RE: Jordan's Divorce Papers

["Ravi Singh" <kelticsfan@attbi.com>]

Thanks for the clarification on the public record info Douglas.  I'm
assuming then, that the document found on the smoking gun website is a
public record document.  Is that the boilerplate document you refer to?


Ravi

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com] On Behalf
Of Douglas342@AOL.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 11:18 AM
To: celtics@igtc.com
Subject: Re: Jordan's Divorce Papers


     This case will be public only if the Jordans want it public.  The 
complaint or petition for divorce is boilerplate - it's what you say to
get a 
divorce.  There is no news content in the papers I saw other than the
fact 
that a case has been filed, and that document is a public record.
First, I 
am virtually certain that they will use some form of alternative dispute

resolution rather than try the case in the court system.  In California,
at 
any rate, most celebrity divorces are tried in front of a private,
retired 
judge, out of the public eye.  Second, the vast majority of ALL divorces
are 
settled, often without any court appearances at all.  Why have some dumb
ol' 
family court judge decide the future of YOUR kids when you can decide it

yourselves?  And the Jordans can hire professional mediators,
psychologists, 
counselors, nannys and the like to assist them.
     And a lot of it depends on the lawyers.  If they hire classy ones,
the 
lawyers will strive to keep the case out of the press.  If Michael
Jordan 
hires you, your reputation is solid already and you don't need more 
publicity, especially in the mass media.  99% of the people in the world

can't afford you anyway, so why promote yourselves to them?  Your
colleagues 
know who you are.  Many pro basketball players know who you are.  Now,
if 
either party wants to try the case in the press, they can endeavor to do
so, 
and can hire lawyers skilled at manipulating the media for your purposes
or 
for the lawyers' own purposes.  But the tone overall is set by the
parties.  
If the Jordans tell their lawyers, "Keep it low key!" and if the lawyers
want 
the fees, they WILL keep it low key.
     All that being said, I cannot discount the merchants of sleaze who
will 
ry to unearth every salacious detail, but maybe that's inevitable.  I
concur 
totally that this is a private affair and a painful one, especially for
the 
kids.  They say that no one hates war like a soldier.  No one hates
divorce 
like someone who has made his living in the field for over 20 years.