Once again, O.J. Simpson was on trial as of September 17, 1996. But this time, almost a year after his criminal trial, all he had to lose was his money. He was being sued by the families of the murder victims, Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman (pictured above). Mr. Simpson faced losing millions of dollars if he was found liable for the murders in this civil trial in Santa Monica, California. Unlike the criminal trial, media coverage of this civil trial was extremely limited.
The odds were against Mr. Simpson: according to polls, most whites believed he got away with the murders, and Santa Monica was a predominantly white area. On February 10, 1997, the jury decided that Simpson would pay 25 million dollars in punitive damages for the killings, as well as 8.5 million dollars in compensation to the victims' families.
The odds were against Mr. Simpson: according to polls, most whites believed he got away with the murders, and Santa Monica was a predominantly white area. On February 10, 1997, the jury decided that Simpson would pay 25 million dollars in punitive damages for the killings, as well as 8.5 million dollars in compensation to the victims' families.