Court Upholds Civil Verdict on Simpson

A state appeals panel Friday denied O.J. Simpson’s attempt to reverse the $33.5-million wrongful-death judgment against him in the 1994 deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal found unanimously that “the trial court did not err, and the compensatory and punitive damages are not excessive.”

Simpson, who was acquitted in 1995 in a Los Angeles criminal trial, was found liable for the deaths in a 1997 civil trial in Santa Monica.

Simpson was ordered to pay $8.5 million to Sharon Rufo and Fred Goldman, Ronald Goldman’s parents and heirs, for compensatory damages, $12.5 million in punitive damages to Ronald Goldman’s estate, and an additional $12.5 million to Nicole Brown Simpson’s estate for punitive damages.

Simpson’s attorneys had contended that errors were made by a Santa Monica judge in rulings pertaining to evidence and juror misconduct. They could not be reached for comment Friday.

Peter Gelblum, an attorney for Rufo and Goldman, said Friday that he was pleased by the appellate court’s decision.

“It affirms every ruling of the civil trial,” Gelblum said. “It’s not unexpected. We feel it was a frivolous appeal and the court confirmed that.”