Jackson and Rowe used an increasingly common practice to get their case out of the public eye. They agreed to have a retired judge hear the case -- a judge who would be temporarily sworn back into service and hear the case in a private office. Jackson and Rowe hired retired LA Superior Court Judge Stephen Lachs, whose rate is $375 an hour. An increasing number of celebrities, most recently Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, choose this option because their cases go unnoticed. The parties in Jackson's case were shocked when TMZ produced the court rule that allowed us in. But Lachs has been more than a blessing to them by jerking TMZ around.[see full story for more] - Click here for the Full Story

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