A Superior Court judge, Robert Schnider, has ordered lawyers for both Michael Jackson and his ex wife Debbie Rowe to supply missing papers from the pair's divorce file relating to Rowe's 2001 motion terminating parental rights to her two children with the pop star. Rowe's lawyer, Marta Almli, must submit a duplicate of that motion, whilst Jackson's lawyers, Michael Abrams and Thomas Hall, have been ordered to supply a copy of Jacko's response to the move. The missing papers must be filed within thirty days, with a hearing date set for 24 May.
It's the latest development in an ongoing custody battle between the two. As previously reported, the couple divorced in 1999 after Rowe filed papers citing irreconcilable differences, and subsequently agreed to the 2001 ruling to give up her parental rights. A ruling earlier this year invalidated the 2001 motion on the grounds that the judge had made a procedural error, clearing the way for Rowe to pursue custody of her children.