OJ cancels party

[skippy]

By Liz Hodgson - Posted on 07 October 2008

OJ SIMPSON PLANNED ACQUITTAL PARTY

Disgraced former athlete OJ Simpson was so confident he would get off his robbery and conspiracy charges he had planned an acquittal party.

His associate, Thomas Riccio, who arranged the meeting between the American football star and two sports memorabilia dealers which led to his arrest, invited retired Las Vegas detective Phil Ramos, who provided commentary on the trial for a radio show, to attend the bash at an undisclosed location.

“He’d been predicting a hung jury,” Ramos told columnist Norm Clarke.

Instead, Simpson, 61, and his co-defendant Clarence Stewart were found guilty of all 12 counts, including armed robbery and kidnapping with a deadly weapon, and face up to life in prison when they are sentenced in December.

Hours after Riccio issued the invitation to Ramos and talk-show host Anthony Crivello, Simpson was led away to jail instead of to a party.

He is being kept away from the general population for his protection.

Simpson, who did not testify in his own defence, maintained that he acted to claim back personal possessions and sports collectibles from the dealers.