A corporate attorney testified that AEG Live LLC did not perform any background check on Conrad Murray before he was appointed as the doctor for Michael Jackson. Arguments were made in a lawsuit, claiming that the concert promoter was negligent when hiring the physician, who was later convicted of killing Michael Jackson.
AEG Live General Counsel Shawn Trell told the jurors that no legal or financial checks were conducted before appointing Murray or anyone else who was working as an independent contractor on the ‘This Is It’ tour. AEG is now being sued by Jackson’s mother Katherine, who claims that the promoters have failed to properly investigate Murray, who was deeply in debt when he agreed to serve as the tour physician in 2009 for $150,000 per month. Trell added that a background check is appropriate for people working in financial roles, but not tour personnel who were not employees of AEG.
The employment status of Murray is the central issue in this case. Lawyers of Katherine Jackson contended that he was hired by AEG, but the company denied hiring him and also noted that the singer died before signing the doctor’s contract.
