A Superior Court judge is to make a ruling on a lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson relating to that long running dispute with concert promoter Marcel Avram over two cancelled concerts from New Year's Eve 1999. Jackson claims that Avram has breached a previous agreement relating to this dispute, and is looking for a court resolution that prevents the promoter from taking any further action against him.
As previously reported, Avram originally sued Jackson after the singer pulled out of the two 1999 concerts, leaving him considerably out of pocket. In 2002 the two parties reached an out of court settlement which saw Jackson pay the promoter $6.5 million. The latest dispute is over whether that settlement was final and binding, or whether Avram still has rights to push for third party arbitration in a bid to secure a bigger compensation pay out.
Speaking for Jackson at the Superior Court this week, lawyer Thomas Mundell said that this was a dispute ended in 2002 which Avram had no right in pursuing any further. He told the court: "Nobody pays $6.5 million and doesn't get a full release from future claims". But Avram's lawyer denies the matter has been fully resolved, suggesting his client is looking for at least another $3 million in compensation.