By DPA
Las Vegas : Former American sports star O.J. Simpson was granted bail of $125,000 and allowed to leave a Las Vegas jail one day after being charged with kidnapping and seven other offences for allegedly organising an armed raid to recover memorabilia he claimed had been stolen from him.
Simpson, a former American football star, has been in jail since Sunday but was released Wednesday amid media frenzy reminiscent of the coverage of the notorious 1995 murder trial, in which Simpson was acquitted by a jury of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
Simpson, 60, who did not enter a plea, appeared in court wearing a blue prison uniform and answered questions from the judge in a low voice. The Las Vegas courtroom was besieged by hundreds of journalists and onlookers.
Simpson was arrested Sunday on suspicion of two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count each of burglary with a firearm and conspiracy to commit burglary.
On Tuesday, prosecutor David Roger formally announced the charge of kidnapping as well as conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in addition to the previous charges. Simpson, who was charged along with three other men involved in the incident, faces life imprisonment if found guilty.
The defence and prosecution agreed to the bail amount, which was confirmed at a brief hearing before Justice Court Judge Joseph Bonaventure.
“What we came here to do we got accomplished,” Simpson’s attorney Yale Gallanter said after the hearing. “Our goal was to get in my opinion a fair and reasonable bond to allow Mr. Simpson to go home and be with his family.”