Iti Gets Favorable Ruling in Court
Australian basketball player Martin Iti’s petition for guardianship in Orange County Superior Court has been dismissed, as requested in a strategic move by an attorney representing Iti’s local guardian.
The dismissal clears the way for Iti’s petition for emancipation, a second legal action that has similar goals to the petition for guardianship but requires a less demanding burden of proof, said the attorney, Ronald E. Lais.
The petition for emancipation seeks to allow the 17-year-old to make his own choices regarding where he goes to school, where he lives and with whom. A Sept. 13 court hearing is scheduled.
“We decided that, strategically, it would be better,” said Lais, who said the legal move avoids a court battle pitting Iti’s guardian against his mother.
In early June, Iti said he would like to remain in Orange County and play for Villa Park High, against the wishes of his mother in Sydney.
The 6-foot-11 center came to the United States in June 1998 to go to school and develop his basketball skills. He has lived with guardian Courtney Rosegreen and his wife, Nicole, since leaving Australia. They now live in Orange.
In April, Iti transferred to Villa Park, marking his fourth high school transfer since his arrival. The move sparked an outcry from Iti’s mother, who demanded that her son be sent home so she could reassess his future.
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