Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal

Katherine Jackson’s AEG lawsuit allowed to proceed

By | Published on Thursday 3 February 2011

Katherine Jackson

A judge in LA yesterday ruled that Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit against AEG Live in relation to the death of Michael Jackson can proceed.

As previously reported, while the singer’s father Joe is suing Conrad Murray directly over the doctor’s alleged negligence in administering the drug that killed the late king of pop, his mother is suing AEG Live – promoters of Jacko’s ill-fated ‘This Is It’ show – on the basis they employed the medical man.

AEG argues that it hired Murray at Jackson’s request, and that the company didn’t directly manage him. But Mrs Jackson claims that Murray was instructed by the promoter to use any means to ensure her son was able to attend rehearsals, and that the live firm should have realised the combination of drugs the medic was using to achieve that was dangerous.

Last month, AEG filed a motion to have Mrs Jackson’s lawsuit dismissed, but judge Yvette Palazuelos yesterday denied that motion. Though she did stress that Jackson’s case would need to provide evidence of “fraud, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy”, adding that proof of the latter was currently lacking.

That’s the bit that relates to the allegation AEG and Murray conspired to use whatever means necessary to keep Jacko fit enough to rehearse. Palazuelos said that any agreement that Murray would ensure Jackson made it to rehearsals was not, in itself, an illegal act, and that evidence would be needed that the implications of such an agreement were more sinister.

Murray himself faces criminal charges of negligence for his role in Jackson’s death of course, charges the doc denies. His criminal trial is due to begin on 28 Mar.



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