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Katherine Jackson has been ordered by a US court to pay AEG Live $800,000 or costs defending the failed negligence case she brought against the concert promoter.
AEG Live was cleared of liability over the 2009 death of Michael Jackson in a five-month trial last October.
The company had sought $1.2 million to cover costs, but Katherine Jackson’s lawyers claimed it was not justified.
Both parties agreed not to challenge the court’s decision, but may appeal.
Katherine Jackson has been ordered by a US court to pay AEG Live $800,000 or costs defending the failed negligence case she brought against the concert promoter
The exact amount to be paid is expected to be finalized after AEG Live submits an amended list of its costs for items such as court filing fees and travel.
AEG Live’s lawyer Marvin Putnam said the court did the right thing “by ordering Katherine Jackson to pay nearly $1 millio spent in having to defend a matter that she should have never brought in the first place”.
Katherine Jackson’s lawyer Kevin Boyle said the costs would be borne by her and the singer’s three children, all of whom are supported by his estate.
Kevin Boyle added a decision on whether to appeal against the order would be made after AEG Live’s costs were finalized.
The Jackson family sued AEG Live in 2010 claiming it negligently hired and supervised cardiologist Conrad Murray, who gave Michael a lethal dose of the anaesthetic propofol as a sleep aid during his planned comeback tour.
However, a jury concluded the doctor was not unfit or incompetent to do his job and so AEG Live had not been negligent in hiring him.
Conrad Murray – who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the drug – was released from jail last October.
The family of late star Michael Jackson has lost its bid for a second wrongful death trial against concert promoter AEG Live.
AEG Live was cleared of liability in October after a five-month trial.
Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine Jackson and his children had claimed the jury was not given proper instructions, but a judge has ruled against a retrial.
The megastar died in 2009 after being given an overdose of powerful anaesthetic propofol by Conrad Murray, which AEG Live had hired as his personal doctor.
The promoter of Michael Jackson’s comeback concerts, This Is It, was sued by the singer’s mother, 83, and three children Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket.
But the company was cleared of negligence by the jury, which concluded that Conrad Murray had been sufficiently qualified for the job.
In court in Los Angeles the Jackson family had argued that the jury was not given the right verdict forms and their instructions were confusing.
“The court finds no jury confusion, based on the admissible evidence,” said Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos.
Michael Jackson’s family has lost its bid for a second wrongful death trial against concert promoter AEG Live
A statement from AEG Live was released through its lawyer Marvin Putnam.
“We were confident that the court would uphold the jury’s verdict,” he said.
Marvin Putnam added: “This is also fantastic news for the taxpayers of California, who won’t have their hard-earned money wasted retrying plaintiffs’ baseless claims. Enough is enough.”
Lawyers for the Jackson family said they may send their appeal to a higher state court.
“We believe there are numerous ways that we can win on appeal,” said lawyer Kevin Boyle.
Jurors who spoke after October’s verdict said it did not mean they thought Conrad Murray was ethical in his care of Michael Jackson, but that he was fit and competent to serve as the singer’s doctor when he was hired.
Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for Michael Jackson’s death. He was released in October after serving half of his 4-year sentence, under a California state plan to reduce prison overcrowding.
The former doctor’s medical licenses remain suspended or revoked in the US states where he previously practiced medicine.
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Katherine Jackson has filed an appeal to the jury’s verdict in Michael Jackson’s wrongful death lawsuit against AEG Live, Entertainment Tonight first reported.
In a trial that began in April, Michael Jackson’s mother sued AEG Live for more than $40 billion for the wrongful death of her son, who died at age 50 in 2009.
Katherine Jackson has filed an appeal to the jury’s verdict in Michael Jackson’s wrongful death lawsuit against AEG Live
After a lengthy trial, the jury decided in October that AEG was not liable in Michael Jackson’s death, which his mother is now appealing.
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Michael Jackson’s civil trial in Los Angeles revealed today that the megastar asked a doctor for propofol 10 years before he died of an overdose of the drug.
Dr. Christine Quinn told how Michael Jackson asked her to give him propofol to help him sleep.
Michael Jackson died of an overdose of the drug given to him by Dr. Conrad Murray.
His mother, Katherine Jackson, is suing promoters AEG Live for $40 billion over her son’s 2009 death. The company has denied any wrongdoing.
Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 over Jackson’s death. AEG, which was promoting his planned comeback concerts, denies it hired Murray.
Dr. Christine Quinn was giving evidence for the defense.
Michael Jackson asked a doctor for propofol 10 years before he died of an overdose of the drug
She said the request for propofol came after she met Michael Jackson while he was undergoing dental procedures.
Dr. Christine Quinn said she told him it was not appropriate to use the drug as a sleep aid.
She told him the sleep you get with anaesthesia “is not real sleep, not restful sleep”.
But Michael Jackson told her it had given him the best sleep he had ever had.
Nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee also told the court that Michael Jackson had told her he needed propofol to sleep in April 2009.
She said she had warned him that it was unsafe for home use and he might not wake up.
But Michael Jackson told her that doctors had told him he would be fine as long as he was monitored.
She said “his demeanor was <<I have to have this. I have to have this to sleep. You don’t understand, I have not had a good night’s sleep>>”.
AEG Live has also called a number of Michael Jackson’s former doctors to testify.
Dr. Petros Levounis, who had been hired by AEG, told the court on Tuesday that Michael Jackson showed signs that he was shopping around to try to find a doctor who would give him opioid drugs.
Katherine Jackson’s lawyers have said Michael was not an addict.
The prosecution’s case against promotion company AEG Live, in which Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine – along with his children Prince, Paris and Blanket – alleges the company is responsible for the megastar’s 2009 death, came to a tearful close Friday.
After other recent testimony revealed the massive haul Michael Jackson would have received from the This Is It tour he was rehearsing for when he died, the family the megastar left behind is now reportedly expecting to receive upwards of $40 billion.
This, according to sources who told the New York Post that Michael Jackson’s sister Rebbie, 63, and brothers Jermaine, 58, and Randy, 51, have been meeting in a secret Beverly Hills location to discuss how they’ll divvy up the huge settlement they expect to get out of the case.
According to the source, excitement amongst the performer family has heightened after an accountant testified for the prosecution last week that Michael Jackson could have easily taken home $1.5 billion from his ill-fated tour.
The Post’s source even claims Janet Jackson, arguably the most successful Jackson after Michael, has been involved in some of the meetings.
“I’m not sure [the family] sees it as counting their chickens before they are hatched,” a family member told The Post.
Michael Jackson’s family held secret meetings to plot how they will spend the $40 billion they expect to win from AEG
“Anyone who has followed this trial can easily see AEG is liable. So, it stands to reason that the $1.5 billion . . . would be a starting point.”
A starting point from which, the source said, punitive damages can only go up and up.
“You’re still talking about each getting at least a billion,” the insider claimed.
“A little less if Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Latoya decide they want a piece.”
The Post reports that those three aren’t interested in collecting from the case and say they’re not interested in “blood money”.
Meanwhile, The Post claims Jermaine Jackson already intends to buy the Abu Dhabi theme park Ferrari World and that Randy wants to restore the Neverland Ranch.
“Randy plans to use his share of the money to fight the estate because he’s always been serious about what he feels are Michael’s wishes,” The Post claims.
Katherine Jackson was expected to be the final witness called by her attorneys in the negligence lawsuit against AEG Live that has lasted 12 weeks. The defense case is scheduled to begin next week.
The case surrounds the prosecution’s claim that AEG contributed to Michael Jackson’s death, in part, by hiring Dr. Conrad Murray, who was sentenced to four years in prison in 2011 for his role in the star’s death.
AEG denies it hired the doctor or bears any responsibility for the singer’s death.
Katherine Jackson also said she had heard from her other children that Michael Jackson was abusing prescription medication, but she didn’t know what to believe. She said she visited him in Las Vegas a few years ago to ask him about it.
“He promised, he kept saying, <<I’m OK>>,” Katherine Jackson told the jury.
“Sometimes the mothers are the last to know.”
Katherine Jackson said she told her son: “I don’t want to hear on the news that you’re not here anymore.”
Kenny Ortega, the director of Michael Jackson’s planned comeback shows, has broken down in tears while giving evidence at the megastar’s wrongful death trial.
Kenny Ortega said Michael Jackson’s appearance was “very, very troubling” at a rehearsal, days before his death in June 2009.
“I saw a Michael that frightened me,” Kenny Ortega told the jury.
The director was giving evidence for a third day in the case against live event promoter AEG Live.
AEG Live is being sued by Michael Jackson’s mother for $40 billion over his death.
Katherine Jackson claims the company failed to properly investigate Michael’s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, and missed warning signs about his failing health as he prepared for his This Is It tour.
Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after giving Michael Jackson a lethal dose of the anaesthetic propofol in 2009.
The company has denied any wrongdoing.
Kenny Ortega gave evidence at Michael Jackson’s wrongful death trial
Kenny Ortega told the jury on Wednesday that, based on Michael Jackson’s condition, he didn’t believe the This Is It concerts could go forward.
The director said Michael Jackson appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance during at least four rehearsals.
Kenny Ortega said he was under the impression Michael Jackson’s strange behavior followed visits to his doctor.
Michael Jackson’s state was “fairly obvious” to others involved in the production, he added.
The singer also missed several scheduled rehearsals, said Kenny Ortega, adding that during a session six days before his death, he was cold, shivering and seemed lost.
Kenny Ortega, 63, told the court that Michael Jackson improved somewhat as the night went on but wasn’t coherent when he arrived that day. The singer didn’t rehearse that night.
Reading an email he sent to the CEO of concert promoter AEG Live hours after the rehearsal, Kenny Ortega shed tears as he described Michael Jackson as a “lost boy”.
Kenny Ortega said he sent the email to alert AEG officials about Michael Jackson’s condition and trusted them to get the singer appropriate care.
He said he repeatedly called Conrad Murray that night, “the doctor who I thought would be the most natural person” to help.
“Then I reached out to AEG, Michael’s partners, to make sure they were aware of how I felt and what I saw,” he added.
Kenny Ortega outlined a tense meeting with Conrad Murray the following day, during which Murray assured him and AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips that Michael Jackson was capable of rehearsing.
AEG has denied it hired Conrad Murray and said there was no way it could have known the doctor was giving Michael Jackson propofol as a sleep aid.
Kenny Ortega – who directed the High School musical trilogy – is the highest-ranking tour worker to give evidence at the trial and had the most direct contact with AEG executives and Michael Jackson.
The trial, currently in its 11th week, is expected to last until the end of July.
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Never-before-seen photos and home videos of Michael Jackson with his three children have been released on Wednesday.
The moving images were shown as Prince Michael Jackson became the first member of the Jackson family to give live testimony in the wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG.
Prince Jackson narrated as the images of his father, who died in 2009 aged 50, lavishing attention on Prince, Paris and Blanket were shown to the jury by Jackson family attorney Brian Panish.
The teenager credited his father with instilling in him a desire to learn and to help others. Along with the photographs, family videos have been entered into evidence, some taken by Michael Jackson himself, as he filmed his children and asked them what they want to be when they grew up.
Speaking on the stand, Prince Jackson revealed that after telling his father he wanted to be a movie director and architect, Michael gave him tips on how he could one day make films.
Paris and Prince Michael II, or Blanket as he is more commonly known, also figure prominently in the still photo and video exhibits.
During his testimony, Prince Jackson said that his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his This Is It shows that often ended with the singer in tears.
Prince Jackson, 16, said his father remarked after one of the conversations, “They’re going to kill me”, but did not elaborate further.
The testimony came in a lawsuit claiming AEG negligently hired Conrad Murray, the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.
AEG denies it hired the physician or bears any responsibility for the entertainer’s death.
Michael Jackson and his children in touching never-before-seen photos and home videos
Wearing a black suit with a dark grey tie and his long brown hair tucked behind his ears, Prince Jackson testified that he saw AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips at the family’s rented mansion in a heated conversation with Conrad Murray in the days before his father died. The teenager said Randy Phillips grabbed conrad Murray’s elbow and “looked aggressive”.
Michael Jackson wasn’t at home at the time and was probably rehearsing, Prince said.
Conrad Murray’s attorney Valerie Wass and AEG defense attorney Marvin S. Putnam later denied outside court that the meeting Prince described ever happened.
Marvin S. Putnam said Prince Jackson would be re-called to the witness stand during the defense case later in the trial.
“I think as the testimony will show when he is called in our defense that’s not what happened,” Marvin S. Putnam said.
“He was a 12-year-old boy who has had to endure this great tragedy.”
For the first time, Prince Jackson publicly provided details about the day his father died. The teenager testified that he saw Dr. Conrad Murray performing CPR on his father, who was hanging halfway off a bed. It appeared Michael Jackson’s eyes were rolled up in the back of his head, Prince told jurors.
Prince Jackson’s eyes appeared red as he recalled being told by Conrad Murray at a hospital that his father was dead. The teenager said he never saw Conrad Murray’s treatments of his father.
“I was 12. To my understanding he was supposed to make sure my dad stayed healthy,” Prince Jackson testified.
Prince Jackson said none of the household staff were allowed upstairs at the mansion, and the singer kept his bedroom locked while receiving treatments from Conrad Murray.
During cross-examination, Marvin S. Putnam played a clip from a deposition of Prince Jackson in which the teen said he discovered the bedroom was locked when he and his siblings were playing hide-and-seek and couldn’t get inside.
Prince Jackson also said his father gave him and Paris a stack of $100 bills on a few occasions to give to Conrad Murray, telling him Murray wouldn’t take the money from him, and the doctor wouldn’t take the full amount from the children.
The teenager said his understanding was that the money was meant to tide Conrad Murray over until he got paid by AEG Live.
Prince Jackson’s grandmother, Katherine, 83, sat in the front row of the courtroom during his testimony.
Katherine Jackson held a tissue and removed her glasses several times.
The testimony began with the teenager showing jurors roughly 15 minutes of private family photos and home videos.
The trial is expected to last several more weeks.
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Prince Jackson, Michael Jackson’s eldest son, recalled the moment Dr. Conrad Murray informed him of his father’s death.
Prince Jackson, 16, took to the stand for the first time in the Jackson family’s wrongful death lawsuit against AEG in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
He told the court Conrad Murray simply said: “Sorry kids. Dad’s dead.”
Prince Jackson is a witness in a lawsuit claiming AEG negligently hired Conrad Murray, the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Michael Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.
According to TMZ, Prince Jackson was in the lounge room of the family’s Holmby Hills mansion when his father went into cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009.
He recalled hearing screams and Conrad Murray called him upstairs. Prince Jackson said his father was “half hanging out of the bed” while the doctor was trying to resuscitate him.
Prince Jackson said his sister Paris, 15, who is being treated following a suicide attempt earlier this month, suffered the most in the wake of their father’s death.
He recalled she screamed that she “wanted her daddy” while Conrad Murray was performing CPR.
Prince Jackson said: “She was my dad’s princess. She definitely is dealing with [his death] in her own way.”
He also revealed his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wasn’t happy about the terms of the ill-fated shows.
Prince Jackson told jurors his father wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his This Is It shows that sometimes ended with his father in tears.
The teen said his father remarked after one of the conversations: “They’re going to kill me,” but he did not elaborate.
Prince Jackson recalled the moment Dr. Conrad Murray informed him of his father’s death
AEG denies it hired the physician or bears any responsibility for the entertainer’s death.
Prince Jackson testified that he saw AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips at the family’s rented mansion in a heated conversation with Conrad Murray in the days before his father died. The teenager said he saw Randy Phillips grabbing Conrad Murray’s elbow.
Randy Phillips “looked aggressive to me”, Prince Jackson testified.
Michael Jackson wasn’t at home at the time and was probably at rehearsals, Prince said.
For the first time, the teenage publicly provided details about the day his father died. Prince Jackson testified that he saw Conrad Murray performing CPR on his father, who was hanging halfway off a bed.
It appeared his father’s eyes were rolled up in the back of his head, Prince Jackson told jurors.
Prince Jackson’s eyes appeared red as he recalled being told by Conrad Murray at a hospital that his father was dead.
The testimony began with the teenager showing jurors roughly 15 minutes of private family photos and home videos.
He described growing up on Neverland Ranch and showed the panel videos of the property’s petting zoos and other amenities. After his father’s acquittal of child molestation charges, Prince Jackson described living in the Middle East, Ireland and Las Vegas.
Prince Jackson told the jury that his father was always working, but his children had no idea he was a global superstar.
“We always listened to his music, but we never knew how famous he was,” he said.
Prince Jackson said he and his sister Paris watched a video of one of their father’s performances and got a sense of his fame when overwhelmed fans were carried from his shows on stretchers.
He is the first Jackson family member to testify during the trial, now in its ninth week. Attorneys have said TJ Jackson, who serves a co-guardian to Prince and his siblings, and Taj Jackson, are also expected to take the witness stand. They are the sons of Tito Jackson.
Prince Jackson, his sister Paris and brother Blanket are plaintiffs in the case against AEG, which their grandmother and primary caretaker filed in August 2010.
In court, Prince Jackson wore a black suit with a dark grey tie with his long brown hair tucked behind his ears. He spoke softly as he began testifying, and the first exhibit shown to jurors was a photo taken with their grandmother on his and Paris’ first day of school.
He described his school life, including taking a summer course in U.S. history, participating on the school’s robotics team and volunteer work.
Another image shown to jurors was Michael Jackson playing piano with his son while Prince was still an infant or toddler.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Brian Panish asked Prince Jackson whether he was interested in pursuing a career in music.
“I can never play an instrument and I definitely cannot sing,” Prince Jackson said to laughter from the jury.
He said he wanted to study film or business when he goes to college.
Prince Jackson said he helped attorneys pick out the videos and photos shown in court.
Michael Jackson sheltered his children from the public eye while he was alive, often obscuring their faces while out in public. The children have been more public in recent years, appearing at a star-studded memorial service and other events honoring their father.
Paris Jackson, 15, had also been expected to testify during the case but was hospitalized last month and her status as a witness remained unclear. Attorneys for AEG played a snippet of her videotaped deposition last week, and more of her testimony may be played for the jury later in the trial.
Blanket Jackson, 11, is not expected to testify.
The jury of six men and six women has learned numerous details about Michael Jackson’s role as a father during the case. They’ve heard about a secret trip to a movie weeks before Michael Jackson’s death, a private circus he hired for Paris’ 11th birthday, and Blanket’s interest in his father’s dance rehearsals.
The trial is expected to last several more weeks.
AEG Live’s dealings with Michael Jackson’s doctor were “highly inappropriate”, music industry expert David Berman has told a US court.
Michael Jackson died in 2009 following an overdose of a powerful anaesthetic administered by Dr. Conrad Murray.
Conrad Murray, hired ahead of Michael Jackson’s comeback shows in London, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.
Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine, is suing AEG Live for $40 billion. The company have denied any wrongdoing.
The Jackson family claim AEG Live failed to properly investigate Conrad Murray and missed warning signs about the singer’s health.
David Berman, a former head of Capitol records, is testifying for Katherine Jackson during the on-going case in Los Angeles.
Asked whether it was appropriate for the concert company to attempt to hire a doctor on the singer’s behalf, David Berman said: “I believe that it’s highly inappropriate. It is highly unusual.”
Michael Jackson died in 2009 following an overdose of a powerful anaesthetic administered by Dr. Conrad Murray
He added that a more appropriate relationship would have been for Michael Jackson to hire cardiologist Conrad Murray without any involvement from AEG Live.
David Berman said that after viewing draft contracts and emails between AEG company executives, he believed AEG Live thought it controlled the physician.
He also said the company should not have negotiated with Conrad Murray without notifying Michael Jackson’s representatives.
The experienced executive, who worked with acts such as The Eagles, The Beach Boys and The Doors, is being paid $500 an hour to testify for Katherine Jackson.
David Berman retired from the music industry in 2001 to become an expert witness for music industry-related lawsuits.
AEG’s lawyers have objected to David Berman’s expertise, pointing out he has never been a tour producer or promoter.
An AEG lawyer showed David Berman a statement signed by Michael Jackson’s former manager, Frank Dileo, stating that he was aware of negotiations with Conrad Murray, and that it was his understanding that AEG Live’s CEO objected to bringing the physician on tour.
AEG have yet to question David Berman in court.
The company denies it hired Conrad Murray. The company’s executives and lawyers have said that AEG was merely advancing Michael Jackson the money to pay Conrad Murray, and a valid contract never existed.
Its executives have also stated that it agreed to pay Conrad Murray’s salary only because Michael Jackson insisted on him coming on tour.
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AEG Live’s CEO Randy Phillips claimed in court on Wednesday that Michael Jackson was “desperately broke” before his ill-fated This Is It comeback tour.
Randy Phillips made the claims as he testified for a sixth day at Michael Jackson’s wrongful death trial in a Los Angeles on Wednesday.
He told of an emotional Halloween meeting with Michael Jackson at a hotel where the singer claimed “they were living like vagabonds”.
Randy Phillips added: “He actually broke down and I broke down. We both broke down.
“He got emotional. He teared up about his family and having a good life with them and a place to live and a residence they could call their own.
“I felt incredibly bad that this incredible star was at the point where he just couldn’t buy a house with all this money he made. It just didn’t make sense.”
Randy Phillips also told AEG attorney Marvin Putnam: “It was the first time Michael really told me why he wanted to go back to work.”
Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine and his three children are suing the concert promoter, alleging it negligently hired, retained or supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the singer’s 2009 death.
Meanwhile Randy Phillips also told jurors he knew Michael Jackson as a sophisticated, forceful businessman and not the drugged-up performer who’s been described throughout an ongoing civil trial filed over the singer’s untimely death.
Michael Jackson was a far more complex figure than has been portrayed during the trial of a case filed by Katherine Jackson against AEG Live over her son’s death, said Randy Philips, the company’s president and CEO.
Michael Jackson was desperately broke before This Is It Tour, promoter Randy Phillips claims in court
Randy Phillips said based on meetings he had with Michael Jackson in 2008 and early 2009, he found the singer to be a “sophisticated man who had control of his life”.
The portrait of Michael Jackson that’s been presented to the jury during the seven-week trial has been inaccurate, Randy Phillips said.
Michael Jackson was described by both sides in opening statements as struggling with prescription drug addiction throughout his life.
Randy Phillips said he disagreed with the descriptions of Michael Jackson “because he’s been presented as drug-addled 5-year-old. That was not the man I dealt with. The man I dealt with was forceful. Kind, but determined. He was a force”.
Jurors have been presented with conflicting accounts of Michael Jackson, even from Randy Philips. They will have to weigh the different portrayals when they decide who is liable for the singer’s June 2009 death.
Katherine Jackson’s lawyers contend AEG failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of causing her son’s death, pushing her son too hard to perform and missed warning signs of his health.
AEG, however, contends Michael Jackson hid his addiction to the powerful anesthetic propofol and that the company could not have foreseen that the singer’s doctor was giving him the drug as a sleep aid.
Millions and possibly billions of dollars are at stake in the negligent hiring trial.
Randy Phillips said he didn’t see signs that Michael Jackson was struggling with prescription drugs when he met with the entertainer to discuss options for his This Is It comeback concerts scheduled for London’s O2 Arena in 2009. He has also told jurors that Michael Jackson never told him he was having trouble sleeping.
The executive has described the superstar as difficult to work with, often changing managers and ideas about what he wanted creatively.
In testimony later on Wednesday, Randy Phillips described having to coax Michael Jackson to a London press conference in March 2009 to announce his concerts.
Michael Jackson was a couple of hours late, appeared hung over and was concerned no one would want to see him perform.
“He is an emotionally paralyzed mess riddled with self-loathing and doubt now that it is show time,” Randy Phillips wrote his boss that day.
He testified that he just wanted to get through the event and forget it ever happened.
The six-man, six-woman jury has been shown numerous emails throughout the trial in which high-level tour workers expressed concerns about Michael Jackson’s health, his weight, and whether he was ready for the shows.
Many of the concerns were voiced by tour director Kenny Ortega, who Randy Phillips at one point told not to attempt to serve as an amateur doctor or psychiatrist.
Randy Phillips acknowledged earlier this week that statements he wrote to Kenny Ortega about Michael Jackson’s physician, Conrad Murray, were untrue.
Among those statements were Randy Phillips’ assertions that AEG Live had checked out Conrad Murray, and that the deeply indebted physician didn’t need the job.
Conrad Murray was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter for giving Michael Jackson a lethal dose of propofol. He is not a defendant in the civil case, although AEG Live lawyers said early they intend to call the former cardiologist as a witness.
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Shocking images which further detail Michael Jackson’s tragic spiral into prescription pill dependency have been revealed as his family pursue a lawsuit against his concert promoters, AEG Live.
The evidence pictures, released by the Los Angeles Police Department this week, show numerous pill bottles, oxygen tanks and medical supplies littered around the superstar’s bedroom at the time of his death on June 25, 2009.
One image, which was not among the dozens of pictures shown as part of the Conrad Murray manslaughter trial, reveals a metal stand with a hanging bag of intravenous fluids attached.
In the background are numerous portraits of unidentified babies along with a small picture of Charlie Chaplin. Several canisters of what appears to be oxygen stand next to a wooden dresser topped with gilded mirror.
Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine is suing AEG Live, claiming it failed to properly investigate her son’s personal doctor Conrad Murray and missed warning signs about his failing health.
Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 after giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol.
In the new photo collection, prescription pill bottles are seen lined up on a nightstand alongside over-the-counter products and a bottle of water while empty containers roll around on the floor.
Along with propofol, the names of drugs Diazepam and Lidocaine are marked on some bottles’ labels.
In one telling image, which appears to have been taken in a car, there is a list of nearby 24-hour pharmacies and the phone numbers.
Conrad Murray’s medical bag is also indicated in one picture, according to RadarOnline, stashed high in a closet in Michael Jackson’s dressing room.
There are also similar images from Conrad Murray’s trial including shots of Michael Jackson’s iconic embroidered jackets hanging in a closet and stacks of movies on a nightstand.
Shocking images which further detail Michael Jackson’s tragic spiral into prescription pill dependency have been revealed as his family pursue a lawsuit against his concert promoters
The shocking new set of images came as jurors in the Jackson case were shown an email on Monday in which the top executive at AEG Live LLC expressed grave concerns about treatments Jackson was receiving from his longtime dermatologist.
The email sent by AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips said the company was “scared to death” of drug injections given to Michael Jackson.
Randy Phillips told jurors that the email was a response to a $48,000 bill that Michael Jackson’s manager received for the treatments by Dr. Arnold Klein.
“He scares us to death because he is shooting him up with something,” Randy Phillips wrote.
The email was sent to Michael Jackson’s business manager Michael Kane after a meeting was held at the singer’s house to address his health and missed rehearsals.
The treatments included numerous shots of cosmetic drugs such as Restalyne and botox, as well as other unidentified intramuscular shots, Randy Phillips said, citing the bill.
Arnold Klein’s attorney has defended the doctor’s treatment of Michael Jackson.
AEG denies any wrongdoing, and Randy Phillips and other executives have testified during the trial that it would have been inappropriate to ask about or intervene in Michael Jackson’s medical care.
Randy Phillips was told by a judge to answer questions posed by a lawyer for Katherine Jackson without arguing and that his demeanor might be hurting his case.
Jurors were sent from the courtroom before Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos addressed Randy Phillips, who has sparred with attorney Brian Panish throughout his testimony. The lawyers have been repeatedly warned by the judge about the behavior.
“Arguing with the lawyers isn’t really going to help,” Yvette Palazuelos told Randy Phillips.
“It’s not going to help your case. It’s not going to help anybody.”
Randy Phillips said Briuan Panish was repeatedly asking him questions about the same subject.
“I’m just trying not to say the wrong thing,” Randy Phillips said.
The admonition by the judge came after Brian Panish asked Randy Phillips about characterizations of Dr. Conrad Murray that Phillips made in an email sent five days before the singer died.
Randy Phillips acknowledged that some of the statements – including that AEG Live had checked out Conrad Murray and that the former cardiologist didn’t need the job – turned out not to be true.
When Brian Panish asked if Randy Phillips had acknowledged that some of his statements to the director of Michael Jackson’s This Is It shows weren’t true, the executive said: “Honestly, only to stop you from badgering me, yes.”
Judge Yvette Palazuelos briefly stopped the testimony and issued the warning.
Jessica Stebbins Bina, a defense attorney for AEG Live, said some of Brian Panish’s questions had been argumentative. The judge disagreed.
Randy Phillips, head of concert promoters AEG Live, has admitted in court in Los Angeles he believes a legal action filed by Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine is a “baseless extortion” attempt.
Katherine Jackson, 83, claims AEG Live failed to investigate the doctor who was later convicted of causing Michael Jackson’s death in 2009.
AEG Live is being sued for $40 billion.
Randy Phillips says AEG bear no responsibility for Michael Jackson’s death.
When asked on Tuesday by Katherine Jackson’s lawyer whether he thought the case was a “baseless extortion, a shakedown of AEG Live”, Randy Phillips answered: “Yes.”
It is likely Randy Phillips will be asked about numerous emails he sent and received about Michael Jackson’s health in the final weeks of the singer’s life, as well as any interactions he had with his physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.
Katherine Jackson is accused of extortion by AEG Live’s Randy Phillips
AEG Live claims it was not responsible for the hire or supervision of the doctor and has called the legal action “preposterous”.
AEG also denies hiring Dr. Conrad Murray and agreeing to pay his fee as an advance to Michael Jackson.
Conrad Murray agreed to serve as Michael Jackson’s doctor for $150,000 a month while he performed shows at London’s 02 Arena in 2009 and early 2010.
The physician was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter after supplying Michael Jackson with a surgical anaesthetic.
The civil trial is now in its sixth week.
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A civil trial in which Michael Jackson’s family is suing concert promoters AEG is to begin on Monday, April 29, court officials have confirmed.
Michael Jackson’s family is suing AEG for wrongful death, claiming the company was responsible for the star’s death in 2009 because it hired Dr. Conrad Murray.
Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.
A jury of six men and six women has been selected for the Los Angeles trial, which may last up to six months.
Michael Jackson died from an overdose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol while preparing for 50 comeback gigs in the UK.
The legal action claims AEG Live is liable for his death because Dr.Conrad Murray supplied the mgastar with the surgical drug.
The Jackson family is suing for $40 billion. But AEG Live has said it was not responsible for the hire or supervision of the doctor and called the $40 billion claim “preposterous”.
Michael Jackson’s family is suing AEG for wrongful death, claiming the company was responsible for the star’s death in 2009 because it hired Dr. Conrad Murray
Potential witnesses include Michael Jackson’s mother, the star’s two oldest children, Prince, 16, and Paris, 15, as well as the singers Prince and Diana Ross.
The jury was selected from more than 100 candidates – many of whom were eliminated because they said serving on a three-month trial would be a hardship.
Others were rejected when they said they had a bias against Jackson or disapproved of big-figure legal cases or had business ties to AEG or the Jackson family.
Lawyers for both sides have now begun questioning prospective candidates to sit as six alternative jurors – used to replace a regular juror who becomes unable to serve.
The legal action accuses the promoters of failing to check the credentials of Dr. Conrad Murray, who supplied Michael Jackson with the propofol.
During Dr. Conrad Murray’s trial in 2011, the prosecution said he caused Michael Jackson’s death through negligence.
The defense argued that Michael Jackson was a drug addict who caused his own death by giving himself an extra dose of propofol while the cardiologist was out of the room.
Earlier this week, Conrad Murray launched an appeal against his conviction.
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AEG Live, Michael Jackson’s former concert promoter, is withdrawing a $17.5 million insurance claim over the singer’s cancelled comeback gigs.
AEG had filed the claim against insurer Lloyd’s of London for its concert-related losses in 2009.
However, the insurance company sought to nullify the policy, saying AEG made false claims about Michael Jackson’s health.
A lawyer for AEG said the company dropped the claim because it had been reimbursed by the singer’s estate.
The move comes a week after the publication of leaked internal emails from the concert promoters which saw them voice concerns over the 50-year-old’s stability and health.
AEG Live, Michael Jackson's former concert promoter, is withdrawing a $17.5 million insurance claim over the singer's cancelled comeback gigs
In one email, sent the day the singer appeared in London to announce his This Is It shows, AEG chief executive Randy Phillips described the singer as “locked in his room drunk and despondent”.
The company’s lawyer Marvin Putnam said the decision to withdraw the insurance claim had “nothing to do with the recent leak”.
Lawyers said they suspected the emails were leaked from material shared between the two sides in a separate legal case between AEG and Jackson’s mother, Katherine.
Katherine Jackson has accused the promoters of pressuring the singer to carry on with the sold-out comeback shows despite indications he was too weak.
“We are standing by AEG’s lawyers comments that the withdrawal of the claim was not related to the leaked emails,” Paul Schriffer, a lawyer for Lloyd’s of London said.
“In exchange for AEG withdrawing its insurance claim, underwriters agreed to dismiss AEG from the case and to waive any costs recoverable from AEG.”
Michael Jackson died on 25 June, 2009 from an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol.
Last November his personal physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of his involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in jail.
