Jurors picking for the trial of fallen NFL star O.J. Simpson began today, nearly one year after the defendant walked in a hotel room of a Las Vegas casino with the intention of getting back some sports memorabilia.

Mr. Simpson and co-defendant Clarence "C.J" Stewart walked into the Clark County Regional Justice Center on Monday at 7:30 a.m. CT (9:30 a.m. ET), but this time the scene was more discreet. There were no protesters and also very few people came to greet the former football player. Mr. Simpson wasn’t in the mood and refused to talk to reporters about the trial. He only responded with by waving to someone who wished him good luck.

Simpson and Stewart, a 54-year-old friend of the former NFL star, pleaded not guilty to 12 charges including robbery and kidnapping. If convicted of all charges, Mr. Simpson could be sentenced to life in prison.

Mr. Simpson said that he was only trying to "get his stuff back," as CNN reported, but prosecutors know different. According to court papers, the former football player and five men walked into a Las Vegas hotel room on September 13, 2007, and tried to reclaim some sports memorabilia. Simpson said the items belonged to him.

The big problem is that at least two of the five men who accompanied Simpson were armed. The group robbed the two sports memorabilia dealers (Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley) who were in the hotel room.

"They had guns drawn - one of the guys had a gun pointed right on me," said Fromong.

The Clark County Regional Justice Center has already cut off 252 of 500 potential jurors after they responded to a questionnaire. Prosecution and defense attorneys will try to pick 12 jurors and four alternates on Monday.

The other four co-defendants in this trial made deals with the prosecution and testified against Mr. Simpson.