SANTA MONICA (California) - ONE of the victims in an O.J. Simpson-led robbery in a Las Vegas hotel room was ordered on Friday to turn over the ex-NFL star's Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, even though a lawyer for the memorabilia dealer claims he doesn't have it.

Superior Court Judge Gerald Rosenberg ordered Alfred Beardsley to produce the ring in a week.

Beardsley took the witness stand and invoked his constitutional right to protection against self-incrimination 15 times as he was questioned by a lawyer for Fred Goldman, who is seeking Simpson's assets in payment of a $33.5 million (S$49.9 million) civil liability judgment.

Goldman is the father of Ron Goldman, who was slain along with Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson in the notorious 1994 case.

Simpson was acquitted of murder charges but later held liable in civil court in the wrongful death case.

Simpson is currently in a Nevada prison after being sentenced to nine to 33 years for the robbery-kidnapping in Las Vegas last year that centered on his efforts to retrieve memorabilia from his storied sports career.

Las Vegas district attorney's investigator Bill Falkner, the only other witness called at Friday's hearing, said he had transported Beardsley several times from California, where he was in jail on a probation violation, to Las Vegas to testify in the robbery-kidnap case.

During the final trip back to California, Falkner testified, 'he told me the only thing he received for this trouble in the case was Mr Simpson's Hall of Fame ring. It was given to him. He was upset the case caused him some period of incarceration'.

He said Beardsley had estimated the value of the ring at $120,000.

'He said it was a very nice ring and he planned to wear it to Mr Simpson's sentencing,' the investigator said.

Beardsley did not attend the sentencing, and Falkner said he never actually saw the ring.

Beardsley's attorney Jack Swickard said Beardsley doesn't have the ring, and 'we can't turn over what the doesn't have'.

Attorney David Cook, who represents Goldman, said he wasn't sure how much money the ring would fetch in the current memorabilia market. Cook wasn't sure if Fred Goldman would end his quest for assets now that Simpson was in prison.

'This might be the end because Simpson will be making 83 cents a day,' Cook said. 'This is Mr Goldman's quest. so for Mr Goldman it never ends.' -- AP