It’s time, once again, for the book, “If I Did It,” and OJ Simpson, running defense, has intercepted the ball from the Fred Goldman team.
This past Friday, OJ filed a petition of bankruptcy in Florida for Lorraine Brooke Associates (LBA), the entity incorporated in the State of Florida that inked the deal with Harper-Collins on Behalf of OJ for publishing rights to the book,”If I Did It.” The book, which actually did go to first print with at least one shipment to Amazon Books, but has yet to be released to the public, is OJ’s supposed fictional account detailing the 1997 murders of his estranged wife Nicole Brown Simpson and friend Ron Goldman. Together with the book, a two-night “special” was to be aired by Fox, an affiliated company of Harper-Collins in November, just in time for the fall television ratings known as “sweeps.” Overwhelming public outcry killed both projects.
Lorraine and Brooke are the middle names of Simpson’s younger daughters , and LBA was paid $890,000.00 by Harper-Collins for Simpson’s involvement prior to cancellation of the book. The effect of the bankruptcy of LBA is a stay on the court ordered sale of (any) residual rights to publish the book which were to have reverted back to OJ Simpson and LBA pursuant to the agreement with Harper-Collins. Fred Goldman had earlier last month been awarded a judgement by the Superior court in Sacramento, CA to have the publishing rights auctioned to the highest bidder to satisfy some of the $38 million OJ was ordered to pay following the civil suit in the matter. To date, OJ has paid none, and the auction was to take place in Sacramento this coming Tuesday.
Attorneys for the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson attempted to intervene in court in Santa Monica, CA on Friday for the auction to proceed, however, were unsuccessful due to technicalities. It is doubted the California court or Sheriff’s office would have any jurisdiction with regard to matters filed in the State of Florida. Separately, Fred Goldman, father of Ron, vowed to continue his fight by petitioning the bankruptcy court to have the stay vacated.
OJ Simpson had earlier stated the purpose of forming LBA was to provide for his four children. Goldman maintains it is a sham created to avoid payment of the civil damage award. OJ has acknowledged receiving the $890, 000.00 and spending same, claiming he is entitled to earn a living and has people he owes before Fred Goldman. The true purpose of LBA escapes me, as it seems the funds could have just as easily been directed to the estate of Nicole, whose beneficiaries are the children, if care for the children was indeed OJ’s intent. In any event, the children’s company is bankrupt, Fred is on hold again, and do not look for the book to fill Christmas wishes.
To Friday’s news, the Goldman family reacted somewhat surprisingly disappointed. “For a guy who claims he never wanted to do this book anyway, he’s fighting awfully hard for a way to keep the rights,” says Fred Goldman. His daughter Kim added, “I think this was just another tactic of Simpson’s, using the law in order to prevent us from being able to exercise our right to collect on the judgment. From an emotional standpoint, it’s frustrating. We are once again forced to keep fighting this fight. He’s completely insulated by the law.”
Documents relating to the court order and Harper-Collins agreement can be accessed by clicking HERE.
“EVERYBODY IS UP TO SOMETHING” sm
OuteasY 
on 14 Mar 2007 at 2:36 pm Outeasy
Hey Jack,
The only story here is that of (yawn) money. Poor David Cook (Goldman’s lawyer) got caught with his pants down when he let the “If I Did It” money slip away. It varies by State, but basically, in a Civil Case (Goldman) where the Court awards damages, you (Goldman) the victim, have the often dubious duty to go collect your money. There is nobody from the Court, in this case California, that is assigned to follow the perp (OJ) around and collect for the victim. So Fred’s got this judgment, and that’s a good thing, but only a start. It’s a useful thing to have to present to a Judge, in this case – Florida, or the Sheriff, to have notice prepared and served in attempt to collect the money. So, where was David Cook when OJ got the “If I Did It” money? Ask David, but I’ll tell you this. It’s going to cost you money to chase money in a Civil Judgment. In this case, you’d need to camp out in Florida to keep tabs on how/when OJ is making money, and be ready to use the proper procedure to get it. So, who’s going to pay for that? Fred? David? Florida’s got some of the most liberal debt laws around, but since OJ lives there, it wouldn’t hurt to domesticate the Judgment there and also garnish wages where OJ is employed. Has this been done? Ask David. Again, it’s going to cost money to do this. Is OJ employed? Maybe by Lorraine Brooke and maybe not. Ask Jonathan Polak, the attorney who formed the corporation for OJ. (Lorraine and Brooke are Simpson’s kid’s Arnel anad Sydey’s middle names). The new book Rights, Court thing? It’s a story to follow, and closely, if you are David and Fred and want some money. If there are “Rights” to revert to OJ or Lorraine Brooke (really doesn’t matter who) so what? If OJ got paid what’s standard in the biz, a “Kill Fee” by Harper Collins for not proceeding with “If I Did It,” he might be entitled to have the Rights returned. Is this so? Ask Judith Regan, fired from Harper Collins, if you can pry her away from writing her own book. Are the “Rights” worth any money? That depends on the answer you give the sharks when asked, “will you buy The Book?” If your answer is “No,” that’s maybe the end of the story.
on 14 Mar 2007 at 4:59 am Pribek
O.K., I also believe that the Reuters piece was poorly done. No big surprise. I guess what raised my ire was the giddy tone in the quote from, lawyer, David Cook. I did a little more snooping and it appears that Cook is a collections attorney which, possibly, explains his delight. Another lawyer, Jonathan Polak, is the one whose quotes are being bandied around now.
The way I understand it, Harper-Collins/Newscorp. has rights that expire in May. At that time, they revert to a company called Lorraine Brooke. Lorraine Brooke is a front for O.J. The judge has ordered Lorraine Brooke to auction the rights. No date has been set for this auction. Polak has said that if no publisher bids on the book, the Goldmans will buy it and lock it up.
I was too harsh on Goldman in the post but this thing is still screwy. Since there is no date set for the auction, the plan may be to wait it out until interest goes away. However, if/when it does go to auction there will be sleazy publishers coming out of the woodwork. Does Goldman want to engage in a bidding fiasco with these guys?
Also, the money from any auction presumably goes to the Goldmans toward the civil judgment. Does this mean that Yale Galanter does not get compensated for his part in the sale?
Anyway, Outeasy I read the piece about Fred Pardo; good stuff. Is he related to Don Pardo? That makes me think about Don Pardo’s work on the Frank Zappa song, “I Am The Slime” (ironic isn’t it) which contains these doubly ironic lyrics…
Take it away Don Pardo
YOU WILL OBEY ME WHILE I LEAD YOU
AND EAT THE GARBAGE THAT I FEED YOU
DON’T GO FOR HELP NO-ONE WILL HEED YOU
YOUR MIND IS TOTALLY CONTROLLED
IT IS STUFFED INTO MY MOLD
AND YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD
UNTIL THE RIGHTS TO YOU ARE SOLD
on 14 Mar 2007 at 12:55 am Jayne d’Arcy
So far everything that I’ve read says that the book WILL BE sold. If Goldman were to own the book and stick it at the back of the closet, then that would be good. If it’s available to the public, even if OJ doesn’t see one red cent from sales and the families benefit, it still serves the purpose of keeping OJ in the spotlight. A place he no longer belongs.
on 13 Mar 2007 at 10:11 pm Janus Roth
You are both missing the point. The point is that the Goldman’s will own the trashy book. They just didn’t want OJ (the killer) to profit from this. I can’t believe the Goldmans will ever have it published. They are just trying to stop this freak from continuing to profit from the murders.
on 13 Mar 2007 at 10:07 pm Jayne d’Arcy
My jaw just dropped when I saw this. I really think that judge needs a good smack on the skull for even thinking of putting this trash out for public consumption.