Michael Jackson's Mother Katherine Granted Temporary Care of His Three Children

The court agreed Jackson's mother should have guardianship of the children – Prince Michael Junior, 12, Paris Michael Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II, seven – until a hearing scheduled for 3 August on whether to make the move permanent
Michael Jackson's mother Katherine won the first round of what could be a protracted legal battle yesterday when she was granted temporary guardianship of his three children.

The court agreed she should have guardianship of the children – Prince Michael Junior, 12, Paris Michael Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II, seven – until a hearing scheduled for 3 August on whether to make the move permanent.

She also applied to the court in Los Angeles to administer the children's assets, but this was refused.

The children have been staying with her at her home in Encino, Los Angeles, since Jackson's death on Thursday.

There has been no indication of a legal challenge from Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of his two oldest children. The youngest was born to a surrogate mother, who has not been publicly identified and was listed in the petition under the section mother as "none".

Katherine Jackson's petition argued the children "have a long-established relationship with [their] paternal grandmother and are comfortable in her care".

Jackson's father, Joe, 80, supported his wife's move. Both he and his wife understood the singer had died without signing a will, according to the petition.

He told a press conference outside the family home yesterday that the family had not yet decided on when the funeral should be held. No decision would be made until after a second autopsy, requested by the family and conducted yesterday, had been completed. He denied reports that he would be buried in Neverland, the singer's elaborate fantasy playground.

The family was looking at various proposals for tribute events but would not be rushed into a decision, he said, other than a tribute planned for tonight at the Apollo Theatre, in Harlem.

The family's lawyer, Londell McMillan, told NBC news that the children should be raised by their grandmother because "I don't think there will be anybody who thinks that there is someone better".

He did not anticipate a challenge from Rowe, a former nurse who filed for divorce in 1999 after three years of marriage. She signed an agreement with the singer in 2006 about her rights to the children but the details have not been made public.

Rowe's lawyer at the weekend issued a statement that offered no hint of her intentions. "Ms Rowe requests that Michael's family, and particularly the children, be spared such harmful, sensationalist speculation and that they be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace," it said.

The cause of Jackson's death remained a mystery. Last night assistant chief coroner Ed Winter told reporters outside Jackson's former home that investigators had returned to gather additional items, which he identified as "some medications."

Winter cited "information that was obtained by the Los Angeles police department along with some questions we had involving some of the medications," but he did not elaborate on what they were.

Edward Chernoff, a lawyer for Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, told AP on Sunday that his client had not injected Jackson with painkillers before his fatal heart attack. "Dr Murray has never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson. Not ever... Not Oxycontin [either] for that matter," Chernoff said.

Jackson, the lawyer said, had a faint pulse and a warm body when Murray found him in bed at his mansion and immediately tried to resuscitate him.

© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 6/29/2009
 
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