Judge freezes O.J.'s 'blood money' for If I Did It
A federal judge in Los Angeles has issued an order preventing O.J. Simpson from using any money he may have received fromthe cancelled book deal and TV interview, If I Did It.
The Fox TV special and book — both titled If I Did It, in which Simpson was to discuss the killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman — werecalled offin November by News Corp.
Last month, Goldman's father filed a federal lawsuit against Simpson, saying he had created a shell company to hide money from the book and TV deal.
The order issued Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Manuel Real is an attempt to freeze money from the deal before it can be moved again. The freeze remains in effect until the lawsuit comes to court Jan. 24.
Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges in the 1994 killings of his former wife and Goldman.
The Goldman family won a $38-million wrongful death civil suit against Simpson, but could not collect the money as Simpson claimed to have nothing but his football pension, which is exempt.
Corporation claim made
The lawsuit says Simpson created a corporation called Lorraine Brooke Associates last March to hold at least $1.1 million of the advance from the book and TV deal.
Goldman family attorney Jonathan Polak said the order preventing transfer or use of the money is necessary because otherwise Simpson will move the money out of reach.
Simpson has said that he spent the proceeds he received as part of the deal.
In December, Simpson saidhe took part in the project solely for personal profit and termed his advance "blood money."
News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch called off the If I Did It book and TV special on Nov. 20, apologizing for "any pain that this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."