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New Orleans Saints Owner's Family Appeals Mental Competency Ruling

NEW ORLEANS — Three relatives of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson on Wednesday appealed a ruling by a state court judge who declared the 87-year-old billionaire mentally fit to control his major league sports teams and other businesses.

Benson's daughter, Renee Benson Benham, and her adult children, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc, believe that the businessman's "cognitive impairment" is worse than the court determined and could worsen, the family's lawyer, Randall Smith, said in a prepared statement.

The appeal is filed in the state 4th Circuit Court of Appeal.

Tom Benson's attorney, Phil Wittmann, could not be reached for comment on the decision to appeal.