DEVELOPING: Judge Says Shelly Sterling Acted "Appropriately"

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Judge Michael Levanas has come down with the opinion/ruling that Shelly Sterling acted appropriately in the decision to challenge her estranged husband's mental state in the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Closing arguments the first of three pending Donald Sterling lawsuits were earlier in the day and Levanas ruled Shelly Sterling, tentatively, has the authority to act for the Sterling Family Trust.

Here's the preview before the decision from the judge
Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

The next deadline for the proposed sale to Steve Ballmer is August 15th- the date of the next NBA owner's meetings. But the sale is still tentative pending all other litigation (which sends us back to the other two Donald Sterling lawsuits).

"We are pleased that the court has affirmed Shelly Sterling’s right to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer," said NBA spokesman Mike Bass in a statement. "We look forward to the transaction closing as soon as possible."

Donald Sterling's lead attorney, Bobby Samini, says he was told by his client that he was to keep proceeding in other legal activites and "keep fighting on other fronts."

Testimony In One Sterling Trial Wraps Up

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One down, and what is it...??? Two cases in play...???

The first-filed (that's probably the best way to phrase it...) case by Donald Sterling against Shelly Sterling determining who is in charge of the Los Angeles Clippers is finished with its testimony.

Closing arguments begin Monday...

Naturally, both sides, both lawyers, and both Sterlings are thinking that they're doing well in the case.
Here's the word from outside the courtroom...


The closing arguments will detail whether Shelly pulled an end-run in getting control over her estranged husband or if judge Michael Levanas will side with the physicians who have declared him mentally incompetent in running the Sterling Family Trust and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The other two cases Donald Sterling has against his estranged wife and the NBA are still in play at present and have no end of discussions- whether frivolous or optimistic.

Donald Sterling Sues Wife And NBA Again

((HT: ESPN))

Donald Sterling is a very busy man in the middle of his probate case going on in Los Angeles.

He filed another concurrent suit in Superior Court seeking damages from the NBA, commissioner Adam Silver, his wife Shelly Sterling, and the Clippers alleging they all violated corporate law in trying to sell the team.

Sterling argues he is the sole owner and shareholder of the parent organization: LAC Basketball Club- that manages and runs the team. His interest in LACBC was in the Family Trust, but he maintains that when he revoked the trust (the crux of the current arguments in probate court), everything went back to his own personal interest and management.

And, therefore, he's the guy in charge of everything- not his wife or anyone else.

Max Bretos checks in with Ramona Shelburne about the latest adventures


And then interim CEO Richard Parsons, as part of his testimony, revealed and reinforced that if Donald Sterling was to remain owner that coach and GM Doc Rivers was checking out.

Bretos and Shelburne again


Clippers fans who have followed the franchises ups and downs for a long time feel this is par for the course and should not be surprised that the final salvo Donald Sterling is interested in firing at any of his detractors is going to just have the franchise in a slow burn of failure- mandated by behavior in the courts of Los Angeles.

If Donald Sterling is going down, he is going to take it all with him...

To hell with all of you...

So Donald Sterling May Need A Sale To Cover A Huge Debt

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Darren Schield, the Chief Financial Officer of the Sterling Trust, took the stand in the court proceedings today in Los Angeles and admitted in open court that the Trust needs to sell the Clippers to cover half a billion dollars in outstanding loans for other Sterling properties.

Once Donald Sterling dissolved the Trust, the banks that are holding the notes could jump in and declare the Sterlings in default of the notes.

If the Clippers aren't sold, Schield admitted that Donald Sterling would have to dump that same amount of value in apartment buildings or other Sterling properties- a move that could flush the real estate market into the toilet.

Here's the coverage from the trial today that isn't all that optimistic


Ramona Shelburne said after the trial appearances today, Donald Sterling met with possible-new owner Steve Ballmer and his estranged wife, Shelly.

Donald Sterling Ordered To Testify

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After not showing up for the first day of his competency hearing after the request to move Donald Sterling's trail to a federal court, testimony is underway in an LA district court.

Donald Sterling himself was ordered to testify Tuesday and answer the charges put forth that he is mentally incompetent to run the Sterling Trust and, therefore, the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sandra Endo is outside the courtroom setting up a busy day
Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

The lawyers, Samini and O'Donnell, are especially looking forward to the jousting in open court as is the HQ to see just how much jousting there will, in fact, be and how Donald Sterling perceives himself in the proceeding.

Sterling Versus Sterling Set For July

((HT: NBC Los Angeles))

It will be a four-day event in July- the probate court review of Donald Sterling disavowing his wife, Shelly's, idea of making the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer. The court denied Shelly Sterling's call for relief.

Bobby Samini, the representative attorney for Donald Sterling at the hearing, says that his side will bring their own experts testifying on his client's mental state. Samini, naturally, says his client is fine for his age.

But ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne got to pour over court documents that included the appraisals of Donald Sterling's mental state.

A sample from the three physicians:

One doctor, James E. Spar, who is affiliated with the division of geriatric psychiatry at UCLA, said he believes "Mr. Sterling is at risk of making potentially serious errors of judgment, impulse control and recall in the management of his finances and his trust.''

"In my opinion he is substantially unable to manage his finances and resist fraud and undue influence, and is no longer competent to act as trustee of his trust,'' Spar concluded.

Here's the view from Shelly Sterling's lead attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, outside the courtroom

Mental Incapacitation Gives Sterling Trust Green Light With Ballmer

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From Ramona Shelburne at ESPN again:

Espn has learned that experts had declared Donald Sterling mentally incapacitated, leaving Shelly as sole trustee & power to sell the team

That way, Shelly Sterling didn't need anything resembling her husband's permission to negotiate a deal.

Here's the early thoughts on the deal heading to the NBA office
Los Angeles Local News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

The next move is Donald Sterling's, but he'll have to go after his wife first before chasing the NBA.

From James Rainey, Andrea Chang, and Chris O'Brien:

Bobby Samini, an attorney for co-owner Donald Sterling, said as he left Sterling's home: "There's been no sale. There can be no sale without Donald's signature."

Ah, the layers...