Simpson sentencing slated for tomorrow

LAS VEGAS - During his trial for armed robbery and kidnapping, O.J. Simpson once sat in a courthouse hallway musing on what might have been: Before his arrest, he had considered moving to Las Vegas, where he liked the climate and the people he had met.

Now he could spend the rest of his life in Nevada - in prison.

The 61-year-old former football star, actor, and TV pitchman will be sentenced tomorrow along with a codefendant.

Although the case carries mandatory prison time, friend Tom Scotto said Simpson remains hopeful and positive after being convicted in October of all 12 charges that arose from a hotel-room confrontation with two sports-memorabilia dealers.

"He's doing better than I would be in this situation," said Scotto, who visited Simpson in jail and has spoken with him by phone. "He's looking forward to the sentencing so he can get on with the appeal."

Scotto, who plans to attend the sentencing, spoke from his home in Florida, where he and Simpson became close friends. Simpson moved there after he was acquitted in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles.

Simpson will spend a minimum of six years in state prison and could be held for life if the judge imposes maximum penalties.