"I Am No Danger": OJ Simpson Granted Parole, Plans Return To Florida
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CARSON CITY, NV (CBSMiami) - After nine years in a Nevada prison, O.J. Simpson went before a parole board on Thursday to ask for his freedom.
The parole board decided to grant his parole.
Earlier, O.J. Simpson made his case.
"I've spent 9 years making no excuse about anything. I am sorry that things turned out the way they did," said O.J. Simpson.
The NFL Hall of Famer has served 9 years of his 33-year sentence for the armed robbery of a sports memorabilia dealer in a Las Vegas hotel room.
Simpson explained his side of the story and claimed he's no danger to society.
"I am no danger to pull a gun on anybody. I never have in my life," said Simpson. "[It's] mind-boggling that they turned over to me property that I'm in jail for trying to retrieve."
Simpson was requesting to be allowed to return to Florida and be with his children once released on parole.
"I've missed a lot of time, like 36 birthdays with my children…Trust me, I wish it would have never happened," said Simpson.
Returning to Florida is considered a privilege as part of the parole.
"It's a privilege based on meeting certain criteria. Florida, when they do their investigation, they'll make the determination of whether or not they're going to be willing to accept his case," said one of the members of the parole board.
Florida's Department of Corrections issued a statement on the matter saying,
"We are aware of his potential relocation to Florida. Pursuant to the Interstate Commission on Adult Offender Supervision, if Nevada's request meets all criteria, Florida must accept the transfer.
As is the case with any offender who transfers under this routine procedure, he will be assigned a Florida probation officer and will be supervised in accordance with the conditions of his parole."
During his parole hearing, Simpson's oldest daughter Arnelle Simpson, spoke in her father's defense.
"We just want him to come home," said Arnelle to the panel. "I know in my heart that he is very humbled throughout this situation. This has been hard."
"I've known him for a long time. I don't feel like he's a threat to anyone out there," said the 2007 robbery victim Bruce Fromong. "It's time to give him a second chance."
Simpson used to hang out a lot at the Roasters and Toasters in Pinecrest.
The restaurant's employees said he was always a good citizen and popular with most customers.
However, reports state he will likely land on the west coast of Florida. A Simpson friend from Naples said he will take him in.
No one spoke against Simpson's release.
Loyola University Law Professor Laurie Levenson, who is also a legal analyst for CBS News, has covered Simpson since he was charged, and later acquitted, of the 1994 double murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman.
Levenson focused on a moment where one of the board members told Simpson that if she supported his release, he needed to stay in line.
"If he goes out to be too big, too fast, he can get himself in trouble again," said Levenson.
The parole board did not consider Simpson's murder trial when making their decision. They did, however, evaluate Simpson's behavior in prison, his age, and whether he could be a risk to the public.
In 2013, the same board granted Simpson parole on some of the charges but he still needed to serve four more years to reach his minimum time behind bars.
Simpson could be released as early as October 1st.