My name is Brian Panish. I am the attorney and friend of the Jackson family. They have asked me to read this statement on their behalf.
There is no way to adequately describe the loss of our beloved father, son, brother, and friend. We still look at each other in disbelief – is it really possible that he is gone? As Michael’s parents, we could never have imagined that we would live to witness his passing; it is simply against the natural order of things. As his brothers and sisters, we will never be able to hold, laugh or perform with our brother again. And as his children, we will grow up without a father: our best friend, our playmate, our dad.
We are not here to seek revenge. There is nothing you can do today that will bring Michael back. But we will keep the love in our hearts that Michael embodied throughout his life – his passion was for unifying the world through the gift of his artistry.
We respectfully request that you impose a sentence that reminds physicians that they cannot sell their services to the highest bidder and cast aside their Hippocratic oath to do no harm. As we all know from this tragedy, doing so can have devastating results.
The Bible reminds us that men cannot really do justice, they can only seek justice. That is all that we, as a family, can ask for here.
