O.J. Simpson’s former attorney weighs in on knife reportedly found on former Simpson property
On March 4, 2016, O.J. Simpson’s former attorney, Yale Galanter, joined Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga to discuss the significance of the knife reportedly found on former Simpson property, as first reported by TMZ.
Galanter, who represented Simpson in his 2008 armed robbery trial (for which the former football star is currently serving a 33-year sentence) downplayed the significance of the discovery. “Right now [the knife is] not a legal development at all,” he said.
He continued, “You’ve got to go back in time here and find out what really occurred here. Was this really found at Rockingham? Was it really turned over to a law enforcement officer? Did a law enforcement officer really keep what could’ve been the lynchpin piece of evidence in the most infamous case ever in our lifetimes under wraps for the last 20 years?”
Galanter last spoke to Simpson three years ago. As to what Simpson might be thinking right now with this latest development, Galanter told Golodryga: “I think he’s laughing, like everybody else is who knows anything about this case.”
As to what might be found on this potential piece of evidence, he said evidence degradation will have to be taken into account, but he noted, “If it’s there — hair, fingerprints, DNA, blood — the scientists will be able to find it. Whether they will be able to link it is a totally different story.”
No matter what is found, though, Simpson cannot be charged a second time in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman because of what is known as double jeopardy. “That ship has sailed,” Galanter maintained. “The jury has acquitted him. He can never be charged [again]. He will be acquitted legally of these murders for all time.”
As to what this all might mean to the families of the victims, Galanter said: “This would be just one more piece in that cascade of evidence that they believed was against him.”
He did not think this would impact Simpson’s parole, which he is up for next year. “By all accounts, O.J. Simpson has been a model prisoner.”
Finally, Galanter noted the timing of the release of this news and a current television miniseries: “This is probably [more] related to the FX series than it is related to anything real.”
