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Martin Luther King's siblings reach settlement
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-14 10:41

After more than 14 hours of discussion, the heirs of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. reached a settlement late on Monday that will keep the family of the slain civil rights leader from a public jury trial.

Martin Luther King III and Bernice King sued their brother Dexter King in July 2008, accusing him of acting improperly as head of their father's estate, which the three control as a private corporation. The three have been largely estranged for months as Martin Luther King III and Bernice King said their brother continued to make decisions on behalf of King Inc. without their input or knowledge.

Monday's settlement came ahead of a threat of a looming civil trial that was expected to reveal personal and financial details about King Inc. According to the settlement agreement, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural D. Glanville has declared the siblings "deadlocked" as shareholders and will appoint a temporary custodian who will run King Inc. and work with them to determine the future of the corporation.