Deal Ends 13-Year Suit Lawsuit Print
Wednesday, March 10 2010

A long-standing legal battle over rights to the shirt, suit and tie that O.J. Simpson was wearing October 3, 1995, when he was acquitted of killing ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman has finally been settled.  For the past 13-years, legal rights to the clothing items have been sought by Simpson's former sports agent Mike Gilbert (who has possession of the items) and Ronald Goldman's father, Fred (who has been trying for years to seize Simpson's assets).
 
Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge Joseph Biderman approved Gilbert's plan to donate the suit to the Smithsonian Institution.  "It's part of American history," Gilbert said outside the court. "People should be able to see it and reflect on what went so wrong for someone who had everything."
 
Simpson, who is serving a minimum nine-year prison sentence for an unrelated incident, told the judge and lawyers that he approved of donating the suit, "as long as no one made a profit from it."
 
Earlier this week, the Smithsonian Institution rejected the donation, with Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. James stating that the suit is not appropriate for the museum's collection.

—Sources:  New York Daily News and Sun Sentinel (Broward County, Florida)