Executor of Simpson’s estate plans to oppose payout to Brown, Goldman families
The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a California civil jury nearly three decades ago in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the families of Simpson’s exwife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
Simpson’s will was filed Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year.
Mr. LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000.
Simpsondied Wednesday withouthaving paid the lion’s shareof the civil judgment thatwas awarded in 1997 after jurorsfound him liable. With hisassets set to go through the courtprobate process, the Goldmanand Brown families couldbe in line to get paid a pieceof whatever Simpson leftbehind.
Mr. LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he specifically didn’t want the Goldman family seeing any money from Simpson’s estate.
“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the ReviewJournal. “Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”
Mr. LaVergne did not immediately return phone and email messages left by The Associated Press on Saturday.
Whale found entangled off New England coast
A North Atlantic right whale has been spotted entangled in rope off New England, worsening an already devastating year for the vanishing animals, federal authorities said.
Theright whales number fewerthan 360 and are vulnerableto entanglement in fishinggear and collisions withships. The entangled whalewas seen Tuesday about50 miles south of Rhode Island’ s Block Island, the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration said.
The whale has rope coming out of both sides of its mouth and has been far from shore, making it difficult for rescuers to help, NOAA said in a statement.
“Given the long distance from shore, experts were unable to safely travel to the last known location of the whale during daylight to attempt a rescue,” the statement said. “NOAA Fisheries and our partners will monitor this whale and attempt to respond to the entanglement, if possible, as weather and safety conditions allow.”
Several right whales have died this year off Georgia and Massachusetts, and environmental groups fear the species could be headed for extinction. The animal’s population fell about 25% from 2010 to 2020.
Every effort will be made to free the entangled animal, said Scott Landry, director of the Marine Animal Entanglement Response Program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Mass.
Rescue complete after Turkey cable car accident
The last of 174 people stranded in cable cars high above a mountain in southern Turkey were brought to safety Saturday, nearly 23 hours after one pod hit a pole and burst open, killing one person and injuring seven when they plummeted to the rocks below.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the successful completion of the rescue operation on X Saturday afternoon.
A total of 607 search and rescue personnel and 10 helicopters were involved, including teams from Turkey’s emergency response agency, AFAD, the Coast Guard, firefighting teams and mountain rescue teams from different parts of Turkey, officials said. Helicopters with night-vision capabilities had continued rescuing people throughout the night.
The stranded people had been stuck on the Tunektepe cable car, just outside the Mediterranean city of Antalya, since 5:30 p.m. Friday, when the accident occurred.
Mr. Yerlikaya also announced that 13 people rescued from other cars were also taken to hospitals for checkups.