ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

by **Admin** Mon Apr 29, 2013 3:23 pm

Alan Duke is the CNN reporter that will be at Jackson v AEG trial everyday. Please post ALL of CNN's stories here in this thread. There are so many pages of the news and articles on this trial forum-so this will keep better tabs and order of just the CNN stories.

Here is the latest from Alan Duke:

Michael Jackson wrongful death trial to open
By Alan Duke, CNN

4/29/13

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The Michael Jackson wrongful death trial, which promises dramatic revelations and legal fireworks, begins in a small Los Angeles courtroom with opening statements Monday.

Jurors earning $15 a day will listen to several months of testimony before deciding whether one of the world's largest entertainment companies should pay Jackson's mother and three children billions of dollars for its liability in the pop icon's death.

Famous Jackson family members, including Janet, will sit just a few feet from the jury as Michael's oldest son and daughter describe their father's last days. But they will also endure weeks of tedious testimony from medical and financial experts offering opinions about the singer's health, addiction and career.

Only a handful of journalists and a few members of the public will be allowed inside the courtroom because many of its 45 seats are reserved for parties involved in the trial, including the Jackson family. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos denied CNN's request to televise the trial.

Pretrial hearings have featured angry and personal exchanges between lawyers for the two sides, made more intense by the intimacy of the tiny courtroom.

The central issue

The central issue is simple: Did AEG Live, the company promoting Jackson's comeback concerts in 2009, hire or supervise Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 25, 2009, death?

Jackson died two weeks before his "This Is It" comeback concerts, organized by AEG Live, were to have debuted in London. The coroner ruled Jackson died from a fatal combination of sedatives and propofol, a surgical anesthetic that Murray told investigators he used to put Jackson to sleep almost every night in the month before his death.

The Jacksons will argue that AEG executives knew about the star's weakened health and his past use of dangerous drugs while on tour. They're liable in his death because they pressured Jackson and the doctor to meet their ambitious schedule to prepare for the London shows despite that knowledge, their lawyers contend.

A cornerstone of their case is an e-mail AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware wrote 11 days before Jackson's death. The e-mail to show director Kenny Ortega addressed concerns that Murray had kept Jackson from a rehearsal the day before: "We want to remind (Murray) that it is AEG, not MJ, who is paying his salary. We want to remind him what is expected of him."

Jackson lawyers argue the e-mail is evidence that AEG Live used Murray's fear of losing his lucrative job as Jackson's personal physician to pressure him to have Jackson ready for rehearsals despite his fragile health.

AEG will defend itself by arguing that Jackson was responsible for his own demise, that he chose Murray to be his full-time doctor and that his drug addiction led him to a series of fatal choices. Murray was never an AEG employee but rather was chosen and paid by Jackson for nearly four years until Jackson died, AEG lawyers contend.

"I don't know how you can't look to Mr. Jackson's responsibility there," AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam told CNN. "He was a grown man."

Child molestation accusations against Jackson, for which he was acquitted after a trial, are relevant because they "resulted in an incredible increase in his drug intake," Putnam said.

"Mr. Jackson is a person who was known to doctor shop," Putnam said. "He was known to be someone who would tell one doctor one thing and another doctor something else."

When Palazuelos ruled in February that case warranted a jury trial, she found there was evidence to support the Jacksons' claim that AEG Live executives could have foreseen that Murray would use dangerous drugs in treating the singer.

Elvis' ghost haunts Michael Jackson death trial

Jackson's family seeks billions

The lawsuit seeks a judgment against AEG Live equal to the money Jackson would have earned over the course of his remaining lifetime if he had not died in 2009. Jackson lawyers denied media reports that they were seeking $40 billion in damages if AEG Live is found liable, but it could cost the company several billion dollars, according to estimates of Jackson's income potential.

AEG Live is a subsidiary of AEG, a global entertainment company that was up for sale recently with an $8 billion asking price.

One of the Jacksons' experts, certified pubic accountant Arthur Erk, estimated that Michael Jackson could have earned $1.4 billion by taking his "This Is It" tour around the world for 260 shows. AEG executives discussed extending the tour beyond the 50 shows scheduled for London, Jackson lawyers said.

Jackson lawyer Perry Sanders, in arguing for the judge to allow Erk's testimony, said when "This Is It" tickets went on sale in March 2009, there was the "highest demand to see anyone in the history of the world. No one has ever come close."

"There was so much demand, they filled 2 million seats in hours," Sanders said, quoting an e-mail from AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips sent to AEG's owner.

"We would have had to do 100-plus shows to fill the demand" in London, he said Phillips wrote. Jackson could have packed the Tokyo Dome several times in a world tour, he said.

But AEG lawyer Sabrina Strong called it "very speculative" that Jackson would have even finished the 50 London shows before dying.

AEG lawyers argued that Jackson didn't perform 260 shows and make that much money even in his prime. "He never came anywhere close to that," Strong said. "No one other than Cher has ever done that."

Erk also calculated Jackson would have followed with four more world tours before he turned 65.

Palazuelos weighed in during a hearing on Thursday, noting that the Rolling Stones are still touring into their 70s.

The Jacksons will also try to convince jurors that he would have made a fortune off of a long series of Las Vegas shows, endorsements, a clothing line and movies.

Strong argued that Jackson had a history of failed projects and missed opportunities, calling Erk's projections "a hope, a dream, and not a basis for damages."

If AEG is found liable, the company's lawyers want the judge to tell the jury to reduce any damages by the amount Jackson's estate earned from the documentary made from video the company shot of his rehearsals. "If there is a benefit in it, then that is deducted from a loss," Strong said.

Jackson lawyer Brian Panish compared giving AEG credit for the "This Is It" profits to being "like you murdered someone, wrote a book about them and gave them the money."

Panish, who will deliver the Jacksons' opening statement Monday morning, said he was not sure who his first witness will be Tuesday morning. He did tell the court he will show several videos of the depositions given by AEG's top executives in the first week.

Panish and AEG's Putnam will each have two and a half hours to describe their cases to the jury in opening statements starting at 10 a.m. Monday.

The witness lists include many members of the Jackson family, including matriarch Katherine Jackson. Other celebrity witnesses on the list are Sharon Osbourne, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Ray Parker Jr., Lisa Marie Presley, Diana Ross and Lou Ferrigno.

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by WeAreTheWorld. Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:11 pm

Lawyer: 'Ruthless' execs ignored red flags before Michael Jackson's death

By: Alan Duke
updated 4:28 PM EDT, Mon April 29, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Concert promoter AEG Live executives are "ruthless guys" who ignored Michael Jackson's health problems and his doctor's ethical conflicts, which led to the pop icon's death, a Jackson family lawyer argued Monday.

The Michael Jackson wrongful death trial, which promises dramatic revelations and legal fireworks, began in a small Los Angeles courtroom with opening statements Monday.

Jurors earning $15 a day will listen to several months of testimony before deciding whether one of the world's largest entertainment companies should pay Jackson's mother and three children billions of dollars for its liability in the pop icon's death.

Jackson family matriarch Katherine, her youngest son Randy and oldest daughter Rebbie are sitting on the front row of the small courtroom, just a few feet away from jurors.

"There will be no question in your mind that they were ruthless and they wanted to be No. 1 at all cost," Jackson lawyer Brian Panish said.

AEG executives knew that Jackson was emotionally and physically weak, Panish told jurors.

Jackson was in an "obvious sharp decline" in the weeks after Murray began working as his personal doctor while he prepared for his comeback concerts.

Another warning sign should have been that Murray asked for $5 million for the job and eventually agreed on $150,000 a month, Panish said. Another doctor had told AEG he would do the job for $40,000 a month as long as Jackson was "clean," meaning not on drugs, he said.

Panish played for the jury a video of an AEG expert who agreed that Murray's pay demand was "outrageous."
"That raised red flag because it was an enormous sum of money," defense expert Marty Hom said.
"AEG ignored the obvious red flags, and they hired Dr. Murray," Panish said.

Panish concludes his opening statement Monday afternoon and will be followed AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam's opening for the defense.

Later in the trial, jurors will hear Michael's oldest son and daughter describe their father's last days. But they will also endure weeks of testimony from medical and financial experts offering opinions about the singer's health, addiction and career.

Only 16 journalists and a few members of the public will be allowed inside the courtroom because many of its 45 seats are reserved for parties involved in the trial, including the Jackson family. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos denied CNN's request to televise the trial.

Pretrial hearings have featured angry and personal exchanges between lawyers for the two sides, made more intense by the intimacy of the tiny courtroom.

The central issue
The central issue is simple: Did AEG Live, the company promoting Jackson's comeback concerts in 2009, hire or supervise Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 25, 2009, death?

Jackson died two weeks before his "This Is It" comeback concerts, organized by AEG Live, were to have debuted in London. The coroner ruled Jackson died from a fatal combination of sedatives and propofol, a surgical anesthetic that Murray told investigators he used to put Jackson to sleep almost every night in the month before his death.

The Jacksons argue that AEG executives knew about the star's weakened health and his past use of dangerous drugs while on tour. They're liable in his death because they pressured Jackson and the doctor to meet their ambitious schedule to prepare for the London shows despite that knowledge, their lawyers contend.

A cornerstone of their case is an e-mail AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware wrote 11 days before Jackson's death. The e-mail to show director Kenny Ortega addressed concerns that Murray had kept Jackson from a rehearsal the day before: "We want to remind (Murray) that it is AEG, not MJ, who is paying his salary. We want to remind him what is expected of him."

Jackson lawyers argue the e-mail is evidence that AEG Live used Murray's fear of losing his lucrative job as Jackson's personal physician to pressure him to have Jackson ready for rehearsals despite his fragile health.
"They put Dr. Murray in a position where if he said Michael can't go or can't play, if he said I can't give you those drugs, then he doesn't get paid," Panish told jurors Monday.

Gongaware, who managed two of Jackson's tours in the 1990s, knew that Jackson relied on addictive opiates during his concert tours, Panish said.

He played a video of one doctor who said he warned Gongaware about it in 1993.

"We felt that we needed to an intervention," Dr. Stuart Finkelstein said. "We needed to do detox."

AEG will defend itself by arguing that Jackson was responsible for his own demise, that he chose Murray to be his full-time doctor and that his drug addiction led him to a series of fatal choices. Murray was never an AEG employee but rather was chosen and paid by Jackson for nearly four years until Jackson died, AEG lawyers contend.

"I don't know how you can't look to Mr. Jackson's responsibility there," AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam told CNN. "He was a grown man."

Child molestation accusations against Jackson, for which he was acquitted after a trial, are relevant because they "resulted in an incredible increase in his drug intake," Putnam said.

"Mr. Jackson is a person who was known to doctor shop," Putnam said. "He was known to be someone who would tell one doctor one thing and another doctor something else."

When Palazuelos ruled in February that case warranted a jury trial, she found there was evidence to support the Jacksons' claim that AEG Live executives could have foreseen that Murray would use dangerous drugs in treating the singer.

Jackson's family seeks billions

Just before Monday's session began, the judge issued a series of rulings that will allow Jackson expert witnesses to testify but limit some of their opinions.

The lawsuit seeks a judgment against AEG Live equal to the money Jackson would have earned over the course of his remaining lifetime if he had not died in 2009. Jackson lawyers denied media reports that they were seeking $40 billion in damages if AEG Live is found liable, but it could cost the company several billion dollars, according to estimates of Jackson's income potential.

AEG Live is a subsidiary of AEG, a global entertainment company that was up for sale recently with an $8 billion asking price.

Palazuelos reversed an earlier tentative decision Monday that would have limited the amount of damages the Jacksons could argue AEG should pay if found liable in the singer's death. The decision raises the potential damages by about $1 billion, bringing it to as much as $5 billion.

One of the Jacksons' experts, certified pubic accountant Arthur Erk, estimated that Michael Jackson could have earned $1.4 billion by taking his "This Is It" tour around the world for 260 shows. AEG executives discussed extending the tour beyond the 50 shows scheduled for London, Jackson lawyers said.

Jackson lawyer Perry Sanders, in arguing for the judge to allow Erk's testimony, said when "This Is It" tickets went on sale in March 2009, there was the "highest demand to see anyone in the history of the world. No one has ever come close."

"There was so much demand, they filled 2 million seats in hours," Sanders said, quoting an e-mail from AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips sent to AEG's owner.

"We would have had to do 100-plus shows to fill the demand" in London, he said Phillips wrote. Jackson could have packed the Tokyo Dome several times in a world tour, he said.

But AEG lawyer Sabrina Strong called it "very speculative" that Jackson would have even finished the 50 London shows before dying.

AEG lawyers argued that Jackson didn't perform 260 shows and make that much money even in his prime.

"He never came anywhere close to that," Strong said. "No one other than Cher has ever done that."

Erk also calculated Jackson would have followed with four more world tours before he turned 65.

Palazuelos weighed in during a hearing on Thursday, noting that the Rolling Stones are still touring into their 70s.

The Jacksons will also try to convince jurors that he would have made a fortune off of a long series of Las Vegas shows, endorsements, a clothing line and movies.

Strong argued that Jackson had a history of failed projects and missed opportunities, calling Erk's projections "a hope, a dream, and not a basis for damages."

Erk, under the new ruling, will be able to tell jurors about the "loss of earning capacity" suffered by the family because of Jackson's death. This means the jury can consider the Jackson argument that he could have earned millions with a clothing line, endorsements and movies. The expert's estimate that Jackson would have completed five world tours before he was 65, if he had lived, can also be considered.

AEG can argue, however, that Jackson's past failures diminished the potential earnings.

None of the Jackson experts can offer an opinion on the question of whether Murray was hired by AEG.

If AEG is found liable, the company's lawyers want the judge to tell the jury to reduce any damages by the amount Jackson's estate earned from the documentary made from video the company shot of his rehearsals.

"If there is a benefit in it, then that is deducted from a loss," Strong said.

Before Monday's opening statement, Jackson lawyer Panish compared giving AEG credit for the "This Is It" profits to being "like you murdered someone, wrote a book about them and gave them the money."

Panish has said he was not sure who his first witness will be Tuesday morning. He did tell the court he will show several videos of the depositions given by AEG's top executives in the first week.

The witness lists include many members of the Jackson family, including Katherine Jackson. Other celebrity witnesses on the list are Sharon Osbourne, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Ray Parker Jr., Lisa Marie Presley, Diana Ross and Lou Ferrigno.

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by **MJ Mod** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:09 pm

AEG lawyer: 'Ugly stuff' to come in Michael Jackson death trial
By: Alan Duke
April 29, 2013

EXCERPT:
Los Angeles (CNN) -- AEG Live's lawyer warned jurors that "we're going to show some ugly stuff" as he began the defense's opening statement in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial Monday.

The concert promoter has no choice because it must defend itself from the accusation that it is responsible for Jackson's death, Marvin Putnam said.

Before Putnam began, a Jackson lawyer had played for the jury a sentimental song the pop icon wrote and recorded for his three children titled "You Are My Life."

"You are the sun, you make me shine more like the stars that twinkle at night,

You are the moon that glows in my heart,

You're my day time, my nighttime,

My world. You are my life."

Katherine Jackson, his mother, wiped tears from her face as her late son's soft voice filled the small courtroom.

And so begins what promises to be three months of dramatic revelations and legal fireworks in a trial that could last several months.

AEG Live executives are "ruthless guys" who ignored Michael Jackson's health problems and his doctor's ethical conflicts, which led to the pop icon's death, a Jackson family lawyer argued Monday.

Jurors earning $15 a day will decide whether one of the world's largest entertainment companies should pay Jackson's mother and three children billions of dollars for its liability in the pop icon's death.

Randy and Rebbie Jackson, Michael's siblings, were with their mother in the front row, just a few feet away from jurors.

"There will be no question in your mind that they were ruthless and they wanted to be No. 1 at all cost," Jackson lawyer Brian Panish said.

AEG executives knew that Jackson was emotionally and physically weak, Panish told jurors.
Allred: Murray could be subpoenaed

Jackson was in an "obvious sharp decline" in the weeks after Murray began working as his personal doctor while he prepared for his comeback concerts.

Another warning sign should have been that Murray asked for $5 million for the job and eventually agreed on $150,000 a month, Panish said. Another doctor had told AEG he would do the job for $40,000 a month as long as Jackson was "clean," meaning not on drugs, he said.

Panish played for the jury a video of an AEG expert who agreed that Murray's pay demand was "outrageous."

"That raised red flag because it was an enormous sum of money," defense expert Marty Hom said.

"AEG ignored the obvious red flags, and they hired Dr. Murray," Panish said.

Later in the trial, jurors will hear Michael's oldest son and daughter describe their father's last days. But they will also endure weeks of testimony from medical and financial experts offering opinions about the singer's health, addiction and career.

Only 16 journalists and a few members of the public will be allowed inside the courtroom because many of its 45 seats are reserved for parties involved in the trial, including the Jackson family. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos denied CNN's request to televise the trial.

Pretrial hearings have featured angry and personal exchanges between lawyers for the two sides, made more intense by the intimacy of the tiny courtroom.

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by **MJ Mod** Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:49 pm

Judge limits Jackson siblings' attendance at wrongful death trial

By: Alan Duke
April 30, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Just one of Michael Jackson's brothers and sisters can sit in the courtroom at one time in the family's wrongful death suit against AEG Live, a judge ordered Tuesday.

AEG Live lawyers argued at the start of the second day of the trial that there was "a risk in allowing any of them in the courtroom."

AEG expects to call Janet, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Rebbie and Randy Jackson as witnesses in its defense. Only brother Marlon Jackson is not on the defense witness list.

AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam said in his opening statement Monday that Jackson family members will testify about their failed attempts to intervene with Michael Jackson's drug addiction and their lack of knowledge about what was happening.

The defense lawyers asked that Randy Jackson, the only one attending the trial Tuesday with his 82-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson, be booted from court.

After that, Jackson lawyer Brian Panish told the judge that Katherine Jackson, who can stay in court because she is a plaintiff, needed one of her children to sit with her each day.

"He can remain, but you cannot have five in the courtroom," Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos said.

Randy and Rebbie Jackson attended court Monday, the trial's opening day. All of the siblings attended the 2011 criminal trial of Dr. Conrad Murray at various times.

Having members of the famous entertainment family in court could influence the jury because their seats are just a few feet away from the jury box in the small Los Angeles courtroom.

The first witness called Tuesday was Richard Senneff, one of the Los Angeles County paramedics who responded to the 911 call from Michael Jackson's home on June 25, 2009.

Senneff mostly repeated the testimony he gave as one of the first witnesses in the Murray trial, describing how he initially "thought perhaps this was a hospice patient."

"He looked like someone who was at the end stage of a long disease process," he said.

"No, no, this just happened," Murray told him, Senneff said.

Jackson was not breathing and appeared to be dead, he said.

An AEG lawyer asked him during cross-examination if he thought Murray was not telling him the truth.

"I don't even go there," Senneff said. "I'm not worried about that."

Senneff's testimony is important to informing the jury about the circumstances of Jackson's death, but the drama that filled the Murray courtroom was not duplicated.

In fact, humor sometimes emerged. Panish even asked Senneff whether he had ever rescued a cat.

"I have not rescued a cat," Senneff, who is also a firefighter, joked. "I rescued a dog that was lying in the street."

He also shared the ironic story of the next emergency he responded to after leaving Michael Jackson at the UCLA Medical Center's emergency room.

His ambulance was called to a west Los Angeles apartment to help an elderly Russian woman, Senneff said.

"When she heard the news on TV that Michael Jackson had died, she fainted," he said. She suffered a minor head injury in her fall.

"She was just deeply emotional when we took her to the hospital," Senneff said.

Los Angeles Police Detective Orlando Martinez, who initially investigated Jackson's death, is scheduled to be the second witness.

Michael Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, the promoter of his planned comeback concerts, saying the company's executives were liable in his death because they hired, retained and supervised Murray.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and received four years in prison, a sentence he is serving in a Los Angeles County jail cell.

AEG says Murray was hired and supervised by Jackson, whom they blame for making bad choices because of his drug addiction.

The coroner ruled Jackson died from a fatal combination of the surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives, which prosecutors said Murray administered in an effort to help Jackson sleep.

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by **Admin** Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:08 pm

Then they BETTER get their testimony done FIRST! So they can sit with their MOTHER! This judge is SO AEG biased it stinks!

by **MJ Mod** Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:13 pm

Conrad Murray's money woes may have led him to 'break the rules,' detective says

By: Alan Duke
April 30, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray's "severely distressed" financial situation may have led him to "break the rules" in his fatal treatment of Michael Jackson, a police investigator testified Tuesday.

Los Angeles Police Detective Orlando Martinez testified in the Jackson wrongful death trial that Murray was trying to deal with the large drop in value of his Las Vegas home, unpaid taxes and child support payments for eight children with seven women.

Michael Jackson's mother and children claim AEG Live is liable for the pop icon's death because it hired, retained and supervised Murray, who worked as his personal physician as he prepared for his comeback concerts in 2009.

AEG says Murray was hired and supervised by Jackson, whom they blame for making bad choices because of his drug addiction.

One contention in the lawsuit is that the concert promoter should have known that Murray's financial stress could lead to unsafe treatments for Jackson.

Martinez, the second witness in the trial's first day of testimony, said that after interviewing Murray and after the search of Murray's car four days after Jackson's death, his "thinking at the moment was the crime was negligence."

Inside the BMW -- which belonged to Murray's sister in Texas -- he found a contract between AEG Live and Murray saying he would be paid $150,000 a month to work as Jackson's doctor, along with AEG Live President Randy Phillips' business card and cell phone number, he said.

"That's a lot of money for anyone," Martinez said. "Seeing the scene and talking to him about what he had done and how he did it raised questions."

"Focusing on the financial aspect may have been important for Dr. Murray's willingness to disregard his Hippocratic Oath for financial gain," he testified.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Prosecutors said Jackson death was caused by a fatal combination of the surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives Murray gave him in a desperate effort to treat his insomnia.

Martinez said what he learned about Murray's financial troubles in the weeks after Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, led him "to opine that he may have, for this easy money -- the $150,000 a month -- may break the rules, bend the rules, to do whatever he needed to do to get paid."

His investigation revealed that Murray hadn't paid his mortgage in more than six months, his home was being foreclosed on and he had several liens for unpaid child support and tax debts, Martinez said.

Murray's Las Vegas home, which he bought for $1.6 million, was appraised at barely $1 million in 2009, he said. The Las Vegas real estate market had suffered a major decline in home values up to that date.

Judge rules: Jacksons can't watch trial without mom

The judge ordered that only one of Michael Jackson's brothers and sisters can come to court to watch the testimony at at a time -- and then only if Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson is present.

AEG Live lawyers argued at the start of the second day of the trial that there was "a risk in allowing any of them in the courtroom."

AEG expects to call Janet, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Rebbie and Randy Jackson as witnesses in its defense. Only brother Marlon Jackson is not on the defense witness list.

AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam said in his opening statement Monday that Jackson family members will testify about their failed attempts to intervene with Michael Jackson's drug addiction and their lack of knowledge about what was happening.

The defense lawyers asked that Randy Jackson, the only one attending the trial Tuesday with his 82-year-old mother, be booted from court.

After that, Jackson lawyer Brian Panish told the judge that Katherine Jackson, who can stay in court because she is a plaintiff, needed one of her children to sit with her each day.

"He can remain, but you cannot have five in the courtroom," Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos said.

Because Katherine Jackson left the courtroom early to avoid gruesome testimony by a paramedic who described Jackson's death, Randy Jackson was unable to watch Tuesday's testimony.

Randy and Rebbie Jackson attended court Monday, the trial's opening day. All of the siblings attended the 2011 criminal trial of Murray at various times.

Having members of the famous entertainment family in court could influence the jury because their seats are just a few feet away from the jury box in the small Los Angeles courtroom.

Paramedic: Jackson looked like "a hospice patient"

The first witness called Tuesday was Richard Senneff, one of the Los Angeles County paramedics who responded to the 911 call from Michael Jackson's home on June 25, 2009.

Senneff mostly repeated the testimony he gave as one of the first witnesses in the Murray trial, describing how he initially "thought perhaps this was a hospice patient."

"He looked like someone who was at the end stage of a long disease process," he said.

"No, no, this just happened," Murray told him, Senneff said.

Jackson was not breathing and appeared to be dead, he said.

An AEG lawyer asked him during cross-examination if he thought Murray was not telling him the truth.

"I don't even go there," Senneff said. "I'm not worried about that."

Senneff's testimony is important to informing the jury about the circumstances of Jackson's death, but the drama that filled the Murray courtroom was not duplicated.

In fact, humor sometimes emerged. Panish even asked Senneff whether he had ever rescued a cat.

"I have not rescued a cat," Senneff, who is also a firefighter, joked. "I rescued a dog that was lying in the street."

He also shared the ironic story of the next emergency he responded to after leaving Michael Jackson at the UCLA Medical Center's emergency room.

His ambulance was called to a west Los Angeles apartment to help an elderly Russian woman, Senneff said.

"When she heard the news on TV that Michael Jackson had died, she fainted," he said. She suffered a minor head injury in her fall.

"She was just deeply emotional when we took her to the hospital," Senneff said.

Martinez will return to court Wednesday to resume his testimony, but the trial will break early so a juror can attend a funeral in the afternoon.

A medical examiner from the Los Angeles County Coroner's office is expected to take the stand Thursday. No court is scheduled for Friday.

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by **MJ Mod** Wed May 01, 2013 4:59 pm

AEG lawyer concedes: Michael Jackson is dead

By: Alan Duke
May 1, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A week after AEG's lawyer refused to concede for legal arguments that Michael Jackson is dead, he acknowledged the pop icon's death in court.

The stipulation -- an agreement between two parties in a case that something is a given fact -- could save time in a trial that is expected to last several months.

Michael Jackson's mother and children are suing AEG Live, contending the concert promoter is liable for the pop icon's death because it negligently hired, retained and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.

While acknowledging Jackson died on June 25, 2009, AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam is still reluctant to stipulate what killed him and that Murray was the cause.

Here's the courtroom exchange between Jackson lawyer Brian Panish and Putnam Wednesday:

Panish: "I'm asking for a stipulation that Michael Jackson died and the cause of death. Are you willing to stipulate that Michael Jackson died?"

Putnam: "Absolutely."

Panish: "Are you willing to stipulate that the cause of his death was Dr. Murray?"

Putnam: "That you've never asked before. Let me look at what that means."

Putnam refused to stipulate that Jackson was dead at a pretrial hearing last week, later explaining to CNN that he did not want to concede any elements that are needed to prove the case against AEG.

AEG organized and hosted a massive public memorial service for Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles 12 days after his death.

Prosecutors said Jackson's death was caused by a fatal combination of the surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives Murray gave him in a desperate effort to treat his insomnia.

Detective: Money woes may have led doctor to "break the rules"

Los Angeles Police Detective Orlando Martinez delivered testimony this week that Jackson lawyers believe boosted their argument that Murray's negligent treatment that killed Jackson was spurred by his deep financial trouble -- something they contend AEG executives should have known.

Martinez, who led the department's probe of Jackson's death, testified that he suspected Murray's "severely distressed" financial situation -- including having his home in foreclosure, delinquent taxes, student-loan liens and unpaid child support -- could have led him to give Jackson unsafe treatments.

One contention in the lawsuit is that the concert promoter should have known that Murray's financial stress could have been a problem for the doctor.

After interviewing Murray two days after Jackson's death, Martinez's "thinking at the moment was the crime was negligence," he testified.

Martinez, who will return to the stand for a third day of testimony Thursday, showed documents that said Murray's Las Vegas home had lost $500,000 in value and was in foreclosure; his Las Vegas medical clinic faced eviction for non-payment of rent; he had a long list of loan defaults; and his expenses outweighed his income by $2,700 a month.

Murray, who initially asked AEG for $5 million to work for a year as Jackson's personal physician, eventually agreed to take $150,000 a month.

"That's a lot of money for anyone," Martinez said. "Seeing the scene and talking to him about what he had done and how he did it raised questions."

"Focusing on the financial aspect may have been important for Dr. Murray's willingness to disregard his Hippocratic Oath for financial gain," he testified.

What he learned about Murray's financial troubles led him "to opine that he may have, for this easy money -- the $150,000 a month -- may break the rules, bend the rules, to do whatever he needed to do to get paid."

Dr. Christopher Rogers, the deputy medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on Jackson, will be called to testify after that questioning of Martinez concludes Thursday. No court is scheduled for Friday.

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by corlista Thu May 02, 2013 2:04 pm

Panish: "Are you willing to stipulate that the cause of his death was Dr. Murray?"
Putnam: "That you've never asked before. Let me look at what that means."

Give me a break, Putnam! Why would he not stipulate that Murray caused Michael's death? A court of law already decided that and put him in jail. Could it be that AEG plans to use Murray to testify on their behalf in some way? The amount of Murray's debt is close to $1M. I don't remember ever hearing that during his trial. We're seeing a lot more details that substantiate what a vulture he was.

by **MJ Mod** Fri May 03, 2013 5:29 pm

Debts, drugs, messy bedroom highlighted in Michael Jackson wrongful death trial

By:Alan Duke
May 3, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A lawyer for Michael Jackson's family seemed satisfied as he left the Los Angeles courthouse after the first week of the pop star's wrongful death trial.

"There's a long way to go and we hope the evidence supports -- and we believe it does -- that Dr. (Conrad) Murray was unfit for the job he was hired to do," attorney Brian Panish said. "He was financially motivated and was in serious financial straits."

Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the concert promoter is liable in the pop icon's death because it hired, retained and/or supervised Murray, the doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Murray's fatal treatment of Jackson with the surgical anesthetic the coroner ruled killed him was the result of the doctors' financial desperation and pressure from AEG executives to have Jackson ready for rehearsals for his comeback tour, Jackson lawyers argue.

AEG contends it was Jackson who chose and controlled Murray, not its executives. The company had no way of knowing what treatments the doctor was giving the singer, who it said was an expert at keeping his "deepest, darkest secret"

The trial's first witness was a paramedic who arrived at Jackson's home at 12:26 p.m. on June 25, 2009 to find a man who he initially thought was a hospice patient who had died after a long illness. Jackson lawyers see that description as support for their argument that AEG execs should have realized the frailty of Jackson's health.

The second witness was the Los Angeles Police detective who led the investigation of Jackson's death. Orlando Martinez arrived at court Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday wearing a black cowboy hat, which he said is not part of his uniform as a homicide investigator, but "the chief tolerates it."

The trial is off until Monday, when the coroner's toxicologist will give scientific testimony about the drugs found in Jackson's body after his autopsy. The doctor who conducted the autopsy will follow on the witness stand.

Conrad Murray's big debts

When AEG Live first talked to Murray about working as Michael Jackson's tour doctor, he asked for $5 million for a year. Now we know why.

Court records and credit reports showed Murray was at least $1 million in debt, including delinquent taxes, defaulted student loans, unpaid child support and a defaulted mortgage. His Las Vegas home, which had dropped in value by $500,000, was in foreclosure and his medical clinic was being evicted from an office building, according to records introduced as evidence in the trial.

Murray's chances of catching up financially became an achievable goal when AEG Live agreed to pay him $150,000 a month. Before that, his monthly expenses totaled $2,700 more than his income, according to one document.

Martinez testified that he concluded this was a major incentive for Murray to "break the rules, bend the rules, to do whatever he needed to do to get paid."

Murray's heavy burden of child support payments was the result of his fathering eight children with seven women.

Jackson lawyers contend AEG could have at least run a credit check on Murray before giving him the responsibility of caring for Michael Jackson. It should have been a red flag warning that he would put his paycheck above his Hippocratic Oath.

The Jackson death trial jury broke out into laughter at the oddest time Thursday -- when Panish asked Martinez about another Murray patient who died under his care.

A Las Vegas man called Los Angeles police to tell them about how he thought Murray's negligence caused his father's death. The man said he didn't file a medical malpractice suit because Nevada law discouraged him.

Panish: "You learned Conrad Murray wasn't sued for malpractice, but he had killed someone else?" (The jury laughs.)

Panish: "You learned that Dr. Murray had caused the wrongful death of someone else?"

Martinez: "Yes."

AEG's lawyer brought out a document showing the coroner ruled the man's death was from natural causes -- a heart attack.

Martinez also testified that Murray had been suspended from hospitals three times in the decade before Jackson's death. The loss of hospital privileges in one case was because he failed to promptly respond to a phone call when he was on call. The others appeared to be based on failure to follow record keeping procedures.

Jackson lawyers will argue that a background check on Murray by AEG executives would have revealed these and served as red flag warnings that he should not be Jackson's tour doctor. AEG lawyer will contend they had no way of knowing.

'One Jackson' policy

Only one of Katherine Jackson's eight sons and daughters can sit with her in court at one time, the judge ruled this week. Unlike in Murray's criminal trial when all of the Jacksons filled a courtroom bench at times, the family will have just two seats throughout the civil trial.

The limit was imposed because all of the Jacksons -- with the exception of Marlon -- are on AEG's witness list. AEG lawyers objected when they saw Randy and Rebbie sitting with their mother as the first witnesses testified. There is "a risk in allowing any of them in the courtroom," an AEG lawyer argued. The risk is their own testimony would be influenced by hearing the testimony of others, she said.

Panish successfully argued that at least one should be allowed to sit with their 82-year-old mother, who plans to be in court each day -- except for the gruesome medical testimony about her son's autopsy.

"I think Mrs. Jackson should have at least one support person in the court room," he said.

The Jacksons star power could influence jurors who sit just a few feet away from them in the tiny courtroom.

Jackson family intervention

AEG lawyers plan to call Janet, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Rebbie and Randy Jackson to testify about their failed attempts to intervene with Michael Jackson's drug addiction and their lack of knowledge about what was happening to him. Only brother Marlon Jackson is not on the defense witness list.

AEG is trying to show that Jackson was able to deceive even those close to him about his drug use, which helps their argument that executives with the concert promoter could not have known about it.

The lawsuit contends that even if the executives didn't know about Murray's dangerous treatments, they should have.

Katherine Jackson told investigators that her family "attempted several interventions and she had spoken to her son about possible problems with drugs herself," Martinez testified Thursday. "He denied having a problem."

An intervention at Jackson's Neverland ranch, organized by sister Janet, failed because "Michael didn't want to participate," Martinez said.

Messy bedroom

The Los Angeles mansion where Michael Jackson died was clean and neat, except for Jackson's bedroom, according to Martinez. Jurors saw police photos taken hours after the pop icon's death, showing disorganized closets, cardboard boxes lining the hallway and a general mess throughout.

AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam spent several minutes questioning Martinez about the messiness. During the lunch break, the Jacksons' lawyer joked to reporters that Putnam has succeeded in proving Michael Jackson was messy.

Back in court, Panish asked the detective: "Is there anywhere in the penal code that says if you have a messy room that's against the law?" The jury thought that was funny and laughed.

Panish: "You've come across scenes that had a messy room?"

Martinez: "Yes."

Panish: "And that's an indication that someone is not doing well, that their health is bad and they can't clean the room?"

Martinez: "Yes."

Panish: "There were moving boxes in the room?"

Martinez: "Yes."

Panish: "Did you know he was planning to go to England? Within a week or two he was leaving that residence?"

Martinez: "Yes."

When Martinez walked into the upstairs master bedroom,, he found the gas fireplace was burning, the television was on and music coming from the CD player. Except for Murray, "only the chef who can drop off food at the door" was allowed upstairs, he testified.

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by WeAreTheWorld. Fri May 03, 2013 9:14 pm

Alan is doing a really great job covering the trial so far. Thank you Admin and Mod for setting up this compilation of all his articles! It's so convenient to have everything from a single source all in one thread, and is something that I have yet to see on any other MJ sites.

by ijustcan'tstoplovinguMJ Fri May 03, 2013 9:35 pm

thank you guys for all the updates on this trial

by **Admin** Tue May 07, 2013 12:19 pm

Autopsy reveals Michael Jackson's secrets
By Alan Duke, CNN

May 7, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Jurors hearing the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial have a stark vision of the dead pop icon after a lawyer showed them an autopsy photo.

Jackson's unclothed corpse lying on a coroner's table looked nothing like the world's most famous entertainer.

The doctor who conducted Jackson's autopsy returns to the witness stand for a second day Tuesday in the trial to decide if concert promoter AEG Live shares blame in his death with Dr. Conrad Murray.

Much of what jurors heard for the first time is a repeat of the scientific evidence presented in the trial of Murray, who is now serving a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. But some of what is in the coroner's report seems to give more insight into Michael Jackson's life rather than how he died.

Dr. Christopher Rogers noted in his autopsy report that Jackson's lips were tattooed pink, while his eyebrows were a dark tattoo. The front of his scalp was also tattooed black, apparently to blend his hairline in with the wigs he wore.

The autopsy confirmed what Jackson told people who questioned why his skin tone became lighter in the 1980s. Jackson had "vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disease," Rogers said. "So, some areas of the skin appear light and others appear dark."

Jackson lawyer Michael Koskoff made sure the jury heard that, even though it had nothing to do with how he died.

Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the company that was promoting his "This Is It" shows was liable for his death because of the negligent hiring, retention and supervision of Murray.

AEG Live argues that Jackson chose Murray as his tour doctor and that the company had no way of knowing he was using the surgical anesthetic propofol to put the singer to sleep each night.

Rogers concluded that a propofol overdose killed Jackson, although several sedatives Murray gave him that morning contributed to his death.

Los Angeles coroner's toxicologist Dan Anderson, who studied the drugs in Jackson's body, testified Monday that the level of propofol found in Jackson's body was "consistent with major surgery anesthesia."

Propofol is a dangerous drug when not used properly, he said.

Money woes may have led Murray to 'break the rules,' detective says

The Los Angeles coroner's office found 31 deaths in the last 14 years in which propofol was found in a body, including six suicides committed by medical personnel -- doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists -- who chose the drug to end their lives, Anderson said.

There have also been several homicides with propofol, including "a mercy killing" in a hospital, he testified.

If not for his death by propofol, Jackson's health appeared good enough for him to live a normal lifespan, Rogers testified.

"There was no indication from the autopsy that there was anything anatomically wrong with him that would lead to premature death," Rogers said.

He had no signs of being addicted to street drugs, such as needle marks or disease, he said.

That testimony is important for the Jackson case, since if the jury decides AEG is liable in his death, his expected lifespan will be key to calculating damages. Jackson lawyers will contend that he would have made billions of dollars in the remaining years through several more world tours, merchandizing, recording and movies.

The next witness up after Rogers Tuesday will be a cardiologist, Dr. Daniel Wohgeternter, who will be called as an expert to offer analysis of Murray's skills and decisions.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Note: Go to the link for several videos including:
Mesereau AEG arguments may backfire
Allred (I know) Murray may be subpoena'd
Van Helen - What a sweet guy MJ was
More on CNN - click link to the page

by midangerous Tue May 07, 2013 6:51 pm

I like the Van Helen video. Smile

by corlista Tue May 07, 2013 11:10 pm

This all makes me all so sad for Michael. God bless you, angel. You never deserved this....

by WeAreTheWorld. Wed May 08, 2013 5:29 pm

Jurors see Michael Jackson's creativity at death trial

By: Alan Duke
May 8, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- After six days of testimony about Michael Jackson's death, jurors heard about the pop icon's creativity Wednesday.

"Michael's imagination was endless," dancer-choreographer Alif Sankey testified. "He would visualize it, and it happened. It was amazing."

Sankey, the fifth witness called in the wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live, also testified about Jackson's missed rehearsals and frail health during his last days as he prepared for his comeback concerts.

Spectators in the small Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday morning included Judge Lance Ito, famous for presiding over the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. Ito was there to watch his friend, Judge Yvette Palazuelos, preside over this trial and then go to lunch with her.

Katherine Jackson dabbed tears from her eyes as her son's "Smooth Criminal" video was played in court.
Sankey first met Michael Jackson when she was a dancer in the 1987 video production.

"We got to see Michael's imagination come to life," Sankey said. "That was my first time as a dancer, as an artist, that I was completely inspired by his craft and inspired by his attention to every detail. He was so detailed and he never missed a thing."

Working with Jackson was "magical," she said.

"I dream still to this day that I will be able to create on that level of magic that Michael created," Sankey said. "It was like living a dream of working with an artist like that, and I will treasure it and have it in my memory forever."

Sankey's work as an associate producer and dancer for Jackson's "This Is It" tour put her on the witness list in this trial.

"He shared with me that he was excited to do the show," she said. "He was excited to show his kids, finally to show them who he was, what he was all about; he was very excited about that."

Jurors heard about Jackson's relationship with his three children and their love of their father. Sankey described how they would come with their father to the set each day in early June when he was filming video elements for the show.

"Paris had a purse, and inside her purse, she had all this candy in her purse she didn't want her daddy to know about," Sankey said. "She had these little pictures of her father in her purse that were in frames. She had, like, a lot of them. Her purse was full of candy and pictures of her daddy."

"They loved their daddy," she said.

The "This Is It" concert would have been "a pretty big show," Sankey told jurors.

"It was going to be huge and it was going to be innovative, different," she testified. "From working with Michael in my past, I knew it had to be something that no one's ever seen. It all had to be new and pioneering."

But in the weeks before Jackson's death, there was a growing frustration about him not attending rehearsals.

Just before the court recessed for lunch, Sankey was being asked about an e-mail she sent to show director Kenny Ortega saying she was "very sad and upset" after having recurring, disturbing dreams about Jackson and the show.

"Kenny, I know how to help him," she wrote. "I know what needs to be said to him please let me help you get him back into the Magical Light."

Michael Jackson's mother and three children contend that AEG Live was negligent in hiring, retaining and supervising Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor now serving a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

Their lawsuit argues that the concert promoter should have seen red flags signaling that Jackson's health was in danger from Murray's treatments, which were later revealed to be nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic propofol.

The coroner ruled Jackson had died from an overdose of propofol in combination with several sedatives on June 25, 2009.

Murray told investigators he used the drugs to help Jackson sleep so he could be rested for rehearsals.

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by corlista Wed May 08, 2013 6:45 pm

"Paris had a purse, and inside her purse, she had all this candy in her purse she didn't want her daddy to know about," Sankey said. "She had these little pictures of her father in her purse that were in frames. She had, like, a lot of them. Her purse was full of candy and pictures of her daddy."

That precious, precious girl...

by WeAreTheWorld. Wed May 08, 2013 9:12 pm

@corlista

I know, that was really heartbreaking to know and read.

by WeAreTheWorld. Wed May 08, 2013 9:31 pm

Producer warned: Michael Jackson's 'dying, he's leaving us'

By: Alan Duke
May 8, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's appearance and state of mind were so disturbing days before his death it caused producers to burst into tears at a rehearsal, a witness said Wednesday in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother and three children.

"God keeps talking to me," Jackson told director Kenny Ortega, according to associate producer Alif Sankey.

Jackson, who was at the rehearsal for a costume fitting, appeared "extremely thin" and "was not speaking normally" at the June 19, 2009, rehearsal, Sankey told jurors in a trial to determine if concert promoter AEG Live should be held liable in the pop icon's death.

Jurors saw a photo of Jackson at the costume fitting that showed an obviously thin and gaunt man.

Sankey testified that she and Ortega cried together after Jackson left. On her way home, Sankey stopped her car to call Ortega "because I had a very strong feeling that Michael was dying."

"I was screaming into the phone at that point," Sankey testified. "I said he needs to be put in the hospital now."

Sankey became emotional as she testified about the call.

"I kept saying that 'Michael is dying, he's dying, he's leaving us, he needs to be put in a hospital,'" Sankey said. "'Please do something. Please, please,' I kept saying that. I asked him why no one had seen what I had seen. He said he didn't know."

Ortega send a series of e-mails early the next morning that resulted in a meeting at Jackson's house between Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray, AEG Live President Randy Phillips and Ortega.

An e-mail from Phillips after that meeting said he had confidence in Murray "who I am gaining immense respect for as I get to deal with him more."

"This doctor is extremely successful (we check everyone out) and does not need this gig, so he (is) totally unbiased and ethical," Phillips' e-mail said.

The lawsuit contends that Phillips and AEG never checked Dr. Murray out. Otherwise, they would have known he was deeply in debt and vulnerable to breaking the rules in treating Jackson to keep his job, it argues.

Jackson lawyers contend that AEG Live is liable for Jackson's death because the company negligently hired, retained or supervised Dr. Murray -- who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

Jackson's last rehearsal was at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles on June 24, 2009. Security camera video shown to the jury Wednesday showed him walking with a blanket wrapped around him as he passed Sankey.

"He didn't look good," she testified. "I asked him if he was cold and he said 'Yes.'"

Jackson sang two songs that last night on stage: "Thriller" and "Earth Song," she said.

"He did it," Sankey said. "He went through it. He wasn't in full performance mode."

Sankey said she was standing next to Ortega at a rehearsal the next afternoon when Randy Phillips called to tell him Jackson was dead.

"Kenny collapsed in our arms," she said.

The lawsuit contends that AEG Live executives missed a series of red flags warning them that Jackson's life was at risk because of Dr. Murray, who was giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat his insomnia.

The coroner ruled Jackson had died from an overdose of propofol in combination with several sedatives on June 25, 2009.

Murray told investigators he used the drugs to help Jackson sleep so he could be rested for rehearsals.

AEG lawyers argue Jackson, not their company, chose and supervised Murray, and that their executives had no way of knowing what the doctor was doing to Jackson in the privacy of his bedroom.

Michael's creativity

In contrast to six days of testimony mostly about Jackson's death, jurors did hear about the pop icon's creativity during Sankey's testimony

"Michael's imagination was endless," Sankey said. "He would visualize it, and it happened. It was amazing."

Katherine Jackson dabbed tears from her eyes as her son's "Smooth Criminal" video was played in court.

Sankey first met Michael Jackson when she was a dancer in the 1987 video production.

"We got to see Michael's imagination come to life," Sankey said. "That was my first time as a dancer, as an artist, that I was completely inspired by his craft and inspired by his attention to every detail. He was so detailed and he never missed a thing."

Working with Jackson was "magical," she said.

"I dream still to this day that I will be able to create on that level of magic that Michael created," Sankey said.

"It was like living a dream of working with an artist like that, and I will treasure it and have it in my memory forever."

Sankey's work as an associate producer and dancer for Jackson's "This Is It" tour put her on the witness list in this trial.

"He shared with me that he was excited to do the show," she said. "He was excited to show his kids, finally to show them who he was, what he was all about; he was very excited about that."

Jurors heard about Jackson's relationship with his three children and their love of their father. Sankey described how they would come with their father to the set each day in early June when he was filming video elements for the show.

"Paris had a purse, and inside her purse, she had all this candy in her purse she didn't want her daddy to know about," Sankey said. "She had these little pictures of her father in her purse that were in frames. She had, like, a lot of them. Her purse was full of candy and pictures of her daddy."

"They loved their daddy," she said.

The "This Is It" concert would have been "a pretty big show," Sankey told jurors.

"It was going to be huge and it was going to be innovative, different," she testified. "From working with Michael in my past, I knew it had to be something that no one's ever seen. It all had to be new and pioneering."

The next witness when court resumes Thursday morning will be Michael Jackson's longtime hair and make up artist, Karen Faye. She was quoted in interviews after Jackson's death saying that the pop star was in ill health weeks before he died.

Spectators in the small Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday morning included Judge Lance Ito, famous for presiding over the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. Ito was there to watch his friend, Judge Yvette Palazuelos, preside over this trial and then go to lunch with her.

Source: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by **Admin** Wed May 08, 2013 9:36 pm

I am sick reading this for 2 reasons:

1-reading it at all - enough said, it is too obvious why- as I am nearly physically ill

2-proof of another person yelling MJ needed help that EFFING DIDNT DO ANYTHING - NOT 1 THING TO HELP!! WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!

by corlista Thu May 09, 2013 12:07 am

OMG, Admin. I got to the end of this article and broke down. WHY didn't anyone help him?????? Why!!!!??? WHY didn't anyone call a hospital? 911? ANYONE??????? God forgive us, Michael. I'm so sorry for your agony.........

ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY 429947708

ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY 429947708

by **Admin** Thu May 09, 2013 12:27 am

As a medical professional myself, I cannot even fathom why these several people did nothing - KO, this dancer Sankey and Karen Faye (especially after she threw MJ under the bus after he passed on that TV interview with M Bush - I was completely THROUGH with her and don't believe 1 word out of her mouth!)

ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY 2976365378

ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY 2976365378

by corlista Thu May 09, 2013 1:24 am

This testimony on top of Robson's new accusations drains my spirit. I swear I will fight for Michael until forever but my heart is so heavy under all this. Having to deal with Michael's pain on top of another "friend" betraying him is a level of difficulty I couldn't have anticipated a couple weeks ago. I don't know how Michael ever survived all that was thrown at him.

by midangerous Thu May 09, 2013 6:18 pm

Michael says, "God keeps Talking to me"

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson told his tour director days before he died he was hearing God's voice, a producer testified Wednesday.

"God keeps talking to me,"Jackson said.

Those words spoken to Kenny Ortega and Jackson's frail appearance were so disturbing that it caused Ortega and associate producer Alif Sankey to burst into tears at a rehearsal, Sankey said Wednesday in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother and three children.

Jackson, who was being fitted for his costumes, appeared "extremely thin" and "was not speaking normally" at the June 19, 2009, rehearsal, Sankey told jurors in a trial to determine if concert promoter AEG Live should be held liable in the pop icon's death.

Jurors saw a photo of Jackson at the costume fitting that showed an obviously thin and gaunt man.
Jackson wrongful death trial under way
Mesereau: AEG arguments may backfire
Jackson family takes on AEG in court

Sankey testified that she and Ortega cried together after Jackson left. On her way home, Sankey stopped her car to call Ortega "because I had a very strong feeling that Michael was dying."

"I was screaming into the phone at that point," Sankey testified. "I said he needs to be put in the hospital now."

Autopsy reveals Jackson's secrets

Sankey became emotional as she testified about the call.

"I kept saying that 'Michael is dying, he's dying, he's leaving us, he needs to be put in a hospital,'" Sankey said. "'Please do something. Please, please.' I kept saying that. I asked him why no one had seen what I had seen. He said he didn't know."

Ortega sent a series of e-mails early the next morning that resulted in a meeting at Jackson's house between Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray, AEG Live President Randy Phillips and Ortega.

An e-mail from Phillips after that meeting said he had confidence in Murray, "who I am gaining immense respect for as I get to deal with him more."

"This doctor is extremely successful (we check everyone out) and does not need this gig, so he (is) totally unbiased and ethical," Phillips' e-mail said.

The lawsuit contends that Phillips and AEG never checked Murray out. Otherwise, they would have known he was deeply in debt and vulnerable to breaking the rules in treating Jackson to keep his job, it argues.

Jackson lawyers contend that AEG Live is liable for Jackson's death because the company negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray -- who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

Jackson's last rehearsal was at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles on June 24, 2009. Security camera video shown to the jury Wednesday showed him walking with a blanket wrapped around him as he passed Sankey.

"He didn't look good," she testified. "I asked him if he was cold, and he said 'Yes.'"

Jackson sang two songs that last night on stage: "Thriller" and "Earth Song," she said.

"He did it," Sankey said. "He went through it. He wasn't in full performance mode."

Sankey said she was standing next to Ortega at a rehearsal the next afternoon when Randy Phillips called to tell him Jackson was dead.

"Kenny collapsed in our arms," she said.

The lawsuit contends that AEG Live executives missed a series of red flags warning them that Jackson's life was at risk because of Murray, who was giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat his insomnia.

The coroner ruled Jackson had died from an overdose of propofol in combination with several sedatives on June 25, 2009.

Murray told investigators he used the drugs to help Jackson sleep so he could be rested for rehearsals.

AEG lawyers argue Jackson, not their company, chose and supervised Murray, and that their executives had no way of knowing what the doctor was doing to Jackson in the privacy of his bedroom.

Michael's creativity

In contrast to six days of testimony mostly about Jackson's death, jurors did hear about the pop icon's creativity during Sankey's testimony

"Michael's imagination was endless," Sankey said. "He would visualize it, and it happened. It was amazing."

Katherine Jackson dabbed tears from her eyes as her son's "Smooth Criminal" video was played in court.

Sankey first met Michael Jackson when she was a dancer in the 1987 video production.

"We got to see Michael's imagination come to life," Sankey said. "That was my first time as a dancer, as an artist, that I was completely inspired by his craft and inspired by his attention to every detail. He was so detailed and he never missed a thing."

Working with Jackson was "magical," she said.

"I dream still to this day that I will be able to create on that level of magic that Michael created," Sankey said. "It was like living a dream of working with an artist like that, and I will treasure it and have it in my memory forever."

Sankey's work as an associate producer and dancer for Jackson's "This Is It" tour put her on the witness list in this trial.

"He shared with me that he was excited to do the show," she said. "He was excited to show his kids, finally to show them who he was, what he was all about; he was very excited about that."

Jurors heard about Jackson's relationship with his three children and their love of their father. Sankey described how they would come with their father to the set each day in early June when he was filming video elements for the show.

"Paris had a purse, and inside her purse, she had all this candy in her purse she didn't want her daddy to know about," Sankey said. "She had these little pictures of her father in her purse that were in frames. She had, like, a lot of them. Her purse was full of candy and pictures of her daddy."

"They loved their daddy," she said.

The "This Is It" concert would have been "a pretty big show," Sankey told jurors.

"It was going to be huge and it was going to be innovative, different," she testified. "From working with Michael in my past, I knew it had to be something that no one's ever seen. It all had to be new and pioneering."

The next witness when court resumes Thursday morning will be Michael Jackson's longtime hair and make up artist, Karen Faye. She was quoted in interviews after Jackson's death saying that the pop star was in ill health weeks before he died.

Spectators in the small Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday morning included Judge Lance Ito, famous for presiding over the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. Ito was there to watch his friend, Judge Yvette Palazuelos, preside over this trial and then go to lunch with her.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by midangerous Thu May 09, 2013 6:24 pm

This article breaks my heart. Crying or Very sad

I guess God was calling him home.

by WeAreTheWorld. Fri May 10, 2013 4:21 pm

Witness: Michael Jackson was paranoid, talking to himself in last days

By: Alan Duke
May 9, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson appeared paranoid, repeating himself and shivering from chills in his final days, his longtime makeup artist testified Thursday.

"This was not the man I knew," Karen Faye testified. "He was acting like a person I didn't recognize."

Faye, who did Jackson's makeup and hair for 27 years, was the sixth witness called by lawyers for Michael Jackson's mother and children in their wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live. She testified Thursday and will return to the stand Friday in a Los Angeles courtroom.

The Jacksons contend that AEG Live is liable in the pop icon's June 25, 2009, death from an overdose of a surgical anesthetic because it negligently hired, retained or supervised the doctor treating him.

Michael Jackson's brightest and darkest moments brought laughter and tears as Faye testified.

His last days

Faye, who traveled with Jackson on his "Bad," "Dangerous" and "History" tours, said she was concerned when she first saw the schedule for Jackson's 50 "This Is It" shows at London's O2 arena.

"On looking at that, I said, 'He can't do this,'" Faye testified. "The shows are far too close together. I knew what he needed between shows. I thought he might last a week."

When she raised the matter with show director Kenny Ortega, "he kind of fluffed it off," she said.

"Michael's adrenaline and what it takes for him to perform with that much effort and what he himself puts into a show, he needed a lot more time to at least get some rest and sleep, and to be healthy and maintain that kind of longevity," she said.

He was "very upbeat, but he was on the thin side" when she saw him in April as preparations for the start of the shows in July were under way, she said. "I thought he had plenty of time to put on some body mass and muscle mass."

Jackson appeared "very, very excited" in early production meetings, but "the first time he actually got up on stage and rehearsed, I saw the change in him."

"The turning point was when he had to get up on stage and actually start performing," she said.

Jackson hated live performances, she said. "It was just too hard on him."

Eventually, "they had to make him rehearse," she said. "They're insisting to the point of going to his home."

In Jackson's last days, Faye was pressured to ignore what Jackson told her to do and instead take her direction from Randy Phillips, AEG's CEO, she testified. She once was ordered to put Jackson on stage and place his earpiece in when he did not want it, she said.

"I was supposed to exhibit tough love" and not listen to what Jackson was telling her to do, Faye testified.

At one point, Jackson locked himself in a bathroom at his home, refusing to leave for rehearsals at the Forum.

AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware, who was in charge of the production, was "angry and kind of desperate to get Michael to the Forum," she said.

She overheard a phone call in which Gongaware was telling Jackson's security guard "to get him out of the bathroom. Do you have a key? Do whatever it takes," she said Gongaware screamed.

At a rehearsal in mid-June, Jackson was "very stoic" and seem "frightened." He was talking to himself, she said. "When I was around, he was repeating himself an awful lot, saying the same thing over and over again."

"He kept repeating, 'why can't I choose,' it was one of the things he repeated over and over again," she said.

A show producer testified Wednesday that Jackson told Ortega "God keeps talking to me."

Faye said she suggested to Ortega that a psychologist should be brought in to assess Jackson.

Faye, who had to touch Jackson when she put on his makeup, said it was "like I was touching ice." At one rehearsal, she covered him with blankets and put a space heater next to him, she said.

"I've never seen him so emaciated," she said.

Faye said she raised her concerns once in June with Phillips. He told her, "Yeah, this is bad. It's not so good. I had to scrape Michael off the floor in London at the announcement because he was so drunk," she said.

Faye testified that Phillips told her at Jackson's funeral that "he tried to do everything he could."

Did she believe him, asked Jackson lawyer Brian Panish.

"Sir, Michael Jackson is lying in a casket only a few feet away from me," she said. "I had no words to respond. That's not everything you can do."

The dark days

Michael Jackson endured pain for years caused by head burns suffered while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984 and a back injury from an onstage mishap during a concert in Munich, Germany, she said.

Faye, who witnessed both incidents, described them.

"His hair caught fire, but he kept dancing," she said, as jurors watched the infamous video of pyrotechnics igniting Jackson's head as he danced down stairs on a stage. "I was screaming and Miko (Brando) got through somehow and had to wrestle him to the ground, because he had no idea he was on fire. Miko put the fire out with his hand."

The fire burned off a section of hair, which doctors tried to repair with surgery to stretch his scalp, she said. Jackson suffered migraine headaches after that, she said.

Later, a bridge suspended above a stage collapsed as Jackson danced on top of it during a show in Munich, she said.

"When I saw what happened, I thought he could be dead," Faye testified. But Jackson held onto his microphone, stood up and finished the song. "He said 'I can't disappoint the audience,'" she said. So he finished the show finale but collapsed in the dressing room when it was over, she said.

"He suffered back pain from that moment on," she said.

Along with the pain, Jackson had trouble sleeping on tour.

Jackson "was so buzzed by his own adrenaline after a show" it would "take him 24 hours to relax his body and, sometimes it would take two days to be able to sleep," said Faye.

"As the tour went on, shows got closer and closer, and he would have trouble sleeping," she said. "It would start out OK, but it would get worse and worse. He tried to find ways to deal with it."

Dealing with it involved a series of doctors, she said.

"Michael always believed that a doctor had his best interest at heart," Faye said. "He believed if he got something through a doctor that it was safe and OK for him to use it."

Faye testified that nurse Debbie Rowe, who would later become Jackson's second wife and the mother of his two oldest children, would travel with them on the "Dangerous" tour in 1992 with "a little bag" of medications.

"Debbie Rowe asked me to learn how to give injections," she said. "I thought about it and said 'No.' I am not qualified to handle any kind of medications."

When the tour was on its way to Bangkok, Thailand, Faye was asked to carry a package she was told contained medicine patches for Jackson's pain, she testified. She refused to travel with it, she said.

Faye testified that the tour doctor, Dr. Stuart Finkelstein, later told her "I'm glad you weren't carrying it. It has vials and syringes. If you had brought this in, you might not be here." The implication was she could have been arrested for smuggling drugs.

Gongaware, now the Co-CEO of AEG Live, was in charge of logistics for the "Dangerous" tour and was involved in the incident, Faye said.

Finkelstein used "a balance of medications strong enough to overcome Michael's pain," Faye said.

Later in the tour in Singapore, Jackson stumbled into his dressing room before a show, she said. "He was having a very hard time walking," she said. "He was glazed over. He fell over a tree."

She told the tour doctor, whom she identified as Dr. David Forecast, that "Michael can't go on."

His show opened with him being thrust onto the stage by a "toaster," which requires him to "curl up and be shot up" from a small enclosure under the stage, she said.

"His arm could be severed," Faye said. "I feared for his safety, I feared for his life. I told Dr. Forecast, 'You can't make him go out. You can't take him.' And he said, 'Yes, I can.'"

The doctor "backed me up against the wall and put his hands around my neck and said 'You don't know what your doing,'" she testified. "I nearly fainted, and he grabbed Michael and took him to the stage."

The show, however, was eventually canceled, she said.

"Michael was under a lot of stress at that time because that's when the first child allegations were made public," Faye said. "Michael had to go on stage every night knowing that the whole world thought he was a pedophile. He had to stand up in front of all these audiences with the physical pain that he had and knowing that everybody in that audience is thinking that he was the vilest pedophile on earth. To this day I don't know how he did that."

The tour ended early when it reached Mexico City "because everybody knew Michael had a problem," she said. Elizabeth Taylor came down to Mexico to get Jackson, and "we all went home."

Faye later flew to England to join Michael at a rehab facility, which she described as a beautiful country home.
Michael's brighter days.

Before Faye's darker testimony began, the courtroom was unusually relaxed with smiles and laughs throughout the jury box.

It started when Jackson lawyer Panish asked her "What is a makeup and hair artist?"

"Makeup and hair!" Faye responded, triggering loud laughter from jurors.

"Can you help me?" Panish joked.

Panish had Faye read to the jury the dedication note from the "Thriller" album: "This album is lovingly dedicated to Katherine Jackson."

Faye and Jackson became "very close" starting in the early 1980s, she said. "It was almost like a brother and sister relationship. If I was having trouble, I could call him and he could call me. You talk, you share, you become very close and imagine that over 27 years."

Jurors viewed a series of photos of Faye and Jackson together through the years, including one taken in January 1996, the day after Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from Jackson.

Jackson was upset because just before filing, Presley called him and begged him not to file for divorce, she said.

"She begged and begged, saying please don't file," Faye said. Jackson promised not to file, only to see "the next morning it was all over the press that she filed before him." The photo of Jackson out with Faye "was to give the press something to talk about" with Faye being "the mysterious blonde."

Jurors watched several videos that showed Jackson's talent and impact, a sharp contrast to all of the testimony about drug addiction and death.

They viewed several minutes of Jackson's "Thriller," which Faye pointed out was a short film, not just a music video.

Part of Jackson's 1993 Super Bowl halftime show was viewed, including his rendition of "We Are the World." "It was a very big deal, sir," Faye said. "I think it started the trend of having a big artist at the Super Bowl."

A clip from a Jackson concert in Bucharest, Romania, showed jurors how fanatical his fans were, dozens of them fainting as he sang "Man In the Mirror."

When his 1995 MTV awards performance was shown, Faye noted, "He can moonwalk in a circle."

Jackson's stamina during a show was remarkable, she said. "Some dancers would pass out, but Michael would be fine. He was able to do it."

Faye's testimony took all day Thursday and was set to resume Friday morning.

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by **MJ Mod** Tue May 14, 2013 5:54 pm

Choreographer: Michael Jackson's 'impressive' last rehearsals

By: Alan Duke
May 14, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A choreographer who worked closely with Michael Jackson on his comeback concerts testified Tuesday the pop icon in his final days was "not at show standards but he was rehearsing, he was processing."

Travis Payne was called as a witness by AEG LIve to counter Jackson witnesses who testified in the ongoing wrongful death trial that Michael Jackson was emaciated, paranoid and so ill they feared for his life as rehearsals continued until shortly before his death on June 25, 2009.

The trial, in which Jackson's mother and three children contend AEG LIve is liable in his death, is in its third week in a Los Angeles courtroom. The lawsuit accuses the concert promoter of negligent hiring of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

"I don't have a dog in this race, so I don't want to be painted as a guy whose trying to mask anything," Payne said when Jackson lawyer Brian Panish suggested he was downplaying concerns about Jackson's health in the days before he died.

"Mr. Jackson just explained to me that he had trouble sleeping, that he was tired, and that satisfied me," Payne testified.

He told Jackson, "You're looking thin," and Jackson responded, "Well, I'm getting down to my fighting weight," according to Payne, who added, "I didn't have a reason to doubt him."

The Jacksons contend AEG Live executives ignored warning signs, including Jackson's weight loss, because they did not want to delay the premiere of the "This Is It" concerts set for July 2009.

"Sometimes in rehearsal Michael would appear a little loopy, under the influence of something, but mostly when he would come to the rehearsals from the dermatologist," Payne testified. That happened two to four times in the weeks before his death, he said.

"Michael was undergoing personal cosmetic procedures, so he could feel great and do a good job," Payne said.

Medical records showed Jackson visited his Beverly Hills dermatologist nearly two dozen times in the two months before his death, receiving injections of the powerful painkiller Demerol.

"Sometimes he was tired and lethargic and had to be, not convinced, but supported throughout rehearsals," Payne said.

Payne, though, said Jackson's rehearsals the last two nights were "impressive" when he "was able to do chunks of the show."

"He was not at show standards, but he was rehearsing, he was processing," he said. "I didn't expect him to be as if he was in front of a crowd. The last two days were pretty good."

Was he ready to perform for an audience, Panish asked.

"I thought he was on his way to the goals he had set for himself," Payne answered. "All I saw was improvement and getting closer to the goals."

One of those goals was for Jackson to be able to sing all of his songs, while dancing, without the aid of pre-recorded tracks, Payne testified Monday. Jackson relied on recorded vocal tracks in previous tours, but he didn't want to use them in London, he said.

Michael's kids: Enlightened and loyal

Payne was often inside Jackson's home rehearsing with him during his final weeks. He got an intimate view of what he called "the beauty" of Jackson's relationship with his three children.

Payne saw "their loyalty to their father" and their father "enlightened them and taught them," he testified. "I was very proud to see Michael as such a loving father."

His description of the close relationship Paris, 15, and Prince, 16, had with their father four years ago could foreshadow the significance of the children's testimony later in the trial.

Paris, who was 11 at the time, was "a very retentive young lady who was very, very smart, very astute," Payne testified.

"She had full knowledge of the day-to-day operations, from the time of lunch and what it was going to be, she was hands on -- far beyond her age," he said. "She had a lot of responsibility, which I think she welcomed.

Payne said she was "the female of the house," and also "a daddy's girl."

"She really loved her father," he said. "At that time, she was coming to find out his global successes and presence, so she would wear her Michael Jackson t-shirt, headband and bag," he said.

It was Paris who would bless the food when they were have lunch with their father at home, he said.

"She was always the most vocal of the three children and was very concerned about many of the details of the house, was the temperature correct, what do you want to eat," Payne testified. "She just handled a lot for her young age."

Jackson's relationship with son Prince, then 12, was "awesome," Payne said.

"It was great to see how they interacted," he said. "Prince wants to be a director, so Michael would share conversations with him about that process and point out things during our rehearsals,."

Blanket, who was 7 his father died, liked to watch his father rehearsing his dances with Payne in the basement studio of their home, Payne said.

"He was quiet, but always right there with his dad," he said.

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by corlista Wed May 15, 2013 3:05 pm

Reading Travis' testimony about Michael's relationship with PP&B melted my heart! How fortunate the 4 of them were to have each other. So much love and devotion. The children's intelligence, maturity and strength will forever be a tribute to Michael...

by WeAreTheWorld. Wed May 15, 2013 4:19 pm

Choreographer: AEG considered 'pulling the plug' on Michael Jackson's comeback

By: Alan Duke
May 15, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- AEG Live considered "pulling the plug" on Michael Jackson's comeback concerts 11 days before the pop icon died, the show's choreographer testified Tuesday.

Travis Payne, who worked closely with Michael Jackson in his final days, earlier testified that in Jackson's last rehearsals before his death, he was "not at show standards but he was rehearsing, he was processing."

Payne was called as a witness by AEG Live to counter Jackson witnesses who testified in the ongoing wrongful death trial that Michael Jackson was emaciated, paranoid and so ill they feared for his life as rehearsals continued until shortly before his death on June 25, 2009.

The trial, in which Jackson's mother and three children contend AEG Live is liable in his death, is in its third week in a Los Angeles courtroom. The lawsuit accuses the concert promoter of negligently hiring Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

The Jacksons contend AEG Live executives ignored warning signs, including Jackson's weight loss, because they did not want to delay the premiere of the "This Is It" concerts set for July 2009.

'Pulling the plug' on comeback

"It was 'We've got to get this together or the plug may be pulled,' " Payne testified under cross examination by a Jackson lawyer Tuesday.

Jackson was having trouble learning some of his dances in the final weeks, he said.

The jury saw an e-mail from show director Kenny Ortega saying Jackson had "been slow at grabbing hold of the work."

He also asked that a teleprompter be placed near the stage to help him remember song lyrics, something Jackson had never used before during a concert, he said.

An e-mail written by "This Is It" band director Michael Bearden to Ortega 11 days before Jackson's death was displayed in court.

"MJ is not in shape enough yet to sing this stuff live and dance at the same time," Bearden wrote. "He can use the ballads to sing live and get his stamina back up, Once he's healthy enough and have more strength I have full confidence he can sing the majority of the show live. His voice sounds amazing right now, he needs to build it back up. I still need all big dance numbers to be in the system so we can concentrate on choreography."

But Ortega sent Jackson home without performing at the next rehearsal three days later because he was ill.

"I don't have a dog in this race, so I don't want to be painted as a guy who's trying to mask anything," Payne said when Jackson lawyer Brian Panish suggested he was downplaying concerns about Jackson's health in the days before he died.

"Mr. Jackson just explained to me that he had trouble sleeping, that he was tired, and that satisfied me," Payne testified.

He told Jackson, "You're looking thin," and Jackson responded, "Well, I'm getting down to my fighting weight," according to Payne, who added, "I didn't have a reason to doubt him."

"Sometimes in rehearsal Michael would appear a little loopy, under the influence of something, but mostly when he would come to the rehearsals from the dermatologist," Payne testified. That happened two to four times in the weeks before his death, he said.

"Michael was undergoing personal cosmetic procedures, so he could feel great and do a good job," Payne said.

Medical records showed Jackson visited his Beverly Hills dermatologist nearly two dozen times in the two months before his death, receiving injections of the powerful painkiller Demerol.

"Sometimes he was tired and lethargic and had to be, not convinced, but supported throughout rehearsals," Payne said.

Payne, though, said Jackson's rehearsals the last two nights were "impressive" when he "was able to do chunks of the show."

"He was not at show standards, but he was rehearsing, he was processing," he said. "I didn't expect him to be as if he was in front of a crowd. The last two days were pretty good."

Was he ready to perform for an audience? Panish asked.

"I thought he was on his way to the goals he had set for himself," Payne answered. "All I saw was improvement and getting closer to the goals."

One of those goals was for Jackson to be able to sing all of his songs, while dancing, without the aid of pre-recorded tracks, Payne testified Monday. Jackson had relied on recorded vocal tracks in previous tours, but he didn't want to use them in London, he said.

Michael's kids: Enlightened and loyal

Payne was often inside Jackson's home rehearsing with him during his final weeks. He got an intimate view of what he called "the beauty" of Jackson's relationship with his three children.

Payne saw "their loyalty to their father" and their father "enlightened them and taught them," he testified. "I was very proud to see Michael as such a loving father."

His description of the close relationship Paris, 15, and Prince, 16, had with their father four years ago could foreshadow the significance of the children's testimony later in the trial.

Paris, who was 11 at the time, was "a very retentive young lady who was very, very smart, very astute," Payne testified.

"She had full knowledge of the day-to-day operations, from the time of lunch and what it was going to be, she was hands on -- far beyond her age," he said. "She had a lot of responsibility, which I think she welcomed.

Payne said she was "the female of the house" and "a daddy's girl."

"She really loved her father," he said. "At that time, she was coming to find out his global successes and presence, so she would wear her Michael Jackson T-shirt, headband and bag," he said.

It was Paris who would bless the food when they were having lunch with their father at home, he said.

"She was always the most vocal of the three children and was very concerned about many of the details of the house, was the temperature correct, what do you want to eat," Payne testified. "She just handled a lot for her young age."

Jackson's relationship with son Prince, then 12, was "awesome," Payne said.

"It was great to see how they interacted," he said. "Prince wants to be a director, so Michael would share conversations with him about that process and point out things during our rehearsals."

Blanket, who was 7 his father died, liked to watch his father rehearsing his dances with Payne in the basement studio of their home, Payne said.

"He was quiet, but always right there with his dad," he said.

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by midangerous Mon May 20, 2013 4:27 pm

AEG execs face questions about Michael Jackson's death

Los Angeles (CNN) -- AEG Live filed an insurance claim to recover losses from Michael Jackson's death the same day he died, according to a lawyer for Jackson's family.

That revelation may not relate to the heart of the wrongful death lawsuit against Michael Jackson's last concert promoter, but Jackson lawyers hope it could sway jurors to see AEG Live executives as motivated by money over the pop icon's needs.

It is one of many points Jackson lawyers will try to make Monday when they call AEG Live's top lawyer to the witness stand as the trial's fourth week begins in a Los Angeles courtroom.

The promoters ignored a series of red flags that should have warned them Jackson was in danger as he was pressured to get ready for his comeback concerts, the Jackson lawsuit claims.

AEG Live lawyers counter that it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray, and that he was responsible for his own bad decisions. Its executives could not be expected to know Murray was using the surgical anesthetic propofol, the drug the coroner ruled killed him, to treat his insomnia, they argue.

Jackson lead lawyer Brian Panish will question AEG Live general counsel Shawn Trell about his company's negotiations with Murray to be Jackson's personal physician for his "This Is It" shows in London.

The doctor signed the contract prepared by AEG lawyers and sent it back to the company a day before Jackson's death. The company argues it was not an executed contract because their executives and Michael Jackson never signed it.

The Jackson lawyers argue that e-mails, budget documents and the fact that the doctor was already working for two months showed a binding agreement between AEG and Murray.

Panish, speaking outside of the courtroom Friday, said he would also ask Trell about AEG's insurance claim, which he said his team recently discovered was filed with Lloyds of London on June 25, 2009, hours after Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center.

A Lloyds of London underwriter later sued AEG, claiming the company failed to disclose information about the pop star's health and drug use. AEG dropped its claim for a $17.5 million insurance policy last year.

Monday's court will start with AEG Live controller Julie Hollander completing her testimony about the company's budgeting, which she acknowledged included $1.5 million approved to pay Murray. The doctor's costs were listed as production costs, expenses that AEG is responsible for paying, and not as an advance, which Jackson would ultimately be responsible for giving back to the company, she testified.

The controller's testimony appears to contradict the argument AEG lead lawyer Marvin Putnam made in a CNN interview days before the trial began.

AEG Live's role with Murray was only to "forward" money owed to him by Jackson, just as a patient would use their "MasterCard," Putnam said. "If you go to your doctor and you pay with a credit card, obviously MasterCard in that instance, depending on your credit card, is providing the money to that doctor for services until you pay it back. Now, are you telling them MasterCard in some measure in that instance, did MasterCard hire the doctor or did you? Well, clearly you did. I think the analogy works in this instance."

Jackson lawyers played video testimony of one of AEG's own expert witnesses Friday -- 25-year veteran tour manager Marty Hom.

The opinion Hom submitted for AEG concluded he saw no red flags that should have alerted the promoter that something was wrong with Murray.

He was asked if AEG Live should have realized something was wrong when Murray initially asked for $5 million a year to work as Jackson's personal physician. "That raised a red flag because of the enormous sum of money," Hom testified.

Hom acknowledged he had not seen many of the documents and depositions in the case, and AEG was considering him for a job as the Rollings Stones tour manager at the same time he was asked to testify.

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by WeAreTheWorld. Wed May 22, 2013 12:30 pm

Sweet controversy at Michael Jackson death trial

By:Alan Duke
May 22, 2013

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Every issue in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial is so disputed that even giving candy to jurors caused an argument.

AEG lawyers gave a bag of peppermint candy to the bailiff to hand out to the jury this week. Even Katherine Jackson -- the pop icon's mother -- enjoyed the treat.

But Jackson's lawyer raised an objection Tuesday afternoon, suggesting jurors might be influenced if they realized the source of the sweets.

A compromise was reached. Each side can provide snacks for jurors, but they'll be placed at the bailiff's desk before jurors enter court so they have no clue who brought it.

While the candy controversy might seem trivial, the stakes are high for AEG Live. The promoter and producer of Michael Jackson's comeback concerts could be found liable for billions of dollars in damages if the jury decides the company is responsible for the star's death.

Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live for the negligent hiring, retention or supervision of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

The candy argument may be the most interesting thing about Tuesday's proceedings, unless you are a student of employment law and budgeting.

AEG Live Senior Vice President/General Counsel Shawn Trell was on the stand for a second day hoping to give testimony that would convince the jury that Murray was chosen, hired and supervised by Jackson -- not his company.

Murray never had an executed contract with AEG Live, although one had been negotiated. The doctor signed it and returned it to the company on June 24, 2009, but the AEG Live executive decided not to sign it after Jackson died the next day.

Jackson lawyers contend Murray was already on the job, working under an oral agreement confirmed by a series of e-mails that promised him $150,000 a month to be Jackson's full-time physician.

With Trell on the stand, Jackson lawyer Brian Panish played part of an interview that AEG Live President Randy Phillips gave to Sky News television soon after Jackson's death.

"This guy was willing to leave his practice for a very large sum of money, so we hired him," Phillips said.

Panish also showed jurors an e-mail between AEG lawyers suggesting that Phillips told other interviewers AEG Live "hired" Murray.

Trouble at the Front

The Jackson lawyers argue that AEG Live executives ignored a series of "red flags" that should have alerted them that Jackson needed help as he prepared for his comeback concerts.

Earlier testimony from Jackson's makeup artist, choreographer and an associate director described his failing health and mental condition in the last two weeks of his life.

Panish asked Trell about e-mails titled "trouble at the Front" between AEG executives and people working on the production starting on June 19, 2009 -- a night that show director Kenny Ortega sent Jackson home because of his strange behavior.

"He was a basket case and Kenny was concerned he would embarrass himself on stage, or worse yet -- get hurt," production director John "Bugsy" Houghdahl wrote to AEG Live top execs Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware. "The company is rehearsing right now, but the DOUBT is pervasive."

Phillips forwarded the e-mail to his boss -- Tim Leiweke -- at AEG Live's parent company, with the comment: "We have a real problem here."

Jackson had missed a number of rehearsals and the "This Is It" tour debut was just three weeks away in London.

Ortega, in an e-mail previously reported, told Phillips that same morning -- five days before Jackson died -- that he did not think he would be ready for the shows.

"I honestly don't think he is ready for this based on his continued physical weakening and deepening emotional state," he wrote. Ortega described seeing "strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behavior" with Jackson. "I think the very best thing we can do is get a top psychiatrist to evaluate him ASAP."

Even John Branca, a former Jackson advisor and lawyer who had just been rehired, weighed in with advice in an e-mail: "I have the right therapist/spiritual advisor/substance abuse counselor who could help (recently helped mike tyson get sober and paroled) ... do we know whether there this is a substance issued involved (perhaps better discussed on the phone.)"

Does Trell consider that exchange a "red flag" that AEG Live should have noticed, Panish asked.

"I would take it seriously, as I believe Mr. Phillips did," Trell answered. "I don't know I would use the word 'red flag.'"

Phillip called a meeting the next afternoon with Murray at Jackson's home.

Afterward, he sent this e-mail to Ortega:

"Kenny, it is critical that neither you, me, or anyone around this show become amateur psychologists or physicians. I had a lengthy conversation with Dr. Murray, who I am gaining immense respect for as I get to deal with him more. He said that Michael is not only physically equipped to perform and that discouraging him to, will hasten his decline instead of stopping it. Dr. Murray also reiterated that he is mentally able to and was speaking to me from the house where he had spent the morning with MJ. This doctor is extremely successful (we check everyone out) and does not need this gig so he totally unbiased and ethical."

The Jacksons' lawyer called this e-mail "a flat out lie," since AEG Live had not done a background check on Murray before hiring him -- and if they had it would have disclosed that he was in deep debt and not a successful doctor.

"We did not do a background or credit check on Dr. Murray," Trell conceded.

No due diligence

The Jackson lawyers contend that AEG Live is liable for his death because they did not do their "due diligence" by checking Murray's background and credentials.

If they had done so, they would have realized that Murray had a major conflict of interest that made him vulnerable to break rules in his treatment if Michael Jackson, they argue.

Murray needed the high-paying job because he was more than $1 million in debt, his home was being foreclosed on, he was being sued for unpaid child support and delinquent taxes, and his cardiology clinic in Las Vegas faced eviction. His $150,000 a month job would end if Jackson's shows were canceled or delayed, according to the terms of his contract.

AEG Live failed to conduct the background check, which the company's own expert witness said would between cost between $40 and $125.

"I am not familiar with the process of doing background checks," Trell said. "No training."

Trell is back on the witness stand Wednesday for questioning by AEG Live lawyer Jessica Stebbins Bina.

The trial, which is in its fourth week in a Los Angeles courtroom, is expected to last through July.

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This Is It Producer Was Warned Michael Jackson Is 'dying, he's leaving us'

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

Michael says, "God keeps Talking to me"

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Karen Faye Returns For Testimony In Jacksons v AEG Live Trial.

Choreographer witness in Jacksons v AEG trial: Michael Jackson's 'impressive' last rehearsals

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

Choreographer witness in Jacksons v AEG trial: AEG considered 'pulling the plug' on Michael Jackson's comeback

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY

Sweet controversy at Jackson V AEG trial.

Re: ALL CNN TRIAL REPORTER ALAN DUKE'S NEWS ARTICLES - UPDATED DAILY