Judge rips O.J. for 'arrogance'

LAS VEGAS — Hands cuffed at his waist and a defeated expression on his face, O.J. Simpson listened to a judge blister him Wednesday for "arrogance or ignorance or both" for breaking bail terms in a robbery case.

"I don't know, Mr. Simpson, what the heck you were thinking, or maybe that's the problem — you weren't," Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass lectured as she doubled his bail to $250,000.

Simpson's attorney, Yale Galanter, told The Associated Press in an e-mail late Wednesday that bond had been posted and that Simpson was expected to be released from jail within hours.

Galanter had earlier said Simpson would post the deed to his home.

The former NFL star had been ordered to have no contact with co-defendants or witnesses after he was freed on bail in September on charges of orchestrating the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers at a hotel room.

Wednesday's brief custody hearing was called because Simpson mentioned co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart while leaving a sputtering phone message two months ago for his bail bondsman, Miguel Pereira of You Ring We Spring.

"I just want, want C.J. to know that ... I'm tired of this (expletive)," Simpson said, according to a transcript. "Fed up with (expletives) changing what they told me. All right?"

Though there was no indication Stewart received the message, prosecutor Chris Owens suggested it was threatening. The judge merely said she didn't like the tone.

"I don't know if it's just arrogance. I don't know if it's ignorance," she said. "But you've been locked up at the Clark County Detention Center since Friday because of arrogance or ignorance — or both."

Simpson, wearing a dark jail shirt and pants with orange slippers, grimaced as Glass announced she was doubling his bail. He spoke only when asked if he understood the terms.

"Yes, your honor," the graying football star said evenly.

Simpson, 60, was picked up Friday in Florida by Pereira and taken back to Nevada for violating terms of his release.

Galanter accused Pereira of providing Simpson's bail for the publicity.

"You wanted some notoriety for your company," Galanter said, noting that Pereira had been handing out pens embossed with the name of his company and the words, "O.J.'s way out."