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| Jackson Doc Avoids Jail over Child Support | 11:42 AM |
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Jackson Doc Avoids Jail over Child Support. Conrad Murray Makes Partial Payment on $14K He Allegedly Owes; Says in Hiding after Being Blamed for King of Pop's Death. The physician being investigated in Michael Jackson's death reached an agreement Monday in a separate child support case that will keep him out of jail.
Jackson, left, and Murray (AP)
Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Dr. Conrad Murray after he failed to appear for previous hearings in the case. He is accused of owing more than $14,000 to a California woman and her son dating back to October 2008.
With Murray in court, his lawyer Christopher Aaron paid $700 cash and promised to pay another $303 as part of the deal approved by Clark County District Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle.
Aaron has said Murray, a cardiologist, has been unable to pay because he had to close his medical practice and move due to threats following Jackson's death June 25.
"He's radioactive," Aaron told The Associated Press. "He's unemployed and unemployable."
In Oct. 27 court filings, Clark County Deputy District Attorney Gerard Costantian asked the court to find Murray in contempt and send him to jail unless he could demonstrate an inability to pay.
The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Jackson's death a homicide, caused primarily by propofol and another sedative.
Murray told investigators he administered propofol as a sleep aid, along with multiple sedatives, in the hours before Jackson died.
Murray has not been charged with a crime but is the focus of the Los Angeles police investigation, according to documents made public with search warrants served as his home and offices.
Miranda Sevcik, a spokeswoman for Murray, said he continues to maintain he neither prescribed nor administered anything to Jackson that should have killed him.
Murray, who is licensed in Nevada, Texas and California, had been hired to a lucrative $150,000-per-month contract to be the pop star's personal physician during a world tour.
At the time, the financially troubled physician owed at least $780,000 for settlements against his business, outstanding mortgage payments on his large Las Vegas house, delinquent student loans, credit cards and child support.
Another judge in Las Vegas is due Wednesday to consider unsealing search warrant documents stemming from a police raid Aug. 11 at a Las Vegas pharmacy from which authorities say Murray legally purchased propofol.
Meanwhile, Janet Jackson said she blamed Murray for her brother Michael's death.
She told ABC News in an interview to air Wednesday that Murray should no longer be allowed to practice medicine.
"He was the one that was administering," Jackson said. "I think he is responsible." [ cbsnews.com ]
| This is Michael`s gift to his fans | 5:17 PM |
This is Michael`s gift to his fans. Michael Jackson: This Is it`, the documentary featuring the rehearsal footage of the King of Pop`s London tour has been pushed for an early release.
Sony Pictures and Sony Music have confirmed that they have preponed the worldwide release of the much awaited documentary by two days. The film directed by Kenny Ortega will now release on October 28, reported Variety online.
Kenny Ortega of `High School Musical` fame who was hired by Jackson to choreograph his O2 concerts, helmed the film which consists of behind-the-scenes footage of the star preparing for the highly anticipated performances, his first in 12 years.
"This is Michael`s gift to his fans, as we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realised we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special.
It`s a very private, exclusive look at a creative genius` world," Ortega said. [ antara.com ]
*)
Sony Pictures and Sony Music have confirmed that they have preponed the worldwide release of the much awaited documentary by two days. The film directed by Kenny Ortega will now release on October 28, reported Variety online.
Kenny Ortega of `High School Musical` fame who was hired by Jackson to choreograph his O2 concerts, helmed the film which consists of behind-the-scenes footage of the star preparing for the highly anticipated performances, his first in 12 years.
"This is Michael`s gift to his fans, as we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realised we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special.
It`s a very private, exclusive look at a creative genius` world," Ortega said. [ antara.com ]
*)
| If it weren't for children I would choose death | 5:06 PM |
If it weren't for children I would choose death. Michael Jackson branded Madonna a 'nasty witch' after she tried to take him to a strip bar on a date, it has emerged.
In an interview with Jewish scholar Rabbi Shmuley, the music legend also claimed he had the power to heal children, fantasised about his father's death and admitted keeping mannequins around the house for company.
During the recorded conversation, he named Madonna as one of the people jealous of his success.
'M is one of them,' he said. 'Madonna. She's not a nice... She hadn't been kind. She's a woman and I think that's what bothers her - women don't scream for other women and men are too cool to scream for women, and I get that. I get the fainting, the adulation and the notoriety - but she doesn't get that.'
When asked about their dinner date in 1991 - brought up by Madonna in the emotional tribute she paid to him at the Video Music Awards two weeks ago - Jackson says he was put off by her kinky ways.
He says the Material Girl had a library of books of women 'who were tied to walls', and wanted them to go to a strip bar.
'Madonna laid the law down. She said, "We are going to the restaurant, afterwards we are going to a strip bar." I said, 'I am not going to a strip bar, where they cross-dress." Guys who are girls and girls... "I am not going there. I am not going."
'I think afterwards she wrote some mean things about me in the press and I said that she's a nasty witch.'
Jackson also describes his 'traumatic' childhood at the hands of his domineering father Joe.
He said: 'He was rough. The way he would beat you was, you know, was hard. Sometimes he would make you strip nude first. He would oil you down... So when the flip of the ironing chord hit you it just... and it would just like be dying and you had whips all over your face and back, everywhere.'
The music icon also admitted they would fantasise about Joe being dead. 'That's how hateful we were,' he said.
Jackson said he was starved of love and affection from his father - but mannequins kept him company when he felt too shy to interact with the real world. He claimed his love of children also kept him going.
'If it weren't for children I would choose death. I mean it with all my heart. I want to be buried right were there's children. I would feel safer that way. I want to be next to them, I need their spirit,' he said.
At the time of the interview, 13-year-old Gavin Arviso was living at Neverland.
A cancer patient, he would accuse Jackson of molesting him three years later. But back then, in 2002, the superstar believed he had the power to heal the young boy.
'Every time I talk to him he is in a better spirit,' he said. 'I know I'm healing him.'
Ironically, Jackson also talked about how children fall in love with him and that gets him into 'trouble' with parents.
He said: 'And I always felt that I don't want the parents to be jealous, but it happens sometimes and it rubs fathers in a strange way. The kids end up just falling in love with my person. Sometimes it gets me into trouble, but I'm just there to help.'
Earlier today, it also emerged Jackson was terrified of growing old because he thought wrinkles were ugly.
In the same interview, the music legend - often dubbed the Peter Pan of pop - admitted he hated seeing pictures of himself, and implied he would commit suicide to avoid getting old.
'I think growing old is the ugliest thing. When the body starts breaking down and you start to wrinkle, I think it's so bad,' he said.
'People say that growing old is beautiful. I disagree. I don't want to look old and start forgetting. I want to always be youthful and have the energy to run around and play hide and seek, which is one of my favourite games.'
The Rabbi - who met Jackson through Uri Geller - recalled a point in their conversation in which the star seemed to be talking about taking his own life.
'It's a haunting passage when I say, "You're not serious that you don't want to grow old?" Michael paused - and it's one of the only times he paused during our interviews - and said "You're asking me an interesting question.
'"Yes, I want to see my children Prince and Paris grow old" - meaning they were the only things keeping him alive - 'But I can't see myself growing old..." Michael suffered from indescribable self-loathing,' he told the Sun.
Haunted by insults from his father Joe, the singer admitted to an extreme self-loathing.
'I don't want my picture to be seen now. When my picture came up on the computer, it made me sick. I am like a lizard. It is horrible. I never like it. I wish I could never be photographed or seen,' he said.
He also admitted teasing sister Janet - and labelling her a 'fat cow' when she had put on weight.
'I was bad. I would tease her to make her lose weight. I didn't like it on her. I said, "You have to lose weight cause you look like a fat cow." I was determined to make my sister look good because I love her and I wanted to make her shine,' he said.
As for Jackson's drug use, the Rabbi recalled an incident in 2000m in which the star asked a doctor for medication to help his back pain.
'When the doctor came out, he looked ashen-faced. He said, "Michael has just asked me for a quantity of drugs that would kill a horse." I was shocked. I ran into Michael's room. He was very calm and said, "Shmuley, he's wrong. I have a very high tolerance. I'm used to this. I'll be fine.'"'
Yesterday, it was revealed the star had also hailed the showmanship of Adolf Hitler in the same interview. He even went so far as to describe him as a 'genius', and said he wanted to hug the killers of two-year-old Jamie Bulger.
He also told the rabbi he wanted to date Princess Diana and thought Madonna was in love with him but was jealous of his success. [ kompas.com ]
In an interview with Jewish scholar Rabbi Shmuley, the music legend also claimed he had the power to heal children, fantasised about his father's death and admitted keeping mannequins around the house for company.
During the recorded conversation, he named Madonna as one of the people jealous of his success.
'M is one of them,' he said. 'Madonna. She's not a nice... She hadn't been kind. She's a woman and I think that's what bothers her - women don't scream for other women and men are too cool to scream for women, and I get that. I get the fainting, the adulation and the notoriety - but she doesn't get that.'
When asked about their dinner date in 1991 - brought up by Madonna in the emotional tribute she paid to him at the Video Music Awards two weeks ago - Jackson says he was put off by her kinky ways.
He says the Material Girl had a library of books of women 'who were tied to walls', and wanted them to go to a strip bar.
'Madonna laid the law down. She said, "We are going to the restaurant, afterwards we are going to a strip bar." I said, 'I am not going to a strip bar, where they cross-dress." Guys who are girls and girls... "I am not going there. I am not going."
'I think afterwards she wrote some mean things about me in the press and I said that she's a nasty witch.'
Jackson also describes his 'traumatic' childhood at the hands of his domineering father Joe.
He said: 'He was rough. The way he would beat you was, you know, was hard. Sometimes he would make you strip nude first. He would oil you down... So when the flip of the ironing chord hit you it just... and it would just like be dying and you had whips all over your face and back, everywhere.'
The music icon also admitted they would fantasise about Joe being dead. 'That's how hateful we were,' he said.
Jackson said he was starved of love and affection from his father - but mannequins kept him company when he felt too shy to interact with the real world. He claimed his love of children also kept him going.
'If it weren't for children I would choose death. I mean it with all my heart. I want to be buried right were there's children. I would feel safer that way. I want to be next to them, I need their spirit,' he said.
At the time of the interview, 13-year-old Gavin Arviso was living at Neverland.
A cancer patient, he would accuse Jackson of molesting him three years later. But back then, in 2002, the superstar believed he had the power to heal the young boy.
'Every time I talk to him he is in a better spirit,' he said. 'I know I'm healing him.'
Ironically, Jackson also talked about how children fall in love with him and that gets him into 'trouble' with parents.
He said: 'And I always felt that I don't want the parents to be jealous, but it happens sometimes and it rubs fathers in a strange way. The kids end up just falling in love with my person. Sometimes it gets me into trouble, but I'm just there to help.'
Earlier today, it also emerged Jackson was terrified of growing old because he thought wrinkles were ugly.
In the same interview, the music legend - often dubbed the Peter Pan of pop - admitted he hated seeing pictures of himself, and implied he would commit suicide to avoid getting old.
'I think growing old is the ugliest thing. When the body starts breaking down and you start to wrinkle, I think it's so bad,' he said.
'People say that growing old is beautiful. I disagree. I don't want to look old and start forgetting. I want to always be youthful and have the energy to run around and play hide and seek, which is one of my favourite games.'
The Rabbi - who met Jackson through Uri Geller - recalled a point in their conversation in which the star seemed to be talking about taking his own life.
'It's a haunting passage when I say, "You're not serious that you don't want to grow old?" Michael paused - and it's one of the only times he paused during our interviews - and said "You're asking me an interesting question.
'"Yes, I want to see my children Prince and Paris grow old" - meaning they were the only things keeping him alive - 'But I can't see myself growing old..." Michael suffered from indescribable self-loathing,' he told the Sun.
Haunted by insults from his father Joe, the singer admitted to an extreme self-loathing.
'I don't want my picture to be seen now. When my picture came up on the computer, it made me sick. I am like a lizard. It is horrible. I never like it. I wish I could never be photographed or seen,' he said.
He also admitted teasing sister Janet - and labelling her a 'fat cow' when she had put on weight.
'I was bad. I would tease her to make her lose weight. I didn't like it on her. I said, "You have to lose weight cause you look like a fat cow." I was determined to make my sister look good because I love her and I wanted to make her shine,' he said.
As for Jackson's drug use, the Rabbi recalled an incident in 2000m in which the star asked a doctor for medication to help his back pain.
'When the doctor came out, he looked ashen-faced. He said, "Michael has just asked me for a quantity of drugs that would kill a horse." I was shocked. I ran into Michael's room. He was very calm and said, "Shmuley, he's wrong. I have a very high tolerance. I'm used to this. I'll be fine.'"'
Yesterday, it was revealed the star had also hailed the showmanship of Adolf Hitler in the same interview. He even went so far as to describe him as a 'genius', and said he wanted to hug the killers of two-year-old Jamie Bulger.
He also told the rabbi he wanted to date Princess Diana and thought Madonna was in love with him but was jealous of his success. [ kompas.com ]
| Private funeral for Michael Jackson | 5:02 PM |
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Filed under:
Michael Jackson,
Michael Jackson Memorial
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Private funeral for Michael Jackson . About 200 invited guests Thursday night gathered at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in a Los Angeles suburb for the funeral of Michael Jackson, more than two months after the pop star`s death from an overdose of a powerful sedative.
Members of the Jackson family arrived at the cemetery shortly after 8 p.m. for the burial ceremony, which was earlier scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The self-proclaimed King of Pop, who died June 25 at 50 after being rushed to the hospital in deep coma, was to be buried at the cemetery that is the final resting place of such late Hollywood celebrities as Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Walt Disney and Nat King Cole.
Among the guests in attendance included former wife Lisa Marie Presley and longtime Jackson friends Elizabeth Taylor and Macaulay Culkin.
Authorities took extra measures to ensure that the service remained private as the cemetery was closed to the media and public. Security officers patrolled the grounds in search of trespassers, and police in helicopters kept a close watch from the air.
Meanwhile, flight restrictions over the cemetery were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to keep news media helicopters at bay.
Los Angeles County coroner`s office, which conducted an autopsy on Jackson`s body after his death, has ruled his death a homicide,and his death certificate lists "injection by another" as the cause.
However, no charges have been filed regarding to the death of Jackson as prosecutors are still investigating the case.
Conrad Murray, Jackson`s personal physician at the time when hedied, told investigators he gave the pop star a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep. [ antara.com ]
Members of the Jackson family arrived at the cemetery shortly after 8 p.m. for the burial ceremony, which was earlier scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The self-proclaimed King of Pop, who died June 25 at 50 after being rushed to the hospital in deep coma, was to be buried at the cemetery that is the final resting place of such late Hollywood celebrities as Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Walt Disney and Nat King Cole.
Among the guests in attendance included former wife Lisa Marie Presley and longtime Jackson friends Elizabeth Taylor and Macaulay Culkin.
Authorities took extra measures to ensure that the service remained private as the cemetery was closed to the media and public. Security officers patrolled the grounds in search of trespassers, and police in helicopters kept a close watch from the air.
Meanwhile, flight restrictions over the cemetery were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to keep news media helicopters at bay.
Los Angeles County coroner`s office, which conducted an autopsy on Jackson`s body after his death, has ruled his death a homicide,and his death certificate lists "injection by another" as the cause.
However, no charges have been filed regarding to the death of Jackson as prosecutors are still investigating the case.
Conrad Murray, Jackson`s personal physician at the time when hedied, told investigators he gave the pop star a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep. [ antara.com ]
| Investigation To Jackson's Personal Doctor | 1:29 PM |
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Filed under:
Michael Jackson,
Michael Jackson's Personal Doctor
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Investigation To Jackson's Personal Doctor. Michael Jackson's personal doctor is the target of the manslaughter investigation into the singer's death, according to court documents filed Thursday, the day after agents seized items from the physician's Houston clinic and a rented storage unit.
A search warrant approved by a Houston judge allowed authorities to seek "property or items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense."
Murray, 51, was with Jackson when he died and has been a central character in the investigation from the outset. The surprise search of his clinic Wednesday indicated authorities were focusing on him, but the warrant language made it clear he's the target.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Officer Bruce Borihanh said he could confirm a search warrant was served but had no other comment. LAPD investigators have interviewed Murray twice but haven't labeled him a suspect.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, referred queries Thursday to the statement he made a day earlier in which he confirmed a search warrant had been executed and that none of the items seized had previously been requested by authorities.
The documents filed Thursday detailed items taken when federal drug agents and Los Angeles police descended on Murray's clinic. Among them: 27 tablets of the weight loss drug phentermine, a tablet of the muscle relaxant clonazepam, a forensic image of a hard drive, rolodex business cards and e-mails.
The Jackson family has not made any public statements since the search warrant was executed.
Murray, a cardiologist, is licensed to practice in California, Texas and Nevada, and records show he has had no disciplinary actions taken against him.
He was hired as Jackson's personal physician not long before he died. He was in Jackson's rented Los Angeles mansion when the pop star was found unconscious the morning of June 25 and tried unsuccessfully to revive him.
An official determination of what killed Jackson won't be made until at least next week, when the Los Angeles County coroner expects to have a completed toxicology report.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Thursday he had sought information from "seven or eight" doctors and Murray is the only one he has yet to talk to.
Winter said Chernoff had offered to speak with the coroner Friday but without Murray present.
"We don't want to talk to the attorney, we want to talk to" Murray, Winter said.
Chernoff issued a brief statement in response, saying Winter had not made any requests to interview his client.
Jackson had a long history of prescription drug use and unraveling his complicated medical history is a daunting task for investigators, who have said little publicly about what they have found so far.
Propofol, a powerful anesthetic, has emerged as an important part of the investigation. Doses of it were found in Jackson's mansion, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who is not authorized to speak publicly.
Propofol was not among the items seized under the search warrant, which was approved Monday by Harris County District Court Judge Shawna L. Reagin. The warrant was under seal when it was executed Wednesday; its contents were revealed Thursday when a list of items seized was filed with the court.
A second search warrant, also executed Wednesday, targeted a storage locker Murray rented about five miles from the north Houston clinic. Los Angeles police officers and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration searched the 10-by-15 foot unit, said Sue Lyon, general manager of West 18th Street Self Storage.
Lyon said she didn't know what was taken, though she did notice authorities gave two itemized sheets of paper to Murray's attorneys who were present.
"It was basically all secretive, and nobody put their nose in nobody's business," Lyon said.
Murray rented the unit April 1, according to Lyon, and while he never visited it personally, others from his clinic did six times the last time the morning of Jackson's death. [ AP ; Justin Pritchard ]
A search warrant approved by a Houston judge allowed authorities to seek "property or items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense."
Murray, 51, was with Jackson when he died and has been a central character in the investigation from the outset. The surprise search of his clinic Wednesday indicated authorities were focusing on him, but the warrant language made it clear he's the target.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Officer Bruce Borihanh said he could confirm a search warrant was served but had no other comment. LAPD investigators have interviewed Murray twice but haven't labeled him a suspect.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, referred queries Thursday to the statement he made a day earlier in which he confirmed a search warrant had been executed and that none of the items seized had previously been requested by authorities.
The documents filed Thursday detailed items taken when federal drug agents and Los Angeles police descended on Murray's clinic. Among them: 27 tablets of the weight loss drug phentermine, a tablet of the muscle relaxant clonazepam, a forensic image of a hard drive, rolodex business cards and e-mails.
The Jackson family has not made any public statements since the search warrant was executed.
Murray, a cardiologist, is licensed to practice in California, Texas and Nevada, and records show he has had no disciplinary actions taken against him.
He was hired as Jackson's personal physician not long before he died. He was in Jackson's rented Los Angeles mansion when the pop star was found unconscious the morning of June 25 and tried unsuccessfully to revive him.
An official determination of what killed Jackson won't be made until at least next week, when the Los Angeles County coroner expects to have a completed toxicology report.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Thursday he had sought information from "seven or eight" doctors and Murray is the only one he has yet to talk to.
Winter said Chernoff had offered to speak with the coroner Friday but without Murray present.
"We don't want to talk to the attorney, we want to talk to" Murray, Winter said.
Chernoff issued a brief statement in response, saying Winter had not made any requests to interview his client.
Jackson had a long history of prescription drug use and unraveling his complicated medical history is a daunting task for investigators, who have said little publicly about what they have found so far.
Propofol, a powerful anesthetic, has emerged as an important part of the investigation. Doses of it were found in Jackson's mansion, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who is not authorized to speak publicly.
Propofol was not among the items seized under the search warrant, which was approved Monday by Harris County District Court Judge Shawna L. Reagin. The warrant was under seal when it was executed Wednesday; its contents were revealed Thursday when a list of items seized was filed with the court.
A second search warrant, also executed Wednesday, targeted a storage locker Murray rented about five miles from the north Houston clinic. Los Angeles police officers and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration searched the 10-by-15 foot unit, said Sue Lyon, general manager of West 18th Street Self Storage.
Lyon said she didn't know what was taken, though she did notice authorities gave two itemized sheets of paper to Murray's attorneys who were present.
"It was basically all secretive, and nobody put their nose in nobody's business," Lyon said.
Murray rented the unit April 1, according to Lyon, and while he never visited it personally, others from his clinic did six times the last time the morning of Jackson's death. [ AP ; Justin Pritchard ]
| Ticket Prices For The Michael Jackson Ceremony | 11:38 AM |
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Filed under:
Michael Jackson
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Ticket Prices For The Michael Jackson Ceremony. The stage was set Monday for Michael Jackson's final act as the world capital of make-believe braced for what could be the biggest, most spectacular celebrity send-off of all time.
Ecstatic fans who won the lottery for seats at Tuesday's memorial received the tickets and spangly wristbands that will get them into the 20,000-seat Staples Center downtown. The family announced the participants will include Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Martin Luther King III.
The legal maneuvering that marked Jackson's extraordinary and troubled life also continued on Monday, with his mother losing a bid to control his enormous but tangled estate. And in one of the few reminders of Jackson's darkest hours, a New York congressman branded Jackson a "pervert" undeserving of so much attention.
More than 1.6 million people registered for free tickets to the 10 a.m. memorial, which will be broadcast live worldwide. A total of 8,750 people were chosen to receive two tickets each. The lucky ones picked up their passes Monday at Dodger Stadium amid heavy police presence.
"I got the golden ticket!" one fan screamed out of his car window in a Willy Wonka moment as he drove out of the parking lot.
"My mother loves Elvis. This is my Elvis," said ticket winner Mynor Garcia, 29.
Downtown hotels were quickly filling. Police, trying to avoid a mob scene, warned those without tickets to stay away because they would not be able to get close to the Staples Center.
British Airways reported a surge of bookings as soon as the memorial arrangements were announced. Virgin's trans-Atlantic flights to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles were all packed with fans and VIPs, spokesman Paul Charles said.
"I think this is America's version of Princess Diana. People want to be in the vicinity. People from the UK and elsewhere want to share their emotions together," Charles said.
About 50 theaters across the country, from Los Angeles to Topeka, Kan., to Washington, D.C., were planning to broadcast the memorial live, said Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. spokeswoman Suzanne Moore. Admission will be free — first-come, first-served.
Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylor will be mourning in private. She said on her Twitter feed Monday that she would not attend the memorial.
"I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others," she tweeted. "How I feel is between us. Not a public event."
In Los Angeles Superior Court, meanwhile, a judge appointed Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend as administrators of his estate over the objections of his mother, Katherine. Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain had been designated in Jackson's 2002 will as the people he wanted to oversee his empire.
Mrs. Jackson's attorneys expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership.
"Frankly, Mrs. Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys to the kingdom," said one of her attorneys, John E. Schreiber.
Another one of her attorneys, Burt Levitch, told Judge Mitchell Beckloff that Branca had previously been removed from financial positions of authority by Jackson. Branca's attorney said he was rehired by Jackson on June 17, days before Jackson's death.
Branca and McClain will have to post a $1 million bond on the estate, and their authority will expire Aug. 3, when another hearing will be held.
"Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain for the next month are at the helm of the ship," the judge said.
Jackson died at age 50 with hundreds of millions in debts. But a court filing estimates his estate is worth more than $500 million. His assets are destined for a trust, with his three children, his mother and charities as beneficiaries.
On eBay, bids for memorial tickets were reaching as high as $3,000, and prices on Craigslist were in the thousands, although both sites were removing postings attempting to sell memorial tickets.
Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, had planned to attend the memorial but backed out Monday.
"The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy," her attorney Marta Almli said in a statement. "Debbie will continue to celebrate Michael's memory privately."
In New York, Republican Rep. Peter King released a YouTube video calling Jackson, who was acquitted of child molestation charges, a "pervert" and a "low-life."
But the memories of Jackson's problems were far from the minds of fans preparing to say goodbye.
"It's the passing of a great soul," said Matt Tyson, 31, of Ojai, Calif. "He brought people together, helped express something that's in us all."
The family was expected to hold a private funeral at some point at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. No public funeral procession through city streets was scheduled, and it was not known whether Jackson's body would be at the Staples Center memorial.
In a symbolic convergence of events, however, the circus will be there.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey starts a run at Staples Center on Wednesday. In the predawn hours before Jackson's memorial, the elephants will walk from the train station to the arena. [ by Jesse, Anthony McCartney, Danica Kirka, Michelle Rindels ]
Ecstatic fans who won the lottery for seats at Tuesday's memorial received the tickets and spangly wristbands that will get them into the 20,000-seat Staples Center downtown. The family announced the participants will include Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Martin Luther King III.
The legal maneuvering that marked Jackson's extraordinary and troubled life also continued on Monday, with his mother losing a bid to control his enormous but tangled estate. And in one of the few reminders of Jackson's darkest hours, a New York congressman branded Jackson a "pervert" undeserving of so much attention.
More than 1.6 million people registered for free tickets to the 10 a.m. memorial, which will be broadcast live worldwide. A total of 8,750 people were chosen to receive two tickets each. The lucky ones picked up their passes Monday at Dodger Stadium amid heavy police presence.
"I got the golden ticket!" one fan screamed out of his car window in a Willy Wonka moment as he drove out of the parking lot.
"My mother loves Elvis. This is my Elvis," said ticket winner Mynor Garcia, 29.
Downtown hotels were quickly filling. Police, trying to avoid a mob scene, warned those without tickets to stay away because they would not be able to get close to the Staples Center.
British Airways reported a surge of bookings as soon as the memorial arrangements were announced. Virgin's trans-Atlantic flights to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles were all packed with fans and VIPs, spokesman Paul Charles said.
"I think this is America's version of Princess Diana. People want to be in the vicinity. People from the UK and elsewhere want to share their emotions together," Charles said.
About 50 theaters across the country, from Los Angeles to Topeka, Kan., to Washington, D.C., were planning to broadcast the memorial live, said Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. spokeswoman Suzanne Moore. Admission will be free — first-come, first-served.
Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylor will be mourning in private. She said on her Twitter feed Monday that she would not attend the memorial.
"I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others," she tweeted. "How I feel is between us. Not a public event."
In Los Angeles Superior Court, meanwhile, a judge appointed Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend as administrators of his estate over the objections of his mother, Katherine. Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain had been designated in Jackson's 2002 will as the people he wanted to oversee his empire.
Mrs. Jackson's attorneys expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership.
"Frankly, Mrs. Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys to the kingdom," said one of her attorneys, John E. Schreiber.
Another one of her attorneys, Burt Levitch, told Judge Mitchell Beckloff that Branca had previously been removed from financial positions of authority by Jackson. Branca's attorney said he was rehired by Jackson on June 17, days before Jackson's death.
Branca and McClain will have to post a $1 million bond on the estate, and their authority will expire Aug. 3, when another hearing will be held.
"Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain for the next month are at the helm of the ship," the judge said.
Jackson died at age 50 with hundreds of millions in debts. But a court filing estimates his estate is worth more than $500 million. His assets are destined for a trust, with his three children, his mother and charities as beneficiaries.
On eBay, bids for memorial tickets were reaching as high as $3,000, and prices on Craigslist were in the thousands, although both sites were removing postings attempting to sell memorial tickets.
Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, had planned to attend the memorial but backed out Monday.
"The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy," her attorney Marta Almli said in a statement. "Debbie will continue to celebrate Michael's memory privately."
In New York, Republican Rep. Peter King released a YouTube video calling Jackson, who was acquitted of child molestation charges, a "pervert" and a "low-life."
But the memories of Jackson's problems were far from the minds of fans preparing to say goodbye.
"It's the passing of a great soul," said Matt Tyson, 31, of Ojai, Calif. "He brought people together, helped express something that's in us all."
The family was expected to hold a private funeral at some point at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. No public funeral procession through city streets was scheduled, and it was not known whether Jackson's body would be at the Staples Center memorial.
In a symbolic convergence of events, however, the circus will be there.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey starts a run at Staples Center on Wednesday. In the predawn hours before Jackson's memorial, the elephants will walk from the train station to the arena. [ by Jesse, Anthony McCartney, Danica Kirka, Michelle Rindels ]
| Interest From The Ex-Wife's Michael Jackson | 12:38 PM |
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Michael Jackson Wife
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Interest From The Ex-Wife's Michael Jackson. Jackson ex-wife shows interest in custody of kids. The future of Michael Jackson's children was thrown into question Thursday when his ex-wife emerged and won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides whether she wants to raise her two offspring.
It was the first legal move from Deborah Rowe since the entertainer's death. Jackson's will asks for his mother, Katherine, to get permanent custody of all three of his children.
Rowe, who met Jackson as a receptionist in the office of his dermatologist, has characterized their relationship as strictly for the purpose of birthing Jackson children. She is the mother of his two oldest children and received $8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child was conceived with a surrogate.
She has spent very little time with her son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11. But Rowe also has opposed the idea of Katherine Jackson getting custody of her children when it came up in the past.
Rowe's attorney, Eric M. George, said Thursday she had not decided whether to seek custody.
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff rescheduled a guardianship hearing for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, 79, who has temporary guardianship of her son's children.
The identity of the surrogate mother of the singer's youngest child, 7-year-old son Prince Michael II, has never been revealed.
Jackson's public memorial was set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to a press release from the office of the Jackson family's publicist.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson's promoter, said tickets would be free. He was not sure how they would be distributed.
Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said plans for the memorial are clearly moving forward, but he wished there had been more time to work out the logistics for such a huge event.
"If you can imagine 100,000 people show up and you have 20,000 capacity (at the Staples Center), there is not sufficient room. Now you have a crowd-control problem," he said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend "it's the worst time ... to work something out." He also said he's concerned about the cost of police overtime for the cash-strapped city.
Another court hearing will proceed as planned Monday on who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate. He left all his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust.
A person familiar with the details of the trust said it would be shared between his mother, who gets 40 percent, his three children, who together get 40 percent, and charities for children, which would receive 20 percent. The charities will be determined later by the trust.
The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
Authorities also were investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown said his office was helping Los Angeles police investigate the possible involvement of prescription drugs in Jackson's death.
His Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is searching a state database that tracks doctors who prescribe controlled substances, how much and to whom.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration also has joined the investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department asked the DEA to help, a law enforcement official in Washington told the AP on condition of anonymity because of the investigation's sensitivity.
In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Jackson's brother Jermaine said he would be "hurt" if toxicology reports showed his younger brother abused prescription drugs.
"In this business, the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turns to," he said. [Michael R. Blood, Beth Harris, Michele Salcedo]
It was the first legal move from Deborah Rowe since the entertainer's death. Jackson's will asks for his mother, Katherine, to get permanent custody of all three of his children.
Rowe, who met Jackson as a receptionist in the office of his dermatologist, has characterized their relationship as strictly for the purpose of birthing Jackson children. She is the mother of his two oldest children and received $8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child was conceived with a surrogate.
She has spent very little time with her son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11. But Rowe also has opposed the idea of Katherine Jackson getting custody of her children when it came up in the past.
Rowe's attorney, Eric M. George, said Thursday she had not decided whether to seek custody.
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff rescheduled a guardianship hearing for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, 79, who has temporary guardianship of her son's children.
The identity of the surrogate mother of the singer's youngest child, 7-year-old son Prince Michael II, has never been revealed.
Jackson's public memorial was set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to a press release from the office of the Jackson family's publicist.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson's promoter, said tickets would be free. He was not sure how they would be distributed.
Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said plans for the memorial are clearly moving forward, but he wished there had been more time to work out the logistics for such a huge event.
"If you can imagine 100,000 people show up and you have 20,000 capacity (at the Staples Center), there is not sufficient room. Now you have a crowd-control problem," he said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend "it's the worst time ... to work something out." He also said he's concerned about the cost of police overtime for the cash-strapped city.
Another court hearing will proceed as planned Monday on who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate. He left all his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust.
A person familiar with the details of the trust said it would be shared between his mother, who gets 40 percent, his three children, who together get 40 percent, and charities for children, which would receive 20 percent. The charities will be determined later by the trust.
The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
Authorities also were investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown said his office was helping Los Angeles police investigate the possible involvement of prescription drugs in Jackson's death.
His Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is searching a state database that tracks doctors who prescribe controlled substances, how much and to whom.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration also has joined the investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department asked the DEA to help, a law enforcement official in Washington told the AP on condition of anonymity because of the investigation's sensitivity.
In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Jackson's brother Jermaine said he would be "hurt" if toxicology reports showed his younger brother abused prescription drugs.
"In this business, the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turns to," he said. [Michael R. Blood, Beth Harris, Michele Salcedo]
| Michael Jackson Memorial | 12:27 PM |
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Michael Jackson Memorial
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Michael Jackson memorial. A public memorial for pop star Michael Jackson took shape Thursday when a concert backer and family spokesman said the event would take place next week, even as doubt lingered over the guardianship of the singer's children.
The pop star's former wife Debbie Rowe told a Los Angeles TV station she wanted to care for her two children with Jackson, but her attorney said her words were distorted and a court hearing over custody was delayed by one week.
A public memorial for Jackson, who died suddenly last week, will be held Tuesday in Los Angeles, and about 11,000 tickets will be given away free of charge for the 20,000-seat Staples Center arena, said concert promoter AEG Live and family representative, Sunshine Sachs & Associates.
The pair said in a statement issued late Thursday the memorial was set for 10 a.m. PDT at the rock concert and sporting venue in downtown Los Angeles, and that further details would be unveiled Friday morning.
AEG Live is part of a group of companies that controls events at the Staples Center.
Jackson's death on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion has provoked worldwide tributes from fans and musicians and sent many of his records back into the top of music charts.
Meanwhile Rowe -- the mother of Jackson's two eldest children, Prince Michael Jackson Jr. 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11 -- appeared to set the stage for a legal tussle with Jackson's parents over their future.
"I want my children," Rowe was quoted as telling NBC4 television in Los Angeles.
But her lawyer, Eric George, told reporters Thursday that Rowe was still considering her position.
"I am representing to you now, Debbie has not reached a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings," George said.
"DISTORTION OF THE TRUTH"
"I have no reason to doubt that what was reported from that conversation was accurately and ethically recorded, but that said, it would be a distortion of the truth to allow that single snapshot of a single conversation to stand as the truth of Debbie's position," he said. A court hearing on guardianship originally set for July 6, has been changed to July 13.
Temporary guardianship was granted earlier this week to Jackson's 79-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson. A 2002 will signed by Jackson specifically cut Rowe out of his estate and asked that his mother take care of the children.
Jackson did not mention his funeral wishes in that will.
The Staples Center is the site of the singer's last rehearsals for a planned 50-concert comeback tour in London that was due to start on July 13 and was backed by AEG Live.
Video clips of a rehearsal two nights before he died, that showed Jackson looking thin but performing more like his old superstar self, were released to CNN Thursday.
An official autopsy has been performed but toxicology tests won't be ready for weeks. Results of a private autopsy by a Jackson family doctor have not been released.
Law enforcement sources said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had been asked to help Los Angeles police in their investigation. Several bags of medicines have already been removed from Jackson's house by coroner's officials.
Speculation has swirled in the media that the 50-year-old pop star was abusing prescription drugs and perhaps intravenous drugs before comeback concerts this month in London.
His brother Jermaine Jackson said Thursday that reports of Michael Jackson's possible drug use had hurt his family.
"Michael has always been a person who was against anything like that. ... But in this business the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turn(s) to," Jermaine said on NBC's "Today" show. [ Jill Serjeant,Bob Tourtellotte, Doina Chiacu)
The pop star's former wife Debbie Rowe told a Los Angeles TV station she wanted to care for her two children with Jackson, but her attorney said her words were distorted and a court hearing over custody was delayed by one week.
A public memorial for Jackson, who died suddenly last week, will be held Tuesday in Los Angeles, and about 11,000 tickets will be given away free of charge for the 20,000-seat Staples Center arena, said concert promoter AEG Live and family representative, Sunshine Sachs & Associates.
The pair said in a statement issued late Thursday the memorial was set for 10 a.m. PDT at the rock concert and sporting venue in downtown Los Angeles, and that further details would be unveiled Friday morning.
AEG Live is part of a group of companies that controls events at the Staples Center.
Jackson's death on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion has provoked worldwide tributes from fans and musicians and sent many of his records back into the top of music charts.
Meanwhile Rowe -- the mother of Jackson's two eldest children, Prince Michael Jackson Jr. 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11 -- appeared to set the stage for a legal tussle with Jackson's parents over their future.
"I want my children," Rowe was quoted as telling NBC4 television in Los Angeles.
But her lawyer, Eric George, told reporters Thursday that Rowe was still considering her position.
"I am representing to you now, Debbie has not reached a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings," George said.
"DISTORTION OF THE TRUTH"
"I have no reason to doubt that what was reported from that conversation was accurately and ethically recorded, but that said, it would be a distortion of the truth to allow that single snapshot of a single conversation to stand as the truth of Debbie's position," he said. A court hearing on guardianship originally set for July 6, has been changed to July 13.
Temporary guardianship was granted earlier this week to Jackson's 79-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson. A 2002 will signed by Jackson specifically cut Rowe out of his estate and asked that his mother take care of the children.
Jackson did not mention his funeral wishes in that will.
The Staples Center is the site of the singer's last rehearsals for a planned 50-concert comeback tour in London that was due to start on July 13 and was backed by AEG Live.
Video clips of a rehearsal two nights before he died, that showed Jackson looking thin but performing more like his old superstar self, were released to CNN Thursday.
An official autopsy has been performed but toxicology tests won't be ready for weeks. Results of a private autopsy by a Jackson family doctor have not been released.
Law enforcement sources said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had been asked to help Los Angeles police in their investigation. Several bags of medicines have already been removed from Jackson's house by coroner's officials.
Speculation has swirled in the media that the 50-year-old pop star was abusing prescription drugs and perhaps intravenous drugs before comeback concerts this month in London.
His brother Jermaine Jackson said Thursday that reports of Michael Jackson's possible drug use had hurt his family.
"Michael has always been a person who was against anything like that. ... But in this business the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turn(s) to," Jermaine said on NBC's "Today" show. [ Jill Serjeant,Bob Tourtellotte, Doina Chiacu)
| The Investigation of Michael Jackson's Death | 12:23 PM |
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Michael Jackson
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The Investigation of Michael Jackson's Death. The Investigation of Michael Jackson's death is widening as questions intensify about the drugs he took, the doctors who provided them and the actions of police.
Why didn't police seal the mansion where he had been living? Why were moving vans seen at the home, and were any items removed before police wrapped up their search? Why didn't they get immediate search warrants? Why did they tow away a doctor's car right after the death but not declare the home a crime scene?
Los Angeles police say proper procedures were followed based on the circumstances officers encountered when they were called to the home at 12:21 p.m. on June 25. A doctor was attending to Jackson and stayed with him when he was placed in an ambulance at 1:07 p.m. There was no sign of foul play.
Others say police should have assumed it was possible a crime occurred and taken precautions to ensure the scene was not disrupted so evidence wasn't lost or tainted.
"If I was the chief detective on the case, I would have said, 'We don't know what's going on. We should seal the scene,'" said defense attorney Harland Braun, who has represented celebrities including Robert Blake, Roseanne and Gary Busey. "You always have to think of the worst-case scenario and you have to think fast. I would have sealed the scene just because it was Michael Jackson."
Whether the Jackson probe turns into a criminal investigation hinges on what evidence emerges involving the drugs. Charges could be brought if authorities determine Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, if he had been given drugs inappropriate for his medical needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.
It's still not known what caused Jackson's death at age 50. The pop star went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom and his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, performed CPR while an ambulance was called, according to Murray's lawyers. Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect, though his actions have come under scrutiny because his own lawyers acknowledge it may have taken up to a half-hour for an ambulance to be summoned.
An autopsy was conducted but results are not expected for several weeks. The Jackson family had a second autopsy performed and those results also are pending.
On Wednesday, The Associated Press learned Los Angeles police asked the Drug Enforcement Administration to assist in the investigation.
DEA agents participated in the investigation of the 2007 overdose death of Anna Nicole Smith at a Florida hotel. California Attorney General Jerry Brown investigated her former boyfriend and two of her doctors.
Brown handed the investigation over to the Los Angeles district attorney's office, which filed charges of conspiring to provide Smith with prescription drugs.
Brown said the suspects broke the law because Smith was a "known addict." The former boyfriend and doctors denied the charges.
The DEA also probed whether painkillers found in actor Heath Ledger's system after his death last year were obtained illegally. Federal prosecutors did not charge anyone.
Jean Rosenbluth, a University of Southern California law professor, said the agency's involvement in the Jackson case suggests authorities are looking into whether drugs came from out of state. Murray lives in Las Vegas and is licensed to practice in Texas, Nevada and California.
Federal drug regulations include controls over whether and how frequently a doctor can write prescriptions over the phone, and DEA agents could be looking to see if these rules were broken, Rosenbluth said.
"You can't just get on the phone and continue to prescribe something for someone without having seen them for a long period of time," she said.
Jackson had a well-known history of using prescription medications, especially painkillers. Following his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who had worked for Jackson, told the AP she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug Diprivan, also known as Propofol. It's a potent anesthetic used in operating rooms and it would be highly unusual to have it in a private home.
Uri Geller, a former Jackson confidant, said he tried to keep Jackson from abusing painkillers and other prescription drugs, but others in the singer's circle kept him supplied.
"When Michael asked for something, he got it," Geller said in a telephone interview from his suburban London home.
Jackson had multiple doctors and many others like Geller who came in and out of his life. Which people are being interviewed by police is unclear because the LAPD has said virtually nothing about the probe.
"I am not going to make any comments on the investigation," Commander Patrick Gannon, the designated police spokesman on the Jackson case, said by e-mail Thursday.
Any evidence would be turned over to the district attorney's office, which has final say on criminal charges.
One of the key questions is why it took four days for police to issue a search warrant and remove medications from Jackson's home.
Although the home wasn't declared a crime scene, police did tow Murray's car the evening of the death to look for potential evidence.
Vernon J. Geberth, former commanding officer of the Bronx Homicide Task force in New York, said police should have known they were dealing with an extraordinary situation.
"If it's a high-profile person, you have to do more than you would do ordinarily," he said.
Still, Geberth, who now acts as a private forensic consultant, said he believes the LAPD acted appropriately.
"Having a doctor present altered the equation. It was not a homicide scene. It was an emergency medical scene," he said.
Police spokesman Lt. John Romero declined to comment when asked if the LAPD was reviewing its handling of the investigation.
Rosenbluth said if the case ends up as a criminal prosecution, any defense attorney would seize on the LAPD's failure to immediately seal Jackson's home.
"If you can get even one juror think, I don't know, maybe somebody fiddled with the medicine before the police came in and collected it, that's reasonable doubt," she said. "All that the defense attorney needs is one juror."
Why didn't police seal the mansion where he had been living? Why were moving vans seen at the home, and were any items removed before police wrapped up their search? Why didn't they get immediate search warrants? Why did they tow away a doctor's car right after the death but not declare the home a crime scene?
Los Angeles police say proper procedures were followed based on the circumstances officers encountered when they were called to the home at 12:21 p.m. on June 25. A doctor was attending to Jackson and stayed with him when he was placed in an ambulance at 1:07 p.m. There was no sign of foul play.
Others say police should have assumed it was possible a crime occurred and taken precautions to ensure the scene was not disrupted so evidence wasn't lost or tainted.
"If I was the chief detective on the case, I would have said, 'We don't know what's going on. We should seal the scene,'" said defense attorney Harland Braun, who has represented celebrities including Robert Blake, Roseanne and Gary Busey. "You always have to think of the worst-case scenario and you have to think fast. I would have sealed the scene just because it was Michael Jackson."
Whether the Jackson probe turns into a criminal investigation hinges on what evidence emerges involving the drugs. Charges could be brought if authorities determine Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, if he had been given drugs inappropriate for his medical needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.
It's still not known what caused Jackson's death at age 50. The pop star went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom and his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, performed CPR while an ambulance was called, according to Murray's lawyers. Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect, though his actions have come under scrutiny because his own lawyers acknowledge it may have taken up to a half-hour for an ambulance to be summoned.
An autopsy was conducted but results are not expected for several weeks. The Jackson family had a second autopsy performed and those results also are pending.
On Wednesday, The Associated Press learned Los Angeles police asked the Drug Enforcement Administration to assist in the investigation.
DEA agents participated in the investigation of the 2007 overdose death of Anna Nicole Smith at a Florida hotel. California Attorney General Jerry Brown investigated her former boyfriend and two of her doctors.
Brown handed the investigation over to the Los Angeles district attorney's office, which filed charges of conspiring to provide Smith with prescription drugs.
Brown said the suspects broke the law because Smith was a "known addict." The former boyfriend and doctors denied the charges.
The DEA also probed whether painkillers found in actor Heath Ledger's system after his death last year were obtained illegally. Federal prosecutors did not charge anyone.
Jean Rosenbluth, a University of Southern California law professor, said the agency's involvement in the Jackson case suggests authorities are looking into whether drugs came from out of state. Murray lives in Las Vegas and is licensed to practice in Texas, Nevada and California.
Federal drug regulations include controls over whether and how frequently a doctor can write prescriptions over the phone, and DEA agents could be looking to see if these rules were broken, Rosenbluth said.
"You can't just get on the phone and continue to prescribe something for someone without having seen them for a long period of time," she said.
Jackson had a well-known history of using prescription medications, especially painkillers. Following his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who had worked for Jackson, told the AP she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug Diprivan, also known as Propofol. It's a potent anesthetic used in operating rooms and it would be highly unusual to have it in a private home.
Uri Geller, a former Jackson confidant, said he tried to keep Jackson from abusing painkillers and other prescription drugs, but others in the singer's circle kept him supplied.
"When Michael asked for something, he got it," Geller said in a telephone interview from his suburban London home.
Jackson had multiple doctors and many others like Geller who came in and out of his life. Which people are being interviewed by police is unclear because the LAPD has said virtually nothing about the probe.
"I am not going to make any comments on the investigation," Commander Patrick Gannon, the designated police spokesman on the Jackson case, said by e-mail Thursday.
Any evidence would be turned over to the district attorney's office, which has final say on criminal charges.
One of the key questions is why it took four days for police to issue a search warrant and remove medications from Jackson's home.
Although the home wasn't declared a crime scene, police did tow Murray's car the evening of the death to look for potential evidence.
Vernon J. Geberth, former commanding officer of the Bronx Homicide Task force in New York, said police should have known they were dealing with an extraordinary situation.
"If it's a high-profile person, you have to do more than you would do ordinarily," he said.
Still, Geberth, who now acts as a private forensic consultant, said he believes the LAPD acted appropriately.
"Having a doctor present altered the equation. It was not a homicide scene. It was an emergency medical scene," he said.
Police spokesman Lt. John Romero declined to comment when asked if the LAPD was reviewing its handling of the investigation.
Rosenbluth said if the case ends up as a criminal prosecution, any defense attorney would seize on the LAPD's failure to immediately seal Jackson's home.
"If you can get even one juror think, I don't know, maybe somebody fiddled with the medicine before the police came in and collected it, that's reasonable doubt," she said. "All that the defense attorney needs is one juror."
| What is Expected From The Court Michael Jackson | 3:56 PM |
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Michael Jackson's Court
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What is Expected From The Court Michael Jackson. Jackson's will expected to be filed in court. On the night before Michael Jackson's will was expected to be filed in court, heavy construction equipment and workers passed through the wrought-iron gates of Neverland Ranch, fueling speculation that it could soon be hosting a funeral or permanent memorial to the King of Pop.
Late Tuesday, Santa Barbara County officials said there were no final decisions by the Jackson family for any funeral or memorial service in the county or at Neverland.
All the same, more than a dozen vehicles, including a tractor, a cement mixer and a backhoe, along with groups of gardeners and florists bearing huge wreaths, were spotted on the property about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
At once a symbol of Jackson's success and excesses, Neverland — the 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country — became the site of a makeshift memorial after his death Thursday.
Members of Jackson's family met Tuesday with officials from the Los Angeles police and California Highway Patrol about funeral services but "details are still pending," according to Fran Clader, a spokeswoman for the patrol. The patrol would need to be consulted if the body was moved from Los Angeles to Neverland.
Fearing the narrow, two-lane Figueroa Mountain Road that runs past Neverland will be overwhelmed by media and fans, county officials said Wednesday that they'll start enforcing parking restrictions.
It was unclear whether Jackson could be legally buried at the ranch. The state's health and safety code makes interring any uncremated remains outside of a cemetery a misdemeanor. Cremated remains can be kept in a home or private mausoleum outside a cemetery, he said.
Jackson's will was to be filed Wednesday in Los Angeles. A person with knowledge of the document told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it gives guardianship over his children to the singer's mother and leaves all his assets in a trust fund.
The will was signed on July 7, 2002, and named as executors Jackson's longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the topic.
The family said in court documents Monday that it believed the 50-year-old entertainer died Thursday without a valid will and moved swiftly to take control over his lucrative, but debt-encumbered, estate.
In response, Judge Mitchell Beckloff granted Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine Jackson temporary guardianship of her son's three children, who range in age from 7 to 12.
The judge also gave her control over some of her son's personal property that is now in the hands of an unnamed third party. But the judge did not immediately rule on her requests to take charge of the children's and Jackson's estates.
On its face, the move by Jackson's family to proactively take legal action does not seem to conflict with the singer's stated desire to have his children put under his parents' care and their financial welfare assured.
Experts said the personal bankruptcy of Jackson's parents in 1999 could work against Katherine taking control of the estate.
Court documents show Katherine and Joe Jackson filed for Chapter 7 and listed nearly $24 million in debts that included court judgments, auto loans and credit cards. The only valuable asset listed was a house in Las Vegas then valued at $290,000. The bankruptcy was terminated in March 2007, but the documents gave no further details.
"I think it would be a negative factor but not necessarily a disqualifier," said Beth Kaufman, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney specializing in estate tax issues. "It could indicate that she is not capable of sound financial management."
More details emerged Tuesday about the recent state of Jackson's finances. In the most detailed account yet of the singer's tangled financial empire, documents obtained by the AP show Jackson claimed to have a net worth of $236.6 million as of March 31, 2007.
Since that time both Jackson's debts and assets grew substantially — he refinanced loans later that year that increased his debt load by tens of millions of dollars, but the Sony/ATV Music Publishing joint venture he is a part of also spent hundreds of millions acquiring new songs.
Jackson's own health was a concern in his final days. A nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid said Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful.
Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said she got a frantic phone call from Jackson four days before his death that made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep.
Lee said Jackson in the call complained that one side of his body felt hot and the other side was cold, prompting her to believe the "somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system."
"He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out," she said.
Meanwhile, on the other coast Tuesday, thousands of Jackson fans crammed into New York City's famed Apollo Theater for a public tribute to the performer, clutching photographs, cheering and dancing to his music at the legendary venue that launched the one-time child star's career.
"He knew he was loved, but he didn't know he was this loved," said one participant, Rosiland Sargent, 59, of West Orange, N.J. [Michael R. Blood, Lynn Elber, Noaki Schwartz, Jacob Adelman, Ryan Nakashima, Thomas Watkins, Daisy Nguyen, Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Michelle Rindels, Jennifer Peltz, Stevenson Jacobs ]
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