Prosecution plays tape of Simpson after incident

Prosecution plays tape of Simpson after incident
By LINDA DEUTSCH

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS

Prosecutors in O.J. Simpson's robbery trial on Friday played a recording in which Simpson appeared to talk about a gun in a conversation with a man who has since testified that at the behest of the former football star he brought a weapon to a casino hotel room confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers.

"You didn't pull the piece out in the hall," Simpson said to Michael McClinton in the recording made just hours after the confrontation, in which Simpson is alleged to have stolen collectibles from the dealers.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, hell no," replied McClinton, a former co-defendant who accepted a plea deal and says he brandished a gun during the confrontation.

Simpson added in the recording, "There ain't nothin' on that video and look, they gonna look at the video. ... Ain't nothin' they can see, they gonna see us goin' in the place. Then they gonna see us leaving with just the boxes."

District Attorney David Roger suggested Simpson was worried about casino security cameras which had recorded the comings and goings of Simpson and seven other men on the evening of Sept. 13, 2007.

Roger highlighted for jurors another portion of the recording in which Simpson said: "They would love to say O.J. had a gun or O.J. pushed him. Or O.J. touched him. ... Nobody touched anyone."

McClinton responded: "No, ain't nobody touched anybody. There was a lot of ordering around and (expletive)."

The recording was made by McClinton, who like many other witnesses in the case, carried an audio recorder to a party Simpson attended after the incident.

At the start of the recording, Simpson was heard saying, "This ain't no major crime."

In another segment, Simpson mentioned co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart.

"I told C.J., do me a favor get me some boys. I just want them to look menacing," Simpson said.

Simpson, who denies seeing any guns during the incident, and Stewart have pleaded not guilty.

In testimony, McClinton said Simpson had chided him, saying "that I had heavy hands."

"He was telling me there was no guns. I knew differently because I had a gun," McClinton added.

McClinton testified that he had been asked by Simpson to bring a gun and to "look menacing."

He said that when he crossed the threshold into the hotel room he had his gun drawn and that Simpson was close enough that their shoulders could have touched.

But by the time they were back in the car, McClinton testified, "He (Simpson) was talking about the fact that there were no guns."

McClinton was to face cross-examination Monday before the prosecution rests its case.

Earlier Friday, jurors heard recordings of police investigators chuckling over Simpson's troubles, referring to him with foul language and rejoicing at his impending arrest.

"You're just picking on him because you're mad about the verdict," said Lt. Clint Nichols, head of the police robbery division.

"Yup," responded crime scene analyst Michael Perkins.

In another exchange, Nichols said, "He's gonna get arrested."

"Who, who's gonna get arrested?" the analyst replied.

"O.J.," Nichols said.

"Oh, good," Perkins said.

Simpson's defense played the recordings, which were made as investigators gathered evidence at the Palace Station casino and hotel after the alleged robbery.

The voices were captured on a digital recorder left running in the room by Thomas Riccio, the middleman who arranged the foray to reclaim Simpson memorabilia.

Defense attorney Gabriel Grasso showed jurors transcripts of the comments during testimony by Andy Caldwell, the lead detective on the case against Simpson and Stewart.

Caldwell acknowledged that the comments were made by Nichols and the crime scene analyst, and that Simpson called police almost immediately after the confrontation and agreed to talk to them.

"Yes, he's already confessed to havin' it," Nichols said. "Agreed to bring it back if need be. ... He told the cop that, which is not the brightest thing in the world to do."

"Yes, no kidding," Perkins laughed.

"You think after all his problems he would learn not to talk to anyone," Nichols laughed.

Prosecutors had called Caldwell to the stand to identify surreptitious phone recordings of Simpson talking to his daughter Arnelle Simpson from the Clark County jail after he was arrested on Sept. 16, 2007.

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Associated Press Writer Ken Ritter contributed to this report.

Published: Friday, September 26, 2008 19:18 PDT