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NEW YORK (AFP) – A small New York firm is to publish “If I Did It,” former American football star O.J. Simpson’s account of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife and one of her friends, the company said Wednesday.

Beaufort Books was aiming for an October 3 release of the book, in which Simpson describes how he would have killed Nicole Brown Simpson and friend Ronald Goldman.

Plans by Simpson to release the book last year sparked a wave of outrage across the United States, prompting publisher HarperCollins to scrap the title and Fox News to cancel an accompanying television interview.

Simpson, 60, who always has vehemently denied involvement in the killings, was acquitted of killing ex-wife and Goldman after a racially charged trial in 1995. The verdict sparked outrage in much of America.

He was later found liable for the deaths in a 1997 civil suit and ordered to pay 33.5 million dollars in damages to Goldman’s family.

The case took a further twist when a US judge in March ruled that any income from the book should go to the Goldman family to cover the damages award made in the civil case but never paid by Simpson.

Another judge later awarded the rights of the book to the Goldman family.

A spokesman for literary agent Sharlene Martin, who handled the deal, earlier said that the book was to be repackaged by the new publisher.

The publisher “pledged to leave Simpson’s manuscript entirely intact, but they will also add key commentary,” spokesman Michael Wright said in a statement, without elaborating on the commentary.

Source: Yahoo News

p/s: There a lot of people out there can kill for money.Take care of your self.

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Parents of disabled children won a major victory in the U.S. Supreme Court, as the justices ruled unanimously that parents do not have to hire a lawyer to sue a school district over providing an appropriate education for a child with special needs.The court’s ruling came in the case of Jeff and Sandee Winkelman, whose son, Jacob, is autistic. When he entered pre-school, Jacob’s tantrums were severe enough that the district placed him in a special school for autistic children.

But after two years, Mrs. Winkelman says, there was a changing of the guard, and new school administrators and school board members said Jacob had to attend regular public school.

Under the Disabilities Act, parents are entitled to go to court to enforce the law, but a majority of the courts have required that parents be represented by a lawyer. If parents didn’t have an attorney, their cases were thrown out.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that parents cannot be shut out of court just because they are representing themselves.

The ruling was a blow to school boards across the country. National School Boards Association General Counsel Francisco Negron says that allowing non-lawyer parents in court will lengthen the process because parents are not legally trained and often are emotional.

Source: NPR

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May 23, 2007 · Congress is expected to hear testimony Wednesday from Monica Goodling, who served as a key link between the White House and the Justice Department as decisions were made to dismiss eight U.S. attorneys.She may give congressional Democrats some of the answers they’ve sought regarding the motive for the firings.

Most of what Congress knows about the White House’s involvement in the firings has come from indirect clues dropped in testimony by other officials. The White House will only let Congress interview the president’s advisers in private without an oath or transcript.

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Mel Gibson has been formally charged with drink-related offences after an incident in which he made anti-Semitic comments during his arrest.

The Oscar-winning director is accused of driving under the influence, having a raised blood-alcohol level and having an open alcohol bottle in the car.

He could face up to six months in jail if convicted.

During his arrest, Mr Gibson made what he has said were “harmful” anti-Semitic comments. He has since apologised.

Mr Gibson said in a statement his outburst did not reflect his true views.

“Please know from my heart I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith,” he said.

Mr Gibson has also asked to meet Jewish groups to “discern the appropriate path for healing”.

‘Relapse’

In an earlier statement he said he had suffered a horrific relapse in his battle with alcoholism.

The Associated Press news agency reports that Mr Gibson told the arresting officer: “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” and asked him: “Are you a Jew?”

Mr Gibson is expected to appear in court on the drink-driving related charges on 28 September.

He was arrested last Friday after being seen driving at 87mph (139km/h) in a 45mph (72km/h) stretch of Malibu’s Pacific Coast Highway, the local sheriff’s department says.

Authorities say his blood-alcohol level was found to be 0.12%. The legal limit in California is 0.08%.

Mr Gibson has not been charged with speeding or in relation to his anti-Semitic comments.

Mr Gibson, 50, won a best director Oscar for his 1995 film Braveheart, in which he also starred.

His 2004 biblical epic, The Passion of the Christ, was recently named the most controversial movie to date by US magazine Entertainment Weekly.

“Another Chapter for Hollywood Artist”