Greenwich lawyer involved in OJ Simpson’s trial reacts to news of his death
John Kelly was the lawyer for Nicole Brown Simpson's estate.
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Attorney John Kelly, who has a practice in Greenwich, says he knows he will always be remembered for winning the landmark wrongful death lawsuit against O.J. Simpson on behalf of the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson, along with her friend Ron Goldman. Both were brutally killed in 1994.
"Physically, he was a very large imposing individual. He could be very charming at times. He liked to talk constantly. mostly about himself," said Kelly.
Simpson was found not guilty in his criminal trial, but Kelly was determined to make sure Simpson would be found liable in the wrongful death civil suit against him.
"People just wanted to see an even playing field, they wanted to see if justice could prevail, they wanted to see if our court system did work - and it did," said Kelly.
Upon hearing that Simpson had died, Kelly couldn't help but think back to a time in his life he will never forget.
"If I walked out of my hotel for five minutes, you know, I'd have 100 reporters around me, following me around," Kelly said. “Sure, there was a lot of pressure to right the wrong for the criminal case, but I was confident that the evidence was there."
As he waited for the jury to come back, Kelly said he will never forget the thoughts that were racing through his mind.
"’ Why did I get involved with this? What if I lose this case in front of, you know, a 100 million people?’" said Kelly.
But the attorney says it was all worth it in the end.
"We won. He was found liable for the wrongful death of Nicole at trial," he said.
