Simpson, who is charged with the murders of his ex-wife and a male friend, was bound over for trial Friday by Municipal Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell after a six-day preliminary hearing that was seen live by a nationwide television audience.
He is due back in court July 22, when he will appear before a Superior Court judge who will ask him once again how he pleads to charges that he murdered Nicole Brown Simpson, 35, and Ronald Goldman, her 25-year-old friend and an aspiring model, outside Nicole Simpson's townhouse on the night of June 12.
Simpson has already pleaded not guilty to those charges in Municipal Court, claiming he was at home at the time of the murders waiting for a limousine to take him to the airport for a previously arranged business trip to Chicago.
The networks pre-empted all daytime programming to give gavel to gavel coverage of the preliminary hearing, much to the annoyance of many soap opera fans.
The networks, which have been besieged with angry calls and letters, have promised viewers the daytime dramas will resume where they left off.
NBC even showed two one-hour episodes of "Days of Our Lives" on prime time Friday night to satisfy the craving of soap fans.
The decision to proceed with a capital murder case against Simpson rests with a committee of eight senior members of the District Attorney's Office who meet weekly to decide on whether to seek the death penalty.
In order to avoid seeking the death penalty in Simpson's case, the prosecution would have to drop the "special circumstance" that the murders were premeditated.
The Los Angeles Times quoted the head of the D.A.'s committee, Assistant District Attorney Frank Sundstedt, as saying in general terms, without speaking directly about the Simpson case, "It is very difficult to obtain a first degree murder conviction in any domestic violence case."
Other legal experts have noted that other key elements that can lead to a successful prosecution in most capital murder cases were missing in Simpson's case, most notably that he did not have a long criminal history and appeared to have led an exemplary life.
The macabre Simpson case has captured world-wide attention.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.