From inside O.J.'s Las Vegas courtroom
Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:46 AM by Daily Nightly Editor
by George Lewis, NBC correspondent
I'm sending this blog from my BlackBerry inside the Las Vegas court where O.J. Simpson is being arraigned on ten felony counts. Those charges include kidnapping with the use of a deadly weapon, something that could carry a sentence of 15 years to life.
Here in the press section, I see many familiar faces from the first two O.J. trials in Los Angeles. Marcia Clark, one of the prosecutors in Simpson's murder trial, is sitting two rows in front of me. She's now a commentator for Court TV.
Also in the courtroom, Simpson's daughter Arnelle and his sister, Shirley.
Simpson's defense team, Miami-based lawyer Yale Galanter and his co-counsel, Gabriel Grasso, based here in Las Vegas, shake hands with District Attorney David Roger and head for a private conference in the chambers of the judge. There's a last minute switch of judges. Joe Bonaventure, a veteran of many high profile cases, is substituted for Judge Ann Zimmerman.
A court spokesman, who earlier told us things would start on time, counsels patience.
25 minutes after the scheduled start time for the arraignment, O.J. Simpson is brought into the courtroom, in shackles and standard dark blue prison garb.
Simpson is ordered to post $125,000 bail and surrender his passport so he can't travel outside the United States.
It's all over in a few minutes.
O.J.'s lawyer has said his client will be on a plane to his home in Miami before the end of the day. He'll return to court October 22.