O.J. Simpson, a top athlete of his generation who went from adulation to disgrace, was released from jail Wednesday after posting $125,000 bail.
A Nevada judge set bail for the former football star on charges stemming from Simpson’s confrontation last week with collectors of sports memorabilia over items Simpson claimed belonged to him. The defense and prosecution agreed to the bail amount, which was confirmed at a hearing Wednesday before Judge Joseph Bonaventure.
Dressed in dark prison clothes, Simpson entered the courtroom about 8:25 a.m. His hands were cuffed in front of him. In the audience packed with journalists were some members of Simpson’s family.
Simpson, who was released in the early afternoon, had been held without bail for about three days. He is to return to his Florida home, his lawyer, Yale Galanter, said at a news conference. The next proceedings are set for the week of Oct. 22.
Before Simpson’s release, Galanter praised the prosecution for its professionalism.
“They want to get him out as soon as possible,” he said, noting the media hoopla. Simpson, who was acquitted of murder in 1995, did not talk to the media.
Simpson, 60, and three other men face 10 felony counts including kidnapping and robbery with a deadly weapon in an incident Sept. 13 in a Vegas hotel room. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
As seems typical of almost anything involving Simpson, the crowds and cameramen gathered early for the proceedings. T-shirts with Simpson’s mug shot were prominent. The shirts parodied the ad slogan “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” with the wry twist, “Get arrested in Las Vegas, stay in Las Vegas.”
As part of the stipulation between the lawyers, Simpson was ordered to surrender his passport but is free to travel in the U.S. He was ordered to avoid any contact with his co-defendants or alleged victims.