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AEG Veep Testifies At Jackson Trial Company Never Had Signed Deal With Michael's Doc

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —  An AEG vice president testified Thursday that the entertainment and sports conglomerate never had a signed agreement okaying Dr. Conrad Murray as Michael Jackson's physician.

Was Dr. Murray working for AEG Live or the  King of Pop at the time of his death in 2009?

KCAL9's Randy Paige reports that question is at the heart of the trial brought by Katherine Jackson against the $8 billion company.

Julie Hollander, an AEG Live vice president in charge of budget review for the "This is It" tour, was called by Jackson family attorneys Thursday to answer the pivotal question.

She testified that Dr. Murray's $150,000 a month salary was budgeted into the tour. But she also testified that the independent contractor agreement signed by Dr. Murray was only a draft contract since Jackson or AEG reps didn't have a chance to sign it before he died.

Jackson family lawyers argued that Murray successfully negotiated the agreement with AEG Live and that he had performed his duties for several weeks -- making it an oral contract and a legally binding one.

AEG's side argues that Dr. Murray was chosen by Jackson and that no written contract was ever completed or signed to state otherwise.

Before convincing a jury that AEG was negligent in hiring Dr. Murray, Jackson family attorneys must first convince the jury that the doctor was working for AEG Live before the company can be held responsible for hiring and supervising him.

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