O.J. Simpson's 'Lucky Suit' Is Discovered, Custody of Iconic Apparel Is Sought
A deposition yesterday in a lawsuit filed in an attempt to recover assets from O.J. Simpson to pay a $19.7 million civil wrongful death judgment has reportedly located the “lucky suit” he wore when he was acquitted of two murders in a televised 1995 criminal trial that captivated the country.
It is hanging in a storage locker in Fresno, Calif., the former football superstar’s ex-agent, Mike Gilbert, testified under oath, reports the New York Daily News.
Simpson, who is now serving a prison sentence of up to 33 years after being convicted in 2008 for a botched armed robbery of a Las Vegas casino hotel room, reportedly hoped to reclaim the khaki suit there, among other memorabilia. Gilbert has claimed the suit is worth $20,000 to $50,000, although this seems dubious.
An earlier Los Angeles Times article includes a photograph of the suit jacket.
The father of Ron Goldman, who was killed along with Simpson’s former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, outside her Brentwood, Calif., home in 1994, filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking to obtain memorabilia that could be sold to help satisfy the 1997 wrongful death judgment. Although estimates vary, it is now close to double the original $19.7 million, with interest, according to the Times.
“The stylishness of the suit became emblematic of his invincibility to the justice system. It was a suit of armor,” writes attorney David Cook, who is one of the lawyers representing the Goldman family. “This was not a man who was beaten down.”
Judge Gerald Rosenberg ordered Gilbert to keep the suit safe until he has a chance to decide who owns it, the Daily News reports.
Related earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Judge to Simpson: Hand Over Rolex”
ABAJournal.com: “O.J. Simpson Appeal to Target Jury Selection”
BBC: “1995: OJ Simpson verdict: ‘Not guilty’ “
