Jackson’s Mother Granted Custody of Children and Control of Estate

June 30, 2009 by Suzanne Conlon

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, has won temporary guardianship of her late son's three children and of her son's estate, which includes the Neverland ranch and rights to many Beatles songs. “She is taking that action with the intent of protecting Jackson's legacy”, said a family friend.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff granted Katherine Jackson temporary guardianship of the children on Monday. He also scheduled a hearing for August 3 on Jackson's petition to become permanent guardian of her son's children. The petition also sought to name Katherine Jackson as administrator of the children's estates, but the judge did not grant that request. The papers requesting guardianship of the children's estate lists its value as "unknown."

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 filings note that Deborah Rowe is the mother of Jackson's two eldest children, but list her whereabouts as "unknown." His youngest son was born to a surrogate mother who waived parental rights.

"Minor children are currently residing with paternal grandmother," the filing gives as a reason why Katherine Jackson should be appointed guardian. "They have a long established relationship with paternal grandmother and are comfortable in her care." “This is where they belong," said Joe Jackson, the singer’s father. "We're going to take care of them and give them the education they're supposed to have."

Joe Jackson also declared that no funeral would be planned until the results of a second autopsy were completed. "We're not ready for that yet because we're trying to wait on something else. We're searching to see what happened to Michael," Joe said.  Jackson’s family hired a private pathologist who has carried out a second autopsy.

The family is working with the Reverend Al Sharpton to plan a memorial service for the star. There are rumors that they are considering a series of simultaneous memorial services around the world, reflecting the huge global reach of a superstar singer who sold more than 750 million records.

“It is the determination of the family to be careful and deliberate on how they plan his celebration of life, because we're talking about a historic figure that really changed pop culture around the world," Sharpton said.