O.J. Simpson (Courtesy Photo)

By Zenitha Prince

Washington Bureau Chief

(October 4, 2008) - Luck seems to have run out for former football star O.J. Simpson.

A Las Vegas jury late Friday convicted the 61-year-old on 12 counts of armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges, 13 years after another jury had acquitted him on charges of killing his wife and her friend in Los Angeles.

Simpson's co-defendant, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, also was found guilty on all charges and taken into custody.

Simpson seemed to know his fate, telling an Associated Press reporter Thursday he was "afraid that I won't get to go to my kids' college graduations after I managed to get them through college."

The Hall of Fame star could spend life in prison, though his lawyers say they will appeal. Sentencing is set for Dec. 5.

According to the charges, Simpson and a posse of five men stormed a Vegas casino hotel room a year ago and robbed two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint. Simpson had maintained that the goods—game balls, plaques and photos—had been stolen from him.  But prosecutors said even if that were true, it was still a crime to take things by force.

Defense attorney Yale Galanter said he believes the case and its outcome was overshadowed by Simpson’s past.

In what was called the trial of the 20th century, Simpson was cleared in 1995 of charges that he murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. He was later found liable in a civil case.

And for many who thought justice did not prevail back then, the verdict in the Vegas casino case is a payback.

"I don't like to use the word payback," Galanter told the AP. "I can tell you from the beginning my biggest concern...was whether or not the jury would be able to separate their very strong feelings about Mr. Simpson and judge him fairly and honestly."

He also said in his closing arguments: "This case has taken on a life of its own because of Mr. Simpson's involvement. You know that. I know that. Every cooperator, every person who had a gun, every person who had an ulterior motive, every person who signed a book deal, every person who got paid money, the police, the district attorney's office, is only interested in one thing: Mr. Simpson."