Rochelle Sterling Victorious in Court
On Monday, Judge Michael Levanas of Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that Rochelle Sterling had properly followed the directions of the family trust in removing Donald Sterling as co-trustee and that the sale of the team could be completed. “This is a new day in Los Angeles and a new day for the Los Angeles Clippers . . . And we want to go forward understanding that it was one woman who stood up against her husband, who had the courage to go to court and prevailed. So for the cynics out there, sometimes it works out O.K. This is a Hollywood ending.”
While the ruling itself was a victory, Ms. Sterling’s lawyers concede that this is not necessarily the end, given that Donald Sterling has two other lawsuits pending and can contest this ruling next month.
Rochelle Sterling said that she would attend Clippers games and hopes her husband will be able to join her one day in courtside seats. If the remaining obstacles are cleared, the sale to Ballmer could be approved by N.B.A. owners as soon as September 15th.
See Billy Witz, Donald Sterling Loses Bid to Block Sale of Clippers, The New York Times, July 28, 2014.