When people ask how long was OJ in jail, they usually expect a single, straightforward number. But honestly, the answer depends entirely on which trial you’re talking about. Most of us remember the "Trial of the Century" in the mid-90s, where he was famously acquitted of murder. But Simpson actually spent a massive chunk of his later life behind bars for an entirely different crime in Nevada.
It’s a weird, convoluted timeline.
If you count every single day O.J. Simpson spent in a cell—from his first arrest in 1994 to his final release from parole—you’re looking at nearly a decade of his life under the thumb of the justice system. But the breakdown of those years is where it gets interesting. He didn't just walk free after 1995 and stay out of trouble. In fact, his second major stint in custody lasted far longer than the time he spent waiting for the verdict in the Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman case.
The 474 days that changed everything
Let’s go back to June 1994. After that surreal, slow-speed Bronco chase that half the world watched on live TV, O.J. was taken into custody. He stayed there. Because he was charged with a double murder, there was no bail. None. He sat in a 7-by-9-foot cell at the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail for the duration of the proceedings.
He was in jail for 474 days during that first trial.
Think about that. For over 15 months, one of the most famous men on the planet was eating jail food and wearing a jumpsuit while Marcia Clark and Johnnie Cochran battled it out in court. On October 3, 1995, he was found not guilty. He walked out of jail that afternoon. At that point, many people assumed his time behind bars was over for good.
He was free. Or at least, legally free. The civil trial would later find him liable for the deaths, but that’s a different story involving money, not jail cells.
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The Nevada robbery and the nine-year stretch
Fast forward to 2007. This is the part people sometimes forget or get fuzzy on. Simpson led a group of men into a room at the Palace Station hotel-casino in Las Vegas. His goal? To take back sports memorabilia that he claimed belonged to him. It was a messy, ill-conceived plan involving guns and a lot of shouting.
The state of Nevada didn't care about his "taking back my own stuff" defense.
Exactly 13 years to the day after his acquittal in Los Angeles, Simpson was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison. He was sent to the Lovelock Correctional Center, a medium-security facility in the high desert of Nevada. This wasn't the high-profile circus of the 90s. This was a quiet, grinding reality.
How long was OJ in jail this time? He served nine years.
He was inmate number 1027820. During those nine years, he wasn't just sitting in a cell; he reportedly coached the prison softball team and worked in the gym. He became a "model prisoner," largely because he knew that at his age, any trouble would mean he’d likely die behind bars. He was granted parole in July 2017 after the board noted his good behavior and the fact that he had no prior felony convictions (since the 1995 verdict was an acquittal).
The total count
If you’re doing the math at home, the timeline looks like this:
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- 1994-1995: Roughly 1.3 years (474 days) during the murder trial.
- 2008-2017: Exactly 9 years in Nevada for armed robbery and kidnapping.
That brings his total time physically locked in a jail or prison cell to roughly 10.3 years. ---
Life after Lovelock and the parole years
Coming out of prison in 2017 didn't mean he was "done." He was a ward of the state of Nevada for a while longer. He moved into a gated community in Las Vegas, played a lot of golf, and started a Twitter (now X) account where he shared his thoughts on fantasy football and the news of the day.
He was finally discharged from parole early in December 2021.
The Nevada Division of Parole and Probation granted him an early discharge for good behavior. From that moment until his death in April 2024, he was a completely free man for the first time in over a decade. It’s a strange bookend to a life that was defined by courtrooms and correctional facilities.
People often ask if the nine-year sentence in Nevada was "payback" for the 1995 acquittal. Even the late Fred Goldman, Ron’s father, once suggested it was bittersweet. While the legal systems are technically separate, the public perception has always been that Nevada "got him" when California couldn't. Whether that's true or just a narrative we’ve built is up for debate.
Understanding the different types of "being in jail"
It's important to distinguish between "jail" and "prison" in this context. In the 90s, he was in jail—a holding facility for those awaiting trial. In the 2000s, he was in prison—a place for those already convicted of a crime.
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When you look at the question of how long was OJ in jail, you have to account for the psychological toll of both. In jail, he was fighting for his life against a potential death penalty. In prison, he was fighting against the clock, trying to stay healthy enough to see the outside world again.
Why the timeline matters today
O.J. Simpson's death in 2024 closed the book on these numbers, but the fascination remains because his case changed the American legal landscape. It changed how we view celebrity, DNA evidence, and the racial divide in the justice system. The fact that he spent nearly a decade in prison for a robbery—after being acquitted for a double murder—remains one of the most ironic twists in American legal history.
If you are researching this for a project or just out of curiosity, remember that the "nine years" is the standard answer for his conviction, but the "474 days" is the answer for the trial that defined his legacy.
Actionable insights for those researching the O.J. Simpson legal saga
To get a full picture of the time O.J. Simpson spent in the system, you should look beyond just the years. Here are a few ways to deepen your understanding of his legal timeline:
- Review the Parole Board Hearing (2017): You can find the full video of his parole hearing online. It provides a rare look at how Simpson viewed his own time in prison and how the state of Nevada evaluated his "rehabilitation."
- Compare the Sentencing Guidelines: Look at Nevada's sentencing for armed robbery and kidnapping in 2008. Many legal experts at the time argued that 33 years was an exceptionally harsh sentence for a first-time felon, which adds weight to the theory that the "Trial of the Century" influenced the judge's decision.
- Study the Civil Verdict: While not "jail time," the 1997 civil trial ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million. Understanding the financial restrictions placed on him during the years between his two jail stints explains why he was so desperate to recover his memorabilia in Las Vegas.
- Check the Parole Discharge Papers: Simpson’s legal freedom officially returned in full on December 1, 2021. This date marks the actual end of his 27-year saga with the American criminal justice system.
By looking at these specific milestones, you see that Simpson's life wasn't just a series of events, but a long, interconnected battle with the law that spanned three decades. He spent about 13% of his total life behind bars.