Jamie McCourt, the ex-wife of Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, was awarded half-ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday when the judge presiding over their divorce threw out the marital property agreement that kept the team solely in Frank's possession.
The judge found that the contract, signed before the couple married, was either invalid or unenforceable, and must therefore be set aside.
This is the latest twist in what has been a bitter divorce battle over the historic franchise, and has left the team in a state of flux in terms of budget constraints and player transactions this offseason.
Frank's lawyers released a statement Tuesday, saying that the ruling does not change the ownership status of the Dodgers.
"Even without the marital property agreements in place, Jamie has no rights to the team," Marc Seltzer said in a statement. "Without the agreements in place, it becomes the court's job to determine which property is Frank's and which is Jamie's based on who holds legal title to the team. The facts are crystal clear on this point. The Dodgers are solely in Frank's name."
Meanwhile, on the other side of things, Jamie's lawyers seemed thrilled by the verdict.
"We are very pleased that the marital property agreement has been invalidated," attorney Michael J. Kump said in a statement. "Now that Jamie has prevailed on this fundamental issue, we hope that it will be possible to resolve this matter in a reasonable way going forward. The Dodgers are a valuable civic asset, and Dodger fans deserve stability in the front office, a winning team on the field, and a strong Dodger presence in the community."
For more baseball news, check out Cliff Lee: Is He Really Worth a 7-Year Deal?
- Login to post comments