Michael Jackson trial winds up

File photo: The late Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson (C) arriving at the courthouse in Los Angeles for the sentencing of Doctor Conrad Murray. (AFP/Frederic J. BROWN/FILES)

LOS ANGELES - Lawyers in the trial pitting Michael Jackson's family against his last tour promoter will begin making closing arguments today after five months in court, officials said.

His mother, Katherine Jackson, is suing AEG Live for negligently hiring doctor Conrad Murray and failing to properly supervise him in the months before the pop icon's death.

The 83 year old family matriarch has listened attentively to proceedings from a front-row seat in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom, since the trial got underway in April.

Michael Jackson was rehearsing for a planned "This Is It" series of comeback concerts in London, which was expected to be followed by a world tour of the show.

The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009 at his rented Holmby Hills mansion outside Los Angeles, from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

Katherine Jackson is seeking billions of dollars in damages on behalf of Jackson's children, Prince Michael I, 16 years old, Paris, 15 and 11 year old Prince Michael II, $1.5 billion in lost income and an unspecified amount for emotional loss and other damages.

While it is tough to predict the jury's verdict, observers say her case appears difficult to prove.

Earlier this month, the judge dismissed her claims against two AEG Live bosses, leaving only AEG Live itself in the line of fire.

Katherine Jackson alleges that AEG Live negligently hired an inappropriate and incompetent doctor for her son and missed a series of red flags about his failing health in the run-up to his death.

AEG Live counters that it did not sign a contract with Murray, and that a promised $150,000 a month for his services would come from an advance it was making to Jackson, meaning effectively that the star hired his own medic.

Murray, a cardiologist, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for giving the drug to the "Thriller" star who suffered from chronic insomnia to help him sleep. He was jailed for four years.