Simpson given good chance for parole, despite 'O.J. factor'

O.J. Simpson watches his former defense attorney Yale Galanter testify during an evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada May 17, 2013. REUTERS/Ethan Miller/Pool

(Reuters) - O.J. Simpson is headed for a parole hearing in Nevada this week with legal experts saying he stands a good chance of winning release from prison in October, after serving nine years for a botched attempt to steal mementos from his sports career at gunpoint.

However, one factor that could weigh against his seemingly solid case for parole is the notoriety still surrounding Simpson's acquittal in a sensational double-murder trial that gripped America two decades ago, according to some who have followed his case most closely.