Jury rejects Jackson lawsuit
Concert promoter not negligent in King of Pop’s fatal overdose
LOS ANGELES — The promoter of Michael Jackson’s ill-fated comeback concerts was not negligent in hiring the doctor convicted of killing the superstar, a jury ruled Wednesday, four years after the death stunned the world and sent the popularity of his music soaring.
The panel rejected a lawsuit brought by Jackson’s mother that sought to financially punish AEG Live LLC, the promoters of her son’s This Is It concerts planned for London.
A victory could have meant hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for Katherine Jackson and the singer’s three children and provided a rebuke of AEG Live LLC.
Lawyers for Katherine Jackson argued AEG Live hired Dr. Conrad Murray to be the singer’s physician without considering if he were fit for the job.
AEG Live denied any wrongdoing and said it was Jackson who hired Murray.
Murray was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter after giving Jackson the overdose as he prepared for a series of comeback shows.
The case provided the closest look yet at Jackson’s drug use and his battles against chronic pain and insomnia. It also took jurors behind the scenes in the rough and tumble world of negotiations with one of the world’s most famous entertainers looking to solidify his legendary status. Witnesses said he saw the This Is It concerts as a chance for personal redemption after being acquitted of child molestation.
But as the opening date of the shows approached, associates testified he had bouts of insecurity and agonized over his inability to sleep. They said he turned to the drug propofol and found Murray, who was willing to buy it in bulk and administer it to him on a nightly basis even though it is not meant to be used outside operating rooms. Testimony at the civil trial showed that only Jackson and Murray knew he was taking the drug.
In his closing argument, AEG Live attorney Marvin Putnam told jurors the company would have pulled the plug on the shows if they knew he was using the anesthetic.