No Letup In MJ Battles

The battles over Michael Jackson’s memorial and estate show no signs of waning five months after his death, with the Los Angeles city attorney still shaking his piggy bank at AEG over funeral costs, and Jackson’s father, Joe, appealing a ruling that confirmed he was cut out of his son’s will.

The city issued a report Nov. 13 revealing the memorial cost L.A. $3.2 million in salaries and overtime for preparation and deployment of nearly 4,000 police officers assigned to the July 2 event at Staples Center.

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and AEG CEO Tim Leiweke have been publicly rattling sabres over the former’s demand for reimbursement ever since.

Trutanich once again announced he would seek reimbursement from the company, despite the city’s own report that L.A. merchants made some $4 million from fans and tourists in the days surrounding the memorial.

L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine apparently got into the act, too. LA Weekly reported that he told the paper Leiweke pledged to help cover the city’s costs when the two recently had lunch together, though that couldn’t be independently confirmed at press time.

Meanwhile, Joe Jackson was back in the news by filing an appeal in Los Angeles Superior Court Nov. 13 challenging Judge Mitchell Beckloff’s ruling that the elder Jackson has no standing to challenge his son’s appointment of John Branca and John McClain to administer his will.