A unique court case has begun in Nevada this week. At stake is the future of the Murdoch empire and the decision about his succession plan.

Rupert Murdoch looked frazzled but defiant. We were having what was supposed to be a friendly coffee, but this was 2006 and he was under siege from bankers who were trying to cope with his financial over-reach.

A group of news organizations filed an emergency petition Thursday, asking Nevada’s highest court to unseal the ongoing family succession battle playing out in a Reno courtroom that will determine the future of Rupert Murdoch’s vast media empire.