Jack White Accused Of Von Bondies-Related Knife Threat During Royalty Payments Trial

The White Stripes are in court this week addressing charges made in a federal lawsuit brought against them by producer Jim Diamond.

Diamond contributed to the first two White Stripes albums and is suing the band for what he feels is his fair share of royalties. Although he's listed as co-producer on their 1999 self-titled debut and as sound mixer on its 2000 follow-up, De Stijl, drummer Meg White testified that credit for producing the first disc should have gone solely to singer/guitarist Jack White. The duo claimed in court documents that they paid Diamond $35 U.S. an hour to use his Ghetto Recorders Studio and that he in no way created the band's style or sound during that time.

Von Bondies singer Jason Stollsteimer also appeared in court and recounted a 2003 fight between him and Jack White that resulted in White pleading guilty the next year to misdemeanor assault and battery.

Stollsteimer also testified about finding an obscenity-filled warning note stuck to his door with a knife that he believed was from White. The knife held up a magazine interview in which White allegedly believed that Stollsteimer slighted him by minimizing his role in producing a Von Bondies album. White had worked on the band's Lack Of Communication debut in 2001 and later brought them along in support of their first major U.K. tour.

Stollsteimer claimed that the article had "That's the last... time I help you out" written across it. White has denied any involvement with the note or knife, calling it "a laughable lie."

The trial began on Monday and is expected to last about a week.