A Los Angeles judge Thursday rejected a bid by Shelly Sterling, the estranged wife of Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Donald Sterling, to issue an injunction against her husband and his legal team after her attorneys accused them of intimidation.
Shelly Sterling's lawyers had alleged that Sterling, 80, and one of his lawyers had threatened the physicians who deemed that her husband is not mentally fit enough to run the team and should have no say in its NBA record $2 billion sale to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer.
Shelly Sterling alleges that her husband made threats to her witnesses and attorney via voicemails. She claims the messages were intended as a form of intimidation.
Donald Sterling allegedly called Dr. Sue Platzer "a horrible woman,' and vowed to see that she lost her license. Sterling also said he will sue Platzer for a "large sum" of money. The voicemail was one of several Sterling left on June 9 for his wife's associates.
He also threatened Dr. James Spar in a profanity-laced voicemail: "I'll show you what I think of you when I see you in court.
"I'm gonna get you fired from UCLA because you're nothing but a tramp. How dare you let someone use you that way? You know, you rely on doctors. You think that they'll be above it all. But obviously you're not. You'll sell yourself for nothing. How dare you? How dare you give my records to a lawyer for the purposes of using it against me?"
Sterling's attorney, Maxwell Blecher, said he was gratified by the judge's decision.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas told both sides to tone down their high emotions.
The injunction request was the latest legal twist in a battle for control of the National Basketball Association franchise since Sterling was banned for life from the league in April after private racist remarks he made were taped and leaked publicly.
Shelly Sterling has asked a probate court to confirm her as the controlling owner of the team after Donald Sterling promised to block the franchise's sale.
The physicians found that Sterling has dementia consistent with early Alzheimer's disease. The finding triggers a clause in the Sterling Family Trust would hand sole control of the Clippers to Shelly Sterling and eliminate any say Sterling could have in its sale.
A four-day trial in probate court is set to begin on July 7 and offer a resolution ahead of the NBA owners' July 15 vote on whether to approve the sale to Ballmer.
Sterling, who originally approved the deal with Ballmer, has also sued the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver for at least $1 billion, alleging he was forced to sell the team due to a recording made illegally according to California law.
Silver has said an agreement struck with Shelly Sterling indemnifies the league against any legal action taken by her husband, so the Sterling Family Trust would have to pay any possible damages awarded.
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