Michael Jackson

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Judge orders Michael Jackson doctor to stand trial

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – 11 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – A judge on Tuesday ordered the personal physician of Michael Jackson to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter after hearing testimony that he administered a lethal dose of a powerful anesthetic and other sedatives then left the pop star alone.

The ruling in the case against Houston cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray came after a six-day preliminary hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor.

Prosecutors concluded their case with testimony from two doctors who said Murray acted outside the standard of medical care when he administered the propofol then failed to provide proper care.

Both witnesses said that even if Jackson had self-administered the final dose of the drug, his death would be a homicide because of Murray's actions.

Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have said he did not give Jackson anything that should have killed him. Murray could face up to four years in prison if tried and convicted.

During closing arguments at the hearing, Murray's defense attorney, Joseph Low IV, argued the case should be dismissed because prosecutors didn't adequately prove how Murray caused Jackson's death. He also said Jackson's health may have been a contributing cause.

"In contrast to Mr. Low's comment, let me just say, it was not Michael Jackson's time to go," Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said. "Because of Dr. Murray's actions, Michael's children are left without a father."

During the hearing, prosecutors built a timeline of Jackson's final hours and Murray's actions, suggesting the singer died because of Murray's gross negligence.

Though many details were previously revealed in court filings and accounts from law enforcement officials, the hearing featured new disclosures and compelling moments such as Jackson's burly former bodyguard choking back tears as he recalled the two oldest Jackson children watching their father in his death throes.

The guard, Alberto Alvarez, said daughter Paris fell to the ground crying out, "Daddy!" before Alvarez led them from the room.

Jackson's mother, Katherine, seated in the courtroom, dabbed at her eyes during the testimony. The famous Jackson siblings — Janet, Jackie, LaToya, Randy and Rebbie — were present every day along with their parents.

Alvarez also testified that Murray instructed him to place medicine vials in bags before calling 911 on the day Jackson died.

Police Detective Orlando Martinez said Murray told him he found Jackson not breathing just after 11 a.m. on June 25, 2009. Phone records showed 911 was not called until 12:21 p.m.

Paramedics and an emergency room doctor all testified that they thought Jackson died in his bedroom, before he was transported to a hospital where Murray insisted resuscitation efforts continue.

The medical personnel also said Murray didn't tell them he had given Jackson propofol, which is normally administered in hospital settings.

Using phone records and testimony from Murray's current and former girlfriends, prosecutors also showed the doctor was on the phone before and after he gave Jackson the lethal dose of propofol and sedatives.

Martinez testified about the timeline Murray laid out in a nearly three-hour interview with police two days after Jackson died.

Murray described a nearly 10-hour ordeal of trying to get Jackson to sleep, giving him a valium pill and two other sedatives intravenously before yielding to the singer's demands for propofol.

Jackson called the anesthetic his "milk," and coroner's investigators later found several vials of it in a bag labeled "Baby Essentials" in Jackson's closet.

Martinez said Jackson told Murray if he couldn't get sleep, he might have to cancel his widely heralded "This is It" comeback tour. The doctor spoke of feeling pressured to give the star the propofol he wanted, the detective said.

Defense attorneys rarely call witnesses or present their own theories during preliminary hearings, which have a lower standard of proof than criminal trials.

But lawyers for Murray did reveal possible trial strategies while questioning witnesses.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff challenged Alvarez's recollection of events in Jackson's bedroom but stopped short of asking if there was enough time for him to do everything he said he did before dialing 911.

Another defense attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, quizzed a coroner's investigator about whether a syringe and an empty vial of propofol found under a table next to Jackson's bed, were within reach of the singer.

The judge barred an answer after a prosecutor objected.

Under Chernoff's questioning, Martinez said Murray recalled Jackson asking to self-administer propofol. Prosecutors said they expect the defense to claim Jackson administered the deadly dose himself while Murray was out of the room.

The testimony painted a troubled portrait of a singer who had grown more reclusive since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges. He was plagued by insomnia, and the choreographer of his show said he seemed ill and "lost" a few days before the final rehearsals but rallied to do "fabulous" work in the final two days

Jackson had been receiving propofol intravenously six nights a week for the two months before his death, Murray told detectives.

When Alvarez and paramedics arrived at the singer's bedroom, they were surprised to find the 136-pound singer wearing a surgical cap and urinary catheter. Far from looking like a pop superstar about to embark on a 50-concert tour, Jackson seemed more like a hospice patient, one paramedic said.

Jackson's family and fans have contended the doctor should be tried for murder. During the hearing, a plane flew over the courthouse trailing a banner with Jackson's image that read, "Change the Charge to Murder."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110111/ap_on_...ckson_doctor_56

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Jackson's doc pleads not guilty in star's death

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – 1 hr 52 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's doctor pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the pop superstar's death as the case moved rapidly toward a trial that will likely be televised.

"Your honor, I am an innocent man," Dr. Conrad Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor in a soft voice. "I definitely plead not guilty."

Lawyers for Murray, who is accused of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and other sedatives, said they would be ready to go to trial within the 60-day statutory time limit, which would make for an unusually speedy trial.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the prosecution would be ready to go as well for the trial he estimated would last six weeks. The judge scheduled the trial to begin March 28 and set a pretrial hearing for Feb. 7.

"Dr. Murray is looking forward to finally telling his side of the story," defense attorney Ed Chernoff said outside court.

Asked why the defense wants to begin the trial so quickly, Chernoff said, "Dr. Murray has been waiting 22 months for his opportunity to do this. It's the first chance we have to force the issue."

Pastor said he was inclined to allow television coverage of the trial and will hear attorneys' views on that and other issues at a Feb. 7 hearing.

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said outside court that her office has a policy of not opposing cameras in court. Cameras were allowed at the hearing Tuesday for the first time, marking a shift in Pastor's previous ban.

One of Murray's lawyers said earlier he would not seek a plea bargain, and the defense had no qualms about going to trial in spite of strong prosecution evidence at a preliminary hearing aiming to prove the doctor's gross negligence killed Jackson.

"We're going to go to trial," defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan said in an interview. "I think our case is really solid. We were very pleased with the way the evidence went at the preliminary hearing... This should result in an acquittal."

Gibbons declined to comment on whether a plea bargain had been discussed saying it would be unethical to address such a matter.

Defense attorneys not connected to the case said Murray would be well advised to plea bargain.

"If I were advising him, I would be talking to the district attorney to see what they would be willing to accept," said criminal defense attorney Steve Cron. An offer of probation with community service and temporary suspension of Murray's medical license would be worth considering if it were proposed, he said.

Pastor has suspended Murray's license to practice in California pending trial.

Legal experts said several defenses are available to Murray. Among them is the suggestion by his lawyers that Jackson, desperate for sleep, self-administered a fatal dose of propofol while Murray was out of the room. That theory would mean Jackson either injected propofol into an IV line or swallowed the drug, which is meant to be administered intravenously during surgery.

Prosecution experts are likely to challenge that scenario. They also could say Murray was negligent in leaving the drug on a night stand where Jackson could reach it.

"They've got to explain why Dr. Murray was giving him propofol in the first place, in a setting where it is not normally given," said Cron, who has been watching the case.

Murray may have to testify in his own defense to provide the answers, Cron said. Chernoff said the defense has not yet made a decision on that possibility.

"My guess is he will have to explain some of these things and present his persona to the jury as a reasonable, competent doctor," Cron said.

If convicted, Murray could face a maximum of four years in prison.

In a six-day preliminary hearing, a portrait emerged of a doctor trying to help his famous client overcome debilitating insomnia with propofol, which is not intended for home use. Jackson had used it before and demanded it, calling it his "milk."

A coroner testified that Jackson, 50, died of a propofol overdose in combination with other drugs on June 25, 2009. His death was classified as a homicide.

Murray's behavior before and after Jackson stopped breathing was detailed by household staff and paramedics. It was backed up with phone records, e-mails and, most importantly, a transcript of Murray's nearly three-hour interview with police.

Murray said he gave Jackson a low dose of propofol after spending 10 hours trying to get him to sleep using other drugs. When the star appeared to doze off, Murray said he left the room for two minutes to go to the bathroom then returned to find Jackson not breathing.

He delayed calling 911 for between 25 minutes and an hour while he tried to revive him, testimony showed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110125/ap_en_..._jackson_doctor

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Jackson family lawsuit can proceed against AEG

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday ruled the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson's mother can proceed against concert promoter AEG Live, setting up a legal showdown between Katherine Jackson and the company she blames for the "Thriller" singer's demise.

The lawsuit accuses AEG of being responsible for medical decisions made by Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, whose care was funded by the company.

Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's June 25, 2009, death, age 50, from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol which the doctor gave as a sleep aid and other sedatives and painkillers.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos on Wednesday denied a motion by AEG, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, to dismiss Katherine Jackson's case against the company.

But the judge said lawyers for the singer's 80 year-old mother would need to show evidence of fraud, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy.

Palazuelos said she had doubts about civil conspiracy, because there were no details in the lawsuit saying AEG and Murray had an agreement to break the law, in providing medical care to Jackson.

"If the object was to get him to rehearsals, I don't see that as a wrongful or illegal act," she said.

Jackson was preparing for his "This Is It" series of 50 comeback concerts in London when he died, and Murray was going to accompany him to Britain for the shows.

AEG attorney Marvin Putnam, in arguments before the judge, said the company could not have realized beforehand that Murray's medical decisions would lead to Jackson's death.

"It's not foreseeable that Michael Jackson or anyone else was going to die in their own home of propofol," Putnam said.

During a preliminary hearing last month in the criminal case against Murray, witnesses testified that propofol is administered in surgery and never recommended for home use.

The judge in that separate case found there was sufficient evidence to try Murray, and he wondered out loud why the doctor would have used propofol on Jackson as a sleep aid.

Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial is scheduled to begin on March 28. He faces a maximum of four years in prison.

Katherine Jackson's wrongful death lawsuit was filed in September and includes the singer's three children as co-plaintiffs.

Kenny Ortega, a choreographer who was directing Jackson's rehearsals, was originally named as a defendant. But Katherine Jackson's attorneys recently dropped him from the suit, citing new information.

In court papers, AEG's attorneys said the company "did not choose or hire Dr. Murray" and merely conducted negotiations aimed at "retaining him as an independent contractor."

The next hearing in Katherine Jackson's civil case is scheduled for March 22.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/sns-r...,0,646259.story

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Shouldn't they wait until the criminal trial is over before they go after AEG?

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Shouldn't they wait until the criminal trial is over before they go after AEG?

I would think so, it make much more sense to me.

Judge delays criminal trial for Jackson doctor

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Defense lawyers lost their bid Wednesday for a speedy trial for the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death when a judge postponed the case until May.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor made the move after repeatedly sparring with defense attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray about why they had not turned over more notes on witnesses and other potential evidence to prosecutors in advance of the trial.

Pastor announced the delay after meeting behind closed doors with Murray and lawyers on both sides.

He said initial screening of jurors will begin as scheduled March 24 with the distribution of questionnaires, but opening statements will not occur until at least May 9.

Murray, who has been seeking a speedy trial because of financial difficulties, said he understood the need for the delay. He has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

The case is expected to feature testimony from several experts, as well as from people who were in Jackson's rented mansion on the day he died.

Prosecutors contend Murray gave the singer a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which is normally administered in hospital settings.

One of Murray's defense attorneys, J. Michael Flanagan, has said one possible defense is the singer drank propofol, which is generally given through an IV drip.

http://www.accessatlanta.com/celebrities-t...ial-857948.html

<_< this is aggravating, they keep dragging this out, that doctor should have his tail between his legs.

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COMING SOON: Three Unreleased Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury Songs

When rock and pop icons come together in a studio, the result can be nothing short of epic! Fans of the King of Pop and rock band, Queen should be very excited. Apparently, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury recorded three tracks in the 1980's that were never released to the public.

Sadly, the songs weren't able to be enjoyed by fans before both legends' untimely deaths. But former Queen bandmate, Roger Taylor offers up this piece of news for fans.

“We are now working on some never-before-released songs that Freddie made with Michael in the early 80′s. I’m not allowed to say too much about it but they sound incredible!”

Little is known about what the songs are about, however, we were able to secure the titles of the upcoming tracks: "Victory," "State of Shock" and "There Must be More to Life Than This."

These are sure to be hit singles!

http://www.singersroom.com/news/6899/COMIN...e-Mercury-Songs

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Lawyers say singer was desperate over finances

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – 1 hr 9 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – A defense lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor said Wednesday the singer was so anguished about his deteriorating finances in his final days that he took desperate actions that caused his own death.

The statements by attorney Edward Chernoff came during a pretrial hearing in the case of Dr. Conrad Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

Chernoff was asking to see Jackson's financial records to prove a key defense theory.

"The crux of the defense is going to be that Michael Jackson engaged in a desperate act and took desperate measures that caused his death," Chernoff told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. "We believe at the time Michael Jackson died he was a desperate man in relation to his financial affairs."

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren accused the defense of trying to distract from the main issue of the trial — whether Murray acted with gross negligence when he gave Jackson the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives on the day he died..

"This is an irrelevant sideshow designed to take issues away from the jury and smear Michael Jackson," Walgren said. "It has nothing to do with the case on which Dr. Murray is being prosecuted. "

Attorney Howard Weitzman, representing the late singer's estate, also opposed the request for financial records.

"Is the theory that Michael Jackson committed suicide, took his own life?" he said incredulously. "I don't think that's a salable theory.

The judge refused to grant the request.

"I'm not going to turn an involuntary manslaughter trial into some kind of an escapade in analysis of the finances in Michael Jackson's entire life," Pastor said. "Right now this is major deep sea fishing."

However, Pastor did order Weitzman to confer with defense counsel on financial records that are already available in the public record.

The reference to Jackson's finances added a new twist to the defense case.

During an earlier preliminary hearing, Murray's lawyers suggested that Jackson, who was desperate for sleep, gave himself an additional dose of propofol while Murray was in a restroom. A coroner's report showed the singer died of an overdose of propofol and an assortment of other sedatives.

Defense lawyers never used the word suicide and implied his death was accidental but self-inflicted. They seemed poised to argue that Jackson was about to embark on an extremely strenuous concert tour because it was the only way to save himself financially.

They are likely to suggest that was why Jackson was so desperate for sleep as he was preparing for the tour. At a preliminary hearing for Murray. Jackson was quoted by a witness as saying if he didn't sleep he would have to cancel the tour.

Lawyers were ordered to return Thursday to continue screening prospective jurors through written questionnaires. Jury selection is scheduled to move into open court on May 4 and opening statements are expected on May 9.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110406/ap_en_..._jackson_doctor

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Michael Jackson: Judge delays trial of Michael Jackson's doctor while defense team consults experts

Lawyers for Conrad Murray asked for more time, saying they need to consult additional experts in microbiology, pharmacokinetics and possibly even veterinary medicine.

By Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times

May 3, 2011

A judge on Monday postponed until September the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with pop star Michael Jackson's death.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said the delay was necessary to ensure that Murray receives a fair trial.

Murray's defense asked for a delay, saying they needed time to consult additional experts in microbiology, pharmacokinetics and possibly even veterinary medicine to understand what exactly happened in Jackson's body when he died June 25, 2009, after being injected with a powerful surgical anesthetic.

The doctor's attorneys said prosecutors had sprung new experts and scientific theories on them on the eve of trial. They said they could not be ready to address the new issues in time for the trial, originally slated to begin next week.

In a motion for continuance filed Sunday, attorneys for Murray suggested the prosecutor was "hurriedly attempting to repair a case that he felt needed bolstering."

Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren told Pastor that the expert opinions were not new theories and that the defense had created the situation by insisting on invoking Murray's right to a speedy trial.

Attorneys said in court that Dr. Steven Shafer, an anesthesiologist hired by prosecutors, concluded that it was impossible for Jackson to have died from drinking the drug propofol himself, a theory defense attorneys proposed during preliminary hearings. Shafer said that if the drug had been ingested orally, the liver would have metabolized 99% of the drug before it entered the bloodstream, according to the defense motion.

Pastor said Monday that even though he was "keenly aware of and sensitive to judicial economy in these hard times," the priority was Murray's right to a full-fledged defense by his attorneys. "My fundamental concern is fundamental fairness," he said.

Murray, 58, who has pleaded not guilty, agreed to give up his right to a speedy trial at Monday's hearing.

Jury selection for the trial will begin Sept. 8.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-co...0,4241447.story

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Hooray For 'Hollywood': Michael Jackson Tops Dance/Club Play Songs

The King reigns again.

Michael Jackson leads Billboard's Dance/Club Play Songs chart for the first time in almost 16 years, as "Hollywood Tonight," from his posthumous album "Michael," rises 2-1.

With the coronation, the late King of Pop collects his eighth solo No. 1 on the survey, tying him with Enrique Iglesias for most leaders among men in the chart's 35-year history. Prince follows with seven toppers.

Madonna leads all artists with 40 Dance/Club Play Songs No. 1s, followed by Jackson's sister Janet (19). Jackson, who passed away June 25, 2009, had last ruled with Janet when their duet "Scream" led the weeks of July 15 and 22, 1995.

(Iglesias had claimed a solo share for most Dance/Club Play Songs among solo males when "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)," featuring Ludacris and DJ Frank E, topped the Feb. 5, 2011, tally. "I am such a big fan of both Prince and Jackson, and to be included in this elite group of artists is such an honor," Iglesias told Billboard at the time. "I've been reading Billboard since I was a child and I'm very proud to be part of music history").

Jackson's 15-year, 11-month break between No. 1s marks the chart's longest since Cyndi Lauper ended a 24-year, three-month gap between "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (March 24, 1984) and "Same Ol' Story" (June 28, 2008). (Lauper didn't have to wait long for her next No. 1; "Into the Nightlife" followed "Story" to the summit the week of Aug. 30, 2008).

Here is a recap of Jackson's eight solo Dance/Club Play Songs No. 1s; he first dominated as a member of the Jacksons, with "Forever Came Today" (four weeks, 1975) and "Lovely One"/"Can You Feel It"/"Walk Right Now" (one week, 1980). (Previously, combinations of album cuts were eligible to chart as one entry).

Title, Date reached No. 1, Weeks at No. 1

"Thriller (all cuts)," Jan. 22, 1983, 11 weeks

"Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" (Jermaine Jackson & Michael Jackson), June 9, 1984, three weeks

"Bad (Remix)," Nov. 7, 1987, two weeks

"The Way You Make Me Feel," Jan. 30, 1988, one week

"In the Closet," June 13, 1992, one week

"Who Is It," May 22, 1993, one week

"Scream" (Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson), July 15, 1995, two weeks

"Hollywood Tonight," June 11, 2011, one week (to-date)

http://www.billboard.com/column/chartbeat/...005208332.story

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Former Michael Jackson Video Model Tatiana Yvonne: 'King of My Heart'

Friday, June 03, 2011 10:15 AM | 11 comments

By L Burner

Tatiana Yvonne has written a new book titled "King of My Heart" about her time and experience with the late great, Michael Jackson. Tatiana was a Julliard

trained ballerina and a successful cover girl model in Japan long before her overnight success as Michael Jackson's leading lady in the video The Way You

Make Me Feel.

But it was the video that made her an instantly recognizable figure and inducted her into Hollywood's inner-circle. Rumors of a blossoming romance seemed substantiated by an ongoing association between the two, even after the video as Michael invited her on The Bad Tour. Then in the next instant it all seemed to come crashing down.

The origin, it would seem, was the kiss that was seen around the world. A unscripted, public kiss during the Bad Tour, denoting the chemistry that had began to spark between them. Though Michael did not appear to disapprove, Tatiana's accounts, it was believed Michael's handlers felt it was bad for his image.

Even though Tatiana's story does not contain salacious details of a torrid affair s in spite of the fact the she has numerous pictures that insinuates an obvious chemistry, Tatiana's credibility has been challenged and she has been stigmatized from day one.

Perhaps this says less about Tatiana and more about the media and public at large with regard to Michael. Even after Lisa Marie's emotional open letter and appearance on Oprah after his death professing how profound her love was for him, or P. Diddy's comical story about how Michael crashed his party in pursuit of Beyonce, there are still those naysayers who refuse to allow Michael to be viewed as a genuine human being capable of love and being loved. Tatiana's is one of many stories told after the passing of the King of Pop that gives insight to the man, adding a building block to the reconstruction of his image.

AllHipHop.com: You were sought after by Hollywood Royalty like Eddie Murphy, Prince and De Niro. What makes Michael the king of your heart?

Tatiana: Michael was my childhood. The very first time I laid eyes on Michael I was about 3 years old and at that moment I thought he's the one and I held on to that love and that dream of meeting him since I was a little girl.

AllHipHop.com: What was the purpose of writing a second book?

Tatiana: This second book goes more in depth with my story. Some of the same stories were in my last memoir but this one, I guess you can say, takes it home. And of course with his passing it kind of like took me full circle from the very first time I laid eyes on him and fell in love with him up until his passing....the world lost him. That made it bittersweet...full circle.

AllHipHop.com: How did you handle that?

Tatiana: Honestly...with Gods Love. I am constantly keeping my faith with God. It's still hard. Everyday I wake up I am reminded the world is not the same as I knew it. To me there is something missing. Someone I always felt in my heart of hearts was my soul mate. So it's not easy because sometimes I feel like I am half of something that's no longer here.

AllHipHop.com: I'm sure you would agree that Michael dealt with a lot of persecution and alienation when he was alive but then a lot of repressed love came to the surface after he died and people suddenly embraced him or at least that was my

perception....

Tatiana: You're perception was absolutely correct. I saw a lot of people who we're not Michael Jackson fans suddenly become Michael Jackson fans who had this new found idolization and admiration that he didn't have while he was here. What I realized is people don't always know what they have 'til it's gone. And that's heavy and it's sad but it's true. I have also seen people suddenly latch on to pieces of Michael out of new found respect and admiration. Even I felt it. I have new fans who have appreciated me more because of that. Because they learned that very same lesson.

AllHipHop.com: That's a good way to put it, a lesson.

Tatiana: Yeah and it's not a bad thing. I've always thought that's what life's about, learning lessons, sometimes the hard way. A person can only tell you so much or teach you so much. That's what life's about, living and learning.

AllHipHop.com: How did meeting Michael change your life?

Tatiana: (Hesitates)...Wow!....That's a really good question; the fact that I always believed that anything is possible with hard work and diligence. It taught me that dreams do truly come true. Even though I believed that, that was actual proof. With all my hard work and training in ballet and believing I would meet him someday...

AllHipHop.com: Anywhere in your thoughts did you ever think he would be interested or fall for you?

Tatiana: No, I actually never thought that way even though I had a friend who sort of predicted that. Remember I said in the book my friend, whom I didn't mention by name, said you should move to New York and try to meet Michael Jackson? He'd love you. (laughs) Although I didn't think that way. My whole thing was just wanting to meet him but I never entertained the idea of us falling for one another. When I did meet him and work with him it all happened very naturally. The chemistry just happened It's not something I foresaw or tried to make happen. It was just God. But it was the happiest time of my life; meeting him and working with him. I have never known happiness since then. Not that kind of happiness.

AllHipHop.com: I would imagine that would be a tough act to follow be it professionally or emotionally.

Tatiana: Also take away from that the fact that he was the greatest entertainer who ever lived. He was a guy. When we we're falling for one another it was about two people. It wasn't about his status or this larger than life image. It was at first but after we broke the ice and got to know each other he was just Michael, the guy.

AllHipHop.com: The way people view Michael has always been very polarized. They are are either viewing him as subhuman and being dehumanizing or deifying him.

Either way people don't humanize him enough to believe a beautiful woman such as yourself could fall for him. Since his death there have been many stories of him being flirtatious. Would you say his behavior qualified as flirtatious?

Tatiana: Oh completely. You tell me. The scene where we run through the car my heel had gotten stuck in the car's upholstery and Michael grabbed my leg trying to help me pull my foot out of the upholstery. I was so taken aback and so in awe that he touched my leg in such an intimate way that I pulled away and ended up falling outside on my butt. The next thing I know Michael had grabbed me up and was wiping my butt off with is hand not in a derogatory way but in a flirtatious way. When I looked back he had a devilish grin. He was a normal red-blooded male.

AllHipHop.com: I saw an interview with Vicki Lawrence around the time of the video and you we're talking about you and Michael and she joking, cutting you off and was being very rude. It's seemed like a wasted opportunity to hear about your relationship.

Tatiana: What she was doing was squandering my opportunity to grow so the public took me as a joke and didn't take me seriously but just saw me as some video vixen struttin' her stuff. She even snapped Those dance lessons sure didn't pay off Michael didn't think so. He thought my walk was sexy. He said my walk was my dance! It taught me a lesson about how really the industry treated Michael. I was under his umbrella. So it was a reflection of how they always kind of dogged him and would always play him off like he was a weirdo and now they we're making fun of me because I was growing out of that camp. It's like Firpo Carr (MJ associate) said, Being a Michael Jackson associate is not for the faint of heart or weak of the knees."

For more information on King of My Heart, click here:

http://www.firpocarr.com/michaelandtatianabook.html

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Jackson doctor's LA court hearing postponed

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent – 3 days ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A hearing in the criminal case of Michael Jackson's doctor has been postponed because lawyers are bogged down viewing hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage from the singer's "This Is It" concert.

In a conference with attorneys on Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor accepted the requests to delay a July 12 hearing to July 20. He said he wants to know then when the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray can go forward. It is now set for Sept. 8.

Prosecutors want to show jurors clips from the posthumous feature film "This Is It" to prove Jackson was healthy in the days before his death. The defense wants to show he was ill.

Murray, a Houston cardiologist with an office in Las Vegas, is accused of giving the superstar an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives when he could not sleep. Jackson died on June 15, 2009, in his rented Beverly Hills mansion where Murray had been attending him.

Murray has pleaded not guilty. The transcript of the conference with the judge and attorneys was released on Thursday.

Attorneys indicated it will take weeks for them to view all of the relevant video recordings of Jackson. They said they have been working every day since June 28 and have gotten through only one of 21 boxes of materials.

"So far, we have found a lot of important stuff," said defense attorney Nareg Gourjian.

Attorneys have been barred from discussing publicly any evidence they find in the videos.

Prosecutor Deborah Brazil said she has been working along with Gourjian, defense attorney Ed Chernoff, Sony lawyer Kevin Vick and a technician going through material on computer hard drives.

Gourjian, who originally estimated there were 100 hours of footage from rehearsals, said he now believes there is much more.

"There are about eight to ten different cameras that were recording the rehearsals and each one has different views and different footage," he said. "So it is critical that we review the footage from each camera."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...42b9b541e8e2c5b

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Michael Jackson's family plans tribute concert

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's mother and four of her of children called a news conference in Beverly Hills on Monday to announce a concert "in honor of one of the greatest and most loved entertainers of our time."

While a news release avoided using Michael Jackson's name, the website of the company that issued it promoted a "Michael Forever The Tribute Concert."

Executors for the late pop singer's estate were unaware of the planned tribute and have not been approached to authorize the use of his name, estate spokesman Jim Bates told CNN on Monday.

The show, which is to be produced in London by a British company, will "feature the world's most amazing music performers," the release said. Some of them will presumably be revealed at the news conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Monday.

Along with matriarch Katherine Jackson, brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie, and sister La Toya Jackson were scheduled to attend the announcement, the release said.

The brothers recently began planning for a possible Jackson reunion show, Jermaine Jackson told CNN last month.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebr...ribute.concert/

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Jermain on Micheal's death around 28:30

http://www.rtl.nl/xl/#/u/0b344700-2304-388...b-9221e5a244f8/

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No acts set for Michael Jackson tribute at ticket sales deadline

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A planned Michael Jackson tribute concert, supported by the late pop star's mother and four siblings, was in disarray Thursday amid family squabbling and the apparent failure of promoters to sign any big-name acts so far.

Tickets for the show, scheduled for Cardiff, Wales, in October, were to go on sale Thursday, but instead of providing a link for purchases the promoter's website asked fans to "Please Standby for further announcements."

The head of the British company promoting the concert promised last week it would "feature the world's most amazing music performers." The roster would be revealed online one act at a time over the next 10 days weeks, Global Live Events CEO Chris Hunt told reporters at a July 25 news conference.

"Everybody's in the midst of signing contracts so nothing can be announced until that happens," Juliette Harris, spokeswoman for Global Live Events, told CNN late Tuesday. She suggested an announcement would come Wednesday.

By Thursday, still no acts had been announced.

The problems started soon after brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie, sister La Toya and family matriarch Katherine Jackson attended the "Michael Forever: The Tribute Concert" announcement at the Beverly Hills Hotel on July 25.

La Toya Jackson said it was "something that's spectacular" while the Jacksons' mother called it "a show fit for a king."

"If my son were here today, he would feel the same way," Katherine Jackson said.

"I know my brother would be very, very proud to see all the artists that he admired and respected so much coming together for this event," Tito Jackson said.

But an hour later, Jermaine and Randy Jackson, the only brothers not at the news conference, issued a sharply worded statement that reflected a deep division within the Jackson family over the show.

"We want to make clear that this does not reflect the position of the entire family," the two brothers said in a joint statement.

"While we wholeheartedly support the spirit of a tribute that honors our brother, we find it impossible to support an event that is due to take place during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death."

While Hunt had hinted it could include a Jackson brothers reunion, the statement from Jermaine and Randy Jackson made it clear that would not happen.

"In light of this, we feel it is inappropriate to be involved with such an ill-timed event and its promoter, Global Live," Randy and Jermaine Jackson said.

Their statement said the idea of the October concert was presented to the entire family in April "as an idea already in its advanced stages." The decision to go ahead with it "disrespects opinions and wishes expressed in the strongest terms" by some members of the Jackson family, they said.

The Michael Jackson Fan Club agreed with the two brothers, issuing a similar statement.

"We share their concerns that this concert is taking place at a most inappropriate time when everyone's care and attention should be focused on the matter of justice. We believe that, as stated by Jermaine and Randy, the most important tribute we can give to Michael Jackson at this time is to seek justice in his name."

Jackson fans posted messages on the concert's Facebook page questioning ticket prices and the process for buying them.

Fans must place bids for a chance to buy a ticket. The higher their pledge to a charity, the better their chances of getting a good seat.

"The ticket system is so bad!! the higher you bid the better seats you get?? not every Michael fan is rich!!!" one fan posted on the "Michael Forever Tribute" Facebook page Thursday.

After several days of such negative posts, a link to the Facebook page was removed from the concert's website.

The October 8 show, in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, which seats 75,000 people, would be at least four hours long, Hunt said.

In addition to the other problems surrounding the event, a spokesman for Michael Jackson's estate said last week that the promoters never sought or obtained permission from the estate's executors to use late pop singer's name or image.

"The estate has not been contacted and is not involved with Global Live Events in the UK tribute concert announced today," spokesman Jim Bates told CNN.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebr...ibute.derailed/

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Michael Jackson’s doctor trial off to emotional start

LOS ANGELES - Grim photos of Michael Jackson lying dead in a hospital bed juxtaposed with a picture of the Thriller singer rehearsing the day before his demise brought an emotional opening Tuesday to the manslaughter trial of the doctor hired to care for him.

In opening arguments two years after Jackson’s sudden death by drug overdose, prosecutor David Walgren told jurors that the pop star “literally put his life in the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray.”

But Walgren added: “That misplaced trust had far too high a price to pay. That misplaced trust in the hands of Conrad Murray cost Michael Jackson his life.”

Murray has pleaded not guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson on June 25, 2009, but faces a prison sentence of up to four years if convicted.

The doctor has admitted giving the 50 year-old pop star a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleeping aid. But his attorneys are expected to argue during the four-to-six week trial that it was not a fatal dose, and that a drug-addicted Jackson somehow gave himself the additional propofol that, combined with other drugs in his system, killed him.

Jackson’s parents, Joe and Katherine, his sisters, Janet and La Toya, and other family members were in court Tuesday, while outside dozens of fans outside the courtroom held sunflowers, pictures of the dead pop star, and placards saying “Justice for Michael”.

Murray entered the courthouse though a side door, avoiding the media presence outside. Several people, some holding “Team Murray” placards, came to support the doctor.

Jackson’s lifeless body was found at his rented Los Angeles mansion just three weeks before a series of 50 planned London comeback concerts that had been titled This Is It.

Walgren opened the prosecution case by showing jurors a photo of a thin Jackson lying dead on a hospital gurney, side by side with a picture of him singing and dancing while rehearsing for the concerts one day before. Footage of the rehearsals were made into Jackson’s posthumous concert movie “This Is It” in 2009, that became a global box office hit.

Jurors in the trial are expected to hear testimony from the paramedics who transported Jackson to the hospital, medical experts, Jackson’s choreographer and Murray’s girlfriends.

The first prosecution witness is expected to be Kenny Ortega, the choreographer and film director who was hired to stage the London shows and who was conducting rehearsals with Jackson in Los Angeles.

Celebrity attorney Mark Geragos, who once represented Jackson and has closely watched the criminal case against Murray, said that Jackson’s 13-year-old daughter, Paris, might also be called to testify in what would likely be one of the most dramatic moments of the trial.

“She not only has things to say, but she can say it in a compelling way,” Geragos told Reuters. Paris Jackson was at the house when the singer stopped breathing.

Geragos said he believes prosecutors could have a difficult time winning a conviction — and that a hung jury with no conviction or acquittal is more likely.

“Jurors are loathe to convict doctors in this type of a situation,” Geragos said, adding that often jurors do not want to second-guess doctors.

The responses of the 12-person jury to written questionnaires made public last week show that none of them reported having a negative experience with doctors.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Michael+...l#ixzz1ZCVji5x8

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sorry if reposts