More twists in the Simpson case. A witness who admitted that
he avoided a possible life sentence by testifying against former football star
O.J. Simpson, explained on Tuesday that he did not entirely recall details on
the hotel room confrontation which led to the robbery trial, as he has suffered
two heart attacks since the incident took place.
Charles Ehrlich, O.J. Simpson’s pal and former co-defendant,
repeatedly answered, “I don’t recall,” during a rough questioning by O.J.
Simpson’s legal representative Yale Galanter.
Charles Ehrlich said that he and O.J. Simpson were very good
friends and that they made several trips together. In addition to this, Ehrlich
claims that their last such trip was to Las Vegas in September 2007, when they
and other men were arrested for allegedly robbing two sports memorabilia
brokers by threatening them with a gun.
After being a co-defendant for approximately a year, facing
a dozen charges that included kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly
weapon and coercion, Charles Ehrlich pleaded guilty in August to reduced
charges and decided to testify against O.J. Simpson. Other three former
co-defendants did the same, thus, the only person continuing to be a
co-defendant is Clarence “C.J.” Stewart, who has pleaded not guilty.
The trial came to a standstill when the defense objected to
a prosecution request to question an attorney representing Fred Goldman, the
father of Ronald Goldman, who was murdered in 1994 together with O.J. Simpson’s
ex-spouse, Nicole Brown Simpson.
Furthermore, District Attorney David Roger explained that it
was very important to demonstrate that Simpson memorabilia could have been
exposed to seizure by the Goldman estate.
Ehrlich testified against the former football star on
Monday, challenging Simpson’s claim that he knew nothing about the presence of
a gun in the hotel room.
Yale Galanter, however, put in doubt Ehrlich’s assertions
and, when he asked the witness to give details upon the confrontation, Ehrlich
said that he was unable to remember everything.
“And clearly, Mr. Ehrlich, even though you were charged with
a gun count, you didn’t have a gun at the Palace Station,” Galanter said,
according to The Associated Press.
“I didn’t know about a gun,” said Ehrlich, who had
previously claimed that he saw a gun in the room.
