Fred Thompson Estate Disputes Settled?

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Disputes with two of his sons and a law firm over the estate of a former U.S. Senator and one time presidential candidate Fred Thompson have apparently been quietly settled, according to papers just filed in Probate Court in Nashville, Tenn.
Documents filed in the Davidson Probate Court case show the two sons, Fred D. Thompson 2nd and Daniel L. Thompson, have been paid $50,000 each, as set out in the will filed in the case.
In addition a $14,450 claim filed by the law firm of Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis also has been resolved the filings indicate.
The two sons had charged that Jeri Thompson, Thompson's widow and the executor of his estate may have made last minute shifts in his assets in the days and weeks leading up to his death on Nov. 1, 2015. They charged any changes would have come at a time when Fred Thompson was no longer competent.
They later dropped the claim after Jeri Thompson complied with a court order to disclose any last minute shifts in assets. She has publicly denied that any such changes occurred, stating that the only change was to a secondary beneficiary on an insurance policy.
The details of that disclosure, however, were never made public.
In the papers just filed the two sons acknowledge receipt of $50,000 each as spelled out in a will dated over a decade ago,
The filing states that the payments provide "full and complete satisfaction" of all claims and releases Jeri Thompson and the estate from any further liability.
An additional filing indicates the dispute between the estate and the Waller law firm also has been resolved.
 The docket states that the claim was being dismissed under an order agreed to by all parties.
Jeri Thompson had disputed a claim filed by the firm for work it had done in a last minute effort to draft a new will to include children of Thompson's second marriage. Those futile last minute efforts were included in the billing statements the Waller firm filed to back up its $14,000 claim against the estate.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Campbell's Publicist Subpoenaed in Will Fight

By Walter F. Roche Jr

The longtime publicist who publicly disclosed Glen Campbell's death from Alzheimer's Disease last year has been subpoenaed to testify in a dispute over the late singer's competence when he signed a now disputed will.
Records in Davidson Probate Court show a subpoena has been issued for Sanford Brokaw to appear for testimony in Nashville on Feb. 20. The subpoena calls on Brokaw to "provide proof of the decedent's capacity since 2002."
The subpoena comes as three of Campbell's children, who have been cut out of his estimated $50 million estate, mount a challenge to the 13-page will filed by his widow.
Brokaw, Campbell's longtime publicist, declined to comment.
Christopher Fowler, the lawyer for William T. Campbell filed notice last week that the 2006 will is being challenged. Fowler also entered appearances for the other siblings who were specifically excluded from any benefit from Campbell's estate or a related trust
Campbell died on Aug. 8 of last year shortly after his wife Kimberly had publicly disclosed that he had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. He was first diagnosed with the disease in 2011.
The subpoena also calls on Brokaw to provide "all communications with or about the decedent and/or his family and/or his agent since 2002."
Finally it calls for Brokaw to provide "all communications regarding the estate of the decedent."
In addition the subpoena calls for Traci Jupille and Kamile Brooks to provide the same documentation.Their roles were not disclosed.
In addition to his son William, the 2006 Campbell will also bars any distribution to his siblings Kelli and Wesley.
Beneficiaries under the disputed will are his widow Kimberly and Debra Cloy, Dillon, Nicklaus, Shannon and Ashley Campbell. Court records indicate there was an earlier version of Campbell's will dated in 2002.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Glen Campbell Will Contested

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

One of the sons of the late Glen Campbell has filed notice that he is contesting his father's 2006 will, which  bars him and two siblings from any benefits.
The notice was filed Thursday in Davidson Probate Court in Nashville where the elder Campbell's estate was filed last year. Campbell, 81, died on Aug. 8 of last year following a long bout with Alzheimer's Disease.
William T. Campbell's notice that he is contesting the validity of the 13-page will was filed by Nashville attorney Christopher Fowler. The basis for the challenge was not disclosed, but filings indicate that there was an earlier will dated Jan. 2, 2002, which also is being contested.
The 2006 will states that William and siblings Kelli and Wesley are specifically excluded from deriving any direct or indirect benefit from the estate or a related trust.
The will names the singer's wife Kimberly as executor of the estate which has been estimated at more than $50 million. Campbell's five other children, Debra Cloy. Dillon, Nicklaus, Shannon and Ashley Campbell are named along with Kimberly, as beneficiaries.
Campbell's death came shortly after his wife announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's. He had been first diagnosed with Alzheimer's in August of 2011.
The current legal dispute was presaged in a prior court battle over attempts to place the singer in a conservatorship.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com