LAS VEGAS " Testimony resumed today in the O.J. Simpson armed robbery-kidnapping trial with defense attorneys looking to cast doubt on the testimony of a man who said he brandished a gun during a hotel room confrontation after being told by Simpson to "look menacing."
Michael McClinton, testifying under a plea bargain which will likely save him from prison, faced cross-examination from Simpson attorney Gabriel Grasso, with prosecutors poised to rest their case. Grasso began the day questioning McClinton about a recording the witness made after the alleged robbery.
McClinton testified Friday that Simpson asked him to bring a gun to the casino-hotel where the former football star planned to reclaim mementos of his storied career from memorabilia dealers who were offering it for sale.
He was scheduled to be the prosecution's last witness but intense cross-examination could extend his stay on the witness stand. The defense planned to begin calling its own witnesses after McClinton concludes.
Simpson claims he saw no guns the night of Sept 13, 2007 but McClinton said that he had his gun drawn when he crossed into the hotel room and that Simpson was close enough that their shoulders could have touched.
Prosecutors bolstered McClinton's testimony with an audio tape recorded by McClinton during a party attended by Simpson only hours after the hotel room incident.
"This ain't no major crime," Simpson is heard saying on the tape.
District Attorney David Roger highlighted this exchange between Simpson and McClinton:
Simpson: "You didn't pull the piece out in the hall."
McClinton: "No, no, no, no, no, no, hell no."
Simpson added in the recording, "There ain't nothin' on that video and look, they gonna look at the video. ... Ain't nothin' they can see, they gonna see us goin' in the place. Then they gonna see us leaving with just the boxes."
McClinton testified that Simpson seemed concerned about security video cameras at the hotel. None of the surveillance videos shown at the three-week-old trial have included any image of a gun and witnesses have been conflicted about whether Simpson could have been in a position to see a gun in the cramped hotel room.
In one taped segment, Simpson mentioned co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart who, along with Simpson, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges including kidnapping, robbery, coercion and assault with a deadly weapon.
"I told C.J., do me a favor get me some boys. I just want them to look menacing," he is heard saying on the tape.
When it was over, McClinton testified, "He was telling me there was no guns. I knew differently because I had a gun."
The damaging evidence against Simpson came on the same day that the defense scored points with another audio recording " this one of police investigators chuckling over Simpson's troubles, referring to him with foul language and rejoicing at his impending arrest.
"You're just picking on him because you're mad about the verdict," said Lt. Clint Nichols, head of the police robbery division.
"Yup," responded crime scene analyst Michael Perkins.
In another exchange, Nichols said, "He's gonna get arrested."
"Who, who's gonna get arrested?" the analyst replied.
"O.J.," Nichols said.
"Oh, good," Perkins replied.