Jerry Garcia's Widow Sues For Tapes

The widow of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, Deborah Koons Garcia, is suing to gain access to unpublished tapes of her late husband's musical performances.

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

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 LLC had been scheduled to dissolve by Dec. 31, 2005, but continues to exist.

The lawsuit is the latest in a prolonged legal battle among the beneficiaries of Jerry Garcia, who died in August 1995.

Some have filed their own lawsuits 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.