Pooh judge to lawyers: Cut to the chase!

LOS ANGELES, March 3 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles judge has ordered attorneys involved in the Winnie the Pooh royalty case to prove or refute claims the plaintiff stole or changed records.

The Hollywood Reporter said a hearing earlier this week ended with Superior Court Judge Charles McCoy Jr. challenging lawyers to prove or refute allegations Stephen Slesinger Inc. raided The Walt Disney Co.'s trash and broke into its offices to steal more than 6,000 pages in confidential case documents.

The trade paper said McCoy Jr. repeatedly interrupted closing arguments during the hearing to demand the attorneys "cut to the chase."

"The question is: Did it happen, has the integrity of the court process been harmed, and if it has, how can it be remedied?" McCoy told the lawyers during the day-long court session.

Disney claims the alleged misconduct caused irreparable harm, justifying a dismissal of the case that could otherwise result in hundreds of millions of dollars in damages if a jury found they improperly withheld Pooh-related royalties.

The Slesingers deny any wrongdoing.