O.J. defense doesn’t plan on witnesses

O.J. Simpson and two co-defendants don't plan to call witnesses at a preliminary hearing at which they'll face felony charges stemming from the alleged armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers, a Simpson defense lawyer said Tuesday.

But the eight witnesses lawyer Gabriel Grasso said he expected the prosecution to call will face intense questioning, lawyers for Simpson and co-defendants Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich said.

"We're going to cross examine these gentlemen as vigorously as we know how," Grasso said. He declined to name the witnesses, although police investigators, three former co-defendants, the two alleged victims and the man who arranged the meeting with Simpson are expected to be among those called at Thursday's hearing.

"I don't foresee any witnesses for the defense," Grasso said. "Not because we don't have them, but because we'll save them for trial."

Earlier Grasso and lawyers Robert Luccherini and John Moran Jr. lost a bid to get a judge to strike what Grasso called "unfairly prejudicial and inflammatory" language from the criminal complaint.

Grasso also objected to accusations that Simpson and Stewart conspired to persuade the others to say no guns were used and of attempting to hide evidence in the case.

"There's serious issues to the conspiracy, with respect to whether there was a conspiracy," he said.

Simpson, 60, Stewart, 53, and Ehrlich, 53, each face 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and coercion. A kidnapping conviction alone could result in a sentence of life in prison with parole.