Jury reaches verdict in Michael Jackson death trial
By Alan Duke, CNN
October 2, 2013 — Updated 2118 GMT (0518 HKT)
Katherine Jackson: Michael’s mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son’s three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson’s comeback concerts.
Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the “This Is It” shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson’s “Dangerous” and “HIStory” tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray’s criminal trial that “Jackson was frail” at a rehearsal days before his death.
Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson’s personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify.
Joe Jackson: Michael’s father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him.
Prince Jackson: Michael’s oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons’ case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent — he now has a driver’s license and jobs.
Paris Jackson: Michael’s daughter, who turned 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father’s death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers.
Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael’s youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be “medically detrimental” to the child.
Randy Phillips: He’s president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his “This Is It” comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray’s treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson’s missed rehearsals and sought Murray’s help getting him ready.
Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq.
Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson’s personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son’s estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper’s death investigation.
Marvin Putnam: He’s the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is “media in defense of their First Amendment rights,” according to his official biography.
Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons’ witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion.
Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG’s president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke’s e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson’s health are important evidence in their case.
Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray’s criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years.
John Branca: He’s one of two executors of Michael Jackson’s estate. Branca was Jackson’s lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died.HIDE CAPTION
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The verdict will be read at 6:30 p.m. ET
- The jury had to determine if AEG Live was liable in Jackson’s death
- Jackson died just days before his 2009 comeback tour was set to kick off
Los Angeles (CNN) — The jury in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial informed the court Wednesday afternoon that it has reached a verdict.
The decision on whether concert promoter AEG Live is liable in Jackson’s death is expected to be read at 6:30 p.m. ET.
While waiting for the verdict, Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson sat on a courthouse bench playing a game on her iPad.
Jackson’s mother and three children sued AEG Live in 2010, contending the company’s negligence in hiring, retaining or supervising Dr. Conrad Murray was a factor in the singer’s June 25, 2009, death.
Jackson Family vs. AEG Live
Jackson family lawyers make their case
Closing arguments in Jackson trial
Michael Jackson doc: ‘He wasn’t faking’
Jackson died of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, which Murray told investigators he was using to treat the singer’s insomnia so he could rest for rehearsals. Murray is set to be released from jail later this month after serving two years for involuntary manslaughter.
Jackson died just days before his comeback tour — promoted and produced by AEG Live — was set to debut in London in the summer of 2009.
To reach their verdict, jurors had to answer the question: Did AEG Live hire Murray?
The company’s lawyers contended Jackson chose Murray, who had treated him for three years as a family physician, but Jackson lawyers argued the promoters chose to negotiate their own contract with the doctor so they could control him.
A “smoking gun” e-mail sent by AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware 11 days before Jackson died said: “We want to remind (Murray) that it is AEG, not MJ, who is paying his salary. We want to remind him what is expected of him.”
The Jacksons also pointed to a television interview soon after Jackson died in which AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips said AEG Live “hired” Murray.
AEG Live lawyers argued they had no way of knowing that Murray — licensed to practice in four states and never sued for malpractice — was a risk to Jackson. The singer was a secretive drug addict who kept even his closest relatives in the dark about his use of propofol to sleep, they contended.
Jackson lawyers contended the company’s agreement with Murray created a medical conflict of interest that led him to break his Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. Murray, who was $1 million in debt, was pressured to deliver the risky treatments or else possibly lose the $150,000 monthly salary, they argued.
Executives ignored a series of warning signs that Jackson was at risk in his last weeks, including deteriorating health that included weight loss, inability to perform his trademark dances or remember lyrics to his standard songs and paranoia, the Jacksons argued.
Jurors appeared engaged and entertained during the 21-week trial that included dramatic testimony by Jackson’s mother, son and former wife. Several jurors even applauded at the end of testimony by famed choreographer-director Kenny Ortega.
Part of complete coverage on
The Jackson family
August 7, 2013 — Updated 1518 GMT (2318 HKT)
Michael Jackson’s ex-wife and the mother of two of his children may now be thrust into the center of the high-profile trial.
July 26, 2013 — Updated 0847 GMT (1647 HKT)
A nurse who administered propofol to Michael Jackson more than a dozen times said the pop star did not appear to be a drug-seeker.
July 25, 2013 — Updated 1415 GMT (2215 HKT)
A top executive with AEG Live insists Celine Dion is a “bigger” artist than Michael Jackson.
July 20, 2013 — Updated 0036 GMT (0836 HKT)
Michael Jackson’s mother told jurors she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against AEG Live “because I want to know what really happened to my son.”
July 11, 2013 — Updated 1046 GMT (1846 HKT)
Kenny Ortega choked up with emotion as he read aloud an e-mail he wrote days before Michael Jackson’s death.
June 24, 2013 — Updated 1515 GMT (2315 HKT)
Michael Jackson died while preparing to set a world record for the most successful concert run, but he unknowingly set another record that led to his death.
June 19, 2013 — Updated 2306 GMT (0706 HKT)
Paris and Prince Jackson made their first appearances in the wrongful death trial against their father’s last concert promoter.
July 4, 2013 — Updated 1126 GMT (1926 HKT)
A London tabloid declared that “secret FBI files” reveal Michael Jackson paid millions to silence dozens of boys he abused.
June 16, 2013 — Updated 1622 GMT (0022 HKT)
Michael Jackson’s health deteriorated so badly that he couldn’t perform some of his trademark dance moves.
June 6, 2013 — Updated 1316 GMT (2116 HKT)
Like her father had done countless times before, Paris Jackson stepped to the microphone.
May 31, 2013 — Updated 1545 GMT (2345 HKT)
The phrase most spoken by AEG Live’s co-CEO during his testimony in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial was: “I don’t recall.”
May 16, 2013 — Updated 1857 GMT (0257 HKT)
A dancer-choreographer befriended by Michael Jackson when he was a child now calls the late pop icon “a pedophile and a child sexual abuser.”
May 7, 2013 — Updated 2034 GMT (0434 HKT)
Jurors hearing the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial got a stark look at the dead pop icon after a lawyer showed them an autopsy photo.
April 3, 2013 — Updated 1258 GMT (2058 HKT)
The doctor convicted in Michael Jackson’s death serenaded CNN’s Anderson Cooper with a song that he said “tells my story.”
March 26, 2013 — Updated 1526 GMT (2326 HKT)
Click through photos remembering Michael Jackson’s legacy.
See more here:
Michael Jackson death verdict reached
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