Pro Football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson’s 1995 acquittal for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend, Ronald Goldman, became widely known as “The Trial of the Century.”
While Simpson was acquitted at his criminal trial, a California civil jury later awarded the families of Nicole and Goldman $33.5 million after a wrongful death lawsuit.
Simpson died Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the money from the judgment.
Simpson’s will was filed in Nevada. Malcolm LaVergne, who represented Simpson for the last 15 years, was listed as the executor of the former NFL running back’s estate. Court documents showed Simpson’s property was placed into a trust created this year.
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LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000.
Simpson’s assets will go through the court probate process, and the Goldman and Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind, The Associated Press reported.
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But LaVergne said he specifically did not want the Goldman family getting any money from Simpson’s estate.
“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the Review-Journal. “Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”
Although the Brown and Goldman families have pushed for payment, LaVergne said there was never a court order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment.
The attorney told the Review-Journal his anger toward the Goldman family stemmed in part from the events surrounding Simpson’s planned book, “If I Did It.” Goldman’s family won control of the manuscript and gave the book a new title, “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.”
Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, the lead plaintiff, always said the issue was never the money. It was about holding Simpson responsible. And he said in a statement Thursday after Simpson’s death “the hope for true accountability has ended.”
Simpson said he lived only on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, fetching $230,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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