The paper sued the Jacksons in 1990 in Contra Costa, claiming the family members were paid $5.5 million for a series of concerts. The concerts never happened and the paper sued, including Michael Jackson as a defendant, documents state.
The pop superstar settled the claims against him in an out-of-court deal in 1992. It was unclear whether his estate is liable for the remaining judgment.
The records filed in Los Angeles show a judge held a trial in February 1992. None of the remaining Jacksons listed in the lawsuit showed up for the trial, and a judgment against Katherine, Joe and Jermaine Jackson was entered.
The Jackson family later asked for a new trial, but the bid was rejected.
Katherine Jackson is the only person listed in the filing who is a beneficiary of her son's estate. The 79-year-old and her son's three children are the only individuals slated to receive any of Jackson's estate, which is being placed into a private trust.
"I have no knowledge or comment on this matter," Katherine Jackson's attorney, L. Londell McMillan, wrote in an e-mail.
The judgment is one of several listed in a 1999 bankruptcy petition filed by Katherine and Joe Jackson in Los Angeles. At the time, the couple listed $24 million in debts that included court judgments, auto loans and credit cards.
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