Former football star OJ Simpson was found guilty of a dozen crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping, on Friday, October 3. He now faces life in prison. Ironically, the jury announced the verdict exactly 13 years after Simpson was acquitted for killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown. Photo Credit: REUTERS/File Fred Prouser

October 04, 2008, (Sawf News) - Former football star OJ Simpson was found guilty of a dozen crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping, on Friday, October 3. He now faces life in prison. Ironically, the jury announced the verdict exactly 13 years after Simpson was acquitted for killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown.

An all white jury, consisting of nine women and three men deliberated 13 hours before reaching the verdict at 10 pm.

Simpson, 61, came into the courtroom 40 minutes later dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and grey tie. As the verdict was read out he blew his cheeks and nodded.

Later, Simpson and his co-defendant and golfing friend, Clarence "CJ" Stewart, 54, who was also found similarly guilty, were hand cuffed and escorted away. They will remain in jail until the sentencing on December 5.

Four of the five men involved with Simpson in the robbery accepted plea deals and agreed to testify against Simpson.

Simpson attorney, Yale Galanter, intends to appeal against the verdict.

In his closing argument on Thursday, October 2, he told the jury that Simpson merely wanted to reclaim personal mementoes of his career and family life, not commit a robbery.

"Being stupid, and being frustrated, is not being a criminal," he said.

Simpson and his five associates confronted memorabilia dealers, Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley, at the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas, on September 13, 2007, with intent to recover items that Simpson believed had been swiped from him.

According to Deputy district attorney Chris Owens, Simpson had lost the items when trying to hide them from Mr. Goldman's family.

Ronald Goldman, a friend of Nicole Brown, was murdered along with her.

Following Simpson's acquittal in the 1995 murder trial, a California court had awarded Mr Goldman's family $33.5 million as compensation to be paid by Simpson for wrongful death in a civil lawsuit.

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