A lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson two year ago, against a New Jersey man over Jackson memorabilia shown on a pay-per-view Web site, was yesterday tosses out because Jackson stopped persuing it, according to court papers.
The entertainer had alleged in his lawsuit against Henry V. Vaccaro that at least some of the items displayed, still belonged to him, and therefore Vaccaro had to right to them. U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper had acted on the allegations by issuing a court order which barred Vaccaro from displaying or selling them items, as long as the case was pending.
Late Wednesday, it was unclear how the dismissal order would affect the possible display of the items – including costumes, pictures and personal items such as court papers and letters.
The items had been in an Oxnard storage facility, and were sold as part of a bankruptcy proceeding involving Joseph and Katherine Jackson, as well as Michael Jackson’s two brothers, Tito and Jermaine Jackson, the lawsuit stated. An attorney for Vaccaro, Edgar Pease III, said after a court hearing in March 2004, that his client had paid about $25,000 for the collection.
Vaccaro had cataloged and displayed the items on a website, which promised “the MOST juicy information” about Michael, Janet, LaToya and the rest of the Jackson family.
Although the court order barred Vaccaro from selling the items, several news outlets reported in 2002, that before the order was issued, Vaccaro had already some items to a European buyer.
A call placed to a Jackson representative was not immediately returned late today, and an attorney who had represented Jackson in the matter, said he was no longer involved in the case.
Jackson had sought at least $10 million from Vaccaro.
Source: NBC4/MJJForum/eMJey