Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi Says O.J. Simpson Is Not Welcome In Sunshine State

By  //  October 1, 2017

OJ: 'I'm not a guy who lived a criminal life'

Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter Friday to Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie L. Jones regarding O.J. Simpson’s parole. The letter requests that the FDC immediately notify all appropriate authorities of Nevada that Florida objects to granting Simpson permission to relocate to Florida to serve parole.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter Friday to Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie L. Jones regarding O.J. Simpson’s parole.

The letter requests that the FDC immediately notify all appropriate authorities of Nevada that Florida objects to granting Simpson permission to relocate to Florida to serve parole.

“Floridians are well aware of Mr. Simpson’s background, his wanton disregard for the lives of others, and of his scofflaw attitude with respect to the heinous acts for which he has been found civilly liable,” said Bondi in the letter.

“The specter of his residing in comfort in Florida should not be an option. Numerous law enforcement officials in Florida agree with this position. Our state should not become a country club for this convicted criminal.”

BELOW IS THE LETTER IN ITS ENTIRETY:

September 29, 2017

In 2007, Orenthal James Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery in Las Vegas, Nevada. As you are aware, after serving only nine years ofthat sentence, he was recently granted parole and is set to be released next week. In the meantime, he remains in custody at Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. Reportedly, he intends or has requested permission to relocate to Florida.

As the Attorney General of Florida and Chief Legal Officer, I am writing to request that the Florida Department of Corrections immediately notify all appropriate authorities of the State of Nevada that the State of Florida objects to the granting of such permission.

Orenthal Simpson stated, “I could easily stay in Nevada but I don’t think you guys want me here.” In light ofMr. Simpson’s history in California, Nevada, and Florida (discussed below), the same goes for the People of Florida. There is no justification under these circumstances for asking the taxpayers of Florida to foot the bill for hosting Mr. Simpson’s parole, especially in
light of the added dangers that his relocation would pose to our citizens.

The State of Florida, per section 949.07, Florida Statutes, is a participant in the Interstate Compact for Adult Supervision. The Compact’s purposes include “provid[ing] the framework for the promotion of public safety and protect[ion of] the rights of victims …. ” § 949.07(2), Fla. Stat. Moreover, the participating States recognize “that offenders have no right to live in another state …. ” Id. at (4). While the Compact provides that a compacting State in which an offender has been convicted of a crime, served prison time, and been paroled possesses the authority to permit a parolee to relocate out-of-state, the receiving State also has the authority to deny such permission.

In the case of Mr. Simpson, sound reasons exist for the State of Florida to object to permission being given for his relocation to Florida and for the State of Nevada to honor our objection by denying him such permission. Those reasons include the civil judgment entered against him for the wrongful deaths in the brutal slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1994 in California, his failure to pay the related judgments of liability for those deaths (despite having ample means that have been declared beyond attaching to satisfy the judgments), his criminal activity that led to his arrest and incarceration in Las Vegas, the added burden that his notoriety would impose on law enforcement personnel in Florida, the heightened risk that he would place on the safety of the People of Florida, and his manifest lack of contrition for his crimes.

Interestingly, Mr. Simpson falsely said at his parole hearing, “I’m not a guy who lived a criminal life. “

Additionally, it bears noting that Mr. Simpson has a disturbing history of arrests and destructive behavior, dating back in California to spousal battery charges in 1989, to which he pled “no contest,” prior to causing the gruesome deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1994. Thereafter, in Florida, Mr. Simpson’s reputation for destructive behavior continued with allegations that he had broken into his then-girlfriend’s home and later accusations of a “road rage” battery against a motorist. These were in addition to his arrest for speeding in his powerboat in a manatee zone and a finding of liability against him for civil theft of satellite television signals, resulting in a $25,000 damages award. Please note, all these events are on top of his conviction in Nevada for kidnapping and armed robbery.

However, if the Florida Department of Corrections determines that the criteria under Rule 3.10 1 have been met by Mr. Simpson and that denial is not an option, our State is entitled to take all deliberate steps to ensure that Mr. Simpson is subjected to the most stringent and secure conditions of supervision, within the bounds of applicable law, during his time spent here.

As Attorney General, it is my duty to protect Floridians. Therefore, given the defendant’s criminal history and past disruptive behavior in this state, parole conditions should include, but not be limited to the following:

(1) The defendant must report to his parole officer in-person and not by mail.

(2) The defendant must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. Simpson falsely told the parole board at his hearing that he had basically lived a “conflict-free life.”

(3) His travel must be substantially restricted. Simpson said he plans on golfing in Florida upon his release. Moreover, his close friend, Florida resident Thomas Scotto, stated that he would be playing golf again soon with Simpson. Scotto went on to say, “We played every day in Miami [prior to his incarceration]. I’ll tell you something really funny. You know you wear a [golf] glove on the course. And all of his friends, anytime he drops the glove, they say, ‘Oops, you did it again. ‘”

(4) The defendant must not consume any alcohol or drugs and should be tested on a regular basis. Parole Commissioner Susan Jackson asked Simpson if he had followed their instructions to address his alcohol issue while in jail, and he stated, “No.” The defendant also stated, “Of course, on [the day of the robbery], I had drinks.”

Regardless of the nature and scope of conditions deemed suitable for Mr. Simpson’s parole, they should be added, pursuant to ICAOS Rule 4.103, to those identified in any transfer request received from the Nevada authorities pursuant to ICAOS Rule 3.107.

Floridians are well aware of Mr. Simpson’s background, his wanton disregard for the lives of others, and of his scofflaw attitude with respect to the heinous acts for which he has been found civilly liable. The specter of his residing in comfort in Florida should not be an option. Numerous law enforcement officials in Florida agree with this position. Our state should not become a country club for this convicted criminal.

Sincerely,
Pam Bondi
Attorney General

cc: Rick Scott

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