In early October, OJ Simpson was found guilty of 10 felony charges (including armed robbery and kidnapping) brought against him stemming from an incident that occurred in Las Vegas, NV in September of 2007 and today was his day to pay for his crimes. Because of the nature of the felony crimes he was convicted of, OJ was facing a minimum of 6 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison … in a Nevada courthouse just moments ago, OJ was sentenced to 15 years in the big house (tho The New York Times says he’ll serve at least 9 years in prison before he’ll even have a chance at parole):

A Las Vegas judge sentenced fallen gridiron great O.J. Simpson to at least 15 years in prison for leading an armed hotel room confrontation over sports memorabilia in 2007. Simpson could become eligible for parole in about nine years. Grimacing, his head cast down, Simpson was escorted from the courtroom in shackles. Judge Jackie Glass gave Simpson a tongue-lashing before passing sentence. “Earlier in this case, at a bail hearing, I said to Mr. Simpson I didn’t know if he was arrogant, ignorant or both,” Glass said. “During the trial and through this proceeding I got the answer, and it was both.” She stressed that the sentence was not “payback for anything else,” apparently referring to Simpson’s acquittal 13 years ago in the slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. His voice shaking, Simpson had apologized in court and insisted he was merely trying to recover property that had been stolen from his family. He was convicted of leading a group of armed men into a room at Palace Station Hotel and Casino, where they planned to take sports memorabilia from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley. “I stand here today sorry, somewhat confused. I feel apologetic to people of state of Nevada,” Simpson began. At times, he appeared to be fighting tears as he spoke. The judge said Simpson’s contrite words in court were not as powerful as his angry words, as caught on tape, during the confrontation. “Everything in this case was on tape,” Glass said. “The evidence in this case was overwhelming.” She continued, “You went to the room. You took guns. You used force. You took property, and in this state, that amounts to robbery with the use of a deadly weapon.” Simpson, who wore blue jail scrubs to court for Friday’s sentencing, did not testify during his trial. He was convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping and assault on October 3 — 13 years to the day after his Los Angeles murder trial ended with an acquittal. Simpson’s tone became more impassioned as he insisted he never intended to intimidate people or steal property. “I didn’t want to steal anything from anybody,” Simpson said, adding that among the items he sought to recover were a wedding ring for his daughter and family photos for his son. “I just wanted my personal things. I was stupid. I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was confronting friends. I thought I was retrieving my things. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody and I didn’t mean to steal anything,” Simpson said. Simpson and co-defendant C.J. Stewart could have received life sentences for their roles in the 2007 confrontation at a Las Vegas hotel.

It seems very clear to me that the judge in this case was merely doing her duty in making sure that a convicted criminal serve an adequate sentence in prison in order to pay back his debt to society for THESE crimes he was convicted of. That being said — fate is fate, karma is karma and justice usually finds a way of being served. That OJ Simpson thought he could brandish weapons in order to “not steal” property that he believed was his is totally stupid and foolish (just like he admitted in open court today). To pay for those crimes, he is going to have to rot in jail for a very long time. I say, good riddance. To me, the man belongs behind bars … he has no concept of right and wrong (as is evident by his bungled burglary attempt) and is due for a hard lesson. Enjoy prison, OJ. You absolutely got what you deserve.

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