Controversy-ridden football player O.J. Simpson returned to a Las Vegas courtroom on Monday to request a new trial in the armed robbery-kidnapping case that landed him behind bars in 2008.

Simpson and a new defense team are looking to convince the judge that there had been conflicting interests on the part of trial lawyer Yale Galanter, who they feel shouldn't have handled Simpson's case.

According to USA Today, O.J. stated that Galanter knew beforehand about his plan to obtain "what he thought were personal mementoes from two sports memorabilia dealers at a casino hotel room in September 2007."

Galanter was compensated almost $700,000 for defending Simpson, but had a personal interest in preventing him from being identified as a crime witness, which misled O.J., claimed Simpson's lawyers.

O.J. was seen in court donning blue prison attire with shorter and grayer hair since he last being seen in 2008. When he entered the courtroom he was accompanied by guards and in handcuffs.

The former professional football standout is currently in the midst of a nine to 33-year sentence in a Nevada prison.

He is set to testify on Wednesday while Galanter is scheduled to take the stand on Friday, but the latter declined to comment before then.

Tags: OJ Simpson