Jury selection begins in trial of Jackson's doctor (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A pool of prospective jurors appeared ready for the news delivered to them Thursday by a judge: They had been summoned to serve on Los Angeles' biggest trial of the year — the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor.

No one flinched at the announcement. And when Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor asked whether anyone in the courtroom was unaware of the case against Dr. Conrad Murray, not a single hand was raised among the 160 or so people in the room.

The judge was not surprised.

"We didn't expect you'd been living under a rock for the past several years, or that you made a pit stop from Mars," Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said.

Murray has pleaded not guilty in the case. Authorities contend he gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol in the bedroom of the pop superstar's rented mansion in June 2009, but attorneys for the physician deny he administered anything that should have been fatal. They will contend that Jackson swallowed an overdose of propofol when Murray wasn't watching.

Murray sat with his lawyers on one side of a long table and prosecutors on the other in the vast jury assembly room which was transformed into a courtroom for the first round of a jury selection process that will take two weeks to find a pool of 100 people willing and qualified to serve on the case which Pastor said would last about five weeks.

Those who passed the first hurdle of having no hardships were given a 30-page questionnaire to fill out. The judge said it was one of the most extensive such forms ever, probing jurors' lives and their knowledge of a case focusing on the death of one of the world's most famous men, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Murray said softly as he was introduced to the panelists. Attorneys also arose and greeted the prospects, who responded with a calm, "Good morning."

For the rest of the 20-minute session, Murray sat starting straight ahead, showing no reaction.

The judge told prospects he had decided against sequestering the jury because he felt, "Jurors would, in effect, be prisoners if they were holed up in a hotel.

"I chose not to follow that path," he said "and by making that choice I am reiterating my faith in every juror chosen in this case."

A central focus of his talk was the Internet and all of its offshoots.

"I certainly realize that for some of us, especially those who have grown up in the Internet age, searching the Internet is as easy as breathing," Pastor said.

But he warned that jurors must avoid online reports about the case.

"If you want to Google, Google away," he said. "Surf the Net, but not about anything to do with this case."

He read an admonition that will be repeated daily forbidding them to discuss the case with anyone, to post messages on social networks or to read any tweets about the case.

He warned they must wait until 90 days after the case is over to negotiate any deals to be paid for information.

"This is not a case about whether Dr. Murray is guilty or innocent," he said. "It's about whether the people can meet the burden of proving him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

On Thursday, those who had no hardships, filled out a 30-page questionnaire aimed at determining their level of knowledge of the case and any strong views about Jackson or Murray.

This was the second attempt to start jury selection. In May, the judge aborted an earlier session because lawyers needed more time to prepare. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will have several days to scrutinize the responses before direct questioning of potential jurors begins on Sept. 23.

Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, stunned the world. The singer had been in final preparations for a series of comeback concerts in London, and the focus quickly turned to Murray, his personal physician.

The Houston-based cardiologist faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license if convicted.

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AP reporter Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

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Ruling clears way for start of Jackson trial (AP)

LOS ANGELES – An appeals court refused Wednesday to order the jury sequestered in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, clearing the way for jury selection to begin Thursday.

The California 2nd District Court of Appeals also declined to delay the trial while the issue is argued. The court found that Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor did not abuse his discretion when he decided not to sequester.

Defense lawyers had argued that jurors would be "poisoned" by publicity unless they were kept in isolation during the trial. The defense predicted that jurors will be inundated with reports in supermarkets, bars, gyms and coffee shops, and on the Internet.

Pastor has said he trusts jurors to obey his orders to ignore publicity in the high-profile involuntary manslaughter case and declined to have them sequestered.

"The court has read and considered the petition," the brief court decision said. "The petition is denied in the absence of a showing of abuse of discretion."

In a separate ruling, Pastor gave the go ahead for a prosecution expert's testimony about a study of the drug that killed the pop star. But he delayed ruling on the admissibility of another study from Chile because it is apparently unpublished.

Defense lawyers say Jackson overdosed by drinking propofol when his doctor wasn't watching. Prosecutors say that was impossible. The drug is normally given intravenously.

The permitted study, which was published in Scandinavia, compares methods of administering propofol to piglets.

The second study by a noted Chilean anesthesiologist used volunteer students who drank propofol. Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the report supports the opinion of prosecution expert Dr. Steven Shafer that "the rapid hepatic metabolism of propofol makes it impossible for Michael Jackson to have received a fatal overdose by drinking propofol."

He said that Shafer has submitted a written opinion that "there is zero possibility that the propofol was orally ingested."

Walgren quoted from Shafer's opinion that "there is almost nothing in Murray's care of Michael Jackson that reflected the actions of a trained physician."

He said that Shafer, an expert in anesthesiology will say that Murray is responsible for Jackson's death "through extreme and unconscionable violations of the standard of care."

A panel of 160 prospective jurors has been ordered to court for the first round of jury selection. They will be asked if any hardship prevents them from serving. If not, they will be given a 38-page questionnaire to fill out.

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Jackson doctor trial to go ahead as appeal denied (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A California appeals court Wednesday refused to order the sequestration of the jury in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, allowing the proceeding to go ahead as planned.

The decision means that jury selection in the long-delayed trial of Dr. Conrad Murray can begin as scheduled Thursday, with opening arguments expected in late September.

Murray is accused of delivering the fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid to the "Thriller" singer, causing his death in June 2009 at age 50.

He faces four years in prison if convicted.

Murray's lawyers last week filed a late appeal demanding that the jury be sequestered during the four- to six-week trial in order to keep them away from the massive publicity and media commentary the case is expected to generate.

The Los Angeles judge overseeing the trial ruled last week that he did not believe the jury should be locked away from family and friends. A California appeals court Wednesday upheld that decision.

Murray was at Jackson's bedside in his rented Los Angeles mansion when he was found not breathing on June 25, 2009, weeks ahead of a planned series of comeback concerts in London.

The doctor's lawyers are expected to argue at trial that the pop star was addicted to sedatives and painkillers and could have given himself a second, fatal dose of propofol when Murray was out of the room.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Doctor's trial may avoid Michael Jackson's past (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson's former doctor faces a tough challenge clearing himself of involuntary manslaughter charges in the pop star's death as his trial, which promises to avoid many dark aspects of Jackson's life, begins with jury selection this week.

While it is Dr. Conrad Murray, who will be on trial when attorneys begin selecting a panel on Thursday, the "Thriller" singer's infamy will loom large over the proceedings.

Jackson was one of the world's most recognizable singers, dubbed the King of Pop, when he died in June 2009, at age 50. He also was known to have battled an addiction to painkillers, and Murray's attorneys had hoped to present evidence of his past drug use at the trial.

But in an obstacle for the defense, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor barred testimony from a half-dozen doctors whom Murray's attorneys had indicated in court papers would portray Jackson as drug-dependent.

"The deck is, for various reasons, stacked against the defense here," said Stan Goldman, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Jackson stopped breathing at his Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009, in what authorities say was an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and various sedatives.

Murray, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter, has admitted giving Jackson propofol, a drug normally used for surgery, as a sleep aid.

During a series of court hearings earlier this year defense attorneys suggested that when Murray was out of the room, Jackson could have given himself a large, fatal dose of the drug, possibly by swallowing it.

Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

FINDING A JURY

As for choosing an impartial jury, legal experts say it will be impossible to find anyone who knows nothing of Jackson. Some will adore him, while others will abhor him. So attorneys will have to work to find the most unbiased jury possible under the circumstances.

"It's going to be like a Ouija board, it's going to be guess work," Goldman said.

After a jury panel is selected, the trial will be recessed until opening arguments begin the last week of September.

Jackson's family has faithfully attended all the court hearings in the case, with his mother, Katherine, 81, often sitting with his father, Joseph, 83.

The King of Pop's supporters also will be on hand, and if earlier hearings are any indication they will wear black as a sign of mourning over their fallen idol. At earlier court hearings, some fans hired a plane to fly a banner over the courthouse that read "Change charges to murder."

"If the jurors walk through, on the way to the courthouse, a massive amount of fans who are declaring the guilt of the defendant in the case, I find it hard to believe it won't have some impact," Goldman said.

But some trial watchers say the circus atmosphere that is expected outside the courthouse may, in fact, never materialize. Indeed, Jackson's fans failed to jam the streets of downtown Los Angeles during his 2009 memorial, as had been widely expected.

Laurie Levenson, a colleague of Goldman's at Loyola Law School, said she does not believe the proceedings will become anywhere near the public and media frenzy that accompanied the 1995 murder trial and acquittal of O.J. Simpson.

For one, the Grenada-born Murray is not a celebrity, just a doctor with patients in Nevada and Texas.

"We have a 'trial of the century' about every six months here in Los Angeles," Levenson said wryly.

(Editing by Chris Michaud and Bob Tourtellotte)

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Judge: Jackson trial 'on course' despite appeal (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A judge says the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death is "on course" despite an appeal filed last week by the physician's attorneys.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor says jury selection in the case will begin as planned on Thursday unless the appeals court issues a stay in the case.

Attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray on Friday appealed a ruling by Pastor that jurors in the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial will not be sequestered.

Pastor says he's confident justices on the 2nd District Court of Appeal will provide some guidance soon.

Murray pleaded not guilty and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say he gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in June 2009.

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Jackson molest case barred from doctor's trial (AP)

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – Mon Aug 29, 9:10 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The judge in the upcoming trial of Michael Jackson's doctor ruled Monday that the defense cannot call any witnesses to testify about the child molestation investigation that led to the pop star's trial and acquittal in 2005.

Prosecutor David Walgren argued that lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray were seeking to engage in character assassination of the victim in the involuntary manslaughter case.

"The people are concerned about this trial deteriorating into an attack on Michael Jackson," Walgren said.

The hearing took place on what would have been Jackson's 53rd birthday.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor barred a half-dozen witnesses related to the molestation case, including the police detective who headed searches of Jackson's Neverland home in Santa Barbara County in 2003. The judge said such testimony would be distracting and misleading for the jury in Murray's trial and is irrelevant.

Jackson was acquitted of all charges in a high-profile trial in Santa Maria in 2005.

The judge said he was barring any mention of the molestation case because, "It proves nothing regarding the year 2009," when Jackson died.

Defense attorney Edward Chernoff said he was seeking testimony that in the past Jackson had been addicted to the painkiller Demerol.

Chernoff repeated a previously stated defense position that the pop star was addicted to that drug and was withdrawing from it when he died of an overdose of propofol and other medications in June 2009.

Walgren, however, said Jackson's autopsy found no Demerol in his body.

The judge effectively blocked the Demerol defense when he also excluded the testimony of Dr. Arnold Klein, a dermatologist blamed by the defense for giving Jackson Demerol. Pastor said written reports on Klein's statements could be used but neither the doctor nor his assistant will testify.

Walgren argued that the defense was seeking to transfer responsibility for Jackson's death to Klein. The judge appeared to agree with the prosecutor.

"The calling of Dr. Klein does raise the issue of third party culpability," the judge said, noting jurors would become distracted by that issue.

Opening statements in the trial of Murray are scheduled to begin on Sept. 27. Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

Authorities allege he gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in the bedroom of his rented mansion on June 25, 2009.

In court on Monday, Chernoff suggested that Jackson was desperate for sleep and turned to propofol because he was withdrawing from Demerol.

Pastor said he would permit two other doctors and a nurse to testify about their interactions with Jackson regarding propofol.

One is an anesthesiologist who gave Jackson propofol at least four times, including for dental procedures. Chernoff said the doctor, David Adams, used Murray's Las Vegas office in April of 2009 to give Jackson propofol for sleep on at least one occasion.

Adams is expected to testify that Jackson was so familiar with propofol that he called it "milk," according to documents filed by the defense.

Walgren sought to bar Adams' testimony, saying it will be "a side show."

Outlining the planned defense for the Houston-based cardiologist, Chernoff reiterated that he would claim Jackson self-administered the drug in a desperate quest for sleep.

Also barred was the testimony of Tohme Tohme, a one-time Jackson manager who negotiated the contracts for Jackson's ill-fated "This Is It" concerts, and John Branca, the co-executor of Jackson's estate. Pastor has said Jackson's finances won't be discussed at the trial.

The judge ordered lawyers back to court Sept. 6 to finalize jury questionnaires which will be handed out beginning Sept. 8.

He said in-court questioning will begin Sept. 23 with each side allotted 20 minutes to question each jury prospect.

When Chernoff suggested that time was too short, the judge said, "Counsel will have the most comprehensive jury questionnaire I've ever seen, perhaps the most comprehensive one ever. You will know from that who they are and what they are thinking."

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Judge rules Jackson trial jury will not be sequestered (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The jury in the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor will not be sequestered, despite a request by defense lawyers who expect the case to be "the most publicized in history."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled against removing the jurors from their homes during the four- to six-week trial starting in September, citing the estimated $500,000 cost and saying he had "tremendous faith" in the jury system.

"I do not find sequestration to be the answer in this case," Pastor said at a hearing on Thursday. "I expect that the jurors will follow the high road."

Jury selection is due to start on September 8 for the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, with opening statements expected on September 27.

Murray, who was at Jackson's side when he died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, is accused of delivering a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to the pop star as a sleep aid, and then failing to monitor him properly.

Murray could face up to four years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defense team has suggested that Jackson, 50, could have given himself a larger dose of the drug while the doctor was out of the singer's bedroom. They have argued that massive expected media coverage of the trial could jeopardize the doctor's right to fair trial.

"There is reasonable expectation that Dr. Murray's trial will be the most publicized in history," Murray's lawyers wrote in their request for jury sequestration.

Pastor said he would give strict instructions to the jury to avoid reading or watching media reports of the trial, and said they would be eating their meals in the jury room during the court day to restrict their exposure to the public.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Jackson doctor asks to sequester jury during trial (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Fri Aug 19, 9:34 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death has asked a judge to sequester jurors in the physician's upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial, citing coverage of the Casey Anthony case and the threat of information leaks on social media.

The filing Thursday by attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray said information from those sources could interfere with the right of Dr. Conrad Murray to receive a fair trial.

It cited the increased ratings for HLN and commentator Nancy Grace, who featured the Anthony case on her show on a nightly basis and believed Anthony was guilty.

It also said her show and others are likely to include discussions of Murray's case that aren't limited to testimony or evidence presented in the courtroom, along with expert commentary and information.

Jurors will be prohibited from accessing those media reports, but the defense fears the coverage will be so pervasive that exposure to some of that information is unavoidable.

"There is sincere danger that a well-meaning juror will be more impressed with an `expert' on television than one presented by the parties at trial," the filing states.

A Florida jury that was sequestered acquitted Anthony of killing her daughter.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has been reluctant to sequester the jury in Murray's case, saying it is an extreme measure last used in Los Angeles during O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial.

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined comment, saying prosecutors would only respond to the motion in court. A hearing on the issue is scheduled Thursday.

The filing also cites the danger of jurors learning about the case through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Both sites are blocked by the court's public wireless network inside the criminal courthouse, but the motion notes that jurors could access the sites on their phones or outside the courthouse.

"The possibilities are endless for jurors to find and communicate information from the many websites on the Internet such as Facebook, Twitter and Google," the motion states.

Murray has pleaded not guilty. He could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

The Houston-based cardiologist is accused of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in the bedroom of his rented mansion in June 2009.

Jury selection in Murray's case is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8, with opening statements slated to begin on Sept. 27.

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Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/celebritydocket

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Man suspected in Hilton stalking to stand trial (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – 1 hr 31 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – A man who once asked Paris Hilton to marry him and has been arrested twice outside homes owned by the socialite must stand trial for felony stalking, a judge ruled Monday.

James Rainford appeared to be obsessed with Hilton and his alleged actions gave the hotel heiress good reason to be afraid, Superior Court Judge Jessica Silvers said.

"It's very clear from all these incidents that you are obsessed with Paris Hilton," Silvers told Rainford after a 90-minute hearing. "This is more personal, and it is scary."

Rainford, 36, was previously convicted of battery against Hilton's former boyfriend Cy Waits, who was hit in the head outside a courthouse earlier this year.

Rainford did not react after Silvers' ruling and only spoke quietly with his attorney during the hearing.

Rainford's most recent arrest came after a July 4 encounter in which paparazzi alerted authorities he was outside the heiress' beach house.

Defense attorney Craig Renetzky argued during the hearing that Rainford had never directly threatened Hilton, and that she had never left her home during either incident that led to his arrests.

His actions, including hitting Hilton's ex-boyfriend and shoving a security guard in October, were not directed at the socialite herself, the lawyer said.

"The only thing he's apparently ever done to her is to propose to her," Renetzky said.

Hilton politely refused. She did not attend Monday's hearing.

Prosecutor Wendy Segall called four law enforcement officers to testify about their dealings with Rainford after his arrests or their conversations with Hilton.

Sheriff's Detective Rodney Wagner said Hilton was "afraid for her safety as well as her family, her friends around her."

Rainford remained jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail and was told to return to court on Aug. 29 for an arraignment. No trial date has been set.

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Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/celebritydocketA judge says a man charged with stalking Paris Hilton must stand trial and called his actions toward the socialite scary.

Superior Court Judge Jessica Silvers rejected arguments by suspect James Rainford's attorney that his client posed no direct threat to Hilton.

The 36-year-old Rainford has been arrested twice outside Hilton's homes. One incident came on July 4, when paparazzi alerted authorities he was outside the heiress' beach house.

Rainford previously was convicted of battery against Hilton's former boyfriend Cy Waits, who was hit outside a courthouse earlier this year.

Hilton did not appear in court. Four law enforcement officers testified about their interactions with Rainford after he was found outside the homes.

Rainford remains jailed and will return to court on Aug. 29 for arraignment.

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Vince Neil trial delayed on Vegas battery charge (AP)

LAS VEGAS – Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is getting an emergency postponement in his Las Vegas trial on misdemeanor charges stemming from a confrontation with an ex-girlfriend at a casino comedy club.

A Las Vegas judge granted the request Monday during a brief hearing. The trial was rescheduled for Nov. 7.

A lawyer for the 50-year-old rocker did not explain why he was requesting the continuance. Neil did not appear in court for the hearing.

Neil has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges.

He's accused of poking the chest of Las Vegas entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs in a casino comedy club March 24, and cursing and pointing at Jacobs and two friends sitting with her.

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Trial won't feature unreleased Jackson footage (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – 44 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Jurors in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case will not watch previously unseen footage from the singer's final rehearsals to determine the state of his health before his death, a judge ruled Monday.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor agreed with the characterization of a defense attorney for Dr. Conrad Murray that more than 100 hours of rehearsal footage condensed into the film "This Is It" did not show the singer in poor health.

Pastor also agreed with attorneys for Sony Pictures Entertainment that the clips have significant value and should not be publicly shown without a good reason.

"There is absolutely nothing in those materials that could have been of assistance to the defense," Pastor said.

The judge reviewed several hours of the footage last week then canceled plans to travel to Sony Studios over the weekend to finish watching the rest of the film that attorneys wanted to use during the upcoming trial of Murray.

Sony filed a motion Friday citing comments by defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan calling the review of the footage a "big waste of time."

Murray's attorneys wanted to show jurors four hours of film, while prosecutors wanted to show up to 12 hours.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the footage "demonstrated that Michael Jackson was optimistic, engaged, confident, physically well."

Pastor, who has ruled that snippets of the theatrical version of "This Is It" can be shown at trial, said it was unnecessary to show other clips.

"There are materials which I viewed which I would regard as extremely valuable to Sony," the judge said.

The footage could be used later for extended versions of "This Is It."

Pastor warned Flanagan about speaking publicly about the case, scolding the veteran attorney for discussing evidence during a radio interview that won't be presented to jurors.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors accuse him of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in the bedroom of his rented mansion days before he was scheduled to travel to London for a series of comeback concerts.

Defense attorneys have said Murray did not give Jackson anything that should have killed him.

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Galliano to tell trial he lost it on booze & drugs (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) – Fashion designer John Galliano will tell a Paris court that multiple addictions to drugs and alcohol led him to lose all self-control when he defends himself against charges of anti-Semitic behavior on Wednesday.

Galliano's trial is the latest chapter in a saga that began in February when Galliano was questioned by French police after a couple accused him of hurling drunken racist and anti-Semitic abuse at them on the terrace of a cafe.

The February 24 incident -- combined with a video in which an apparently inebriated Galliano was filmed telling a woman he loves Hitler and that her parents might have been gassed in a Nazi death camp -- led to the designer's dismissal from his post as creative director for Parisian fashion house Dior.

Magistrates were expected to arrive at a decision quickly in the trial, which pits Galliano, 50, against two accusers -- one a woman who claimed to have never heard of the British designer before their February encounter, and another whose accusations refer back to events last October.

If found guilty, Galliano faces a six-month jail sentence and a fine of up to 22,000 euros ($31,517). Precedent in similar cases suggests that a more likely outcome is a smaller fine, a few thousand euros at most.

The lawyer for one of Galliano's accusers, museum curator Geraldine Bloch, said she would seek symbolic damages of 1 euro and publication of the court's decision in two fashion magazines, Elle and Vogue, and French daily Le Figaro.

Her lawyer, Yves Beddouk, told Reuters on Monday that his client was interested not in Galliano's money, but in getting him to acknowledge the alleged anti-Semitic tirade publicly and make a show of contrition which befits his reputation.

Galliano's lawyer told Reuters this week that the designer will say he has no recollection of the rants for which he has been charged, was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and had lost control over his words and behavior.

The designer has repeatedly apologized for his remarks on the video which emerged online after the February 24 incident.

Galliano's lawyer Aurelien Hamelle said that he will call up a toxicology expert to testify that the designer -- triply addicted to alcohol, the sedative Valium and powerful sleeping pills -- would have been in a state of utter abandon, completely free of any inhibitions.

Galliano, who left France shortly after the incident to receive treatment for substance abuse in the United States, is also expected to say that he is not a racist nor an anti-Semite.

As part of his character defense, lawyers will present letters to the court depicting the designer as a model of tolerance and openness who opened his studio to people from all over the world with no regard for their origin.

Plaintiffs will present Galliano as a mean drunk who exposed his anti-Semitic and racist views when under the influence of alcohol, and had no respect for common people whom he believed were trespassing on his territory.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Judge: No public trial for Sheen over 'Men' firing (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Charlie Sheen won't get quite the audience he wanted for his $100 million lawsuit over his firing from "Two and a Half Men" — a judge on Wednesday ruled his case should be handled through private arbitration rather than in a public courtroom.

Sheen's contract with Warner Bros. Television has a valid arbitration clause, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Allan Goodman wrote in a 21-page ruling. The decision will dampen publicity about the case, which Sheen filed on March 10 — days after he was fired from his starring role on television's top-rated comedy.

The ruling applies to Sheen's allegations against "Men" executive producer Chuck Lorre, whose contract with Warner Bros. also has an arbitration clause.

Sheen had requested the case be heard in public court, and a judge heard arguments on the issue in April.

But Goodman said in his ruling that Sheen was represented by competent attorneys when he signed his contract requiring any disputes to be handled through private arbitration.

The studio cited Sheen's bizarre behavior in interviews and his criticism of Lorre as reasons for the actor's firing.

Sheen's role has been eliminated from the show and Ashton Kutcher will appear next season.

Sheen's spokesman Larry Solters declined comment in an email. A phone message to Sheen's attorney, Marty Singer, was not immediately returned.

"We're very gratified by the court's ruling enforcing the parties' arbitration agreement," Warner Bros. said in a statement.

Lorre's attorney, Howard Weitzman, also welcomed the ruling.

"This matter will now proceed in an orderly fashion as the parties agreed to," Weitzman wrote in an email.

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Country singers may be part of AL corruption trial (AP)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A federal gambling corruption trial at the Alabama Statehouse could look like a country music concert or a political convention rather than a court case.

The nine defendants in the case that began this week include VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor and four current and former state senators. Prosecutors accuse the group of swapping millions of dollars for votes on legislation that was designed to protect electronic bingo casinos from raids by former Gov. Bob Riley's gambling task force.

Defense and prosecuting attorneys read lists of possible witnesses to potential jurors Tuesday to get their reactions.

Attorneys say they may call country stars George Jones; Lorrie Morgan; and Randy Owen, lead singer for the group Alabama. All three supported gambling legislation called "Sweet Home Alabama" that's at the heart of the trial. Witnesses also may include Riley, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and other Southern lawmakers.

Though the case revolves around gambling, prosecutor Steve Feaga told potential jurors, "This case is not about whether gambling is good or bad for Alabama." He said it's about whether there was a conspiracy to provide millions of dollars to legislators in return for their votes.

Feaga said the case is built on wiretaps from McGregor's phone and others and recording devices worn by cooperating legislators.

McGregor's attorney, Bobby Segall, said those recordings will show his client said he supports candidates who support his position, but nothing more.

Gambling operators profited from electronic bingo machines for several years until the task force labeled them illegal slots and began closing all casinos in early 2010. All were closed except the three operated by the Poarch Creek Indians, who are under federal supervision rather than state supervision. Gambling operators pushed a proposed constitutional amendment to protect their gambling halls and allow more to open.

The legislation passed the Senate in March 2010, then died in the House after the FBI revealed a widespread investigation into government corruption. Arrests came in October, when a federal grand jury charged that millions in bribes were offered through campaign contributions and contracts.

Attorneys expect to wrap up jury selection Wednesday and have opening statements Thursday.

Attorneys said the three country entertainers are on the lists not only for supporting the gambling legislation but also as character witnesses. All three were involved in the now-closed Country Crossing casino development in Dothan.

One of the defendants, former Country Crossing casino spokesman Jay Walker of Lanett, has Perdue on his witness list. Walker worked with Perdue when he was chief of staff to former Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

"We hope he's more than a character witness, but that's the plan," defense attorney Susan James said.

Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said the former governor had not been contacted by lawyers and only learned of his possible involvement through media reports.

McGregor subpoenaed Riley because his task force made McGregor shut the state's largest electronic bingo casino in Shorter, with more than 6,000 flashing machines.

Though not an entertainer or a politician, one of the best known names on the witness lists is Jimmy Rane, the "Yella Fella" cowboy from the TV ads for "YellaWood." Rane, CEO of Great Southern Wood in Abbeville, is a trustee of Auburn University and is a friend of McGregor, who is a big Auburn booster. Prosecutors had Rane on their witness list.

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Songwriter dies before NYC trial on sex charges (AP)

NEW YORK – The Academy Award-winning songwriter of "You Light Up My Life" was found dead of an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting more than a dozen women and just months after his son was accused of murdering a swimsuit designer.

Joseph Brooks, 73, was discovered Sunday afternoon on his living room couch with a plastic dry-cleaning bag around his head and a towel around his neck, police spokesman Paul Browne said. A hose attached to a helium tank was hooked up to the bag, and the door to Brooks' Upper East Side apartment was ajar, he said.

The medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine Brooks' cause of death. A three-page suicide note included complaints about his health, police said.

Brooks suffered a stroke in 2008, and his lawyer had said the songwriter's health was deteriorating during the court case. He appeared gaunt and shuffled slowly as he came to recent court dates.

Brooks was awaiting trial on allegations that he lured women to his apartment through an online ad offering auditions for a movie role, then sexually assaulted them after making them drink apparently drugged wine as part of an "acting exercise." He pleaded not guilty in 2009, and his court date had not yet been set.

Brooks' lawyer and Manhattan prosecutors had no immediate comment about Brooks' death.

Brooks won the Academy Award for best original song for the 1977 Debby Boone ballad "You Light Up My Life" and directed a movie of the same name about a comedian who had a one-night stand with a director. Brooks also won a Grammy for the song.

Brooks' son, Nicholas, is charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend, Peruvian-American swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay. She was found dead, half-clothed and face-up, in a tub at the swanky Soho House after water began leaking through to the floor below.

The 24-year-old Brooks had little contact with his father in recent years, authorities have said.

Nicholas Brooks has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail at the Rikers Island jail complex.

___

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.

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Songwriter dies before NYC trial on sex charges (AP)

NEW YORK – The Academy Award-winning songwriter of "You Light Up My Life" was found dead of an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting more than a dozen women and just months after his son was accused of murdering a swimsuit designer.

Joseph Brooks, 73, was discovered Sunday afternoon on his living room couch with a plastic dry-cleaning bag around his head and a towel around his neck, police spokesman Paul Browne said. A hose attached to a helium tank was hooked up to the bag, and the door to Brooks' Upper East Side apartment was ajar, he said.

The medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine Brooks' cause of death. A three-page suicide note included complaints about his health, police said.

Brooks suffered a stroke in 2008, and his lawyer had said the songwriter's health was deteriorating during the court case. He appeared gaunt and shuffled slowly as he came to recent court dates.

Brooks was awaiting trial on allegations that he lured women to his apartment through an online ad offering auditions for a movie role, then sexually assaulted them after making them drink apparently drugged wine as part of an "acting exercise." He pleaded not guilty in 2009, and his court date had not yet been set.

Brooks' lawyer and Manhattan prosecutors had no immediate comment about Brooks' death.

Brooks won the Academy Award for best original song for the 1977 Debby Boone ballad "You Light Up My Life" and directed a movie of the same name about a comedian who had a one-night stand with a director. Brooks also won a Grammy for the song.

Brooks' son, Nicholas, is charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend, Peruvian-American swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay. She was found dead, half-clothed and face-up, in a tub at the swanky Soho House after water began leaking through to the floor below.

The 24-year-old Brooks had little contact with his father in recent years, authorities have said.

Nicholas Brooks has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail at the Rikers Island jail complex.

___

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.

Yahoo! News

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US hiker Sarah Shourd won't attend Iran trial (AFP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Sarah Shourd, one of three US hikers arrested by Iran in 2009 on espionage charges, told AFP Wednesday she would not return to Tehran to stand trial next week with her fiance and a friend.

Shourd, who was freed on bail in September after 14 months imprisonment mostly in solitary confinement, said she had been diagnosed with severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Returning to Iran could exacerbate her problems, she said.

Shourd had been due to return for the trial set for May 11 with her fiance Shane Bauer and their friend Josh Fattal, both of whom remain imprisoned in the Islamic Republic.

"I can't go back for the trial," she told AFP in an interview in Washington.

"There is a part of me that would like to go back and stand by Shane and Josh at this most difficult time. But really I'm afraid it would be too traumatic for me to go back after what I've been through in Iran."

The three hikers, who have all pleaded not guilty to spying charges, say they innocently strayed into Iran from across the unmarked border with northern Iraq when they were arrested.

Shourd, 32, who was released after months of international pressure led by the United States, said she had sent the Iranian Revolutionary Court a five-page evaluation by clinical forensic psychologist, Barry Rosenfeld.

He concluded she is at high risk of renewed or even worse psychological problems if she returns to Iran to stand trial.

Shourd had developed a major depressive disorder during her incarceration and needs "aggressive mental health treatment," concluded Rosenfeld.

But Shourd voiced concern for the well-being of Bauer -- to whom she became engaged during their incarceration -- and Fattal.

"I was there for 14 months, they've now been there for over 21 months which is far longer and I'm sure that the extreme isolation they're under has taken its toll," she said.

"I worry about their safety, I worry about their mental health. We've had no information from them, no contact, phone call, nothing for over five months... what I've heard is that they now have only 40 minutes out of their cell every day. They don't see any other human beings and they still haven't been allowed a private meeting with their lawyer."

The families of Bauer and Fattal, both 28, said in a statement they fully supported Shourd's decision, but hoped the men would be released soon.

"Our sons are innocent and we're innocent too, but Iran is making all of us pay a terrible price for nothing. We want this over and we want it over now," said Cindy Hickey, Bauer's mother.

Fattal's mother, Laura Fattal, said: "When Sarah left jail, Josh told her they were all one-third free.

"We hoped Iran would show Josh and Shane the same compassion but here we are more than seven months later and the Iranian authorities are still holding our sons. We know from Sarah's experience that they will bear the mental scars of this senseless ordeal for a long time to come."

The families said the first session of their trial was held February 6, when they testified verbally and in writing, with no evidence presented against them.

Shourd maintained the case has been "caught up in this political tug of war between the US and Iran," adding the espionage charges were "baseless."

"I don't think it's possible that Iran actually sees Shane and Josh as a threat," she said.

"When we were picked up by Iranian soldiers while hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan... all we had were cellphones, cameras and a small plastic compass."

The three, all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley, were hiking near a popular tourist resort in Iraqi Kurdistan when they were detained by Iranian border forces on July 31, 2009.

Bauer, a journalist, and Shourd, a teacher-activist, were living in Damascus, Syria at the time and Fattal, an environmentalist, was visiting them.

The case has become an irritant in already tense Tehran-Washington relations over Iran's nuclear drive, a dispute punctuated by UN sanctions and strident remarks from hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Iranian defense lawyer for the three, Masoud Shafii, has said he would press for their "innocence" and immediate release.

He said illegal entry was punishable by a maximum three-year jail term, which could be commuted to a fine under the Iranian penal code.

Bauer, a fluent Arabic-speaking freelance journalist, met Shourd while helping to organize anti-US demonstrations in the United States aimed at criticizing the war in Iraq. They moved to Damascus together in 2008.

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Lawyer in Michael Jackson Trial Says Singer Committed Suicide Over Finances

The lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, the man accused of administering the drugs that killed Michael Jackson, is claiming that his client is an innocent man.

The AP reports that Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, is arguing that it was Jackson himself and not Murray that ended the King of Pop's life.

In a pre-trial hearing, Chernoff put forth the theory that Jackson was so distraught over his declining empire and deep debt that he took his own life, and asked for access to Jackson's financial records to gather proof.
Prosecutors slammed Chernoff, claiming that his allegations were part of a ploy to defame Jackson.

The judge denied Chernoff's request on grounds that it was an unnecessary invasion of Jackson's privacy.

The court is still screening jurors for the upcoming trial.

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