Jacksons vs AEG - Day 86 – September 25 2013 – Summary
Closing arguments started, it was AEGs turn.
Source: HLN is live-blogging closing arguments. Read below for minute-by-minute updates from the trial
1:11 p.m. ET: The judge is taking the bench.
1:14 p.m. ET: AEG Live attorney Marvin Putnam will deliver the closing argument for the defense. He begins by thanking the jurors for their service.
1:18 p.m. ET: Putnam says AEG Live isn't responsible for Jackson's death because "This was a choice Mr. Jackson made, not somebody else. He was a grown man… he is responsible for his own health -- certainly his own healthcare. And his is responsible for his own choices, no matter how bad those choices might be."
Putnam also says AEG Live tried to talk Jackson out of bringing Murray on the tour.
"Mr. Jackson would not take ‘no’ for an answer. If he wanted something, he got it," said Putnam.
1:22 p.m. ET: Jackson was about half a billion dollars in debt, according to Putnam. Jackson also "spent decades shopping for doctors to give him the pain killers he wanted," said Putnam.
1:25 p.m. ET: "They never told the truth to AEG Live," Putnam said about Jackson and Murray. "When Michael Jackson’s bedroom was searched, his secrets were revealed."
Putnam also said AEG Live never would have agreed to finance the tour if it knew Jackson was playing "Russian roulette" every night in his bedroom.
1:29 p.m. ET: "He was never hired by AEG Live to go on tour. If they hired him, they would have paid him," Putnam said about Murray. If jurors don't find that Murray was hired by AEG Live, then they can't find AEG Live liable for Jackson's death.
1:30 p.m. ET: "The truth here is a tragedy, make no mistake about that… it’s incredibly sad. But it’s not a tragedy of AEG Live’s making. You can’t point the finger at them and you shouldn’t," said Putnam. "Mr. Jackson chose this doctor, years before. And Mr. Jackson chose the drug that killed him. Mr. Jackson, like every adult, is responsible for his own choices."
1:34 p.m. ET: Putnam is starting to go through the jury verdict form and the questions jurors have to answer "yes" to in order to find AEG Live liable.
1:38 p.m. ET: "This case is about Dr. Conrad Murray," says a slide Putnam has displayed. He gives some examples of when an employer is negligent in hiring an employee, such as: If the employer knows the employee has a violent history and is hired to work with weapons.
1:40 p.m. ET: Michael Jackson's death "would have happened no matter what -- with or without AEG Live," said Putnam.
1:45 p.m. ET: "You can’t save someone, they have to save themselves. And more importantly… the law doesn’t say you have to," said Putnam.
1:47 p.m. ET: Putnam is now addressing question #1 on the jury verdict form: "Did AEG Live hire Dr. Conrad Murray?" He says no because Jackson hired Murray and things "never even got that far" -- there wasn't a contract. "There was never a done deal."
1:48 p.m. ET: When it comes to who hired Murray, Putnam says there are four options (and all the evidence points to the first): Michal Jackson hired him, AEG Live hired, they both hired him or neither one hired him.
1:52 p.m. ET: Jackson introduced Murray as "his doctor" to AEG Live executives, according to Putnam, and he insisted the doctor come on tour and he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"It was not for AEG Live to interfere with that longtime doctor-patient relationship... Dr. Conrad Murray was Michael Jackson's choice."
1:54 p.m. ET: Putnam says Jackson always paid Murray -- AEG Live didn't give him any money -- and that Jackson would have his kids hand the doctor stacks of hundred dollar bills, wrapped with elastic bands.
1:58 p.m. ET: AEG was going to loan a broke Jackson money to help pay Murray, according to Putnam. He also says Jackson agreed to be responsible for anyone he brought on the tour with him.
2:05 p.m. ET: The only reason AEG Live ever spoke to Murray was because Jackson had asked them to advance money to pay the doctor, according to Putnam.
2:10 p.m. ET: Putnam is showing copies of Murray's draft agreements.
2:14 p.m. ET: The judge has recessed court for 15 minutes.
2:37 p.m. ET: Court is back in session and Putnam has resumed his closing argument.
2:40 p.m. ET: E-mails sent between Murray and AEG Live prove there was no contract between the two, according to Putnam.
2:42 p.m. ET: Murray and AEG Live agreed there would be no oral agreement, only a signed contract, which never happened, according to Putnam.
2:50 p.m. ET: Putnam says that, despite this e-mail, AEG Live co-CEO Paul Gongaware never had a conversation with Murray about who was paying him. Gongaware says he doesn't remember seeing this e-mail or what he meant.
2:55 p.m. ET: As far as AEG Live knew, Murray was a general doctor for Jackson, according to Putnam. If Jackson wanted an anesthesiologist and hired Murray, that would have raised a red flag.
2:56 p.m. ET: "Mr. Jackson thought enough of Dr. Murray to let him provide medical treatment to his own children," said Putnam. AEG didn't know Murray was treating Jackson with propofol “behind his locked bedroom doors.” If Murray was hired to administer propofol, then he would have been hired by Jackson for this purpose, according to Putnam.
2:58 p.m. ET: The judge has recessed court for lunch until 4:30 p.m. ET.
4:41 p.m. ET: Putnam has resumed his closing argument. He says Jackson's attorneys didn't proved that AEG Live knew or should have known that Dr. Murray posed a risk to Jackson.
4:45 p.m. ET: Putnam said AEG Live did not know anything about propofol or should have known about the anesthetic being administered to Jackson and thus should not be held liable.
4:49 p.m. ET: There was nothing that should have notified AEG Live that Dr. Murray was incompetent according to Putnam.
4:54 p.m. ET: Putnam said that AEG was not required to supervise Murray. They were never supposed to supervise him, because they have no medical knowledge.
4:57 p.m. ET: "Nothing in Dr. Murray's background would suggest he might be dangerous," said Putnam.
5:01 p.m. ET: "AEG Live believed Jackson was perfectly healthy," said Putnam. "He was healthy. He was ready to perform."
5:08 p.m. ET: Putnam showed pictures of Jackson to show that his weight was normal shortly before he died.
5:15 p.m. ET: Putnam just played a video of Jackson rehearsing on June 5 about a week before his death. The video shows that Jackson was healty right up to his death according to Putnam.
5:21 p.m. ET: Jackson appeared sick on June 19, but Putnam said nobody knew why he was sick.
5:27 p.m. ET: Representatives with AEG met with Jackson to see if he was okay after he appeared to be sick in June 2009.
"Mr. Jackson a 50 year old man told his business partners that he was fine," said Putnam.
5:32 p.m. ET: Putnam said Jackson had "incredible" performance in rehearsal just two days before he died. He is now playing a part of "This is It" documentary that shows Jackson's rehearsal on June 23, 2009. Jackson died June 25, 2009.
5:37 p.m. ET: The video shows Jackson dancing all over the stage two days before his death.
5:40 p.m. ET: Putnam played another video of Jackson singing two days before his death.
5:47 p.m. ET: Putnam is playing a video of Jackson singing and dancing 12 hours before he died. Court has now recessed for a 15 minute break.
6:10 p.m. ET: Putnam has resumed his closing argument for AEG Live.
6:13 p.m. ET: Putnam is detailing Jackson's history with propofol. Jackson told multiple people that he used it multiple times from different doctors.
6:16 p.m. ET: "Adults are responsible for their own choices," said Putnam.
6:18 p.m. ET: Debbie Rowe told Jackson propofol was dangerous, but he did it anyway according to Putnam.
6:21 p.m. ET: Putnam said multiple doctors refused to give Jackson propofol, because it was such a dangerous drug.
6:23 p.m. ET: "Jackson was good at shopping for doctors," said Putnam.
6:26 p.m. ET: "Jackson cut uncooperative doctors out his life permanently," said Putnam.
6:28 p.m. ET: "Adults are responsible for their own choices," said Putnam for the second time.
6:33 p.m. ET: Putnam said Jackson asked another doctor to administer propofol to him in April 2009 just a few months before he died.
6:37 p.m. ET: "Mr. Jackson was bound and determined to get propofol," said Putnam. "Adults are responsible for their own choices."
6:40 p.m. ET: Putnam said the amount of damages the Jackson family is asking for is "ridiculous."
6:45 p.m. ET: Putnam said you have to base damages on "reality," and the amount of money the Jackson family is asking for is just "speculative."
6:50 p.m. ET: Putnam is explaining to the jurors that if they find Jackson himself was negligent and was a substantial factor in his own death then AEG Live should not be held liable.
6:53 p.m. ET: AEG Live never paid Murray according to Putnam. It seems like Putnam is wrapping up his closing argument.
6:57 p.m. ET: "Mr. Jackson was taking propofol long before Dr. Murray," said Putnam.
7:00 p.m. ET: Putnam finished his closing argument by asking the jurors to not find AEG Live responsible for Jackson's actions. The judge has told the parties to report back to the courtroom at 12:45 p.m. ET tomorrow.
