Jury selection begins today in the lawsuit of the Jackson family against AEG Live. If AEG Live is found liable for Michael Jackson's death, AEG Live will pay the family billions of dollars, an estimate of what Michael Jackson could have made in the remainder of his lifetime if he had not died in 2009.
The Jackson family says AEG Live, Michael Jackson's last concert promoter, is accountable for hiring Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor who used a surgical anesthetic to treat Jackson's insomnia for the "This Is It" tour. Murray is currently serving time for Jackson's involuntary manslaughter.
AEG Live will argue that the company had no role in choosing Dr. Murray, saying that the doctor worked for Jackson, not AEG Live. The company may also bring up Jackson's eccentric personality and previous accusations involving drug addictions and child molestation. Jackson's mother and children, Prince and Paris, will testify in court about his final days.
Should AEG Live be held responsible for Jackson's medical care? Does Jackson, the patient, bear any burden for medical choices? Was AEG Live eager to profit from Jackson's tour and put pressure on Dr. Murray?
Guest:
Stanley Goldman, Professor of Law at Loyola Law School and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at LLS