Nevada Supreme Court rejects O.J. Simpson’s appeal

The Nevada Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by O.J. Simpson for a new trial on kidnapping and robbery charges.

In a 16-page decision handed down this week, justices Ron Parraguire, Michael Douglas and Michael Cherrysaid they would not overturn a district court judge's ruling on the case.

Convicted of 10 charges in 2008 for robbing two men of sports memorabilia, the notorious former NFL running back is now serving a nine- to 33-year prison term. Simpson's lawyers had argued he was simply recovering his own property, including photographs, when he went to the Palace Station hotel room.

In a 100-page post-conviction appeal, Simpson hoped to overturn a District Judge Linda Marie Bell's ruling denying him a new trial. The appeal said Simpson's trial lawyer in the robbery case, Yale Galanter, was ineffective, had financial and legal conflicts and misadvised the 66-year-old inmate. The appeal also argued that his first post-conviction appeal showed numerous errors.

Galanter had a conflict of interest in the case, including "hiding his own pre-incident involvement and his failures to admit that involvement, in avoiding possible criminal liability, civil liability, reputation damage and professional discipline, and in obtaining more income and continuing publicity from a high profile case," said the appeal, which relied heavily on Simpson's own testimony during a hearing in May 2013.

The post-conviction appeal filed in June 2014 included arguments of misconduct prejudicial to Simpson when prosecutors brought up his acquittal in the killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

"Simpson has failed to demonstrate deficiency or prejudice," the state high court wrote.

Meanwhile, Simpson also is in the midst of serving one to six years on a weapons enhancement for the kidnapping count at Lovelock Correctional Center, about 100 miles northeast of Reno. He has four to 18 years left on his prison term on the remaining counts.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker