Victory in court as judge rules MJ may get 25 items back and his attorney's fees paid.Michael Jackson may get his belongings back after a decision was made in court Monday. A judge ruled that the business, Universal Express, was in contempt of court and must return the items.
Universal Express held an auction in May for a collection of Jackson family materials it had previously purchased, but the company held some items back.
Jackson now faces another court date with Universal Express Friday in New Jersey. If the judge rules in favor of Jackson, he will get his belongings back next week.
In more news from the same case a lawyer was found in contempt of court for his handling of memorabilia owned by pop star Michael Jackson.
Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Gonzales, after a hearing Monday, said attorney David DeToffol violated her court order barring his client, Universal Express Inc., from selling or giving away some of Jackson's personal items.
The dozens of pieces of memorabilia, which include a Three Stooges collection and personal writings, still haven't been returned to Jackson. They're being held in a "secure location" at the courthouse, Gonzales said.
The controversy could be settled Friday in a New Jersey courtroom where a judge is handling another contempt of court case, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Jackson has been trying to get 25 pieces of memorabilia bound for the auction block returned to him since May, when he and Universal reached an agreement to return the items to him.
Universal had paid $5 million for the collection from a New Jersey businessman who claimed the property after the family failed to pay a storage unit bill.
On June 1, a day after the auction at the Hard Rock Hotel, Universal threatened to sue Guernsey's, the company handling the auction, if it didn't give the items back to Universal.
Gonzalez said that action violated her order prohibiting Universal from "selling, giving, conveying or transferring by any means" the 25 items.
Guernsey's, later turned the items over to the court.
DeToffol testified Monday that he didn't intend to violate the court order, but Gonzales, found otherwise.
She ruled that DeToffol will have to pay Jackson's attorney's fees and a $2,500 fine.
Source:Las Vegas Sun/Las Vegas Now
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