Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tentative Ruling to Seal Records

For the second time in a week, George Hearst Jr. asked San Luis Obispo Superior Court to seal information regarding his twin sister and his efforts to take conservatorship of her estimated $2 billion estate.

His first request, heard by Judge Teresa Estrada-Mullaney on March 26, sought to shut the public out from all hearings and access to the court file. That request was denied. His second attempt filed four days later was more successful. The judge made a tentative ruling that agrees to redact or seal from the public information on a case-by-case basis.

Hearst and his sister, Phoebe Hearst Cooke, are grandchildren of media magnate William Randolph Hearst.

About the case:
George Hearst Jr. and other family members, including Cooke’s daughter, Phoebe “Misty” Lipari want to place Cooke’s estate under George Hearst Jr.’s permanent control. They claim she is paranoid, irrational and incapable of handling her finances, which makes her prey to elder abuse.

The move to place Cooke’s estate under conservatorship began last July, when a petition was filed and granted to place Jeff Hamm, the county’s public guardian, as a temporary conservator of her estate.

Cooke, whose husband Jack died in September, has fought the actions to take over her estate, including the sale of her prized cattle and horses, saying her brother and the others do not have sufficient facts to prove she is mismanaging her assets or that she is being financially abused by others.

Cooke said her brother’s attempts to take over her estate are completely against her wishes — in part because of a long history of strained relations between the twins.

Full Article and Source:
Grandson of William Randolph Hearst aims to control sister's $2 billion estate, asks SLO court to seal records

See also:
$2 Billion Conservatorship Battle

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Guardianship law is written in the public interest; the courts must not seal files or records.

The image of the courts has fallen to a level never before seen. No one trusted lawyers; now they don't trust judges, either.

Anonymous said...

No, no, no -- sealed filed should not be alloed.

George Hearst Jr. must be denied!

wisernow said...

NO! Crooks at work!

No sealed / closed files to hide the dirty footprints, the details of the scheme to seize assets with court approval.

Let the sunshine in and expose the truth; how the system really works against the person with assets who is "marked for destruction" with court approval.