Jurors chosen to decide Michael Jackson wrongful death case
 |
| Superstar Michael Jackson |
A jury of six men and six women has been chosen to hear the Michael Jackson family's wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live. Another six jurors must now be selected to serve as alternates in the trial, which is expected to last two or three months, in a Los Angeles courtroom. Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, claiming the promoter was liable in the pop icon's death in 2009. The judge has not set a date for opening statements and testimony to begin, although the trial opening could happen later this week. Jackson died two weeks before his "This Is It" comeback concerts, organized by AEG Live, were to have debuted in London in the summer of 2009. Lawyers for Jackson's mother, Katherine; and children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, argue that AEG Live is liable because the company hired and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, who used a surgical anesthetic in a fatal effort to treat the singer's insomnia as he prepared for the comeback concerts. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving a prison sentence. AEG Live's lawyers argue that Jackson chose and controlled Murray. The lawsuit seeks a judgment against AEG Live equal to the money Jackson would have earned over the course of his remaining lifetime if he had not died in 2009. If AEG Live is found liable, it could cost the company several billion dollars, according to estimates of Jackson's income potential. AEG Live is a subsidiary of AEG, a global entertainment company that was up for sale recently with an $8 billion asking price.
source link: www.edition.cnn.com
