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LAS VEGAS -- More than four years after the world last heard from O.J. Simpson in court, one of the nations most famous prisoners spoke again Wednesday in a bid to win freedom from a sentence that could keep him behind bars until he dies. Simpson took the stand to testify about his legal representation by attorney Yale Galanter in the case involving a strange hotel room confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers that led to a robbery-kidnap conviction. Under questioning by his co-counsel, Patricia Palm, Simpson began discussing his background with Galanter. "Yale had a good relationship with the media," Simpson said. "I was in the media a lot. He was able to refute many of the tabloid stories," Simpson said with a laugh. "He sort of liked doing it; he told me he did." The 65-year-old former football star and actor, now with short greying hair, receding hairline and dressed in drab prison blue scrubs, spoke clearly and confidently as he also recounted events leading up to the confrontation in a hotel room where the dealers had Simpson footballs and family photos. He became a bit emotional as he talked about the items. In 2008, he was near tears as he told a judge: "I didnt mean to steal anything from anybody. ... Im sorry. Im sorry for all of it." There is no jury in the hearing and his fate will be determined by Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell. Unlike previous days of the hearing, the courtroom was full, with Tracy Baker, daughter of Simpson sister Shirley Baker, Charles Durio, husband of Simpsons deceased sister, Carmelita, in the second row. Also on hand was Tom Scotto, a Simpson friend from Miami whose wedding brought Simpson to Las Vegas. A marshal turned people away, sending more than 15 people to an overflow room where video was streamed live. When he went to trial in 2008, Simpson did not testify -- a decision that one of his lawyers said was pushed upon him by Galanter. With 19 points raised to support reversal in the writ of habeas corpus, Simpson was expected to answer many questions from his lawyers and then undergo cross-examination by an attorney for the state who wants to keep him in prison. Simpson is serving nine to 33 years in prison for his conviction on armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges. Simpson has said, and was likely to repeat, that he never saw any guns. Earlier, attorney Gabriel Grasso was Simpsons star witness, the Las Vegas lawyer who joined the case when his old friend, Galanter, called and said, "Hey, Gabe, want to be famous?" He said he soon realized he would be doing most of the behind-the-scenes work while Galanter made the decisions. "I could advise O.J. all day long, and he was very respectful of me," Grasso told the court. "But if I advised him of something different from what Yale said, he would do what Yale said." It was Galanters decision not to have Simpson testify, Grasso said. Under questioning from H. Leon Simon, attorney for the state, Grasso acknowledged the trial judge, Jackie Glass, specifically asked Simpson if he wanted to testify and he said no. "Mr. Galanter told him, This is the way its going to be," Grasso said, adding he would have put him on the stand. He said Simpsons confidence in Galanter was born of the acquittal he gained for Simpson in a road rage case in Florida five years after his 1995 acquittal on murder charges in the stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Galanter is now the focus of Simpsons motion claiming ineffective assistance of counsel and conflict of interest. He has declined to comment until he takes the stand Friday. There are questions of money, too. Grasso accused Galanter of lining his own pockets while telling him they were "operating on a shoestring" and couldnt afford to hire expert witnesses. Simpsons business attorney, Leroy "Skip" Taft, testified by phone Tuesday that he kept getting big bills from Galanter but no explanation of what costs were eating up hundreds of thousands of dollars. Witness after witness spoke of a proposed plea bargain that Galanter turned down on Simpsons behalf but no one was sure the defendant knew about it. There were rumours that Galanter gave his blessings to Simpsons plan to show up at the hotel room and reclaim his memorabilia, which two dealers were trying to peddle. Retired Clark County District Attorney David Roger, who prosecuted Simpson, was asked whether investigators determined if Galanter helped Simpson plan the hotel room confrontation. "He said he did not advise Mr. Simpson to commit armed robbery," Roger said. "And he said he wasnt there?" asked Simpson attorney Ozzie Fumo. "Yes," Roger replied. Others have testified that Galanter was in Las Vegas and had dinner with Simpson the night before. The other prosecutor, Chris Owens, testified about discovering phone calls between the two but hiding that fact from the judge. He identified at least 10 calls in the days preceding and on Sept. 13, 2007. Both prosecutors described an agreement with the Simpson defence that was read to the jury saying there were no calls. "So you stipulated to events that werent true?" Fumo asked Owens. "It was in the form of a legal construct," Owens replied and said the judge encouraged it because she didnt want to confuse the jury with another issue. This is Simpsons last chance under state law to prove that he was wrongly convicted. A federal court appeal is still possible. Scarpe Adidas Superstar Scontate . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Adidas Superstar Italia . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. http://www.adidassuperstarscontate.it/ . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Adidas Superstar Outlet Italia . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Adidas Superstar Outlet . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. BOSTON -- After an ominous beginning, Kyle Gibson put a decisive end to Bostons two-game hitting outburst.Gibson allowed a pair of hits in the first inning, then none over the next seven as the Minnesota Twins edged Boston 2-1 Friday night.This team is a good team -- a really good team, Gibson said. Thats a tough lineup to navigate.Gibson navigated it better than anyone else has lately against the Red Sox, who had won three straight and nine of 10. Mookie Betts homered for Boston on the second pitch and Xander Bogaerts singled during a brief scare that Gibson got himself out of, then pitched seven more stellar innings.Kind of as a rule of thumb, a solo homer is not gonna beat you whether its the first guy or in the seventh inning, Gibson said. You just get it out of your mind and get back to attacking guys and making pitches.Brian Dozier hit a solo home run for the Twins in the second inning and Miguel Sano added an RBI single in the sixth. It was all the scoring Minnesota needed as Gibson (3-6) did the rest before Brandon Kintzler took over and survived a wild bottom half of the ninth.Kintzler got his seventh save, preserving the lead in a wild bottom half of the ninth. Michael Martinez and Dustin Pedroia started the inning with consecutive singles and Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out and slugger David Ortiz coming up next.Ortiz hit a grounder to second, which Dozier threw home for the force out and catcher Juan Centeno doubled up Ortiz at first.You dont want really want Papi to come up in the situation, but hes still a groundball away from two outs, Kintzler said.Its not like I drew it up like that. But thats what it is. Its one of those moments where either hes going to beat me or Im gonna get him.Hanley Ramirez lined out to right to end the game and Bostons three-game winning streak.The Red Sox got a leadoff homer Betts for the second straight night. Dustin Pedroia struck out, but reached first safely when catcher Juan Centeno couldnt stop a wild pitch and Bogaerts followed with a single. That was the last hit for Boston until the Red Sox threatened in the ninth.Gibson was the story, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. He settled down, minimized the damage in the first, and then he just started making pitch after pitch, inning after inning.The Red Sox had 33 hits in their previous two games, including 17 Thursday night in a 13-2 rout of the Twins. Gibson quickly cooled off Bostons batters after the scare in the first.I dont know but he should keep on throwinng it the rest of the season, Ortiz said when asked what Gibson threw that was so effective.dddddddddddd If the game would have been that easy, it wouldnt be the way it is. They know how to get a hitter out. They know how to get that done. Its not always going to work in our way. Sometimes its going to work in their way, too.Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out eight and walked one over 5 1/3 innings for Boston. Joe Mauer was the only batter Rodriguez walked, reaching with one out in the sixth before Heath Hembree took over for the Red Sox.TOUGH TWINSGibsons performance was exactly what the Twins needed after the humbling results in the series opener Thursday.Coming in here and facing this team, as hot as they are, and the way they are swinging the bats and the way we got pummeled last night, I thought it was a really impressive rebound by him to help us get back on track and give us a chance to win, manager Paul Molitor said.MISSING MOOKIEBetts did not take the field with the Red Sox in the top of the fifth. Martinez took over in right field and the Red Sox announced a few minutes later that Betts had left the game with soreness in his right knee.Betts, an All-Star Game starter, leads the Red Sox with 127 hits and is second on the club with 20 home runs and 63 RBI. He was considered day-to-day and manager John Farrell wasnt sure when he could return to the lineup.We wouldnt take any risks with Mookie, certainly, Farrell said.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: C Kurt Suzuki was not in the starting lineup for the Twins, getting some rest and avoiding the heat. The temperature at gametime was 92 degrees. Manager Paul Molitor said Suzuki should return Saturday.Red Sox: Betts left the game in the fifth inning with soreness in his right knee. RHP Junichi Tazawa (right shoulder impingement) returned to the roster after being activated from the 15-day DL.UP NEXTTwins: RHP Ricky Nolasco (4-8, 5.02) gets his team-high 20th start. Nolasco also shares the team lead for losses, picking up his eighth Monday despite holding Detroit to one run on three hits and three walks in six innings.Red Sox: LHP David Price (9-7, 4.36) gets his first start since taking the loss Sunday when the Yankees ended Bostons six-game winning streak. Price struck out just one batter in 5 2/3 innings, ending a string of three straight starts with at least 10 strikeouts. ' ' '