Celebrity | Michael Jackson Katherine Jackson Gets Custody By Evann Gastaldo Posted Aug 3, 2009 12:01 PM CDT Copied In this June 13, 2005 file photo, Michael Jackson and his mother, Katherine, leave Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, Calif., after he was acquitted in his child molestation case. (AP Photo/John G. Mabanglo, Pool) A judge signed off today on last week’s unofficial custody arrangement for Michael Jackson’s children, appointing Katherine Jackson as the permanent guardian of all three, the AP reports. Jackson’s mother, 79, was the first choice given in his will to raise the children, and is the only person to formally petition for custody. Paris and Prince reportedly signed statements saying they wished to remain with their grandmother. Read These Next Guests find summit document on hotel printer. Analysis: Trump's flip lets Putin carry on. Zelensky visits Trump Monday, and he won't be alone. Stalkers are increasingly heading into the sports arena. Report an error