Michael Jackson's former lawyers to receive a $20.25m payout

The owner of a celebrity jet service must pay Michael Jackson's former lawyers $20.25m for taping them with the star onboard an aircraft.

XtraJet and owner Jeffrey Borer taped Jacko and his lawyers as he flew from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara in 2003 to turn himself in on child molestation charges.

Jacko's top lawyer Mark Geragos must be paid $18m by the firm, while his associate Pat Harris gets $2.25m.

The tapes reportedly came to light in November 2003 when Fox News was offered them for sale.

Borer and an associate later pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to secretly record Jacko and his lawyers.

He eventually served his home detention punishment in the five-star Ritz Carlton hotel in Marina Del Rey, California.

The scale of the punitive damages was made public on Monday. Borer's lawyer says he will appeal the damages based on the fact there was no audio on the video tape.