O.J. Simpson Bail Doubled

At today’s bail revocation hearing, Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass was all over O.J. Simpson, strongly chastising him for not paying his previous $125,000 bail, saying, "I don’t know, Mr. Simpson, what the heck you were thinking, or maybe that’s the problem, you weren’t," adding, "I don’t know if it’s just arrogance. I don’t know if it’s ignorance. But you’ve been locked up at the Clark County Detention Center since Friday because of arrogance or ignorance, or both." With that, she doubled Simpson’s bail to $250,000. She told him he was to stay put in jail until 15% of the bail, in cash, was paid. O.J.’s attorney told the court that Simpson’s home would be put up as collateral.

Glass also reminded Simpson that he was not to contact any other defendants or leave the country. She told him if he violated any of the terms of his bail again, he’d be locked up until his trial begins on April 7.

Simpson’s bail was only doubled despite the prosecution’s request that the Juice’s bail be raised to $1 million and that he be placed under house arrest.

Judge Jackie Glass said the fact that they were back in court today was "mind boggling" after she heard testimony from O.J.’s bondsman Miguel Pereira that he had received "not one cent" from O.J., not even the $40 filing fee. Judge Glass also called O.J. "ignorant and arrogant."

Pereira testified that Simpson "hasn’t paid any money on [the bail]." It is standard practice that the defendant post a premium, or down payment, of 15% to the bail bondsman. While Pereira described the November day he received a voicemail from O.J. asking him to pass along a expletive-laced message to his co-defendant, the recording in question was played before the court, most of the trial was spent talking about how O.J. had managed to sidestep any financial risk to gain his first release from jail.

That Simpson didn’t pay anything, "doesn’t make a whole heck of a lot sense to the court," Judge Glass said. Simpson’s attorney said he would put up his house as a lien against the bail but Judge Glass said that wasn’t enough.

"I don’t want him out of the jail until he posts that 15%," she insisted to O.J.’s lawyer who said it would take a few days to raise the money and it was unclear who the new bondsman would be. She said that Simpson had "been locked up…since Friday because of arrogance or ignorance or both." When asked if he understood, a tense Simpson said: "I understand 100%, your honor."

Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.