Lawsuit Between NFL Hall Of Fame Running Back O.J. Simpson And Las Vegas Strip Casino Will Go To Judge Instead Of ArbitratorSimpson Could Receive More Than $50,000 In Damages |
|
A pretrial commissioner ruled Monday that the lawsuit between NFL Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson and a Las Vegas Strip casino will be decided by a judge and not by a private arbitrator.
Simpson filed a defamation lawsuit last November against the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The suit stems from a 2017 incident in which Simpson was banned from the property for being drunk and disorderly, according to a report from TMZ.
The lawsuit states that while Simpson did indeed receive notice that he was not allowed back on the premises, he was in no way drunk and disorderly. That type of conduct would violate Simpson’s parole from a nine-year sentence in state prison following a 2007 armed robbery conviction.
The day after the TMZ report was published, parole officers showed up at Simpson’s Las Vegas residence to administer a drug and alcohol test. Simpson passed everything.
Last week, it was reported by the Associated Press that Simpson’s attorney, Malcolm LaVergne filed a request for a judge to handle the case, instead of sending it to arbitration first. The courts agreed with LaVergne and now a jury could award Simpson more than $50,000.
The casino’s ownership group argues that it is impossible for its staff to defame the former Buffalo Bills star based on his very public past encounters with the law. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife and her friend 13 years before his armed robbery conviction. He was found not guilty in criminal court but was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families in a civil trial.
Simpson claims hotel staff leaked false details of the night to TMZ, which included damaged hotel property. Simpson maintains that he was not the cause of any damages. Simpson will be on parole until 2022.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
