Jackson doctor defends self in NBC interview

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's doctor, who refused to testify at his trial, said in an interview broadcast Thursday that the singer lied to him about his medical history and never revealed he had an addiction problem.

"I would hate to put blame on Michael as an individual," Dr. Conrad Murray told the "Today" show in the interview done days before the doctor's conviction.

"I only wish maybe in our dealings with each other he would have been more forthcoming and honest.to tell me these things about himself," he said.

Interviewer Savannah Guthrie asked: "Do you think he lied to you?"

"Definitely," Murray said.

"About what?" she asked.

"Certainly he was deceptive by not showing me his whole medical history, doctors he was seeing, treatments that he might have been receiving." Murray answered.

"Did you really not know he had an addiction problem?" Guthrie asked.

"Absolutely not," said Murray. "Did not have a clue."

Murray was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter for supplying the insomnia-plagued Jackson with the powerful operating-room anesthetic propofol to help him sleep as he rehearsed for his big comeback.

During the interview, Murray was shown video of bottles of medications from other physicians arrayed on Jackson's bedside table, suggesting Murray's suspicions should have been raised.

"I cannot prevent Michael from seeing other doctors for whatever reason," the doctor said.

"You must have realized the reason he hired you was to give him this drug, propofol," Guthrie said.

"No, not at all," Murray replied. "I met Michael with propofol. This was not something I introduced to Michael."

Experts testified at Murray's trial that propofol should not have been administered in Jackson's home, but the doctor disagreed.

Murray revealed Jackson was under the influence of propofol during a recording found on the doctor's cell phone. Murray said the recording, in which the heavily drugged Jackson talked in a slurred voice about his goal of building a major children's hospital, was made by accident.

Murray, 58, described Jackson as "a desperate man, desperate" during his final hours.

 

Asked by Guthrie how it felt to be blamed for Jackson's death, he said, "I loved Michael too. I'm as much of a fan as any of the others. To be blamed for his death has not been an easy thing."

"Are you the cause of Michael Jackson's death?" Guthrie asked.

"No, I am not," Murray said.

The interview with the Houston cardiologist was being aired Thursday and Friday. Other excerpts were released Wednesday.

Under questioning by Guthrie, Murray said it was not necessary for him to monitor Jackson in the hours before he died because he had given the pop star only a small dose of propofol. The doctor said that was the reason he didn't mention to arriving paramedics that Jackson had been given the drug.

Guthrie asked, "Well, you told them about the other drugs, but you didn't tell them about propofol?"

"Because it had no effect," Murray said. "It was not an issue."

The coroner, however, found that Jackson, 50, died of acute propofol intoxication complicated by other sedatives.

During the trial, Murray's defense tried to show that Jackson gave himself an extra dose of propofol while Murray was out of the room, but prosecution experts said there was no evidence to support what one witness called the crazy theory.

Asked by Guthrie if he became distracted that morning by phone calls, emailing and text messages, Murray said, "No I was not."

"When I looked at a man who was all night deprived of sleep, who was desperate for sleep and finally is getting some sleep, am I gonna sit over him, sit around him, tug on his feet, do anything unusual to wake him up? No," Murray said.

"You walked out of the room to talk on the phone?" Guthrie asked.

"Absolutely, I wanted him to rest," Murray replied.

Other doctors testified at Murray's trial that leaving a patient alone after administering an anesthetic was an egregious deviation from the standard of care expected of a physician.

In one exchange during the interview, Murray suggested that if he had known Jackson had a problem with addiction to medications he might have acted differently. Experts, however, testified that Murray should have researched Jackson's medical history before he undertook his treatment for insomnia.

On the day Jackson died, June 25, 2009, Murray said he believed he had weaned the singer from propofol, the drug Jackson called his "milk."

But when Jackson could not sleep, Murray told "Today," he gave the entertainer a very small dose of propofol.

In retrospect, he said he probably should have walked away when Jackson asked for propofol. But he said he would have been abandoning a friend.

Meanwhile, the disclosure that MSNBC will air a documentary about Murray brought outrage Wednesday from the executors of Jackson's estate, who said Murray is getting a prime-time platform to smear Jackson's reputation without fear of cross-examination.

The executors, John Branca and John McClain, demanded the program entitled "Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship" be cancelled. The network said it had no comment.

Murray is being held in Los Angeles County Jail awaiting sentencing Nov. 29 and could face up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.

Yahoo News!

Michael Jackson's doctor guilty of manslaughter

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's personal doctor was found guilty on Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the pop star's drug-related death in 2009 but may not spend much time in jail.

Dr. Conrad Murray, 58, was led away in handcuffs after the jury in Los Angeles reached a unanimous verdict. Dozens of fans outside the court erupted in cheers and some burst into tears.

"Justice was served. Michael is with us," said Jackson's brother Jermaine.

Murray faces up to four years behind bars when he is sentenced on November 29 but may spend only months in Los Angeles' overcrowded cells.

Murray pleaded not guilty to giving the "Thriller" singer a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol -- normally used in surgery -- that was ruled the main cause of his death at the age of 50.

Prosecutors argued Murray was grossly negligent in administering the propofol to help Jackson sleep. Defense lawyers claimed Jackson delivered the fatal dose to himself.

The judge ordered Murray, who had been free on bail for two years, held in custody until his sentencing. The doctor did not testify at the six-week trial and looked impassive as the guilty verdict was announced in the packed courtroom.

Jackson's mother Katherine and sister Rebbie cried silently at the result. Other family members in court included his siblings La Toya and Randy, along with his father Joe.

"I am," Katherine Jackson said when reporters asked if she was pleased with the verdict.

Jackson was found lifeless at his Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009, about three weeks before he was due to begin a series of concerts in London aimed at returning him to the limelight after the humiliation of his 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation allegations.

Murray admitted giving Jackson a small dose of propofol to help him sleep. But his lawyers argued the singer was dependent on the drug and likely gave himself an extra, fatal dose -- and swallowed a handful of sedatives -- without Murray knowing.

"THE CAUSATIVE FACTOR"

Murray's lawyer J. Michael Flanagan was asked by reporters if he was disappointed and he replied: "Of course."

Prosecutors said Murray was negligent for administering the drug in a home setting, failing to monitor Jackson, delaying a call to emergency services and failing to tell medical personnel he gave the singer propofol.

Judge Michael Pastor said Murray was "now a convicted felon who has been deemed the causative factor in Michael Jackson's death."

Pastor said the doctor should be detained before being sentenced to protect public safety.

Even if Murray is sentenced to the maximum four months, legal experts said involuntary manslaughter is not considered a serious felony in California law and carries a stipulation that only 50 percent of any sentence must be served behind bars.

Because of jail overcrowding, officials could release him after only months.

"It's pretty obvious by putting him in custody, which was the biggest surprise of the entire trial, that we're probably looking at a sentence of three to four years," Stan Goldman, a professor at Loyola Law School, told Reuters.

But he added: "I'd be surprised if a year from today Conrad Murray was still behind bars."

Still, Jackson fans were overjoyed. On the street outside the court, more than 100 of them whooped with joy and chanted "Thank you judge" as the verdict was read live on television.

Bus driver Dana Brenklin, 35, burst into tears.

"Of course it's not enough and it's not going to bring back Michael. But for two years, I had a project, justice for Michael Jackson, and I got what I wanted," Brenklin said.

Trial watchers said the guilty verdict was almost assured.

Prosecutors were required to prove only that Murray was reckless in his care. The judge told jurors the doctor could be found guilty even if the jury believed Jackson gave himself the propofol, as long as such a possibility was foreseeable.

"The prosecution did a great job of creating a portrait (of Murray) that asked 'Is this how someone would have acted if he was responsible?'" said Marcellus McRae, a former federal prosecutor who is now a trial lawyer with the New York-based law firm Gibson Dunn.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and John O'Callaghan)

Yahoo News!

Lawyer says Jackson doctor sought CPR machine (AP)

By LINDA DEUTSCH and ANTHONY McCARTNEY, Associated Press Linda Deutsch And Anthony Mccartney, Associated Press – 2 hrs 4 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – An attorney for the promoter of Michael Jackson's final concerts said Wednesday the singer's personal physician asked the company for life-saving equipment just days before the pop superstar's death.

Kathy Jorrie, who works for concert giant AEG Live, testified at the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray that she questioned some of the doctor's requests, which also included the possibility of hiring a second doctor to assist him.

"Dr. Murray told me Michael Jackson was perfectly healthy, in excellent condition," Jorrie testified.

She said Murray told her not to worry about Jackson's condition.

"He's great," she recounted the doctor telling her in a conversation the day before Jackson's death.

Murray asked for a CPR machine in case one wasn't available at the concert venue at London's O2 arena, Jorrie explained.

Prosecutors allege Murray caused Jackson's death by providing him with a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives without the proper lifesaving equipment or skills.

Other testimony came from Jackson's former personal assistant, Michael Amir Williams, who recounted a 35-second phone conversation with Murray on the day Jackson died.

"He said `Get here right away, Mr. Jackson had a bad reaction. Get somebody up here immediately,'" Williams told the jury.

He said the doctor never told him to call 911 or described Jackson's condition.

Williams said he arrived at Jackson's mansion just as the singer was being loaded into an ambulance. He saw Murray, who he described as "frantic."

Earlier in the day, a promoter told jurors that Jackson appeared strong during one of the final rehearsals for the highly anticipated comeback concerts.

Paul Gongaware, an executive for AEG Live, said Jackson seemed engaged and energetic during the rehearsal just two days before he died.

Prosecutors called Gongaware to demonstrate the importance of the concerts and in an apparent attempt to show that both the singer and his physician were deeply engaged in preparations for the show before Jackson died on June 25, 2009.

Gongaware also testified that he saw Murray at one of Jackson's rehearsals after people affiliated with the planned concerts complained that the singer had been missing some of the sessions.

Prosecutors wrapped up their direct questioning of Gongaware before defense attorney Ed Chernoff briefly questioned the executive.

Under the cross-examination, Gongaware acknowledged AEG is being sued by Jackson's mother for negligent supervision of Murray when he worked with Jackson.

Jorrie also testified about drafting a contract for Murray to work as Jackson's personal physician.

At one point in negotiations, Murray requested his contract be modified to allow him to hire another physician in case he was tired or unavailable while Jackson was performing in London, she testified.

"He wanted to make sure that there was somebody else available to be of assistance," Jorrie said.

In opening statements Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Murray delayed summoning emergency crews and lied to doctors and medics when he failed to reveal he had been giving Jackson the medications to try to help the entertainer sleep.

Chernoff claimed Jackson gave himself a fatal dose of medication in a desperate attempt to get some sleep.

He said Murray had been trying to wean Jackson off propofol, but the entertainer kept requesting it on the day he died.

"Michael Jackson started begging," Chernoff said. "When Michael Jackson told Dr. Murray, `I have to sleep. They will cancel my performance,' he meant it."

Prosecutors rejected Murray's version and told jurors the Houston-based cardiologist also had a tremendous stake in Jackson appearing in the concerts.

The doctor had initially asked to be paid $5 million a year for working with Jackson, but Gongaware said he immediately rejected the proposal. Instead, Murray accepted an offer to become Jackson's doctor for $150,000 a month — a sum he was never paid because his contract hadn't been signed before Jackson's death.

Murray has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison and have to relinquish his medical license.

___

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

Yahoo! News

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.

___

AP reporter Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

Yahoo! News

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)

Yahoo! News

Attorneys for Jackson doctor file emergency appeal (AP)

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – Sat Sep 3, 4:25 am ET

LOS ANGELES – In an 11th hour appeal, lawyers for Michael Jackson's doctor sought to overturn a judge's refusal to sequester jurors, arguing they would be "poisoned" by publicity unless they were kept in isolation during the involuntary manslaughter trial.

Attorneys late Friday also asked to halt the start of jury selection on Sept. 8 until the issue of sequestration is decided by California's 2nd District Court of Appeal.

Dr. Conrad Murray is accused of giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol in his home just before the pop star's 2009 death. Jackson was said to be suffering from insomnia and was desperate for sleep. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

In a 28-page petition filed just before the long Labor Day weekend, lawyers challenged a recent ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor in which he expressed faith in jurors' ability to ignore publicity about the high profile case.

Attorneys Nareg Gourjian and Edward Chernoff said in their petition that it would be impossible for jurors to avoid media reports and commentary unless they were placed in a hotel during Murray's trial. They acknowledged that their request was extraordinary, but said Jackson's legacy as one of the biggest celebrities in the world would feed extensive news coverage of the trial.

They predicted that jurors will be inundated with reports in supermarkets, bars, gyms and coffee shops and on the Internet.

"News organizations have planned sets overlooking the courthouse as if they were preparing for the Rose Bowl," the attorneys said in the petition.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said they would have no comment on the petition.

Four pages of the appeal were devoted to the recently concluded Casey Anthony trial in Florida and the CNN commentary of Nancy Grace, who attorneys said campaigned for Anthony's conviction. Defense attorneys predicted similarly opinionated commentary on the Murray trial.

"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 petition said.

Yahoo! News

Judge bars testimony from longtime Jackson doctor (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson's dermatologist will not testify in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, a judge ruled on Monday, in a blow to defense plans to portray the singer as a drug addict who may have given himself the substance that caused his death.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor also barred witnesses in the case from testifying about Jackson's 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial is slated to begin next month over the "Thriller" singer's June 25, 2009, death from what authorities said was an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and other drugs.

Murray has admitted giving Jackson, 50, propofol as a sleep aid, even though it is normally used in a hospital setting. Murray's lawyers have suggested the pop star could have given himself a further dose when his physician was out of the room.

In court papers, Murray's attorneys said they wanted to call Jackson's longtime dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, to the witness stand.

The papers said Klein gave frequent injections of the painkiller Demerol to Jackson for "no valid medical purpose" and that "Jackson became physiologically and psychologically dependent on Demerol."

"I do not think it is relevant," Pastor ruled on Monday. Pastor also barred the testimony of five other doctors, but said he would allow defense attorneys to call two other physicians -- Allen Metzger and David Adams.

Murray was hired as the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts which had been scheduled to begin in London in July 2009.

The defense contends that Adams told police Jackson was so familiar with propofol that he called it "milk."

Metzger had treated Jackson for two decades, and as recently as two months before the singer's death, Jackson had asked Metzger for intravenous sleep medicine, the court papers from defense attorneys said.

Prosecutors told the judge on Monday that Metzger had turned down Jackson's request.

Pastor on Monday also refused a request by the defense to bring up a 2003 raid of the singer's Neverland Ranch in California, in which defense attorneys said propofol and Demerol were found.

Murray's team had said in court papers that they did not plan to refer to the child molestation charges on which Jackson was later acquitted.

Pastor said testimony about the Neverland raid would be "irrelevant" and that it "proves absolutely nothing" involving Jackson's 2009 death.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Jury selection in the case is due to begin on September 8 and opening arguments are set for September 27.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Yahoo! News

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.

___

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

Yahoo! News