Mark Geragos
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline)-A now-defunct charter plane company that secretly videotaped Michael Jackson and his attorneys in 2003 on Monday had the $20 million judgment against them overturned.
California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, based in Los Angeles, ruled that XtraJet and its owner Jeffrey Borer shouldn't have to pay the award to famed defense attorneys Mark Geragos and Pat Harris.
Geragos, of the Los Angeles law firm of Geragos & Geragos, filed a lawsuit after Fox News revealed it had viewed the secretly recorded tape.
The appeals court sent the case back to the trial court, finding that the $20 million award was excessive.
The owner of XtraJet pleaded guilty to conspiracy two years ago for videotaping Jackson and his lawyers.
The group was en route from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara, Calif., so the pop icon could surrender himself to authorities on child molestation charges.
From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.