While most of the baseball world will be focused in the MLB winter meetings in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday, the Dodgers and their fans will be focused on a courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. That's where a judge will render a decision in the divorce trial of Frank and Jamie McCourt that could effect the future of Dodger ownership.
At the heart of the matter of the divorce trial is a marital property agreement, which divided the assets of the McCourts. Tomorrow, Los Angeles Superior Court judge Scott Gordon is expected to rule on the validity of that marital property agreement, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The ruling won't end the divorce trial, but could lead to a potential settlement between the two sides. Wrote Shaikin:
If Frank prevails, Jamie would have to decide whether to appeal Gordon’s ruling — most appeals are unsuccessful — or proceed to other legal steps in which she could be awarded money but could not be awarded an ownership share of the team.
If Jamie prevails, the ruling would not be expected to have an immediate impact on the day-to-day operations of the Dodgers. Frank would be expected to employ other legal strategies to dispute Jamie’s claim to co-ownership of the team.
It seems no matter which side ultimately prevails in the divorce trial, appeals will drag on for up to a year, meaning the Dodger ownership situation won't change much for some time. However, tomorrow's ruling will at least give some direction as to what that future might be.
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