Georgia Family Law Blog

Bynum discusses marriage on "Divorce Court"

Televangelist Juanita Bynum acknowledges thoughts of suicide and says she no longer wants to remain married to her estranged husband in an upcoming two-part episode of the reality television show "Divorce Court."

In episodes scheduled to air Thursday and Friday, Bynum also weighs in on a case involving alleged domestic violence. The Associated Press obtained a transcript with excerpts of the show.

Bynum told Judge Lynn Toler - who hears cases on the syndicated show distributed by Twentieth Television - that she saw signs of trouble in her marriage to Thomas W. Weeks III before the Aug. 21 incident that ended in a physical altercation in a hotel parking lot outside of Atlanta.

"I was just trying to make it work because I don't like losing relationships," Bynum said. "All of this just kept getting swept under the rug ... So you begin to adapt to a very wrong and very unhealthy marriage."

Weeks pleaded guilty on March 11 to assaulting Bynum and was sentenced to three years' probation. At the sentencing hearing, he also addressed his wife, who sat in the second row of the courtroom gallery. The two later left the courthouse together.

Prosecutors alleged that Weeks beat Bynum - a prominent televangelist whose message of women's empowerment resonated with thousands of followers - in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel.

According to a police report, Bynum told officers that Weeks "choked her, pushed her down, kicked and stomped her ... until a bellman pulled him off of her."

As a condition of his sentence, Weeks must undergo violence and anger counseling and complete 200 hours of community service that cannot be church-related. He had been barred previously from communicating with Bynum, but that restriction has been lifted. His record will be cleared if he completes the terms of his sentence.

When asked whether she and Weeks were planning a reconciliation, Bynum said she was "done."

"I can't speak for him, but I no longer want the marriage," she told Toler.

Bynum said she would always love Weeks, but made a decision to "love me more."

Weeks has said that the couple had discussed reconciliation as late as August, but his divorce attorney, Randy Kessler, said on Tuesday that the divorce is moving forward and headed toward trial. A mediation date is scheduled for May 13.

"Reconciliation is not in the works and not even being discussed now," Kessler said, adding that the show appearance could affect the mediation.

The couple wed in a million-dollar, televised ceremony in 2002 and together wrote "Teach Me How to Love You: The Beginnings."

The couple separated in June and they have no children together. Bynum filed for divorce from Weeks a month after the attack, citing "cruel treatment" and saying the marriage was "irretrievably broken."

The televangelist was also asked about rumors circulating on the Internet that she tried to commit suicide.

"Suicide crossed my mind ... You know, I felt hopeless," Bynum said. "I didn't because the name Bynum represents a legacy of people that have gone before me and had I done that I would have given too much power to an individual to not just wipe me out but to wipe out the integrity of the legacy I was born in."

Bynum said she briefly feared her legacy - and particularly her ministry - was in jeopardy, but no longer feels that way.

"If all that I have become in 25 years does not properly define who I am to the people that follow my ministry then there is no need for me to try to explain it."

Bynum is a former hairdresser and flight attendant who became a Pentecostal evangelist, author and gospel singer. Weeks is the founder of Global Destiny churches.

After the incident, Bynum vowed to become an advocate for domestic abuse prevention.

In the "Divorce Court" episodes, she observes and weighs in on a case involving domestic violence. When asked what advice she had for women in situations similar to hers, she said, "I have to make a decision ... to take the love that I had for him with me."

Toler said the show doesn't typically deal with domestic violence, but she saw a unique opportunity to reach some of her most loyal viewers, Southern black women.

"Here you have a woman who is very famous and who speaks to my audience," Toler said. "No one would ever think that she would be in that circumstance."

She said she thinks that viewers will likely be surprised by Bynum's lack of anger and her candor about her own situation.

"She was very honest about how far she fell," Toler said. "It's a tough situation anyway, and to do it in a fishbowl ... I think she handled it with a lot of grace and aplomb."

SOURCE: Ledger-Enquirer.com in an AP story by Errin Haines

Two judges recuse from Richardson divorce-sealing case

According to today's Fulton County Daily Report, in a story by Andy Peters, two of the three Superior Court judges in the Paulding Judicial Circuit have recused from a citizen's effort to unseal court filings in House Speaker Glenn Richardson's divorce case.

The report is reprinted below:

Two of the three Superior Court judges in the Paulding Judicial Circuit have recused from a citizen's effort to unseal court filings in House Speaker Glenn Richardson's divorce case. The only judge that's left to hear the matter is the one whose actions prompted the citizen's motion—Judge James R. Osborne.

Atlanta attorney Gerald R. Weber Jr. last month filed a motion in Paulding County on behalf of Rome government gadfly George Anderson to unseal Richardson's divorce file. Susan Richardson filed for divorce from Glenn Richardson on Feb. 6. The case was sealed the same day by Osborne, who wrote in his sealing order that “the harm otherwise resulting to the interest of the parties and their children … outweighs any public interest” in seeing the records.

Weber argued the records should be unsealed “pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 21 and the common-law and constitutional right of access to court records.” Weber said Osborne's order used the wrong standard, implemented no time limitations and sealed virtually the entire file.

Paulding Superior Court Chief Judge Tonny S. Beavers and Judge Kenneth G. Vinson recused from Anderson's complaint, Weber said, citing court documents. Weber said that while he has not asked Osborne to recuse, the judge could do so on his own.

Anderson also filed a complaint against Osborne with the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, saying Osborne acted improperly by ruling on Richardson's divorce case since he had practiced law with Richardson. Anderson also filed a complaint against Richardson with the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee.

The divorce case in the Paulding Judicial Circuit is styled Richardson v. Richardson, No. 08-cv-670. Glenn Richardson, a lawyer, is representing himself and his ex-wife in responding to Anderson, Weber said.

Judge Osborne declined to comment. A call to Richardson's office was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.

SOURCE: Fulton County Daily Report

Bishop Weeks pleads guilty to aggravated assault

Bishop Thomas W. Weeks and his wife, evangelist Juanita Bynum, embrace after he pleaded guilty to assaulting her in August. The couple is going through a divorce.

'My emotions got the best of me,' he says



Bishop Thomas W. Weeks pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated assault in the summertime attack on his estranged wife, national evangelist Juanita Bynum.

In Fulton County Superior Court before judge T. Jackson Bedford, Weeks admitted that he grabbed Bynum, threw her down and kicked her in the parking of the Renaissance Concourse Hotel, near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Aug. 21

Weeks immediately was sentenced to three years probation, 200 hours of non-church related community service and ordered to attend anger management counseling. If he successfully completes these conditions, the conviction will be expunged from his record.

The contrite pastor apologized to Bynum.

"I want to apologize to my wife for all actions you had to go through," Weeks said. "I know it has been difficult. I appreciate you and I thank you."

When asked by Bedford if she approved of the deal Weeks struck, Bynum said yes.

Still, Bedford scolded both ministers for their recent behavior as their marital troubles played out before the public.

"I understand if not hundreds of thousands, millions of people look to you for leadership, both moral and spiritual," said Bedford to both Bynum and Weeks. "Going forward I would be mindful in your conduct in the future. Going through a divorce is a very difficult time. I know what it does to people.

"I'm very pleased this would was able to be worked out. Neither of you needed to be exposed to what would have happened in the courtroom. I wish you the very best," Bedford said.

After the hearing Weeks and Bynum stood together outside the courthouse, expressing at least a degree of love.

He had asked for forgiveness and she accepted.

"My emotions got the best of me," Weeks said of the Aug. 21 incident. "I take responsibility."

Bynum said seeing her husband on Monday at a divorce deposition brought back old memories. She intervened on his behalf appealing to the court to be lenient on him.

"When I saw him it allowed me to reflect on the first time we got married," she said. "No one tells you what to do with all of the love you feel for the person."

District attorney Paul Howard said he was pleased the case could be resolved without going to trial. "He took responsibility," Howard said. "We thought that was important."

Weeks would not say whether the couple was getting back together.

"God is in control of all things, " he said.

Weeks said he learned a lesson from this ordeal. He urged men facing similar conflicts with their spouses to "walk away, still walk away."

SOURCE: AJC.com in an article by Aileen Dodd. Photo source: AJC.com

Ga. high court: Fla. lawyer doesn't have to pay $462K in back child support

Successful Florida lawyer Willie Gary cannot be held in contempt over a child-support dispute involving twins he fathered with an Atlanta woman, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Gary, who is married with four children, had a relationship with Diana Gowins when she lived in Florida in 2000. In July 2002, Gary reached an out-of-court settlement to pay $14,000 per month per child.

Gary later contended he meant to pay only $14,000 a month for both children. But in July 2005, Fulton Superior Court Judge Cynthia Wright ruled that Gary, who owns his own 737 jet and lives in a sprawling $6 million waterfront home, owed $28,000 a month for the two children.

Since the 2002 settlement, Gary paid at least $14,000 a month in support. But after Wright's ruling, Gowins demanded that Gary pay $462,000 he had not paid in support for the other child.

The dispute made its way to the Georgia Court of Appeals, which ruled that Gary could be held in contempt for failure to pay the full amount. Contempt charges for deadbeat dads can lead to jail.

But on Monday, the state Supreme Court said Wright could not hold Gary in contempt for failing to pay the support for both children from July 2002 to April 2005. Wright's previous order stated "the judgment did not include an a award of back child support," the Supreme Court ruled.

"I'm thrilled," said Atlanta lawyer Tamar Oberman Faulhaber, who represents Gary. "Justice is being done."

Gowins' lawyer, Robert Moss, expressed disappointment but said Gowins still might try to get the money. "If the money is truly owed, we can collect it through some other enforcement action, not contempt," Moss said.

In 2006, Gary won a brief victory when Wright reduced the child-support payments to $5,000 a month. But the Court of Appeals has since directed Wright to clarify that ruling, Faulhaber said.

SOURCE: AJC.com in an article by Bill Rankin

Estranged evangelists meet, no resolution yet

National evangelist Juanita Bynum on Monday finally met with her estranged husband, Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, and his attorney for a deposition in preparation for divorce proceedings.

The meeting, which began at 9 a.m. in the law office of Randy Kessler, attorney for Weeks, lasted for more than six hours.Bynum came to the deposition with her attorney, Karla Walker, of Valdosta.

Weeks, who will face criminal charges Tuesday for allegedly beating Bynum, also attended the meeting. So did Ed Garland, his defense attorney in the criminal case.

The deposition lasted for about three hours, but the group continued a closed-door discussion afterwards.

Weeks emerged from the law office about 3:40 p.m. smiling.

"Things are good, they are always good," he said as the elevator doors closed behind him.

Ten minutes later, Bynum appeared in black coat and tinted sunglasses. When asked was the divorce resolved she said "no," and would not comment further.

Kessler sought a court order to sit Bynum down for a deposition after several attempts to meet with the pastor failed because of scheduling conflicts. He said he wanted an opportunity to talk with Bynum on the record about allegations of cruelty in the marriage before the divorce case went to court. The couple has been separated since June.

Kessler said he asked Bynum what she would accuse Weeks of and what Bynum did to Weeks in their stormy marriage.

"This was a normal standard deposition," Kessler said. "There was no yelling and arguing. I think it was helpful for everybody."

At about 1:50 p.m. the attorneys, Kessler, Walker and Garland, left the law office to go to lunch and talk. Garland would not say why he attended the proceedings.

Bynum and Weeks remained in the law office while their lawyers, who didn't return by the close of the business day, were away. A lawyer at Kessler's firm, Monica Hanrahan said she later joined the couple but would not say what was being discussed.

Kessler returned alone after 5 p.m. and said the divorce case and criminal case share similarities. Bynum also has alleged abuse in the divorce case. She is seeking divorce for "cruel treatment."

"The facts are the same," Kessler said. "She is claiming mental cruelty based on the incident that occurred on Aug. 21."

On that day Weeks allegedly assaulted Bynum in the Renaissance Concourse Hotel parking lot near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Garland was in the law office while Bynum was deposed, which allowed him to hear the testimony of the main witness in the criminal case the day before trial, scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. today in Fulton County Superior Court.

Garland will be representing Weeks as he faces charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple battery. Weeks has pleaded not guilty and has said that he has been a victim of domestic violence in his marriage to Bynum.

SOURCE: AJC.com in an article by Aileen Dodd

BYNUM'S LAWYERS STALLING DIVORCE: Attorneys for Thomas Weeks say she is holding up procedures.

The Associates Press reports that the lawyers for Juanita Bynum are stalling divorce proceedings against her estranged husband, Bishop Thomas Weeks III.

     The lawyers of Bishop Weeks said that they have been trying to get her side of the story for four months. But they say she keeps postponing her appointment.

     Last month, according to the report, Bynum was ordered by a Superior Court judge in Gwinnett County to appear for a deposition. The attorneys for Thomas Weeks III waited until 3 p.m. for her to show up.

     Weeks said in a statement that Bynum’s position must be heard, under oath. He said there have been much said in the press and much of it by her public relations’ personnel. One of Weeks' lawyers, Randy Kessler, said he plans to again ask the court to compel her to appear at a later date and compensate his client for legal fees.

     Bynum filed for divorce from Weeks on September 27, 2007. She cited “cruel treatment” and said the marriage was “irretrievably broken” about a month after he was accused him of attacking her in a hotel parking lot in Atlanta.

     Weeks is facing criminal charges related to the alleged incident. He has also pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and making terrorist threats.

SOURCE: EURWeb.com

Documents sought in Richardson divorce

Attorney Gerry Weber has filed a motion in Paulding County Superior Court, on behalf of Rome government gadfly George Anderson, to unseal court filings in the divorce case of House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

Susan Richardson filed for divorce from Glenn Richardson on Feb. 6 in Paulding County, according to the court docket. The case was sealed the same day by Paulding Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge James R. Osborne, who wrote in his sealing order that “the harm otherwise resulting to the interest of the parties and their children … outweighs any public interest” in seeing the records.

Weber argues in a motion that the records should be unsealed “pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 21 and the common-law and constitutional right of access to court records.”

“There are significant problems with the order – [Judge Osborne uses] the wrong standard, there are no time limitations and it seals almost the entire file,” Weber said. “These orders to seal entire records have routinely been struck down.”

Paulding Superior Court Chief Judge Tonny S. Beavers told the Daily Report last week that Paulding court has an informal process of determining which judge rules on a motion, and that Osborne “happened to be available” to pick up Richardson's motion to seal the case. Judge Beavers said that he still retains assignment of the Richardson case and that he has not yet issued a final decree in the case.

Weber, a lawyer with the Southern Center for Human Rights, said that he is advising Anderson pro bono and not on behalf of the Southern Center. Anderson also filed a complaint against Osborne with the state Judicial Qualifications Commission. Weber is not advising Anderson on the JQC complaint.

Richardson spokeswoman Clelia Davis declined to comment.

Glenn Richardson represented himself in the divorce case, and Susan Richardson did not note whether she had counsel.

SOURCE: Fulton County Daily Report in an article by Andy Peters

Evangelist Bynum skips divorce meeting

Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III got stood up at the negotiation table Monday when his estranged wife evangelist Juanita Bynum failed to show for a mediation of their divorce.

The appointment was scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Atlanta law office of Kessler, Schwarz and Solomiany. Weeks, his lawyer and a court reporter waited on Bynum and her divorce lawyer for more than an hour.

Both Bynum and her attorney, Karla Walker of Valdosta, were no-shows.

Kessler said Walker had alerted him earlier she had a morning court date. He said she did not respond to his attempts to contact her afterward that afternoon.

"I called five times, and each time I was told she was still in court," Kessler said."We e-mailed her. We told her we would be here all night if we needed to. She has not called us back. We agreed on this date."

In a telephone interview, Walker said she told Kessler's staff last week about a criminal court case conflict she had Monday in Valdosta.

"I was in court all morning until almost 2 p.m," Walker said. "There was no getting to Atlanta from here to there. Valdosta is three hours away."

Additionally, Bynum is out of state attending a funeral, believed to be in Chicago, Walker said,

Kessler said he has been trying to set up a meeting with Bynum and Walker since Oct. 1. According to court documents, Kessler notified Walker of more than 20 available meeting dates that he and Weeks would be willing to sit down and discuss the divorce.

None of them suited Bynum, 49, or her attorney, he said. Several appointments have been postponed and rescheduled.

Countered Walker: "This has not been some effort on Bynum's part to delay it. It is the nature of the beast when you're talking about dealing with two attorneys' schedule."

Weeks waited in Kessler's law office until 3:45 p.m. for his wife. He wore a brown pinstriped suit with a vest, a pocket watch and a fuchsia print bow tie. The leader of Global Destiny Ministries said he wanted some "closure" for his relationship, even if it meant that he and his wife moved on with the divorce.

"I think it is important to follow her lead," Weeks said. "She wanted the divorce. I'm willing to support her."

Added Kessler: "If she wanted to resolve it, she could have done so by coming here today."

The court-ordered mediation will be rescheduled. Kessler said he has petitioned the court to force Bynum to sit down for a deposition.

The couple, who wed in 2002 in an elaborate ceremony, have been separated since last spring.

Bynum has accused her husband of beating, choking and stomping her to the ground in an Atlanta hotel parking lot on Aug. 21, 2007. Weeks is facing a charge of felony aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and simple battery in connection with the alleged attack.

The pastor said he is still open to mending his marriage or moving on. Supporters of the couple and some members of Global Destiny Church in Duluth have been praying for Bynum and Weeks to reconcile.

"We will leave it in God's hands," Weeks said.

SOURCE: AJC.com in an article by D. AILEEN DODD

Bynum, Weeks willing to reconcile?

They have laid hands on the sanctified, the sinful, the sick — and, allegedly, on each other, too.

The stormy love affair of national evangelist Juanita Bynum and Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, the power couple of Pentecostal prophesying, could be nearing an end soon.

Or will it?

Speculation that the couple — scheduled to meet Monday to hammer out a divorce — will reconcile is spreading from the pews of metro Atlanta churches to gossip sites in cyberspace. Prayer warriors with Global Destiny Ministries in Duluth, the church empire Weeks runs, have been hoping for a miracle to bring him and Bynum back together again.

"Our theme at Global Destiny for this year is that all things are possible," Weeks, 40, said. "My love for Juanita has not ceased, I want the best for her," he said. "There are people that are praying for this to be resolved in a Christian manner. It is my hope that maybe it will take place."

Bynum, 49, whose fiery and frank sermons about women's empowerment have won her a national following, has accused her estranged husband of beating her in August. Weeks — charged with a felony for the alleged abuse — has accused Bynum of beating him during their tumultuous five-year relationship.

Rumors of a reconciliation have been denied by Bynum's spokeswoman. A restraining order prohibits the couple from communicating or even standing in close contact.

Yet in recent weeks, Bynum, has gotten closer to Weeks and his extended family of pastors than she has been in months, according to Bynum's spokeswoman, Weeks and his church members.

Bynum has dropped by Weeks' Global Destiny Ministries to use the prayer room and has accepted invitations from Weeks' grandfather, aunt, and uncle to speak at church conferences in Boston and Barbados.

Bynum has accused her husband of beating, choking and stomping her to the ground in the parking lot at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel in Atlanta on Aug. 21, 2007. The couple, by then separated, had lost their $2 million estate and was close to losing Global Destiny Ministries, too. The church was behind on its lease payments and was facing eviction. Weeks was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple battery in connection with the incident. But even though a restraining order separated the couple, Weeks says his wife has still been reaching out to him.

Weeks said he received a prayer shawl from his wife and has shared text messages allegedly from Bynum with the AJC.

Weeks says his latest encounter with Bynum occurred last month when the two crossed paths at their old haunt — the restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead.

Speaker's divorce not final, judges say

The judge who last week sealed what he described as a final divorce decree for House Speaker Glenn Richardson now says the divorce isn't final after all.

Last week, Paulding County Superior Court Judge James Osborne a former partner in Richardson's law firm  signed an order preventing public inspection of documents in the case, including a "final order granting divorce." His order sealing the documents and the rapid nature of the proceedings, reported Monday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, stirred controversy and led to ethics complaints against both Osborne and Richardson.

On Wednesday, Osborne told The Associated Press he had not granted a divorce to the speaker and his wife, Susan Richardson. But Osborne would not discuss the contents of the file he sealed after a private hearing with the Richardsons.Osborne declined to speak to the Journal-Constitution last week. In an interview Wednesday, apparently before he talked to the AP, Osborne told the newspaper that judicial ethics rules prohibit him from making any public comment on the case. He did not respond to messages from the newspaper later Wednesday.

Hank Klibanoff, a managing editor with the AJC, said: "When we raised questions about the divorce before publication, the judge and the speaker refused to respond, and the Paulding County clerk's office refused to show our reporter the docket listing everything that had been filed." Klibanoff said the uncertainty over the status of the case "strikes us as a clear example of what happens when public officials resort to secrecy. "

By sealing the case, Osborne allowed Richardson to keep private all details of his divorce, including any that might reflect on his performance as a public official. As with other lawsuits, documents concerning divorces typically are public record, and judicial rules restrict the circumstances under which they may be closed.

Osborne took charge of the case even though it was assigned to another judge, Tonny Beavers. Rules governing Georgia's Superior Courts say the judge to whom any case is assigned shall have "exclusive control" of the matter. Beavers said Osborne told him he had received documents related to the case before they were officially filed. In his interview with the AP, Osborne apparently did not explain why he acted in a case to which he was not assigned.

Among the documents listed in Osborne's order to seal the case were Susan Richardson's complaint for divorce, child support and financial documents, and the final divorce order.

All documents in the case were filed simultaneously in the court clerk's office late the afternoon of Feb. 6.

Osborne said in the order he sealed the documents to avoid potential harm to the Richardsons and their three children.

Osborne was appointed to the Superior Court in 2005 by Gov. Sonny Perdue. He had been the district attorney of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit and, from 1978 to 1994, was a partner in Richardson's law firm, then known as Vinson, Osborne, Richardson and Cable.

Osborne's daughter, Elizabeth Osborne Williams, is a lawyer with Richardson's firm, now known as Talley, Richardson & Cable.

In his interview with the AP, Osborne reportedly described Richardson as "a super-nice guy," but noted he had not been a member of the speaker's law firm since 1994.

The judge's connections to Richardson formed the basis for complaints filed against both men Wednesday by an ethics activist. George Anderson of Rome submitted a complaint against Osborne with the Judicial Qualifications Commission and a complaint against the speaker with the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee.

Georgia Democrats filed an ethics complaint last year against Richardson, a Republican, alleging he had an "inappropriate relationship" with a lobbyist while co-sponsoring legislation that would benefit her employer. A legislative panel dismissed the complaint.

According to court documents, it appeared that the divorce had been granted in a single day. State law requires a 30-day waiting period before uncontested divorces become final. Otherwise, a judge must find evidence of circumstances such as cruel treatment of one spouse by the other, incurable mental illness or adultery.

The speaker's aides have refused to comment on the case. Nor have they contested Monday's story.

In a brief interview with the Journal-Constitution on Wednesday, Susan Richardson did not address the status of the divorce. She declined to speak about the case in detail.

"He's a public figure," she said of the speaker. "You can ask him anything you want. But I would like to be left out of it."

SOURCE: AJC.com by ALAN JUDD

Quick and quiet: Speaker Richardson gets divorced

House Speaker Glenn Richardson and his wife filed for divorce, completed the dissolution of their marriage and got court records of the proceedings sealed — all in a single afternoon last week.

The Richardsons appeared privately on Wednesday before a Paulding County Superior Court judge who was not even assigned to their case. The judge, James Osborne, is a former partner in Richardson's law firm.

The judge to whom the case was assigned, Tommy Beavers, said Friday he does not know why the case ended up in Osborne's court. Beavers said Osborne told him he had received the divorce documents before they were officially filed.

The fast-track divorce defied normal procedures as it sped through the Paulding County Courthouse in Dallas, allowing Richardson to keep most details private, including any that might reflect on his performance as a public official.

The divorce followed more than a year of speculation about the status of Glenn and Susan Richardson's marriage. Georgia Democrats last year filed an ethics complaint against the speaker, a Republican, claiming he had had an "inappropriate relationship" with a lobbyist while cosponsoring legislation that would benefit her employer. A legislative panel dismissed the complaint.

A spokeswoman for Richardson did not respond to requests for comment. Richardson was absent from the General Assembly two full days and part of another last week as he attended the funerals of three friends killed in an airplane crash Feb. 1. One service took place Wednesday, a few hours before Richardson and his wife appeared at the courthouse.

Their marriage ended without delay.

Bynum-Weeks divorce talks break down after Essence article

Talks in the divorce case of national evangelist Juanita Bynum and her estranged husband have broken down since the pastor dished about her troubled marriage in Essence magazine.

Attorney for Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III said Monday that the magazine story has halted negotiations between the couple.

Bynum is featured in a story this month about her tumultuous relationship with Weeks. She discusses past incidents of abuse and the night of the alleged Aug. 21 attack that eventually led to the divorce.

Bynum's divorce attorney, Karla Walker, did not want to comment Monday on the case.

Bynum has accused her husband of beating, choking and stomping her to the ground in an Atlanta hotel parking lot. After the incident, Weeks was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple battery.

Weeks' attorney Randy Kessler, of Kessler, Schwarz & Solomiany, said the story in Essence "revealed a calculated, aggressive media attack on Bishop Weeks," who has denied the alleged attack.

"The comments made by Rev. Bynum in that article has sabotaged discussions in the divorce case," Kessler said.

The Bynum interview hit the stands this month just as the couple was negotiating their divorce settlement. Essence will feature Bynum in a January cover story where she will discuss plans for a domestic violence ministry.

SOURCE: D. AILEEN DODD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/26/07 

Diamond, Spielberg top Forbes celebrity divorce list

The bigger they are, the harder they fall -- especially in the world of celebrity divorce.

Basketball great Michael Jordan, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond and Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg top a new Forbes magazine list on Thursday of the 10 most costly divorce settlements of the stars.

Jordan's pending divorce from his wife of nearly 18 years, Chicago bank officer Juanita Vanoy, could end up as the most expensive in entertainment history, Forbes said, if his estranged spouse walks away with half his fortune.

With Jordan having earned much of his wealth during his marriage, most of it through endorsement deals, Vanoy (who filed for divorce last year) stands to collect more than $150 million, the magazine said.

A close second would be the estimated $150 million settlement Diamond paid to onetime TV production assistant Marcia Murphey, whom he married in 1969 before his breakthrough album, "Touching You, Touching Me," went gold, Forbes said.

They divorced in 1996. Diamond later said Murphey, his second wife, was "worth every penny," according to Forbes.

Spielberg's first marriage, to actress Amy Irving, ended in 1989 with his ex-spouse awarded roughly half of the filmmaker's fortune, about $100 million, ranking No. 3 on Forbes' list.

The magazine said Irving won that settlement after successfully contesting their prenuptial agreement, reportedly scribbled on a napkin, because she had lacked legal representation.

Actor Harrison Ford ranks No. 4 on the list with an estimated $85 million paid to his first wife, Melissa Mathison, who Forbes said negotiated a piece of his future earnings from films made while they were married.

Fellow screen star Kevin Costner landed in fifth place for an estimated $80 million settlement obtained by his first spouse, Cindy Silva, whose 16-year marriage to the actor spanned his peak earning years.

Forbes ranked the pending divorce between former Beatle Paul McCartney and ex-model Heather Mills at No. 6, based on reports suggesting she may collect more than $60 million of Sir Paul's $700 million net worth.

Another rock superstar, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, got off much easier, giving up a fraction of his estate -- $15 million to $25 million -- to Texas supermodel Jerry Hall after he successfully challenged the legality of their 1990 Balinese wedding ceremony and obtained an annulment.

Still that sum was enough to land Jagger on Forbes' list at No. 10.

Rounding out the roster are film director James Cameron (No. 7), who paid an estimated $50 million -- half of what he earned for "Titanic" -- to settle his divorce from actress Linda Hamilton; Michael Douglas (No. 8) for an estimated $45 settlement to his first wife, Diandra; and singer Lionel Richie (No. 9) for an estimated $20 million he paid to his second wife, Diane.

SOURCE: Yahoo News and California Divorce and Family Law Blog