MC Hammer Forced to Pay Up for Skipping 2003 Court Date

Nineties entertainer and would-be business mogul, MC Hammer and is facing some unexpected legal expenses stemming from a seven-year old lawsuit. Last Thursday (Feb. 11), a California judge ruled against Hammer -- real name, Stanley Burrell -- for failure to appear in court to face claims brought against him in a 2003 case.

According to Courthouse News Service, Hammer signed on to market new technology for a failed start-up project with PacketSwitch.com. PacketSwitch quickly folded before launching the new technology, subjecting both Hammer and the company's owners to an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. But despite a scheduled court appearance, Hammer was a no-show, claiming that he had reason enough to not appear before the judge. Hammer's explanation included claims that he had "virtually no dealings" with the company's owners and that his last name was misspelled as "Berrell" on both the court summons and complaint form.

U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel was not sold on Hammer's excuses, and concluded that he should be held responsible for his debts. "[MC Hammer] obviously had the ability to consult with counsel if he had any questions as to his legal situation," Fogel said. Hammer will be forced to pay for the default judgement that he skipped out on back in '03.