Defiant O.J. Simpson granted parole in unanimous decision

O.J. Simpson will be a free man as of October.

All four members of the parole board that met with Simpson today at the Lovelock Correction Center voted to grant his conditional release in October.

O.J. Simpson was often defiant, sometimes arrogant and rarely humble at Thursday’s hearing, at which which he argued for his early release, nine years into a 33-year-sentence for armed robbery.

The parole board was clear early in the hearing, which lasted for over an hour, that Simpson’s 1995 murder acquittal and 1997 civil court ruling that found him liable for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman would not be considered among the “aggravating factors” the board would consider. Among the factors they would consider, Simpson was told, was the fact that the victim of the 2007 armed robbery was in fear for their safety during the crime.

Simpson spoke at length on his own behalf, but was unexpectedly preoccupied with the details of the 2007 robbery. He repeatedly appeared to shift the blame for the incident on one of his associates.

The former NFL star also admitted that he did not meet one of the requirements of an early parole decision — that he would attend Alcoholics Anonymous. He claimed he has never had a substance abuse problem, even though he reportedly blamed the burglary in part on the fact that he had consumed excessive alcohol beforehand.

Simpson also insisted that he was “always a good guy” and said he had lived a conflict-free life.

This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.