Joe Jackson granted access to medical records

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled that Joe Jackson can receive his son, Michael Jackson’s, medical records from the UCLA Medical Center. Joe Jackson's attorney, Brian Oxman, sought the records as part of an effort to obtain a $15,000 montly stipend for Joe from Michael's estate; Michael provided for his three children and his mother, but excluded his his father from his will. The judge will review the records first before releasing them to Oxman. Beckloff also ruled Jackson can only review records generated on or after the date of Michael's death so as to not violate doctor-patient confidentiality. Anyone granted review of the medical records will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Jackson and Oxman stated they are also considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Michael's death.

Joe Jackson wants to sue over deceased photos

Lawyers for Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, have filed papers seeking the court's acknowledgment that Michael's family has the right to sue media outlets for publishing photos of Mr. Jackson's deceased body. Attorney Brian Oxman filed papers claiming there is a legal precedent for a family to sue for invasion of privacy when such photographs are taken or published. Shows such as Entertainment Tonight (ET) and others have repeatedly aired photographs of Mr. Jackson's body on a stretcher as it was taken into an ambulance.

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Jackson Jet Judgement Overturned

An appeallate court judge has overturned the $20 million judgment awarded to Michael Jackson's former attorney Mark Geragos in a lawsuit against jet company XtraJet. XtraJet faced Federal criminal charges and a civil suit after secretly filming Michael and Geragos on a 2003 flight. The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled on Monday, January 11, 2009, that the multi-million dollar amount against now-defunct firm XtraJet and its owner, Jeffrey Borer, was excessive. Jackson was filmed in conversation with Geragos while flying on an XtraJet plane from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara, California, to mount a defense against child molestation allegations. Jackson was later acquitted of all the charges in a court of law. XtraJet owner Borer plead guilty in 2006 to federal charges of conspiring to record Jackson. Geragos received $18 million of the $20 million; at Monday's ruling he was told he could either accept a reduced amount of $750,000 in damages or seek a new trial. His attorney Brian Kabateck made a statement to the Los Angeles Times saying, "I think we're going be retrying this case."

Joe Jackson got shut down

Following on the heels of his recent filing demanding support from his late son, Michael Jackson's estate, Jackson 5 patriarch, Joe Jackson, filed a motion claiming John McClain and John Branca should be removed as executors of Michael's estate. The elder Jackson claims his son believed Branca and McClain had defrauded him and accused the two administrators of conflicts of interest. Joe Jackson's attorney Brian Oxman said in a phone interview with the Associated Press that his client is allowed to challenge the executors as "an interested party who has the right to be an executor or personal representative." Michael Jackson's 2002 will left his entire estate to his three children and his mother with a portion going to support children's charities; the will omitted Joseph Jackson entirely.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said Joe Jackson could not challenge the executors of the estate. "I don't think he gets to step into this and create further litigation," the judge decreed. "Joe Jackson takes none of this estate. This is a decision his son made." He did, however say Joe Jackson could petition the court for an allowance from the estate since his son had been supporting him for many decades.

In a surprise move, the lawyer for Michael Jackson's mother and heir of his estate, Katherine Jackson, withdrew Mrs. Jackson's objection to the Branca and McClain as special administrators saying she felt they could "enhance the legacy of Michael Jackson in the best interest of his children." This reversal ends months of legal wrangling the executors from Mrs. Jackson and her adult children, however it swept the legs from beneath her husband's legal objection to their appointment. Mr. Jackson's attorney Oxman called the abrupt about face despicable and hinted at a possible lawsuit against his client's wife for her failure to support his motion.

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"This Is It": This Is Mine

Songwriter/producer "Paul Anka" has reached an agreement with Michael Jackson's estate over the newly released single "This Is It." Anka claims he and Michael co-wrote the song in the 1980's and Michael recorded it in 1991 during his sessions for his Dangerous album. According to Anka, the song was also recorded by a singer named Safire in 1991 and released as "I Never Heard." Producers have arranged at least three versions of the song, the original, a version with Michael's brothers singing backup, and an orchestral arrangement. The latter two will be included on the two-disc companion set for the film This Is It.

Under the terms of the agreement, Anka received an official apology for his omission from the writing credits for the song and he will share in 50% of the publishing rights; Anka, himself, called the omission "an honest mistake" shortly after claiming estate special administrator John McClain told him, "Now we know why the song was so good ... it wasn't the type of Michael Jackson song that he could write." Excuse me?

"We Don't Roll That Way"

I swear this isn't the Ellen blog; I really just wanted an excuse to use this picture.

Representatives from 17 record companies are suing the Ellen DeGeneres Show claiming copyright infringement for more than 1000 songs producers play during Ellen's opening dance segment on the show. For those of you who haven't seen Ellen's daytime talk show (lucky you!), Ellen has a short segment where her black DJ Tommy (?) spins dance, R & B, and hip hop records while the audience dances. Ellen, herself, dances off the stage, through the aisles, and back up to her set. A lot of the songs he plays are pretty good, by the way. Some of the songs cited include "Stronger" by Kanye West and "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.

Anyway, the record companies gave the show a chance to explain themselves before they filed suit, but the producers just told them, "we don't roll that way." Say what? "We don't roll that way?" I think that's going to be my new anthem.

Client: 'Safari, I know this is 2pm on the Friday before a three day weekend, but I'm going to need you to get this project to me within 72 hours."
Wild Safari: 'I'm sorry. I don't roll that way.'
Client: 'Safari, you know we bring you a lot of business. We'll pay you double. Just submit an invoice after you turn in the project and I'll personally make sure you get the bonus.'
Wild Safari: 'You lie!'

Representative Wilson's career-ending outburst during Obama's Congressional address the other night is my other new anthem. I've been going around all week just yelling out "you lie!" as a non sequitur. It's a good way to get out of awkward conversations. Try it.

The record companies filed suit yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Music City, USA (Nashville, Tennessee). In part, the filing states, "As sophisticated consumers of music, Defendants knew full well that, regardless of the way they rolled, under the Copyright Act, and under state law for the pre-1972 recordings, they needed a license to use the sound recordings lawfully." Can you imagine the clerk that received that filing? Oh-em-gee!

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Before there was Melyssa Ford or Karinne Steffans, there was Ola Raye

Before there was a Melyssa Ford or a Karinne Steffans (Ms. Superhead her self), there was Ola Ray. Ola Ray (no relation to LisaRay--I think), the original video girl is STILL harping that she didn't get paid for Thriller. Ola did what is perhaps the most famous 14 minute walk in the world, but she couldn't seem to walk over to the court house for 27 years. Her attorney filed documents in Los Angeles court claiming she is a creditor to Michael Jackson's estate. Ray claims she hasn't been paid royalties for the video and is seeking an unspecified amount of money from his estate (now valued at $1.3 Billion by some estimates).

Ola is currently a stay-at-home mom but in 1982 she was a "model/actress" who posed for Playboy in 1980. For those of you who have a collection, she was Playmate of the Month for June 1980. Michael picked her from thousands upon thousands of candidates reportedly because she had "the look." People the world over responded to Ola's processed curl, cropped denim outfit, and bright red lipstick that matched her red pumps. Ola was indeed the "it girl" for about two years in the early 80's. Her career eventually fizzled with her last acting credit listed as Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987 (she is not even on the third tier list of actors).

This is hardly the first time Ola has started squawking about Thriller; in 1997 she apologized to Michael for complaints about payments only to start up again 12 years later and two months before his death. After Michael's passing in June, Ola made the media rounds, just like a host of his other "friends," saying "I am freaking out, I can't believe that he is gone," she said. "He was my hero as well as my mentor. And I really respected him".

Reportedly, Ray still has one of Michael's Grammy Awards in her possession; she accepted it on his behalf and never gave it back. I also seem to recall reading Michael bankrolled Thriller and paid everyone up front so he would own all the rights and profits to the video. If this is true the Ola Ray and director John Landis (another so-called "friend" who is also suing for royalties from the estate) may be S.O.L.

Trina Thompson Sues College

This story is starting to turn some heads. Bronx resident, Trina Thompson is suing her school, Monroe College for the $70,000 she paid in tuition. Thompson sites failure to find gainful employment as her reason, and blames the school's career service department for not holding up their end of the bargain to provide job leads and career advice. She received a information technology degree in April 2009.

Why are people so interested? Right now, half of America is crippled by student loan payments. Accepting the concept that what we put into our education is what we get out of it as one that's generally true. In all likelihood, Thompson won't win this case, but it seems her action is fulfilling a certain curiosity for the lot of us: With the amount of money each student pays, how responsible should an educational institute be held for their lack of success...?

The Game sued for getting his Jerry Springer on

Remember when The Game made the news last year for beating down his own cousin at a relative's funeral? Robert Kirkwood claims The Game agreed to pay for a portion of his sister's funeral then reneged. Kirkwood approached him at the funeral and caught a whooping right then and there. Well, he and four others are being sued by that cousin for medical expenses, loss of income, and general damages. Too bad The Game's career has taken a long nosedive and that paper ain't stackin' like it used to. Kirkwood might end up with a half-empty can of Axe body spray and some used gold fronts.

GHWB: Going Home While Black

America's preeminent Black scholar, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., was arrested last night. His crime was one count of GHWB: going home while Black. Gates, the director of Harvard University's W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research had just returned from a trip to China when he and his driver discovered his front door was wedged shut. Gates let himself in the back door, disarmed his alarm, then he and his driver pushed on the front door from the outside until it opened. The driver left and Gates called Harvard's property management company. The police arrived while he was on the phone and proceeded to question him.

According to Gates, he informed the officers that he lived at the address and produced both a driver's license and a Harvard photo ID, but officers continued to question him. Gates became upset at the repeated questioning after he had proven his residence and requested the officer's name and badge number. When the officer repeatedly refused, he followed him onto the porch where he was arrested and handcuffed in front of other officers.

The police report tells another story. According to officers, Gates was arested on a disorderly conduct charge after exhibiting "loud and tumultuous behavior." Police Sgt. James Crowley wrote in his police report Gates said, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" and kept yelling the responding officers were racially biased.

Gates' attorney, Harvard scholar Charles Ogletree simply said, "I think the incident speaks for itself."

Text: Wild Safari

Source: CNN

UPDATE: The Middlesex County D.A. "has agreed to enter a nolle prosequi in this matter;" they will not pursue charges.

Creflo as in "Cash Flow"

TV mega-preacher Creflo Dollar, one of several high-profile ministers being accused of fleecing their flocks to finance their lavish lifestyles, is being sued by a California businessman, Devone Lawson who says the pastor stole his business idea of charging followers a monthly fee for devotional text messages.

The already very-rich Creflo and son Jeremy are raking in $50 million a year through the $4.99-per-month "Word on the Go" subscriptions, which the preacher recently hiked to $5.99, James Evangelista, Lawson’s Atlanta-based attorney, claims. “The word from the preacher ain’t cheap.”

Dollar reportedly has 30,000 congregants at his World Changer Church International in the Atlanta suburb of College Park. He also has another church in New York City and an international TV ministry. He along with other notable TV ministers are currently under investigation by the Senate Finance Committee, who contends that several televangelists, including Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn and Dollar have unscrupulously gained wealth by skirting tax laws and soaking their congregations for millions.

Michael Jackson claims he was never served in lawsuit

Michael Jackson wants a judge to throw out a default judgement against him in a $44 million lawsuit. Michael claims he was never properly served in his ex-publicist Raymone Bain's lawsuit against him for failure to pay for management and publicity services. The judge entered a default judgment against him when he failed to answer her complaint. Bain claims she sent a process server to Neverland Ranch and the server was told to "get the f*** out of here!"

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Yes, Michael is being sued AGAIN!

Michael Jackson's longtime spokesperson Raymone Bain is suing him. Here is her statement:

"It is with deep regret that I find myself at this place, having to file a lawsuit against my longtime employer, and someone whom I have greatly admired and respected, Michael Jackson.“Mr. Jackson and I have had a long, productive and mutually beneficial business relationship.“Unfortunately, Mr. Jackson has elected not to honor the financial obligationsof our contractual relationship, despite my numerous attempts to amicably resolve this matter. I am sincerely disappointed in Mr. Jackson’s failure to honor his obligations.“This lawsuit will result in some discussion about the relationship between Mr. Jackson and me. Hypothetical theories, accusations and rumors, if gauging from the past, will be many. However, all of these will be replaced in court with the truth."

She has worked for him for years. Michael's brother fired her in 2005 during Michael' child molestation trial. Michael turned around and made her General Manager of his company in 2006. What kind of hold does she have over him? If she has known and worked for him for all this time, girlfriend should know without a doubt that Michael can't be bothered with paying bills himself--he is too busy being a musical genius. She should see his accountants about that little bill of hers.