Michael Jackson's family wants a judge to delay designating two men listed in the pop superstar's will as temporary administrators of his estate so that they can look deeper into his affairs, a person close to the family said on Sunday.
The family also wants the additional time to wait and see if another will emerges, as well as to accommodate Jackson's memorial service today, said the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
The person said the family wants the delay in naming two men, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, who are designated in a five-page will filed last week as administrators to shepherd Jackson's estate into a private trust.
Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, was granted some limited powers over the singer's estate days after his death. But because Branca and McClain are named as executors in the 2002 will, it was expected that they would be granted more authority to oversee Jackson's estate, estimated in court filings as being worth more than $500 million, in yesterday's scheduled hearing.
Jackson's mother and those close to her want "time to further investigate the circumstances and individuals that were surrounding Michael Jackson during his final days," the person close to the family said.
In court filings, attorneys for Katherine Jackson ask Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff to delay naming Branca and McClain as the estate's administrators. Attorneys for the two men argue their appointment is crucial to controlling Jackson's diverse financial interests and its liabilities, which include refunds due on a series of London concerts that have been canceled, and several lawsuits.
The person close to the Jackson family said late on Sunday that Katherine Jackson also wants the delay to see if any newer wills emerge. An older will had already been presented, the person said.
"She wants to know what happened to her son before appointing individuals to take over his estate worth over a billion dollars," the person said.
In court filings, Katherine Jackson's attorneys state it would be "premature" to contest the 2002 will, but they also note that several wills may have been filed. The 2002 will stated that Jackson wanted his three children entrusted to his mother, Katherine, who has been named a temporary guardian until July 13.
Attorneys for Branca and McClain said last week they do not expect any other wills to emerge.
Singer called a 'pervert'
A New York congressman said in a YouTube video that Michael Jackson was a "pervert".
Representative Peter King said society is "glorifying" a "low-life" while ignoring the efforts of teachers, police officers, firefighters, veterans and volunteers.
Jackson was acquitted of molesting a boy.
In the video, the congressman says the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death is "too politically correct".
He conceded that Jackson "may have been a good singer" and "did some dancing".
King is among the possible Republican contenders for the seat held by Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. King has said in the past that he represents the interests of "blue-collar conservatives".
(China Daily/AP July 7, 2009)
