Judge presiding over Prince estate in 'no hurry' to decide who inherits
Untangling the tangled Prince estate case is going to take longer than anyone anticipated, the probate judge indicated in Minnesota Monday.
As would-be heirs to Prince Rogers Nelson's millions and their small army of lawyers (nearly two-dozen) huddled in court in Chaska, Minn., for a hearing, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide said he is in no hurry to decide who can get a piece of the superstar's fortune.
The issue at the hearing is the process for determining who is and is not a relative of Prince eligible to inherit. Among other matters, DNA tests may be required of claimants, under Minnesota law, depending on their claimed relationship.
Eide says it will take a while to make those decisions. And he says he may forward the questions about determining parentage to a higher court for legal guidance, drawing out the process even longer.
At the close of the hearing, he indicated his preliminary ruling won't come for at least two weeks
Prince died at his Paisley Park compound in Carver County outside Minneapolis on April 21, the result of an accidental painkiller overdose. His death is still under investigation by the local sheriff.
No will has been found, after the estate special administrator, Bremer Trust, examined thousands of boxes of documents in four different locations, according to David Crosby, attorney for the trust.
"We've looked under every box lid … The inquiry is coming to a close very soon," Crosby said.
With no will, it's up to the judge to preside over the organization of his estate — believed to be worth hundreds of millions and growing every day — and its distribution to his heirs, not to mention preservation and marketing of his musical legacy.
Besides his one full sister, Tyka Nelson, and a half-dozen known half-siblings or their descendants, a crowd of others claiming to be half-siblings to Prince or his secret children have come forward hoping to cash in.
Brian Dillon, an attorney for Tyka Nelson, urged Eide to act quickly. "There is some urgency in determining who are the rightful heirs," Dillon said. "We are now more than 2 1/2 months out from (Prince's) death."
The estate faces a January deadline to pay up to 57% of the total valuation in federal and state taxes; meanwhile, the estate cannot earn revenue from the marketing of Prince's music until the heirs are named.
“Delay can damage this estate. That's a reality of this business,” said Ken Abdo, who represents three of Prince's half-siblings.
At least some of those claiming to be half-siblings (eligible to inherit under Minnesota law) have named as their mutual parent different men than Prince's known father, John Nelson, who is deceased.
Claimants who say Prince's father was someone else argued for a broader view of eligibility, according to the Associated Press. Venita Jackson Leverette, for instance, claims she is a half-sibling because Prince's real father was Alfred Jackson Sr. Her lawyer said her claim could be backed up by a DNA test if permitted by the court.
Already, at least one man who claimed to be Prince's secret son, federal prison inmate Carlin Q. Williams, has been ruled out by DNA tests, according to the Associated Press.
Many of the would-be heirs and their lawyers have cited Minnesota parentage law to demand that any discussion of their alleged relationship to Prince take place behind closed doors instead of in open court in front of the media. Eide has agreed to those demands and warned that he may eject reporters from some portions of Monday's hearing.
Last week, after a coalition of media organizations attempted to intervene, Eide denied their petition to be heard on Monday but but left open the possibility of scheduling a hearing on the issue of access at a later date.
Contributing: The Associated Press