Jury selected for the AEG lawsuit
On Monday, the members of the jury for the lawsuit filed by Katherine Jackson and Michael’s children against AEG were selected. After nearly a month, the process ended with the selection of six women and six men, who over the next three to four months will witness difficult and emotional days.
In this court case, the final days of Michael Jackson’s life will be discussed and voted on. The main jury members have been introduced as follows, without naming them.
Member one: a woman, married, works at a bank, no children.Member two: a woman, widowed, works as a nurse at a medical center.Member three: a man, Spanish, single, works at a store.Member four: a woman, Spanish, married and mother of an adult child, employed.Member five: a woman, software engineer.Member six: a man, married, a high school sports coach.Member seven: a woman, African-American, mother of three adult children, has lost one of her children; a research studies coordinator at UCLA, the hospital where Michael Jackson died.Member eight: a man, bank employee.Member nine: a man, did not disclose his job.Member ten: a man, 61 years old, African-American, auto mechanic.Member eleven: a woman, a cancer disease researcher at UCLA Hospital. Her husband is a medical student.Member twelve: a man, Spanish, married and father of three children. An employee in the Department of Water and Power in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, the alternates were selected as well: four men and two women. Brian Panish, the attorney for Katherine’s side, described this jury composition as a suitable mix of different people.
The selection process for these members was not simple. Many of the people who were summoned to the court for questioning asked to be excused from jury duty with excuses and reasons. The process went so far that the judge warned that she would not accept any excuses except medical reasons.
On the other hand, Michael’s fame and the extensive connections of the Jackson family were another obstacle to selecting jury members. Many people were crossed off the list because they had a relationship with Michael and his family. For example, David Walsh, a Canadian singer and songwriter, said he had met members of the Jackson family and that he was friends with Lisa, Michael’s former wife. His name, along with that of his manager, had been on the jury list, and he said the following:
“I had friends in Michael’s music group. One of them was a singer from the This Is It tour’s supporting cast.”
He said he has unshakable beliefs about this case.
Another man said that he had once seen Conrad Murray after Michael’s death preparing barbecue in the backyard of his house and had spoken with him. But after learning who he was, he refused to continue the relationship with him.
Potential court witnesses are also well-known figures: Michael Jackson’s mother and children, Conrad Murray, Prince the singer, Diana Ross, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, Michael’s former wives, director Spike Lee, actor and sports coach Lou Ferrigno, and also several others including the founders and executives of the company. This list is not final, and some people—such as the children or Prince—may not appear in the courtroom.
Meanwhile, Katherine Jackson had filed a motion with the court some time ago, stating that she wants the list of people who went to visit Conrad Murray to be reviewed. She wants to ensure that company employees in jail did not meet with Murray. This action may be due to her and her lawyers’ worrying belief that the company and Murray are conspiring in secret.
Murray’s lawyer, Valerie Wass, described Katherine’s move as her and Michael’s children’s last desperate efforts to find connections between her client and AEG. Wass denied any relationship between Murray and the company.
Source: eMJey.com / LA Times & Reuters