Judge rules Pelicans owner Benson is competent

Owner Tom Benson was declared mentally competent to run his businesses, including the NFL's New Orleans Saints and NBA's Pelicans, a civil court judge ruled Thursday.

Benson's estranged daughter and grandchildren challenged his competency in court after he announced plans in January to oust them as successors to his vast business empire and replace them with Gayle Benson, his wife of the past 10 years.

Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese strongly vouched for Benson's mental acumen in his written decision, which could be appealed. Reese said testimony from two of the three psychiatric experts who examined Benson supported his rulings.