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Simpson, 70, won his freedom from a Nevada parole board in July
after nine years behind bars, at a hearing that did not take
into account his 1990s trial for the murder of his ex-wife
Nicole Brown Simpson and a friend, Ron Goldman.
The onetime football star turned actor and TV pitchman nicknamed
"The Juice" during his playing career was found not guilty in
1995 following that sensational, 13-month trial in Los Angeles,
which was televised live daily, transfixing much of the nation.
A civil court jury subsequently found him liable for the deaths
and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the victims'
families, a judgment that remains largely unpaid.
The Nevada Department of Corrections, seeking to avoid the kind
of media frenzy that often accompanies Simpson, has declined to
say exactly when and where he would be released.
A department spokeswoman warned media not to try to chase his
vehicle from the prison gates, saying officials could postpone
the release for weeks if necessary to avoid "risk to the
community" from such a frenzy.
Also unclear is the former star athlete's ultimate destination.
He told parole board members he hopes to move to Florida, where
he has friends and family, a plan that must be approved by
probation authorities there.
During the parole hearing, Simpson joked that he was willing to
stay in Nevada, but "I'm sure you don't want me here."
His Las Vegas-based attorney, Malcom LaVergne, reiterated the
Florida plans during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning
America" program on Friday, adding that his client was looking
forward to spending time with family members, eating steak and
seafood and buying an iPhone.
LaVergne could not be reached for comment by Reuters.
Florida corrections officials say they had not received a parole
transfer request for Simpson and had not been contacted by their
counterparts in Nevada.
Simpson is a native of California, born in San Francisco, and
played his final years as a pro football player for that city's
team, the 49ers. He lived in Los Angeles at the time of the
murders.
But California corrections officials say he has not filed papers
to live in that state either.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Tom Brown)
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