Judge approves aggressive timeline in Prince estate case
Updated: 5:30 p.m. | Posted: 4:05 p.m.
A Minnesota judge has approved an aggressive timeline for testing claims of heirship to Prince's estate.
In a one-page order Monday, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide approved a protocol proposed by the trust company overseeing his affairs. It gives existing claimants until Friday to file sworn statements detailing their claims to have a genetic relationship with Prince that would make them heirs. New claimants will get a little more time to file the documents, which ask for details on parentage, birth and marriage certificates, and more.
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The special administrator would let claimants know within three days whether their claim is confirmed or ruled out, or if DNA testing is necessary.
The claimants included a Colorado prison inmate, Carlin Q. Williams, who says Prince was his father.
On Monday, Judge Eide also ordered a hearing Tuesday on a motion by special administrator Bremer Trust to hire entertainment industry consultants to help with the "management and preservation of the wide-ranging intellectual property of the Estate," according to court documents.
That motion was opposed by Williams, who said Bremer Trust should first determine who would inherit Prince's estate before hiring consultants.
The order says the motion and objection will be heard in a conference call Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Dayton declared Tuesday "Prince Day" in Minnesota.
The Minneapolis-born superstar died April 21, six weeks before he would have turned 58.
Dayton's proclamation urges Minnesotans to wear purple to honor Prince's legacy.