NEW YORK - Thomas Riccio asked me right here on this show to make my prediction. I know it’s only the second week of trial but I'm ready. And I say O.J. Simpson walks.

And here's why: Thomas Riccio, himself. Not to mention the flipped co-defendants Charles Erlich and Walter Alexander. These guys are the lynch pin of the states case. And here's what they do for the prosecution. They put Simpson in the room. They've got Simpson on tape. And there is a certain guilty by association factor.

But here's they can't do: Put a gun in O.J. Simpson's hand or even in his line of sight. Get Simpson on tape admitting he knew about the guns before, during or after the incident. Or even get Simpson on tape saying anything much beyond, “Gimme my stuff back.”

And here's what else: Riccio left his digital recorder in the room that night. Left it there running. Not only did that nifty little device capture a police department that was out to "get" Simpson, but there's more: If the cops, who were calm, cool and collected, who are methodical, who are looking for evidence, if they missed Riccio’s recorder, well isn't it just possible Simpson missed the guns? Of course it is. And possible is reasonable doubt. And that's the Last Word.

-Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

NEW YORK–Former co-defendant Walter Alexander, who was with O.J. Simpson and four other men on September 13, 2007 when they confronted two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, is now testifying. Alexander, who has known Simpson for more than 12 years, has since pleaded guilty and is a witness for the prosecution.

O.J. Simpson's former co-defendant Walter Alexander takes the stand Wednesday

Alexander told jurors that Simpson told him to bring guns, but not to take them out. Alexander has admitted carrying a weapon during the incident and has earlier claimed that Simpson said to “just stick” to the story that no guns were used.

Earlier, District Court Judge Jackie Glass ruled that jurors at this trial will not hear testimony from attorney David Cook about the $33.5 million civil judgment against Simpson in the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.  Cook represents Fred Goldman in his decade-long attempt to collect the money.

Simpson and remaining co-defendant Charles "C.J." Stewart have pleaded not guilty to charges of armed robbery, kidnapping and assault.

–Carolyn Purcell, In Session senior executive producer

NEW YORK - So I talked with Tom Riccio just a little while ago, at the top of the show, and I gotta say, he's nothing if he's not direct.

Riccio completed three days of testimony Monday

Oh sure he's disheveled and has a record as long as my arm, but was there any doubt what this guys about? Money. He's all about the benjamins. He set this whole thing up for money. He sold the tapes to the highest bidder. He sold his story to anyone who would listen. And then he wrote a tell all book called “Busted.”

And why not? After all Mr. Riccio was born and bred in a culture that values money over all else, over education, over friendship, even over love. And greed begets more greed. Enter the so-called victims in this case, looking to cash in on O.J. Simpson’s stolen stuff, the hangers-on hoping to gain something just by association and Simpson himself evading the Goldman’s for a decade.

But, when it is all said and done, who stands to gain the most? Why prosecutors, of course, because they're looking to cash in on vengeance. And in the process, they are exploiting the murders all over again. And they're exploiting the Goldman’s too. Most of all they are exploiting the system. So before we come down too hard on Thomas Riccio, let's be honest about who is really cashing in on justice in this case. That's the Last Word.

-Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

LAS VEGAS, Nevada–We'll see more of prosecution witness Charles Ehrlich when he resumes his testimony this morning.

Charles Ehrlich testified about seeing guns in hotel room

I was in the courtroom when Ehrlich took the stand late Tuesday. His attorney John Moran was also there, listening from the back row of the courtroom as he began to testify.

Ehrlich appeared very nervous, and in fact couldn't even remember what day he flew in to Las Vegas last September and attended a pool party with O.J. Simpson and others at the Palms Hotel. It was at that get together, Ehrlich testified, that Simpson told him to pose as a wealthy memorabilia buyer in a confrontation that ended with Simpson facing 12 charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping and assault.

Ehrlich, who struggled with his memory during much of his direct examination, testified there were two guns in the Palace Station hotel room during that incident and one gun was out and being waived and pointed.

Afterwards, Ehrlich told jurors that he went back to the Palms and followed Simpson to his room. Ehrlich testified that once behind closed doors, Simpson said "I need a bail bondsman," started mumbling and said "I never should have brought them along."

Simpson attorney Yale Galanter began his cross by having Ehrlich testify that he has known Galanter for years; in fact, he said the two men even frequent the same restaurants in Florida, where they both live. Ehrlich said he considers himself an extremely close friend of Simpson's, even attending holiday functions at Simpson's home.

That response led Galanter to ask Ehrlich about all the personal family photos Simpson displays throughout his home. The prosecution objected, and the judge will rule on the objection today. The defense believes it is extremely relevant to show Simpson's love for family memories through photos. That would motivate Simpson, they say, to try to get back lost family photos during the "recovery" plan in Las Vegas on September 13, 2007.

Simpson and his co-defendant, Charles Stewart, have pleaded not guilty to all charges in this case.

–Jean Casarez, In Session correspondent

NEW YORK - Charles Ehrlich, a friend of O.J. Simpson's and former co-defendant who has taken a plea deal, testified Monday he thought that he heard the former football star say, "Put the gun away" and "Why did I tell those guys to come along?"

Former co-defendant Charles Ehrlich

This contradicts Simpson, who claims that he was unaware weapons were used and testimony from Thomas Riccio, who set up the meeting with memorabilia dealers to recover certain items. Ehrlich said he thought he was involved in a harmless plan and was surprised when he saw two men armed with guns.

Riccio testified Monday that he didn't hear anyone in the room make reference to a gun, although he saw one. Under cross-examination, he acknowledged receiving $210,000 from media outlets after secretly recording the transaction. Riccio also said Simpson only wanted to recover personal family items stolen from him and the former football star insisted that he was unaware of any weapons in the room.

-Bob Regan, In Session senior executive producer

NEW YORK – I went to Atlantic City this weekend to speak to the bar association about representing high profile clients. So while I was there, not surprisingly, I was thinking a lot about the high profile client, O.J. Simpson.

What made him think he could just go into that hotel room and take back his stuff? And my time in Atlantic City helped me to see the answer. Because there's something about a gaming town like A.C. or Reno or Vegas. And I’ve spent a lot of time in all three of those places. There's a flavor of the Old West, of riverboats and maverick.

And even though the glamorous days of Monte Carlo are probably behind us, and "Oceans Eleven" is pure fiction, there is still a thrill in the air, the air of possibility runs through the casinos and the city. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. And what's yours is yours and what's mine is mine. And if you take what's mine I am taking it back, especially if I asked the local sheriff to help and he refused.

So now I think I know why O.J. Simpson went into that room that night. It wasn't armed robbery. It wasn't kidnapping. It was just justice, Vegas style. And that's the Last Word.

-Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

NEW YORK - The memorabilia dealer who set up the Las Vegas hotel meeting which led to O.J. Simpson's arrest is back on the witness stand Monday.

Thomas Riccio

This is Thomas Riccio's third day of testimony. On Friday, jurors heard Riccio's secret digital audio recording of the incident in which Simpson is accused of trying to reclaim his mementoes. Simpson is heard saying, "Don't let nobody out of this room." When a gun was pulled out, Riccio testified, "it all got crazy from there."

Riccio has told jurors he dislikes guns in general and certainly didn’t want any in that room. He claims that alleged victims Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley initially pushed the items toward Simpson and apologized. Riccio said, “Maybe the first minute everything was going as planned.” Simpson in fact told the men he’d return to them anything that wasn’t his.

In a recording of a phone converstation between Simpson and Riccio the next day, Riccio told Simpson that he had seen a gun. Simpson replied, "I'm gonna be honest with you. I never saw a gun."

In Session will bring you continued live coverage of the trial.

-Bob Regan, senior executive producer

NEW YORK - So here's what I think about the jury view. I think the judge was right to let them see Room 1203. I think it would have been a huge mistake not to. To have them rely on some model prosecutor David Roger built. And I think the view is going to help the defense.

Here's why: Yes, the room is small and prosecutors will argue that Simpson had to have seen any guns that were drawn. But the real question is whether O.J. Simpson knew guns were going to be there, before they all crowded into the room.

And even if you get past that, a smaller room actually makes it less likely Simpson or anyone else in that room would have seen much of what was going on around him. Think about it, you've got nine big guys. You've got chaos. And Simpson has tunnel vision for all the stuff that's been stolen from him now laid out on that bed.

Could he really see what Walter Alexander and Michael McClinton, the two alleged gunmen were doing? Two gunmen, who will be spared life sentences by the way, in exchange for their testimony? Would O.J. Simpson have paid attention to anything other than what was on the bed and the two former friends who had stolen it?

Honestly, only Simpson knows that. But prosecutors have the burden of proving what he knew and when he knew it. And now, with that jury view, their job has gotten a whole lot harder. And that’s the Last Word.

-Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

NEW YORK - The 18 jurors in the O.J. Simpson trial got a close-up look Friday morning at the Palace Station Hotel room where two sports memorabilia dealers were allegedly robbed at gunpoint.

Palace Station Hotel

The jury's bus trip to the scene was not announced to the public or media at the courthouse until after it occurred.  O.J. Simpson was not present, but his co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart was there. The judge, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court officials, marshals, police and hotel representatives were also in attendance.

The jurors visited the room in groups of two. According to a reporter present, they stood in the middle and turned around to get a perspective on the size. One juror appeared to used her feet to measure the distance between spaces in the room. An alternate juror reached on top of the armoire where collectibles dealer Thomas Riccio left his recording device.

The total visit lasted about 15 minutes and attorneys entered the room after jurors left.
A guest in a room across the hall who came out to pick up a morning paper seemed a bit surprised by the commotion.

The hotel room has been kept closed to guests since the incident and a model of the space had been built in the courthouse basement for jurors to view, but defense lawyers for Simpson and Stewart did not believe the mock up was an accurate representation. A court spokesmen said that model will probably be destroyed.

-Bob Regan, In Session senior executive producer

LAS VEGAS, Nevada–Key witness for the prosecution Thomas Riccio will continue on the stand Friday morning in Nevada vs O.J. Simpson. Without offering an opinion on his testimony, I can say he brings this courtroom to life, and even the judge smiled when telling Riccio to “just answer the question.”

Thomas Riccio takes the stand

Riccio likes to talk and explain his answers, but in court it is generally accepted that a witness answers questions with a yes or no unless asked to explain their response. Riccio testified that his talkative nature is why he is successful with business dealings in the world of memorabilia. The jury is writing notes intently and I've seen some cracked smiles during some of the lighter moments.

Riccio testified that Simpson didn’t want to get his “stuff” back in California because he thought everything could be turned over to the Goldman family. Riccio said Simpson referred to the family of Ron Goldman, who received a 1997 $33.5 million civil wrongful death judgment against Simpson, as the “golddiggers.”

Riccio recorded many of the events that happened on September 13, 2007 here in Las Vegas. It resulted in hours of audio recordings, but the prosecution will only play a portion of them in court. In regard to those recordings, Riccio has helped the defense by stating he doesn't agree with some of the state’s written transcripts, and says some of the names of the voices on Riccio’s audiotapes are misidentified.

The jury has now listened to two audiotapes; the first one Riccio recorded poolside at the Palm's Hotel the afternoon of September 13th. Prosecutors say this is when plans were made for the events that took place just a few hours later. At a little after 7:30 p.m. that night, seven men entered a hotel room at the Palace Station hotel, where two other men had sports memorabilia laid out on the bed.  Two of the men with Simpson say they were carrying guns with them.

What happened next is what brought us to this Las Vegas courtroom. Stay tuned to In Session's special coverage of this case.

–Jean Casarez, In Session correspondent