O.J. Simpson, acquitted of the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown, in 1995, is back in the news again, this time accused of armed robbery.

Bruce Fromong, a sports memorabilia collector, claims that Simpson and at least two others entered a Las Vegas hotel with guns and stole various sports related items. Fromong had actually testified on behalf of O.J. Simpson in the 1997 wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Ron Goldman. As a respected appraiser of sports memorabilia, Fromong's testimony was intended to prove that O.J. Simpson merchandise had greatly decreased in value following the heavily publicized murder trial.

I was in a fast food restaurant when the story broke. I was eager to hear the details, but even more so to hear the public reaction. Almost immediately a woman at an adjacent table said, “That man is disgusting.” A boy, about 12 years old, asked his father, “Who's O.J. Simpson?” The father replied, “Football player who killed his wife.” To which the boy responded, “Then why isn't he in jail?”

The accused are said to be innocent until proven guilty, but it's no secret that escaping a harsh sentence is truly about proving one's innocence. And whether you're guilty or not, depends on the quality of the defense.

Michael Jackson has been charged of child molestation on two separate occasions, but never found guilty. In 2000, Sean “Diddy” Combs was indicted on stolen weapons charges as well as bribery, but later won an acquittal.

Now consider Roy Brown, who was convicted very quickly and with very little evidence. Ironically, Roy Brown was only exonerated through the innocence project; directed by Barry C. Sheck, a member of O.J. Simpson's 1995 defense team.

Being a beloved celebrity certainly doesn't hurt, as people tend to be more sympathetic toward icons; however the key to these acquittals is wealth. Law is a business, and to get the best, costs figures in the millions. How could Roy Brown afford Simpson's legal team ... well, if one of them hadn't turned philanthropist?

Will Simpson survive this scandal? If he has a dime left to his name, there is a good chance that he may.

I doubt very much that Michael Jackson could avoid prison if charged a third time and Paris Hilton has already served her jail sentence. Public sympathy and good lawyers can only be stretched so far.

Estabrook's column appears Mondays in The Citizen, and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com