Experts repeatedly told jurors that Michael Jackson’s doctor acted with “gross negligence” throughout his treatment of the pop superstar, a theme that will likely be repeated as prosecutors near the end of their involuntary manslaughter case against the physician.

The conclusion of the prosecution’s case, which may come on Thursday but more likely will extend into next week, brings defense attorneys a step closer to revealing how they will counter damaging evidence presented through more than 30 witnesses so far. The defense case shifted Wednesday when an attorney for Dr. Conrad Murray revealed he was abandoning the theory that Jackson swallowed the fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol.

The Houston-based cardiologist has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have repeatedly told jurors they will show Jackson self-administered either the anesthetic or the sedative lorazepam without Murray’s knowledge. They had invested months before the trial on the theory that Jackson somehow drank propofol and caused his own death.

Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan stunned a judge and prosecutors before testimony resumed Wednesday that the results of a study he commissioned confirmed that if Jackson swallowed the anesthetic, its effects would be “trivial” and the issue wouldn’t be raised with jurors.

Murray’s attorneys may still argue that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of the drugs, but a pair of experts told jurors that even if that happened, it didn’t change that Murray went far astray from medical norms.

The experts, a cardiologist and a sleep expert who both practice emergency medicine, said Murray should have never been giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid.

“It’s beyond a departure from the standard of care into something unfathomable,”

said, Dr. Nader Kamanger, a UCLA sleep expert.

Kamanger said that even if Jackson did somehow give himself the fatal dose of a drug, Murray would still be at fault.

“Here you have a patient that may potentially have a substance abuse problem,”

Kamanger said.

“It sounds like he had a substance abuse problem,”

the doctor said, noting that Murray left the singer alone in his bedroom on June 25, 2009 with a variety of drugs readily available.

Jackson’s death, he said, was “a foreseeable complication.”

Both Kamanger and Dr. Alon Steinberg, a cardiologist, said Murray’s admission that he didn’t call 911 for at least 20 minutes and his ineffectual resuscitation efforts left Jackson with little chance for survival.

“Every minute counts,”

Steinberg said, adding that even a five-minute delay in calling could be the difference between life and death. He called Murray’s behavior “strange” and along with Kamanger criticized the cardiologist for trying to perform CPR on Jackson’s bed rather than a hard surface.

Kamanger and Steinberg each listed multiple reasons for why they felt Murray acted with “gross negligence” while acting as Jackson’s personal physician as the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts in 2009. Steinberg noted that Murray lacked sophisticated medical equipment that is present in hospital settings where propofol is supposed to be administered.

Kamanger said there was no evidence that Murray attempted to diagnose the underlying reasons why Jackson couldn’t sleep and was giving the singer sedatives that were addictive.

Kamanger will undergo cross-examination when court resumes on Thursday. Prosecutors are expected to conclude their portion of the case by calling anesthesiology professor and researcher Dr. Steven Shafer, who is a leading expert on propofol.

Defense attorneys will likely call several witnesses and are relying on another anesthesiologist, Dr. Paul White, to try to counter the prosecution experts. White sat in the courtroom Wednesday, occasionally conferring with Flanagan and Murray’s other defense attorneys.

The cardiologist faces up to four years behind bars and the loss of his medical license if convicted.

Source: WashingtonPost.com

Every day is a lottery at the trial of Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson’s doctor, who stands accused of killing perhaps the world’s most famous singer.
Jackson fans line up against the courtroom wall at 07:30 every morning in the hope of winning a draw for one of the few seats in the public gallery.

Like millions of others across America and the world they could watch it on the internet or on TV, but there is obviously something more to be gained from being there in person, sitting just a few feet from the lawyers, the family and the accused.

I joined the draw two days in a row – second-time lucky – to get a feel for the courtroom and to immerse myself in a trial that has been creating a buzz across America.

It was an interesting day to sit in on the trial.

It was a day which began with what the TV pundits called a “cornerstone of the defence” being pulled away, and went on to hear some damning accusations of “gross negligence” against the man whom Michael Jackson trusted as his doctor.

Before proceedings even began, before the 16 men and women of the jury had been buzzed into their seats, the defence had conceded Michael Jackson could not have drunk the drug which killed him.

Propofol is what it the trial all about.

It is is an extremely strong sedative and Michael Jackson was having his doctor use it to help him get to sleep.

It was a combination of that and a number of other sedatives which caused his death – and as the man prescribing the pills, injections and intravenous drugs, Conrad Murray stands accused of causing his death by involuntary manslaughter.

One key line of defence is that Michael Jackson took the drugs himself, when his doctor was not looking.

A presumption made by the countless commentators, TV experts, ex-prosecutors and journalists was that Michael Jackson drank the drug. But research by both the prosecution and the defence proved it was only effective if injected straight into the blood.

And so a line of questioning defence lawyers may have used, and indeed hinted they would use, was dropped – but not the theory of self-medication altogether.

Jackson could have injected himself, or taken other pills, but that is for another day of evidence or for when the defence case begins.

But this day was all about independent medical experts and their professional opinion of Dr Murray. They were not impressed.

For much of the day cardiologist Dr Alon Steinberg was in the stand, describing how he had reviewed Dr Murray’s own account of what happened the night Michael Jackson died, as told to a detective.

He outlined six separate instances of what he called “gross negligence.”

“Propofol should never be given as a sleeping drug,”

was his premise, explaining it was a strong sedative used as an anaesthetic in surgical operations and its use in this way was negligent and unethical.

Once given the drug, Michael Jackson should have been monitored properly, all the time, with heart and blood pressure monitors, back-up drugs and equipment in case anything went wrong.

And perhaps most damning of all, he said the way Conrad Murray reacted when Jackson stopped breathing was “responsible for the singer’s death”.

By not immediately calling the emergency services, taking the wrong action in those vital few minutes and not having prepared for an emergency, he had made “a direct contribution to Michael Jackson’s death”, Dr Steinberg told the court.

The second witness, Professor Nader Kamangar, was equally critical of the use of such a powerful sedative which he said required proper training and was usually given in a hospital or clinical environment, not in someone’s home.

He also reviewed Conrad Murray’s account of what happened, and as a sleep medicine expert stressed propofol should not be used for insomnia.

The two independent witnesses helped build up a strong picture of a poor doctor who did not follow basic procedure and was negligent.

It is a picture the defence will be keen to undermine in the cross-examination of Prof Kamangar, with the prosecution continuing to build its case against Conrad Murray as the trial approaches its half-way mark.

Meanwhile the Jackson fans will keep on arriving for the daily lottery, to secure one of those precious seats in the courtroom.

Source: BBC.co.uk

Pulmonary and sleep expert Dr. Nader Kamangar testified that using propofol to treat a sleep disorder is an extreme departure from the standard of care calling it, “inconceivable.”

Dr. Kamangar said using propofol outside of a hospital setting without monitoring equipment is “nothing we would even really conceive of doing.”

Two days after Michael Jackson died Dr. Conrad Murray told L.A.P.D. detectives he gave Jackson the anesthetic propofol along with other sedatives to help him sleep.

Dr. Kamangar said the method Dr. Murray used to administer two of those sedatives was improper.

Prosecutor David Walgren asked Dr. Kamangar:

“The lorazepam and midazolam were given by intravenous administration . . . was that an extreme deviation from the standard of care?”

Dr. Kamangar replied,

“Absolutely.”

The defense is arguing that Dr. Murray’s actions did not cause Jackson’s death. Instead the defense is pushing the theory that Jackson gave himself propofol and other sleep medications without Dr. Murray knowing, creating the lethal cocktail that killed him.

Dr. Kamangar testified that having drugs around a person like Jackson with a potential history of drug abuse could lead to a foreseeable situation where Jackson self-administered.

Walgren said,

“If one assumes that Mr. Jackson self-administered… Conrad Murray is still responsible for creating a life-endangering situation . . . Conrad Murray played a direct role in causing Michael Jackson’s death?”

Dr. Kamangar replied,

“That’s correct.”

The defense will begin it’s cross-examination of Dr. Kamangar Thursday morning. After the defense finishes with Dr. Kamangar, the state is expected to call its last witness anesthesiologist, Dr. Steven Shafer.

Source: CNN.com

Michael Jackson could still be alive if six ‘extreme deviations’ in his treatment had been avoided, a court heart yesterday.

Cardiologist Dr Alon Steinberg listed six flaws in Conrad Murray’s treatment in Los Angeles Superior Court which had a direct impact on the 50-year-old ‘Thriller’ star’s death.

Prompted by prosecutors, he described Murray’s ‘bizarre’ behaviour in trying to revive Jackson after he stopped breathing on June 25, 2009, and his catalogue of elementary blunders in caring for the star. Wednesday a jury heard how Conrad Murray made a series of obvious errors in the minutes before Michael Jackson died.

He told the court that Murray:

Should not have used Propofol, a powerful hospital anaesthetic, to treat Jackson’s chronic insomnia.
Should not have given Jackson Propofol in a home without proper equipment, medical personnel or back-up.
Did not make sufficient preparations in case of an emergency.
Botched Jackson’s care after his breathing stopped, ‘inexcusably’ giving CPR with one hand on a bed. He should have tried to get air into Jackson’s lungs after the star stopped breathing, rather than trying to jump-start his heart which was still beating. He should also have used two hands for CPR on a hard surface.
Took too long to call 911 after the pop star stopped breathing, especially since it took paramedics only four minutes to reach the scene.
Failed to keep any medical records on Jackson to help treat him in an emergency.

Cardiologist Dr. Alon Steinberg detailed numerous errors, including wrongly administered CPR, failure to call 911, misusing Propofol and not having proper medical equipment.

‘All these extreme deviations, giving Propofol in the wrong setting without proper equipment or personnel, not making proper preparations, not calling 911 in a timely manner, not keeping records, all directly impacted on Mr Jackson’s life,’

said the cardiologist.

‘When you monitor a patient you never leave their side, especially after giving them Propofol. It’s like leaving a baby that’s sleeping on your kitchen counter top. You would never do it because there is a chance the baby could wake up and fall off or grab a knife or something. You just don’t do it.’

‘If these deviations didn’t happen, Mr Jackson could have been alive.’

Murray, 58, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter by administering Jackson a lethal dose of Propofol to help him sleep.

But Dr Steinberg listed the medical equipment Murray should have had on hand for dealing with a potential emergency.

“Murray tried giving one-handed chest compressions to Jackson as he lay on the bed, instead of using two hands on a hard surface. Either way Murray was wrong as Jackson still had a pulse when he began”

They included equipment for checking his heart rate, his oxygen levels, a back-up battery, a backboard for CPR, a defibrillator to shock the heart, life-saving drugs and trained assistants.

‘It is basic knowledge in America that when someone is down you need to call 911 for help. One of the first things Dr Murray should have done was call 911. There was a significant delay,’

he said.

The cardiologist criticised Murray for calling an assistant rather than an ambulance. 

‘Every minute counts,’

he added.

He added that he’d never heard of Propofol being used outside a hospital.

Dr Steinberg was testifying after Dr Christopher Rogers, the Los Angeles Deputy Medical Examiner, insisted Jackson could not have killed himself by self-administering Propofol.

He told jurors that the circumstances of Jackson’s death didn’t support the claim by Murray’s lawyers that the singer was to blame for his own death.

‘In order for Mr Jackson to have administered the Propofol to himself, you would have to assume he woke up and although he was under the influence of Propofol and other sedatives, he was somehow able to administer Propofol to himself,’

said Dr Rogers.

‘Then he stops breathing and all this takes place in a two-minute period of time. To me, that scenario seems less reasonable.’

Jackson could have survived had 911 been called, experts testified, who also said there is no way the pop star could have given himself the lethal dose of sedatives.

Murray’s lawyer, Michael Flanagan told the judge the defense was dropping the claim that Jackson may have swallowed a deadly dose of Propofol to cause his own death.

Dr Steinberg insisted that Jackson’s life could have been saved if Murray called 911 the moment he discovered the star’s breathing had stopped.

‘He was definitely savable at that point. There was a delay in calling 911. If they had got there six minutes later Mr Jackson would still be alive,’

said the cardiologist.

‘He had a heart pressure and the heart was getting excited and there wasn’t enough oxygen. If he had all the help and equipment that he didn’t have, Dr Murray could probably have saved Mr Jackson at that point.

‘He should never have started chest compressions. He should have called 911. Obviously, waiting didn’t work.

‘If you put all these things together, yes, he’s responsible.’

He added that Murray’s use of Propofol was ‘unethical and untested.’

The case continues.

Source: DailyMail.com

The big debate following Tuesday’s testimony focused on the prosecution’s decision to display a photo of a deceased and nearly naked Michael Jackson during testimony from the medical examiner who performed his autopsy. We hear some people were brought to tears by the image, including one Michael Jackson fan who was seated in the gallery and had to leave the room.

But difficult as it might have been for many to view, HLN correspondent and In Session anchor Ryan Smith says the controversial decision to show the picture may have been made to get the jury to “connect with the victim.”

Source: CNN.com

The audio recording of the police interview with Dr. Conrad Murray just days after Michael Jackson’s death will be strong evidence for the prosecution… but HLN correspondent and In Session anchor Ryan Smith points out it could end up helping the defense.

In a way, he says, it allows the doctor to testify in his own words, but without having to be subjected to cross examination.

Source: CNN.com

EXPERTS will today give evidence to explain complex medical evidence heard in the trial against Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray.

He is accused of killing the singer with an overdose of powerful sedative propofol.

Prosecutors are winding down their case against Murray and will call three experts in cardiology, pharmacology and the anaesthetic.

Dr Alon Steinberg – one of the leading cardiologists for the California Medical Board – told the jury that Murray demonstrated an “extreme deviation” from standard practices in his care for Jacko.

He said he reviewed Murray’s case relying solely on transcripts from the doctor’s police interview and found six separate and distinct deviations of standard of care.

Dr Steinberg, who emphasised that “every minute counts” when someone is down, said he found it “strange” that Murray significantly delayed called the emergency services by ringing Jacko’s assistant instead.

The doctor told the jury he had never heard of anyone using Propofol for sleep.

Among the witnesses is Dr Steven Shafer, a researcher and professor who is a leading expert in the drug.

The trial is now into its third week.

Murray told yesterday of the moment in hospital Jacko’s kids were told he was dead – and how they sobbed that they didn’t want to be orphans.

Paris, Prince and Blanket begged medical staff to let them see their dad minutes after efforts to resuscitate the King of Pop had failed.

They then held a vigil by his body.

The Los Angeles Superior Court jury was yesterday shown a shocking new photo of Jacko’s lifeless naked body, taken during an autopsy.

He was seen lying with his eyes closed and his arms outstretched by his side — and appeared to have wads of cotton wool on his lower arms.

Physician Murray, 58, does not deny administering the hospital anaesthetic to help Jackson sleep.

His defence claim Jacko killed himself by taking more of the drug, along with another sedative lorazepam, after Murray – who is charged with involuntary manslaughter – had left the room.

Source: TheSun.co.uk

Prosecutors have called a cardiologist as an expert to testify against the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death.

They called Dr. Alon Steinberg to explain to jurors the role of a cardiologist and explain how Dr. Conrad Murray’s treatment of Jackson deviated from general standards.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Authorities contend he gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anaesthetic propofol, but Murray’s attorneys claim Jackson gave himself the fatal dose.

Steinberg is one of three expert witnesses who are expected to wind down the prosecution’s case against Murray, who faces four years behind bars and the loss of his medical license if convicted.

Steinberg told jurors he is not an expert in anesthesiology, sleep treatment or addiction.

Source: Forbes.com

An anesthesiologist is expected to take the stand Wednesday in the trial of Michael Jackson’s personal physician to testify about Dr. Conrad Murray’s use of the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat his pop star patient.

Dr. Steven Shafer, a professor of anesthesiology at Columbia University and editor in chief of the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia, is one of a series of medical experts expected to testify about Murray’s administering of the powerful drug in a home setting.

Propofol, which is known to carry a risk of respiratory or cardiac depression, is typically used for surgeries in hospital operating rooms.

Shafer was retained by prosecutors in Murray’s involuntary manslaughter case and prepared several reports giving his expert opinion.

One of Shafer’s reports, which offered the opinion that propofol would not have any effect if taken orally, led defense attorneys to ask for a delay in the trial earlier this year.Shafer said that if ingested orally, the liver would have metabolized 99% of the drug before it entered the bloodstream. The defense has theorized that Jackson either drank or injected himself with propofol and caused his own death.

Jackson died June 25, 2009, from acute intoxication of propofol.

A coroner’s medical examiner testified Tuesday that he ruled the pop star’s death a homicide because of the inadequate condition in which Murray gave the drug, and because he did not believe Jackson could have given himself the lethal dose.

If convicted, Murray faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

Source: LATimes.com

One of the most chilling moments of the Conrad Murray trial was the playing of that slurred audio recording of Michael Jackson, allegedly taped by Dr. Murray.

For many, that recording is proof that the King of Pop suffered from substance abuse. However, Dr. Murray alleges that he had no idea that other doctors were supplying MJ with drugs, in his jaw-dropping statement to police.

Dr. John Dombrowski, an anesthesiologist and pain-management specialist, appeared on Dr. Drew’s HLN show Tuesday night to discuss this issue.

“When a patient comes to me in the operating room, I have to know every medication he or she is on, so I know how the anesthetic will interact with the individual,”

Dr. Dombrowski explained.

“We as anesthesiologists are personally responsible for that patient … you have to know the medication he is getting. If you use propofol, you will know how to monitor the patient and how much to give the patient.”

Ryan Smith, host on truTV’s In Session, asked if that meant Dr. Murray may have failed Jackson by not getting to know who Jackson was interacting with … affecting his treatment.

Dr. Dombrowski replied by saying that it’s important to make sure all the medical professionals are coordinating together so they get the right care to the patient.

“When he’s [Dr. Murray] providing this level of care to Michael Jackson, he sees what medication is around him,”

Dr. Dombrowski noted.

“He can’t help but notice it. He can pick up the bottle, read what he’s taking – my goodness – ‘[say], let me give this physician a call.’ We do it all the time as anesthesiologists and people that specialize in pain medicine.”

Dr. Dombrowski ended the interview with another significant point.

“Any time you give anyone an anesthetic, you never leave the patient,”

he said.

“You don’t say, ‘he self-administered – he drunk it – went someplace else.’ I am always there in attendance to find out what goes on. You never abandon the patient at any time.”

Watch http://www.hlntv.com/DrDrew Dr. Drew weeknights on HLN at 9 p.m. ET and follow him on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/drdrewhln @DrDrewHLN

Source: CNN.com

Prosecutors have just three more witnesses to call in their effort to prove Dr. Conrad Murray should be held criminally responsible for the death of Michael Jackson.

A cardiologist, an anesthesiologist and a sleep expert are lined up to testify starting Wednesday morning about the treatment Murray gave Jackson in his last days — medical care the prosecution contends was recklessly negligent.

With about three days of defense testimony expected, closing arguments could be just a week away in Murray’s involuntary manslaughter trial.

The pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Jackson testified Tuesday that while it was physically possible Jackson could have given himself the overdose that killed him, Murray is still guilty of causing his death because he gave him access to the dangerous drugs.

If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Murray could spend four years in a California prison and lose his medical license.

The closing days of the prosecution case should be filled with science, a contrast to the girlfriends’ testimony, dramatic audio recordings and shocking death photos that highlighted the first 10 days of testimony.

The Los Angeles County coroner ruled that Jackson’s June 25, 2009, death was from “acute propofol intoxication” in combination with several sedatives.

The prosecution contends Murray’s negligence led to Jackson’s overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol and his effort to conceal his actions caused delays in efforts to resuscitate him.

The defense claims Jackson caused his own death by swallowing eight lorazepam pills and drinking or injecting propofol into his body in a desperate search for sleep while Murray was briefly away from him.

Murray was hired as Jackson’s personal physician while he prepared for his “This Is It” comeback concerts in London, planned to start in July 2009.

A stark photo of Michael Jackson’s naked corpse lying on the autopsy table a day after he died was displayed on a large screen in front of the jury Tuesday.

A Jackson fan who won a lottery for a seat in court became so upset she fled, while other fans quietly wept and hugged each other.

Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson, who was forewarned by the prosecutor, chose to leave the courtroom during the mid-morning break, before the pathologist who autopsied her son took the witness stand.

The photograph was shown during the testimony of Dr. Christopher Rogers, the Los Angeles County deputy medical examiner who conducted the autopsy and ruled Jackson’s death a homicide.

Rogers said Murray’s admission in a police interview that he used propofol to treat Jackson’s insomnia was a factor in his conclusion it was a homicide, not an accidental death.

He said Murray’s use of propofol in Jackson’s home without proper monitoring and resuscitation equipment or a “precision dosing device” contributed to the singer’s propofol overdose and subsequent death.

“Essentially, the doctor would be estimating how much propofol he would be giving,”

Rogers testified.

“I think it would be easy under those circumstances for the doctor to estimate wrong and give too much propofol.”

Murray, in the interview played for the jury over the past two days of testimony, told detectives he gave Jackson a series of three sedatives — Valium, lorazepam and midazolam — over a 10-hour period before finally giving in to Jackson’s plea for propofol.

“I’ve got to sleep, Dr. Conrad,”

Murray said Jackson pleaded to him.

“I have these rehearsals to perform. I must be ready for the show in England. Tomorrow, I will have to cancel my performance, because you know I cannot function if I don’t get to sleep.”

Murray said he injected a small dose of propofol using a syringe, but the prosecution contends he also used a makeshift IV setup to keep Jackson medicated and asleep. That drip may have malfunctioned while the doctor was not monitoring his patient, they contend.

The propofol bottle that prosecutors say Murray used for the IV drip had a slit in the rubber top, which Rogers said is evidence it was part of the drip system.

On the recording, Murray insisted he kept a close watch on Jackson after he finally fell asleep. The physician never mentioned the long list of e-mails and calls that cell phone records later revealed.

Rogers testified it was unlikely that Jackson self-administered the deadly dose of propofol in the two minutes Murray said he was away from him, but he conceded under defense questioning that it was physically possible.

Jackson could have reached the IV port near his left knee to self-inject propofol, he said. If Jackson pushed the drug in quickly, it could have made his heart stop immediately, Rogers said.

Rogers later added, under questioning by the prosecutor, that he would still consider it a homicide even if Jackson administered the fatal overdose to himself since the doctor would have been negligent in leaving the drugs nearby.

His testimony also gave some support to the defense theory that Jackson orally ingested an overdose of lorazepam from a pill bottle next to his deathbed.

A toxicology study of Jackson’s stomach contents, conducted in recent months, showed a level of lorazepam four times higher in the stomach that in his blood.

“There would have to be some oral lorazepam taken somewhere along the line,”

Rogers testified, after taking a moment to do some quick math while on the witness stand.

Earlier Tuesday, jurors heard the last 45 minutes of the police interview in which Murray pointed the finger away from himself to other doctors.

“I was not aware of any other medications that he was taking, but I heard that he was seeing a Dr. Klein three times a week in Beverly Hills,”

Murray told police.

“And he never disclosed that to me.”

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff contended at the start of the trial that Dr. Arnold Klein had addicted Jackson to Demerol, a narcotic pain reliever, during the singer’s regular visits to his Beverly Hills dermatology clinic in the weeks before his death.

His inability to sleep the day he died was a side effect of his withdrawal from Demerol, a factor Murray was unaware of, Chernoff contended.

Toxicology tests did not find Demerol in Jackson’s blood at the time of his death, but the defense contention is his inability to sleep the day he died was a side effect of his withdrawal from Demerol, a factor Murray was unaware of.

Lt. Scott Smith, the Los Angeles Police Department’s lead investigator in the case, acknowledged there was “head-butting” between Los Angeles Police and the coroner’s office over who would interview Klein in the weeks after Jackson’s death.

An LAPD lieutenant called the assistant chief coroner and demanded they not interview Klein

“because we had other entities, if you will, that were looking into Dr. Klein and his dealings, so there would be some, perhaps, head-butting over that,”

Smith said.

Investigators from California’s Drug Enforcement Agency were designated to probe Klein, Smith said. He was never prosecuted or disciplined for his treatment of Jackson.

Murray’s police interview also including a description of the reaction of her 11-year-old Paris Jackson to the news that her father was dead.

“I will wake up in the morning, and I won’t be able to see my daddy,”

Paris said, according to Murray.

Source: CNN.com

Prosecutors plan to wrap up their case against the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death by calling three experts intended to help jurors make sense of the complex medical evidence they have been presented.

Prosecutors told a judge overseeing the involuntary manslaughter case against Dr. Conrad Murray that their remaining witnesses will include experts in cardiology, pulmonary and sleep issues and a leading researcher on the anesthetic propofol, which is blamed in the pop star’s death, a transcript shows.

The government’s case against Murray may conclude late this week or early next, although an exact timetable remains unclear. Murray’s defense attorneys are likely to vigorously challenge the experts, especially Dr. Steven Shafer, a researcher and Columbia University professor who will be called upon to explain propofol and its effects.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told a judge he plans to call Shafer as his final witness.

Murray’s attorneys are expected to present a defense case that includes their own witness on propofol.

Authorities say Murray gave Jackson a fatal dose of the surgical anesthetic in June 2009. Murray has pleaded not guilty in the case. The Houston-based cardiologist’s lawyers say that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose.

The other experts are Dr. Elon Steinberg, a cardiologist, and Nader Kamanger, an expert in pulmonary and sleep issues.

Prosecutors hope the trio’s testimony will support their contentions that Murray acted recklessly by giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid in the singer’s bedroom.

The outside experts’ testimony comes a day after a medical examiner told jurors that it was unreasonable to believe that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of propofol when Murray left the room for only two minutes.

Dr. Christopher Rogers, who conducted the autopsy on Jackson, testified Tuesday it was more likely that Murray overdosed the singer when he incorrectly estimated how much of the drug he was giving Jackson to induce sleep to fight insomnia. He said Murray had no precision dosing device available in the bedroom of Jackson’s rented mansion.

“The circumstances, from my point of view, do not support self-administration of propofol,”

said Rogers, chief of forensic medicine in the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

Rogers analyzed two possible scenarios for Jackson’s death. The first was the defense theory that while Murray stepped away to go to the bathroom, Jackson gave himself an extra dose of the drug he called his “milk.”

“In order for Mr. Jackson to have administered the propofol to himself, you would have to assume he woke up and although he was under the influence of … propofol and other sedatives, he was somehow able to administer propofol to himself,”

Rogers testified.

“Then he stops breathing and all of this takes place in a two-minute period of time,”

Rogers said.

“To me, that scenario seems less reasonable.”

“Less reasonable than what?”

Walgren asked.

“The alternate scenario would be in order to keep Mr. Jackson asleep, the doctor would have to give him a little bit every hour, two or three tablespoons an hour,”

Rogers said, noting that propofol is a short-acting drug that wears off quickly.

Source: washingtonpost.com

Michael Jackson could not have given himself the powerful anaesthetic that caused his death, the medic who carried out the singer’s autopsy has testified.

Dr Christopher Rogers said it was more likely Jackson’s personal physician Conrad Murray mistakenly gave him too much of the drug propofol to try to help him sleep.

He added Dr Murray had no precision dosing device in Jackson’s bedroom.

Dr Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

His lawyers claim Jackson gave himself the fatal dose while Dr Murray was out of the room.

The doctor told police, in an interview heard in court last week, that he was away from Jackson’s bed for only two minutes on 25 June 2009 to go to the bathroom, and returned to find the singer was not breathing.

However Dr Rogers testified that Jackson – who was already heavily sedated – would not have been able to inject a lethal dose of propofol before Murray returned.

“The circumstances, from my point of view, do not support self-administration of propofol,”

the chief of forensic medicine at the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said.

Dr Murray has admitted to giving Jackson 25ml of the drug to help him sleep, and would have had to give regular extra doses to keep the singer unconscious.

Dr Rogers said evidence found in Jackson’s bedroom included an empty 100ml bottle of propofol.

But he noted that as Dr Murray had no accurate equipment to check the doses being administered,

“essentially, the doctor would be estimating how much propofol he was giving”.

“I think it would be easy under those circumstances for the doctor to estimate wrong and give too much propofol,”

Dr Rogers said.

He also noted the lack of sophisticated medical equipment in Jackson’s bedroom where the drugs were administered, such as resuscitation equipment.

Dr Rogers said the cause of death was “acute propofol intoxication”, ruling the death a homicide.

The trial in Los Angeles Superior Court is expected to last five weeks, until the end of October.

If Dr Murray is convicted, he faces up to four years in jail.

Source: bbcnews.com

Smokey Robinson says he doesn’t want his sympathy for Dr. Murray to be misinterpreted as support, saying he does “feel sorry” for the guy …but still believes Murray is 100% GUILTY.

Earlier this week, Smokey told Access Hollywood:

“I actually feel sorry in a way for the doctor .. he was just under the influence of being so happy to be around Michael Jackson.”

Now, Smokey says he does not want anyone to be confused about his stance on the manslaughter case:

“Let me be clear, I believe Dr. Murray is responsible for Michael Jackson’s death through his absolute negligence.

I knew Michael Jackson since he was 10 years old and loved him like a little brother. His untimely death was one of the most tragic events in my life.”

Source: TMZ

The following statement has been released from the Michael Jackson Estate regarding and in response to Michael’s wishes and plans to build a children’s hospital. Michael Jackson’s Children’s Hospital.

We all know how much Michael cared about children and children’s charities, among his many causes, and we also know that many of Michael’s fans want to honor him by making charitable donations or volunteering their time to help others. We have received many inquiries from concerned and caring fans looking for information to help them in making their choices in this regard.

Although we are not at liberty to provide any details at the present time, we can say that the Executors are very much looking forward to sharing with the fans (and the world at large) the way in which they intend to implement Michael’s wishes under his will to have a certain portion of his estate benefit children’s charities. The process is underway but there are many steps that have to be taken before the announcement can be made. Bear with us, keep your faith, commitment and patience.

Just know that this is an important concern and focus for the Estate.

MJ Online Team
The Official Online Team of the Michael Jackson Estate™