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Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal
AEG’s Jackson death lawsuit scheduled for September 2012
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 2 June 2011
One of the civil cases relating to the death of Michael Jackson will not be heard in court until September 2012, the judge overseeing the case decided yesterday. By that time the much delayed criminal case against Doc Conrad Murray should have reached its conclusion, which could have an impact on this civil suit.
As previously reported, the late king of pop’s mother Katherine Jackson is suing live music giant AEG Live – promoters of the fated Michael Jackson ‘This Is It’ residency at the O2 dome in London – because they paid the fees of Murray, the medic accused of causing the singer’s death by negligently administering the drug propofol.
Mrs Jackson says that as Murray was hired by AEG to be Jackson’s personal medic while he worked on ‘This Is It’ they should be held responsible for his death. There were also allegations that Murray had been told by AEG bosses to do “whatever it takes” to ensure Jackson was able to attend rehearsals for his London show, the implication being that meant pump him full of medication if necessary.
Murray, of course, denies responsibility for Jackson’s demise, and there are reports his legal reps will claim either Jacko himself, or a mysterious third party, actually injected the shot of propofol that caused the singer’s death. Katherine Jackson’s lawyer Kevin Boyle yesterday admitted the outcome of the criminal trial, now due to take place this September, will have an impact on the civil case.
In particular, if Murray is found liable for Jacko’s demise, then Mrs Jackson’s case will centre not on what caused his client’s son’s death, but on the relationship between AEG and the doctor, specifically whether the medic was an employee of the live music firm. Boyle added that if their case did follow a Murray conviction, then any court hearing in the civil case would be much shorter.
That said, AEG Live’s attorney Marvin Putnam played down the significance of the criminal trial on this civil case. While, obviously, an acquittal of Murray would be helpful to AEG, Putnam would argue that the company’s legal arguments in the civil proceedings – that Murray was chosen by and reported to Michael Jackson directly, that AEG just picked up the bills, and therefore wasn’t responsible for his actions – are strong whatever happens in the Conrad Murray trial this Autumn.
The same LA judge is also overseeing the other civil case relating to the death of Michael Jackson. His father Joe is suing Murray directly, of course.
