Father Wants To Own 'O.J. Simpson'
The father of murder victim Ron Goldman asked a court Tuesday to give him the publicity rights to the name, image and likeness of O.J. Simpson, who has failed to pay a $33.5 million judgment in a 1997 wrongful death lawsuit.
"He personally has never paid a dime on the judgment to anyone," Fred Goldman said. "He has made it very clear over the years that he has no intention of doing so."
The petition, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asks that Simpson's "right of publicity" be transferred to help pay off the Goldman family's portion of the award, estimated at about $20 million, plus interest.
A hearing on the petition was scheduled for Oct. 17.
Simpson, who lives in Florida, was acquitted after a criminal trial of the June 12, 1994, slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, outside her Brentwood home. No one else has been arrested.
The Goldman and Brown families later sued Simpson. A civil court jury, using a lesser standard of proof than is required at a criminal trial, found him liable for the killings in 1997.
Goldman continues to believe Simpson killed his son and said it would be "poetic justice" to take away the fame Goldman believes helped the football star prevail in the criminal case.
Simpson has avoided paying the civil judgment because his National Football League pension and his Florida home cannot legally be seized. However, Goldman's petition contends Simpson has continued to earn money through appearances and autograph signings.
Goldman said he wants to take from Simpson "what we perceive is probably the most important thing to him, and that's his ego, and that's the opportunity to use his name and likeness to earn money."
Yale Galanter, Simpson's attorney, said he would review the petition but had not found any legal precedent that gives a court the authority to take publicity rights.
He also denied that Simpson had avoided paying the lawsuit award.
"It's not a question of intentionally trying to avoid anything," he said. "O.J.'s life is very simply an open book. There is no money."
He estimated that Simpson makes only a few thousand dollars from autograph-signing sessions.
Goldman said he did not know how much Simpson's publicity rights might be worth or what he would do with them if he obtained them.
While publicity rights have been sold or transferred, the petition to forcibly take them to satisfy a lawsuit award is an untried legal maneuver, said Karl Manders, owner of Continental Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based company that designs and implements intellectual property protection programs. Manders said he suggested the idea to Goldman.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "He personally has never paid a dime on the judgment to anyone," Fred Goldman said. "He has made it very clear over the years that he has no intention of doing so."
The petition, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asks that Simpson's "right of publicity" be transferred to help pay off the Goldman family's portion of the award, estimated at about $20 million, plus interest.
A hearing on the petition was scheduled for Oct. 17.
Simpson, who lives in Florida, was acquitted after a criminal trial of the June 12, 1994, slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, outside her Brentwood home. No one else has been arrested.
The Goldman and Brown families later sued Simpson. A civil court jury, using a lesser standard of proof than is required at a criminal trial, found him liable for the killings in 1997.
Goldman continues to believe Simpson killed his son and said it would be "poetic justice" to take away the fame Goldman believes helped the football star prevail in the criminal case.
Simpson has avoided paying the civil judgment because his National Football League pension and his Florida home cannot legally be seized. However, Goldman's petition contends Simpson has continued to earn money through appearances and autograph signings.
Goldman said he wants to take from Simpson "what we perceive is probably the most important thing to him, and that's his ego, and that's the opportunity to use his name and likeness to earn money."
Yale Galanter, Simpson's attorney, said he would review the petition but had not found any legal precedent that gives a court the authority to take publicity rights.
He also denied that Simpson had avoided paying the lawsuit award.
"It's not a question of intentionally trying to avoid anything," he said. "O.J.'s life is very simply an open book. There is no money."
He estimated that Simpson makes only a few thousand dollars from autograph-signing sessions.
Goldman said he did not know how much Simpson's publicity rights might be worth or what he would do with them if he obtained them.
While publicity rights have been sold or transferred, the petition to forcibly take them to satisfy a lawsuit award is an untried legal maneuver, said Karl Manders, owner of Continental Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based company that designs and implements intellectual property protection programs. Manders said he suggested the idea to Goldman.
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OJ murdered it.
Unfortunately, this continued wrangle to collect from Simpson only reduce's a child's life and memory to monetary funds. Where is the justice in this?
The civil court trial, with its' much lower threshold of evidence, was meant to 'punish' Simpson for something the Goldman's were convinced he did and to lay claim to his finances as punishment for that. The civil verdict was fueled by anger from the white community and the angry political climate of the DA's office when they lost the case. The civil verdict was a payback to the jury of the criminal trial.
However, I say shame on Karl Manders for contributing to Mr. Goldmans pain and rage. Every time this is allowed to rear it's ugly head Mr. Goldman takes a giant leap back into the past. In the end the intelligent road to travel, for both mental and physical health, is one of forgiveness and moving forward.
Ron Goldman's memory would be better served by focusing on forgivenss; moving forward with love and kindness in the community instead of focusing on hate, rage and revenge.
There are always those who want to grab their 15 minutes of fame. I think Karl Manders is exploiting the Goldmans pain and loss, under the guise of aiding him, in his effort to grab his 15 minutes. Shame on him.
The Goldmans know that Simpson has money (more of if than he cares to admit) and deserve to have all of his $$$ since it seems that OJ is living a good and happy life, playing golf every day - which everyone knows, green fees aren't cheap.
When I first heard about Nicole and Ron, I happened to be sitting with a friend who at the time was an investagator for the Richmond,Virginia police department...He simply said to me, "He did it"(meaning OJ)...I asked why he thought that?...he said, "because knives are personal"...that one comment made a lot of sense...I believe that OJ has gotten away with murder and is living the high life...how he sleeps at night is a wonder to me...
Nor, can I imagine the hell you and the Browns have been living in since June 12, 1994.
Why isn't he in jail for not paying the judgement?...I don't understand this...he really has thumbed his nose at the courts hasn't he...
and...To YOU Mr. Yale Galanter, IF as you say "there is no money"...then,
WHO'S PAYING YOU???!!!!!! what a joke...
I wish you luck with this suit, Mr. Goldman...do what you need to do. I think you have every right to go after what ever you can get...I for one will be out here cheering you on...