AIKEN --- Another former James Brown adviser has been threatened with contempt of court, this time for keeping secrets from the judge about two charitable trusts the late singer set up.
Buddy Dallas revealed Friday that he helped appoint a trustee last year to replace David Cannon, who's been accused of taking millions of Mr. Brown's money.
The problem is, no one told Judge Jack Early.
"I thought I'd heard everything in this case," Judge Early said Friday before threatening Mr. Dallas with willful contempt of court, which could result in fines or even jail time.
Judge Early said he was deeply concerned by what he considered Mr. Dallas' "flagrant disregard" for his Aug. 10 order to hand over all records relating to the singer's estate and trusts set up to educate needy children.
Instead, Judge Early and nearly every other person involved in the case learned Friday that days before Mr. Cannon publicly resigned as a trustee, Mr. Dallas and others appointed Augusta attorney Bill Hammond to take his place.
Neither Mr. Dallas nor the others who knew of this secret appointment -- Mr. Cannon, former Brown adviser Alford Bradley, Mr. Hammond and attorney Stanley Jackson -- informed Judge Early or the lawyers he appointed to help settle the estate.
Until now, it was accepted that Mr. Cannon quit during the Aug. 10 hearing, held shortly after it was discovered that he misdirected a $900,000 royalty check. Court records reveal that is one of many payments to himself or his companies that have been found totaling around $12 million.
But on Friday, Mr. Dallas testified that the singer's longtime financial adviser actually quit in late July -- and that he was quickly replaced with Mr. Hammond.
What Judge Early and other attorneys involved the case wanted to know was why Mr. Dallas never told them about it, and why he never handed over the records of that appointment, despite a court order to hand over everything.
Mr. Dallas never gave a clear answer, sometimes blaming advice he received from his former attorney, Mr. Jackson, to saying he did not believe the trusts were part of the legal proceedings and therefore not included in the order to turn over all records.
Judge Early, who appeared frustrated throughout the entire hearing, finally snapped at Mr. Dallas, saying, "Don't play games with me."
Mr. Dallas testified that he was reluctant to reveal the secret appointment because Judge Early's Aug. 10 order "scared me to death."
He also said he never turned over those records because he did not have them, others did. Mr. Bradley testified the same.
Judge Early has ordered a number of attorneys formerly involved in the case subpoenaed for the April 25 hearing, including Mr. Jackson, Mr. Hammond and Strom Thurmond Jr., who handled probate matters for the estate shortly after the singer's death.
Reach Sandi Martin at (803) 648-1395, ext. 111, or sandi.martin@augustachronicle.com
DEVELOPMENTS AT JAMES BROWN HEARING
- James Brown's disputed fourth wife, Tomi Rae Hynie Brown, filed a motion demanding that any child claiming to be an heir take a paternity test, as other attorneys in the case want her son, James II, to do. She said in an affidavit that Mr. Brown questioned whether three of the six children named in his will -- Darryl, Larry and Yamma Brown -- were his children.
- David Cannon's attorneys quit. The former trustee, accused of misappropriating millions of the singer's money, said he does not have an attorney to represent him in the civil matters.
- Mr. Cannon's criminal attorney confirmed to the court that the longtime adviser had handed over his passport, as ordered by Judge Jack Early.
- Judge Early denied a request by former trustees Buddy Dallas and Alford Bradley to take back their November resignations.
- Judge Early denied a motion to remove the two attorneys he appointed as trustees and estate representatives. Adele Pope and Robert Buchanan can stay as replacements for Mr. Dallas and Mr. Bradley, he said.
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