Jerry Garcia's Widow Sues Over Estate

The widow of the Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia is suing to gain access to unpublished tapes of her late husband's musical performances.

Deborah Koons Garcia filed a civil suit Jan. 31 in Marin County Superior Court against a limited liability corporation, comprised of the rocker's beneficiaries including Koons Garcia, that oversees business involving his estate.

According to the lawsuit, Koons Garcia wants to professionally restore the so-called "Garcia Tapes," but others in the limited liability corporation have stalled the process. The suit asks a judge to clarify the terms of the agreement that led to the formation of the business entity.

Koons Garcia claims the corporation had been scheduled to dissolve by Dec. 31, 2005, but continues to exist.

The lawsuit is just the latest in a prolonged legal battle among Jerry Garcia's beneficiaries.

Some have filed their own lawsuit against Koons Garcia in an effort to maintain the corporation. The rocker's daughter, Keelin Noel Garcia, 19, also has sued Koons Garcia for allegedly shoddy financial oversight of the estate.

Attorney Lawrence Rockwell, who represents several of the defendants in the Jan. 31 lawsuit, could not be reached for comment.

A hearing is scheduled for April 13.