Judge Ousts MLK Estate Lawyer in Memorabilia Case
The sons of Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., have to find a new lawyer in their fight to sell their father’s Nobel Peace Prize medal and personal Bible.Broadcast Version
Fulton Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney has disqualified William Hill and his law firm.
Hill represented the estate. In this case, that means Martin Luther King, III and his brother Dexter against their sister, Bernice, who does not want the items sold.
In 2008, Hill served as a Special Master, making recommendations to the judge, in another case that also included the medal and Bible.
According to WABE legal analyst Page Pate, “[Hill] was just too wrapped up in the earlier case, according to Judge McBurney, for him to be a lawyer representing one of them in this case.” Pate says disqualifying a lawyer is unusual but not rare.
Obviously, this could delay the case, but Pate does not expect a lengthy delay. “Judge McBurney is also the type of judge who likes to move his cases quickly,” Pate told WABE. “I anticipate that, while he’ll give the estate ample time to find another lawyer, he’s not going to let this case sit out there much longer without anything happening.”
Right now, the case is scheduled to go to trial in late September.
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