Challenge of estate allowed

LOS ANGELES -- A judge has ruled that Michael Jackson's mother can challenge the men administering her son's estate without losing her stake.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff's ruling, released Friday, clears the way for Katherine Jackson to challenge whether attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain are best-suited to handle the singer's estate of some $500 million.

Attorneys for Katherine Jackson had asked Beckloff to decide whether she could challenge the administrators without using a "no contest" clause that might cause her to lose her 40 percent share of the singer's estate.

Beckloff ruled that such a challenge would not be a cause for Katherine Jackson to be disinherited.

If her attorneys opt to challenge the authority of one or both of the men, then Beckloff will convene a hearing and hear testimony.

Branca and McClain already have brokered deals that have earned the estate tens of millions of dollars.