LAS VEGAS – The Nevada judge who will decide whether O.J. Simpson gets a new trial in a botched confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers indicated Thursday that she’s still working on her ruling.
Judge Linda Marie Bell said in a statement issued through a court spokeswoman that the case is complicated, the file is thick, and she is addressing 22 claims raised by prosecutors and Simpson’s lawyers.
“To adequately address each claim, a thorough review of the record is necessary, including the record of the 13-day trial and the weeklong evidentiary hearing,” the statement said.
The statement didn’t cite a date for a ruling.
Prosecutor H. Leon Simon and Simpson attorneys Patricia Palm and Ozzie Fumo, who handled hearings before Bell on May 13-17, said the judge had a reputation for thoroughness and they were willing to be patient.
“Of course it’s been difficult to wait, but we understand she has a daunting task in front of her,” Palm and Fumo told The Associated Press. “We appreciate her thoroughness and understand she had a significant amount of legal research to do after the hearing.”
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson declined immediate comment.
Simpson is serving nine to 33 years for armed robbery and kidnapping in a botched attempt to retrieve personal items from sports memorabilia dealers in 2007.
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