OJ pleads not guilty to robbery

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7118050.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Ex-American football star OJ Simpson has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and armed robbery charges arising from an incident at a Las Vegas hotel.

Mr Simpson and two co-defendants could face life in prison over the incident, in which two sports memorabilia dealers were allegedly robbed.

Charles Ehrlich and Clarence Stewart also entered a not guilty plea.

In 1995 Mr Simpson was cleared of murdering his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

Prosecutors say Mr Simpson and five accomplices attempted to steal items at gunpoint from the dealers, Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley.

Three of the men initially charged have now agreed to plead guilty and testify for the prosecution.

Mr Simpson says he was trying to retrieve stolen memorabilia that belonged to him, and denied any guns were involved.

Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass, who presided at the hearing, set a trial date of 7 April 2008.

The 1970s football star was one of the most famous players of his generation, but gained international notoriety in 1995 when he was tried and acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Although Mr Simpson was cleared in a criminal court, he was later found liable for the deaths at a civil trial and ordered to pay $33.5m (£17m) in damages - money that has never been collected.