World

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Katherine Jackson poses for a portrait in Calabasas, Calif. A Los Angeles judge set the stage Thursday, March 21. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

A Los Angeles judge set the stage Thursday for trial of a civil suit by Michael Jackson's mother against concert giant AEG Live.

Katherine Jackson claims the company negligently hired the doctor later convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death and failed to oversee him. She and the singer's two eldest children are expected to testify about the singer's last days.

Legal rulings by Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos anticipated a three-month trial that will revisit events preceding the singer's death from an anesthetic overdose in 2009.

Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of manslaughter for administering the drug propofol, is not named in the lawsuit. But the judge agreed to allow him to be brought to court from jail to testify outside the jury's presence. He has said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. But lawyers said he could possibly talk about non-criminal issues.

The judge said jury selection would begin April 2 and attorneys estimated the search for a panel could be long and difficult because of the notoriety of the parties and the estimated length of the trial.