(AllHipHop News) MC Hammer has been ordered by pay on a 7-year old default judgment after failing to convince a judge of a court error.
Hammer, real name Stanley Burrell, was sued by the owners of PacketSwitch.com for defaulting on a contract to market the company.
The Oakland rapper fought the claim on the grounds that his role was never more than a shareholder. He testified to U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel that his one appearance at a shareholder meeting resulted in one of the plaintiffs, Robert Icho, allegedly flashing a gun.
Although the plaintiffs originally won a judgment in June 2003, Hammer was never made aware of the court decree because of a typo in his name.
Instead of being listed as “MC Hammer aka Stanley Burrell,” the legal documents recorded him as “MC Hammer aka Stanley Berrell.”
On these grounds, Hammer requested a dismissal since he was never served notice, which would have allowed the opportunity to contest the lawsuit.
Judge Fogel denied the request, stating the defendant “obviously had the ability to consult with counsel if he had any questions as to his legal situation.”
PacketSwith.com was also dogged by suspicion of unethical business practices. Before going out of business, the company was subjected to an investigative audit by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The amount of the default judgment against the rapper was not disclosed.
At press time, MC Hammer could not be reached for comment.