OJ Simpson Says He’s Led ‘a Conflict-Free Life’

“I’m not a guy who’s lived a criminal life”

UPDATE: Simpson has been granted parole. Here are all the details

O.J. Simpson raised eyebrows Thursday by telling the Nevada parole board he has led “a conflict-free life.”

It sounded ironic to viewers watching Simpson’s televised parole hearing who believe that Simpson killed his ex, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994. Brown also documented what she said was years of abuse at his hands. Simpson was acquitted of the killings in his criminal trial, but found responsible for them in a civil trial.

Simpson’s case Thursday was unrelated to the murders, though many believe he received a harsher sentence on his current robbery case because of the widespread belief that he got away with murder.

Simpson avoided any mention of that, at one pointing declaring, “I’m not a guy who’s lived a criminal life.”

When parole board member Susan Jackson asked him about the courses he has taken during his time at Lovelock Correctional Center, Simpson talked about an Alternative to Violence class which taught him “to deal with conflict through conversation.”

“I’ve been asked to mediate conflicts in the prison and it gave me tools to use and walk these guys through instead of throwing punches at one another,” he told the parole board, via video. “I always thought I was good with people. Basically, I’ve spent a conflict-free life.”

Simpson was sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison in 2008 for armed robbery and kidnapping following a scheme to break into a room at the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas to steal sports memorabilia. Simpson was granted parole on some of the armed robbery convictions in 2013, but still had to serve at least four more years due to assault with a deadly weapon charges and other weapon-related charges.

“I take full responsibility,” Simpson said about the crime. “I haven’t made any excuses in nine years here, I won’t make any excuses now.”

On his commitment to change, Simpson added, “I was always a good guy but I could’ve been a better Christian and my commitment to change is to be a better Christian.”

Should Simpson be paroled, he will be a free man October 1 of this year. He has requested  to live in Florida: “I could stay in Nevada, but I don’t think you guys want me here.”

The four-person board has to make a decision unanimously for Simpson to be paroled. His sentence expires September 29, 2022.

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