Thursday, August 07, 2008

The Court Has Decided...

E! Online says that a California appellate court tossed Lisa Marie's fraud lawsuit against her former boyfriend Tim Burton after determining that a Los Angeles judge was wrong in denying Burton's motion to dismiss and setting a trial date.

"Mr. Burton said he was happy to to put this chapter of his life behind him," said the filmmaker's attorney, Joseph Mannis.

The article went on to say that while L.A. Superior Court Judge Teresa Sanchez-Gordon had ruled that the matter of whether the director and Lisa Maria had a verbal agreement supporting her claim was an issue for a jury, Mannis argued that it didn't matter—the former model had already signed a settlement giving her $5.5 million and releasing Burton from further financial obligation.

In her complaint, which was filed in 2006, Lisa Marie claimed she was duped into signing that agreement in 2001.

Burton countersued last September to obtain a court order binding her to the 2001 deal. His attorney says that they're still planning to move forward with the suit to get that assurance and try to recoup legal fees.

"Mr. Burton believes he has been put through a long and difficult proceeding at great cost, and he intends to do the just thing," Mannis said.

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