Choose says desires by way of Jessica Toonkel

CANTON, Mass. The warfare over manage of Sumner Redstone’s $40 billion media empire moved to a Massachusetts courtroom on Tuesday, in which a nation choose stated he wished time to decide whether to transport up the date of a tribulation questioning the ninety three-12 months-old’s intellectual competence.

Probate and own family court docket decide George Phelan did no longer set a date for an ordeal over whether Redstone knew what he changed into doing while he removed Viacom Inc (VIAB.O) CEO Philippe Dauman and Viacom board member George Abrams from the seven-person agree with in an effort to manage Redstone's majority possession of media corporations Viacom and CBS Corp (CBS.N) when he dies or is deemed incapacitated.

"i have lots to digest," said Phelan, adding that he expected to preserve a listening to on Redstone's legal professionals' coming near near motion to disregard the case via the give up of June.

Phelan advised the arena of multi-billion dollar trusts changed into a far cry from his own modest upbringing in a housing undertaking, where he stated he become “satisfied to have a quarter in my pocket." He delivered that "it may take some days to get there.”

It is not the primary time Redstone's mental competence has been challenged in court. A lawsuit delivered by way of his former lady friend, Manuela Herzer, claiming Redstone turned into “a living ghost,” turned into thrown out with the aid of a l.  a. judge closing month.

however, Dauman's greater recent suit goes in addition, claiming that Redstone suffers from dementia, impaired cognition, a slowness of mental processing, a loss of memory, apathy and depression.

Redstone's primary doctor, Dr. Richard Gold, said in a court record that he sees his patient at the least twice per week and had now not found any latest decline in his situation.

"Mr. Redstone sporting activities each day and has long gone on recent excursions to visit with his grandson and additionally with friends in Malibu," said Gold.

Redstone holds eighty percent of the vote casting shares in Viacom and CBS through his national Amusements Inc preserving agency. The final results of the courtroom case, and who ends up with control over the consider, may have wide-ranging implications for Viacom and CBS shareholders and will bring about adjustments on the pinnacle of both corporations, possibly via mergers and acquisitions. After a 2-1/2-hour listening to in a windowless court on Tuesday in Massachusetts, the nation wherein Redstone's believe was originated, Phelan stated he may additionally or may not decide on Dauman and Abrams' movement for an expedited trial earlier than he gets a proper motion for dismissal from Redstone's legal professionals, which is expected within the following few days.

at some point of the hearing, attended by means of more than 20 attorneys, Dauman and Abrams’ lawyers argued the trial need to be expedited due to Redstone’s age and bad fitness.

“no person could fairly deny that there's a super risk that Sumner Redstone will no longer be available to provide proof on this trial,” stated lawyer Leslie Fagen.

The attorneys also argued Redstone was the subject of undue have an effect on by his daughter Shari Redstone. Shari Redstone’s legal professional dismissed that idea, announcing the 2 have had “healthful disagreements,” about the enterprise, but the “conference of family and believe has endured.”