The Man Who Could Put O.J. Away for Life
Veteran Vegas prosecutor David Roger tackles O.J. case.
Sept. 19, 2007 — -- Las Vegas, Nevada - There is probably no American alive whose murder acquittal has been met with such widespread national skepticism as O.J. Simpson.
Now all eyes are on Clark County District Attorney David Roger, the man whose impending prosecution of Simpson could put the former football legend in prison for life, on a battery of felony charges ranging from kidnapping and burglary to assault with a deadly weapon.
While it remains unclear how strong a case the prosecutor's office has against Simpson, by most accounts Roger is up to the job.
"He's had a long and distinguished career with the [prosecutor's] office and enjoys a well-deserved reputation for being meticulous and well-prepared," said Michael Davidson, a former Clark County assistant district attorney who ran unsuccessfully against Roger for the top spot in the district attorney's office in 2001. "I would be surprised to see what happened in the original case against Simpson repeats itself here in Las Vegas."
Another former Clark County assistant district attorney said that local police surely had the failed Los Angeles prosecution of Simpson for the alleged murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman at the forefront of their minds as they investigated and built the case against Simpson.
"The [Las Vegas] Metropolitan Police Department is absolutely dead set on not being made to look like the LAPD," said the veteran attorney, who spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity. "Everyone here knows … they're going to make sure this case is handled properly … I'd bet you anything that the police got the D.A.'s office involved early in the process."
Las Vegas defense lawyer David Chesnoff, who has represented tennis player Andre Agassi, boxer Mike Tyson and Martha Stewart, expressed confidence in Roger, calling him a "straight shooter who is always very prepared, meticulous and has a great grasp of the facts."
"I think they're pursuing [the Simpson case] very seriously and being very careful," Chesnoff said. "I can promise you this," he said with a mischievous smile, "David would never end up taking a job with 'Entertainment Tonight' like [former Los Angeles prosecutor] Marcia Clark."
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