Michael Jackson wrongful death trial set to get underway Monday

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson leaves the sentencing hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of pop star Michael Jackson, in Los Angeles California November 29, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Gus Ruelas

LOS ANGELES | Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:26am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The civil trial over the death of Michael Jackson is set to get formally underway next week after jury selection was completed on Tuesday in the $40 billion case that pits the pop star's mother against concert promoters AEG Live.

Six alternate jurors were chosen on Tuesday following the selection a day earlier of a jury of six men and six women for what is expected to be an emotional three-month trial.

The conclusion of the month-long search for a jury set the stage for opening statements to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.

Jackson's 82-year-old mother, Katherine, is suing AEG Live, the promoters of his never-realized series of 2009 London comeback concerts, for the wrongful death of her son.

The lawsuit alleges AEG Live was negligent in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray to care for the singer while he rehearsed for a series of 50 shows.

AEG Live contends that it did not hire or supervise Murray and that Jackson was addicted to prescription drugs for years before he agreed to do the "This Is It" London concerts.

The concert promoters also argue that they could not have foreseen that Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, posed a danger to the singer.

Jackson, 50, died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, from a lethal dose of the surgical anesthetic propofol that Murray was administering for sleep problems. Murray, who is not being sued, formally appealed against his criminal conviction on Monday.

Potential witnesses in the civil trial include Jackson's mother, his two oldest children, Prince, 16, and Paris, 15, as well as Murray, singers Prince and Diana Ross, and Jackson's ex-wives, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe.

Katherine Jackson and her son's three children are seeking some $40 billion in damages from privately held AEG Live for loss of the singer's earnings and other damages. The final amount will be determined by the jury should it hold AEG Live negligent.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Eric Beech)

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Rdio extends free trial period for music plan (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Music startup Rdio has joined several competitors in a crowded field of all-you-can-listen services by taking the time limit off its free trial.

The trial had been limited to seven days, and those wanting to continue had to pay for a subscription.

The new plan will give people using computers several months' worth of free listening to any track they want out of a library of 12 million songs. Mobile device users will still have seven days of free listening before being asked to pay.

Rdio, whose backers include Skype co-founder Janus Friis, is offering the trial without ads.

CEO Drew Larner said the amount of free listening on computers will be dynamic and based on individual use patterns. A full mobile subscription plan costs $10 per month, while a computer-based one costs half that.

If people don't start paying after their free listening ends, they can return in about a month for more free use.

Competitors Spotify and Rhapsody offer similar free trials but use audio and display ads to help pay for royalties that the companies must pay on the music.

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Michael Jackson images dominate opening of death trial (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Images of Michael Jackson lying dead in a hospital and rehearsing the day before his death, along with recollections of the singer as a troubled "lost boy," made for a heart-wrenching opening on Tuesday to the manslaughter trial of the doctor hired to care for him.

In opening arguments two years after Jackson's death by drug overdose of propofol and sedatives, prosecutor David Walgren told jurors the "Thriller" singer "literally put his life in the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray."

"That misplaced trust in the hands of Conrad Murray cost Michael Jackson his life," Walgren said.

But Murray's lawyers argued Jackson "caused his own death" by giving himself extra medication in a bid to sleep. "He died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn't even have time to close his eyes," defense attorney Ed Chernoff said in opening arguments.

Murray denies he is guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson on June 25, 2009, but admits giving the 50-year-old pop star a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid. He faces a prison sentence of up to four years if convicted. The trial is expected to last four to six weeks.

The Texas cardiologist, who was paid $150,000 a month to care for Jackson, wiped away tears during Tuesday's opening statements as Chernoff defended him.

Jackson's lifeless body was found at his rented Los Angeles mansion just three weeks before a series of 50 planned London comeback concerts titled "This Is It" were scheduled to begin.

Kenny Ortega, the co-director of the concerts, testified that Jackson was excited about the shows because he wanted his young children to see him perform.

"LIKE A LOST BOY"

But on June 19, six days before his death, Jackson turned up at rehearsals in Los Angeles in a worried state. "Michael seemed chilled, lost and incoherent," Ortega recalled.

"I was feeding him, wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor," Ortega wrote in an email to concert promoters hours later. "It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy ... He is terribly frightened it is all going to go away," Ortega put in the email.

Four days later, Jackson was back "full of energy, full of desire to work, full of enthusiasm," Ortega said. Ortega hugged Jackson goodbye after another good day of rehearsals on June 24. On June 25, the director and choreographer said he got a call saying "We lost him."

Chernoff told jurors Murray was trying to wean the pop star off propofol, which Jackson called "milk."

He argued that a frustrated Jackson, tired and under pressure to get the concerts ready, gave himself eight lorazepam anti-anxiety pills to sleep in the early hours of June 25. When he still could not rest, he added propofol.

"We believe the evidence will show... that when Dr. Murray left the room, Michael Jackson self-administered a dose of propofol that with the lorazepam created a perfect storm within his body that killed him instantly," Chernoff added.

"The whole thing is tragic, but the evidence is not that Dr Murray did it," Chernoff said.

Walgren opened the prosecution case by showing jurors a photo of a thin Jackson lying dead on a hospital gurney. He later played video of Jackson's last performance -- an emotional rehearsal of "Earth Song" filmed on June 24, 2009.

Footage of the rehearsals was made into Jackson's posthumous concert movie "This Is It" in 2009 and it became a global box office hit.

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

(Writing by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Bill Trott)

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Michael Jackson images dominate opening of death trial

1 of 33. Dr. Conrad Murray (C) wipes a tear during the opening arguments in his trial in the death of pop star Michael Jackson in Los Angeles September 27, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Al Seib/Pool

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES | Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:48pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Images of Michael Jackson lying dead in a hospital and rehearsing the day before his death, along with recollections of the singer as a troubled "lost boy," made for a heart-wrenching opening on Tuesday to the manslaughter trial of the doctor hired to care for him.

In opening arguments two years after Jackson's death by drug overdose of propofol and sedatives, prosecutor David Walgren told jurors the "Thriller" singer "literally put his life in the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray."

"That misplaced trust in the hands of Conrad Murray cost Michael Jackson his life," Walgren said.

But Murray's lawyers argued Jackson "caused his own death" by giving himself extra medication in a bid to sleep. "He died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn't even have time to close his eyes," defense attorney Ed Chernoff said in opening arguments.

Murray denies he is guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson on June 25, 2009, but admits giving the 50-year-old pop star a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid. He faces a prison sentence of up to four years if convicted. The trial is expected to last four to six weeks.

The Texas cardiologist, who was paid $150,000 a month to care for Jackson, wiped away tears during Tuesday's opening statements as Chernoff defended him.

Jackson's lifeless body was found at his rented Los Angeles mansion just three weeks before a series of 50 planned London comeback concerts titled "This Is It" were scheduled to begin.

Kenny Ortega, the co-director of the concerts, testified that Jackson was excited about the shows because he wanted his young children to see him perform.

"LIKE A LOST BOY"

But on June 19, six days before his death, Jackson turned up at rehearsals in Los Angeles in a worried state. "Michael seemed chilled, lost and incoherent," Ortega recalled.

"I was feeding him, wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor," Ortega wrote in an email to concert promoters hours later. "It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy ... He is terribly frightened it is all going to go away," Ortega put in the email.

Four days later, Jackson was back "full of energy, full of desire to work, full of enthusiasm," Ortega said. Ortega hugged Jackson goodbye after another good day of rehearsals on June 24. On June 25, the director and choreographer said he got a call saying "We lost him."

Chernoff told jurors Murray was trying to wean the pop star off propofol, which Jackson called "milk."

He argued that a frustrated Jackson, tired and under pressure to get the concerts ready, gave himself eight lorazepam anti-anxiety pills to sleep in the early hours of June 25. When he still could not rest, he added propofol.

"We believe the evidence will show... that when Dr. Murray left the room, Michael Jackson self-administered a dose of propofol that with the lorazepam created a perfect storm within his body that killed him instantly," Chernoff added.

"The whole thing is tragic, but the evidence is not that Dr Murray did it," Chernoff said.

Walgren opened the prosecution case by showing jurors a photo of a thin Jackson lying dead on a hospital gurney. He later played video of Jackson's last performance -- an emotional rehearsal of "Earth Song" filmed on June 24, 2009.

Footage of the rehearsals was made into Jackson's posthumous concert movie "This Is It" in 2009 and it became a global box office hit.

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

(Writing by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Bill Trott)

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Jackson doctor asks to sequester jury during trial (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Fri Aug 19, 9:34 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death has asked a judge to sequester jurors in the physician's upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial, citing coverage of the Casey Anthony case and the threat of information leaks on social media.

The filing Thursday by attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray said information from those sources could interfere with the right of Dr. Conrad Murray to receive a fair trial.

It cited the increased ratings for HLN and commentator Nancy Grace, who featured the Anthony case on her show on a nightly basis and believed Anthony was guilty.

It also said her show and others are likely to include discussions of Murray's case that aren't limited to testimony or evidence presented in the courtroom, along with expert commentary and information.

Jurors will be prohibited from accessing those media reports, but the defense fears the coverage will be so pervasive that exposure to some of that information is unavoidable.

"There is sincere danger that a well-meaning juror will be more impressed with an `expert' on television than one presented by the parties at trial," the filing states.

A Florida jury that was sequestered acquitted Anthony of killing her daughter.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has been reluctant to sequester the jury in Murray's case, saying it is an extreme measure last used in Los Angeles during O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial.

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined comment, saying prosecutors would only respond to the motion in court. A hearing on the issue is scheduled Thursday.

The filing also cites the danger of jurors learning about the case through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Both sites are blocked by the court's public wireless network inside the criminal courthouse, but the motion notes that jurors could access the sites on their phones or outside the courthouse.

"The possibilities are endless for jurors to find and communicate information from the many websites on the Internet such as Facebook, Twitter and Google," the motion states.

Murray has pleaded not guilty. He could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

The Houston-based cardiologist is accused of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in the bedroom of his rented mansion in June 2009.

Jury selection in Murray's case is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8, with opening statements slated to begin on Sept. 27.

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Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/celebritydocket

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