Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Photo
FILE - In this Tuesday Nov. 19, 2002 file picture made from video, Michael Jackson holds his child Prince Michael II, his head hidden by a towel, over a balcony of the Adlon Hotel in Berlin. Jackson, in Germany to attend an awards ceremony, had been waving to German fans, when he brought the baby onto the balcony. Jackson has died in Los Angeles at age 50 on Thursday, June 25, 2009. (AP Photo/APTN) ** TELEVISION OUT **
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson’s family moved quickly Monday to take control of his complicated personal and financial affairs, winning temporary custody of his three children and asking a judge to name the King of Pop’s mother as administrator of his estate.
In documents filed in Superior Court, Jackson’s parents said they believe their 50-year-old son died without a valid will.
They also made it clear they believe they should take charge of both his debt-ridden but potentially lucrative financial empire and act as permanent caretakers of his three children.
Judge Mitchell Beckloff granted 79-year-old Katherine Jackson temporary guardianship of the children, who range in age from 7 to 12. He did not immediately rule on her requests to take charge of the children’s and Jackson’s estates.
Judge Beckloff scheduled a hearing for July 6 and another for Aug. 3 to consider those issues and whether Katherine Jackson should be appointed the children’s permanent guardian.
The judge later Monday also granted Katherine Jackson the right to take control of her son’s personal property that is now in the hands of an unnamed third party.
The ruling does not detail the nature of those items and does not provide control of any money in the estate.
L. Londell McMillan, the family’s attorney, said in a statement that the Jacksons are pleased with the results of their Monday filings.
When Jackson died Thursday, he left behind a 12-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter by his ex-wife Deborah Rowe, as well as a 7-year-old son born to a surrogate mother.