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16
« on: November 21, 2011, 07:24:24 PM »
A judge on Monday rejected a request for additional tests on a bottle of the anesthetic propofol deemed responsible for Michael Jackson's death.
Attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted on November 1 of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of the singer, asked for tests on the vial of propofol that was found in Jackson's bedroom on the morning he died.
But judge Michael Pastor said Murray's defense team had months to ask for the tests and should have done so during the six week trial. Jackson, 50, was ruled to have died on June 25, 2009 from a propofol overdose and a combination of sedatives.
"You're not involved in fishing, you're involved in foraging," Pastor told the lawyers on Monday.
Murray admitted giving Jackson a dose of propofol -- normally used to sedate patients before surgery -- as a sleep aid. But his attorneys argued during the Los Angeles trial that Jackson gave himself an extra fatal dose when Murray was out of the room.
Defense attorneys said on Monday they wanted the new tests to confirm or disprove the prosecution theory that Murray hooked Jackson up to a IV drip of propofol and left the room.
Murray is in jail awaiting sentencing on November 29 and could face up to four years in prison.You are not allowed to view links.
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17
« on: November 20, 2011, 09:57:58 PM »
Michael Jackson's deathbed has been removed from an upcoming auction at the request of the late singer's family.
The bed was set to hit the auction block along with a handful of other items that were in the mansion that pop icon was renting in the final months of his life.
According to RollingStone.com, the bed frame did not include the mattress, which was removed as evidence by authorities following the singer's death. Starting bids for the item were set at between $3,000 and $5,000.
In addition to King of Pop's death bed, a never-before-seen piece of film footage of Jackson live in concert will soon go to auction. The footage was held by one of Jackson's drivers and will be offered by the Fame Bureau auction house.
"It's a film that's frighteningly personal and up-close," Fame Bureau CEO Ted Owen said in an interview posted on YouTube. "It's like you're on stage with Michael Jackson."You are not allowed to view links.
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18
« on: November 17, 2011, 08:58:09 PM »
In the "trial of the century," the prosecution rested, the defense rested, the jury can rest now that they're dismissed. When does Michael Jackson get to rest? To the media this wasn't the manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray; it was "the Michael Jackson Death Trial." And much of the time, Michael Jackson, though dead, was on trial.
Michael Jackson was not treated as a human being, but as a cash cow. His death hasn't changed that. The exploitation of Jackson was legion -- by acquaintances, hired help, colleagues, the music industry, the justice system, by families looking for deep pockets, by hangers-on, sycophants and especially by the media. Millions were made off the Jackson brand. What the public doesn't know, is how cynical and deliberate the exploitation was. Author Joe Vogel wrote about the widespread cultural abuse of Jackson in a recent article titled "Am I the Beast you Visualized?"
The latest betrayal is a documentary by Conrad Murray -- the very doctor who is convicted of killing Jackson. Murray, charged with manslaughter, struck a deal two years ago with October Films for a documentary about his relationship with Jackson and his final days. Family and fans are asking how could NBC, in good conscience, produce and air a film that exploits Jackson yet again after death and by the very person responsible for that death? Murray inked a contract as Jackson was being laid to rest.
The documentary included scenes depicting "private rooms" in Jackson's home with clips recognized as photos of Neverland Ranch taken in 2003 after sheriff's deputies raided and rifled through it. The same photos, originally used to slant opinion about Jackson's private habits, made their way into Murray's "documentary" along with a few contrived comments designed to denigrate Jackson while elevating Murray. How honest is a film and its intentions when cleverly edited for impact and ratings? Reminiscent of MSNBC Martin Bashir's Living With Michael Jackson, another cleverly edited film called a "hit piece mocumentary" that was cynically produced for ratings and profit was refuted later by Jackson's own film crew who taped the same footage simultaneously with Bashir's crew. Murray's documentary circumvented the justice system allowing in the testimony he refused to give in court despite a family's frantic search for answers to what happened to their dead loved one, Michael.
Conrad Murray's manslaughter trial became "the Michael Jackson Death Trial" because media long ago learned that connecting Jackson's name to anything increased revenues. People promoting their own brand still cynically link to Jackson knowing that negative stories about him increases attention. Reporters invented stories and not to be left out of the profit making game, mainstream media soon followed suit. A large segment of the population still believes the tabloid caricature of Jackson and the accusations from which he was exonerated. And they mistakenly believe self proclaimed "Michael Jackson experts" -- who never even met the man and have an agenda and a reason to perpetuate the caricature myth -- to avoid being exposed for their past treachery -- using a human being for profit and to future careers. The propaganda about Jackson says more about the writer than it does about their subject. Nick Davies in his Flat Earth News exposé claims the public would be sickened by cynical media tactics and how they manipulate á la tabloid journalism gone mainstream.
Jackson fans, who have been trying to warn consumers for years about the racist agenda and media exploitation of Jackson, issued a statement this week: "Michael Jackson fans have had enough. Ridicule us if you must, call us names, tell us we only think of Michael as an 'idol' -- but we are not the ones selling his memory, objectifying him and making money off him." They have called for a boycott of NBC and its sponsors.
Murray may have administered the fatal dose of poison, but the media poisoning of public opinion regarding Jackson was relentless and protracted. Did the media torture a man to death for nothing more than ratings and profit? The most famous man in the world was also the most bullied. The tabloid campaign exploiting and lynching Jackson was unparalleled and lasted decades. Jackson's exploiters hail from every possible position -- from cleaning ladies to doctors and a rabbi spiritual director who published recordings of Jackson's private sessions -- all to make a buck off his brand.
Physicians are outraged by Murray's reckless treatment and his violation of HIPPA laws and patient confidentiality. They find it incredulous that a doctor, now convicted felon, skirted both the law and testifying in court and pimped his documentary that profits the very man he killed.
The fans, aware that public opinion about them has also been manipulated, are concerned that the public continues to allow salacious media exploitation of public figures and are duped into its consumption unawares. One fan writes:
"Our living rooms should not be dumping grounds for salacious materials that strip humans not only of their dignity, but their very humanity -- and ours in the process. Where is the public outcry that says 'enough is enough'? People were outraged when the Rupert Murdoch scandal broke about phone hacking for headlines for front page fodder with ill gotten sensationalized information; where are they now? Airing this documentary is shameful."
British Huffington Post journalist Charles Thomson chronicled the shaming irresponsibility of the media while covering the Jackson trial in 2005 in a piece called "The Most Shameful Episode in Journalistic History."
It might be worth pondering why a man who appeared to have it all needed such extreme measures to sleep. Why did he require medication that did not just help him sleep but rendered him unconscious nightly in order to rest? How did a vegetarian and purist who hated drugs come to rely on them? Remember, Jackson was found not guilty of exploiting children but the accusation would forever taint his legacy. Yet the Murray trial showcased, in Jackson's own words, his dream to build a children's hospital. His attorney, Thomas Mesereau voices concern about the recklessness of a slanted media that capitalizes and exaggerates drama for profit and ratings; he is joined by other attorneys like Matt Semino and Mark Geragos who worry that celebrity cultism and media manipulated public opinion preempt justice.
Authors Aphrodite Jones in Conspiracy: The Michael Jackson Story, Jermaine Jackson in You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother's Eyes, and Joe Vogel with Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, as well as Armond White and others, try to set the record straight by telling the true Jackson story with new books that counter the tabloid trash and chronicle history.
Even today few people are aware that in both cases accusing Jackson of harming children the same players appear -- the district attorney nicknamed "Mad Dog," the same attorney who recruited and represented both accusing families and the same psychiatrist reporting the accusations. Few people realize this gang still socializes together. Both the FBI and social services investigated Jackson and found no wrongdoing .
Few understand what really happened to Jackson because his dehumanization in tabloids was so deliberate and the caricature painted so thorough. His ruination by public opinion and the media was so disheartening, the violation of his civil rights by law enforcement so encompassing that it rendered Jackson so dispirited and disillusioned that he left his homeland, the place where a little black kid from the inner city made it to Hollywood.
The last insult came from Rupert Murdoch's Sun tabloid publishing a photo of the dead Jackson front page in Britain with the racist moniker "Jacko" -- whose origin describes monkeys and can be a slur used for those of African descent. Within hours after the release of that photo on HLN, extremely sadistic and cruel bullies send a copy to Jackson's children with the message "From Daddy with love."
The second generation of Jacksons, including Michael Jackson's children, have themselves been victims of bullying -- their lives, relationships and paternity made fodder for gossip because tabloid reporters apparently eschew the legitimacy of adoption or fertilization techniques for childless families, and find alternative paternity and parenting somehow aberrant. Masks in public prevented them from being recognized at playgrounds later when accompanied by bodyguards who substituted for a father unable to accompany them in recreational outings without causing a media circus and security problems for police. Yet public opinion ridiculed Jackson for protecting his children from harm.
There are those who seem to insist that public figures and their lives belong to the public instead of to themselves, who expect to be privy to any and all private information, who feel that celebrities are not entitled to the same civil rights everyone else enjoys. And there are those who pander to those compulsions and serve up the dirt whether true or not, for ratings and profits -- doing it with illegal phone hacking, checkbook journalism and paying large sums for stories -- the more salacious the story, the more zeroes on the check for stories that lynch and carve up real people on front pages -- for profit.
Adults wonder out loud where children get the ideas that seem so cruel and heartless. Enamored by celebrity, kids imitate the most popular, and are keenly aware of the values displayed by the adults around them. The new generation has just rediscovered Michael Jackson since his passing. Do you think they naively miss the tabloid battering of Michael Jackson? Where do they learn bullying? They are watching the media and watching us!You are not allowed to view links.
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19
« on: November 13, 2011, 09:37:21 PM »
What Will Michael Jackson's Family Do Now That the Trial Is Over?
After 866 days of waiting for the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray to come to an end, the family of Michael Jackson finally let out their collective breaths on Monday, when Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The trial had dominated the family’s collective consciousness since the pop star passed away in June of 2009.
But after almost three years of devoting every ounce of energy to the trial, what do the Jacksons now? Michael’s parents, brothers, sisters, children are all now free to live normal lives, away from the media microscope.
But can they?
"For the family members, I think it is their time for a bit of closure and of coming to terms with it all. They haven't really had a proper time to grieve, and I think you will see them finally mourn the loss of their brother with some closure now," Ian Halperin, author of "Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson" and the director of the Jackson documentary "Gone Too Soon," tells Fox411.com.
For family patriarch Joe Jackson, the trial wasn't closure enough. The late singer's father told ABC News as he walked out of the courthouse that a civil case against Conrad Murray has already been filed.
And experts say that for the Jackson family, hardly "normal" to begin with, enjoying any kind of normal life after is highly unlikely.
Halperin says he expects to see a much more public presence for the children, and to see at least one of them pursuing a career in entertainment. Reports are already confirming that is the direction the children may be taking.
“A source [told In Touch magazine] the children have been mulling over an offer to have their own reality show,” In Touch senior editor Dorothy Cascerceri told Fox411. “After living their lives under the guise of Mardi Gras masks for so long, this could be a risky choice, but it may not even be their decision to make. The decision will most likely come down to their grandmother's discretion, but there are whispers that the children are intrigued by the idea."
As their legal guardian, grandmother Katherine Jackson could indeed get a second life managing another generation of Jackson spawn.
And what of Michael's siblings? Jackson’s sister La Toya, long a spotlight chaser, is unlikely to go quietly into that good night.
“LaToya is doing a good job of keeping herself in the reality show public eye (“Celebrity Apprentice”) and her tell all book, so she will go the way of any reality star who breathes life into their career with appearances and celebrity boxing matches,” “Cult of Celebrity” author Cooper Lawrence told Fox411.
Janet, the only Jackson sibling with fame close her late brother’s, has stayed in the spotlight with her films (“Why Did I Get Married Too?” and “For Colored Girls”) and her current world tour. Janet is also the only sibling whose livelihood didn’t depend one way or another on what happened in the courtroom this week. For Janet at least, life will likely carry on as before the trial. She can focus on her own career and not be bombarded with queries about how her brother died.
Michael's brothers, on the other hand, will continue to eat from the gloved hand that feeds them. The first estate-authorized Michael Jackson Fan Fest will offer a QA session with Marlon, Jackie and Tito Jackson as part of its its offerings during its early December run in Las Vegas.
Tickets are $35, $75 for VIPsYou are not allowed to view links.
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20
« on: November 12, 2011, 08:10:05 PM »
LONDON: Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of Michael Jackson's manslaughter, admitted in comments broadcast on Thursday that he made mistakes on the day of the pop icon's death but denied criminal culpability.
Murray recalled how he went into the room next to Jackson's bedroom to make telephone calls while the star lay dying -- and justified not telling police about having given him propofol, as "I did not think it was important.You are not allowed to view links.
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21
« on: November 08, 2011, 09:40:13 PM »
Now that a criminal jury has found Dr. Conrad Murray's guilty of involuntary manslaughter, his case will head for civil court where Murray could be found liable for medical malpractice.
The Jackson family is ready for the next chapter. On his way out of Monday's court hearing when Murray receive his guilty verdict, family patriarch Joe Jackson told the crowd of media and fans, "There's more."
Civil suits against Murray and AEG Live LLC, the firm behind Jackon's "This Is It" tour, have already been filed. Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Murray in November 2010. Katherine Jackson, the pop star's mother, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against AEG in September 2010.
Sources familiar with planning told ABCNews.com that it's likely the two suits will be joined together and focus on Murray's action. Sources said that the civil case will attempt to answer whether or not AEG knew that propofol, the drug that was determined to have killed Michael Jackson, was being used in an outpatient basis and whether AEG knew administering propofol that way was a risky enterprise.
But it's unlikely the law suits will ask Murray to pay damages. Sources said that considering AEG's resources and Murray's lack thereof, the entertainment firm would be held accountable.
In a civil case, a judge or jury only has to find that there is more than a 50 percent probability that the defendant was negligent, whereas the standard in a criminal case is beyond a reasonable doubt.
"His conviction can be used in a civil case as conclusive proof," legal expert Dana Cole told ABCNews.com.
Statements Murray made to the police and other evidence excluded from the criminal trial would also more than likely be admissible in a civil case.
A civil suit may bring comfort to Jackson fans and his heirs, since even the manslaughter conviction may not bring them the result they were hoping for -- that Murray spend time behind bars. On Monday, a judge remanded Murray to jail pending his Nov. 29 sentencing. Murray was cuffed and taken into custody after Monday's hearing finished.
Murray could be sentenced to up to four years in prison. But with the recent change in California law, which transfers all non-violent inmates to county jail, he's unlikely to do any time in state prison, Chicago-based attorney Kelly A. Saindon said. Moreover, with the realities of jail overcrowding in California, he's more than likely to get a sentence of house arrest for up to a year, she said.
"I have a feeling that's what will happen. I don't think he will serve a day behind bars," Saindon said.
For Jackson's heirs, that reality could be fueling their civil battle against Murray. "I wouldn't think it's for the money, though money always makes people feel vindicated to some extent," Saindon said. "This is their way of exacting revenge."
Cole doubts Murray would return to the courtroom after his ordeal in the criminal case. If he's got malpractice insurance, more than likely he will try to settle any civil suits.
As for his medical license, if convicted, Murray will most certainly lose his legal right to practice. In 20 years of practicing medicine, he's never had his license suspended or a malpractice claim filed against him.
"The medical board can ... suspend or revoke his license and they'll have all the evidence before them," a job made easier with his conviction, Saindon said.
The trial and the ensuing publicity have dealt "an unmitigated blow to his career," Cole said. "He probably was decent a physician who cared for his patients, as they testified. Whether he can bounce back, it will be an uphill battle."You are not allowed to view links.
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22
« on: November 06, 2011, 08:28:03 PM »
THE family of Michael Jackson is preparing to sue Conrad Murray, the doctor on trial for killing the pop star, no matter what verdict the jury reaches this week.
Jackson's father, Joseph, wants money from a civil action for "emotional distress" to fund a charity that would help millions of Americans addicted to prescription drugs. It is a tacit admission that his son's history of drug abuse may have contributed to his death two years ago.
After six weeks of testimony from 49 witnesses, the jurors began their deliberations on Friday and will resume tonight. They are considering a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Dr Murray, 58, Jackson's physician.
Legal pundits said the fact that the jury did not reach a speedy verdict on Friday means they may find some of the evidence against Dr Murray unconvincing.
Murray was in debt when he went to work at Jackson's west Los Angeles mansion six months before Jackson was found dead in bed on June 25, 2009. He was never paid the $US150,000 monthly wage promised by the pop star.
But the Jackson family will demand millions for the distress they say they have suffered. "They are angry, they hold Murray responsible for Michael's fatherless children and want him to pay in every way," said a family associate last week.
On Friday night (AEDT) Jackson's older sister, La Toya, tweeted: "Justice has to be served on Murray and then we must go after the other conspirators."
The Las Vegas doctor faces up to four years in low-security jail and may also lose his medical licence in California, although he can reapply for it on release.
Dr Murray's lawyer, Ed Chernoff, a Texan who took the California bar exam so he could represent the cardiologist, took the risky approach of blaming the victim for his own death during the six-week trail.
Mr Chernoff said Jackson endangered his health as he "doctor shopped" to get the pills he craved.
He had been taking Propofol, a powerful sedative, every night through an IV drip. Dr Murray bought four gallons before Jackson's planned London shows.You are not allowed to view links.
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23
« on: November 06, 2011, 12:12:44 AM »
LOS ANGELES - A manslaughter conviction against Michael Jackson's doctor would boost the late pop star's image and open opportunities for his estate in many markets, including family-oriented products, industry experts said.
A Los Angeles jury begins deliberations on Friday in the six-week trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter over the singer's 2009 death from the anesthetic propofol and sedatives.
Jackson is already the top-earning deceased celebrity, with sales of $170 million over the past year, according to a list released last month by financial website Forbes.com.
The "Thriller" singer's global appeal has risen since his death, but some experts said Jackson's image was tarnished by his final days taking intravenous drugs to sleep. Those images may be erased if a jury convicts Murray, and Jackson is seen as the victim of his negligent care.
"In order to sell Jackson for the next generation of consumers and for parents to feel confident with Jackson, this stigma needs to be lifted, and that's what a Murray conviction needs to do," said Jo Piazza, author of the forthcoming book, "Celebrity, Inc," which looks at stars and brand image.
Otherwise, Jackson "will always be known as someone who died of a drug overdose," Piazza said.
Children were some of the most ardent consumers of Jackson music and merchandise dating back to his stratospheric rise up the pop charts in the 1970s and '80s. But his appeal was damaged by child abuse allegations as an adult and his 2005 trial and acquittal on molestation charges.
It was after the trial that his finances hit rock bottom, as he amassed over $400 million in debt.
Court records show the Jackson estate, run by Los Angeles attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, has fast paid down the debt as it made $310 million in revenue through 2010. But to keep growing, it needs to reach new markets.
Jewel in crown
In addition to sales of his own music, Jackson's estate is powered by a stake in the Sony/ATV music publishing catalogue, which is estimated to generate over $50 million a year. But his name and likeness are licensed in many different ways.
The latest centerpiece in the late King of Pop's crown is "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" theatrical production from Cirque du Soleil, which launched last month. That show is generating average ticket sales of $1 million a night, according to tracking firm Pollstar.
With the estate's blessing, Cirque is collaborating with Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on a permanent show in 2013.
Some Jackson watchers see the possibility of building a theme park inspired by the singer's famed Neverland Ranch in central California, which itself was a private amusement park.
Jermaine Jackson wrote in "You Are Not Alone Michael" that he and his brother sketched out in 2007 the possibility of creating an attraction in the Middle East called "Crystal City" that would incorporate elements of Neverland.
"I think there could be a theme park, where you infuse the historical elements and memorabilia from his storied career," said Marvet Britto of the Britto Agency brand strategy firm.
If the Jackson estate can lock in the family market, annual revenues from that segment alone could bring the estate $50 million to $100 million, which would keep Jackson at the top of the list of late celebrities, Piazza said.
Cooper Lawrence, author of "The Cult of Celebrity," said the trial had helped the singer's sales potential because it brought him back to the top of the headlines, and that innumerable products would come from the estate.
"I think we haven't even scratched the surface of Michael Jackson," she said.You are not allowed to view links.
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24
« on: November 06, 2011, 12:07:00 AM »
Nov. 5, 2011
Dr. Arnold Klein was a shadowy presence at the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, blamed by the defense for getting Michael Jackson addicted to Demerol, which they said contributed to his death from a self-injected fatal dose of propofol.
The judge didn't allow jurors to hear from Klein, Jackson's dermatologist, during the trial, but the doctor spoke exclusively to ABC News' Jim Avila during the first day of jury deliberations.
Klein flatly denied the defense assertion that he got addicted Jackson to the painkiller Demerol.
"You know the answer, sir. No. 'Cause there were no results that show, in toxicology reports, there was any Demerol in his body," Klein said. "All they found in his body were all the drugs that were ... given to him by Conrad Murray -- so I had nothing to do with addicting him to any substance."
During his opening statement, Murray attorney Ed Chernoff said Jackson received Demerol three to four times a week from Klein, but Murray knew nothing about these regular doses of Demerol.
Klein said he gave Jackson doses of the drug during facial reconstructive surgeries, but maintains he never gave the musician doses large enough for him to become addicted. Jackson never showed any signs of addiction or withdrawal from Demerol, he said.
The defense said Jackson was taking propofol to help him overcome the difficulty sleeping that can by caused by withdrawal from Demerol addiction.
Klein said he's being used as a scapegoat for Murray, who he said is an incompetent doctor responsible for the numerous needle marks found on Jackson's body after his death.
He also said it was irresponsible for Murray to give Jackson propofol at all, a statement echoed by the prosecution in court.
The defense argued that Murray was trying to wean Jackson off propofol as a sleep aid, and that Jackson's insomnia was exacerbated by an alleged addiction to Demerol.
Murray is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of the King of Pop. Jackson died at age 50 of an overdose of propofol, a powerful sedative Jackson used to fall asleep.
The jury, which heard from 49 witnesses and saw hundreds of pieces of evidence during the six-week trial, was given the case Friday.
In order to find Murray guilty, the jurors have to conclude he either committed a legal act with criminal negligence or failed to perform a legal duty with criminal negligence. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.
"You must discuss the case only in the jury room," Judge Michael Pastor told the jury Friday -- and with that, Murray's fate was placed in the hands of seven men and five women.
The jurors didn't ask any questions or request any help during their first day of deliberations. There are some clues, however, about what makes the jurors tick, from questionnaires they filled out before the trial began.
Half the jury is white, five jurors are Hispanic, and one is African-American. The jurors include a postal worker, a TV director, a cartoon animator, and viewers of TV crime shows. Several said they watched the O.J. Simpson trial on television -- and now, 16 years later, they're in the same courthouse debating Conrad Murray's fate.
Several jurors are Michael Jackson fans, and half of them say they believe celebrities use stardom to bend the rules -- including getting away with crimes.
Jury deliberations are set to resume at 8:30 a.m. Monday.You are not allowed to view links.
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25
« on: November 04, 2011, 07:25:37 PM »
You gotta to watch this video, very interesting. I have no clue if this video was posted since this forum has been changed it is harder to find out.. If it has been posted please lock the thread. blessings. You are not allowed to view links.
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26
« on: November 04, 2011, 07:13:58 PM »
The jury considering the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's doctor has ended its first day of deliberations without reaching a verdict.
Court officials say the panel met all day Friday behind closed doors and sent no messages to indicate how they are progressing in the case of Dr. Conrad Murray, whom the panel has heard described alternately as an inept and opportunistic physician or a naive outsider granted access into Jackson's inner realm.
The seven men and five women were set to resume deliberations on Monday over whether Murray should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's death in June 2009.
Dr. Conrad Murray looks up during his involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles. He has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licences if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. Paul Buck/Associated Press
The physician's attorneys have attacked prosecutors and their witnesses, saying they had over time developed stories and theories that placed the blame for Jackson's death squarely on Murray.
Media were camped outside the courthouse and in the courtroom where the jury's decision will eventually be read. There was no sign of Murray or attorneys handling the case, but they will receive a two-hour notice when a verdict is reached. He waived the need for his presence if the panel asks any questions, but must be present when a verdict is reached.
Jackson died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which Murray acknowledged giving Jackson to help him sleep.
The real reason Jackson died, defence attorney Ed Chernoff argued, was because he craved the powerful anesthetic so much that he gave himself a fatal injection when Murray left his bedside.
"They want you to convict Dr. Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson," Chernoff said.
"Poor Conrad Murray," prosecutor David Walgren replied in his final speech to jurors. "Michael Jackson is dead. And we have to hear about poor Conrad Murray and no doctor knows what it's like to be in his shoes."
Walgren noted that several doctors who testified — including two who were called by Murray's attorneys — said they would have never given the singer anesthesia in his bedroom.
Murray treatments 'bizarre,' says prosecutor
Murray is solely to blame for Jackson's death, Walgren argued, saying Murray had purchased more than four gallons (15 litres) of propofol to administer to Jackson and had been giving him nightly doses to help him sleep.
Walgren repeatedly described Murray's treatments on Jackson as unusual and called his actions on the day of the singer's death — including not calling authorities and not mentioning his propofol doses to paramedics or other doctors — "bizarre."
Murray was essentially experimenting on Jackson, Walgren said. Murray should have known Jackson might die from the treatments, yet he lacked the proper life-saving and monitoring equipment.
"What is unusual and unpredictable is that Michael Jackson lived as long as he did under the care of Conrad Murray in this situation," Walgren said.
The prosecutor repeatedly invoked the singer's children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, and said Murray's actions left them without a father. The children, who range in ages from 9 to 14, were not present, but Jackson's parents and several of his siblings attended closing arguments.
Jurors given lengthy instructions
The Houston-based cardiologist's culpability will be decided by jurors, who heard from 49 witnesses and have more than 300 pieces of evidence to consider. They were given lengthy instructions about how to deliberate and interpret the case.
If Murray is convicted, he faces a sentence that ranges from probation to four years behind bars, and he would lose his medical licence. The sentence will be decided by Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor and not the jury; the judge will receive input from attorneys for both sides and probation officials if necessary. A recent change in California law means that Murray, 58, might serve any incarceration in a county jail rather than a state prison.
If acquitted, Murray would be free from criminal prosecution, but will likely be pursued by medical licencing authorities in the states of California, Nevada and Texas. In order to convict Murray, jurors will have to determine the cardiologist was substantially responsible for Jackson's death.
Despite days of scientific testimony about what likely happened in Jackson's bedroom from experts for Murray and the prosecution, Walgren acknowledged that some things about the events in the King of Pop's bedroom that led to his death will never be known.
"The people won't prove exactly what happened behind those closed doors," he said. "Michael Jackson could give answers, but he is dead.You are not allowed to view links.
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27
« on: November 01, 2011, 04:20:30 PM »
LONDON — Two of Michael Jackson’s siblings say they tried to intervene to prevent his drug abuse but could not get close to their brother because of his security team.
Tito and Rebbie Jackson said Tuesday the family was aware of Michael’s drug problem.
Tito Jackson says his late brother’s security team acted as if he was the U.S. president and kept his family away. He says he got into physical fights with security personnel and was sometimes barred from his brother’s gated property.
The two Jacksons are in London to promote Wednesday’s premiere of a documentary about his life.
Their mother Katherine Jackson canceled her trip to London to attend the final days of the Los Angeles trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, accused of manslaughter in the pop star’s death.You are not allowed to view links.
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28
« on: November 01, 2011, 04:12:23 PM »
UPDATE 11:40 a.m.: The defense has rested. Court adjourned early to allow both sides to prepare their closing arguments, which will begin Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. PT.
UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: Prosecutors recall Dr. Steven Shafer to the stand as a rebuttal witness for White's testimony. He said that Jackson didn't necessarily die at noon, and that it could have easily been earlier. "Michael Jackson could have died at any time with the drug contraception continuing to be high in his blood...The serious risk from propofol is you stop breathing. That is the main cause of injury of propofol." He also, once again, rebutted the hypothesis that Jackson could have self-administered the fatal dose
UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Despite plans to call Ornelas to the stand, the defense says they will not be calling the Ph.D student and, as no other witnesses remain, will rest. But not before Murray himself was reminded of his constitutional rights and asked by Judge Michael Pastor if he would be taking the stand: "My decision is that I would not testify," he said.
Before the midmorning break was called, Dr. Paul White finished off his testimony, and noted that the final fatal dose of propofol Jackson took had to have included lidocaine. "I've never mixed propofol and lidocaine for an infusion," he said. "If you gave the whole syringe, my estimate is that there would be virtually no lidocaine present at 12 p.m. You would expect to have no measurable lidocaine in the blood at the time of autopsy."
Call it Conrad Murray's last stand.
The Michael Jackson manslaughter trial continues to wind down, with the defense set to call just one more witness to the stand today—Dr. Gabriela Ornelas—and they promise her testimony will be "brief." Since lawyers' words are as good as gold (ahem), we're sure the end will come any minute now.
As for Ornelas, she's the USC Ph.D student who's provided Murray's team with the graphs propofol expert Dr. Paul White was questioned about today. The prosecution is also set to recall Dr. Steven Shafer as a rebuttal witness today, and Murray will finally be asked in open court by the judge if he wishes to take the stand in his own defense.You are not allowed to view links.
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« on: October 29, 2011, 12:12:22 PM »
Please watch this video done my karenjoy, it is really interesting. You are not allowed to view links.
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« on: October 28, 2011, 02:54:19 PM »
Overlooked in testimony about drug vials and propofol during Michael Jackson's last days was this: The pop star sought nothing more from his comeback tour than to make enough money to pay for a normal life for himself and his children.
That desire set in motion the events that eventually killed him at age 50.
Earlier this week at the involuntary manslaughter trial for Jackson's doctor, Brandon "Randy" Phillips, the president and CEO of AEG Live, recalled a meeting with the singer on Halloween 2008 to discuss a series of comeback concerts at London's O2 Arena.
As Phillips told the court, Jackson revealed that his main goal in doing the shows was to purchase a house where he and his children -- Prince, Paris and Blanket -- could approach something approximating a typical family existence.
"He finally wanted to really settle down and really get a good home for him and his family," Phillips testified.
The AEG executive went on to recall that the singer, saddled with massive debts and with his Neverland estate in receivership, had been living with his children in a string of hotels like "vagabonds."
"It was emotional; I cried," Phillips admitted, adding that the singer broke down during the conversation too.
It was a noble if quixotic goal. After a decades-long string of eccentric behavior -- as noted above, one of his kids is named Blanket -- the chances of Jackson approaching anything resembling a Ward Cleaver existence were slim to none.
Also read: CNN's Sanjay Gupta on 'The Doctors': Conrad Murray's Propofol Treatment Was 'So Bizarre'
But it was a goal he was committed to -- even if it put him on the path to his June 25, 2009 demise.
As court testimony during Murray's trial has revealed, anxiety over the impending concert dates was certainly enough to exacerbate, if not outright cause, the insomnia that pushed him toward propofol for relief. Nurse/nutritionist Cherilyn Lee told the court that in April, about the time that production for the concerts began, Jackson complained to her of insomnia. She offered a variety of natural treatments, which Jackson told her were ineffective.
Jackson, Lee said, told her that he needed something to "knock him out," and asked her about procuring propofol for him.
After researching the drug, Lee recommended against it, and warned Jackson of the powerful anesthetic's side effects. Jackson countered that it would be safe, if he were to take the drug under supervision.
"I will be okay, I only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while I sleep," Lee recalled the singer saying.
To Jackson's ultimate detriment, he found that someone in Conrad Murray.
Though evidence suggests that Jackson was no stranger to propofol -- he at least knew enough to ask for it by name before employing Murray's services as a physician -- he was certainly taking a lot of it under Murray's care.
Two days after Jackson's death, Murray told police that he administered propofol to the singer nearly every night in the two months that he treated him. Propofol expert Dr. Steven Shafer testified that Murray had ordered just over four gallons of the drug -- "an extraordinary amount to administer to one individual" -- in the two months that he treated Jackson.
Anxiety over the impending concerts was doubtless a motivation, if not the main motivation, in his use of the drug. In his interview with police, Murray recalled how, on the morning of his death, Jackson begged the doctor for the drug, terrified that his sleeplessness would cause him to miss more rehearsals and push the concerts off schedule.
"At that time, he complained that he couldn't perform; he'll have to cancel rehearsals again; it will put the show behind; and he would just -- he would, you know, not satisfy his fans if he wasn't rested well," Murray told police.
And, of course, a postponement or cancellation of the concerts would endanger his dream of acquiring financial stability for his family.
Ironically, the propofol use appeared to contribute to the singer's inability to rehearse adequately. Testimony during the trial indicated that Jackson was increasingly out of it and unfocused during rehearsals, culminating in a June 19, 2009 rehearsal during which Jackson was "trembling, rambling and obsessing," according to the tour's director, Kenny Ortega .
Jackson's alarming state prompted Ortega to send a panicked email to Phillips; at the request of his manager, Frank DiLeo, an emergency meeting was called.
After Ortega expressed his concerns, Jackson assured the assemblage that he would pull it together.
Interestingly, the singer did so using home-building terminology.
"You build the house, and I'll put on the door and paint it," Phillips, who was present for the meeting, recalls Jackson telling Ortega.
Much like the stable home that Jackson had yearned to acquire for his children, it wasn't to be.You are not allowed to view links.
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