NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The daughter and grandchildren of Tom Benson are appealing last week's ruling that found the Saints and Pelicans owner mentally competent to make his own business decisions.
The appeal from daughter Renee Benson and her children, Rita LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc, was filed Wednesday. According to their attorney, Randall A. Smith, the refusal of Benson's counsel to allow him to take the stand ''further evidences Tom Benson's diminished capacity and serves to suppress the truth.''
Benson's attorney, Phillip Wittmann, was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
Reese ruled last Thursday that Benson remains competent to run his nearly $2 billion business empire.