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AEG decides not to call Katherine Jackson as legal battle reaches its conclusion
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 17 September 2013
Lawyers for live entertainment giant AEG Live have decided not to force Katherine Jackson back into the witness stand as their legal battle with the Jackson family matriarch reaches its conclusion, according to CNN.
As much previously reported, the Jackson family are suing AEG claiming that the live firm should be held liable for Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 because, as promoter of the late king of pop’s ‘This Is It’ venture, it paid for Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted for causing the singer’s death through negligence. AEG counters that Jackson himself recruited and managed the medic.
The long-running trial is now slowly reaching its conclusion and, after a week’s break, the final presentations are expected to be made this week. Legal reps for AEG indicated that one of the final witnesses they would call to the stand would be the 83 year old Katherine Jackson herself, mainly to question her about the mega-bucks damages her family is likely to push for if the jury decide the promoter is liable for Michael Jackson’s death. Presumably they wanted to portray the Jackson family as mainly being in it for the money.
Though Mrs Jackson has already been in the stand during the long-running court battle, back in July, and performed well; so much so the Jackson’s lawyers didn’t seem too bothered about their client being forced to testify again. Possibly because having lawyers for a multinational corporation badgering an elderly woman who insists she sued simply “to know what really happened to my son” would play in the pop family’s favour.
Though AEG possibly decided on an alternative course of action because of limits on what can actually be said about possible damages in the courtroom. They are expected to now finish up their presentation on Wednesday, possibly showing video footage from the deposition of Jackson’s son Prince before then. Team Jackson are then expected to present a rebuttal to some of AEG’s arguments before the jury begins their deliberations.
