Michael Jackson's Father Drops Wrongful Death Suit Against Conrad Murray

Complaint dismissed without prejudice, meaning Joe Jackson can refile with same allegations

By Natalie Finn Aug 16, 2012 1:57 AMTags
Conrad Murray, Joe JacksonAP Photo / Houston Chronicle; AP Photo / Nick Ut

Conrad Murray can rest somewhat easier.

Joe Jackson's wrongful death suit against the cardiologist convicted of manslaughter in the death of son Michael Jackson was dismissed at his request on Monday, E! News has confirmed.

"I was pleased that Joe Jackson's case against my client has been dismissed," Murray's attorney, Valerie Wass, told E! News. "It was always my opinion that Joe Jackson lacked standing to bring this action, and that eventually the case would be dismissed."

The case was dismissed without prejudice, however, meaning Joe can refile the same allegations if circumstances allow.

The 84-year-old Jackson family patriarch sued Murray in June 2010 and refiled that November, adding concert promoter AEG Live and a Las Vegas pharmacy as plaintiffs, before the now former doctor was put on trial for involuntary manslaughter and subsequently convicted. He is currently serving a four-year jail sentence.

AEG, meanwhile, successfully petitioned to be dropped as a defendant in Joe's lawsuit in February.

In his complaint, Joe maintained that Murray, as well as several pharmacy suppliers, were negligent in failing to provide Michael Jackson with adequate care, treatment, diagnosis, and resuscitation equipment, resulting in the pop icon's death caused by an overdose of the anesthetic propofol administered by Murray.

"As a result of that failure, Jackson was deprived with the loss of companionship of his son," the suit charged.

Joe, who was not named in his son's will, has stayed out of the ongoing family squabble over whether the document is legal and he did not weigh in when his estranged wife temporarily lost custody of Michael's three children. Katherine Jackson was later reinstated and is currently sharing guardianship of Prince, Paris and Blanket with their cousin, T.J. Jackson.

Katherine sued AEG and This Is It director Kenny Ortega for fraud and negligence in September 2010, claiming they over-worked and failed to provide proper medical care for her son.

—Reporting by Baker Machado and Claudia Rosenbaum