OJ Simpson could be paroled as soon as Thursday

(AP) – O.J. Simpson will have his Nevada state parole board hearing this Thursday, just a couple months before he hits the nine-year minimum of his 33-year sentence for armed robbery and assault with a weapon.

The Associated Press reports that nobody at the hearing is expected to oppose the release of Simpson in October, including the victim and former prosecutor.

ESPN’s Outside the Lines will air the parole hearing live in a 90-minute special. USA Today reports that more than 240 media credentials have been issued for the hearing, and a dozen satellite trucks are expected on location at the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners in Carson City, Nevada, where the hearing will take place; and 100 miles away at the Lovelock Correctional Center, where Simpson will join the hearing via video conference.

Due to the extreme interest in the case, the parole board is expected to make a decision about Simpson’s eligibility within hours of the hearing; it usually takes days for a decision to be made.

Normally, a parole hearing like this wouldn’t make national news. But there is nothing normal about Nevada prison inmate № 1027829, or his experience with the criminal justice system.