O.J. Simpson book advance frozen

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LOS ANGELES, Jan 5, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The reported $1 million advance acquitted killer O.J. Simpson received for writing "If I Did It," has been frozen by a federal judge in Los Angeles.

In the book, Simpson described how he might have killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her companion, Ronald Goldman.

Although Simpson was acquitted of murder after a 1995 criminal court trial, a civil court ordered him to pay millions of dollars in wrongful death damages to the Goldman and Brown families.

The suit was filed Dec. 19 in Los Angeles after Simpson was quoted saying he spent his $1 million advance he received for the book, which was never published due to a public outcry, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Goldman family attorney David Cook said Simpson has not paid a cent to either family.

"The battle is about prying assets from this guy," Cook said.

U.S. District Judge Manuel Real issued the court order to freeze the money after a hearing Wednesday.