Embattled former football great O.J. Simpson has finally won something in court. But the minor victory won’t due him much good. On Tuesday, a California judge ordered that some of the memorabilia at the core of Simpson’s current nine- to 33-year prison sentence must be returned to him. In a related legal matter, Simpson, whose last courtroom victory came in 1995 when he was acquitted of the bloody murders of his ex-wife and her friend, is currently awaiting a judge’s decision of whether he can be released on bond while he appeals his sentence on the kidnapping and robbery charges that landed him in a Nevada prison. On Sept. 13, 2007, Simpson and several of his friends stormed a Las Vegas hotel room demanding that footballs, jerseys, photos and other items be returned. Simpson contended that the merchandise had been stolen from him earlier. But one of the men produced a tape recording of the event, and Simpson was eventually convicted of a host of felonies. All but one of the partners who joined him in the hotel room siege turned state’s evidence against him and were given only probation for their cooperation. In Tuesday’s decision, Superior Court Judge Gerald Rosenberg awarded gave nine souvenir footballs and a few other items to Fred Goldman, the father of Nicole Brown Simpson’s slain friend, for auction. (Following the murder trial, a civil court ruled that Simpson must pay the Goldman family $33.5 million. The Goldman’s have been trying to collect ever since.) In a seemingly strange ruling, the judge also ordered that the first $6,075 from the auction go to Simpson, even though Goldman could wind up with nothing after the Hall-of-Fame player gets his cut. Alfred Beardsley, an initial prosecution witness against Simpson who later argued that ex-baller had been set up in the arrest, said he was glad O.J. got something. “I’m happy and excited for O.J., that he’ll be getting some of his stuff back,” Beardsley said.

Ex-football star’s acquaintance admits wanting cash.

Former O.J. Simpson associate Thomas Riccio pulled down $210,000 from media outlets including TMZ.com for his hotel set-up of the football legend, Riccio says. The man who tape-recorded Simpson’s alleged robbery and kidnapping of memorabilia dealers in Vegas a year ago told Simpson’s lawyer on Monday that Simpson wanted the souvenirs as “heirlooms.” Simpson and his friend, C.J. Stewart, are on trial for multiple felonies after they were accused, along with four others, of forcefully taking thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia and Simpson family photos from the collectors. Simpson claimed the property had been stolen from him. Riccio testified that he first approached two California police departments and the FBI to tell them that Alfred Beardsley, one of the alleged robbery victims, was selling stolen property. After getting no response, Riccio told Simpson of the hotel room where Beardsley and his partner were keeping the property. Riccio says he planted a tape recorder in the room, later earning $150,000 from TMZ.com, $25,000 from “Entertainment Tonight,” $20,000 by a sponsor of Howard Stern’s radio show for his tape, plus $15,000 by ABC for an unrelated photo. Judge Jackie Glass ordered Riccio to disclose the amounts he earned, although he claimed that contracts prohibited his doing so. Do you think this testimony will lead to an acquittal of O.J. – or is he destined to go down, no matter what?