O.J. Simpson’s Parole Hearing Will Be Televised On Several Networks, Lawyer Says He’ll Be Released

O.J. Simpson is a ratings machine for TV networks. O.J. was seen by the world when his low-speed pursuit in his now infamous white Ford Bronco was deemed so important that networks interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast the incident live. For months Simpson’s court saga grabbed headlines and news channels and on October 3, 1995, an estimated 100 million people tuned in for a jury’s “not guilty” verdict for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The public is so infatuated with O.J. Simpson that FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” was cable TV’s most-watched new series of 2016 and as the network’s top-rated first-year series ever. TV will try to grab another O.J. Simpson-related ratings bonanza by airing The Juice’s parole hearing.

O.J.’s parole hearing for his 2007 robbery/kidnapping in Las Vegas will go down on Thursday, July 20, and it will be broadcast live. The hearing happens at 1 p.m. ET and it is reported that it will be aired on ESPN and other major networks. The 70-year-old former football star will appear in front of parole commissioners through a video call from Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada, where he has been serving his sentence. Four members from the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners will consider parole for Simpson at the board offices in Carson City, Nevada. In 2008, Simpson was convicted on all 12 charges and sentenced to 33 years in prison for an armed robbery and kidnapping that involved memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas. Simpson is eligible for parole after nine years and his early release could happen on October 1.

“He’s going to get parole,” said Yale Galanter, who represented Simpson during the 2008 trial. “Parole in the state of Nevada is really based on how you behave in prison, and by all accounts he’s been a model prisoner. There are no absolutes anytime you’re dealing with administrative boards, but this is as close to a non-personal decision as you can get.”

“It really is based on points,” Galanter said. “How long have you served, what your disciplinary record is, what the likelihood of committing another crime is, their age, the facts and the circumstances of the case.”

So just like the last 23 years, you can watch Simpson’s latest legal battle unfold on television.

[BleacherReport]