OJs Confession?

[PVFD233 68]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- In a deal that some media executives called revolting, O.J. Simpson plans a book and TV interview to discuss how, hypothetically, he could have killed his ex-wife and her friend -- a story his publisher considers "his confession."

Two weeks before the book, "If I Did It," goes on sale, scorn was already being heaped Wednesday on Simpson, the publisher and Fox, which plans to air the Simpson interview in two parts November 27 and 29.

Denise Brown, sister of Simpson's slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, lashed out at the publisher for "promoting the wrongdoing of criminals" and commercializing abuse.

Judith Regan, whose ReganBooks imprint is publishing the book, declined to reveal further details of the book's contents.

"This is an historic case, and I consider this his confession," Regan told The Associated Press. She also refused to say what Simpson is being paid for the book but said he came to her with the idea.

The former football star was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife and her friend Ron Goldman after a trial that became an instant cultural flashpoint.

He was later found liable for the deaths by in a civil wrongful-death suit filed by the Goldman family. In the years since, he has been mocked relentlessly by late-night comedians, particularly for his vow to hunt down the true killers.

Simpson has failed to pay the $33.5 million judgment against him in the civil suit. His NFL pension and his Florida home cannot legally be seized. He and the families of the victims have wrangled over the money in court for years.

Simpson and his attorney Yale Galanter did not immediately return calls for comment.

Meanwhile, other publishers and publishing industry observers practically fell over each other to criticize ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and Simpson himself.

"This is not about being heard. This is about trying to cash in, in a pathetic way, on some notoriety," said Sara Nelson, editor in chief of Publishers Weekly. "That a person keeps wanting to bring this up seems almost nutty to me."

Patricia Schroeder, president and chief executive of the American Association of Publishers, described the developments as sickening.

"But I think it's going to stir an awful lot of debate and make the culture take a real look at itself, and that may not be unhealthy," she said.

Indeed, one thing that seemed certain was that the book and interview -- which Fox will air at the end of the crucial sweeps month -- were bound to generate a torrent of publicity.

Shari Anne Brill, a television analyst for the Madison Avenue firm Carat USA, predicted public interest would rival that of the 2003 interview with Michael Jackson, seen by 27 million people in 2003.

At least one other network, NBC, said it had been approached to air the special but declined the offer.

"This is not a project appropriate for our network," said Rebecca Marks, a spokeswoman for the entertainment division of NBC, a network that once employed Simpson as a football analyst.

Representatives for CBS and ABC did not immediately return calls for comment.

One expert noted that hhe justice system's protection against so-called double jeopardy means Simpson's book, explosive as it may be, should not expose him to any new legal danger.

"He can write pretty much whatever he wants," said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola University law school professor and former federal prosecutor who has followed the case closely. "Unless he's confessing to killing somebody else, he can probably do this with impunity."

Courtesy CNN.com

[helicopper 1,050]

And it will probably be a best seller! What a disgrace!

I hope that the families of his "hypothetical" victims are able to secure any profits as part of the award from the civil suit that went unpaid.

And to think that I actually liked him in towering inferno and capricorn one.

[JM15 386]

They have the Son of Sam laws, can't they be used to keep him from profiting from this since he was responsible in civil court? Just an Idea I am not really familar with law

[X615 0]

why can't fred goldman just snap & kill this idiot. no one would blame him & i doubt any jury in the world would convict. i thought this cretin was going to busy himself combing the golf courses looking for the "real" killer. somehow he managed to miss the mirror in the clubhouse. how does the hypothetical murder in the book differ from the one he actually committed? would he totally cut nicole's head off this time? he's an animal who's outlived his usefullness when he killed 2 innocent people & should have been put down already. and let this be a lesson to any do-gooders out there who would try & return a pair of sunglasses they found ........................... don't go unarmed, there may be a dullusional, washed up athlete, b movie actor, bad commercial making, golf playing, blond white chick banging, bronco driving, bloody glove wearing idiot trying to kill you! hopefully mark furhman's writing the foreward. ol' nordberg needs to be taken down a peg or two. what a jerk, why am i not surprised.

[Scottyk107 9]

i say we over look double jeapordy just for Oj

[Guest alsfirefighter]

For OJ doesn't matter if the Son of Sam law applies. He has an injunction against him because he couldn't cover the penalty in his wrongful death lawsuit that he lost. Any money over a certain amount he has to give to the goldman family, but from what it seems he's gotten good at the loopholes. He's not hurting at all. Not totally the same lifestyle he was used to. But not down in the dumps by far. Just comes to show you how well the criminal justice system can work in both ways when you have a "jury of your peers." Where was the federal government to jump into this one? They do it so fast for police officers where common sense evidence gets them acquitted of civil rights violations. But not here. Cowards. Of course the $hitty prosecutors didn't help. They hung Mark Furhman out to dry, when they could have defended him and allowed him to explain his actions better, he was a good detective. And some of the evidence procedures that went on were commonplace all over the nation and some of the handling was national accepted practice. Nice job Marcia Clark.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Why couldn't Frank just kill him in Naked Gun 33 1/3? SERIOUSLY, that is what this is turning into!

[tunaFish 0]

Why couldn't Frank just kill him in Naked Gun 33 1/3?  SERIOUSLY, that is what this is turning into!

←

Looks like his football career still lags behind him. He no doubt has learned very well, how to take the ball and run.

Pray for the poor Goldmann & Brown families. Just imagine your life being changed forever by a dirtbag like this and watching him making money.

Society, don't ya love it? Everyone is out to make a buck and some are very good at beating the system.

[10-Buff-4 0]

Pardon my skepticism and playing Devil's Advocate, but, honestly, WHO CARES? I remember that O.J. Simpson's trial ate up a lot of time of attention. But so what?

Sorry. I just think the whole thing gets/got too much attention.

And I concur, Joe, why couldn't Frank have gotten him with a Bazooka after he cheated with Jane?