CHICAGO — Dwyane Wade was awarded full custody of his two sons, ages 9 and 3, in a Chicago court on Sunday, ending a long-fought battle for the Miami Heat guard.

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CBS reports:

During the custody proceeding Wade claimed Siohvaughn could not “be considered a fit and proper person” to raise their children. The All-Star said his wife exhibited threatening behavior, had extramarital affairs, used abusive parenting methods and was unwilling to let the 2006 NBA finals MVP see his children.

According to Wade’s attorney, the very public three-year custody proceedings were some of the longest in Illinois history.

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Michael Jackson’s mother has gained permanent custody of her late son’s children during a hearing Monday that saw a last-minute objection by the pop icon’s former dermatologist.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff made a series of key rulings during the morning portion of the Monday hearing, which was to reconvene after a short break. In addition to approving Katherine Jackson’s guardianship petition, he also granted monthly stipends to the 79-year-old and the three young grandchildren she is now charged with raising.

The ruling came after a few tense moments in which an attorney for Beverly Hills Dr. Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson’s longtime dermatologist, raised nonspecific objections to the custody arrangements. The attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said they were based on the doctor’s long-term relationship with the singer and his children.

“Legally, he is not a presumed parent,” Kaplan said. He said Klein, Jackson’s longtime dermatologist, had concerns about the children’s education and other day-to-day parenting issues.

Beckloff ultimately determined Klein didn’t have legal standing to object to the care of Jackson’s children, but said he could raise objections later if he wanted to. Klein has repeatedly denied tabloid reports that he is the biological father of Jackson’s children, saying last month on “Larry King Live” that “to the best of my knowledge” he is not.

Katherine Jackson’s approval as permanent guardian is in accordance with her son’s wishes, who named her in a 2002 will as the person he wanted to raise his children, who range in ages from 7 to 12, if he died.

Last week, Katherine Jackson and her son’s ex-wife, Deborah Rowe, reached an agreement over custody issues. Rowe never formally petitioned for custody, but will receive some visits with Jackson’s two oldest children, to whom she gave birth while the couple was married in the late 1990s.

Rowe did not appear in court Monday.

Katherine Jackson arrived Monday, flanked by her daughters LaToya and Rebbie and son Randy Jackson. Several attorneys representing her were also in court.

Beckloff noted that the singer’s two oldest children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael, filed declarations stating their wishes for who would raise them. He did not indicate what they said.

The agenda for Monday’s hearing was a long laundry-list of issues for Beckloff to rule on. After a morning recess, the judge was expected to consider whether Katherine Jackson can mount a challenge to two men who have are administering her son’s estate, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain.

The men were named as co-executors of Jackson’s 2002 will, and have already received millions of dollars in the singer’s money, property and a life insurance payout, court filings show.

It is unclear how much money Katherine Jackson and her grandchildren will receive in allowance from the singer’s estate. Beckloff did not state the figures in court and indicated he was likely to seal those details if attorneys asked him to do so.

The proposed figures have been redacted from court filings so far.

Beckloff did trim the amount the three children will receive, saying that there appeared to be some duplication between the expenses Katherine Jackson listed and those listed for the children.

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From The L.A. Times

The mother of Michael Jackson will retain custody of his children, and the biological mother of the two elder children will visit and maintain her legal parental rights under an agreement reached by both sides,  The Times has learned.

Katherine Jackson, 79, the late pop icon’s mother, and Debbie Rowe, 50, who bore Jackson’s two older children, also agreed to mutually hire a child psychologist to advise them on how, when and where Rowe’s visits should take place, a knowledgeable source said.

Read The Whole Story

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The family of Michael Jackson will find the answers to lingering issues surrounding of the late pop icon’s estate and the legal custody of his three children, who range in ages from 7 to 12, during a critical Aug. 3 hearing in Los Angeles.

Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, has hired high-profile celebrity attorney L. Londell McMillan to handle those legal affairs.

McMillan, who served as attorney for Michael Jackson for three years has also represented other music stars such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Lil Kim and Kanye West.

In an exclusive interview, McMillan, who is Michael Jackson’s family-appointed legacy attorney and spokesperson, discussed the family’s goals and concerns in their battle for Michael’s children and legacy.

”Katherine Jackson, who is represented by myself and my team, have been in negotiations and discussions with Debbie Rowe and her lawyers,” McMillan responded when asked about the validity of reports that the family was negotiating a settlement with the surrogate mother of Michael’s two eldest kids to maintain custody. ”Mrs. Jackson and Ms. Rowe have both been conducting themselves in a very amicable, courteous manner, to do whatever is going to be done in the best interests of the children.”

There are two distinct legal actions at play that the Jackson family is pursuing. One action is as it relates to the custody and guardianship of Michael Jackson’s three children. The other is how it relates to the administration, control and management of Michael’s estate, which is believed to be valued in excess of half of a billion dollars. It includes his music recordings, art work, various real estate interests and business interests such as the Beatles renowned Sony/ATV music catalog and, of course, Michael’s own highly lucrative music publishing catalog.

Katherine Jackson currently has temporary custody of 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael; 11-year-old Paris Michael Katherine Jackson; and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket.

The lawyer said that despite the media scrutiny the negotiation process has not been contentious as has been reported. However, the same cannot be said about the proceedings involving the control of Michael’s estate.

”There have been quite a bit of back and forth and differences of opinion with respects to how Michael Jackson’s business will be handled and who will control, administer and handle his business assets. And that is how the difficulty has created much concern and debate,” McMillan said.

Katherine Jackson will contest custodial oversight of the will at the Aug. 3 probate, during which all claims will be resolved and the distribution of Michael’s property will be determined. The will, written by Michael Jackson in 2002, named attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain as the will’s executors. Michael’s close associates both have temporary control of Jackson’s estate. The assets will be transferred into a trust, which will also be administrated by the same co-executives, except the trust’s charitable component, at which point Katherine Jackson is a part of the trustee team. The will states that Katherine Jackson should be a beneficiary and named as the guardian of the children and their estates.

”Based on 2002, when that will was drafted, and June 25th of 2009, when Mr. Jackson passed away, there’s been considerable amount of evidence that Mr. Jackson would not and does not want this particular estate served by individuals that were listed in 2002 without his mother having a seat at that table,” McMillan explains why he believes Katherine Jackson should be allowed to be involved in the decisions of business affairs of the estate.
McMillan reasons that rather than fighting it out in the court system, this should be an invitation by the executive; particularly since Katherine Jackson is the only adult beneficiary of the will and the trust.

”For the life of me, we are having difficulties understanding why Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain continue to object to Michael Jackson’s mother serving on the trustee team with her advisers to make sure that Michael Jackson’s legacy is going to be administered and controlled in a way that she knows and those that were close to Michael toward the end of his days knows what he would have wanted,” McMillan said. ”To have his estate go into the hands of people from 2002 that he’s ceased doing business with, and that he later had disputes with, presents challenges and problems, and it also puts a legacy issue in question. And that is what we are seeking to resolve.”
McMillan also laid truth to rumors involving the roles of various family members on the matter.

”The truth is that Katherine Jackson will be the guardian,” McMillan responded when asked about reports that Michael’s sister Rebe Jackson would raise the kids if Katherine got awarded custody. ”She’s very active and she’s a very healthy and vibrant 70 plus year-old woman. She’s always been the primary maternal caretaker of that entire family and their grandchildren. The rumors are circulating, possibly, because Rebe is very close to her mother and she’s always been like a parent to her siblings and others.”

A lot has been made in the media about Joe Jackson’s involvement but McMillan shot that down also.
”He has very little, if any, influence other than he’s the grandfather. He said hello and he shows his support. He will have no child rearing obligations with these children,” he said. He added that Joe Jackson will have no connection to affairs of the estate.

”Michael did not have his family play a major role in his business, other than his mom. His mother is one that is a trustee and has been a trustee in his businesses and she should be a trustee in his post-death business. She’s the one person that he’s trusted more than anybody else in his life.”

McMillan argued that if Katherine Jackson is not in control of her son’s legacy than it will go into the hands of people who do not share the same interests as the late pop icon or the community that he was concerned about.
”Elvis Presley’s family has a seat at the table. The Beatles’ family has a seat at the table. Michael Jackson’s mother should have a seat at the table.”

For now, she is a beneficiary.

According to McMillan, the will divides Michael’s assets as such: 20 percent will go to charity, 40 percent held in trust for Mrs. Jackson and the rest will be held in trust for Michael’s children.

He said a primary concern here is if Mrs. Jackson doesn’t have custody, who will have control of Michael Jackson’s legacy and his history from here until the rest of time?

”He had some definitive views about how he wanted his life and legacy to be remembered. Why would people want to restrict his mother from serving in an equal capacity on some board to oversee Michael Jackson’s legacy? I don’t accept that proposition.”

The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying foreign peace activists trying to break a blockade of Gaza on Tuesday and forced it to sail to an Israeli port, the military said.

A statement said the Greek-registered freighter Arion ignored a radio message from the Israeli military saying it would not be allowed to enter Gaza waters and ordering it to turn back.

The statement said naval personnel boarded the small vessel without any shots being fired.

The military said those on board would be handed over to immigration authorities on arrival in the southern port of Ashdod, and humanitarian cargo would be trucked into the Gaza Strip after a security check. The ship arrived at Ashdod port after nightfall.

An earlier statement by the voyage’s organizers, the Free Gaza Movement, said the vessel, renamed the Spirit of Humanity, left the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Monday bound for Gaza with three tons of medical supplies.

The 20 passengers include former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire and other activists from Britain, Ireland, Bahrain and Jamaica.

The ship was flying a Greek flag, but no Greek citizens were aboard. The Greek government issued a statement saying it sent a message to Israel demanding that it release the ship, crew and passengers.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel was planning to free the crew and passengers. “Nobody wants to keep them here,” he said. “They will be released as soon as they are checked.”

The Free Gaza Movement has organized five boat trips to Gaza since August 2008, defying a blockade imposed by Israel when the militant group Hamas seized control of the territory from its Palestinian rivals in June 2007.

Two other attempts were stopped by Israeli warships during Israel’s three-week war in the territory in December and January. Nobody on board was harmed.

MJ’s Mom Wants Custody Of The Kids
Given the secrecy surrounding Michael Jackson’s children throughout his life, it’s no surprise that there are lingering questions about who will care for them after his death. What is almost certain is this: Their fate will be decided in a courtroom, with several people possibly vying for custody.

Experts say the person who has the strongest legal claim to Jackson’s two oldest children is their mother, Deborah Rowe. As for the youngest child, Jackson’s wishes will be more influential.

It remains unclear who Jackson designated as potential guardians for his children. Those details — likely contained in the 50-year-old singer’s will — have not been released.

Rowe’s attorney, Marta Almli, wrote in a statement Saturday that “Ms. Rowe’s only thoughts at this time have been regarding the devastating loss Michael’s family has suffered. 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.”

Jackson never told his family who he had in place to handle his business affairs, a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday. The person, who requested anonymity because of the delicate nature of the situation, said they were told by the singer’s phalanx of advisers that he likely had a will, but it may be many years old.

The person also said that the children are still in the care of the extended Jackson family for the moment.

Jackson left behind three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7. The elder children were born to Rowe, while the youngest is his biological son, born to a surrogate mother.

Prince Michael II’s mother has never been identified, and while she may surface, it is likely that she signed away her rights, said Stacy Phillips, a Los Angeles divorce attorney who has represented numerous high-profile clients.

Jackson was by several accounts an attentive and loving father.

“He was a great father,” said Raymone Bain, Jackson’s former publicist and general manager. “Those kids knew three and four languages. Even the little one. They were well mannered and sweet. I can’t imagine these children without him.”

He was extremely protective of his children, who weren’t often seen in public, and were photographed wearing veils, masks or other items covering their faces when they were.

Rowe, a former nurse for Jackson’s dermatologist, married Jackson in 1996 but filed for divorce in 1999. She later gave up her custody rights to the children, but petitioned to have those rights restored in 2003 after Jackson was arrested on child molestation charges, and an appeals court sided with her.

Jackson and Rowe apparently agreed in 2006 regarding her rights, but the terms have never been disclosed. The couple’s divorce case that was heard in Los Angeles Superior Court remains closed.

Phillips said if her parental rights remain intact, she’s presumed to be first in line to receive custody of her two children. “That could still be contested,” she added.

Rowe would have to undergo an evaluation by the court to determine if she’s the best person to care for Jackson’s children. So, too, would anyone else who applies to become the children’s guardian — some of whom may have Jackson’s blessing.

“If he did indicate a preference, that will be given great weight, but that will not be determinative,” said Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred. “Children are not property, they cannot be willed to another person.”

Allred agreed that Rowe has better legal standing than others who apply for custody of Jackson’s eldest children. “She’s definitely going to havean advantage.”

But judges in California often take into account who is left in the children’s lives with a strong bond, said Charlotte Goldberg, a family law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

“It’s really a balance between continuity and stability and a biological relationship,” Goldberg said.

A judge deciding the matter may even seek input in chambers from Jackson’s children about who they feel comfortable with, she said.

But a court will also take into account with whom the children have a relationship bond, and that may not work in Rowe’s favor. She wrote in a 2001 petition to sever her parental rights that she thought Jackson was doing a good parenting job.

“Michael has been a wonderful father to the children, and I do not wish to share any parenting responsibilities with Michael because he is doing so well without me,” Rowe wrote. She also indicated in court filings during the 2006 custody struggle that she had not seen the children since 2005, shortly after his trial ended in acquittal on all charges and Jackson moved the children overseas.

It is unclear how often Rowe has seen the children since Jackson returned to the Los Angeles area in recent months to prepare for a 50-show concert engagement in London. It is also unclear what role the children’s godfather, British child actor Mark Lester, may play in the proceedings.

Whoever wins custody of Jackson’s children won’t automatically gain control of their inheritance, Phillips said.

“For many people, the person or persons who are taking care of their kids are not necessarily taking care of their money,” Phillips said. “There’s a benefit to that — a sort of a check-and-balance.”

Rowe, or whoever is designated the children’s guardian, will receive payments based on Jackson’s estate, Phillips said.

More clarity about the fate of Jackson’s children will likely come once court proceedings start.

Phillips said the custody issue will now be handled by a probate court. If it is filed at Los Angeles’ main downtown courthouse, Phillips said it will be handled by judges with significant family law experience.

Phillips said the looming custody fight could be unlike any other.

“In all the cases I’ve read all over the country,” she said, “I’ve never seen a fact pattern like this.”