Katherine Jackson - AEG lawsuit : NEWS Only (No discussion)

[ivy]

ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 1m
Finally, Dr. Murray clearly was not fit or competent to diagnose or treat MJ’s sleep disorder. Jackson side rested. AEG takes over.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 4m
In his opinion, if he had been properly diagnosed for his sleep disorder, it would not have interfered with his tour or many in the future
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 6m
Total sleep deprivation can kill a lab rat in 80 days and he said he doesn't know and hopes to never know how long in a human.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7m
He said it was astounding that MJ couldn't remember the words to his own songs.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 8m
Those symptoms include weight loss, confusion, memory difficulties, paranoia, and anxiety.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 10m
In reviewing correspondences between members of the crew, the Doctor believes MJ is showing signs of chronic sleep deprivation.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 11m
In Dr. Czeisler's opinion the autopsy shows MJ's level of propofol to be that of a person going through major abdominal surgery.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 13m
He further stated that a common dose for surgery was 20 to 30 cc's.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 14m
Dr. Czeisler testified that Dr. Conrad Murray had ordered over 4 gallons of Propofol during April, May, and June.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 15m
He told the jury he had been working on reviewing the records since January for 1/2 day every week.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 16m
Testimony started this morning with Dr. Czeisler back on the stand being questioned by the Jackson side.

 

[ivy]

A very long question
Czeisler was back on the witness stand Friday to answer a question that was asked just as court ended Thursday. Jackson lawyer Michael Koskoff asked his expert what may also be a record-breaker in a trial: a 15-minute-long hypothetical question.
He was asked to render an opinion based on a long list of circumstances presented so far in the trial about Jackson's condition and behavior, including:
• That Murray administered propofol to Jackson 60 consecutive nights before June 22, 2009.
• That Murray began to wean Jackson from propofol on June 22, 2009, and gave him none of the drug on June 23.
• That a paramedic who tried to revive him the day he died initially assumed he was a hospice patient.
• That show producers reported Jackson became progressively thinner and paranoid and was talking to himself in his final weeks.
• That the production manager warned that Jackson had deteriorated over eight weeks, was "a basket case" who he feared might hurt himself on stage and could not do the multiple 360-degree spins that he was known for.
• That show director Kenny Ortega wrote that Jackson was having trouble "grasping the work" at rehearsals and needed psychiatric help.
• That Jackson needed a teleprompter to remember the words to songs he had sung many times before over several decades.
• That show workers reported the singer was talking to himself and repeatedly saying that "God is talking to me."
• That Jackson was suffering severe chills on a summer day in Los Angeles and his skin was cold as ice to the touch.
Lawsuit evidence: Michael Jackson lost dance moves in last days
Jackson lawyers revised the question Friday morning after AEG Live lawyers objected to the information about Murray's nightly propofol treatments, since it was derived only from the doctor's statement to police after Jackson's death. The judge previously ruled that statement inadmissible.
Instead, they brought up evidence that Murray ordered more than four gallons of propofol between April and June, which Czeisler said equaled 155,000 milliliters of the drug. An anesthesiologist uses between 20 and 30 milliliters to induce a coma for surgery, he said.
The expert testified that his review of Jackson's medical records convinced him that the singer suffered a chronic sleep disorder that "was greatly exaggerated" while he was on tour or preparing for a tour.
Jackson died just two weeks before he would have traveled to London for the premiere of his "This Is It" comeback concerts, produced and promoted by AEG Live.

 

[ivy]

Expert: Michael Jackson was totally sleep-deprived
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY | Associated Press – 10 mins ago
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Associated Press/Joel Ryan, File - FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at …more
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's inability to learn new dance moves and remember the lyrics to his songs were symptoms that the singer was totally sleep deprived by the time of his death, a sleep expert told a jury Friday.
Charles Czeisler said reports by workers on Jackson's ill-fated comeback concerts that the entertainer was losing weight, exhibiting signs of paranoia and his condition seemed to be deteriorating were consistent with someone who hadn't gotten any real sleep in a long time.
The sleep deprivation was likely caused by Jackson's use of the anesthetic propofol, which Czeisler said would put the singer in a drug-induced coma and not meet his body's need for actual sleep. Studies showed that similar levels of sleep deprivation resulted in the deaths of laboratory animals and would likely cause the death of a human, he said.
Czeisler relied heavily on summaries of testimony provided by a plaintiff's lawyer and emails from choreographers and others working on Jackson's "This Is It" tour to form his opinion. The testimony detailed Jackson's missed rehearsals and reports that he was picking up dance moves slowly, as well as that he requested a teleprompter to display lyrics to his songs.
"The meticulous detailing of his deterioration here was both profound and sad," Czeisler said.
The Harvard professor and sleep researcher is testifying as a sleep expert in a lawsuit filed by the singer's mother against concert promoter AEG Live LLC.
On cross-examination by AEG defense attorney Kathryn Cahan, the researcher acknowledged that he hadn't reviewed actual testimony from the case, including statements from AEG executives that they thought the singer appeared fine and had stellar rehearsals before his death.
Czeisler, who is being paid $950 an hour for his work on the case, said he reached his opinion after reviewing deposition transcripts, medical records and other evidence shown to jurors during Katherine Jackson's eight-week trial against AEG.
A lawyer for Katherine Jackson summarized the evidence used to form the basis for Czeisler's opinion in a 17-minute, 1,833 word question that caused the trial to grind to a halt on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
Michael Koskoff's inquiry was posed as a hypothetical question to Czeisler that included a summary of testimony, passages of emails shown to jurors and other evidence presented during trial.
A judge said the question contained details that are inadmissible in the trial and misstated several other details. Superior Court Yvette Palazuelos opted not to strike the question from the record but allowed Koskoff to clarify it. That process took another 19 minutes on Friday.
Attorneys spent roughly an hour arguing over the structure of the lengthy question, leaving jurors waiting for nearly 30 minutes on Friday.
Czeisler earned more than $250 listening to the initial question, and more than $300 listening to Koskoff clarify it. Czeisler is a Harvard-educated sleep expert who has consulted on sleep issues for sports teams, the Rolling Stones, ex-NBA player Shaquille O'Neal and government agencies such as the CIA and U.S. Marshals Service.
Katherine Jackson's negligent hiring suit claims AEG Live is responsible for her son's death because it failed to properly investigate Conrad Murray, who was convicted of giving Jackson a fatal dose of propofol, and missed warning signs about his health.
AEG denies it hired Murray or could have known that the former cardiologist was giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid.

 

[ivy]

Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 1h
Monday will be a half-day session, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The witness will likely be an expert on medical conflicts of interest.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 1h
Testimony has concluded for the week in the Jackson vs AEG Live trial.
Sleep expert Charles Czeisler concluded his testimony.

ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 1h
We're back on Monday at 1:30p When Gordon O Matheson of Stanford University. Don't miss it!!!
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On recross the Doctor said he believed MJ got Propofol every night all night for the 2 months before his death.
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Dr. Czeisler believes that a fit and competent Doctor would have gotten MJ help and he would have made it through the tour
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 1h
Dr. Czeisler did however interject after the AEG Lawyer finished questions that in an NTSB investigation there are contributing factors
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AEG Attorney asked the Dr. what was the cause of death on the autopsy report and it was propofol intoxication...not sleep deprivation.
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Dr. Czeisler conceded that the only night he knows MJ was given propofol was June 24th, 2009. He died the next day.
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AEG Attorney Questioned Dr.Czeisler that he did not know exactly how often or what manner MJ was given propofol in the last 2 months of life
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 3h
Mrs. Jackson is not in court today.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 3h
Each of the symptoms MJ was experiencing - weight loss, paranoia, memory lapse, etc can all be caused by something other than no sleep
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 3h
The Doctor said the relationship between anesthesia and sleep is a new area of study. Much info has come out since MJ died.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 3h
The Doctor also said no one could make MJ get treatment - not his children or his business partners.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 3h
In that conversation they talked about his problems sleeping
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 3h
Dr Czeisler continues cross examination after the lunch break. He testified MJ's Doctor had a conversation with MJ about the stress of tour
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
Finally, Dr. Murray clearly was not fit or competent to diagnose or treat MJ’s sleep disorder. Jackson side rested. AEG takes over.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
In his opinion, if he had been properly diagnosed for his sleep disorder, it would not have interfered with his tour or many in the future
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
Total sleep deprivation can kill a lab rat in 80 days and he said he doesn't know and hopes to never know how long in a human.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
He said it was astounding that MJ couldn't remember the words to his own songs.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
Those symptoms include weight loss, confusion, memory difficulties, paranoia, and anxiety.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
In reviewing correspondences between members of the crew, the Doctor believes MJ is showing signs of chronic sleep deprivation.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
In Dr. Czeisler's opinion the autopsy shows MJ's level of propofol to be that of a person going through major abdominal surgery.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
He further stated that a common dose for surgery was 20 to 30 cc's.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
Dr. Czeisler testified that Dr. Conrad Murray had ordered over 4 gallons of Propofol during April, May, and June.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
He told the jury he had been working on reviewing the records since January for 1/2 day every week.
Expand
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 7h
Testimony started this morning with Dr. Czeisler back on the stand being questioned by the Jackson side.

 

[ivy]

updated AP story

Expert: Michael Jackson was totally sleep-deprived
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY | Associated Press – 1 hr 16 mins ago
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Associated Press/Joel Ryan, File - FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at …more
RELATED CONTENT
View Photo
FILE - In this June 23, 2009 handout …
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's inability to learn new dance moves and remember the lyrics to his songs were symptoms that the singer was totally sleep deprived by the time of his death, a sleep expert told a jury Friday.
Charles Czeisler said reports by workers on Jackson's ill-fated comeback concerts that the entertainer was losing weight, exhibiting signs of paranoia and his condition seemed to be deteriorating were consistent with someone who hadn't gotten any real sleep in a long time.
The sleep deprivation was likely caused by Jackson's use of the anesthetic propofol, which Czeisler said would put the singer in a drug-induced coma and not meet his body's need for actual sleep. Studies showed that similar levels of sleep deprivation resulted in the deaths of laboratory animals and would likely cause the death of a human, he said.
The extreme nature of Jackson's sleep deprivation would have shortened the singer's life unless he received appropriate treatment, Czeisler said. With proper treatment, Jackson could have continued to tour and perform for many years, he testified.
Czeisler relied heavily on summaries of testimony provided by a plaintiff's lawyer and emails from choreographers and others working on Jackson's "This Is It" tour to form his opinion. The testimony detailed Jackson's missed rehearsals and reports that he was picking up dance moves slowly, as well as that he requested a teleprompter to display lyrics to his songs.
"The meticulous detailing of his deterioration here was both profound and sad," Czeisler said.
The Harvard professor and sleep researcher is testifying as a sleep expert in a lawsuit filed by the singer's mother against concert promoter AEG Live LLC.
On cross-examination by AEG defense attorney Kathryn Cahan, the researcher acknowledged that he hadn't reviewed actual testimony from the case, including statements from AEG executives that they thought the singer appeared fine and had stellar rehearsals before his death.
Czeisler, who is being paid $950 an hour for his work on the case, said he reached his opinion after reviewing deposition transcripts, medical records and other evidence shown to jurors during Katherine Jackson's eight-week trial against AEG.
A lawyer for Katherine Jackson summarized the evidence used to form the basis for Czeisler's opinion in a 17-minute, 1,833 word question that caused the trial to grind to a halt on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
Michael Koskoff's inquiry was posed as a hypothetical question to Czeisler that included a summary of testimony, passages of emails already shown to jurors and other evidence presented during trial.
A judge said the question contained details that are inadmissible in the trial and misstated several other details. Superior Court Yvette Palazuelos opted not to strike the question from the record but allowed Koskoff to clarify it. That process took another 19 minutes on Friday.
Attorneys spent roughly an hour arguing over the structure of the lengthy question, leaving jurors waiting for nearly 30 minutes on Friday.
Czeisler earned more than $250 listening to the initial question, and more than $300 listening to Koskoff clarify it. Czeisler is a Harvard-educated sleep expert who has consulted on sleep issues for sports teams, the Rolling Stones, ex-NBA player Shaquille O'Neal and government agencies such as the CIA and U.S. Marshals Service.
In all, he estimated that he had spent 120 hours on the case, which would earn him $114,000.
Katherine Jackson's negligent hiring suit claims AEG Live is responsible for her son's death because it failed to properly investigate Conrad Murray, who was convicted of giving Jackson a fatal dose of propofol, and missed warning signs about his health.
AEG denies it hired Murray or could have known that the former cardiologist was giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid.

 

[ivy]

Sleep-deprived Michael Jackson needed teleprompter to sing classics

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By Jeff Gottlieb
June 21, 2013, 1:55 p.m.
A Harvard sleep expert testified in the Michael Jackson wrongful death case Friday that the singer suffered from almost total sleep deprivation that resulted from his use of the anesthetic propofol.

Dr. Charles Czeisler, who has both an MD and a PhD, testified that propofol brings on "a drug-induced coma" that is far different from sleep. Not only does it not satisfy the body's need for sleep, it dissipates the sleep drive, "leading to a massive sleep deficiency."

"That is what I believe happened in the case of Mr. Jackson," Czeisler testified.


Photos: Michael Jackson | 1958-2009

Full coverage: AEG-Michael Jackson wrongful death trial
He said that the symptoms Jackson exhibited, laid out in emails and testimony from people watching him during rehearsals for the 50 concerts scheduled for London were "consistent with what you might expect to see in someone suffering from total sleep deprivation over a chronic period of time."

He said the emails provided more detail than those kept by scientists during their observations.

"The meticulous detail of his deterioration was both profound and sad,” Czeisler said.

Those symptoms included loss of weight, paranoia, anxiety, difficulty with balance, difficulty regulating his body temperature and asking for a teleprompter for lyrics to songs he had been singing for years.

The doctor said the fact Jackson asked for the teleprompter "was shocking and indicated to me the profound impact this sleep deprivation was having on his memory.”

Asked by Michael Koskoff, an attorney for the Jacksons, what had caused the problems, Czeisler replied, "No. I believe Mr. Jackson had a sleep disorder and it was a chronic sleep disorder."

Jackson died June 25, 2009, of an overdose of propofol that Dr. Conrad Murray administered at the singer's rented Holmby Hills mansion to treat his insomnia. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving time in jail.

Czeisler testified that in April, May and June 2009, Murray ordered more than four gallons of propofol.

"It's a stupendous amount," he said.

The sleep expert testified that according to the toxicology report, the amount of propofol in Jackson's system was what you would expect of a patient undergoing major abdominal surgery.

Czeisler said that Jackson's insomnia was not disabling most times, but was exacerbated when he was on tour or preparing for one.

“The key issue in this case is that his insomnia, his sleep disorder was greatly exacerbated when he was on tour," he said. "It was rather mild when he was not in tour mode or tour preparation mode. It was disabling to him when he was on tour or preparing to tour.”

He said that Murray, an internist and cardiologist, "was clearly not competent to diagnose or treat Mr. Jackson’s sleep disorder.”

The suit against AEG Live and two of its executives was brought by Jackson's mother and three children. They say AEG, which was promoting and producing the concerts, negligently hired and supervised Murray. The entertainment giant says that Murray worked for Jackson and that any money it was supposed to pay the doctor was an advance to the singer.

 

[ivy]

Expert: Michael Jackson went 60 days without real sleep
By Alan Duke, CNN
updated 3:04 PM EDT, Fri June 21, 2013

Doctor: Jackson had no REM sleep
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Expert says Jackson could've died within days even without overdose
Jackson may be the only human ever to go two months without REM sleep, expert says
Lab rats die after five weeks of no REM sleep, expert says
Propofol deprives patient of vital REM sleep, Dr. Charles Czeisler testifies
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson died while preparing to set a world record for the most successful concert run, but he unknowingly set another record that led to his death.
Jackson may be the only human ever to go two months without REM -- rapid eye movement -- sleep, which is vital to keep the brain and body alive. The 60 nights of propofol infusions Dr. Conrad Murray said he gave Jackson to treat his insomnia is something a sleep expert says no one had ever undergone.
"The symptoms that Mr. Jackson was exhibiting were consistent with what someone might expect to see of someone suffering from total sleep deprivation over a chronic period," Dr. Charles Czeisler, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert, testified Friday at the wrongful-death trial of concert promoter AEG LIve.
The symptoms documented by e-mails among show producers and testimony from his chef, hairstylist and choreographers included his inability to do standard dances or remember words to songs he sang for decades, paranoia, talking to himself and hearing voices, and severe weight loss, Czeisler said.
"I believe that that constellation of symptoms was more probably than not induced by total sleep deprivation over a chronic period," he testified.
Who's who in Jackson trial
Paris: Michael said nanny 'lied a lot' Compare Michael Jackson in 2001 to 2009 What did AEG know about MJ's health?
Propofol disrupts the normal sleep cycle and offers no REM sleep, yet it leaves a patient feeling refreshed as if they had experienced genuine sleep, according to Czeisler.
If the singer had not died on June 25, 2009, of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic, the lack of REM sleep may have taken his life within days anyway, according Czeisler's testimony Friday.
Lab rats die after five weeks of getting no REM sleep, he said. It was never tried on a human until Murray gave Jackson nightly propofol infusions for two months.
Translating that to a human, Czeisler estimated, Jackson would have died before his 80th day of propofol infusions. Murray told police he had given it to him for 60 nights before trying to wean him off it on June 22, 2009 -- three days before his death.
Czeisler -- who serves as a sleep consultant to NASA, the CIA and the Rolling Stones -- testified Thursday that the "drug-induced coma" induced by propofol leaves a patient with the same refreshed feeling of a good sleep but without the benefits that genuine sleep delivers in repairing brain cells and the body.
"It would be like eating some sort of cellulose pellets instead of dinner," he said. "Your stomach would be full, and you would not be hungry, but it would be zero calories and not fulfill any of your nutrition needs."
Depriving someone of REM sleep for a long period of time makes them paranoid, anxiety-filled, depressed, unable to learn, distracted and sloppy, Czeisler testified. They lose their balance and appetite while their physical reflexes get 10 times slower and their emotional responses 10 times stronger, he said.
Those symptoms are strikingly similar to descriptions of Jackson in his last weeks, as described in e-mails from show producers and testimony by witnesses in the trial.
Jackson's mother and children are suing AEG Live, contending that the company is liable in his death because it hired, retained or supervised Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. They argue that the promoter pressured Murray to get Jackson to rehearsals while failing to get Jackson help despite numerous red flags warning that he was in trouble.
Paris, Prince Jackson testimonies shown in Jackson death trial
AEG Live lawyers contend that it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray, and their executives had no way of knowing about the dangerous propofol treatments administered in the privacy of Jackson's rented mansion.
A very long question
Czeisler was back on the witness stand Friday to answer a question that was asked just as court ended Thursday. Jackson lawyer Michael Koskoff asked his expert what may also be a record-breaker in a trial: a 15-minute-long hypothetical question.
He was asked to render an opinion based on a long list of circumstances presented so far in the trial about Jackson's condition and behavior, including:
• That Murray administered propofol to Jackson 60 consecutive nights before June 22, 2009.
• That Murray began to wean Jackson from propofol on June 22, 2009, and gave him none of the drug on June 23.
• That a paramedic who tried to revive him the day he died initially assumed he was a hospice patient.
• That show producers reported Jackson became progressively thinner and paranoid and was talking to himself in his final weeks.
• That the production manager warned that Jackson had deteriorated over eight weeks, was "a basket case" who he feared might hurt himself on stage and could not do the multiple 360-degree spins that he was known for.
• That show director Kenny Ortega wrote that Jackson was having trouble "grasping the work" at rehearsals and needed psychiatric help.
• That Jackson needed a teleprompter to remember the words to songs he had sung many times before over several decades.
• That show workers reported the singer was talking to himself and repeatedly saying that "God is talking to me."
• That Jackson was suffering severe chills on a summer day in Los Angeles and his skin was cold as ice to the touch.
Lawsuit evidence: Michael Jackson lost dance moves in last days
Jackson lawyers revised the question Friday morning after AEG Live lawyers objected to the information about Murray's nightly propofol treatments, since it was derived only from the doctor's statement to police after Jackson's death. The judge previously ruled that statement inadmissible.
Instead, they brought up evidence that Murray ordered more than four gallons of propofol between April and June, which Czeisler said equaled 155,000 milliliters of the drug. An anesthesiologist uses between 20 and 30 milliliters to induce a coma for surgery, he said.
The expert testified that his review of Jackson's medical records convinced him that the singer suffered a chronic sleep disorder that "was greatly exaggerated" while he was on tour or preparing for a tour.
Jackson died just two weeks before he would have traveled to London for the premiere of his "This Is It" comeback concerts, produced and promoted by AEG Live.
A lecture on sleep
Jurors appeared quite interested as Czeisler lectured them Thursday on his sleep research, including an explanation of circadian rhythm: the internal clock in the brain that controls the timing of when we sleep and wake and the timing of the release of hormones
"That's why we sleep at night and are awake in the day," he said.
Your brain needs sleep to repair and maintain its neurons every night, he said.
Blood cells cycle out every few weeks, but brain cells are for a lifetime, he said.
"Like a computer, the brain has to go offline to maintain cells that we keep for life, since we don't make more," he said. "Sleep is the repair and maintenance of the brain cells."
CNN Health: Sleep
An adult should get seven to eight hours of sleep each night to allow for enough sleep cycles, he said.
You "prune out" unimportant neuron connections and consolidate important ones during your "slow-eyed sleep" each night, he said. Those connections -- which is the information you have acquired during the day -- are consolidated by the REM sleep cycle. Your eyes actually dart back and forth rapidly during REM sleep.
"In REM, we are integrating the memories that we have stored during slow-eyed sleep, integrating memories with previous life experiences," he said. "We are able to make sense of things that we may not have understood while awake."
Learning and memory happen when you are asleep, he said. A laboratory mouse rehearses a path through a maze to get to a piece of cheese while asleep.
The area of a basketball player's brain that is used to shoot a ball will have much greater slow-eyed sleep period since there is more for it to store, he said. Players shoot better after sleep.
The Portland Trailblazers consulted with him after they lost a series of East Coast basketball games, he said. He was able to give their players strategies for being sharper when traveling across time zones.
He's worked with the Rolling Stones on their sleep problems, he said. Musicians are vulnerable since they are often traveling across time zones and usually "all keyed up" to perform at night, he said.
Czeisler developed a program for NASA to help astronauts deal with sleep issues in orbit, where they have a sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes.
Other clients include major industries that are concerned about night shift workers falling asleep on the job, the CIA, the Secret Service and the U.S. Air Force, he said.
Jackson lawyers argue that AEG Live should have consulted a sleep expert like Czeisler for Jackson instead of hiring Murray -- a cardiologist -- for $150,000 to treat the artist.
The trial ends its eighth week in a Los Angeles courtroom Friday. Lawyers estimate that the case will conclude in early August.

 

[CherubimII]

Portrait of Michael Jackson as Doting Father, Kids’ Devotion Emerges During Trial

http://www.washingtonpost.com/enter...949a-db52-11e2-b418-9dfa095e125d_story_1.html

By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, June 22, 10:46 AM

LOS ANGELES — Courtrooms have supplied the epilogue to Michael Jackson’s life. They’ve provided the forum where his debts have been settled, his final days dissected and his life depicted as a cautionary tale.
In nearly four years of court proceedings, two juries have watched Jackson come to life on video screens. They’ve watched him spin, dance, and then disappear. They’ve heard his voice, seen his handwriting and viewed photos of his lifeless body.
His role as a father has been described in little more than platitudes. Until now.

The jury hearing a civil case filed by the superstar’s mother — against AEG Live LLC, the promoter of Jackson’s ill-fated concerts — are experiencing details of a world previously held under lock and key. They’ve heard of extravagant birthday parties, secret family outings and the leg-clinging devotion of his children.
Jackson shielded the youngsters from the public eye, home-schooling them and often hiding their faces in public.
Away from the cameras, Jackson tried to create an environment of love, attention and special moments for his children, Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson Jr., Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael “Blanket” Jackson.
The following are some of some of the stories they’ve told. They present a portrait of Jackson as a father that outsiders never saw.
___
The final month of Jackson’s life was a busy time. There were rehearsals for “This Is It,” planning meetings and film shoots for a series of mini-movies that would precede some of his greatest hits at the London shows.
Jackson brought his children to the shoot for a “Smooth Criminal” video that culminated with Jackson leaping through a window while being shot at by Humphrey Bogart.

Alif Sankey, a backup dancer on the original video who was working on the comeback concerts, sat next to Paris during the shoot. The 11-year-old wanted to share a secret and opened up her purse.
It was filled with candy, Sankey recalled.
Jackson didn’t want his children to eat sweets, and Paris asked Sankey to keep it quiet.
The dancer noticed something else inside the purse — tiny picture frames with images of her father.
“Her purse was full of candy and pictures of Daddy.”
___
Despite being home-schooled, there was no shortage of companions for Jackson’s children.
Chef Kai Chase recalled numerous pets in the mansion that Jackson was renting while he prepared for his “This Is It” shows.

There was the talking bird, Siberia, who whistled at pretty women.
The children also had a chocolate Labrador named Kenya, whom Chase bought a cookbook for so she could bake him treats and a birthday cake. Two cats, named Katie and Thriller, also roamed the house.
During opening statements of the civil trial, some of the jury’s first exposure to life in the Jackson home came from footage shot on a Christmas morning several years ago. Jackson’s ode to his children, “You Are My Life” played as jurors watched a video of a Christmas morning from years ago of Prince, Paris and Blanket gleefully receiving their gifts, which included the puppy, Kenya.
___
Chase had been working at Jackson’s home for only a few days when it came time to prepare for Paris’ 11th birthday.
She wanted a Michael Jackson-themed party.
All around the dining room, posters of the King of Pop were hung alongside album covers and other pictures. Jackson’s hit songs played as the family ate cheese pizza, hot wings and banana splits, Chase recalled.
Paris’ birthday cake was decorated with Lilo & Stitch, her favorite Disney characters. But the festivities weren’t over.
Jackson escorted the children into the backyard, where they watched a private Cirque du Soleil-style circus, complete with men on stilts and a woman performing in a giant balloon.
Chase watched from the kitchen window and later described the scene as “the most beautiful expression of love I’ve ever seen.”
___
Jackson spent the final months of his life in a rented mansion in the upscale Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles.
The mansion had all the amenities fit for a pop superstar — a palatial entryway, staircase and parlor and in the basement, a home theater and dance studio.

The house was a hub of activity, with security guards posted outside, a pair of housekeepers, a nanny for the children and on many days, a personal chef stationed in the kitchen.
Dinners at the home occasionally featured special guests, including Jackson’s personal physician Conrad Murray and choreographer Travis Payne.

But staffers and guests other than Murray weren’t allowed upstairs, where the bedrooms were. When Chase wanted to prepare a soul food menu for Jackson and his children, she wrote him a note in Magic Marker and left it at the foot of the stairs.

AEG Live’s lead defense attorney has pointed to the secrecy of Jackson’s upstairs lifestyle — where the superstar was receiving nightly doses of the anesthetic propofol in his locked bedroom — to support the company’s contention it couldn’t have known about Jackson’s drug treatments.
___
Having a stable home for his children was a major motivation for Jackson returning to the concert stage, AEG executives say.

After his acquittal of child molestation charges in 2005, Jackson had become a nomad, spending time in various cities, including Las Vegas, often staying with friends.
“He wanted his kids to have a permanent place to live and a sense of community,” AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips recalled Jackson telling him during one meeting held while the family was living in the guesthouse of a rich benefactor.
It was Halloween and the children darted in and out of the rooms, wearing masks. Later that night, they’d go with their father to a party at Elizabeth Taylor’s home.
“I felt incredibly bad that this incredible star was at this point where he couldn’t buy a house,” Phillips said.
___
Jackson was always a magnet for photographers and fans, but he managed to sneak his children into a movie just weeks before his death.
The family and a few others went to see the animated film “Up” at the El Capitan Theatre on a touristy stretch of Hollywood Boulevard.

They came in a back door and remained in a private room while moviegoers filed into the theater. When everyone else was seated, the entourage, including his longtime makeup artist Karen Faye, director Kenny Ortega and others, hit up the concession stand.
The group watched the movie without distraction. “No one knew Michael was there,” Faye recalled.
___
Jackson and choreographer Travis Payne were scheduled to rehearse one-on-one several days a week in the dance studio that was in the basement of Jackson’s mansion.
It’s unclear how often the pair worked out, but when they did they often had a companion, 7-year-old Blanket. He liked to watch his father dance, Payne later recalled, and tried to always stay close to his dad. During their workouts, Payne said Jackson talked to his son, mentoring him.

Preparations for the shows meant that Jackson was frequently out of the house at meetings, film shoots or rehearsals. When he returned home, Prince, Paris and Blanket would rush their father.
“They would take off like lightning,” Chase recalls, “... and grab him around the ankles and around the waist.”
They’d be hanging off of him, not unlike a picture shown to jurors during opening statements.
In the photo, Jackson was handing Blanket, then a newborn, to President Bill Clinton. Clinging to Jackson’s right leg was Paris.
___
When it came time for a science project, Paris settled on studying snails.
She enlisted Chase to help her find snails in the mansion’s backyard. The pair carried large flashlights and found several of the slimy creatures and prepared to bring them inside.

Jackson was waiting for them.
“At this point, I knew I was going to get fired,” Chase recalled.
The singer looked at the snails and had a different reaction — he helped make them a home.
The snails ended up in jars made cozier by moss in the bottom and tiny cocktail umbrellas. They lived on the kitchen counter, not far from other reminders of the children.
Blanket’s colorings hung on the refrigerator.

On a chalkboard where Chase would write out menus, Paris scrawled a message that remained on the board the day her father died.
“I love daddy,” the 11-year-old wrote. “Smile, it’s free.”
___
Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

 

[ivy]

Sleep Deprivation Expert Spends 2nd Day On Stand In Jackson Wrongful Death Trial
June 21, 2013 7:14 PM

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Deprivation, Dr. Charles Czeisler, Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson, Sleep, Study


LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Renowned sleep expert Dr. Charles Czeisler spent a second day on the witness stand testifying at the Michael Jackson wrongful death lawsuit against AEG.

He testified that Jackson clearly suffered from insomnia while on tour and while preparing for tours.

Dr. Czeisler also said Jackson was suffering from sleep deprivation in the weeks leading up to his death, according to KCAL9′s Randy Paige.

The sleep expert from Harvard said he spent more than 100 hours reviewing documents, including e-mails from people who worked with Jackson, to confirm his diagnosis.


In the e-mails, people described Jackson’s condition as deteriorating including losing weight, paranoia, unable to remember what he just said, wearing layers of clothing and appearing cold while others around him were warm, all called classic symptoms of sleep deprivation.

Dr. Czeisler said he was also astounded that Jackson couldn’t sing his own songs without the help of a Teleprompter.

“The most successful performer of all time had to read the words to his own songs, shocking, and indicates to me the profound impact that this sleep deprivation was having on his memory,” testified the doctor.

Czeisler said he believed the evidence showed Dr. Conrad Murray was administering the anesthetic Propofol into Jackson’s veins and that the drug was keeping Jackson’s brain from getting the sleep and nourishment it desperately needed.

“The chronic exposure to Propofol as a drug induced coma led to a dissipation of his sleep drive without satisfying any of his sleep need thereby leading to a massive sleep deficiency with all of its attendant adverse consequences,” the doctor testified.

KNX 1070′s Ron Kilgore also reported the doctor had to concede he didn’t know how long Jackson was taking the drug.


play
Sleep Expert Testifies About PropofolRon Kilgore
00:00
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On cross examination, Dr. Czeisler acknowledged that the evidence showed two doctors tried to convince Jackson to seek a medical specialist for his sleep disorder and he refused.

AEG maintains this case is about personal responsibility. The Jackson family sees it as corporate negligence.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013...day-on-stand-in-jackson-wrongful-death-trial/

 

[ivy]

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 36 - June 24 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 36 - June 24 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Use this thread to post any and all news stories from day 36 of Katherine Jackson vs. AEG trial.

Daily news threads are merged into the main News thread in the stickies

Please help the staff by posting all the news stories as well as tweets from media you see.

Please Don't post updates or tweets from Fans in news thread

 

[ivy]

Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 21m
Matheson cited Murray's agreed-upon $150k a month salary and his deep financial debts as triggers for a conflict of interest.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 22m
He said assuming that Dr. Murray was hired by AEG Live, it appears there was a conflict of interest in his care of Michael Jackson.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 22m
Matheson, who has never been an expert witness, said he is being paid $500 an hour.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 22m
Matheson said financial gain is one potential conflict of interest, but so are reputation, status, recognition.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 22m
He said in sports medicine, there may be conflicts between the patient, the doctor and the coach or team administrator, agents, etc.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 23m
He explained what a conflict of interest is in the sports medicine world. He said it’s when there are 3 interested parties in medical care.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 23m
Fun fact from Dr. Matheson: Stanford as won 2 ½ times as many Olympic gold medals as the country of Canada, he said.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 23m
He also served as the team physician for the Canadian hockey team for 8 years.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 23m
Part of Dr. Matheson’s work is to work with Stanford athletes, keeping them healthy. He’s also been team physician for NHL’s Canucks.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 23m
Matheson is a Canadian and was educated there. He started out as a doctor in Inuit communities and has been at Stanford for 19 years.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 24m
Matheson is an expert in sports doctors and conflicts of interest. He teaches at Stanford University and is a team physician.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 24m
After the video of Dr. Early’s testimony ended, plaintiffs called Dr. Gordon Matheson to the stand. He’s also an expert.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 24m
AEG’s attorneys say they expect to call Dr. Early to the stand later in the case.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 25m
Early is an addiction medicine expert. He is an AEG -retained expert, but Katherine Jackson’s lawyers are playing his deposition.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 25m
We’re back in session in Jackson vs. AEG Live. The jury finished watching videotaped testimony of Dr. Paul Early this afternoon.

 

[ivy]

Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 7m
Matheson will continue testifying tomorrow at 9:45 a.m. PDT. Plaintiff's attorney Bill Bloss says he has about another 1/2 hour of questions
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 9m
Matheson said a later email about bringing Murray "into the fold" showed a conflict. Matheson said it signaled "the removal of independence"
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 11m
The doctor likened that to a coach telling a team doctor to put an injured player back in a ballgame because it was an important time.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 12m
Matheson also pointed to the language in one of Gongaware's emails about reminding Murray who was paying him as a possible conflict.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 12m
... (cont) versus the June 20, 2009 conversations in which Murray apparently told AEG that practice would keep MJ from deteriorating more.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 13m
He drew a distinction between the June 14 email in which Murray held Jackson back from practice, possibly for good medical reasons (cont)...
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 14m
He said Murray's expected payday was problematic because he was in such deep debt (abt $1 million), and it might bias his care of Jackson.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 15m
Matheson said he got sense of Conrad Murray's debt from Detective Orlando Martinez's testimony, investigation.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 15m
The doctor focused on emails sent by Kenny Ortega on June 14th, and also the 'trouble at the Front' emails from June 20, 2009.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 17m
Matheson spent much of his later testimony going through emails he said supported his conflict of interest determination.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 19m
Dr. Matheson: "When Mr. Jackson’s health deteriorated, I think that conflict of interest played out."
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 19m
Matheson said since the contract allowed for Murray's services to be terminated if the tour was postponed or canceled, that was a conflict.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 20m
Part of that conflict was created by Murray's debts and his expected $150k/mo. payday.
Another conflict source was his contract w/ AEG.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 21m
Matheson said he thought there was a conflict of interest between Conrad Murray, AEG Live and Michael Jackson.
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Anthony McCartney ‏@mccartneyAP 21m
A few more updates on Jackson vs. AEG Live trial ... Today's witness was Dr. Gordon Matheson, a sports medicine, conflict of interest expert

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 36 - June 24 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 2m
That concludes Day 36 of testimony. What are your thoughts so far? Hope to see you all tomorrow!
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ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 2m
Judge adjourned session until 9:45 am PT tomorrow when Dr. Matheson will resume testimony. Attorneys to argue motion before that.
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"The fact that Mr. Phillips realizes that's important, to me he realizes there's a potential for conflict in this scenario."
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As to Phillips writing Dr. Murray is extremely successful and doesn't need this gig, Dr. Matheson reacted:
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"We wouldn't normally put an athlete back in the game while their health was declining," Dr. Matheson explained.
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Phillips' response 'I will call you when I figure this out' showed that Phillips was in charge, Dr. Matheson said.
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But it also showed it wasn't working, MJ was still weak and showing psychological problems, Dr. Matheson explained.
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Ortega's reference that 'we brought Dr. Murray into the fold' shows Dr. Matheson that there's a full alignment with the way they thought.
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Phillips responded "we have a real problem here," which Dr. Matheson said showed Phillips recognized there was a problem with MJ.
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"Basket case is a strong word, doubt is pervasive is fairly strong statement," Dr. Matheson said.
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Regarding chain email "Trouble at the Front":
Dr Matheson said he was intrigued Hougdahl needed to qualify he wasn't being 'a drama queen'
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"Doctors should be able to make independent medical decision on what the best care is for the patient," Dr. Matheson expressed.
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Bloss: What impact would that have on Dr. Murray?
Dr. Matheson: He wouldn't have a job and he wouldn't have an income
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"If MJ was unable to rehearse or perform, the show would stop completely," Dr. Matheson said.
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The pressure increases as you get close to the end of the game, for example, Dr. Matheson said.
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"The result of a conflict of interest could be a bad medical decision," Dr. Matheson explained.
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"The email shows lack of independent decision," Dr. Matheson said about Phillips' email.
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As to Phillips' email saying AEG was paying doc salary email:

"That very directly relates to the intent to control the doctors' decision."
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Dr. Matheson said the email pointed some health concerns that needed attentoion, questioned if physician was making independent decisions.
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Bloss talked about emails exchanged. On 6/14/09 Ortega asked who was responsible for MJ's nourishment, advised doctor didn't allow rehearsal
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"That conflicts which priority is primary: MJ or producer of shows," Dr. Matheson explained.
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Dr. Matheson: It can produce bias in thinking, the doctor wants to retain that payment and please the producer paying him.
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Dr. Matheson said the contract was subject to immediate termination if show was canceled or postponed.
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"When doctors take on roles, you want them to make independent medical decisions not tied to secondary interests," Dr. Matheson explained.
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"I think Dr. Murray needed to be paid certain amount of money, because he owed a lot of money," Dr. Matheson said.
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"It's a lot of money to be paid to a physician, particularly a physician who was deeply indebted," Dr. Matheson testified.
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"The contract was negotiated," Dr. Matheson opined. "I think Dr. Murray was operating under the assumption the contract was enforced."
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Dr. Matheson: "I think in this case the conflict of interest led to poor medical decisions."
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"When MJ was deteriorating, I think that conflict of interest played out," Dr. Matheson said.
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"Contract made him answerable to AEG," Dr. Matheson said. "It could be canceled if the tour were canceled or terminated.
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Dr. Matheson said he believes Dr. Murray was in a conflicting position, promised payment he was to receive to get MJ ready.
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Bloss: Do you believe there was conflict of interest between MJ and AEG?
Dr Matheson: Yes, I do. I believe they created conflict of interest
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"I think Mr. Jackson's performance was highly physical, similar to what an athlete does," Dr. Matheson expressed.
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Dr Matheson never worked in music industry but said one of the most obvious relations between sports/musicians is the 3 way party scenario
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Dr. Matheson never testified as a witness before. He's been paid $500/hour, got information with colleagues on what to charge.
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Dr. Matheson said Dr. Rice loved football, and her quote was that if she were a man, she would play football.
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Dr. Matheson worked with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at Stanford in the conflict of interest area.
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"When someone stands to gain, it stands to affect their decision-making," Dr. Matheson explained.
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Dr. Matheson said conflict of interest is circumstances that create risks that decisions may be unduly influenced for secondary interest.
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"The minute you have a three way party there may be conflict of interest," Dr. Matheson opined.
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"In clinical practice it's you and patient," Dr. Matheson said. "But in team practice you have 3 way parties: patients, coach, agent, etc"
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He has worked with Canadian hockey team, Olympic games as medical officer and looked after university teams prior to Stanford.
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Dr. Matheson was recruited to Stanford to take care of their sports medicine program and their athletes.
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Sports medicine is the care of athlete involved in competitive endeavors and physical activity, nutrition and health, Dr. Matheson explained
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Dr. Matheson work splits between teaching, research and medical care. He has written about 150 articles for professional publications.
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Dr. Matheson is a physician, works at Stanford University, Professor in the School of Medicine, sports medicine.
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That concluded Dr. Earley's video deposition. Next plaintiff called Dr. Gordon Matheson, a conflict of interest specialist.
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Dr Earley: Being around physicians triggered drug craving inadvertently and power was inverted. MJ was in the power seat cause of his status
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Dr. Earley: I saw nothing on the record showing that in the last two months of his life any doctor, but Dr. Murray, gave him Propofol
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"Unfortunately, doctors became a source of drugs for him," Dr. Earley opined. "Having doctor with him, prescription pad, was dangerous."
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"Addiction memory is a expression I coined," Dr. Earley said. "The brain learns automatically how to maintain the addiction."
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Dr. Earley said he remembered some statements in the record that MJ wanted his children to see him perform, wanted to be a good parent.
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Dr Earley: Universally was stated in the record MJ's dedication/compassion to his children, wanting the best for them, desire to be good dad
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Dr Earley: Everyone gets motivation from different source. Some by professional reasons, other by family, getting their pride/name back
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Dr. Earley testified some people can overcome addiction with very little initial motivation.
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"There was secrecy, hiding, one doctor not talking to another, that's the kind of stuff we saw," Dr. Earley said.
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"No, I don't believe it's proper to blame the addict," Dr. Earley expressed.
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Dr. Earley: However, it doesn't mean addict doesn't have to take charge of recovery at some point
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Dr. Earley: I will stand strongly against someone saying it was the addict's fault.
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Boyle: Was MJ's death all his own fault?
Dr. Earley: I dedicated my career to take care of addicted people in this planet.
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"Addiction is a biological disease, once it gets going overrides a lot of decision making," Dr. Earley explained.
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Dr Earley: I'm not inferring the family was getting/giving him drugs. There's zero evidence of that, they wanted nothing but the best 4 him
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"The problem comes from the issue of power," the expert testified. "It's much more difficult to treat a patriarch than the patriarch's son."
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One intervention failed because Michael Jackson appeared quite healthy, Dr. Earley said.
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Dr. Earley testified he saw no evidence the family gave MJ drugs."I'm completely clear his family wanted nothing but to help him."
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Dr. Earley said he would've given MJ skills called drug refusal, unearth tragic secrecy surrounding his life, which contributed to his death
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Dr Earley would prescribe naltrexone, alternative ways to manage pain. He would close down access to opioid, contact every doctor, pharmacy
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He would also explain the need for prolonged period of rehab, more than 3 months and less than year treatment.
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Dr. Earley said if he were to treat MJ, he would have tried to understand if family could stand behind him not obtaining drugs.
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MJ was extremely secretive regarding his style, would not talk about drug use to all physicians treating him, Dr. Earley testified.
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Also, the fact MJ was providing financial resources to family made it harder for an intervention, Dr. Earley opined.
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Dr. Earley: His legendary status caused people to, unfortunately, set aside boundaries
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"MJ was taking opioids for a prolonged period of time," Dr. Earley said, which decreased his prognosis.
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Detox is difficult, slow but safe and preferred.

"I don't make my medical decisions based on corporate decision," Dr. Earley testified.
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"Benzodiazepine requires cautious, careful taper," Dr. Earley said. Some individuals are very sensitive, it's very difficult to get off."
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Occasionally, Dr. Earley had to give sedative drugs because patients are agitated and irritable.
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"When people are addicted to Propofol, you just stop it," Dr. Earley said. "Discontinuing it is not life threatening."
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Dr. Earley said he did not see any record that Dr. Murray treated MJ with suboxone.
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"I saw evidence MJ was treated with buprenorphine, I think by doctor Saunders," Dr. Earley said, but couldn't remember the dates.
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Dr. Earley explained the current practice to treat opioid dependency is to use a drug called buprenorphine (suboxone).
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Dr. Earley: Discontinuing opioids cold turkey is not life threatening, it can be done. Before we had detox drug, that's what I would do.
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Dr. Earley: Chills is very generic symptom and could mean anything: flu, cold, low blood sugar, lots of different reasons people have chills
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"When you take away the Propofol, you have insomnia," Dr. Earley explained. People can be irritable, don't have chills, some had seizures.
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Dr. Earley: MJ most likely had some baseline insomnia, which was worsen by the use of benzodiazepine and Propofol use
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Dr. Earley said the withdrawal of Propofol can cause depression, insomnia and irritability.
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Dr. Earley conducted a case study with 22 Propofol dependent individuals. The study was funded by AEG Live.
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"I'd like to say I wouldn't have done what other doctors did" Dr. Earley testified."Prescribing MJ's Propofol ultimately caused his death"
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Dr. Earley said Michael was a man whose reputation, skills, wonder exceeded 99% of the people in the planet, so it was hard to say no to him
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Other contributing factors for opioid dependency: psychological issues, early life trauma, access to drug, alcohol abuse.
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It matters whether your parents had substance abuse or dependency disorder, but not true in 100 percent of the cases, Dr. Earley said
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Opioids dependency start when they're used, Dr. Earley explained. He said the single largest contributor is genetic.
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However, Dr. Earley said he didn't think there was sufficient data to reach a conclusive opinion about MJ being addicted to Propofol.
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After reviewing MJ's medical record, Dr. Earley opined: "There's evidence of addiction to opioids dating back to early 1990s."
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Dr. Earley opined that benzodiazepines alone were not the cause of MJ's death, but the synergy with propofol was fatal.
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Kevin Boyle: Do you think Demerol addiction caused MJ's death?
Dr. Earley: I do not
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ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 58m
There was no morning session today. Afternoon began with resumption of video deposition of Dr. Paul Earley played last week.
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ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 58m
Day 36 of Jackson family vs AEG trial just ended. Katherine Jackson was in court, wearing a polka dot jacket, for the afternoon only session

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 36 - June 24 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Michael Jackson's son to testify about father's death
By Alan Duke, CNN
updated 10:15 PM EDT, Mon June 24, 2013
The death in 2009 of superstar Michael Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50, sent shockwaves around the world.
HIDE CAPTION
Michael Jackson, King of Pop

>>
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Tuesday is the fourth anniversary of Michael Jackson's death
Prince Jackson is expected to be the next witness in the AEG Live trial
Expert concludes AEG Live created a medical conflict of interest with Jackson's doctor
AEG Live lawyers argue Jackson, not its execs, hired and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Four years after Michael Jackson died, his oldest son is ready to tell a jury about the last days of his life.
Prince Jackson, now 16, was 12 when he followed an ambulance carrying his father to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on the afternoon of June 25, 2009.
Now, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson and their grandmother Katherine Jackson are suing AEG Live, accusing their father's last concert promoter of negligently hiring, retaining or supervising Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.
Jackson lawyers informed AEG Live attorneys Monday that Prince will be the next witness after a doctor who is an expert in medical conflicts of interest completes his testimony Tuesday.
That would likely put Prince on the stand a day after the fourth anniversary of his father's death.
Jackson lawyers argue that the promoter and producer of the "This Is It" shows pressured Murray to get Jackson to rehearsals but failed to get Jackson help despite numerous red flags that he was in trouble.
Murray told police he used the surgical anesthetic propofol nearly every night for two months to treat Jackson's insomnia. The coroner ruled that an overdose of propofol killed him.
AEG Live lawyers argue that Jackson chose and supervised Murray and that their executives had no way of knowing the doctor was using the dangerous treatment.
A medical conflict of interest
Dr. Gordon Matheson, the director of the sports medicine department at Stanford University, testified as an expert in medical conflicts of interest Monday.
After reviewing testimony and evidence in the case, Matheson concluded that AEG Live created a conflict of interest because the contract it negotiated with Murray to serve as Jackson's personal doctor for $150,000 a month "was likely to lead to poor medical decisions."
Matheson, the team doctor for Stanford's athletic department, compared it to a football coach telling a team doctor on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of a big game that a star quarterback has to go back in the game despite a suspected concussion.
Murray, who had closed his clinics to take the job and was $1 million in debt, would be inclined not to resist the AEG Live executives' pressure to get Jackson to rehearsals despite evidence of his failing health, Matheson testified.
Murray himself was conflicted because the negotiated contract was structured so that he answered to AEG, but it also could be canceled if the tour was canceled, he said. "I think that conflict played out as Michael Jackson's health began to deteriorate."
E-mails from the show director Kenny Ortega and production manager John "Bugzee" Hougdahl warned AEG executives of Jackson's deterioration during June 2009, including indications he was unable to do some of his trademark dances or remember lyrics to songs he had sung for decades.
His makeup artist and a choreographer testified about Jackson's paranoia, his talking to himself and hearing voices, and his severe weight loss.
Associate producer Alif Sankey testified that she "had a very strong feeling that Michael was dying" after a rehearsal 11 days before his death.
"I was screaming into the phone at that point," Sankey testified. "I said he needs to be put in the hospital now."
Lost battle for sleep
A Harvard sleep expert testified last week that the nightly propofol treatments likely interrupted Jackson's sleep cycle, robbing him of REM -- rapid eye movement -- sleep, which is vital to keeping the brain and body alive.
"The symptoms that Mr. Jackson was exhibiting were consistent with what someone might expect to see of someone suffering from total sleep deprivation over a chronic period," Dr. Charles Czeisler, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert, testified Friday at the trial.
If the singer had not died on June 25, 2009, of a propofol overdose, the lack of REM sleep may have taken his life within days anyway, according Czeisler's testimony Friday.
Lab rats die after five weeks of getting no REM sleep, he said. It was never tried on a human until Murray gave Jackson nightly propofol infusions for two months.
Prince to testify
Prince will be the only one of Jackson's three children who will appear in court, although the video of Paris' deposition over two days in March will be seen at some point during the AEG Live defense presentation. The company compelled her testimony, calling her a key witness to her father's dealings with Murray and to her own relationship with her father.
Jackson lawyers informed the court last week that Paris, 15, would not be available to testify in person because she is hospitalized for psychiatric treatment after a suicide attempt earlier this month.
In testimony last week, chef Kai Chase recalled how devastated Paris was in the first moments at home when she realized something was very wrong with her father.
"We were literally pulling her by her ankles down the stairs as she was trying to go back up, screaming 'Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!'" Chase testified.
Paris made millions cry two weeks later when she spoke at the public memorial for Jackson.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said. "And I just want to say that I love him so much."
Jackson confided in his son about his business dealings at an early age. His testimony is expected to include revelations about what his father told him in his last weeks about whom he trusted and distrusted.
"Prince has always been, even at 12, the little man -- daddy's little man," Chase testified. "He wanted his father to be very proud of him, which Michael was."
"The weight of the world is on his shoulders, the eldest, big brother and father figure to his siblings," Chase testified. "It's a lot for him, growing, liking girls. He wishes his father was here to give him advice. It's devastating to him."
Life after his death
Jackson died just two weeks before he was to travel with Prince, Paris and Blanket to London where 50 concerts were scheduled over the next 10 months. Their father told them they would go on a long world tour after the London shows, which they were excited about, Paris said in her deposition.
After the tour, Jackson intended to buy a mansion in Las Vegas to serve as a base while he concentrated on making movies, his children said. To prepare them, Jackson hired a film professor from the University of Southern California to teach them movie-making techniques in their home school.
With their father gone, the children moved in with their grandmother in the same Los Angeles home where Michael Jackson lived at a teen. The veil of privacy -- which included wearing masks when in public with their father -- was soon replaced by occasional public appearances to honor their father.
The children spoke at the Grammys, a Hollywood Boulevard dedication ceremony, a tribute concert and to Oprah Winfrey. In each event, they appeared poised beyond their years.
The two oldest enrolled in a private school, a major change from the home tutoring their father provided.
Prince and Paris have both begun exploring careers in entertainment.
Prince worked several days as a "special correspondent" for "Entertainment Tonight" and acted in an episode of the television show "90210." Aunt La Toya Jackson arranged the jobs for him.
Paris signed up with an A-list Hollywood manager to help with her acting career earlier this year, but that's on hold while she is being treated.
Blanket, whose nickname came from the blanket his father often covered him with in public, is still taught at home, which is now a big hilltop house in a gated Calabasas, California, community.
"He does dance moves like his father," according to Chase, who was rehired as the children's chef last year.
Blanket, now 11, does "a lot of remembering what daddy did, and it's constant nonstop talking of him and his father's relationship together," Chase testified last week. He often wears a T-shirt from the Cirque du Soleil "Immortal" show based on his father's music, Chase said. "He wears it constantly."
The trial, in its ninth week in a Los Angeles courtroom, is expected to last into August, according to lawyers on both sides.

 

[ivy]

Michael Jackson's doctor had conflict of interest, expert testifies

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CAPTIONS
1/17
By Jeff Gottlieb
June 25, 2013, 10:19 a.m.
The director of Stanford University’s sports medicine program testified Monday that Michael Jackson’s doctor for his “This Is It” concert series, who administered a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol to the singer, had conflicts of interest with the tour promoter that “were likely to lead to poor medical decisions.”

Testifying in the wrongful death case brought by Jackson’s mother and children against promoter and producer AEG Live and two of its executives, Dr. Gordon Matheson said Dr. Conrad Murray’s debts meant he badly needed the $150,000 a month he was supposed to receive. Matheson testified that the contract made him answerable to AEG rather than his patient, and that because he would have been out of a job if the 50 concerts had been postponed, Murray was more likely to want to please the company.

Matheson, who has an M.D. and a doctorate, said that when Jackson’s health deteriorated, “that conflict played out.”


Photos: Michael Jackson | 1958-2009

Full coverage: AEG-Michael Jackson wrongful death trial
Matheson testified under the assumption that Murray had a contract with AEG, one of the most contentious points at the trial, which just completed its 35th day of testimony. The Jacksons say that AEG negligently hired and supervised the doctor, while the entertainment company says any money it was supposed to pay him was an advance to Jackson, who was Murray's employer. Murray signed his contract the day before Jackson died on June 25, 2009. Neither AEG nor Jackson signed it.

The Stanford doctor, who worked as the team physician for the Vancouver Canucks professional hockey team and the Canadian Olympic hockey team, said it didn’t make a difference that AEG didn’t sign the contract because the terms had been negotiated, and that Murray was “fully engaged” and had passed on his bank information to the company so he could get paid.

“Whether it was signed or not didn’t change my feeling as to whether there was conflict of interest,” he testified.

Matheson pointed to a line in the contract that said Murray was to “Perform the services reasonably requested by Producer.” The language he said, tied Dr. Murray to AEG even though his was supposed to be looking after Jackson’s health, creating a conflict “as to which of the interests is primary.”

AEG has argued that the contract Murray signed was one of the three or four drafts and that “Producer” was one of several mistakes that would have been corrected in the final version of the contract.

Matheson wondered why Murray would close his practice when he faced losing his job caring for Jackson if the show were canceled, especially since he was in such bad financial straits. “It can produce a bias in the thinking where Dr. Murray wants to preserve that income at all costs and keep the people paying that income happy,” he said.

Matheson discussed several emails written by AEG executives, the tour manager and tour director that have become central pieces evidence in the trial. In one email, AEG Live executive Paul Gongaware wrote of Murray, “We want to remind him that it is AEG, not MJ who is paying his salary. We want him to understand what is expected of him.”

Matheson said the email “relates directly to attempts to control the doctor’s decision-making or professional judgment.”

He likened it to a quarterback being pulled from a game in the fourth quarter because of an injury and the team owner pressuring the doctor to put him back into the game by reminding the physician that he was paying his salary. “We wouldn’t normally put an athlete back into the game when they had worsening symptoms related to their health,” he said.

The sports medicine expert said that in order to avoid conflicts, the doctors for Stanford athletic teams are in charge of an athlete’s healthcare. He said they also teach or perform research at the university so their decisions about athletes don’t affect their income. He said there is a separate facility away from the coaches where players and doctors can have confidential discussions.

Matheson said that an email from AEG Live Chief Executive Randy Phillips showed he was aware of the potential conflict with Murray but did not believe one existed. In the email he wrote that Murray “does not need this gig he [is] totally unbiased and ethical.”

 

[ivy]

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 37 - June 25 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 37 - June 25 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Use this thread to post any and all news stories from day 37 of Katherine Jackson vs. AEG trial.

Daily news threads are merged into the main News thread in the stickies

Please help the staff by posting all the news stories as well as tweets from media you see.

Please Don't post updates or tweets from Fans in news thread

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 37 - June 25 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 25m
Testimony just ended for the day. Michael Jackson's son, Prince, will take the stand tomorrow!

ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 25m
T.J. Jackson, the co-conservator of MJ's children, will testify after Prince. Taj, T.J.'s brother, will come on Thursday.

ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 17m
Watch @ABC7 and http://www.abc7.com for interview with Jackson's attorney about Prince's testimony tomorrow.

ABC7 Court News ?@ABC7Courts 17m
Attorney also gave us insight on how Katherine Jackson is coping on the 4th anniversary of MJ's death.

 

[ivy]

ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 58s
Attorneys had no more questions to Dr. Matheson. He was then excused. Session is adjourned until tomorrow morning at 9:45 am PT.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 1m
"Conflict of interest erodes judgement unconsciously in a way you're not even aware of it," Dr. Matheson explained.
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As to Dr. Murray buying Propofol, Dr. Matheson said "I think AEG Live enabled it, yes."
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Bina: It wasn't in Dr. Murray's interest to keep MJ unhealthy
Dr. Matheson: No
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Dr. Matheson said the record shows Dr. Finkelstein didn't get the job because MJ wanted to bring his own physician.
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Bloss: How many as severe as the one here?
Dr. Matheson: None
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"The conflict of interest environment in this case was severe," Dr. Matheson opined. He's been in this field for 35 years.
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"I believe AEG indicated, the record indicates AEG acted in way they felt they employed Dr. Murray," Dr. Matheson said.
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"It was effectively put in place and the doctor was engaged whether Mr. Jackson signed it or not," Dr. Matheson explained.
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"It says to me the agreement was being constructed and negotiated without Mr. Jackson's input," Dr. Matheson opined.
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Dr. Matheson said he was not aware of any efforts to send Dr. Murray's contract drafts to MJ's people.
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"A conflict of interest isn't a single event," Dr. Matheson testified. "It's a set of circumstances that develop over a period of time."
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Dr. Matheson said it takes much more than 10 days to wind down a busy practice.
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"It's hard to leave a practice," Dr. Matheson said. He said it takes a long time to build the practice, normally doctors sells the practice.
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Dr. Matheson said he doesn't believe the analogy Bina offered regarding credit card paying for your health care is related to this case.
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As to Dr. Finkelstein, Dr. Matheson said he recalls Gongaware discussed possibility of doctor going on the tour with a couple of conditions.
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Dr. Matheson said he reviewed other depositions with exhibits attached prior to his own deposition.
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Dr. Matheson: Any time symptoms are brought forward, there's a need to be paid attention to. In this case they weren't.
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Dr. Matheson: The concern should be for the artist's health.
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"Likely that was not a friendly meeting, that was a confrontational meeting," Dr. Matheson said about meeting where Dr. Murray left angry.
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"Conflict of interest was set up, physical symptoms appeared and there was an attempt to control those," Dr. Matheson explained.
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"Conflict of interest contributed in a very significant way in Dr. Murray's standard of care," Dr. Matheson opined.
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Murray said he had the situation under control. The issue was that he wasn't reliable, Dr Matheson explained; he was very heavily conflicted
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If MJ was severely stressed about the tour, Dr. Matheson said the producers have to listen to artist. "The artist knows their body better."
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Dr. Matheson said he wasn't suggesting Phillips forced MJ to go to their doctor, but they could've taken him to ER for another set of eyes.
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If Jackson denied it, they should have had a discussion about it, Dr. Matheson opined.
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"We want you to see a doctor before you come back," Dr. Matheson said Phillips could have told.
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Dr. Matheson: Phillips has the right to say I'm concerned with your health, you can't come back to rehearsal until you're checked out
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Bina: Do you think Mr. Phillips has the right to question MJ's health?
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Bina: But, presumably, MJ went home his doctor, right?
Dr. Matheson: There's no record of that
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Bina: So you think it's appropriate for producer to dictate MJ's care?
Dr. Matheson: Phillips was the one receiving the information
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Conflict of interest happened if there was influence on decision making, Dr. Matheson explained.
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Bina: There's nothing wrong with concert promoter to ask if there was anything they can do to help?
Dr. Matheson: Not if used those terms
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Dr. Matheson: That's part of the conflict, yes
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Bina: Isn't the real problem in this case not Dr. Murray's feelings towards AEG, but that he gave in to Michael Jackson?
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Agreement required Dr. Murray to have malpractice insurance.
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Dr. Matheson said he had to fill out a lot of forms and take a test to obtain his license in the US. Dr. Matheson is originally from Canada.
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"To me, this is a document that indicates what the intention was," Dr. Matheson said.
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Dr. Matheson said if there was no reference to service requested by AEG, that sentence wouldn't be part of his opinion.
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Dr. Murray's contract said 'Perform the Services reasonably requested by Producer.' Bina said the contract was supposed to read "by Artist".
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Dr. Matheson said he's spent 100 hours on this case. He's making $500/hour, which adds up to $50k so far.
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Bina: If I pay for my health care by credit care, does the credit card has the right of dictating my health care?
Dr. Matheson: No
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"He had a choice,"Dr. Matheson said. "That choice may have been to forfeit his job."
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"The greater the conflict, the increased likelihood of bad decisions will be made," Dr. Matheson opined.
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"I don't think it's possible under the terms of this case," Dr. Matheson said.
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Bina: Is it possible to have doctor ethically go on tour with artist?
Dr. Matheson: It's possible if the conditions are right
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After lunch break, Bina resumed cross examination of Dr. Matheson. Katherine Jackson was also present for the afternoon session.
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Bina: Even when you believe the artist is healthy?
Dr. Matheson: It creates a risk
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Dr. Matheson: No. I wouldn’t. The conflict of interest is too high
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Bina: Are you aware of Gongaware's testimony oneffort to get MJ to agree to London doctor but MJ saying no. AEG should not have done that?
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Bina: If MJ said I want to bring my long term doctor on board, your opinion is that AEG should have said No you cannot?
Dr. Matheson: Yes
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Dr. Matheson: "I don’t know if people had concerns about his health. I think people had concerns about the show."
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Bina talked about May 2009 and asked if people were concerned about MJ's health.
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Dr. Matheson: My understanding is that Murray's treatment was episodic not regular.
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"Dr. Murray would still be beholden to AEG," Dr. Matheson opined.
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Bina: What if AEG just fronts $34 million?
Dr. Matheson: Dr. Conrad Murray would be still conflicted
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Bina: Is it fair to say that you are making more money because you agree with the plaintiffs?
Dr. Matheson: I don’t need this job
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"I found the lawyers to be very supportive of evaluating records and making my own decisions," Dr. Matheson said.
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Bina: Would that eliminate the conflict of interest?
Dr. Matheson: It would minimize conflict of interest
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Dr. Matheson: AEG should have said we are not experts in medical care so we want to get experts in medical care to make an assessment.
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Bina asked if MJ told AEG he'd want to bring his personal doctor on tour, what should AEG have done.
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Bina: A group only?
Dr. Matheson: It is hard to imagine only one person.
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Dr. Matheson: I would get people who have expertise in a particular area, develop a particular group in London.
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That is for assessment initially, Dr. Matheson explained. "Then for the tour I would hire a team of people to provide care during the tour."
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"Ethically you'd want an assessment of the artist," Dr. Matheson said. "It would require a team of people because there are various aspects"
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Dr. Matheson: I would set up a staff, conduct a comprehensive medical assessment
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Bina: If you were setting up a tour in Europe, what would you sent up for ethical arrangement?
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Bina: Do you know how the deal for Celine Dion’s doctor is structured? Or Rolling Stones?
Dr. Matheson: No
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Dr. Matheson: Should structure deal so termination and cancellation are not incorporated in deal
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Bina: The only way to structure a deal would be to give $1.5 million up front?
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Bina: Was MJ able to consent to that relationship?
Dr. Matheson: Yes, but signature line put him in contract as a participant
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"The physician's concerns are not going to be the same as treating a football player," Dr. Matheson explained.
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"No injuries are expected in performance as in typical team sports," Dr. Matheson said.
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Bina: Average Medical school grad has $200,000 in debt
Dr. Matheson: Yes. Just to become a doctor is expensive
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Bina: If MJ demanded propofol, begged, Dr. Murray violated his duties? Assuming he did that, did he violate his duties?
Dr. Matheson: Yes
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"If conflict of interest develops, it must be resolved to the patient's interest," Dr. Matheson opined; doctors have duty to patient.
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Bina: You said it's the system's responsibility, but it's physician's responsibility to place the patients welfare first?
Dr Matheson: Yes
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Bina: You are not an expert in the concert industry?
Dr. Matheson: No.
B: Never worked in entertainment industry?
Dr. M: No
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Dr. Matheson reviewed Det. Martinez' testimony, half of Mr. Phillips' testimony (3 days), Kai Chaise and Travis Payne's testimony.
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Dr. Matheson explained plaintiffs chose him because there was a 3 way relationship analogous to the sports industry.
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Bina asked if Dr. Matheson is an expert in general medical ethics. He answered no.
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Bina: It was everyone’s interest to play the entire show?
Dr. Matheson: Yes
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Bina: Dr. Murray was just going to treat MJ and family, not Kenny Ortega or others on tour?
Dr. Matheson: Yes
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Bina: In general a 50 year old man is competent to chose his personal physician?
Dr. Matheson: Yes
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AEG's attorney Jessica Stebbins Bina did re-cross of Dr Matheson. Bina asked if Stanford reviewed his credit prior to his hire. He said no.
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Dr. Matheson: Although we expect all professionals to act in the best interests of the patient, their judgement is often affected.
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Bloss: How about the fact AEG would be repaid through the proceeds of the tour?
Dr Matheson: The conflict of the interest is still present
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Dr. Matheson: AEG chose to set up that structure and they didn’t have to do that
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Bloss: Does the fact that AEG hired Dr. Murray at the behest of MJ make a difference?
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@AndiSTJ We'll tweet the link as soon as the story is posted.
View conversation
ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 57m
"May have to do it over the objection of the player," Dr. Matheson explained.
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"The role of the physician is to make the right decision for the short term and the long term," Dr. Matheson said.
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Bloss asked if an athlete doesn’t want to get out of the game, what should a doctor do.
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Dr. Matheson: When you get information, you need to act on that information rather than label it as hysteria.
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Dr. Matheson said Phillips put forth information regarding a health problem with MJ, qualified by Ortega hysteria.
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Dr. Matheson said emails showed it was business as usual, continued pushback. Kenny’s hysteria is in check.
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Dr. Matheson: It says Phillips is not sure, first says it's covered, then he questions doctors effectiveness.
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As to 'Trouble at the Front' email where Phillips says Dr. Murray 'is not a psychiatrist so I am not sure how effective he can be..."
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"It would have been inappropriate, shows AEG still wanted to manage the doctors decision," Dr. Matheson testified.
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As to Phillips saying "Take the doctor with you", Dr. Matheson said it means AEG wanted to have some input, influence in the meeting.
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Dr. Matheson said Phillips was trying to diagnose the problem, yet Jackson was being put back in rehearsal; that is a concern.
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Dr. Matheson - “First and foremost we want an understanding of what the problem is. That is what leads us to the proper treatment.”
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We just wanted to bring you latest on breaking news. Now back to Dr. Matheson's testimony. ;-)
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Attorney also gave us insight on how Katherine Jackson is coping on the 4th anniversary of MJ's death.
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Watch @ABC7 and http://www.abc7.com for interview with Jackson's attorney about Prince's testimony tomorrow.
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T.J. Jackson, the co-conservator of MJ's children, will testify after Prince. Taj, T.J.'s brother, will come on Thursday.
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Testimony just ended for the day. Michael Jackson's son, Prince, will take the stand tomorrow!
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As to email "he was shaking, couldn’t cut food, no shape to go on stage” Dr Matheson reacted: "It's indication health concern is serious"
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Matheson opined the email demonstrates “pushback” - Not good for a producer or team owner to be involved directly with the player or artist.
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About Phillips saying 'The doctor is successful, completely unbiased.' Dr. Matheson said that tells exec was aware of conflict of interest
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"It's also evident that there are conflict of interest issues," Dr. Matheson expressed.
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Bloss asked about email from Phillips to Ortega on June 20. Phillips was recognizing the decline of Jackson's health, Dr. Matheson opined.
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ABC7 Court News ‏@ABC7Courts 2h
Doctor Gordon Matheson resumed testimony. Jacksons' counsel William Bloss doing direct examination.
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Katherine present in bright coral tapestry jacket over black floor length shift. Today is the 4th anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.
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Hello from the courthouse in downtown LA. Day 37 of testimony in Jackson family vs AEG trial underway.

 

[qbee]

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Use this thread to post any and all news stories from day 38 of Katherine Jackson vs. AEG trial.

Daily news threads are merged into the main News thread in the stickies

Please help the staff by posting all the news stories as well as tweets from media you see.

Please Don't post updates or tweets from Fans in news thread

 

[qbee]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

Prince Jackson's day in court arrives

By Alan Duke, CNN
updated 2:47 AM EDT, Wed June 26, 2013


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Jurors will hear revelations about Michael Jackson's tearful conversations with his son
• His father confided in Prince about whom he distrusted
• It's possible jurors will see video of Paris Jackson's deposition as Prince is cross examined
• The wrongful death trial of AEG Live is in its ninth week in a Los Angeles courtroom

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Prince Jackson, who wore a mask in public as a child, will appear in court Wednesday to testify about his father's life and death.

Michael Jackson's oldest son was 12 when the pop icon died.

But his father confided in him about whom he trusted and didn't trust, and what he feared as he prepared for his comeback concerts.
Four years and a day after his father died, the 16-year-old's testimony promises to be the most dramatic in the wrongful death trial against Jackson's last concert promoter.

Jurors will hear revelations about Jackson's tearful conversations with his son, which included predictions of his death, and details of their private lives that would thrill any tabloid editor.

Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson, and grandmother, Katherine Jackson, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit that contends AEG Live is liable in Jackson's death because the company hired, retained or supervised the doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Dr. Conrad Murray told investigators he gave Jackson nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat his insomnia. The coroner ruled the singer died of an overdose of the drug.

AEG Live executives allegedly created a medical conflict of interest that pressured Dr. Murray to pursue the dangerous treatments so Jackson would be rested for rehearsals, while ignoring warning signs that his health was failing, Jackson lawyers argue.

AEG Live lawyers contend that it was Jackson who chose and controlled the doctor and that company executives had no way of knowing what treatments Murray was delivering.

"Daddy's little man"
Jackson lead trial lawyer Brian Panish will begin the direct examination of Prince on Wednesday morning and AEG Live lead lawyer Marvin Putnam is expected to handle the cross examination of the teen later in the day.

It is possible that jurors will also hear from Paris Jackson on Wednesday since Putnam could play video clips from her deposition in an effort to highlight any contradictions between brother and sister.

Paris, who was 11 when her father died, is not available to testify live in court since she is hospitalized for psychiatric treatment following a suicide attempt earlier this month.

AEG Live attempted to compel the youngest child -- 11-year-old Blanket -- to testify but the judge rejected their request after a psychologist said it would be harmful to the boy.

Jackson confided in his oldest son about his business dealings at an early age.

"Prince has always been, even at 12, the little man -- daddy's little man," Jackson chef Kai Chase testified. "He wanted his father to be very proud of him, which Michael was."

"The weight of the world is on his shoulders, the eldest, big brother and father figure to his siblings," Chase testified. "It's a lot for him, growing, liking girls. He wishes his father was here to give him advice. It's devastating to him."

Prince recently began pursuing an entertainment career, working several days as a "special correspondent" for "Entertainment Tonight" and acted in an episode of the television show "90210."

MJ's two-month decline
Prince will be asked to describe how his father's health changed from April 2009, just before Dr. Murray began his nightly visits to their rented Los Angeles mansion, until his death on June 25, 2009.

E-mail introduced as evidence and previous witnesses have told of a physical and mental deterioration over Jackson's last two months.
Show director Kenny Ortega and production manager John "Bugzee" Hougdahl warned AEG executives of Jackson's deterioration during a series of e-mails in Jackson's last two weeks, including indications he was unable to do some of his trademark dances or remember lyrics to songs he had sung for decades.

His makeup artist and a choreographer testified about Jackson's paranoia, his talking to himself and hearing voices, and his severe weight loss.
Associate show producer Alif Sankey testified that she "had a very strong feeling that Michael was dying" after a rehearsal 11 days before his death.

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

A Harvard sleep expert testified last week that Jackson's downward slide toward death could be explained by the insidious effects of chronic infusions of propofol. The nightly treatments likely interrupted Jackson's sleep cycle, robbing him of REM -- rapid eye movement -- sleep, which is vital to keeping the brain and body alive.

"The symptoms that Mr. Jackson was exhibiting were consistent with what someone might expect to see of someone suffering from total sleep deprivation over a chronic period," said Dr. Charles Czeisler, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert.

The trial is in its ninth week and is expected to last until August.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/showbiz/jackson-death-trial/index.html?sr=sharebar_twitter

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

video at the link - http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/entertainment&id=9152131

Michael Jackson wrongful death trial: Prince Jackson to testify
Tuesday, June 25, 2013

TAGS:legal, celebrity, court case, michael jackson, entertainment, miriam hernandez
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Miriam Hernandez
More: Bio, Recent Stories, News Team
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Four years after a fatal dose of a surgical anesthetic, Michael Jackson's death is an active matter in court with his children in the spotlight.

In one legal action, his heirs are seeking $50 million each in general damages. In a separate court, a judge called for a report about Jackson's daughter, Paris, who attempted suicide three weeks ago. On Tuesday, the judge gave the all-clear to the guardians he appointed: Katherine Jackson and Paris' 34-year-old cousin, T.J.

"We are happy that the judge reviewing all the evidence felt that everything was appropriate and that Paris is getting the appropriate treatment that she needs," said Brian Panish, an attorney for the Jacksons.

Both Paris and Prince have been deposed on video. On Wednesday, Prince will testify in person during the family's wrongful death trial. The Jacksons claim that AEG hired and negligently supervised the singer's physician, Conrad Murray.

"He will bring back to the jury that there really are people involved in this case. It is not a large corporation and, too, that three children and a mother have lost someone who was near and dear to them," said Panish.

Both Paris and Prince were steps from their father's bedroom when Murray struggled to revive Jackson. But Panish says Prince's testimony will be less about the doctor and AEG and more about how the family has suffered.

"He knew Dr. Murray. Dr. Murray had treated the children one or two times. He had met Dr. Murray, obviously, but he was not involved in the treatment of his father," said Panish.

Prince's testimony will follow an expert for the plaintiffs, Dr. Gordon Matheson, who is an expert on sports medicine. Matheson said that, in his opinion, AEG erred in allowing Jackson to choose his own physician and that the company should have hired a team of independent specialists to assess and treat Jackson.

Related Content
STORY: Jackson trial: Sports medicine expert speaks
STORY: Jackson trial: Insomnia expert testifies
STORY: Jackson's insomnia, drugs discussed in court
STORY: Michael Jackson chef describes confrontation
STORY: Paris, Prince Jackson refute chef's testimony
Under questioning by the AEG attorney, Matheson was asked about Murray's duty. Couldn't he call in specialists if he saw Jackson needed more help and didn't he have a choice in treating Jackson in a medically incorrect way?

Matheson's reply: "Yes, he could quit."

AEG denies wrongdoing and asserts that Murray's secret treatment of Jackson with propofol was bizarre and unforeseeable.

 

[ivy]

Michael Jackson’s oldest son, Prince Michael, arrives in court to testify in wrongful death trial
The 16-year-old is expected to give emotional testimony about what he saw and heard in the days leading up to the singer's 2009 death.

BY NANCY DILLON / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013, 1:14 PM
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PHIL MCCARTEN/REUTERS

Prince Jackson wore a dark suit, crisp white shirt and dark tie during his appearance in court Wednesday morning.
Michael Jackson’s eldest son walked into a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday to take the stand in a wrongful death trial pitting his family against the King of Pop’s last concert promoter.

Prince Jackson, 16, wore a dark suit, crisp white shirt and dark tie as he strode into the courtroom surrounded by bodyguards on the day after the fourth anniversary of Michael's shock overdose death.


KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/AP

Prince Jackson is set to testify on the day after the fourth anniversary of dad Michael Jackson's death.

The teen is expected to give emotional testimony about what he saw and heard in the days leading up to June 25, 2009, and how the loss of the only parent he ever really knew affected his family.

“This trial is about people, and he’s suffered greatly,” family lawyer Brian Panish told the Daily News outside court Tuesday. “He’s a real person. This is about family.”


VANESSA PACHECO, PACIFICCOASTNEW/VANESSA PACHECO, PACIFICCOASTNEW

Prince Jackson pictured out with girlfriend Remi Alfalah in Beverly Hills on June 24.

Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson is suing AEG Live for damages estimated at more than $1 billion, saying the promoter behind Michael’s ill-fated “This Is It” tour put its desire for "massive profits" ahead of the “Thriller” singer’s health and safety.

Katherine, the co-guardian of Michael’s three kids, claims AEG hired a debt-ridden doctor in May 2009 and then made it clear the doctor would forfeit his $150,000-per-month salary if Michael failed to perform.


LEON NEAL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Michael Jackson's children (from left), Prince, Blanket and Paris Jackson, speak on stage during the 'Michael Forever' concert in memory of the late singer in 2011.

The physician – Dr. Conrad Murray – is now serving four years for recklessly providing a deadly dose of the anesthetic propofol to Michael as a sleep aid.

AEG Live has denied any wrongdoing, saying it was Michael who hired Murray and then secretly used a surgery-strength anesthetic behind his locked mansion doors.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...y-civil-trial-article-1.1383041#ixzz2XLPJ2IVy

 

[ivy]

NEWS/ Prince Jackson "Ready and Confident" to Take the Stand in Michael Jackson Wrongful Death Trial
by Alyssa Toomey Today 8:45 AM PDT


CBS
Prince Jackson is taking a stand in honor of his father.
The oldest son of the late Michael Jackson is expected to testify today in the wrongful death trial against AEG Live—one day after the four-year anniversary of his father's death.
And despite the recent turmoil with sister Paris, 16-year-old Prince is prepared to defend his dad, who died when he was just 12 years old.
"Prince is ready and very confident," a source tells E! News. "AEG's lawyers are going to wish he wasn't on the stand. He is that ready," the Jackson insider adds.
NEWS: Paris Jackson testifies in Michael Jackson wrongful death trial via pretaped video deposition
Paris recently testified via a video deposition (shot months before the 15-year-old's alleged suicide attempt). She spoke about her relationship with former nanny Grace Rwaramba.
The wrongful-death case was brought on by Katherine Jackson, on behalf's of her son's estate, against concert promoter AEG Live. The Jackson matriarch claims AEG negligently handled her son's medical care by hiring Dr. Conrad Murray and therefore played a role in his death from a propofol overdose.
AEG has denied being Murray's employer, insisting the doctor was hired by Michael.

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

PRINCE JACKSON
TELLS JURY AEG MADE MJ CRY
BREAKING NEWS
Prince Jackson -- Michael Jackson's eldest son -- told jurors today in the wrongful death case, he was afraid of AEG and MJ even cried during contentious phone calls with the company.

Prince testified his dad was amped over the "This is It" tour but felt he needed more time to rehearse. Apparently, AEG and MJ got into it during phone conversations and the calls made Michael break down in tears.

The point of the testimony -- lawyers for the Jackson family are trying to prove AEG pushed Michael mercilessly and that, combined with Conrad Murray's bad medicine, cost MJ his life.


Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2013/06/26/princ...ongful-death-lawsuit-testimony/#ixzz2XLa9z2mp
Visit Fishwrapper: http://www.fishwrapper.com

 

[ivy]

JACKSON'S SON SAYS FATHER FEARED CONCERT PROMOTER
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
— Jun. 26 2:18 PM EDT
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FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, Prince Michael Jackson appears on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. An attorney for Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, says the singer’s eldest son, Prince, will testify in a Los Angeles courtroom in the negligent hiring case against AEG Live LLC on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Prince, 16, is a plaintiff in the case against concert promoter AEG Live. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File) *Editorial Use Only*


FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, Prince Michael Jackson appears on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. An attorney for Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, says the singer’s eldest son, Prince, will testify in a Los Angeles courtroom in the negligent hiring case against AEG Live LLC on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Prince, 16, is a plaintiff in the case against concert promoter AEG Live. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File) *Editorial Use Only*
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's eldest son testified Wednesday that his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wasn't happy about the terms of the ill-fated shows.

Prince Jackson told jurors his father wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his "This Is It" shows that sometimes ended with his father in tears.

The 16-year-old said his father remarked after one of the conversations, "'They're going to kill me,'" Prince testified. He did not elaborate.

The lawsuit claims AEG negligently hired the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

AEG denies it hired the physician or bears any responsibility for the entertainer's death.

The testimony by Prince Jackson began with the teenager showing jurors roughly 15 minutes of private family photos and home videos.

He described growing up on Neverland Ranch and showed the panel videos of the property's petting zoos and other amenities. After his father's acquittal of child molestation charges, Prince described living in the Middle East, Ireland and Las Vegas.

He told the jury that his father was always working, but his children had no idea he was a global superstar.

"We always listened to his music, but we never knew how famous he was," Prince said.

He said he and his sister Paris watched a video of one of their father's performances and got a sense of his fame when overwhelmed fans were carried from his shows on stretchers.

Prince is the first Jackson family member to testify during the trial, now in its ninth week. Attorneys have said TJ Jackson, who serves a co-guardian to Prince and his siblings, and Taj Jackson, are also expected to take the witness stand. They are the sons of Tito Jackson.

Prince Jackson, his sister Paris and brother Blanket are plaintiffs in the case against AEG, which their grandmother and primary caretaker filed in August 2010.

In court, Prince wore a black suit with a dark grey tie with his long brown hair tucked behind his ears. He spoke softly as he began testifying, and the first exhibit shown to jurors was a photo taken with their grandmother on his and Paris' first day of school.

He described his school life, including taking a summer course in U.S. history, participating on the school's robotics team and volunteer work.

Another image shown to jurors was Michael Jackson playing piano with his son while Prince was still an infant or toddler.

Plaintiff's attorney Brian Panish asked Prince whether he was interested in pursuing a career in music.

"I can never play an instrument and I definitely cannot sing," Prince said to laughter from the jury.

He said he wanted to study film or business when he goes to college.

Prince said he helped attorneys pick out the videos and photos shown in court.

Michael Jackson sheltered his children from the public eye while he was alive, often obscuring their faces while out in public. The children have been more public in recent years, appearing at a star-studded memorial service and other events honoring their father.

Paris, 15, had also been expected to testify during the case but was hospitalized last month and her status as a witness remained unclear. Attorneys for AEG played a snippet of her videotaped deposition last week, and more of her testimony may be played for the jury later in the trial.

Blanket, 11, is not expected to testify.

The jury of six men and six women has learned numerous details about Jackson's role as a father during the case. They've heard about a secret trip to a movie weeks before Michael Jackson's death, a private circus he hired for Paris' 11th birthday, and Blanket's interest in his father's dance rehearsals.

The trial is expected to last several more weeks.

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

updated AP

Prince said that he saw AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips at the family's rented mansion in a heated conversation with his father's doctor in days before his father's death. The teenager said he wasn't sure what day the conversation occurred, but that he saw Phillips grabbing former cardiologist Conrad Murray's elbow.

Phillips "looked aggressive to me," Prince said.

Michael Jackson wasn't at home at the time and was probably at rehearsals, Prince said.

The teenage also for the first time publicly described the day his father died. Prince was summoned to his father's bedroom and saw Murray performing CPR on his father, who was hanging off the bed halfway and it appeared his dad's eyes were rolled up in the back of his head.

Prince's eyes appeared red as he described being told by Murray at a nearby hospital that his father was dead.

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

a longer article from TMZ


Prince Jackson -- Michael Jackson's eldest son -- told jurors today in the wrongful death case, Michael Jackson had such problems with AEG he would cry and say, "They're gonna kill me ... they're gonna kill me."

Prince testified his dad was amped over the "This Is It" tour but felt he needed more time to rehearse. Apparently, AEG and MJ got into it during phone conversations and the calls made Michael break down in tears.

Prince also testified AEG honcho Randy Phillips came over to the house several times and he saw Phillips aggressively grab Dr. Conrad Murray by the elbow, as if to school him.

Prince got personal and talked about how involved Michael was in his kids' lives -- something that's highly relevant in a wrongful death case in assessing damages. He told the jury about how MJ loved home videos -- one showing Prince on a little car as Paris talked into a mic while "Daddy's Home" (a Jackson 5 song) played in the background.

Prince also said the day MJ went into full cardiac arrest at his home, Paris was screaming that she wanted her daddy. Prince says Dr. Murray announced at the house that MJ was dead from a heart attack.

The point of the testimony -- lawyers for the Jackson family are trying to prove AEG pushed Michael mercilessly and that, combined with Murray's bad medicine, cost MJ his life.

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

CNN update

'They're going to kill me,' Michael Jackson told son
By Alan Duke, CNN
updated 2:31 PM EDT, Wed June 26, 2013
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, died on June 25, 2009. Four years after their father's death, Jackson's children -- Prince, Paris and Prince II, aka Blanket -- have stepped into the spotlight to honor their father's memory and create careers and identities of their own. One of the world's first glimpses at the kids was when photographers caught them leaning out of a limousine in Los Angeles in 2000. Here are more moments growing up Jackson:
HIDE CAPTION
Jackson children in the spotlight

>>
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Prince Jackson, 16, talks about his father's relationship with AEG Live execs
NEW: He describes "aggressive" encounter between AEG head and Dr. Conrad Murray
It's possible jurors will see video of Paris Jackson's deposition as Prince is cross-examined
The wrongful death trial of AEG Live is in its ninth week in a Los Angeles courtroom
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson often cried after talking to AEG Live executives as he prepared for his comeback concerts, his oldest son testified Wednesday.
"After he got off the phone, he would cry," Prince Jackson testified. "He would say 'They're going to kill me, they're going to kill me.'"
His father told him he was talking about AEG LIve CEO Randy Phillips and his ex-manager, Dr. Tohme Tohme, Prince said.
Prince, 16, began his testimony Wednesday morning in his family's wrongful death lawsuit against Jackson's last concert promoter, AEG Live.
His first 30 minutes on the stand were filled with videos and photographs of Jackson with his children, but then the questioning by Jackson lawyer Brian Panish focused on the last weeks of his father's life.
Prince testified that Phillips visited Jackson's rented Los Angeles mansion and spoke aggressively to Dr. Conrad Murray the night before his father's death.
"He was grabbing his elbow," Prince said. "It looked aggressive to me. He was grabbing by the back of his elbow and they were really close and he was making hand motions."
He couldn't hear what Phillips was saying to Murray, he said.
Michael Jackson was not there because he was at his last rehearsal, Prince said. He called his father from the security guard shack telephone to let him know Phillips was there. His father asked him to offer Phillips food and drink.
Prince said that was his last conversation with his father.
Prince was 12 when the pop icon died, but he said his father confided in him about whom he trusted and didn't trust and what he feared as he prepared for his comeback concerts.

 

[Paris78]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

News/ Prince Jackson Recalls Last Time He Saw His Father Alive While Testifying in Michael Jackson Wrongful Death Trial

Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson took the stand on Wednesday to testify in the wrongful death trial against AEG Live and recalled the last time he saw his father, Michael Jackson, alive.

"My dad was hanging halfway off the bed and his eyes were rolling back in his head," said 16-year-old Prince. "[Dr. Conrad] Murray was doing CPR. My sister was screaming the whole time saying she wants her daddy. I was waiting at the bottom of the stairs crying, waiting to go to the hospital."

Prince said he tried to calm his sister, Paris, at the hospital, telling her "angels were watching over us." Prince said he was optimistic, but was soon informed that his father had passed away from a heart attack.
Prince spoke fondly about his father throughout his testimony.

"He always said you should give back to the community and to give back as much as you can," Prince said. "I got my desire to give back from my father." Prince added that his dad always told him "everything is a learning experience...always learn from your experience."

What's more, Prince noted he got his work ethic from the late pop star, stating, "If he wasn't working, he got depressed."
Prince insisted he had no idea growing up his dad was such a music legend until he saw a video of one of his concerts with girls crying and being carried out on stretchers.

"We always listened to his music, but we didn't know he was famous," he said.

Upon Michael's death, "we had our ways of dealing with it. [Paris] is having a hard time right now," said Prince of his sister, who is on the mend after an alleged suicide attempt earlier this month.

Speaking of Paris, the 15-year-old recently testified herself via a video deposition shot several months ago.

The wrongful death case was brought on by Katherine Jackson, on behalf of her son's estate, against promoter AEG Live. The Jackson matriarch claims AEG negligently handled her son's medical care by hiring Dr. Murray and therefore played a role in his death from a propofol overdose.

Source: E Online

 

[ivy]

Re: Jacksons vs AEG - Day 38 - June 26 2013 - News Only (no discussion)

AP Update

Murray's attorney Valerie Wass and AEG defense attorney Marvin S. Putnam later denied outside court that the meeting Prince described ever happened.

Putnam said Prince would be re-called to the witness stand during the defense case later in the trial.

"I think as the testimony will show when he is called in our defense that's not what happened," Putnam said. "He was a 12-year-old boy who has had to endure this great tragedy."

Prince said he never saw Murray's treatments of his father.

"I was 12. To my understanding he was supposed to make sure my dad stayed healthy," Prince testified.

Prince said none of the household staff were allowed upstairs at the mansion, and the singer kept his bedroom locked while receiving treatments from Murray.

During cross-examination, Putnam played a clip from a deposition of Prince in which the teen said he discovered the bedroom was locked when he and his siblings were playing hide-and-seek and couldn't get inside.

Prince also said his father gave him and his sister Paris a stack of $100 bills on a few occasions to give to Murray. The teen said his father told him that Murray wouldn't take the money from him, and the doctor wouldn't take the full amount from the children.

The teenager said his understanding was that the money was meant to tide Murray over until he got paid by AEG Live.