LOS ANGELES — With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, the jury for the civil lawsuit brought by the family of Michael Jackson against promoters AEG Live returned a verdict Oct. 2 that found that AEG Live was not financially liable for the singer’s death.
Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, and three children brought suit against the concert promoter, contending that the company was liable for financial damages because it had hired, and was responsible for supervising, Conrad Murray, the doctor who provided Jackson access to what turned out to be a fatal combination of prescription drugs.
The jurors’ verdict found that AEG Live was, in fact, responsible for hiring Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Nov. 2011. But it also stated that, at the time AEG Live hired Dr. Murray, there was no indication that he might be unfit in his role as Jackson’s physician, and that the company was therefore not liable.
The 12-person jury did not need to return a unanimous verdict in favor of Jackson’s family and against AEG Live; analysts projected that the civil trial could have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars, and perhaps more than $1 billion, if nine of the 12 determined that AEG Live should pay.
The jury reached the civil trial verdict after close to five months of testimony and three days of deliberations. Murray’s criminal trial was shorter — less than three months, with about eight hours of deliberation.
Although Murray was sentenced to four years in prison, he is due to be released later this month for good behavior.
