Members of the late UND President Thomas Clifford's family who contested his will last year apparently have resolved those differences, and a trial that had been scheduled to begin today is off the court's docket.
According to Grand Forks District Court records, Stephen Clifford and Thomas Clifford Jr. withdrew their petition seeking formal probate proceedings, and District Judge Karen Braaten ordered that the case involving Clifford's estate continue as an informal probate.
Gayle Clifford was named in her late husband's will, last revised in 2007, as his personal representative in probate. Clifford, 87, died on Feb. 4, 2009. His sons challenged the 2007 will in a June 11, 2009, informal probate hearing.
At that hearing, Braaten ruled against the sons' requests that the estate be placed under supervised administration pending formal probate and that Gayle Clifford be required to post a bond. Because the will was contested, Braaten did order the matter into formal probate and set a schedule for motions and other pretrial proceedings that were to lead to a jury trial this week.
Stephen Clifford confirmed Tuesday that the probate issue "was resolved," but he said he could not comment further.
ADVERTISEMENT
An attorney for Gayle Clifford also declined comment.
