OJ Simpson’s Civil Lawsuit & Outcome Explained: Did The Victims' Families Get Their Money?

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for American Manhunt: OJ Simpson!

As discussed at the end of American Manhunt: OJ Simpson, The Goldmans and Browns filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson with a favorable outcome, but the victims’ families had a long battle ahead to try and get the money they were owed. Because of OJ Simpson’s fame, the racial tension in Los Angeles at the time, and the TV cameras being allowed in the court, the OJ Simpson trial became a national phenomenon that’s still in the true crime zeitgeist. Prosecutors Marcia Clark & Christopher Darden tried to get legal justice for Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Still, the jury found Simpson not guilty, which is widely believed to be an injustice. Since then, OJ Simpson’s case has continued to be covered by documentaries. The American Manhunt: OJ Simpson docuseries included many shocking reveals that will feel new to those only familiar with the original case. One such detail is that the Brown family and Goldman family filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against OJ Simpson and won. While this might feel like a form of justice, the families have struggled to obtain the judgment that was meant to punish Simpson financially.

OJ Simpson Was Found Liable For The Deaths Of Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman

OJ Simpson Is Legally Not Guilty, But He's Liable For Willfully And Wrongfully Causing The Deaths

After OJ Simpson’s controversial acquittal, the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman took him to civil court, where they hit him with a wrongful death suit. Even though he was found not guilty in criminal court, he was found liable for “willfully and wrongfully” causing the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The difference in outcome comes down to two big factors – the threshold of evidence and the evidence presented.

Jurors were allowed to see proof of domestic violence, such as Nicole Brown Simpson’s diary entries, photographs, police reports, and witness testimony.

The criminal jury had to find OJ Simpson guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, which means any rational person presented with the same evidence and argument would accept the defendant’s guilt as a fact. In contrast, the civil jury only needed to find by a preponderance of the evidence that OJ Simpson deliberately killed Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. This means that jurors need to be more confident than not that he intentionally caused the deaths after seeing the evidence and arguments. The lowered threshold makes it much easier to find him liable in a civil court.

Additionally, the evidence and arguments allowed in the court were different in the civil suit, as outlined in ExpertInfo.com. The judge wouldn’t allow TV cameras or any arguments that the police department was racist. 31 photos were admitted showing OJ Simpson wearing the type of shoes that made the bloody footprints. Jurors were allowed to see proof of domestic violence, such as Nicole Brown Simpson’s diary entries, photographs, police reports, and witness testimony. These things undoubtedly influenced the outcome of the civil suit as well.

Even though the court only needed 9 out of 12 jurors to find OJ Simpson liable, the jury came back with a unanimous finding that he would be held legally responsible for the wrongful deaths, according to The New York Times. The jurors voted 10 to 2 in favor of awarding $25 million in punitive damages to the victims’ families, with one juror voting against the amount because she didn’t think he possessed that much money. However, she still thought he needed to pay. On top of this, the jury awarded Goldman’s family $8.5 million in compensatory damages.

How OJ Simpson Got Out Of Paying The Families Of The Victims

Federal Law And Florida Homestead Exemptions Protected OJ Simpson

OJ Simpson at his trial in American Manhunt: OJ Simpson

In order to prevent the families from getting his money, OJ Simpson moved his residence to Florida, arguing the Los Angeles court no longer had the jurisdiction to enforce the $33.5 million. However, a court ruled against him (from NBC5 via Internet Archive). Unfortunately for the Brown and Goldman families, his new primary residence offered him other protections to stop them from getting his money.

Under the Florida homestead protection, the Goldman and Brown families couldn’t go after Simpson’s home to get the money owed. Unlike other states, Florida has zero limits on the protected value. In contrast, up until 2021, California’s homestead exemption only amounted to $75,000. The court could’ve forced him to sell any house above that amount to pay the money owed to the families.

The federal laws surrounding pensions and retirement also protected OJ Simpson. Money.com goes over the various estimates for Simpson’s NFL pension, ranging between $10,565 and $25,000 a month. On top of this, Simpson received $3,538 a month in social security. The victims’ families couldn’t go after this money because pensions and retirement are protected from creditors. Ultimately, the only way the Goldman and Brown families could get their money was if OJ Simpson started working again.

OJ Simpson’s Book Rights Were Granted To Ron Goldman’s Family Because Of The Wrongful Death Suit

The Goldmans Own The Legal Rights To OJ Simpson's If I Did It

A closeup shows the If I Did It book cover

Although American Manhunt doesn’t mention it, OJ Simpson famously put together, with the assistance of a ghostwriter, a horrifying book called “If I Did It,” which he described as a hypothetical account of how exactly he would have murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Obviously, this raised all kinds of ethical issues. It also meant the Goldmans could seize his income to pay down his debt. As such, he set up a company under his children’s names to collect his million-dollar book advance. As explained in Reuters, once the Goldmans went after the company legally, they declared bankruptcy.

Ghostwriter Pablo Fenjves was OJ Simpson's neighbor and testified against him in court. He told ABC7 that he only agreed to write If I Did It because he believed the royalties would go to Simpson's children, not him.

In bankruptcy court, a judge deemed Loraine Brooke Associates a shell company set up intentionally to hide money from the Goldmans. Consequently, the family was granted all rights to the book and the ability to use OJ Simpson’s likeness and name. The Goldmans would have to pay 10% of the first 4 million in gross sales to a court appointee and a smaller percentage after that. According to Oprah.com, the amount they received after the publishing house and court appointee got their cut was 17 cents per book sold.

Before publishing If I Did It, the Goldmans made changes to the manuscript. They shrunk the word “If,” changed the color, and hid it inside the “I,” making it look like the title is “I Did It.” They added the subtitle “Confessions of The Killer,” and they took Simpson’s face off the cover. They added a forward written by ghostwriter Pablo Fenjves, essays from the Goldmans, and commentary on the trial. The Goldmans’ decision to publish the book was still controversial, but they explained to Oprah that they wanted to release their version before Simpson could get the rights back.

The Goldman Family Is Currently Fighting OJ Simpson’s Estate For Their Money

OJ Simpson Died On April 10, 2024 Of Prostate Cancer

OJ Simpson sits on the witness stand in American Manhunt OJ Simpson

Despite their attempts to collect on the judgment, the victims’ families never saw the money, as mentioned in American Manhunt: OJ Simpson. Since then, the amount has swelled to over $100,000 because of increased balance and interest. However, the Netflix true crime documentary doesn’t provide any further information on the family’s attempts to collect. Luckily, the chances of them getting the money have increased exponentially since OJ Simpson died on April 10, 2024. The Goldmans announced their intent to get their settlement from Simpson’s estate.

According to ESPN, the executor of the estate, Malcolm LaVergne, initially stated that he wanted the Goldmans never to see a cent. However, he has walked back on that statement since then. The Goldmans filed for $117 million against Simpson’s Nevada estate, and LaVergne intends to accept the claim, according to the LA Times. It could take quite a long time for the estate to go through court, though. Hopefully, Ron Goldman’s sister was incorrect when she said in American Manhunt: OJ Simpson that they would never see the money.

Sources:ExpertInfo.com, The New York Times, NBC5 via Internet Archive, Money.com, Reuters, Oprah.com, ABC7, ESPN, LA Times