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Lawyers chase OJ's cash
Sydney Morning Herald ^ | 12/20/06

Posted on 12/20/2006 10:27:45 AM PST by Paddlefish

A new lawsuit demands that proceeds from O.J. Simpson's scuttled book and interview deal go to pay the civil judgement that found him liable for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend.

Attorney Jonathan Polak, who filed the suit on behalf of the family of murder victim Ronald Goldman, said Simpson received $1 million for the withdrawn HarperCollins book If I Did It and the accompanying two-part Fox Television interview that never aired. Unconfirmed reports mentioned a $3.5 million payday for the former football star.

Both HarperCollins and Fox are owned by News Corp.

Simpson was acquitted of the bloody 1994 murders in a sensational criminal trial, but a civil jury later found him liable and awarded a $33.5 million judgment to the victims' families. Little of that settlement has been paid.

The suit filed in US District Court in Los Angeles names as defendants Simpson and a corporation described by Goldman's attorney as a "sham entity" set up to funnel money to the two children Simpson had with slain ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson.

(Excerpt) Read more at smh.com.au ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: crime; judgments; murder; oj
I was wondering when this was going to happen.
1 posted on 12/20/2006 10:27:47 AM PST by Paddlefish
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To: Paddlefish

I was too, and I fear it may be too little too late. I suspect that money is long gone by now.


2 posted on 12/20/2006 10:31:14 AM PST by blau993
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To: blau993
I suspect that money is long gone by now.

Probably added it onto his "retirement" fund. After all, it is pretty tough to get by on a mere $30,000 a month.

3 posted on 12/20/2006 10:37:21 AM PST by Michael.SF. (It's time our lawmakers paid more attention to their responsibilities, and less to their privileges.)
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To: Paddlefish

Ya know, if you or I failed to pay our civil judgements we'd be thrown behind bars so fast it'd make your head spin. But OJ is merrily playing golf and doing the talk show circuit.


4 posted on 12/20/2006 10:37:36 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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To: mtbopfuyn

There's no such thing as debtor's prison anymore. If he doesn't have the money, he doesn't have the money.

Apparently, his pension and his house can't be seized. Other than that, my understanding is that he's broke.


5 posted on 12/20/2006 10:41:07 AM PST by Publius Valerius
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To: Publius Valerius
Other than that, my understanding is that he's broke.

If only I were that broke.

6 posted on 12/20/2006 10:42:59 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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To: Publius Valerius

"Apparently, his pension and his house can't be seized. Other than that, my understanding is that he's broke."

It is impossible to own a million dollar plus home, have a $300,000 annual income and be broke.

Hopefully he is broken.


7 posted on 12/20/2006 10:46:02 AM PST by billhilly
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To: Publius Valerius

His funds are hidden , he is far from broke.


8 posted on 12/20/2006 10:46:59 AM PST by sgtbono2002 (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: sgtbono2002

I've read that money shelter laws are the reason he now lives in Florida.


9 posted on 12/20/2006 10:50:55 AM PST by highball ("I never should have switched from scotch to martinis." -- the last words of Humphrey Bogart)
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To: Publius Valerius

If he owed child support or alimony, I wonder if he could elude jail for refusing to pay it, regardless of what the source of his sizable income is.


10 posted on 12/20/2006 10:55:50 AM PST by ansel12 (America, love it ,or at least give up your home citizenship before accepting ours too.)
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To: highball
FL has a homestead law, which says that a man's home cannot be seized to satisfy any debt or liability except for mortgage debt.

The CFO of MCI Worldcom, knowing that his fraud would one day be uncovered, built himself a $50M home in FL and set up a number of home equity lines.

This basically gives him a $50M nest egg that the shareholders and regulators cannot touch, but which he and his family can access through loan money.

11 posted on 12/20/2006 10:57:48 AM PST by wideawake (1)
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To: wideawake

It's obscene.


12 posted on 12/20/2006 10:59:09 AM PST by highball ("I never should have switched from scotch to martinis." -- the last words of Humphrey Bogart)
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To: mtbopfuyn
"Ya know, if you or I failed to pay our civil judgements we'd be thrown behind bars so fast it'd make your head spin."

No actually Texas, Florida and Oklahoma are homestead states which protect your principal residence against judgements, creditors and taxes (other than property). that is the main reason he moved to Florida. They cannot touch his house.
13 posted on 12/20/2006 10:59:34 AM PST by reagandemo (The battle is near are you ready for the sacrifice?)
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To: highball
The intention of the law was to prevent the innocent spouses and minor children of a party under judgment from being put out on the street.

Which is not a terrible notion.

The law should have had a provision exempting only homes that are worth, say, 10 times the avergae home price in the state or less.

If the house is over the limit and is seized, part of the seizure proceeds could then be held back to buy a home for the dependents.

14 posted on 12/20/2006 11:07:10 AM PST by wideawake (1)
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To: Paddlefish
Can't we leave OJ alone? The poor man has spent day after day, year after year trudging the golf courses of the world chasing the elusive killers of Nicole and Ron.

Put yourself in his (Bruno Magli) shoes ...

15 posted on 12/20/2006 11:12:59 AM PST by catpuppy
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To: wideawake

Agreed. The law itself has some merit, but it is obviously being abused. Which is obscene.

The law needs to be rewritten now.


16 posted on 12/20/2006 11:18:20 AM PST by highball ("I never should have switched from scotch to martinis." -- the last words of Humphrey Bogart)
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To: Publius Valerius
There's no such thing as debtor's prison anymore.

They don't call it that anymore, but you try not paying your federal income tax and see what happens.

17 posted on 12/20/2006 11:53:02 AM PST by Michael.SF. (It's time our lawmakers paid more attention to their responsibilities, and less to their privileges.)
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To: Michael.SF.
They don't call it that anymore, but you try not paying your federal income tax and see what happens.

If you cannot pay your federal income taxes the feds will work out a payment plan with you.

If you fraudulently conceal your tax liabilities or pretend that you don't have to pay your taxes, you may end up with a jail term if you are very stiffnecked about it.

No one has ever gone to prison for missing a filing or not having enough cash to pay their taxes - unless they are violating probation for doing so.

18 posted on 12/20/2006 12:13:43 PM PST by wideawake (1)
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To: highball
Yes it's funny how many people abuse the law. One of Kentucky's former Governors swindled (that's right go figure a DemoRat!)dear old Dave Thomas of Wendy's. He bankrupted his college book store business and took out all of the cash and went to Florida and bought a large home to hide it. Problem was that the grim reaper had a date with him and he died soon after. I have a feeling old Dave is getting his revenge right now.
19 posted on 12/20/2006 12:17:03 PM PST by reagandemo (The battle is near are you ready for the sacrifice?)
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