NEW ORLEANS – At a hearing today in New Orleans, Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese ordered New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson to meet with 3 physicians to assess his mental capacity.
According to The New Orleans Advocate’s Ramon Antonio Vargas, Judge Reese ruled Benson will have to get his mental health evaluated if he wants to counter the lawsuit brought by his relatives who are trying to reestablish their succession after Benson declared he was going to instead hand over control of his business empire to his wife Gayle.
The doctors will determine if Benson, 87, can still make competent business decisions about his sports franchises and other business dealings.
Vargas reports psychiatrist Dr. Ted Bloch III and two other physicians will have to complete their reports by Friday, March 13, 2015.
Benson’s daughter, Renee, and his grandchildren Rita LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc, who brought the motion, argued for extensive testing including blood work and neuropsychological testing. Vargas reports Judge Reese decided against the intrusive procedures and ruled Benson would undergo standard exams.
Vargas reports Benson’s lawyers may appeal the ruling.
