At the April 24th case management conference for both the cases Los Angeles Superior Court involving Frances Bean Cobain’s ex-husband Isaiah Silva (which also involves his ex-partner Jessica Sullivan) claiming Courtney Love tried to have him murdered over Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged guitar, Judge Randolph Hammock stated that he wanted to get the Sullivan case “to a better place” so that he can consider consolidating the two cases and set a trial date.
The plaintiff was unable to serve Love in person and instead performed substituted service on her twice. Still, Love’s attorney stated during the case management conference that Love was not acknowledging the substituted service (Love had not signed an acknowledgement of receipt).
Attorney for Silva and Sullivan stated that he had already filed for a default in the Sullivan case for both Sam Lutfi, who had been served personally by a registered process server, and Love, who had been served via substituted service twice.
The judge suggested that the plaintiff’s attorney might want to apply for service by publication should he continue being unable to successfully serve Love.
Then Judge Hammock appealed to the parties’ reason and urged them to “stop the silliness.” Specifically, the judge asked Love’s attorney to accept service on Love’s behalf, but the attorney stated she would have to confer with her client first.
Judge Hammock states:
“I understand the case and the allegations. I mean, it’s way out there, okay? I don’t know if it’s true or not true. I don’t care, okay? I just want to get the case moving, okay? Alright? I mean, they are pretty sensational allegations, right? But, I don’t know. So… You know… But… And I know it’s in the media, you know. Everyone is interested in this case because it’s Kurt Cobain’s famous guitar, and Courtney Love, and their daughter and it’s a big media case. I understand that. But I would urge Mr. Singer‘s firm to accept service because none of this really… we’re gonna get to the right place, okay?
(…)
This is all silliness, in my opinion. I am not upset, I am just telling you. I mean… Everyone should realize this, they should accept clean service in the Sullivan case and then I will decide whether or not to consolidate it, okay?”
The judge stated that he has no control over the attorneys in the Sullivan case yet, but he has control over the Silva case. The judge ordered the lead attorneys for Love and Lutfi in the Silva case to appear on 6/27/19 if the issue of the service in the Sullivan case has not been resolved by then. “Let’s go one more round,” said judge Hammock.
The Case Management Conference in Silva and Sullivan was continued to 6/27/19.
NBC News reported, “Sullivan filed her complaint in June 2018. Sullivan alleges she received threatening phone calls and text messages in June and July 2016 from Love and her former business manager, Sam Lutfi, for not helping them in their efforts to retrieve the guitar.
In May 2018, the 54-year-old Love’s former son-in-law, Isaiah Silva — ex-husband of Love’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain — also sued Love. Silva maintains that in June 2016, actor Ross Butler of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” and Lutfi broke into his West Hollywood home and attempted to kill him in an attempt to get the guitar back.
Silva, who has a child with Sullivan, says he was given the guitar by Frances Cobain. Hammock said he was satisfied that Lutfi, who also is being sued by Sullivan, was personally served with Sullivan’s lawsuit. However, he said he was not satisfied that the best efforts have been made to also serve Love.”
