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Get 'If I did it' off of EBay, family demands

By TIMES WIRES
Published November 24, 2006

An attorney representing the family of Nicole Brown Simpson accused eBay on Thursday of not moving quickly enough to yank auctions of If I Did It, O.J. Simpson's now-pulled hypothetical story of how he would have killed his ex-wife. EBay spokesman Hani Durzy said Thursday that the online auction house has been removing offers to sell purported copies of the book. In one case, bids had topped $1-million. Brown family attorney Natasha Roit said the site's deadline-style auctions means some transactions could finish before eBay acts. HarperCollins has said all copies of the book would be destroyed, but there is always a chance some could get out.

Gunman fires in apartment standoff

Two women were taken hostage inside their apartment building early Thursday, sparking a police standoff that stretched more than 14 hours. The women were being held by a gunman in his 20s or 30s who fired at police at least once, and officers were negotiating with the suspect by phone, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. The standoff in the city's South Shore neighborhood began about 2:30 a.m. after a 911 call about gunshots in the building.

Judge rejects suits on school oil well

A judge has thrown out 12 lawsuits claiming an oil well that operated for decades at Beverly Hills High School caused cancer in former students. Superior Court Judge Wendell Mortimer Jr. rejected the suits Wednesday. The case began in 2003 when the firm that employs legal crusader Erin Brockovich located hundreds who believed emissions were responsible for their illnesses. They plan to appeal.

Man gets 3 years in HIV-exposure case

An HIV-positive man accused of knowingly exposing three women to the virus has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison. Robert Richardson II, 30, apologized at his sentencing Wednesday, but he argued that while his behavior was unethical, it wasn't criminal. Richardson was found guilty last month of four counts of HIV exposure involving three women. Other cases are pending in Missouri and Kansas.

Elsewhere

YUCAIPA, CALIF.: A fire that had consumed about 125 acres and still burned Thursday was started by a camper who lit a signal fire Tuesday after getting lost in the San Bernardino National Forest, authorities said. Nearly 400 firefighters, four helicopters and four air tankers battled the blaze in terrain 70 miles east of Los Angeles.

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII: A quake with a magnitude of at least 4.5 struck off the coast of the Big Island on Thursday, the same area two strong temblors struck last month. The quake, 11 miles northwest of Puuanahulu, shook homes on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu.

[Last modified November 24, 2006, 01:22:22]