LA Clippers Owner Sterling Testifies In $2 Billion Sale, Family Trust Trial: In the trial concerning the sale of the LA Clippers for $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, owner Donald Sterling decided not to show up.
When Rochelle Sterling's lawyer Pierce O’Donnell called Mr. Sterling as the first witness with the prompt, “I call Donald Sterling,” there was no response. The question for Mrs. Sterling's attorney was whether the beleaguered owner of the Clippers had been removed from ties to the family trust fund, which would allow for the sale of the LA Clippers to a third party.
A vote by the NBA owners was set on July 15, the last day for the vote, after which Steve Ballmer would not be able to purchase the LA Clippers. Donald Sterling's wife Rochelle aka Shelly Sterling had been appointed to sell NBA's LA Clippers on behalf of Mr. Sterling, who was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease. Up to that point, Shelly Sterling was the sole trustee of the Sterling trust. After allegations of a $2 million fine from the NBA for racial comments recorded by his girlfriend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling from the NBA and refrained him from all activities linked to the NBA, including ownership of the LA Clippers.
Shelly Sterling's attorney Pierce O'Donnell told reporters, “This is the desperation of a desperate man who will do anything, anything he can with his MONEY, and his lawyers, to block this incredibly wonderful sale for #2 billion to Mr. Ballmer."
After the probate court ordered Mr. Sterling to testify in the LA courthouse, Sterling was present on Tuesday after a 'no-show' on Monday. One of the major questions the trial will have to flush out is the validity of Shelley as administrator of the trust after Donald Sterling revoked the trust on July 9, soon after the Ballmer deal was disclosed.
A neurologist and a psychologist had found Donald Sterling to be mentally incapacitated but they did not inform Sterling that the medical exams could rule out the capacity to hold the Sterling Family Trust Fund, which owns the LA Clippers.
Sterling's attorney Bobbi Samini said in a TV report, "I think the claim (Sterling) lacks competency is a sham, it's absurd and I think that should become more obvious to all of you today."
A federal court judge is now looking at the 'Sterling vs. Sterling' case to take into account privacy issues related to examining Donald Sterling without telling him about its purpose.
