Q: In the civil trial of O.J. Simpson, he was found guilty of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, but he was not forced to pay the family. How was he able to do that after he was found liable?
—Richard Morris, Newnan
A: Simpson's attorneys claimed he was $850,000 in debt during the 1997 civil trial, CNBC.com reported in June 2014, the 20th anniversary of the murders.
The New York Times reported after the trial that Simpson “likely never will” have the $33.5 million originally awarded the Goldmans and Browns.
The Goldmans had received about 1 percent of the total award, which was estimated to have grown to about $40 million (including interest) by 2014, CNBC.com reported.
“People assume that when we were awarded our civil judgment, that with that judgment we were handed a pot of gold, and that’s just the furthest thing from the truth,” Kim Goldman, Ron’s sister, said in the article.
Simpson defaulted on the mortgage of his 6,200-square-foot home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1997.
His home near Miami was auctioned last year. He owed nearly $900,000 on the 4,233-square-foot house.
Simpson’s Heisman Trophy sold for $255,500 in 1999, but most of that was used to pay for trial expenses, CNBC.com reported.
Simpson is serving a 33-year sentence after being convicted of several charges, including robbery and kidnapping, in 2008. He was granted parole for some of the crimes, but continues to serve time for others.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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