King heirs settle dispute

ATLANTA – After more than 14 hours of discussion, the heirs of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. reached a settlement late Monday that will keep the family from a public jury trial.

Martin Luther King III, Bernice King and Dexter King had aired their grievances in open court for more than a year. The siblings began negotiations Monday morning as the threat loomed of a civil trial that was expected to reveal personal and financial details about King Inc.

Dexter King’s brother and sister sued him in July 2008, accusing him of acting improperly as head of their father’s estate, which the three control as a private corporation.

According to the settlement agreement, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural D. Glanville has declared the siblings “deadlocked” as shareholders and will appoint a temporary custodian who will run King Inc. and work with them to determine the future of the corporation. The temporary custodian is also meant to allow the siblings a chance to focus on healing their personal relationships.