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The Hearst conservatorship

By Gerry W. Beyer

Hearst_GeorgeBelow is a summary of the events surrounding the recent Hearst conservatorship proceedings:

      • George Hearst, Jr. (Chairman, Hearst Corp.) is seeking to be the conservator of his twin sister’s (Phoebe Hearst Cooke) estate with an estimated value of between $1.4 and $2 billion.

      • There are allegations that Phoebe has been bilked out of millions of dollars.

      • George wanted to have all court hearings closed and documents in the case sealed.  George argued that these matters are private and the details of his sister’s life may subject her to ridicule.

      • Judge Teresa Estrada-Mullaney rejected his request.

      • Currently, San Luis Obispo County is serving as Phoebe’s temporary conservator.

    See Patrick Howe, Publishing mogul fails to seal records from public, New Times, April 2, 2009.

    Posted in:
    Current Events and Guardianship