Simpson co-defendant gets deal
A plea deal has been reached to avoid a retrial for a former O.J. Simpson co-defendant who remains in a Nevada prison despite having his conviction overturned in their 2007 robbery-kidnapping case.
An agreement could be finalized before year’s end freeing Clarence “C.J.” Stewart and avoiding another airing of evidence that convicted him with the 63-year-old Simpson, Clark County District Attorney David Roger and Stewart’s attorney said.
“I believe the district attorney and Mr. Stewart have reached an agreement as to the terms,” defense attorney Brent Bryson said. “The terms would include an amount of time still on house arrest, followed by a period of probation.”
Bryson and Roger confirmed a deal was pending, but wouldn’t reveal specifics before it goes to Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass, who presided over the 2008 jury trial and would handle Stewart’s retrial. She sentenced Stewart to 7½ to 27 years and Simpson to nine to 33 years in prison for their convictions on kidnapping, armed robbery, conspiracy and other charges in the botched 2007 armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas casino-hotel.
Glass this month set Stewart’s bail at $150,000 pending retrial. Stewart, who has served more than two years in prison, hasn’t been able to raise bail.
Bryson and Roger would not specify the exact charges agreed upon. Both made it clear the agreement involved at least one felony and would call for Simpson’s 56-year-old former golfing buddy to be released from prison to serve time on house arrest and then probation.
“Mr. Stewart will have to pay for his role in the attacks,” Roger said. “The deal will not be the same as was offered during trial.”
Four other men who took part in the heist with Simpson and Stewart, including the two who brought guns, pleaded guilty to felonies, testified against Simpson and Stewart, and received varying terms of probation.
Only Stewart stood trial with Simpson in a proceeding shadowed by the former football player, actor and advertising pitchman’s acquittal in the 1994 slayings in Los Angeles of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman.
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in October that Simpson’s presence in the Las Vegas courtroom tainted Stewart’s conviction. In a separate ruling, the court upheld Simpson’s conviction. His lawyers are seeking a rehearing, and a ruling from the high court is pending.