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AEG opposes bigger courtroom for closing arguments in Jackson case

By | Published on Monday 23 September 2013

AEG Live

Lawyers for AEG Live have reportedly hit out at plans to move the final stages of the much previously reported Jacksons v AEG legal battle into a bigger court room to accommodate more press.

The legal squabble between the Jackson family and the live giant, in which the former claim the latter should be held liable for the 2009 death of Michael Jackson, reaches its very final furlong this week.

So far the long-running legal battle has occurred in a relatively small LA courtroom, limiting the number of journalists allowed to watch the proceedings. That, coupled with a ban on TV cameras, as arguably contributed to there being less of a media circus around this trial, despite some juicy revelations and testimonies, especially during the case for the Jacksons.

Seemingly court authorities have decided that for closing arguments a bigger courtroom will be used to accommodate more of the press, but AEG’s legal team argues that a sudden increased media presence could influence jurors, as well as putting more emphasis than there should be on closing arguments.

According to RadarOnline.com, Team AEG last week filed a motion with the court that said: “Counsel for defendants were quite startled – and concerned – when the court informed the parties that the court intended to conduct closing arguments in the large courtroom, rather than in [the room] where the entire trial has been held. We write to ask the court to reconsider [because] the conspicuous increase in media presence that will necessarily accompany the move could have a substantial and prejudicial effect on the jury”.

As a compromise AEG has seemingly suggested that the final stage proceedings of the case be screened in another room for journalists. It remains to be seen what happens.



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