O.J. endures scolding

O.J. Simpson got another chance at freedom Wednesday, but not without first enduring a tongue-lashing for trying to contact a co-defendant in his armed robbery case.

"It concerns me that you made this phone call," District Judge Jackie Glass said during a hearing on whether to revoke the former football star's bail. "I don't know, Mr. Simpson, what the heck you were thinking, and maybe that's the problem. You weren't."

County prosecutors wanted the judge to revoke Simpson's bail based on a message he left on his bail bondsman's voice mail in November.

In their motion filed Friday, prosecutors said Simpson was trying to contact Clarence "C.J." Stewart and dissuade him from testifying or cooperating in the case.

"I don't know if it's just arrogance," Glass said. "I don't know if it's ignorance. But you've been locked up at the Clark County Detention Center since Friday because of arrogance or ignorance or both."

Glass didn't grant the prosecution's wish to hold Simpson until the April 7 trial, but she doubled his bail to $250,000 and required him to pay the 15 percent premium of $37,500 before his release. Glass promised to lock up Simpson if he did anything like that again.

"Do you understand me?" she asked sternly.

"I understand 100 percent, your honor," Simpson replied, his voice cracking.

One of Simpson's lawyers, Yale Galanter, said he expected Simpson's friends would lend the football Hall of Famer the cash he needed for bail.

About 6:15 p.m., Simpson posted bail. He was released just after 11 p.m. and was expected to catch the first available flight back to Florida, where he lives.

Simpson, Stewart and Charles Ehrlich face trial on 12 criminal charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, in the Sept. 13 heist of sports memorabilia in a Palace Station hotel room.

Three other co-defendants have agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for their testimony, and prosecutor Chris Owens said Wednesday that negotiations were ongoing with other defendants.

Wednesday's hearing drew another crowd of national journalists, many of whom were fresh off covering the Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas the night before.

Even TV personality Star Jones was in the courtroom to watch Simpson, who was wearing navy blue inmate garb and a somber face, walk in with his hands shackled at his waist.

Owens asked the judge to revoke Simpson's bail and keep him in custody until the trial or raise bail to $1 million. In violating the terms of his release, Simpson had treated the court with contempt, Owens said.

"He thinks this is a joke and he can do whatever he wants to do," he said.

Owens also said there was an "undercurrent of threat" in the voice mail.

Although Simpson hadn't paid Miguel Pereira the $18,750 he owed for bailing him out, the bondsman testified that wasn't the reason he gave the voice mail to the district attorney's office. That move was prompted by a call from a private investigator who threatened to reveal the recording to authorities, he said.

Pereira said he didn't pay much attention to the message when he first listened to it.

"I thought it was Mr. Simpson venting," he said.

Pereira said he talked about the message to Gabriel Grasso, Simpson's Las Vegas lawyer, who told him not to worry about it. Pereira also said he tried to reach a high-ranking Las Vegas police officer named Schofield but didn't get a response.

Deputy Chief Gary Schofield said he never got a message from Pereira.

In the courtroom, Galanter challenged Pereira's motives for taking the Simpson case, suggesting Pereira hoped to cash in on the attention, even printing up pens with the slogan, "You Ring We Spring: O.J.'s Way Out."

The lawyer also pointed out that Pereira never put a lien on Simpson's Florida house for the debt.

Pereira said Simpson agreed to settle the debt after the trial.

At a post-hearing news conference, Galanter lashed out at Pereira, saying the bondsman had violated Simpson's trust.

"Faith was put in an individual who turned out not to be what he said," Galanter said. "I think Mr. Pereira is a piranha, and anyone who does business with him should have their head examined."

Galanter said he didn't challenge the prosecution's interpretation of the voice mail during the hearing and instead chose to focus on getting Simpson out of jail. He said Simpson was looking forward to his freedom and returning to his Miami home until the trial.

"He certainly appreciated that Judge Glass gave him another chance," Galanter said.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0281.