Jury Sides with AEG in Jackson Wrongful Death Suit

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aptopix-jackson-aeg-suitFamily of King of Pop sued AEG Live over hiring of Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor who administered the lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol in 2009, but L.A. jury finds company didn’t have reason to suspect physician at the time. Jury foreman Gregg Barden says while they felt Murray was ‘competent,’ that doesn’t mean they believed he was ‘ethical.’

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Jurors rejected the $1.5 billion dollar lawsuit brought by the family of the late Michael Jackson claiming concert AEG Live is responsible for the pop singer’s death by hiring the doctor whose negligence killed him

In a resounding rebuke of claims that Michael Jackson died at the hands of his greedy concert promoters, a Los Angeles jury decided Wednesday the singer’s mom and kids don’t deserve a dime from AEG Live for his drug overdose in his bedroom.

The jury of six men and six women returned the verdict after four days of deliberation in the $1.5 billion wrongful-death lawsuit.

The panel decided AEG hired Dr. Conrad Murray, but the King of Pop’s own fancy footwork kept his use of the surgery-strength anesthetic propofol a secret from AEG Live. The jurors found the company had no reason to suspect a licensed doctor with no malpractice claims would violate his Hippocratic Oath with daredevil drug infusions.

The verdict capped five months of testimony in the closely watched case that exposed many secrets of the reclusive “Thriller” singer’s personal life and finances. Jackson was 50 when he died in June 2009.

Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos gathers the verdict documents moments before they are publicly announced Wednesday in the Jackson v. AEG Live civil trial.

Robert Gauthier-Pool/Getty Images

Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos gathers the verdict documents moments before they are publicly announced Wednesday in the Jackson v. AEG Live civil trial.

“The jury’s decision completely vindicates AEG Live, confirming what we have known from the start — that although Michael Jackson’s death was a terrible tragedy, it was not a tragedy of AEG Live’s making,” said Marvin Putnam, the promoter’s lead attorney.

“What really happened behind those locked doors? That was between Michael Jackson and his physician.”

More than 50 witnesses, including Jackson’s eldest son, Prince, 16, and his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, took the stand.

Rowe told jurors Jackson used propofol to sleep as far back as 1997, during his HIStory tour.

Michael Jackson died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol in 2009.

Joel Ryan/AP

Michael Jackson died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol in 2009.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL JACKSON’S LIFE IN PHOTOS

Jackson’s mother and brother, Randy Jackson, revealed they had staged drug interventions, which didn’t work.

“There was simply no evidence that anyone at AEG did anything wrong,” Putnam said.

He called the verdict a “great victory” for AEG Live, particularly its chief executive officer, Randy Phillips.

Attorneys for both sides stand as jurors are seated in the conclusion of the civil trial on Wednesday. Jackson attorneys (from left) are Michael Koskoff, Deborah Chang and Kevin Boyle, and AEG attorneys are Kathryn Cahan, Jessica Stebbins Bina and Marvin Putnam.

AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Robert Gauthier, Pool

Attorneys for both sides stand as jurors are seated in the conclusion of the civil trial on Wednesday. Jackson attorneys (from left) are Michael Koskoff, Deborah Chang and Kevin Boyle, and AEG attorneys are Kathryn Cahan, Jessica Stebbins Bina and Marvin Putnam.

Phillips said the verdict was bittersweet.

“I counted Michael Jackson as a creative partner and a friend,” he said. “We lost one of the world’s greatest musical geniuses, but I am relieved and deeply grateful that the jury recognized that neither I, nor anyone else at AEG Live, played any part in Michael’s tragic death.”

Dan Beckerman — president and CEO of AEG Inc., the promoter’s parent company — also expressed relief over the jury’s decision.

“I am pleased that the jury recognized that this lawsuit was without merit, and the entire AEG family looks forward to putting this unfortunate chapter behind us,” Beckerman said.

Paris Jackson (from left), Prince Jackson, La Toya Jackson and Blanket Jackson attending an event in Beverly Hills in October 2012. Paris, Prince and Blanket stood to receive damages from AEG Live in the wrongful death case.

Tommaso Boddi/WireImage

Paris Jackson (from left), Prince Jackson, La Toya Jackson and Blanket Jackson attending an event in Beverly Hills in October 2012. Paris, Prince and Blanket stood to receive damages from AEG Live in the wrongful death case.

The late star’s mom, Katherine Jackson, 83, maintained a stoic demeanor as the verdict was announced about 3:30 p.m. Pacific time. She walked out of the courtroom, but once outside, got into a wheelchair with the help of her nephew, Trent Jackson.

RELATED: ‘MICHAEL JACKSON’S DEATH WAS CAUSED BY HIS OWN CHOICES,’ AEG LIVE LAWYER SAYS

She did not make a statement and had to leave it to her lawyer to accept bouquets of roses from die-hard Jackson fans who had gathered outside the courthouse.

“We of course are not happy with the result as it stands now,” said Kevin Boyle, one of Katherine Jackson’s lawyers.

Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson, was 'pretty choked up with emotion' when he heard the verdict in the civil case, his lawyer said.

Reed Saxon/AP

Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson, was ‘pretty choked up with emotion’ when he heard the verdict in the civil case, his lawyer said.

Boyle said the family’s fight is not over.

“We will be exploring all options, legally and factually, and make a decision … at a later time.”

The singer’s fans also slammed the verdict.

“This is a complete shock to Michael’s fans and Katherine’s supporters,” Karlene Taylor, who attended almost every day of the trial, told the Daily News.

Press conference outside of the federal courthouse in Los Angeles following the jury's verdict in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial on Wednesday. The six men and six women of the jury found that the singer’s mom and kids don't deserve a dime from AEG Live.

Nancy Dillon/NY Daily News

Press conference outside of the federal courthouse in Los Angeles following the jury’s verdict in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial on Wednesday. The six men and six women of the jury found that the singer’s mom and kids don’t deserve a dime from AEG Live.

She scoffed at the jury for finding Murray competent and AEG Live faultless for hiring him.

“The jurors probably need the definition of incompetence read to them,” Taylor said.

RELATED: FULHAM REMOVES CONTROVERSIAL MICHAEL JACKSON STATUE

Jury foreman Gregg Barden defended the decision.

Prince Jackson and Katherine Jackson arrive at the world premiere of 'Michael Jackson ONE' by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. Michael Jackson's mother and children have been receiving stipends from his estate.

Ethan Miller/(Credit too long, see caption)

Prince Jackson and Katherine Jackson arrive at the world premiere of ‘Michael Jackson ONE’ by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. Michael Jackson’s mother and children have been receiving stipends from his estate.

“Conrad Murray had a license, he graduated from an accredited college, and we felt he was competent to do the job of being a general practitioner,” Barden said. “Now that doesn’t mean that we thought he was ethical. Had the word ‘ethical’ been in the question, it could have been a different outcome.”

Barden said jurors were initially confused by Judge Yvette Palazuelos’ question of whether “Murray [was] unfit or incompetent to perform the work for which he was hired.” He said it took several votes, and in the end the panel voted 10-2 to answer “No.”

Under California law, only nine of the 12 jurors needed to agree to reach a verdict.

Barden said a key piece of evidence was the contract between Murray and AEG, which paid the doctor $150,000 a month.

Rebbie Jackson, sister of the late singer Michael Jackson, arrives at the courthouse in Los Angeles in July.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Rebbie Jackson, sister of the late singer Michael Jackson, arrives at the courthouse in Los Angeles in July.

“We reached a verdict we understand that not everybody is going to agree with,” Barden said. “There are really no winners in this. Somebody had to die for us to be here. It was really a tragic situation.”

Juror Kevin Smith said the evidence showed Jackson was responsible for his own death.

“Michael Jackson was used to getting his way,” Smith said. “He could pretty much get what he wanted … Anybody that said ‘no’ was out of the mix and he’d find somebody else.”

RELATED: KANYE WEST: ‘I’M THE NUMBER ONE ROCK STAR ON THE PLANET’

 A somber Michael Jackson fan holds up a portrait of singer after the verdict on Wednesday.

AP Photo/Nick Ut

 A somber Michael Jackson fan holds up a portrait of singer after the verdict on Wednesday.

Another juror, Bryant Carino, said it was a tough call.

“I heard stuff on both sides that made sense, but anyone who looked at the facts had to reach the same decision,” said Carino, after he and his fellow jurors met with Palazuelos behind closed doors for 20 minutes before they were dismissed.

“I’m sorry (Katherine Jackson) had to lose her son,” Carino said. “It’s a terrible tragedy one way or the other.”

During the trial, jurors also got a detailed look at Jackson’s personal spending and heard he was awash in debt and back taxes topping $400 million when he died.

Michael Jackson's only daughter, Paris, was a highly anticipated witness at the beginning of the trail, but didn't take the stand. Instead, she appeared in snippets of videotaped deposition testimony.

CARE/CARE/AKM-GSI

Michael Jackson’s only daughter, Paris, was a highly anticipated witness at the beginning of the trail, but didn’t take the stand. Instead, she appeared in snippets of videotaped deposition testimony.

Jackson’s estate, which was not involved in the lawsuit, has nearly paid off the entertainer’s debt as revenue from his record sales and the documentary “This is It” skyrocketed following his death.

The singer’s mother and children have been getting stipends from the estate, which is also financing the heirs’ trust funds.

Katherine Jackson’s lead attorney, Brian Panish, built his case on the notion that AEG created a dangerous conflict of interest when it drafted a contract with Murray that pulled the plug on his generous salary if Jackson didn’t perform.

He said AEG executives saw the singer as simply a cash cow and failed to check on Murray’s dire financial distress or help Jackson as he deteriorated into a cold, emaciated basket case before their eyes.

AEG Live lead attorney Marvin Putnam delivers his closing arguments last Friday.

Irfan Khan/ASSOCIATED PRESS

AEG Live lead attorney Marvin Putnam delivers his closing arguments last Friday.

RELATED: JURORS DELIBERATE IN MICHAEL JACKSON CASE

Panish asked the jury to find AEG liable for most of the $1.2 billion that his side believed Jackson could have earned had he lived. He also asked for $85 million in personal damages for each of Jackson’s kids and his mom.

But AEG produced medical records that tied the singer to Murray as far back as 2006, and the company argued that Jackson kept his thirst for propofol a fiercely guarded secret.

Putnam said in his closing argument that Murray shipped propofol to Los Angeles for Jackson in April 2009, before AEG even knew the doctor existed. He said that had AEG known what Murray and Jackson were doing behind closed doors, his client would have acted immediately.

Brian Panish, attorney for the Michael Jackson family, delivers his rebuttal argument to jurors last week.

AL Seib/AP

Brian Panish, attorney for the Michael Jackson family, delivers his rebuttal argument to jurors last week.

“Simply stated, AEG never would have agreed to finance this tour if it knew Mr. Jackson played Russian roulette every night in his bedroom. It wasn’t going to happen,” Putnam said. “If AEG knew, it would have ruined everything.”

He said Murray had no history of malpractice claims or overdosing patients before Jackson, and he passed a criminal background check to get his medical license in California.

He called Panish’s request for $1.5 billion both “ridiculous” and “absurd.”

Katherine Jackson sat through most of the trial, along with her nephew Trent, and a revolving cast of relatives that included daughters Rebbie and Janet, and grandsons Taj and TJ.

In her deposition, Paris Jackson said that her dad had a strange relationship with her mysterious longtime nanny Grace Rwaramba.

Splash News/Splash News

In her deposition, Paris Jackson said that her dad had a strange relationship with her mysterious longtime nanny Grace Rwaramba.

Murray, convicted of involuntary manslaughter, followed the trial from his jail cell in downtown Los Angeles but signaled he would take the Fifth Amendment if called as a witness, his lawyer said.

PHOTOS: INSIDE MICHAEL JACKSON’S NEVERLAND RANCH

Lawyer Valerie Wass visited Murray her client in prison after the verdict was announced.

“He feels some vindication. A jury, after listening to evidence for five months, decided that he was a competent doctor. Prosecutors in his criminal trial tried to portray him as inept, but he had no malpractice claims and no disciplinary proceedings,” Wass told the Daily News.

Michael Jackson's life was scrutinized during the LA trial.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Jackson’s life was scrutinized during the LA trial.

“When he heard the verdict, it was a moment for pause. It really struck him. He felt justice was served. It doesn’t correct all the other wrongs that he believes occurred, but he was visibly moved by it. He came into the visiting room, and when I asked if he was okay, he looked down and was pretty choked up with emotion.”

He’s expected to be released later this month due to good behavior and jail overcrowding.

Jackson’s only daughter, Paris, 15, was a highly anticipated witness at the start of the trial last April, but she appeared only in snippets of videotaped deposition testimony after she slashed her arm with a kitchen knife in a June suicide bid.

In one revealing deposition excerpt, she claimed her dad had a strange relationship with her mysterious longtime nanny Grace Rwaramba.

Executives at AEG maintain that Jackson's drug habits were not known to the company.

Executives at AEG maintain that Jackson’s drug habits were not known to the company.

“He said she was sneaky,” Paris said in her deposition. “When he would stay in a hotel, or whatever, she would call the hotel and say that she was his wife. She was obsessed with him. … They’d let her in, and she’d be, like, in his bed.”

Rwaramba was on Katherine Jackson’s original witness list but was not called, despite sitting for deposition testimony after the trial started.

Celebrities on the Jackson family witness list — including Spike Lee, Diana Ross and Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley — were never called to testify.

In his closing argument, Putnam asked the jury to examine excerpts from the documentary “This Is It,” noting that Jackson appeared to be in top form the day before he died.

“AEG Live did not have a crystal ball,” Putnam said. “Dr. Murray and Mr. Jackson fooled everyone. They want to blame AEG for something no one saw.”

Babatunde Akinsola
Babatunde Akinsolahttps://naija247news.com
Babatunde Akinsola is aNaija247news' Southwest editor. He's based in Lagos and writes on the Yoruba Nation political issues, news and investigative reports

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