The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment stemming from a wrongful death lawsuit filed years ago by the families of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

Simpson’s will was filed Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year.

LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that 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 died Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the civil judgment that was awarded in 1997 after jurors found him liable. With his assets set to go through the court probate process, the Goldman and Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind.

LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he specifically didn’t want the Goldman family seeing 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.”

  • greentreerainfire@kbin.social
    16·
    8 months ago

    How old are those debts?

    “On February 5, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. (The Brown family had not filed a wrongful death claim.)[112] Simpson was ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages: $8.5 million in compensatory damages to the Goldman family, and $12.5 million in punitive damages to each family.[113] His net worth at the time was $11 million”

    Why arent they already paid?

    He claimed he didn’t have the money and took actions to reduce his liability / tried to hide income so it wouldn’t be directed toward this debt.

    Im assuming theres a reason the court disnt put him back in jail for not paying it?

    This is was a civil trial, he was acquitted on the criminal charges. His income was garnished and directed toward this debt.

    If they were contesting this for years then why would that not resolve?

    The families did keep taking him to court. An example is If I Did It the book he tried to publish and the families took control of the publishing and proceeds, shrinking the “If” so it looks like the title of the book is “I Did It.”

    This is a case of the rich/celebrity playing the system in a way normal folk can’t; though in this case the families of the victims kept the pressure up so he needed to watch his step and got financial slap downs when he missteped or was caught trying to keep money without paying them.

    Look im not saying i want this. Im saying its gross and shitty but that YOU and I have the right be that way in our wills and this isnt the executors fault.

    Too many people think the executor has more decision power than we like at times.

    I don’t know what is in the will, but I can certainly imagine it does include directives to reduce payments to the families. I do agree it is the executor’s job to carry out the person’s intentions in the will.