AEG Court Session 90: The Most Bizarre Verdict Ever Returned by the Jury

The Los Angeles Times reported that in its fourth round of deliberations, the jury returned a verdict stating that Dr. Murray had been hired by AEG, but they found Murray fit and competent to carry out the job he was hired for—namely, caring for Michael’s health. The doctor who left his patient while under anesthesia, causing respiratory arrest and his death. In this way, the jury did not find the company responsible for Michael’s death, meaning AEG would not have to pay money to Michael Jackson’s mother and children. Jackson’s lawyers had requested $85 million in damages for each of Michael’s children and $35 million for Katherine. Of course, they believed the actual harm done to them exceeded one billion dollars. Although Katherine said her goal was not money and that she filed the case to uncover the truth, the only way to confront AEG was through a civil lawsuit. In such a court, one can claim damages, and people cannot be sent to prison. If Katherine had filed a claim for damages as a result of bringing the case, that does not mean she was seeking money for her son’s death—especially since she has a substantial share of her son’s wealth. Murray’s hiring by the company was the first question, and his lack of competence was the second question for the jury. In total, they faced sixteen questions. Their answers were “yes” to the first question and “no” to the second. As a result, they exempted themselves from answering questions three through sixteen. While many people may have had doubts about the first question, almost everyone agreed that Murray was an incompetent doctor, because in the 2011 court case he was sentenced to prison for involuntary manslaughter. The jury’s answer to the second question—finding Dr. Murray “fit and competent”—has shocked and angered Michael Jackson’s fans. Katherine Jackson may request an appeal, and the case could be sent to an appellate court. The first juror, Greg Barden, explained why this verdict was reached. He said that although answering the second question was a major challenge for them, they felt that Murray was qualified—at the level of a general practitioner—to perform the duties he had been hired for (a doctor who, in the 2011 court, was found not to know how to administer artificial respiration!). They felt Murray had studied at a good university and was competent. The jury: “This doesn’t mean we feel Murray is an ethical doctor. If the question had been about his ethics, we would have answered differently. He was a very unethical person. He did something he shouldn’t have done.” The foreman of the jury also said that the case had no “winner.” “One person lost his life so that we could all be here today. This was a tragedy.” The verdict came after 13 hours and 44 minutes of deliberation by the twelve jurors over four days. The jury began work today at 9:36 a.m. They did not take a break, and at 1:49 p.m. they rang the court bell twice to signal they had reached a verdict. After delivering the verdict to reporters, Marvin Putnam said: “The verdict completely clears the company. We knew from the beginning that although Michael Jackson’s death was a tragedy, that tragedy was not caused by AEG.” AEG CEO Randy Phillips also said: “We lost one of the greatest musical geniuses. But I’m comforted and pleased that the jury found that neither I nor anyone at AEG had any role in his death.” After the session ended, Katherine Jackson left the courtroom without speaking to the media. Perhaps Jackson’s legal team was so focused on proving that Murray had been hired by the company that they overlooked the second question and the proof of Dr. Murray’s incompetence for this jury. Or maybe they never considered the second question a challenge for the jury and thought its answer was obvious. Some believe the jury made a mistake by finding Murray “fit,” because ethical conduct is part of the medical profession—and how could an unethical doctor be considered worthy and competent? The jury decided, relying only on Dr. Murray’s medical credentials, that he was a qualified doctor, ignoring the many documents that indicated his lack of competence. In any case, even at this point, AEG’s true face has been revealed to the stars they work with. Artists should know that AEG’s live CEO might slap them, and then in emails brag about it to coworkers. Senior executives may mock the artists with their junior employees, calling them disgusting and bizarre—especially those who have millions of viewers and fans. AEG’s behavior toward Michael Jackson was far from proper manners and professional ethics, and perhaps in the long run, exposing their secrets could cost them more than paying one billion dollars to the Jackson family. Journalist and longtime Michael Jackson defender Charles Thomson wrote on Twitter: “The Jacksons are the winners in this case. They proved that the concert promoters of This Is It slapped Michael, screamed at him, tricked him, and mocked him. The Jacksons made their emails public evidence. They showed that Michael was slapped because he didn’t do what he was told. When he was vulnerable, they screamed at him and threw him under a cold shower. They tricked him by giving him false profit statistics so he would sign a contract with them. When he was under financial pressure, they reminded him that they could financially destroy him. They were told about his illness and poor health, but they instructed Michael’s coworkers to shut their mouths and keep working. All of this is now evidence in the public domain. These are provable facts. That’s real victory. A moral victory.” As a result of this trial, Michael’s fans went through another breathtaking information bombardment. Sometimes the information was upsetting and unpleasant, but unlike what Marvin Putnam—AEG’s attorney—wanted, it did not tarnish the King of Pop’s reputation. We now have more information about Michael Jackson. Even if he himself may not have wanted us to know these things, what we heard and read has made us more alert and aware of the problems he faced. He fought for his fans and endured many pains. Now, whenever fans watch one of Michael’s concerts, they understand far more than before the effort it took to make it happen. Source: eMJey.com