If Michael Jackson was innocent, why did he pay millions of dollars?

even if the familys asked for it in exchange (no body knows if they did or didnt), you would think that the innocent victim in this (MJ) would maintain his innocence till the end, i mean he had the best laywers everything, if he didnt do it, his lawyers would have maintained that standpoint, yet he paid them anyway?? i mean an innocent man doesnt pay money to the ailants to get them to shut up.