O.J. said to bring ‘heat,’ friend testifies in armed-robbery case

LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson’s one-time golfing pal glared at him across a courtroom Tuesday and said the former football star wanted him to bring “heat” to a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel room.

Minutes later, Simpson’s lawyer accused the friend, Walter Alexander, of being a liar, and the two wound up in a heated exchange in the third day of a preliminary hearing in the armed-robbery case.

Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure will decide after the hearing whether there is enough evidence for Simpson and two other men to stand trial.

Alexander’s testimony was the strongest for prosecutors so far. He and Michael McClinton, who also testified against Simpson on Tuesday, struck deals with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to lesser charges, as did Charles Cashmore, who testified last week.