Lawyers to try to sort out who gets O.J. Simpson's suit

A settlement conference was scheduled Monday over whether the father of the man O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering should get the suit the former football star was wearing the day of his acquittal.

Fred Goldman, the father of Ron Goldman, filed the lawsuit against Simpson and his former agent, Mike Gilbert, who allegedly has possession of the suit. Ron Goldman was killed in 1994 with Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole.

“This is a mandatory settlement to attempt to resolve who owns the suit and who has the right to the suit,” said Ronald Slates, Simpson's lawyer. "Gilbert said Simpson gave him the suit. If you believe that, you also believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy.”

In 1997, a civil jury found Simpson liable for the death of his ex-wife and her friend and ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ relatives. Goldman is still trying to collect that money.

According to Slates, Goldman probably hopes to turn a profit on the clothes of the former sports icon turned social pariah.

“Everything in this case has been led by emotional rather than business decisions,” Slates said. “Nobody has been able to make sense of this for 13 years.”

Simpson, 62, is currently in jail, serving time for a botched robbery in Las Vegas to allegedly retrieve some of his personal sports memorabilia.

-- Ching-Ching Ni

Photo: Simpson, wearing the suit that's now in dispute. Credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Alice]

Although I felt O.J. was guilty of the crime, I find the idea of jury nullification by a civil suit disturbing. I just hope Nicole's kids aren't being "cleaned out" in the process.

[LDM]

WOW When will this family stop chasing the dollar sign!!! Anything for a quick buck right Mr Goldman? I am far from defending OJ Simpson but seriously is money all the family is looking for in respect of their son. SMDH!

[Andrew]

Why does anyone want this killer's suit??? If whoever gets it and it ends up on Ebay, an all time low will be achieved in this country. BTW, how much is it?

[Jean]

May Mr. Goldman one day find some true inner peace and let go of the rage. Who can blame him for being so angry, but it seems it would be best for him and his family to let it be. I'm sure his dear son would want it that way.

[bldob]

You can bet Fred Goldman will burn the suit, and anything else of Simpson's he can get his hands on.

[John]

Why not sue for the fool's soul? Its every bit as futile as suing for his suit!

[Jim Q. Citizen]

Ron Goldman and his family are the true victims of this horrible slaughter and deserve every last cent of the 33.5 million dollars awarded them from their civil suit against the jailbird O.J. Simpson. Yes, children do suffer when their parents make bad choices and the Simpson kids are no different. It's called life and the sooner one learns that what goes around comes around the better off they will certainly be. The world is a better and safer place with the Butcher of Brentwood locked up securely behind bars in Nevada.

[Cody]

O.J. was found not guilty and the civil suit wasn't right and a double trial and its standards are in-addition to low, Ron Goldman's Dad shouldn't get any thing!!!!
He only wants money, O. J. has lived great for the 15 years Goldman has gotten very little and deserve less. O.J. got a bad deal in LV too!!!!!!!!!!

[djforte]

It's not going to bring Ron back, justice is served the animal is behind bars, get on with your life

[K alves]

Get a life Ron Goldman --- Move on with your obession I do not think your son would appreicate you chepening his memory over money! Blame the prosecutors they screwed up when they had him try on the glove!

[Mark]

Goldman should move on in life -----He in no way honors his son and most people konw that Simpson is Guilty - that the arrogant prosecution bungled the case.

The taxpayers need to charge Goldman and Simpson for the waste of our time in the courts

[Shebamorning]

My father was murdered when I was only 11 years old. We never I mean never received any monetary compensation from his death from the killer. This just sickens me to hear Goldman continue this non-sense. Nothing will bring my father back nor his son, my family has moved on because my dad spirit lives in us. Goldman needs to find some kind of solace within his life and for the sake of OJ kids who had NOTHING to do with this.

[commentator]

Yeah, as tragic as the senseless slaying of Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson was, Fred Goldman's long term rancor only does him a disservice. Does he honestly think that possession of that suit would be a "suit"able monetary compensation for the anguish he's had all these years? I doubt that within himself he believes that.

[Not an OJ Fan]

This guy Mr. Goldman is obviously OUT OF HIS MIND; after all these years he has resulted to desperate measures...I mean come guys, to sell the suit of a person you believe that murdered your family member; does that even sound right? Absolutely not, he should be put in jail for even thinking such a thing; is Goldman really that poor he has to do something like that? I really feel sorry for not only the little children who were left without a Mom; but the rest of the Goldman family because they have to be reminded everyday that their "father" Mr. Fred Goldman is resulting to these kind of tactics just to get something that don't exist (this is just pure GREED) there is no point to prove. Its time to get a life now. How dumb is this whole thing; everyone knows OJ is not the greatest person in the world, he is far from it, and he is at least somewhat responsible if not totally responsible for what happened to Nicole and Ron, but, the problem is WE WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW THE WHOLE TRUTH because it seems that others were involved and until they come forward the world is at a standstill.... so in the meantime, Mr. Goldman will continue to pursue this matter, to no avail ... please Simpson does not have any money, if he did Goldman would have received it by now, don't you think.....

[AC]

Cody, your even more stupid then you sound. Anybody with brain knows that OJ killed those people. His own ex lawyer has said as much. Your hero is the volleyball for incarcerated latinos at the Vegas Jail.

Cochran/Shaprio won the trial when they selected the jury and ineptitude of Clark/Darden.

By the way Kim Kardashian refers to OJ Simpson as UNCLE OJ. LOL

[Daniel]

Cheers to Mr. Goldman! OJ is a disgrace who killed Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman and does not deserve anyone's support.

Mr. Goldman's tactic to essentially deny OJ the freedom to live life as if nothing happened is a good option since the criminal conviction of OJ did not lead to the justice sought... murder and capital punishment for OJ.

OJ must never be allowed to enjoy life as if he did nothing wrong and taking his suit (and OJ planning for his suit to have value speaks volumes about OJ's horrible ego and priorities of life) is just another good tactic to let OJ know "You don't deserve to get away with murder" and you will be hunted for life.

Mr. Goldman deserves our respect for his dedication to bringing OJ to justice. I know my own father would never give up demanding justice for me if I had been murdered. I know that kind of love and respect it and Mr. Goldman for loving his son so much. I do hopes that despite the burden he takes on to make life Hell for OJ... he also has time to enjoy life and find solace.

[Cigar Mann]

Wow - I cant believe they are in dispute over a suit? In the words of Don King: Only in AMERICA.

What really bothers me in all of this is why haven't the same people so passionate about justice that continue to go after O.J., hate O.J., and think he is guilty gone afer Robert Blake. Bonnie Lee Blakely was a human being also!!!There was WAY more evidence in the Robert Blake case that pointed to guilt than the evidence that the prosecutor had against O.J. Is it because Robert's wife was consider White Trash and Nicole was America's Blonde princes? Is it because O.J. was a black man married to a white woman? This is the real double standard in America. People are pure hypocrites that condem OJ but will not condem Blake. Both were accused of murdering their wives, both were aquitted, both were retried in civil court and both were found responsible! Only in America!!!!

[Big H]

Anyone who thinks O J was innocent needs their head examined, along with anyone who thinks evidence was planted, his blood and his shoes could not planted and O J could not come up with his shoes, as they were in the suitcase he handed to Slimy Kardashian, who conveniently threw them out and re instated himself with the Bar to avoid be questioned! And for your non believer of that past statement check out the past video of the trail, Kardashian is shown on live TV receiving suitcase from O J, and then they go and make his family out to be T V heroes, what a sick joke that is. The only crime here is that O J gets to live

[Tony]

A 'Suit' ? Have we reached this stage of ridiculousness in America that Mr. Goldman wants the 'suit' of the man who KILLED his son ? He wants MONEY and he's WASTING it filing a 'suit' lol to get the other 'suit' ? Goldman FIND other ways of getting your hands on money if your SO desperate. Ron would probably turn his back on you now if he knew what you were doing. Go on with your life and let this be buried, no one will ever forget what Simpson did so Stop beating your Dead Son, it only makes you look unseemly. I'm sure the other members of your family have asked you to STOP and you continue with this nonsense. That is if the rest of the family is even talking to you. Simpson may have killed your son, but you are destroying the rest of the family !!!!!

[louis avalos]

Well I think Mr Goldman has hit the all time low with this request. He is no better than the man called OJ. He really needs to seek mental health because his mental and physical down fall will come -- this not healthy for him. His son would have told him to move on and learn to live a wonderful life with the family instead of being so vindictive.
-la