Latest news with #legalissues
Daily Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Paris Jackson's bitter battle over Michael Jackson's estate
Michael Jackson's estate revealed they dealt with 'issues' related to one of the King of Pop's ex-wives and his former home as part of a plea for legal fees. Earlier this month, the pop star's daughter Paris raised 'serious' concerns over payments made from her father's estate. The payouts in question were to law firms for 'unrecorded attorney time' in 2018, which was unclear what the lawyers were being paid for. In court documents from February 2025 obtained by Us Magazine, the estate's executers, John Branca and John McClain, detailed what one of the law firms worked on during that period. According to the lawyers, some work was done 'addressing issues relating to Michael Jackson's former spouse'. RELATED: Staggering wealth of MJ's kids exposed 'Big allure': Secret MJ homes reveal sad life Presley's girl exposes life at MJ's Neverland However, the filing did not identify which of the singer's former wives was involved. Jackson was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996 and Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of Paris and her brother Prince, from 1996 to 2000. Other matters included legal issues related to the musician's former home, Neverland Ranch, and meetings with a potential buyer. The property was put on the market in 2015 for $US100 million ($A128 million). After five years and numerous price cuts, the sprawling property finally found a buyer. Billionaire and friend of the late pop star Ron Burkle purchased the 2700-acre (1092Ha) estate for $US22 million ($A28 million). It was considered a 'bargain' far below its initial asking price of $US100 million ($A128 million). Paris, who is one of the beneficiaries of her father's estate along with her brothers Prince and Bigi, objected to 'premium payouts' made for unrecorded attorney time. In her court filing, the 27-year-old's argued, 'During this [six-month period] alone in 2018, Executors request that the Court approve $625,000 ($A957,000) in payments to three law firms for what they say is uncaptured time, without explanation as to why counsel was incapable of recording unbilled time, or why such a failure should not preclude payment.' Her lawyer added, 'Even worse, these payments appear, at least in part, to consist of lavish gratuities bestowed upon already well-compensated counsel.' Jackson's legal team argued the payouts reflect poorly on the executers of the estate, writing: 'These irregular payments raise serious and substantial questions about Executors' ability to effectively supervise counsel … and refraining from wasteful, six-figure gift-giving to themselves and their colleagues.' The filing added: 'Despite repeated inquiries from the Court, Executors are unable to provide even remotely satisfactory explanation for their delay, nor have they provided the beneficiaries any sort of plan to fix this ongoing and worsening issue.' A hearing has been set for later this month. MORE: Fortune left behind by Ozzy revealed DiCaprio's insane $35m ask exposed Silverchair star's huge move after demolishing Aus home
News.com.au
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Paris Jackson's bitter battle over Michael Jackson's estate
Michael Jackson's estate revealed they dealt with 'issues' related to one of the King of Pop's ex-wives and his former home as part of a plea for legal fees. Earlier this month, the pop star's daughter Paris raised 'serious' concerns over payments made from her father's estate. The payouts in question were to law firms for 'unrecorded attorney time' in 2018, which was unclear what the lawyers were being paid for. In court documents from February 2025 obtained by Us Magazine, the estate's executers, John Branca and John McClain, detailed what one of the law firms worked on during that period. According to the lawyers, some work was done 'addressing issues relating to Michael Jackson's former spouse'. However, the filing did not identify which of the singer's former wives was involved. Jackson was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996 and Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of Paris and her brother Prince, from 1996 to 2000. Other matters included legal issues related to the musician's former home, Neverland Ranch, and meetings with a potential buyer. The property was put on the market in 2015 for $US100 million ($A128 million). After five years and numerous price cuts, the sprawling property finally found a buyer. Billionaire and friend of the late pop star Ron Burkle purchased the 2700-acre (1092Ha) estate for $US22 million ($A28 million). It was considered a 'bargain' far below its initial asking price of $US100 million ($A128 million). Paris, who is one of the beneficiaries of her father's estate along with her brothers Prince and Bigi, objected to 'premium payouts' made for unrecorded attorney time. In her court filing, the 27-year-old's argued, 'During this [six-month period] alone in 2018, Executors request that the Court approve $625,000 ($A957,000) in payments to three law firms for what they say is uncaptured time, without explanation as to why counsel was incapable of recording unbilled time, or why such a failure should not preclude payment.' Her lawyer added, 'Even worse, these payments appear, at least in part, to consist of lavish gratuities bestowed upon already well-compensated counsel.' Jackson's legal team argued the payouts reflect poorly on the executers of the estate, writing: 'These irregular payments raise serious and substantial questions about Executors' ability to effectively supervise counsel … and refraining from wasteful, six-figure gift-giving to themselves and their colleagues.' The filing added: 'Despite repeated inquiries from the Court, Executors are unable to provide even remotely satisfactory explanation for their delay, nor have they provided the beneficiaries any sort of plan to fix this ongoing and worsening issue.' A hearing has been set for later this month.
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
Why comments are turned off on our articles about the Thomas Partey case
News stories about arrests, charges and legal issues in the United Kingdom are different from the other sorts of articles you will find on The Athletic. They are often incredibly short and conspicuously light on detail. They also generally have the reader comments function turned off. This has been the case with recent stories The Athletic has published concerning Thomas Partey, the midfielder who left Arsenal when his contract expired at the end of June. Advertisement On July 4, it was confirmed that he had been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The Athletic has kept the comments off on Partey-related articles because of the risk of such posts breaching the United Kingdom's contempt laws, potentially jeopardising a trial through the publication of prejudicial information. Contempt can even lead to an entire trial collapsing. We understand this can be confusing and even frustrating. And we understand you might have questions — we often hear from readers who email us or reach our writers on social media. And, recently, there have been comments about Partey made under articles not related to the case. So we want to explain why we write these stories in the way we do and why comments are left off. These laws can perhaps seem anachronistic, and they are different from laws that apply to stories reported in the United States, but it is essential that responsible publishers, including The Athletic, abide by them. We never 'decide' not to name an arrested person — often, we are not legally able to. In the UK, arrested suspects are presumed to have the right to privacy until the police see fit to charge them. That is because being charged is the point in the legal process when the police or Crown Prosecution Service have decided there is enough substance to the allegations to warrant linking someone to them. This is what happened to Partey on July 4, when he was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Before that, the courts generally consider there is no 'public interest' in knowing what someone is being investigated for or has been arrested over. This is different to how the rules work in the United States, which has quite understandably confused some of our readers on both sides of the pond. We will come to that in more detail later. When it is legally permissible for us to do so. That is usually when the individual has been charged. On rare occasions, it is legally OK to name someone before they are charged — for example, if they themselves have spoken out about the situation or if their arrest was highly public. But otherwise, naming an individual before they are charged is legally and ethically irresponsible. When a case is dropped without anyone being charged, the matter is still deemed private. It would only not be if the person was charged, or if they identify themselves. This is one of the most commonly-asked questions on social media — and in the comment sections of unrelated articles — when we publish a story that does not offer our subscribers the opportunity to comment. There are a few different reasons. As a responsible publisher, we will always turn comments off on stories where what we can report is restricted, out of respect to the individuals involved. Advertisement We will also turn comments off on stories that involve a live legal trial, such as that involving Partey. That is because commenters may inadvertently identify people that they shouldn't. Or they might comment about whether or not someone facing a trial is guilty or not, which would be a breach of the UK's contempt laws and could lead to the trial collapsing. And in the UK, those who complain of certain sexual offences are entitled to anonymity for life — regardless of the outcome of any police investigation — unless they choose to waive their anonymity. This is a very good question. At The Athletic, we are fortunate to have a truly international audience, with our readership often split evenly between the UK and the U.S. But libel, privacy and contempt of court rules are all very different in the U.S. to the UK. That often means stories that we publish that involve the UK legal system are subject to different legal rules. The clearest example of that is coverage of arrests. In the U.S., arrests are a matter of public record. This means individuals can be identified from the moment they are arrested. As explained in more detail above, this is not the case in the UK. U.S. laws naturally apply to UK citizens when in the United States — and vice versa. That is why news stories concerning matters of U.S. law may seem to have far more detail than news stories published in the UK. It is nothing to do with a different set of editorial standards, instead an entirely different legal framework.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michael Jackson's Estate Reveals ‘Issues' Over One of the Late Pop Star's Ex-Wives in Plea
Michael Jackson's estate revealed it dealt with 'issues' related to one of the late pop star's ex-wives, whose identity was not revealed, as part of a plea for legal fees, Us Weekly can exclusively report. Us obtained court documents filed by John Branca and John McClain, the two men who have been in charge of Michael's estate since his death on June 25, 2009. He was 50. Branca and McClain are requesting the court to sign off on fees to law firms that worked on the estate during the timeframe of July to December 2018. The entertainer's probate case is complex and the fees take years to be approved. In a February 2025 filing, lawyers for Branca and McClain detailed what one of the law firms worked on during the 2018 timeframe. Katherine Jackson Hits Back at Grandson Bigi in Billion Dollar Battle Over Michael Jackson's Estate The lawyers explained that some work was done 'addressing issues relating to Michael Jackson's former spouse.' In addition, the firm handled 'addressing a claim made regarding alleged ownership of rights obtained by a bankruptcy proceeding involving Joseph and Katherine Jackson.' Michael was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996 and Debbie Rowe, who is the mother to Michael's children, Paris and Prince Jackson, from 1996 to 2000. The motion said one firm worked on 'extraordinary legal services relating to a wide variety of matters, 'including: family allowance, accounting, one of Michael Jackson's accusers, James Safechuck, a demand from a former manager, tax issues, and various other matters. Michael Jackson's 'Leaving Neverland' Accusers Want to Hold His Team Accountable in New Documentary The filing revealed the former manager to be Tohme Tohme, who claimed he was owed over $5 million for services rendered to Michael between 2007 to 2009. The executors disputed the claim. The case was headed to trial in 2018. The parties eventually reached a $3 million settlement. Other work done included defending a lawsuit brought by music producer Quincy Jones. The executors said the fees requested by the law firms relate 'generally to services rendered in connection with various issues regarding [Jones] not dealing with his lawsuit.' The executors said other matters included legal issues related to Michael's former home, Neverland Ranch, and meetings with a potential buyer. The ranch, near Santa Barbara, was originally listed for $100 million in 2015. The estate listed it for $31 million in 2019. It did not sell until 2020 when billionaire Ron Burkle purchased it. As Us first reported, Michael's daughter, Paris, who is a beneficiary of the estate along with her two brothers, Prince and Bigi Jackson, recently objected to a portion of the requested fees. She claimed to have 'serious' questions about the amounts requested. In her motion, Paris' lawyer argued, 'During this [six-month period] alone in 2018, Executors request that the Court approve $625,000 in payments to three law firms for what they say is uncaptured time, without explanation as to why counsel was incapable of recording unbilled time, or why such a failure should not preclude payment.' Michael Jackson's Kids and Mom Barred from Trust Fund Payments Until Estate and IRS Settle Dispute Her attorney added, 'Even worse, these payments appear, at least in part, to consist of lavish gratuities bestowed upon already well-compensated counsel.' Paris also claimed it appeared payments to law firms were made in 'full,' which she said violated the court's order allowing only 'partial payments of attorney fees until court approval is obtained.' The estate has yet to respond to the claims. A hearing has been set for later this month. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
If Rashee Rice Is Suspended, Gabe Davis Would Make Sense For Chiefs
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis catches a touchdown pass against Kansas City Chiefs ... More cornerback Joshua Williams in October of 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken) Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The week before NFL training camp usually serves as the calm before the storm. But for the Kansas City Chiefs, it's been a week of upheaval at the wide receiver position. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, a Dallas County judge sentenced Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice to five years probation and 30 days of jail, which can be served during those five years. This is a result of his multi-car crash in Dallas during May in 2024 when he was traveling at 119 mph in his Lamborghini. He had been facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. And this news comes one day after the Chiefs put Justyn Ross on waivers per the wide receiver's request. The Ross move is not significant. Despite a talented college career in which he had a 1,000-yard receiving season while winning the national championship as a Clemson freshman in 2018, injuries and off-the-field issues limited Ross to just six catches for 53 yards in 12 games played with the Chiefs. But the legal development with Rice, who is already coming back from a season-ending knee injury, is seismic. The Chiefs were counting on him as their No. 1 receiver, and now that the judge has ruled, the NFL can go through its disciplinary process, and Rice likely will receive a multi-game suspension. 'We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter, said Brian McCarthy, the NFL's vice president of communications, 'which remains under review.' The Chiefs had been feeling pretty good about their wide receiver room, which looked like it could be the team's best since it traded away Tyreek Hill. Kansas City's top five was slated to be Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and promising rookie Jalen Royals. Now with the status of Rice, who led the Chiefs receivers in yardage in 2023, potentially in peril, the Chiefs might want to look at some options. Gabe Davis to the Rescue? After extending right guard Trey Smith, the Chiefs have some salary cap room with which to work. They are slated to have more than $20 million in cap space for 2025, according to Spotrac. Perhaps they could use some of that available space on one of the more intriguing wide receiver options out there: Gabe Davis. Rice and Davis are very different players. Davis stretches the field, having averaged more than 16.5 yards per reception during three of his seasons, and Rice is stellar at getting yards after the catch and breaking tackles over the middle of the field. But the Chiefs saw firsthand how good Davis was when he burned them in the famous '13-second' divisional playoff game. Then playing for the Buffalo Bills, Davis had eight catches for 201 yards and four touchdowns in the 42-36 classic won by the Chiefs. Historical Precedent The Chiefs are known to bring back players who have succeeded against them. One recent example is running back Samaje Perine, who the Chiefs signed last year to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Toward the end of the first half in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 30, 2022, Perine took a short dump-off pass and broke tackle attempts by Charvarius Ward and Nick Bolton while racing 41 yards to the end zone , shifting momentum back to the Cincinnati Bengals. 'We all know what he did to us when he was at Cincinnati with that screen play,' Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. Perine also rushed for 106 yards in a win against the Chiefs in Week 13 of the 2022 season One of Perine's former Bengals teammates, Tyler Boyd, also could serve as a replacement if Rice misses time. There, though, is a reason Boyd and Davis remain unsigned. Their production has dropped off precipitously since they faced the Chiefs in the playoffs. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Davis to a three-year, $39 million contract last year but ended up releasing him in May, and the Tennessee Titans signed Boyd to a one-year, $2.4 million deal last season and then didn't re-sign him. Both had the worst years of their career last season. Davis, who suffered torn meniscus in his knee, had career lows in catches (20), yards (239) and touchdowns (two), and Boyd also had career lows in catches (39), yards (320) and touchdowns (0). But either could be an intriguing option for a Chiefs team that could have a need at position group that had seemed very stable a week ago.
