Decision on fate of Jackson kids delayed

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This article was published 03/07/2009 (6295 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES — A judge on Thursday delayed a guardianship hearing for Michael Jackson’s children at the request of lawyers for the singer’s mother and his ex-wife, Deborah Rowe.

The legal documents filed on behalf of Rowe and Katherine Jackson were not accompanied by any petition for custody by Rowe.

The hearing had been scheduled for Monday. Records show attorneys for both sides asked for the hearing to be delayed until July 13.

Another hearing scheduled for Monday on who will take temporary control of Jackson’s estate will proceed.

Rowe’s attorney, Eric M. George, says she has not reached a final decision on whether to seek custody of the two children she had with Michael Jackson.

George spoke Thursday on a telephone conference call but declined to take questions.

He did not say why a delay in a guardianship hearing had been requested by him and attorneys for Katherine Jackson.

Katherine Jackson currently has temporary guardianship of the children.

Rowe is the mother of Jackson’s two oldest children, son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

The mother of the singer’s youngest child, son Prince Michael II, 7, has never been revealed.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials were holding closed-door talks about a possible event for Michael Jackson on Tuesday at a downtown arena, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday.

The event would take place at the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, said the person who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

It wasn’t immediately clear if a funeral or a public memorial was being discussed for the entertainer — or both.

All talks were preliminary, and no decisions had been made, the person said.

Another site that has also been discussed for a Jackson tribute is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The discussions were held as the federal Drug Enforcement Administration joining the investigation into Jackson’s death, and Jermaine Jackson said he would be "hurt" if toxicology reports showed his younger brother abused prescription drugs.

"In this business, the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turns to," Jermaine Jackson said in an interview on NBC’s "Today" show.

The circumstances surrounding Jackson’s death last week have become a federal issue, with the DEA asked to help police take a look at the pop star’s doctors and possible drug use.

wAllegations have emerged that the 50-year-old entertainer had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants.

Asked if he would be shocked or surprised if Michael’s drug use was proven, Jermaine Jackson said, "I would be hurt." He said he had heard about prescription drug use in the 1980s when his brother was hurt in an accident filming a commercial but did not know if drug use was a possibility more recently.

"I don’t know about these things, because I hate anything with drugs," he said, adding that it hurts the family for people to say things about drug use "because we don’t know."

Jermaine Jackson said he would like Neverland Ranch to be his brother’s final resting place. A person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP that permits for a burial at Neverland could not be arranged in time.

The Los Angeles Police Department asked the DEA to help in the probe, a law enforcement official in Washington told the AP on condition of anonymity because of the investigation’s sensitivity.

While the investigation into the singer’s death deepened, passionate Michael Jackson fans spent another day in an uneasy limbo, awaiting word from the King of Pop’s camp about where and when a memorial service might be held for their hero — and if they’re even invited.

On the legal front, Jackson’s seven-year-old will was filed Wednesday in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to a family trust and naming his 79-year-old mother Katherine and his three children as beneficiaries. The will also estimates the value of his estate at more than US$500 million.

The will doesn’t name father Joe Jackson to any position of authority in administering the estate. Also shut out is Rowe.

The will was dated July 7, 2002. Details of the trust will not be made public.

Jackson owns a 50 per cent stake in the massive Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog, which includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers.

 

— The Associated Press