OJ Simpson’s appeal brief wasn’t very impressive

In looking for a particular opinion by the Nevada Supreme Court, I happened across OJ Simpson’s main brief in his appeal from his criminal conviction in Las Vegas. I skimmed through the brief — it did not make a favorable first impression.

• Misspellings — for example: “The District Court refused to allow counsel to examine prospective jurors about their known and unknown bias’s” and “Perspective juror 149 was challenged for cause ….”
• The statement of fact confusingly switches back and forth between telling the story in the past- and present tenses.
• The capitalization is bizarre in many places. For example: “Simpson’s Good Faith belief that he was taking back his own property and not preventing the “owner” of his continued free enjoyment goes to his lack of Criminal Intent, or mens rea.” Another example: “You can’t have a Robbery with a Deadly weapon by force or fear without also having an Assault that places the victims of that Robbery in fear of harm.”
• The brief asserts that federal courts have consistently held X, but then supports that assertion with a citation to a Nevada state supreme court opinion.

I have no opinion on the merits of the appeal; IMHO, though, Simpson’s appeal brief does not serve him well.