Feud Over Rosa Parks’ Estate Turns Ugly

As I have previously discussed, there has been a dispute over whether the estate’s executors charged the Estate of Rosa Parks with unnecessary administrative costs and work. In addition, I have also discussed how the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Elaine Steele was to be restored to her executor position and that Parks’ original wishes were to be followed. Parks originally wanted most of her estate to be used to fund the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. 

Following this good news, the attorney for Ms. Steele and the beneficiaries have sued the judge who appointed the two executors, John Chase Jr. and Melvin Jefferson, to oversee the administration of Rosa Parks’s estate. In addition, the attorney also sued Chase and Jefferson. The attorney for Ms. Steele has claimed that Judge Burton, Chase, and Jefferson acted corruptly and has “accused them of cronyism, corruption, overcharging the Estate and more.” What makes this story worse is that the attorney has basically slandered the three individuals here in the course of representing his client. The attorney has gone on a local talk show and discussed how he felt that the three individuals were involved in some type of conspiracy. He also said that he thought the judge was taking bribes. The problem is that there has been no evidence to prove that individuals are actually corrupt or have done anything that this attorney has claimed that they have been doing. Now, the attorney for Chase and Jefferson is fighting back against this attorney. Alan May filed a motion to have the attorney removed from the case and sanctioned for his behavior. 

See Danielle & Andy Mayoras, Rosa Parks’ Legacy Stained By Court Feud, Wild Accusations of Corruption, Financial Planning, Aug. 6, 2012.

Special Thanks to Brian J. Cohan for bringing this article to my attention.