Jackson Going Back to Court

In what seems to be becoming a second profession, Michael Jackson is set to return to court in July.

This time in a continuation of the dispute over the "Jackson memorabilia", that was withheld from a recent auction in Las Vegas.

Jackson is seeking the return of the withheld items.

Janet Jackson, Michael's sister, is also seeking the return of items held back during a May 30-31 memorabilia auction at the Hard Rock hotel-casino in Las Vegas.

Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez ordered 60 items impounded at the Clark County court, while she addressed the thorny issue of ownership. The outcome of that decision could lead to her punishing the company that brought the items to auction.

A contempt of court trial has been scheduled for July 16, after Gonzalez decided that Universal Express of Boca Raton, Florida, broke earlier court orders to withhold some of the 1,100-plus items offered at auction.

Joe Coppedge, a lawyer for the auction house, said that the auctioneer had no stake in the continuing dispute and was obeying the court order to deliver the contested items.

Quote:

"Per the judge's order, we have delivered 35 items claimed by Janet Jackson and 23 items claimed by Michael Jackson, with two in transit to Las Vegas."

Judge Gonzalez had accepted a confidential settlement on May 30, allowing the auction to go forward. However, she banned Universal Express from "selling, giving, conveying or transferring by any means" the 25 items specified by Michael Jackson's lawyers. Under the settlement, which had been confidential, Jackson's lawyers dropped their effort to block the auction.