(WSVN) - OJ Simpson could be a free man after serving time for stealing memorabilia he claimed was his back in 2008, but it was his move to South Florida where he would face more trouble with the law.
The former NFL and TV star is eligible for parole after serving nearly nine years behind bars for his conviction of armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges.
Simpson’s freedom is inevitable, according to his former South Florida-based attorney, Yale Galanter.
“He qualifies for parole, and I don’t think the social baggage that OJ carries with him will effect the parole board’s decision at all,” he said.
The social baggage stemmed from his acquittal in the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman.
Simpson continued to make headlines after moving his family to South Florida in the late 1990s, stopping to pose for photos with fans and causing a media frenzy every time he stepped out on South Florida streets.
Another attention grabber was his very public and volatile relationship with Kendall resident Christy Prody and OJ’s calls to police accusing Prody of drug use.
“She’s loaded out of her mind in her Mustang, driving around town somewhere,” he said during one call.
The tables turned on Simpson when his own teenage daughter called 911 claiming abuse.
“My dad is a [expletive],” she said in the call before bursting into tears.
His trouble with South Florida police did not slow down, and in February of 2001 Simpson was charged and acquitted of road rage.
Just 4 months later, Simpson’s home was raided by the FBI in search of ecstasy, but he would later not be charged or arrested for his suspected involvement in an ecstasy ring.
In 2002 he was issued a ticket for speeding in a manatee zone, then failed to show up for court.
While Simpson’s fall from grace may have many questioning his right to freedom, his former attorney said his eligibility for parole is largely determined by a point system, considering his record while in prison.
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