Jacksons’ lawsuit dismissed
A California jury has dismissed the lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson’s family seeking over $1-billion from tour promoter AEG Live over his 2009 death.
Jackson’s mother Katherine had alleged that AEG Live negligently hired and supervised Dr Conrad Murray, who provided the propofol that led to Jackson’s death.
After a five-month trial, the six-man, six-woman jury agreed that while AEG Live had hired Murray, they found that he was not unfit or incompetent for the job he was hired to do – which AFP says was a key requirement for the Jackson lawsuit to have succeeded.
AEG Live lawyer Marvin Putnam welcomed the verdict, saying in a statement: "The jury’s decision completely vindicates AEG Live, confirming what we have known from the start – that, although Michael Jackson’s death was a terrible tragedy, it was not a tragedy of AEG Live’s making."
Kevin Boyle, one of the Jackson family’s lawyers, revealed that the family could still make an appeal.
"We are of course not happy with the result as it stands now," he said. "We will be exploring all options legally and factually and make a decision about anything at a later time."
Jackson died on 25 June 2009 after an overdose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol given by Murray to treat the star’s chronic insomnia.
Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter at a criminal trial in 2011, and was jailed for four years.
Gregg Barden, the jury foreman, said the verdict was not a vindication of Murray, who is expected to be released from jail soon.
"Conrad Murray had a license; he graduated from an accredited college," Barden said.
He added, "It doesn’t mean we thought he was ethical."
In the civil trial, brought by the singer’s mother and his three children, the family claimed that AEG Live missed a series of red flags about Jackson’s failing health as he rehearsed for his comeback This is It tour, which they say he was undertaking because he needed the money.
The Jacksons wanted AEG Live to pay $85-million to each of the star’s three children, and an unspecified amount for economic losses, estimated at up to $1.6-billion.
