a Nevada parole board in July after
nine years behind bars, at a hearing that did not take into account his 1990s
trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and a friend, Ron
Goldman.
The onetime football star turned actor and TV pitchman nicknamed
"The Juice" during his playing career was found not guilty in 1995
following that sensational, 13-month trial in Los Angeles, which was televised
live daily, transfixing much of the nation.
A civil court jury subsequently found him liable for the deaths and
ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the victims' families, a
judgment that remains largely unpaid.
The Nevada Department of Corrections, seeking to avoid the kind of
media frenzy that often accompanies Simpson, has declined to say exactly when
and where he would be released.
A department spokeswoman warned media not to try to chase his vehicle
from the prison gates, saying officials could postpone the release for weeks if
necessary to avoid "risk to the community" from such a frenzy.
Also unclear is the former star athlete's ultimate destination. He told
parole board members he hopes to move to Florida, where he has friends and
family, a plan that must be approved by probation authorities there.
During the parole hearing, Simpson joked that he was willing to stay in
Nevada, but "I'm sure you don't want me here."
His Las Vegas-based attorney, Malcom LaVergne, reiterated the Florida
plans during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" program on
Friday, adding that his client was looking forward to spending time with family
members, eating steak and seafood and buying an iPhone.
LaVergne could not be reached for comment by Reuters.
Florida corrections officials say they had not received a parole
transfer request for Simpson and had not been contacted by their counterparts
in Nevada.
Simpson is a native of California, born in San Francisco, and played
his final years as a pro football player for that city's team, the 49ers. He
lived in Los Angeles at the time of the murders.
But California corrections officials say he has not filed papers to
live in that state either.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Tom Brown)
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