Murray’s trial BEGINS
DAY 1. September 27
This is a place where we can collect all information about week 1 of the trial. First here are some links where we can follow the trial (some were provided by reader MOA):
Live streaming:
- http://www.mjjcommunity.com/the-people-v-s-conrad-murray/
- http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/livevideo?id=8361777
- http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/livenow?id=8366366
The trial recorded:
On Twitter
- http://twitter.com/#!/BethKaras
- http://twitter.com/#!/PatrickNBCLA
- http://twitter.com/#!/InSession
- http://twitter.com/#!/AlanDukeCNN
On FB
- https://www.facebook.com/BethKarasInsession
- https://www.facebook.com/InSession
- https://www.facebook.com/PatrickNBCLA
Forums fan club & sites
- http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/forums/218-The-Case
- http://www.positivelymichael.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?4-Investigation-and-Trial-of-Conrad-Murray
JUSTICE4MJ :
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/324254322849/
- http://www.justice4mj.com/
- http://www.mj4justice.com/acmc—murray-news.html
Catherine M.Gross is inviting us to the Full Coverage of the trial – see her announcement for today’s program on the A Place In Your Heart Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/a-place-in-your-heart
1pm PST, 2pm Mountain, 3pm CST and 4pm EST
Beginning 9/28/11 until 10/28/11, we will cover the entire trial. It is up to us to put any other news outlet in check about how they portray Michael.We are going to stay on top of the entire trial, comments, and articles as well.
We have all heard that HLN, sister station to CNN, will cover the Conrad Murray trial from top to bottom. For them it is a race for ratings. For us, it is the matter of Michael Jackson’s legacy. The following is a statement from the “Hollywood Reporter”, regarding HLM.
The network had it’s highest-rated month ever in June, topping MSNBC in both primetime and total day numbers and also beat Fox News during their 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. blocks when most of the trial’s testimony occurred.
Next week, the network will attempt to replicate the ratings bump by returning to across-the-board coverage of the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray (who is accused of causing the June 25, 2009 death of Michael Jackson), starting Sept. 27.
They will be watching their ratings, but we will be watching them…So, tune in for the truth.
* * * * *
Here are the first articles appearing in the press and my first impression of them
The little I’ve read of how Prosecutor David Walgren opened the case made me very wary of what they are doing.
They have started with showing a dead photo of Michael Jackson and playing twice an audio recording attributed to MJ (said to be recorded on Murray’s mobile telephone) where MJ is heard to speak in an extremely slurred way. In fact the voice doesn’t look like Michael Jackson’s at all – it is husky and low-pitched to the point of being a bass.
The idea of the prosecution was to show that Murray was to have been aware of what propofol was doing to him already on May 10, 2009 when the recording was made. Well, I don’t know…
This prosecutor’s method gives me a strange feeling – firstly, it doesn’t prove anything in respect of Murray’s intentions except that he was recording him for some reason in such a state and secondly, displaying the tape at the trial has in my opinion a very dubious value in terms of benefiting Michael Jackson.
I am beginning to doubt that we can rely on the prosecution for doing the right thing. Of course they are intent on putting Murray into jail but the cost at which they will do it is no small matter either – this way they can very well drown Michael on the way. I do hope that the first impression is wrong and that they are acting in Michael’s best interests. Whatever it is, it is clear that we are in for some surprises at this trial.
UPDATE:
The media is already going into a frenzy over that tape. You cannot watch CNN (the only US channel I have) without it being broadcast every five minutes. Everyone looks exalted and squeaks with happiness that they can bash Michael in the old familiar style.
The only thing they are not saying is that even under the effect of propofol Michael was thinking of using his millions for making the biggest hospital for children:
[David Walgren – State Attorney]
- The evidence will reveal that this voice recording documents Michael Jackson highly under the influence of unknown agents with Dr. Murray evidently sitting nearby, evidently observing, maybe listening, but recording on his iPhone. What this evidence will reveal to you is Conrad Murray’s knowledge of Michael’s state on May 10th 2009. What this evidence will reveal to you is Conrad Murray’s knowledge of what he is doing to Michael Jackson on May 10th 2009. Over a month and a half before Michael Jackson dies as a result of this very treatment. You will hear the whole recording during this trial but I will play a clip now so you can have a taste of what Conrad Murray knew on May 10th 2009. Listen to the voice of Michael Jackson on May 10th 2009. (9:05 AM)
[Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)]
- We have to be phenomenal. When people leave the show, when people leave my show I want them to say, I’ve never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I’ve never seen nothing like this. Go. It’s amazing. He’s the greatest entertainer in the world. I’m taking that money, a million children, children’s hospital, the biggest in the world, Michael Jackson’s Children’s Hospital.
[David Walgren – State Attorney]
- That is what Conrad Murray is seeing and observing on May 10th 2009. And what does he do with that knowledge. What does he do with that information, on May 12th he orders another shipment of propofol and midazolam, again he orders 40 (May 12, 2009: 40 X 100 ml vials) of the 100 ml bottles of propofol just 2 days after that recording was made.
Source: http://lybio.net/michael-jackson-2009-audio-tape-heard-at-conrad-murray-trial-sept-27-2011/people/
Dr. Raphael Gershon, Chief of Anesthesiology at Grady Memorial Hospital, was not in the least surprised by the slurred speech of MJ and just shrugged his shoulders saying that “he hears his patients talk like that every day” (evidently at a transition stage from being awake to sleep or vice versa, as under the full effect of propofol people cannot talk).
What is crucial though is that Dr. Gershon made a totally damning verdict on Murray. He said that it isn’t the matter of propofol per se as it is a very safe medicine to use in a proper setting – it is the matter of the “wrong person doing the wrong thing in the wrong way and in the wrong setting”.
I wish CNN showed the great interview with Dr. Raphael Gorshin not just once (as they did) but a hundred times – same as they did with a totally shameless Piers Morgan’s show where he looked utterly disappointed with Kathy Hilton saying only good things about Michael Jackson and totally exalted with Murray’s patients saying he is a great, honest and non-greedy doctor.
As we will learn in the first day of this trial this “honest and non-greedy” doctor asked for $5mln. a year as payment for his invaluable services and lied that he had four clinics to close if he accompanied him on a tour!
* * * * *
The opening statement by Chief Prosecutor David Walgren on September 27 comes in 13 parts following this part 1:
* * * * *
The first articles reported:
Tape of Jackson includes slurred words on concerts
by Anthony McCartney
Published: 09/26/11 10:11 am
LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors opened the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death by playing an audio recording of the pop superstar slurring his words and talking about his upcoming concerts.
Prosecutor David Walgren told jurors the audio was retrieved from Dr. Conrad Murray’s cell phone. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Jackson’s voice was unrecognizable on the recording. He was speaking slowly and Walgren described the singer as highly under the influence during the conversation.
It was the first time the audio was disclosed or played in public.
Walgren used the audio to bolster his point that Murray should have known better than to continue giving Jackson the powerful anesthetic propofol, which was cited as a cause of Jackson’s death.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/09/26/1840647/jackson-press-conference-wont.html?storylink=rss
Conrad Murray trial: Prosecutor plays tape of Jackson’s slurred words
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Darsha Philips
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — During dramatic opening statements on Tuesday, jurors in the Conrad Murray trial heard tape of Michael Jackson slurring his words while talking about his upcoming concerts.“The evidence in this case will show that Michael Jackson literally put his life in the hands of Conrad Murray,” Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told jurors.
The recording was made by Murray on his iPhone, and the prosecution alleged Jackson was under the influence of some kind of drug at the time of the recording on May 10, 2009.
Jackson is heard saying he wanted those who came to his comeback concerts to say, “I’ve never seen nothing like this before … he’s the greatest entertainer in the world.” Most people in the courtroom were visibly stunned after the recording was played.
Prosecutors were able to play the recording twice to the courtroom because of an audio issue.
“It was the perfect time for the prosecution for a technical glitch because it gives them an opportunity to play that tape twice in front of the jury,” said attorney J. Christopher Smith. “It’s all about trying to influence the jury as early as you can to get on your side of the case.”
Jurors also saw two pictures of Jackson side by side: one of Jackson at rehearsal the day before he died, and one of Jackson’s lifeless body.
Walgren described the moments leading up to Jackson’s death, and how Murray was on his phone several times before the death, but he didn’t call 911 for 24 minutes after he discovered something was wrong with the pop star.
Jackson died suddenly on June 29, 2009, at the age of 50, and prosecutors accuse Murray of administering a deadly dose of the powerful sedative propofol to Jackson and then failing to properly monitor him.
“That misplaced trust in Conrad Murray cost Michael Jackson his life,” Walgren said.
Many of Jackson’s family members were present in the courtroom, including Jackson’s father Joseph, mother Katherine, sisters LaToya and Janet, and brothers Jermaine, Randy and Tito.
Outside the courthouse, hundreds of journalists and fans crowded around the building. Some showed up to condemn Murray, holding signs that read, “Doctors are expected to heal not kill.”
“If Conrad Murray left a sleep-deprived, propofol-demanding Michael Jackson in a room with propofol, it’s exactly the same as leaving a pyromaniac in a room with matches,” said Dr. Barry Friedberg, an anesthesiologist.
Some showed up to condemn Murray, holding signs that read, “Doctors are expected to heal not kill.”
But Murray did have a few supporters in the crowd, including William Hampton, who blamed Hollywood for destroying Murray’s life.
“We want all doctors treated fairly,” he said.
Prosecution will call director and choreographer Kenny Ortega and AEG’s co-CEO Paul Gongaware to testify Tuesday because they were in close contact with Jackson before his death.
Trial is expected to last five weeks, with Oct. 28 being the estimated last day.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/entertainment&id=8369461
As was expected the defense is claiming that Michael self-administered propofol. Ed Chernoff said that Michael had an absolutely, total and thorough inability to sleep (poor Michael!):
Sep 27, 2011
Defense: Michael Jackson ’caused his own death’
By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY
The trial of Conrad Murray, singer Michael Jackson’s doctor, for involuntary manslaughter has begun in Los Angeles.
We will be liveblogging.
Prosecutors charge that Murray, 58, gave Jackson a lethal dose of the sedative propofol, which the singer used as a sleeping aid, on the night he died in June 2009.
Murray’s defense team argues that the singer had given himself too much of the drug.
Update at 2:42 p.m.ET: The defense attorney said Jackson “had an absolutely, total and thorough inability to sleep.”
Update at 2:33 p.m. ET: Seated in the courtroom, Murray brushes away tears as his attorney describes events on the morning Jackson died. Correction: The Los Angeles Times says Murray breaks down in tears “as his lawyer describes his work with the poor” before he took a $150,000 a month job with the singer.
Update at 2:32 p.m.ET:“There was no CPR, there was no doctor, no paramedic, no machine that was going to revive Michael Jackson,” Chernoff tells jurors. “He died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn’t even have time to close his eyes.”
Update at 2:28 p.m. ET: Defense attorney Ed Chernoff says that when Murray had left Jackson’s bedroom the morning that he died, the singer “self-administered a dose of propofol” on top of eight other pills and “caused a perfect storm in his body that killed him instantly.”
Update at 12:35 p.m. ET: The prosecutor says propofol “is not a sleep aid or sleep agent, it is a general anesthetic.”
He says it is a “wonderful drug if used by someone who knows what he is doing, who knows the dangers as well as the benefits.”
Update at 12:27 p.m. ET: In opening statements, the prosecution charges that Murray “repeatedly acted with gross negligence, repeatedly denied care appropriate to his patient…”
The prosecution argues that it was “Murray’s repeated incompetent and unskilled acts that led to Mr. Jackson’s death.”
“Acts and omissions of his directly led to his (Jackson’s) premature death at the age of 50,” the prosecution tells jurors.
* * * * *
Here is Larry Nimmer’s first day video
* * * * *
A very important testimony was given by Kenny Ortega.
On June 19, 2009 he saw Michael so unwell that it caused his concern. “Something was going on, he was troubled. He was chilled, he appeared lost, a little incoherent… there was something wrong”. Kenny offered him food, put a blanket round him and a heater, in a room, next to him. Michael asked him “Can I sit and watch the rehearsal?” This sounded to me like asking for a permission, though Ortega said that both of them were co-editors and co-producers and that it was Michael who “always had the final word”. Didn’t look like it judging by that question….
Ortega tried to talk to Murray on the phone but was unable to reach him. Michael didn’t rehearse that day and watched the rehearsal for under two hours, approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. Kenny had never seen him like that and suggested he leave. Michael agreed.
When asked “Did you express your concern?” he said “Yes” and when asked to whom he expressed it Kenny replied he had sent an email to Randy Phillips, CEO of AEG Live promoter on June 20 at 2.04 am the same night while he was still at the facility. The email was shown to the jury and Kenny read it outloud.
Its content confirms my worst suspicions about the way Michael was treated by AEG . CNN mentioned the report once or twice but as it could be expected they omitted the crucial parts like “tough love” or “now or never card” Michael was presented with by both Ortega and Phillips some time prior to the 19th of June rehearsal:
Randy Sat, June 20, 2009 at 2.04 am
I will do whatever I can to help with this situation. If you need me to come to the house just give me a call in the morning. My concern is, now that we’ve brought the Doctor into the fold and have played the tough love, now or never card is that the Artist may be unable to rise to the occasion due to real, emotional stuff. He appeared quite weak and fatigued this evening. He had a visible case of the chills, was trembling, rambling and obsessing. Everything in me says that he should be psychologically evaluated. If we have any chance at all to get him back in the light, it’s going to take a strong Therapist to help him through this as well as immediate physical nurturing. I was told by our Choreographer that during the Artist’s costume fitting with his Designer tonight they noticed he’s lost more weight. As far as I can tell there is no one taking responsibility (caring for) him on a daily basis. Where was his assistant tonight? Tonight I was feeding him, wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor. There were four security guards outside his door, but no one offering him a cup of hot tea. Finally, it is important for everyone to know, I believe he really wants this. It would shatter him, break his heart if we pulled the plug. He’s terribly frightened it’s all going to go away. He asked me repeatedly tonight if I was going to leave him. He was practically begging for my confidence. It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy. There still may be a chance he can rise to the occasion if we get him the help he needs.
Sincerely,
Kenny
Late in the morning or early afternoon on June 20 Ortega’s assistant told him that a call had been received (from whom?) asking Ortega to attend a meeting at Michael’s home. He assumed it would be about the incident the night before.
When he arrived at Michael Jackson’s house Randy Phillips, Frank Dileo, Conrad Murray and Michael were already there. Murray was upset that Ortega hadn’t let Michael to rehearse and sent him home. He told him to stop playing an amateur doctor or psychologist and told him to leave Michael’s health to him. He assured him that Michael was physically and emotionally capable to handle all his responsibilities for the show:
- “He was upset that I didn’t allow Michael to rehearse the night before and that I sent him home. He said I should stop trying to be an amateur doctor and psychologist and be the director and allow Michael’s … health to him. I said it wasn’t my choice. It was Michael’s request to sit out and watch the show and I felt that was a far safer place for him to be.”
Ortega said Murray assured him, sternly, that “Michael was physically and emotionally capable of handling all of his responsibilities for the show.” Let us also note that it was Michael’s request to sit and watch the show and not a mere decision of his.
- “I was shocked. Because Michael didn’t appear to me to be physically or emotionally stable, at that moment. I said to Michael, ‘Michael, please tell the doctor that’s not the way it went down & that this was something we agreed on together,’ and Michael said, ‘Yes.’ I told him I loved him. I was concerned for his health and safety. He said, I’m fine Kenny, I promise you.’ He gave me a hug.”
Ortega’s portion at that meeting lasted some 10 minutes and he left before the meeting closed. The reason for his part being so brief is that he was called for that purpose only.
After the meeting the next rehearsal was only on Tuesday, June 23 or two days later, as the show was moving to the Staples Center. The rehearsal was great, same as the rehearsal on June 24:
- “He entered into rehearsal full of energy, fill of desire to work, full of enthusiasm. It was a different Michael. I asked him if he was happy and he said he was very happy. He felt like we were accomplishing the dream.”
Some of Prosecutor David Walgren’s questions were centered on the mood of Michael Jackson during those last days – which, in view of the defense’s claims that Michael “self-injected” propofol (in other words “committed suicide”), is very important.
The mood was great, says Ortega. Michael was excited, involved and was a full participant in all areas of production. On June 25 some stage illusions were planned and Michael was looking forward to take part in them – he loved illusions and was excited about a special apparatus for creating them arriving the next day.
Walgren showed two episodes from This is it documentary and established that “The way you make me feel” was performed in Staples Center on June 23d [Michael was full of energy during that rehearsal] and on June 24th the last song Michael peformed on stage was Earth Song. [I noticed that Michael was wearing very warm clothes that summer day – one on top of the other].
Following the Earth song Michael stepped off the stage and joined Ortega and together they watched the rest of the rehearsal. Travis Payne stepped on stage instead of Michael and they ran “Heal the world” so that Michael could look at the light and scenic elements of staging. My personal opinion is that in that part of the rehearsal Michael was very tired and looked listless.
Ortega sighed with relief when the examination by Walgren was over, however Chernoff gave him a harder time. He noted that there was not one but two meetings at Michael’s home and Ortega replied that he was only aware of it. It was a result of the first meeting that Murray was made responsible for scheduling his time. Who gave Murray orders to make those schedules Ortega “has no idea of”.
The first meeting was called after Michael had missed some rehearsals and the “playing the tough love” phrase refers to the resolution of that meeting. In between the two meetings there was a series of conversations between Ortega, Randy Phillips and Paul Gangaware. Frank Dileo was not involved.
Chernoff questioned Ortega about the June 19 rehearsal (when Michael was wrapped in a blanket) and asked him if he thought that MJ might have been on drugs and Ortega said yes.
Chernoff also asked if Ortega remembered that it was him who read Michael “the riot act” according to Karen Faye and wondered if he indeed told her not to placate Michael. Ortega said that he was not sure of the word and then said “No”:
- “Did you tell Karen Faye not to placate Michael Jackson?” – “No”. [Ortega was visibly confused].
Chernoff’s further questions were evidently an attempt to show that though Michael was a co-director of the show, his request for a Ortega’s permission to sit and watch the rehearsals ran counter to Michael’s declared position of the boss of the show. I fully agree that Ortega is telling us only half-truth here:
Chernoff to Ortega:
– He was the boss?
– Yes.
– It was his show?
– Yes.
– This was his time?
– Yes.
Walgren to Ortega:
– Who had the last word?
– Michael.
The question arises – if Michael was the boss why did he have to ask for Ortega’s permission not to sing and dance that day? Do you remember his request beginning with “Can I….?”
Closer to the end of the cross-examination Ortega said that when Michael didn’t attend the rehearsals they didn’t record them. Ortega’s said the video tapes were made at Michael’s request. The explanation is strange because if Michael needed the recordings to monitor the show he would have wanted to see its progress when he wasn’t present.
Chernoff said each tape had a date on it and since Ortega edited the film for two months while making “This is it” he should have been able to at least recall the date when they moved to the Staples Center? Ortega said he didn’t remember.
The very last piece of information from Ortega was that on June 18 Michael missed the rehearsal and had been missing rehearsals for about a week before that (several rehearsals according to an earlier version). The rehearsals missed earlier evidently resulted in the first meeting when they “brought the doctor into the fold” and threatened Michael to pull the plug.
This makes me return to the events prior to June 19th and Ortega’s e-mail sent to Randy Phillips that night. Let us have a closer look at the timeline:
- Thursday, June 18th – the rehearsal missed. If Michael was indeed away for about a week, this should take us to around June 11th (the approximate date of the first meeting).
- Friday, June 19th – a rehearsal at the Forum (the stage prior to the Staples Center). Michael had chills, was under a heavy stress and Ortega sent him home.
- Saturday, June 20th – a meeting in Michael’s house. A riot act is read by Ortega according to Karen Faye. He didn’t confirm it though. He also sounded confused over that point and I didn’t understand what he replied.
- Sunday and Monday, June 21st and 22nd there were no rehearsals as they were moving to the Staples Center. Ortega couldn’t clearly name the date when they moved there.
- Tuesday, June 23 Michael appeared at the rehearsal strong, excited and determined to work.
- Wednesday, June 24. Another very good rehearsal before the last day of June 25.
Ortega’s email (sent early morning June 20th to Randy Phillips) started with “now that we have brought the Doctor into the fold”. When asked what it meant Ortega explained that Murray had started creating a daily schedule for Michael so that he could attend the rehearsals. When Prosecutor asked him about ‘tough love” he somehow avoided a direct answer and the matter was dropped to my big surprise, but was resumed by Chernoff whom I didn’t expect to talk about it at all.
During cross-examination they make it clear that the schedule was made as a result of the events prior to that –Michael missied several rehearsals and “someone” asked Murray (and not Michael’s personal assistant Michael Amir) to make a schedule for him. Chernoff asked why Michael was missing the rehearsals, “Was he tired or lazy?” and Ortega again avoided a direct answer (or I probably missed it) and just said that he discussed the matter with Randy and Paul Gongaware.
Though he tried not to touch upon the first meeting, he agreed that his email referred to the resolutions taken there and that things “got serious at the time about coming to the rehearsals”.
I hope things will become clearer to us if we read Ortega’s email once again:
- “My concern is, now that we’ve brought the Doctor into the fold and have played the tough love, now or never card is that the Artist may be unable to rise to the occasion due to real emotional stuff”. [They have declared a sort of an ultimatum to him before that, required Murray to take care of his scheduling, but the only result of their effort was that Michael became extremely nervous and unable to work]
- “He appeared quite weak and fatigued this evening. He had a visible case of the chills, was trembling, rambling and obsessing. Everything in me says that he should be psychologically evaluated”. [Ortega realizes that they “overdid” it – Michael could not work in such an atmosphere and was paralyzed by it. A more favorable psychological climate is needed]
- “If we have any chance at all to get him back in the lights it’s going to take a strong Therapist to help him get him through this as well as strong physical nurturing”. [The situation is so bad that they need to replace Murray with a much better doctor]
- “I was told by our Choreographer that during the Artist’s costume fitting with his Designer tonight they noticed he’s lost more weight”. [The first time we hear it. Does it mean they never noticed the problem with his weight before?]
- “As far as I can tell there is no one taking responsibility (caring for) him on a daily basis. Where was his assistant tonight? Tonight I was feeding him, wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor. There were four security guards outside his door, but no one offering him a cup of hot tea”. [This is absolutely outrageous! No one was attending to Michael’s needs! Ortega even called the doctor but to no avail! There was no doctor, no help, no care, no nothing! And this in spite all that Murray’s “scheduling” and his stern replies about everything being under control?]
- “Finally, it is important for everyone to know, I believe he really wants this”. [ We’ve already heard that AEG thought Michael was faking illness to avoid concerts explaining it by his ill health. Earlier they even said that he was taking medicine to “make himself ill” in order to go to hospital. So this is what they were thinking of Michael all along]
- “It would shatter him, break his heart if we pulled the plug”. [ So by June 19th Michael had already been threatened by Randy Phillips that AEG would pull the plug! This was what that ~June 11th meeting was all about. Was it when the riot act read out then?]
- “He’s terribly frightened it’s all going to go away. He asked me repeatedly tonight if I was going to leave him. He was practically begging for my confidence”.[This is what I’ve saying all along. Michael feared that he would involuntarily give them a pretext to “pull the plug” and was frightened of such a possibility].
- “It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy”. [Ortega appeals to Phillips not to be that harsh on Michael]
- “There still may be a chance he can rise to the occasion if we get him the help he needs”. [ Michael needs help and Ortega asks Phillips to provide it. He is not sure Michael will manage but he might if they stop pressurizing him, find a doctor and give him the necessary care he needs. Probably psychological help too. We know what reply was given by Murray in the presence of his boss Randy Philips – Ortega was told to mind his own business]
So everything in this email refers to the events prior to that June 19th rehearsal and even to the meeting that took place a week before it.
At about June 11th they made a sort of an ultimatum to Michael (a riot act?). Michael’s “partners” treated him there so harshly that he got extremely nervous, began losing weight and practically fell ill. This was evidently when they told him they would pull the plug.
A week passed and on June 19th Michael was in a terrible state. On June 20th they discussed it and no one paid attention to Ortega’s warnings about Michael needing help.
The only thing which Murray did was to prescribe Michael Diazepam (Valium) to be taken 1/2 to 1 pill every 6 hours in order to relieve his psychological pressure (or 2-4 pills a day).
We find information about his June 20th prescription in the Coroner’s report listing all medicines found in Michael’s house.
Instead of stopping harassing Michael the only help they render him after the 20th of June meeting is Murray prescribing him 1/2 to 1 tablet of Diazepam (Valium) to be taken every 6 hours
WIKI says about these medicines (which are provided here in a chronological order):
Temazepam is an intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine. It is mostly prescribed for the short-term treatment of sleeplessness in patients who have difficulty maintaining sleep (prescribed by MURRAY, Dec. 2008).
Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine drug having anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, and anxiolytic properties (METZGER, April 18, 2009).
Trazodone is an antidepressant which also has anxiolytic, and hypnotic effects (METZGER, April 18, 2009).
click to enlarge
Lorazepam is a high-potency short-to-intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine drug that has all five intrinsic benzodiazepine effects: anxiolytic, amnesic, sedative/hypnotic, anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant (MURRAY, April 28, 2009)
Tizanidine (Zanaflex) is a drug that is used as a muscle relaxant. It is used to treat the spasms, cramping, and tightness of muscles. (KLEIN, May 7, 2009).
Diazepam, first marketed as Valium is a benzodiazepine drug. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms, restless legs syndrome, benzodiazepine withdrawal. (MURRAY, June 20, 2009).
Valium was prescribed on June 20th or the day of the meeting in Michael’s house.
This was probably the only conclusion they drew from Ortega’s frantic email message and the dramatic events prior to it.
* * * * *
DAY 2, September 28
The next day Jermaine’s tweet was circulated in the media:
- Today has been very distressing for all of us, and I’d like to thank you for your prayers at this horrible time. I would also like to remind some in the media that the voice recording of Michael does not show/prove he was “an addict” — and this leap to agree with the defense is unfair and inaccurate. The prosecution said my brother “was under the influence of UNKNOWN agents” at the time of that recording by Murray. That some people, Jane Valez Mitchell HLN and Ted Rwlands CNN, make statements saying this shows my brother to be “a drug addict” is not what was said in court re that recording. Events are upsetting enough without correspondents adding their own interpretation (or back-dating events to 1993). No-one can rule out the prospect that Michael was groggy because of something administered to make him relax/sleep. That does make him an addict. I would also add that Murray was by his side “observing” as well as recording so it can have nothing to do with drug dependency because Murray’s case is that he was unaware of any drug dependency. One more reason why “addict” is a leap to assumption in these circumstances. Some networks need to make this distinction clear and correct this imbalance. Bottom line: Michael did not kill Michael.
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/dbc67m
* * * * *
September 28 started with Paul Gongaware’s testimony which began the previous day. Paul Gongaware is a co-CEO of AEG Live (the other CEO is Randy Phillips).
Paul Gongaware said he previously worked with Michael Jackson on the Dangerous tour in 1991/92 and History tour in 1996/97 , however at that time Gongaware represented a different company.
By the year 2011 Gongaware has been employed by AEG for something like eleven years and this means he joined AEG sometime in 2000 or after those two Michael Jackson’s tours.
I am drawing your attention to this point as it would be a mistake to think that one and the same person will behave in the same way under different leadership. However Michael could have trusted this person more than anyone else from the other side, as he had worked with him before – and this is where the danger was.
Paul Gongaware said he was mainly responsible for scheduling the shows and ticketing activities and that the tickets for all shows were sold out instantaneously – they started with 10 first and then added 21. He said that altogether “they contracted 31 shows” and this number came up as Michael wanted to beat Prince’s record of 21 at the O2 Arena.
Please note that Gongaware did not even pretend that Michael had ever agreed to 50 shows. The number of 50 was of course mentioned as this was what they sold tickets for. They also had further plans after that – when the prosecution asked Gongaware if there was “an intention that it might be more than 50 shows”, he said “Yes”.
However AEG’s contract says that even the number of 31 was not finally agreed between the parties. The text says that the Artist’s company only “pre-approves up to thirty one shows” and “in no event shall the number of shows performed by the Artist be less than eighteen shows”. The document’s last page also says that they are still to “negotiate the definitive agreement” in the future, so all these numbers were only preliminary.
I don’t know how Gongaware would know the number of shows at all as during his testimony he said a thing you won’t believe – he said that he, as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of AEG Live, hadn’t read the final contract between Michael Jackson and his company AEG Live!
To all questions of the Defense whether he “had a chance to see the complete contract” and was “involved in the making of the contract between his company and Michael Jackson or “had personal information about its clauses” Gongaware said “No, No, No”.
Funny, isn’t it? Though when he says he didn’t read the final contract I believe him, as there is simply no such thing as a final contract between AEG and Michael Jackson – you can find several posts on this issue in this category of the blog.
Another funny thing is that the fact of AEG Live’s own Chief Executive Officer being unfamiliar with his contract is not publicized by the media in any way.
Information about Gongaware’s testimony is very scarce and the little they publish is mostly about Conrad Murray asking for $5mln. as his annual payment and Michael finally offering him $150,000. Murray agreed after learning from Gongaware that the offer “was coming directly from the artist”.
The figure of $5mln. is indeed impressive as it shows how terribly ‘non-greedy’ Conrad Murray was. You also remember that he motivated the sum by saying he was to close four of his clinics (which number I hear he didn’t have). And even if he did he intended to continue to manage his practice as a letter Murray sent to his patients said.
However even this impressive news about Murray should not distract us from the fact that the Co-CEO of AEG Live did not see the final contract with Michael Jackson (as he probably did not have it ).
* * * * *
I’ve just listened to the testimony of Kathy Jorrie, a lawyer who was involved in making a contract between Michael Jackson and AEG and who was subpoenaed to this trial as she also drafted a contract between Murray and AEG.
I am astonished to find that it was Flanagan who asked her some questions I was wondering about. There is something uncanny in all of us dancing around one party to that deal which is not explicitly named here but which is one of the main participants in the events.
Frankly, I cannot yet understand who is more interested in bringing AEG into the picture – Prosecution or Defense. The Defense seems to be more intent on that, so I am realizing with some surprise that it is Murray’s side which is asking the questions about AEG I am so interested in. Nice company to find oneself with…
This draft of Murray’s contract with AEG was taken from Joe Jackson’s amended lawsuit against Murray and AEG
The business part of Kathy Jorrie’s testimony is very much different from what I was led to believe by the two versions of Murray’s contract found in the attachments to Joe Jackson’s suit (discussed here).
She first tried to pass Murray’s contract for a contract between Murray and Michael Jackson. A little later though it transpired that the contract was between Murray and AEG, and Michael Jackson was just “giving his consent to AEG to sign the agreement between AEG and Murray” by adding his signature on the last page of their contract (which he didn’t).
She said she started working on Murray’s contract in the later part of May (Murray says he attended to MJ since May 1, 2009).
The first draft was not complete until June 15 and she said the reference to May 1 as the beginning of Murray’s term of services was because the contract had a retroactive power.
After Conrad Murray studied it and asked for some provisions to be revised a second draft was prepared on June 23 and Murray signed it the next day. This is different from what we knew before as previously we heard from Murray that he never saw the contract until the end of June.
Kathy Jorrie said she had a couple of telephone conversations with Murray between those two dates (June 15th- June 23d). I even gathered that Michael Jackson was shown the contract, probably the final variant of it (though over here I probably misunderstood her).
The way Kathy Jorrie describes it you are led to believe that signing the contract with Murray was delayed due to Murray’s corrections to it, therefore he himself is responsible for the fact that Michael Jackson had no time to sign it. Since the contract was not signed “by all the required parties” (AEG and Michael) it didn’t come into effect and this is why Murray was not paid. So Murray is himself to blame for the fact of non-payment to him. Interesting logic but not totally impossible.
The Defense pointed to the fact that the term of Murray’s services was to start on May 1, however Jorrie replied that the term wouldn’t commence until the contract was signed and despite all the fun of such demagogy it might indeed be true.
And then the Defense asked the crucially important question to which Kathy Jorrie gave an answer which shows that AEG knew much more about propofol than they would like to admit.
See how it was found out:
- Kathy said that she had NOT talked to Murray before making the 1st draft contract and was preparing it on the basis of the guidelines given to her by Timm Wooley of AEG
- she also said that the very first draft already contained a point about the need for resuscitation equipment
- the Defense asked her how she knew that this point was to be included in the contract if Murray hadn’t talked to her before that
- to that she replied in some confusion that she was informed about the need for it by Timm Wooley of AEG
- her exact answer was: “It was in the list of equipment provided by Timm”
- and this means that it wasn’t Murray who asked for that equipment as we were previously told
- it was AEG who from the very start of it knew that the equipment should be there. And most probably also knew what that equipment was needed for.
Atty says Murray requested CPR machine for Jackson concert
Promoter says Jackson looked healthy at rehearsal
Updated: Wednesday, 28 Sep 2011, 12:39 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 28 Sep 2011, 10:32 AM MDTANTHONY McCARTNEY and LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney for the promoter of Michael Jackson’s final concerts said Wednesday the singer’s personal physician asked the company for life-saving equipment just days before the pop superstar’s death.
Kathy Jorrie, who works for concert giant AEG Live, testified at the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray that she questioned some of the doctor’s requests, which also included the possibility of hiring a second doctor to assist him.
“Dr. Murray told me Michael Jackson was perfectly healthy, in excellent condition,” Jorrie testified.
She said Murray told her not to worry about Jackson’s condition.
“He’s great,” she recounted the doctor telling her in a conversation the day before Jackson’s death.
Murray asked for a CPR machine in case one wasn’t available at the concert venue at London’s O2 arena, Jorrie explained.
Prosecutors allege Murray caused Jackson’s death by providing him with a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives without the proper lifesaving equipment or skills.
Other testimony came from Jackson’s former personal assistant, Michael Amir Williams, who recounted a 35-second phone conversation with Murray on the day Jackson died.
“He said ‘Get here right away, Mr. Jackson had a bad reaction. Get somebody up here immediately,'” Williams told the jury.
He said the doctor never told him to call 911 or described Jackson’s condition.
Williams said he arrived at Jackson’s mansion just as the singer was being loaded into an ambulance. He saw Murray, who he described as “frantic.”
Earlier in the day, a promoter told jurors that Jackson appeared strong during one of the final rehearsals for the highly anticipated comeback concerts.
Paul Gongaware, an executive for AEG Live, said Jackson seemed engaged and energetic during the rehearsal just two days before he died.
Prosecutors called Gongaware to demonstrate the importance of the concerts and in an apparent attempt to show that both the singer and his physician were deeply engaged in preparations for the show before Jackson died on June 25, 2009.
Gongaware also testified that he saw Murray at one of Jackson’s rehearsals after people affiliated with the planned concerts complained that the singer had been missing some of the sessions.
Prosecutors wrapped up their direct questioning of Gongaware before defense attorney Ed Chernoff briefly questioned the executive.
Under the cross-examination, Gongaware acknowledged AEG is being sued by Jackson’s mother for negligent supervision of Murray when he worked with Jackson.
Jorrie also testified about drafting a contract for Murray to work as Jackson’s personal physician.
At one point in negotiations, Murray requested his contract be modified to allow him to hire another physician in case he was tired or unavailable while Jackson was performing in London, she testified.
“He wanted to make sure that there was somebody else available to be of assistance,” Jorrie said.
In opening statements Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Murray delayed summoning emergency crews and lied to doctors and medics when he failed to reveal he had been giving Jackson the medications to try to help the entertainer sleep.
Chernoff claimed Jackson gave himself a fatal dose of medication in a desperate attempt to get some sleep.
He said Murray had been trying to wean Jackson off propofol, but the entertainer kept requesting it on the day he died.
“Michael Jackson started begging,” Chernoff said. “When Michael Jackson told Dr. Murray, ‘I have to sleep. They will cancel my performance,‘ he meant it.”
Prosecutors rejected Murray’s version and told jurors the Houston-based cardiologist also had a tremendous stake in Jackson appearing in the concerts.
The doctor had initially asked to be paid $5 million a year for working with Jackson, but Gongaware said he immediately rejected the proposal. Instead, Murray accepted an offer to become Jackson’s doctor for $150,000 a month — a sum he was never paid because his contract hadn’t been signed before Jackson’s death.
Murray has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison and have to relinquish his medical license.
Michael Jackson’s personal assistant Michael Amir Williams testified that he met Murray in 2008 (2007?) in Las Vegas. He saw him once in Michael’s home and since then telephoned him at Michael’s request when the children were ill.
The voicemail to Michael Williams was sent on June 25 at 12.13
On June 25 at 12.13 he first heard from Murray when he typed him (and he had time for it?) a frantic message: Please call me right away. When Williams called him back Murray asked him: “Where are you?”
Williams said “I am in downtown”.
“Get here right away. He had a bad reaction!”
When they were already at the hospital Murray came up to Williams and said there was “some cream Michael wouldn’t want the world to know about.” Murray asked him to drive him to the home so he could retrieve the “cream.”
After checking with MJ’s head of security, Faheem Muhammad, the two decided not to let Murray back into the house.
He also asked Williams give him a ride as he was hungry and wanted to get some food.
Chernoff pointed out that Williams never told police about Murray’s request until two months after Michael’s death.
* * * * *
Since I missed some of Williams’ testimony and the full testimony of Faheem Muhammad, head of security, here are several articles providing details of what they said:
Faheem Muhammad
Posted: Sep 28, 2011 9:09 By ANTHONY McCARTNEY and LINDA DEUTSCH Associated Press
…. In the late afternoon of June 24, Williams said he arranged for a car and accompanied his boss to Staples Center for a key rehearsal. He said Jackson was in good spirits and had the car stop at the gate so he could roll down the window and chat with fans who were always camped there.
“He would make sure we stopped, stick out his hand, anything to show his fans he loved them,” he said.
Williams managed to watch Jacksonon stage. “I was an employee but I was a fan first,” he said. “I would try to sneak in to watch him. I was working constantly, but I was able to see him perform a little.”
How was his performance, asked Deputy District Attorney David Walgren. “Personally, I thought it was amazing,” Williams said. “I thought it was the best thing in the world. He had told me he didn’t go 100 percent for the rehearsal. It was about 40 percent. But I thought it was great.”
They returned to Jackson’s rented Holmby Hills mansion after that, stopping at the gate again. “He was in good spirits,” Williams said. “He wanted to stop and say, ‘Hi.’ He even had some conversation with the fans.”
Outside the house, parked in its usual spot, was Murray’s car. Williams brought in gifts that had been given to Jackson and said good night. Williams checked out with the security staff and went home. The next day at 12:13 p.m. his cell phone rang. There was a message from Murray.
“Were you asked to call 911?” Walgren asked.
“No sir,” Williams said.
He remembered reaching Jackson security guard Alberto Alvarez. “I said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on but you have to get in the house’ … I said, ‘Run. Hurry.'”
Williams said he rushed from his downtown home and arrived just as Jackson’s body was being loaded into an ambulance. He helped to gather Jackson’s three children and put them in a car to follow the ambulance.
“What was Dr. Murray’s appearance?” Walgren asked. “Frantic,” he said. “I knew it was serious.”
Williams said he was standing outside the emergency room area when Dr. Murray and a group of doctors emerged. “He walked out and closed the curtains,” he said softly. “He said, ‘He passed.'”
On cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff questioned Williams about Murray’s actions at the hospital. He said Murray asked to be taken back to Jackson’s home to collect some cream he believed Jackson would not want the public to know about. It was later found to be skin whitening cream that is used in the treatment of vitiligo, a skin condition that the singer had.
Williams said he felt police would not want anyone returning to the home and he did not take Murray there. He then said the doctor said he was hungry and asked for food.
Chernoff suggested that Williams should have known from Murray’s call that there was an emergency.
Williams disagreed. “When I hear someone had a bad reaction, I don’t think anything fatal,” he said. “He didn’t tell me to call 911.”
Under questioning from Chernoff, Muhammad revealed that Jackson had asked Williams to contact a nurse four days before his death because he was experiencing “weird symptoms.”
“One of his hands was hot and his feet were cold,” Muhammad said. He told Chernoff that he did not reveal that he had contacted the nurse, Cherilyn Lee, during interviews with police. He said he wasn’t asked about it and didn’t think it was relevant.
By this point it becomes clear to us that Chernoff wants to shift the blame for not calling 911 onto everyone else’s shoulders except Murray – as if all those people who were away from the scene of crime and were guessing about what happened could know better what to do than the doctor who was beside his patient and saw everything with his own eyes.
It was Murray who was the doctor and not all those assistants or security people, and when a doctor is around it is his authority that dominates over everyone else in situations of emergency. As he says, so others will do. And no one could knew better than him that 911 was to be called immediately!
During cross examination Chernoff played the Demerol card:
Security chief Faheem Muhammad gave details about how Jackson’s two oldest children watched in shock.
“Paris was on the ground, balled up, crying. And Prince, he was standing there, he just had a real shocked, you know, slowly crying, type of shocked look on his face,” he said.
Chernoff contended that Jackson, desperate for sleep, caused his own death by taking a handful of sedatives and self-administering propofol while the doctor was out of the room. One defense strategy is to point the finger at another doctor and Jackson as having a large role in his death, while arguing that Murray was blind to what they were doing.
They contend that dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein got the singer addicted to Demerol during those frequent visits to his Beverly Hills office in the weeks before his death, something Murray did not know about.
His withdrawal from that Demerol addiction was what kept Jackson awake despite Murray’s efforts to put him to sleep with sedatives the morning he died, the defense contends, arguing that Klein is at least partly responsible for Jackson’s death because of the Demerol.
Chernoff asked Williams, Jackson’s personal assistant, if he went to Klein’s office with Jackson.
“At a certain point, it was very regular,” Williams said.
Chernoff then asked Williams whether he’d ever heard Jackson talk slowly with slurred speech, as he did on an audio recording played in court Tuesday.
“Not that extreme, but I have heard him talk slow before,” Williams said.
“And when he left Dr. Klein’s office, have you observed him sometimes to talk slow?” Chernoff asked.
Sometimes, Williams replied, “he would talk slow like that. I never heard it that extreme, but I can definitely say he has come out, and he’s a little slower.”
Chief security guard Muhammad, who often drove Jackson, testified that “There were times he would go almost every day” to Klein’s office. Jackson often appeared intoxicated when he left, Muhammad testified.
Jackson once told Muhammad that his frequent trips to the dermatologist were for treatment for a skin disease. “My doctors tell me that I have to go, so I go,” Muhammad said Jackson told him.
At the start of court proceedings Wednesday, Paul Gongaware, an executive with the company promoting Jackson’s comeback concerts, said he noticed that Jackson had “a little bit of a slower speech pattern, just a slight slur in the speech” after a visit with Klein.
Medical records show that Klein gave Jackson numerous shots of Demerol in the weeks before his death, Chernoff told jurors Tuesday.
“Dr. Klein did not do anything that was medically inappropriate,” Klein’s lawyer, Garo Ghazarian, told HLN’s “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell” Wednesday. The last time Klein gave Jackson drugs was more than three days before his death, Ghazarian said.
Jackson’s inability to sleep the morning he died was “one of the insidious effects” of Demerol addiction withdrawal, Chernoff said. Since Murray did not know about the Demerol, he could not understand why Jackson was unable to fall asleep that morning, Chernoff said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor previously ruled that while the jury can see some of the records of Klein’s treatment of Jackson, the doctor would not testify. Demerol was not found in Jackson’s body during the autopsy, which makes Klein’s testimony irrelevant, Pastor ruled.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/justice/california-conrad-murray-trial/index.html
As regards Demerol we’ve discussed it in connection with Dr. Klein’s interview with Harvey Levin of TMZ (click on the link to open). During the interview Klein admitted he had given numerous shots of Demerol but the dosages were small and did no harm. The painkiller was a necessity as the facial and scalp procedures Klein was giving Michael were very painful.
Michael wanted to look as best as he could and Klein was rebuilding his face by removing scars and using fillers to even out the skin and give more body to his nose. Of course the procedures would leave Michael still sedated for some time after the visits but they could not produce any long-lasting harmful effect, according to Klein.
Whatever it was, the main thing we learn about Michael is that he didn’t take any Demerol on his own and was only accepting what Klein chose as the best medication for the moment. Klein said that Michael never asked for Demerol – he was simply afraid of needle shots on his face and scalp (and the scalp hurts like hell during injections, Klein said) and this is why Klein administered a painkiller to stop him from squirming during the delicate procedures he gave him.
* * * * *
DAY 3. September 29
The key testimony of September 29, 2011 was that of Alberto Alvarez, chief of logistics. He was the first to enter the house after Michael Williams’s call. This was the way it started for him:
“Alvarez, who called 911 to report an unresponsive Jackson, went to the mansion after receiving a call from Jackson’s personal assistant. He looked through a set of glass doors at the front entrance and saw Murray, Jackson’s daughter Paris and the Jackson nanny, Alvarez said Thursday.
Murray was on the second floor, looking down over a railing, he testified. Murray called for him to “come quick.” It was at that point, Alvarez said, that he understood the serious nature of the situation”. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44716376
I’ve made notes of the rest of his testimony:
When Alvarez entered the bedroom he saw Michael Jackson laying on his back on the further side of the bed with his hands extended out and his palms up. His eyes and mouth were open and the face was turned slightly towards the left, to the foyer from where Alvarez had come.
Murray was pushing down on the chest using his left hand only (this idiot didn’t know that compressions were to be done by both hands and only on the hard surface as otherwise they are totally useless).
Murray said to Alvarez, “Alberto, we have to take him to hospital”. At his moment Prince and Paris came behind him and Paris screamed “Daddy”. She was crying. Michael was looking slightly inParis’s direction.
Murray told him “Don’t let them see their dad like that”. Alvarez said, “Kids, don’t worry, we’ll take care of it. Everything is going to be OK” and walked them out towards the landing area. He asked Murray what happened and Murray said, “He had a bad reaction”.
Alvarez stood at the foot of the bed and saw a plastic device on the patient’s penis with some tubing attached to it [a condom catheter to catch his urine during what was supposed to be a full night’s sleep]. He didn’t see any monitoring equipment whatsoever – the only thing he noticed was some oxygen tube connected to Michael’s nasal area.
At this point Murray reached out and grabbed a handful of vials saying, “Here, put these in the bag”. Murray’s left knee was on the floor as he was picking the vials from the nightstand directly adjacent to the bed. Alvarez had the bag open, Murray dropped the bottles there and said, “Put this bag in the brown bag”.
Murray asked Alvarez to remove only one of the saline bags – the one with a bottle in it. The other remained on the IV stand
Murray then pointed to the bag hanging from the IV stand and told him to grab it and put it in the blue bag.
Chief Prosecutor David Walgren asked Alavarez: “Why were you following his instructions?”. Alvarez replied that he believed that Dr. Conrad Murray had the best of intentions for Mr. Jackson, so he didn’t question his authority at the time. He thought they were getting packed to get ready to go to the hospital.
The bottle was inside the bag. Some of its milky substance was on the bottom of the bag
When he was detaching the IV bag from the IV stand the bag was at his eye level and he noticed a bottle inside it.
He said that the bottle was upside down and lay diagonal in the saline bag. Alvarez said he saw some milky substance at the bottom of the bag. Walgren asked him if Murray wanted him to remove the other saline bag handing on the other side of the IV stand and Alvarez said “No”.
The propofol bottle lay diagonal in the saline bag
Walgren showed him a saline bag with a slit on it (Murray’s saline bag had a slit on one of its sides) through which he slipped a bottle and Alvarez confirmed that the picture he had seen in that bedroom was the same.
After the saline bag was put into the blue bag Murray told him to call 911. The call was placed at 12.20.
Walgren once again went over the sequence preceding the call. Alvarez said it was as follows: “took the bag – dropped vials in there – took off the saline bag – put it into the blue bag – and then called 911”, all of which he was doing obeying Murray’s instructions.
Prosecutors then played a 911 call from Alvarez.
- “I need an ambulance as soon as possible, sir,” Alvarez told the operator. “We have a gentleman here that needs help. He’s stopped breathing. He’s not conscious, sir. He’s on the bed.”
- Alvarez made the operator aware ofMurray’s presence, saying, “We have a personal doctor here, but he’s not responding to the CPR or anything.”
- Asked by the operator if anyone had seen what had happened, Alvarez responded, “No, just the doctor sir … He’s pumping his chest, but he’s not responding to anything.”
The dispatcher was heard telling Alvarez to move Jackson to the floor.
“I was bracing myself to pick him up because I thought he was going to be very heavy,” said Alvarez. “I picked him up and he was very light.”
The cheapest possible pulse oxymeter ($275) was used for Michael Jackson. Murray clipped it onto Michael’s finger shortly before the paramedics’ arrival. Previously it was not even connected to the patient
In the process of moving the patient Alvarez noticed an IV tube connected to his leg and saw Murray pulling it away. Murray took a brown box, which was not attached when the patient was on the bed and clipped it onto his finger.
Alvarez said that he knew what it was. A few days before that Murray had come to their trailer and asked for batteries for this device. He explained that it was a heart monitor or “something to that extent”. It could have been a week prior to June 25.
Mohammed arrived at the room and Murray asked if anyone knew how to do CPR.
(On cross-examination defense attorney John Flanagan explained that question by saying, “When you’re doing CPR the first thing you ask is, ‘Does anyone else know CPR,’ so they can assist.” And in the process of explanation he revealed a very interesting fact: “Two-man CPR is much more efficient than one-man CPR. Dr. Murray had been doing CPR for more than 15 or 20 minutes, and it’s a very fatiguing thing.”
Isn’t it amazing that the Defense admits Murray was doing CPR for some 20 minutes without calling 911 first!
Alvarez knew how to do CPR and started making compressions with his both hands while Murray did mouth to mouth. After several breaths into Michael’s lungs he said that he was doing it for the first time, but Michael was his friend and “he had to do it”.
[Let me note here that doctors generally don’t make small talk while saving their patient and friends don’t say they “have to” do it. Murray most probably regarded it as an unpleasant procedure because he realized that he was doing it for show only and to a man who was already dead].
When the paramedics arrived Alvarez stepped away.
Walgren asked him if he was ever offered money by the media for an interview. He answered he was approached by the media 9 – 10 times and the offers went up to $200,000. One of them was for $500,000. But he refused them though Michael’s death caused a lot of financial problems for him – he went from a great salary to hardly anything and was wiped out financially…
Alvarez is a great guy and while listening to this man I suddenly realized that this trial is a total opposite of the 2005 trial not only because the Prosecution is now on Michael’s side but also because it is bringing us a totally different kind of people – people of integrity and honor, who are a very big contrast to the dirty clowns who had their feast then.
I agree that there is a certain discrepancy between what Alvarez says about placing the patient on the floor and making a CPR there (probably for a brief few seconds only before paramedics arrived) and the paramedics’s testimonies one of whom (Richard Sennoff) says that when they arrived the patient was in transition from bed to the floor and the other (Martin Blount) says that the patient was still on the bed.
Though this is a minor thing which doesn’t change anything in respect of Murray’s criminal negligence this contradiction will surely be used by the Defense for overall discrediting of Alvarez.
If you ask my opinion I think it is the paramedics who may be mistaken. Firstly, their descriptions are different even between themselves and secondly, they see such scenes every day of their life and within the two year period since 2009 they could have easily forgotten their impressions of where the patient was. It is the facts which they recorded on their papers which they remember very well and the condition in which they found the patient while other things they may be in complete oblivion of – actually they didn’t even realize who the patient was until a much time later….
Our Lynette made the following comment on the above:
- The EMT report says that they walked in and Michael was found on floor on his back with his palms up and CPR was in progress by Dr. Murray. I think everyone is more upset by the varying accounts than they should be. Mostly because in a debriefing after an event like this it is a team of people not just one. The reason it is a team is because everyone sees something different and that is why you will be asked what you have seen.
On cross-examination, Alvarez admitted that he hadn’t told police about Murray’s request to stash the vials and police on the day of Jackson’s death, and didn’t make those claims known until a police interview in August. Murray’s defense attorney, Ed Chernoff, hinted that Alvarez might have added the details in August in order to make himself more attractive as an interview subject.
“Would it be fair to say that the story you gave on August 31, 2009, was substantially more interesting than the one you gave on June 25, 2009?” Chernoff asked.
Alvarez countered that seeing a detective emerging from Jackson’s home on television with a blue bag similar to the one he stowed the IV bag in, along with television reports about Propfol and its milky quality, prompted him to tell authorities about Murray’s request.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/29/idUS392434181020110929
Alvarez said: “When I saw that report I realized that I saw the milky substance and decided to relate this information”. (which I easily believe – non-medics have no idea what kind of substance matters for investigating the case and it is only after someone explains the details that people begin realizing the importance of what they’ve seen).
Chernoff kept insisting “You still didn’t call 911?” insinuating that everyone was to have called 911 except Murray.
Kai Chase, Michael’s chef testified the same day. The defense lawyers tried to present the case as if Murray relied on the chef to alert security, who then could call for an ambulance (what a round about way of calling 911 while he had two cell telephones at his disposal!):“Michael Jackson’s chef Thursday defended her decision not to alert a security guard that Murray needed help in Jackson’s bedroom after Murray frantically asked her to do so.
It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later that a guard in a trailer a few feet away from chef Kai Chase’s kitchen was ordered upstairs to the bedroom where Murray was trying to revive Jackson, according to trial testimony.
Murray ran up and down the kitchen stairs calling for Prince instead of dialling 911
Murray “was very nervous, and frantic and he was shouting,” when he ran down a staircase near the kitchen where Chase was preparing Jackson’s lunch. “Get help, get security, get Prince,” Chase said Murray screamed.
The chef’s response was to walk into the nearby dining room where Jackson’s oldest son, Prince, was playing with his sister and brother, she said.
“I said ‘Hurry, Dr. Murray needs you. There may be something wrong with your father,” Chase said she told Prince Jackson. She then returned to the kitchen to continue lunch preparation, she said.
“He’s asking for help, he’s asking for security,” defense lawyer Michael Flanagan said during cross-examination. “Did you think that a 12-year-old child was going to be able to assist this doctor with a problem with Michael?”
“I did what I was told and I went to get Prince,” Chase answered.
Murray’s lawyers are laying the groundwork to argue that Murray should not be blamed for the delay in calling for help because he relied on the chef to alert security, who then could call for an ambulance.
The prosecution, meanwhile, contends that a delay in calling 911 for an ambulance was Murray’s fault and one of the negligent acts that make him criminally responsible for Jackson’s death.
The Jackson employee who called 911, at least 10 minutes after Murray’s plea to the chef for help, testified earlier Thursday that Murray told him to help gather up drug vials around Jackson’s deathbed before he asked him to place the emergency call.”
Our Lynette who is in the medical profession totally disagrees with the defense’s point of view:
- When a Doctor declares himself someone’s personal physician he is the Chief Medical Officer of the scene. By law, not ethics, but the law he is the highest medical authority and the responsibility of his patient’s health is his and HE is to act accordingly. Doctors in every state in the United States have laws and rules that are written just for them and they are supposed to follow them. One of those laws is that if they are in a situation where their patient needs emergency assistance they are supposed to make that call. Not the chef, not the security and not the patient’s 12 year old son. The reason for that is that any reasonable person could and would assume that the doctor had already done that unless told differently. Doctors and nurses have different laws that they have to abide by to maintain their license than a layperson. The laws he broke were the laws of medical care delivery by a doctor and he broke them to the point of gross negligence.
* * * * *
DAY 4. September 30
The model costing $750 would be much more helpful
Day 4 gave us a chance to see what equipment was used to monitor Michael Jackson’s heart. It is the cheapest type of a pulse oxymeter sold at $275 (see the picture above).
The basic model is used for spot checkings only – it takes 10 seconds to take a reading during which the situation with a patient’s heart may change and this is why it is not adequate for constant monitoring. And if you stay in another room while using it, it is no help as it doesn’t give any signals in case of an alarm.
Neither Murray, nor AEG cared to provide a more sophisticated model sold at $1500 which has all necessary characteristics.
But the best would be the one at $1500
CNN reports the testimony of Robert Johnson of the company producing pulse oxymeters:
The device Murray used to monitor Jackson’s pulse and blood oxygen level while he used propofol to put him to sleep was the focus of testimony by the first witness Friday.
An executive of the company that made the Nonin 9500 pulse oxymeter said it was “designed for spot checking of vital signs” and was “specifically labeled against continuous monitoring.”
The $275 device did not have an audio alarm, requiring someone to constantly keep an eye on the tiny screen, Robert Johnson testified. Murray would have been better equipped with his company’s table top version that would cost $1,200, Johnson said.
Prosecutors argue Murray’s lack of professional monitoring equipment was reckless and is one reason the doctor should be held criminally responsible forJackson’s death.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/justice/california-conrad-murray-trial/index.html
Murray and AEG were saving up on Michael Jackson, you know….
* * * * *
The second witness was Murray’s former patient Robert Russel whom Murray sent a voicemail at 11.49 on June 25. Russel was very much satisfied with Murray’s services until he abandoned him in the past weeks prior to Michael’s death. Robert Russel knew that Murray was attending to Michael Jackson as Murray had disclosed this highly confidential information to him.
Jurors also heard from a former Murray patient who lauded the doctor’s treatment of him, but said his cardiologist became increasingly distant and hard to reach while working with Jackson.
“I felt like I was getting the best care in the world,” said Robert Russell ofLas Vegas, before Murray became the singer’s personal physician. After Murray began treating Jackson, Russell said he couldn’t get answers about his own treatment. He called Murray’s office on June 25, 2009 — the day Jackson died — and demanded to speak to the doctor.
The doctor left him a voicemail at 11:49 a.m.
Prosecutors are using records to show that Murray was on the phone in the moments before he realized Jackson was unconscious. Russell told jurors Murray’s message seemed odd because the doctor said he was going on sabbatical, despite telling the salesman and his wife months earlier that he was going to work for Jackson.
http://www.houstoncriminallaw.com/About-the-Firm/Matthew-Alford.aspx
Russell explained that on June 25 he called Murray’s office and expressed his frustration at continuous cancellation of his appointments with the doctor. Both his June 15 and June 22 appointments had been cancelled and he wanted to know where he stood. Only a few weeks prior to that he had been near death and now he had no information whatsoever and was not referred to any other cardiologist.
When calling Murray’s office he said that he expected a return call or he would proceed to legal action. He said he felt abandoned and needed answers. A voice mail from Murray came back at 11:49 am. In his message Murray was saying that the patient’s “heart was repaired”. Russell was pleased that Dr. Murray responded so quickly but was disappointed that there was still no information about another doctor to whom he could be referred.
* * * * *
Day 4 also brought the crucial testimonies of two paramedics who were the first to arrive at the scene of the crime – Richard Senneff and Martin Blount. For the paramedics’ team leader Richard Senniff here are my notes:
The call from Alvarez came in to their station at 12.22 and since the distance to the house was 1,5 miles, four minutes later (at 12.26) there were already at Carolwood Drive. The defense would later dispute that the call came at 12.20 as if those two minutes could make any difference -Murray was delaying the 911 call by some 2o minutes as his own defense lawyer said!
It took them another minute to enter the house and go upstairs together with the rescue equipment. When four paramedics entered the room Richard Senneff says he saw Murray and the security guy Alvarez moving Michael from the bed to the floor – the torso was still on the bed, but the feet already on the floor.
This point is something the defense will surely talk about as a discrepancy with Alvarez’s testimony, however Senneff’s words contradict the main document those very paramedics filled – the EMT report which said “50yr. old supine on floor”.
Michael was wearing pajama bottoms and the pajama top was open. The patient appeared thin to Senneff.
Seeing an IV stand with a IV bag hanging on it Senneff asked Murray about the patient’s underlying health. He asked him three times and three times didn’t receive an answer. The only thing he said was: ‘Nothing. He has nothing’. Senneff said, ”Simply, that did not add up to me.” Now the defense is trying to prove that Murray didn’t provide any replies as “he was busy”.
When Senneff asked Murray “how long the patient was down,” the doctor responded “It just happened right when I called you”. This made Senneff think that he still had a good chance to save the patient and restart his heart.
They relocated the patient to the carpet at the foot of the bed and sprang into action. Martin Blount ventilated the lungs (via an apparatus placed over mouth and nose to push air into the lungs), Goodman connected the ECG machine to determine whether the heart had any electrical activity, another one made CPR and someone gave medication to restart the heart.
At no point in time Murray mentioned propofol – all he said was the he was treating the patient for dehydration and exhaustion and the only medicine he had given him was a mild sedative, Lorazepam.
The ECG machine showed a flat line which means that there was no heartbeat.
They expected a change after the first few steps however since there was none paramedic Martin Blount started intubation – he placed a tube directly into the lungs to push there the flow of air. They measured the level of carbon dioxide which was only 16% which was too low.
Senneff enumerated the numerous inconsistencies between Murray’s story and Michael’s condition which showed that his death had taken place earlier than Murray was saying– the skin was cool to the touch, the eyes were open and dry, the pupils were dilated, the ECG machine showed a flat line, the carbon dioxide level was low (16%), and they couldn’t locate his veins.
Senneff said that veins are significantly more difficult to find when blood had not been circulating for some time.
Please note a very important point that the paramedics made at least 5 attempts to locate the veins using the needle, but could not find them. These needles explain why Michael’s arms had traces of injections.
In an interview with Klein Harvey Levin of TMZ was gleefully hammering it into Klein’s head that there were numerous needle marks on Michael’s body while Klein was saying that they had fully inspected him a month or two before his death and there were none. Now that it is clear where those needle marks came from, could someone please explain to Levin that at least five of those marks were due to the paramedics trying to locate Michael’s veins! Some people are too quick to jump to dirty conclusions!
The paramedicts made two rounds of resuscitation efforts but the patient was still not giving a sign of life. Senneff agreed with the prosecutor that “essentially the patient was dead”.
However at this point Murray said he identified a pulse in the groin area. Two of the paramedics checked on his words but didn’t find any pulse. The ECG machine was simply showing the signs of the heart movement generated due to the CPR compressions. Senneff ordered the CPR to stop to see whether the heart was functioning on its own, however but the line was still flat and there was no electrical activity.
Murray requested the paramedics do a central line and administer magnesium – both of which they couldn’t do. Central line is done only in a hospital setting with special kind of equipment, and as to magnesium they had none (evidently it is not in their standard kit of medicine). Murray himself had absolutely no medicine to offer them.
A doctor communicating by radio with the paramedics recommended at 12:57 p.m., a half hour after they arrived, that they cease efforts to revive Jackson and declare him dead, according to a recording of the radio traffic played in court. Murray then took over responsibility for the effort and continued resuscitation efforts, Senneff said.
During the 42 minutes the paramedics stayed in the house they never saw a single sign of life in the patient. But they never stopped trying to revive him – even on the stairs they kept ventilating his lungs.
When Senneff returned to the room to retrieve his equipment he saw Murray picking some items from the floor into a blue bag. When he left the room carrying the equipment back to the rescue car Murray was left there alone. He joined them later. While they were driving to the hospital he was talking on the phone. Senneff didn’t notice whether he was making a call or someone called him – he was busy with the patient.
Chernoff played his favorite tune and suggested that the patient displayed all physical characteristics of a drug-addict, but Senneff said it was difficult to tell – he saw only signs of a chronic illness. “I’ve seen overweight drug-addicts, underweight addicts” he said and that the weight is no sign of a drug-addiction.
* * * * *
Another paramedic Martin Blount testified about a point which was almost overlooked by us until the last minute.
It turns out that Martin Blount not only saw some vials scattered on the floor and Murray putting them into a bag, but he saw three vials of lidocaine open which can mean only one thing – the fact that Murray had already used them!
Lidocaine goes together with propofol as it eases its burning sensation, so if he used three vials of lidocaine, how much propofol did he use then?
The quote from http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/content/97/2/461.full shows that the ratio in which Lidocaine is used with Propofol is 10 :1. And this means that if three vials of lidocaine were found open, the amount of propofol used should be ten times as much!
- Lidocaine is used to reduce pain associated with propofol injection, either mixed with propofol or preceding it as a separate injection. Mixing 20 mg of lidocaine with 200 mg of propofol is unlikely to affect the dose of propofol required for the induction of anesthesia.
“Los Angeles paramedic Martin Blount — who was among the responders to the 9/11 call on the day of Michael Jackson’s death — testified at the involuntary manslaughter of Dr. Conrad Murray on Friday that there were three open vials of the anesthetic lidocaine in Michael Jackson’s bedroom when they arrived at the scene.
Blount described how the vials were scattered on the floor of the room. He also testified that, when asked by fellow paramedic Richard Senneff about drugs that he administered to Jackson, he made mo mention of lidocaine.
Blount also testified that he saw Murray scoop up three of the bottles and put them into a black bag as they prepared to transport to the hospital.
According to Blount’s testimony, Murray was in a hectic state as emergency responders arrived in the bedroom.
“He was a little flustered; he was sweating profusely and he was agitated,” Blount told the court.
Blount described Jackson’s eyes as “fixed and dilated” when paramedics arrived.
“I felt he was dead, ma’am,” Blount told the prosecutor.
According to Blount, Murray made a phone call in the ambulance as they transported Jackson to the hospital at UCLA.
“It’s about Michael, and it doesn’t look good,” Blount recalled Murray saying.
http://www.mjlivesononline.com/news/conrad-murray-trial-day-4
This sounds to me as some type of an encoded message. If Murray was calling his girlfriend he would have said it in a different way – something like “I’ll be late today as I’ll be very busy”.
* * * * *
A great piece of news brought to our attention by Chris ( thank you !) is a statement made by a former Deputy DA Hamid Towfigh who had an absolutely killing argument against the Defense who say that MJ self-administered propofol. Please watch the video of Jane Velez-Mitchell talking to Hamid Towfigh: http://www.examiner.com/jackson-family-in-national/former-la-deputy-da-hamid-towfigh-on-conrad-murray-michael-jackson-propofol-video
It is also interesting that what Hamid Towfigh says is very much in line with Martin Blount’s testimony about the three open vials of lidocaine. Please see my transcript of Hamid Towfigh’s words (and correct the mistakes if any):
Towfigh: In their opening statement of the defense they are telling us if their theory was based on self-injection or self-ingestion by swallowing the propofol. That’s very interesting. But under both reasons they’ll fail.
First of all propofol or deprivan is only vial available [ ] .. if you swallow propofol it will not cause the reaction of death. That’s in the medical literature, you can ask Dr. Sanjay Gupta about this.
Velez-Mitchell: What about Michael Jackson somehow making an injection or opening the drug?
Towhigh: This is not possible, because according to the Coroner’s report Michael Jackson had a general anesthesia level of propofol in his blood. If you ask anesthesiologists they’ll tell you it is about 200mg or higher of propofol. The syringes that were in the room of Michael Jackson were 10cc syringes which is the equivalent of 100mg. That means that he would have had to inject himself twice — 200 mg of propofol to get the levels that the coroners said he had.
That is not possible, because after the first dose that Michael Jackson supposedly gave himself, he would have passed out.
And besides propofol is a very painful drug. That’s why they mix it with lidocaine. Michael Jackson had lidocaine in his system. They mix propofol with it because when it goes into your body it’s very painful. So had Michael Jackson self-administered this (which he didn’t) he would have screamed [ ] and Conrad Murray would have heard him in the other room.
Velez-Mitchell: I think that what you are saying is brilliant. [ ] He had so much propofol in his system according to the autopsy report that it was enough for major surgery. He would have had to use two bottles [in a shot, drip or whatever]. And at the time of administering the first one he would have been knocked out so that he couldn’t have been awake to administer the second one. Is that what you are saying?
Towfigh: Exactly.
Velez-Mitchell: Wow!
Wow indeed! What a killing argument!
* * * * *
As a sort of closing information for week 1 here is an article which – among other things – tells us of judge Michael Pastor who spotted Ed Chernoff’s law partner speak to the media despite the gag order prohibiting lawyers for both sides to discuss the matter publicly:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After just a few moments inMichael Jackson‘s bedroom, the paramedic dispatched to save the singer’s life knew things weren’t adding up.
There was the skinny man on the floor, eyes open with a surgical cap on his head. His skin was turning blue. Paramedic Richard Senneff asked the sweating, frantic-looking doctor in the room what condition the stricken man had.
“He said, ‘Nothing. He has nothing,'” Senneff told jurors at the involuntary manslaughter trial of Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray.
“Simply, that did not add up to me,” Senneff said.
Over the course of the 42 minutes that Los Angeles paramedics tried to revive Jackson, several other things about the room and Murray’s responses seemed inconsistent to Senneff.
After repeated prodding, Murray revealed a few details about his actions, saying he had only given Jackson a dose of the sedative lorazepam to help him sleep, Senneff testified.
In addition, there were bottles of medicine on Jackson’s nightstand, and Murray finally offered that he was treating the singer for dehydration and exhaustion.
Senneff said Murray never mentioned that he had also been giving Jackson doses of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives, a key omission that prosecutors say shows he repeatedly tried to conceal his actions during the struggle to save the pop superstar.
Murray, 58, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison and lose his medical license.
Prosecutors contend the Houston-based cardiologist repeatedly lied to medics and emergency room doctors about medications he had been giving Jackson in the singer’s bedroom. They claim Murray administered a fatal dose of propofol and other sedatives.
Defense lawyers claim Jackson gave himself the fatal dose after his doctor left the room.
Defense attorney Nareg Gourjian asked Senneff whether Jackson’s appearance was consistent with someone who was a drug addict.
Senneff said that was a difficult determination to make, but he did think the singer “looked like he had a chronic health problem.”
Senneff was the first paramedic to reach Jackson’s bedroom and said within moments, he and three other paramedics were working to revive Jackson. After trying multiple heart-starting medications and other efforts, Jackson was still lifeless.
“Did you ever see any sign of life in Mr. Jackson during the entire time you were attempting to save him,” prosecutor Deborah Brazil asked.
“No I did not,” Senneff said.
Another paramedic dispatched to the room, Martin Blount, agreed. He told jurors that they thought Jackson was dead soon after they arrived in the room.
Blount also said he saw three open bottles of lidocaine on the floor of the room but noted that Murray never mentioned giving Jackson the painkiller. He told jurors he saw the doctor scoop up the vials and drop them in a black bag.
Judge Michael Pastor
Between the paramedics’ testimony, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor threatened Murray’s lawyers with a contempt charge over an interview the law partner of lead defense counsel Ed Chernoff did Friday with “The Today Show.” In the interview, attorney Matt Alford criticized a key prosecution witness, Jackson’s bodyguard Alberto Alvarez.
Alvarez testified Thursday that Murray ordered him to place vials of medication in a bag before calling 911. Defense attorneys have repeatedly challenged his account.
Prosecutors complained and Pastor watched the interview during a break. He told attorneys he was shocked and had watched the interview “with my mouth open.” The interview was done hours after the judge warned attorneys not to comment about the case outside court.
He ordered Alford to appear for a contempt hearing on Nov. 15 and described him as a witness after Chernoff told Pastor to hold him in contempt instead of his partner.
All the discussions about the interview were held outside the presence of jurors, who are under strict orders to avoid media coverage about the case.
The seven-man, five-woman panel instead heard testimony about efforts to revive Jackson, who the paramedics and emergency room doctor thought was dead at his rented mansion. Still, the singer was transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center because Murray wanted life-saving efforts to continue.
After loading Jackson into an ambulance, Senneff said he saw Murray collecting items from Jackson’s bedside. The doctor was alone in the bedroom for several moments before joining paramedics in the ambulance for the drive to the hospital, Senneff said.
Gourjian suggested Murray had been collecting his wallet and glasses, but Senneff said he could not see the items.
In the ambulance, Blount said, he heard Murray make a phone call. “‘It’s about Michael, and it doesn’t look good,'” Blount recalled hearing Murray saying.
Jurors also heard from a former Murray patient who lauded the doctor’s treatment of him, but said the cardiologist became increasingly distant and hard to reach while working with Jackson.
“I felt like I was getting the best care in the world,” said Robert Russell of Las Vegas, before Murray became the singer’s personal physician. “The advice he gave me saved my life.”
Russell said he couldn’t get answers about his own treatment, and the man who once spent so much time offering care and advice was unreachable.
He called Murray’s office on June 25, 2009 — the day Jackson died — and demanded to speak to the doctor.
The doctor returned the call and left him a voicemail at 11:49 a.m. Prosecutors are using records to show that Murray was on the phone in the moments before he realized Jackson was unconscious.
Thirty-seven minutes later, Senneff ran into Jackson’s bedroom. http://www.chron.com/news/article/Medic-Info-from-Jackson-doctor-didn-t-add-up-2197431.php
* * * * *
And finally here is the EMT report of June 25, 2009 mentioned earlier and a clear and easy explanation of its details made by this awesome site: http://dearconradmurray.com/documents/emt-reports/.
The EMT report explicitly says that when the paramedics arrived they found the patient on the floor. The report starts with a statement: “50yr old found supine on floor” (supine means lying on the back with the face upward).
This record made by the paramedics themselves fully clarifies the discrepancy which arose in the first week of the trial between the testimonies of Alvarez, Senneff and Blount. Out of these three the memory of Alvarez turned out to be the clearest and his description of the scene the most accurate of all!
Vindicating Michael 
Helena,
I didn’t want to fill up lots of the page here with youtube clips, but this user is diligently uploading much of the trial.
http://www.youtube.com/user/JustMeSTKK
As this post expands, we can locate much of the testimonies at that link.
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Trial day 5, Monday, October 3 from CNN:
“Jurors in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray will hear Monday from two emergency room doctors who tried to bring Michael Jackson back to life before declaring the pop icon dead.
Prosecutors are also expected to call three of Dr. Murray’s girlfriends to the witness stand to talk about their conversations with Murray …. ”
VMJ will you begin with another post for week 2 where we can paste things? Thanks
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“When he called from the ambulance he called Nichole Alverez his girlfriend whose apartment was used for an address to have the propofol sent to. Why would he call her and tell her that it was about Michael and it did not look good? I think that was her cue to throw away the rest of the propofol which means she was well aware of what was coming from Applied Pharmacy and knew what he was doing to.”
Looks very much probable to me.
“I think he used the empty bag just to hold the vial. I think after I listened to the testimony that Murray when everyone left the room picked up the bags with the vials and put them in the top shelf of the closet and then just picked up the tubing, put it in his pocket and threw it away at the hospital where it would go unnoticed as far as garbage goes.”
Quite probable too. The bottle was lying in the bag upside down in a diagonial position. When I wrote a summary of Alvarez’s testimony I overlooked to mention that Alvarez saw propofol not only in the bottle but on the very bottom of the bag too – which means that propofol leaked into the bag and Alvarez saw its leftovers in the narrowing of the bag to which the tubing is usually attached.
This way Murray could be very well pouring propofol into the bag and from the bag via tubing into Michael’s leg. The tubing – as far as I understand – is missing but it was indeed no problem to put it into the pocket.
Besides the terrible antisanitation of such a system of administering propofol we must think about why Murray could have used it this way. After all he could have put a vial of propofol on the IV stand without any bag, right? So was it because propofol was to be mixed with some other drug? Or was it because Murray was putting bottle after bottle into that bag pouring propofol there to saturate Michael’s body with it?
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“I wish the prosecution will not play anymore of that dreadful recording, but they will. Shelly you asked if it was a voice message, or was Dr. Murray in the room. He was in the room and used an iphone app to record MJ. When the prosecution plays the remainder of it we may hear Dr. Murray’s voice.”
I didn’t get it at first and thought it was Michael calling him, but if Murray was sitting beside him and recording him this alone is simply outrageous. It is a totally unacceptable thing to do for anyone – a relative or a friend – but for a doctor recording his patient after he administers him some drug is a total disgrace. Moreover it is extremely suspicious and suggests the desire to blackmail Michael.
It seems that the media outlets, which went crazy about hearing Michael talk like that, overlooked the real sensation of the circumstances in which the recording was made. I hope the Prosecution will make it clear to everyone how near criminal an action it was. I am beginning to forgive the Prosecution for airing that tape. It seems they have more to say about it than they did at the beginning.
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“The EMT report says that they walked in and Michael was found on floor”
Lynette, thank you for clearing it up. I’ve seen the report but didn’t notice that fact myself. Now parts of your comment have been included in the post together with the picture of the EMT report. It opes with: “50yr old found supine on floor”. Supine means “laying flat on the back, face upward”.
This fully resolves the issue of the discrepancy as to “where the patient was” between Alvarez, Richard Sennoff and Martin Blount. Out of these three Alvarez’s testimony is the most accurate! As I thought the paramedics see dying patients so often that can easily forget who lay in what position – especially if they have to recall it two years later. Fortunately we have the documents they filled in at the time to clarify these points.
“when a Doctor declares himself someone’s personal physician he is the Chief Medical Officer of the scene. By law, not ethics, but the law he is the highest medical authority and the responsibility of his patient’s health is his and HE is to act accordingly. Doctors in every state in the United States have laws and rules that are written just for them and they are supposed to follow them. One of those laws is that if they are in a situation where their patient needs emergency assistance they are supposed to make that call. Not the chef, not the security and not the patient’s 12 year old son”
Thank you – all of us thought that the doctor was to have called 911 first, but it is all the more important to know that it is actually a LAW in the US.
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Special Correspndent Linda Deutsch’s recap of the first week of the Conrad Murray trial:
Behind the drama, a simple case
October 02, 2011|By Linda Deutsch, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – The first week of the manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor has had all the trappings of other courtroom spectacles involving the King of Pop: Dozens of sign-toting fans, TV crews, Jackson look-alikes, and the familiar faces of the Jackson family enduring yet another public crucible.
Inside the courtroom, jurors heard intimate, riveting details of the pop superstar’s life, including recordings of his drug-slurred voice, his hopes for a major comeback tour, even his love of spinach Cobb salad with organic turkey breast.
Despite all the courtroom drama, the involuntary manslaughter case against Conrad Murray is relatively straightforward. To win a conviction, prosecutors must simply prove that Murray acted with gross negligence as Jackson’s personal physician in the days and hours before his death.
Murray, 58, a Houston cardiologist, sat silently as prosecutors called witnesses who said he never told them to call 911 after Jackson was found unconscious in the bedroom of his rented Los Angeles mansion. They suggested Murray could have instructed security guards, a chef, and Jackson’s personal assistant to make the crucial call, but he did not.
One security guard said Murray delayed the call while telling him to bag vials of medicine.
In the eyes of prosecutors, Murray did nearly everything wrong and even abandoned the singer in his hour of extreme need when he left his bedside to make a phone call. Defense attorneys are aggressively challenging such claims.
Attorney Adam Braun, who briefly represented a doctor charged with overprescribing drugs to Anna Nicole Smith, said the first requirement for prosecutors is to prove the cause of Jackson’s death.
A coroner’s report said he died on June 25, 2009, of acute intoxication from the powerful anesthetic propofol, with the presence of sedatives known as benzodiazepines.
Prosecutors “have to show it was reckless both to prescribe and administer propofol and to leave it next to the bed,” Braun said.
Thus far, prosecutors have focused their evidence on alleged serious acts of omission by Murray. Witnesses said he delayed asking others to make the 911 call; failed to have the proper lifesaving equipment on hand; and did not tell paramedics that he had given Jackson propofol.
Central to their case is Murray’s decision to provide the star with propofol, the drug Jackson called his “milk,” delivering it in a home bedroom rather than a hospital room where it is meant to be given with an anesthesiologist on hand and lifesaving equipment such as a CPR machine available for emergencies.
In his opening statement, prosecutor David Walgren said Murray told police he gave Jackson a small amount of propofol on the day he died and had provided doses every night for about six weeks before that as a sleep aid.
Defense attorney Ed Chernoff countered that Jackson did not die because Murray gave him propofol; he died because he stopped giving it to him. Murray was actually trying to wean him from the drug when Jackson downed a fatal dose while Murray was out of the room, the lawyer said.
With no one present in the room when that would have occurred, lawyers will be asking jurors to infer it from circumstantial evidence.
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I have to apoplgize to everyone because I thought everybody knew what a saline lock is and what tubing looks like. I’ve been a nurse to long I think everybody knows what I am talking about and they don’t. What I think Murray did was use something I call a Clave to connect to the vial then he attached that to a long tubing that comes in all sizes. he inserted an IV catheterin his leg and then attached a twin saline lock so he could piggyback the propofol in via gravity drip. The only part that was actually not found was long tube for the propofol and I think he just took that with him by doing something called red capping it and putting it in his pocket and threw it away at the hospital where no one would notice or know that it didn’t belong there. Here is a link to a you tube of an IV push or Bolus injection.
This one is how to insert an IV and a saline lock.
And this is IV Gravity Drip with a Piggyback Medication added.
And this is the connector that is attached to the vial. Then he would just use the empty saline bag or whatever he was using that time hang it upside down and attach a long tubing.
http://www.hrmedical.com/infusion-products/needlelessheplockconnectors/vial-and-bag-spikes-connectors/b9909-bravo24-connector-multi-dose-vial-access-spike.html
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I think MJ was dead alot longer than he said too. I think it was because he stopped the propofol and connected the saline because he already had his story made up about the dehydration and exhaustion and that is what would be hanging for that.
Everyone is going by sort of what happened according to Murray but according to him he was giving MJ a med practically every hour on the hour until 7:30 AM. Then there is a gap until he says he finally gave in and gave him the propofol at 10:40 AM. I don’t think so. I think he started running that propofol a lot earlier than 10:40 AM. Mostly because if he was worried that MJ wasn’t getting any sleep why would he suddenly wait for 3 hours when he was giving him the benzos every hour on the hour. If you think that way the amounts of what was found in his system makes more sense.
Next I just had my Italk app added to my phone. With that I can record meetings or even just the birds singing in a meadow. Then I can file it, add to it and share it with my friends via email or any number of ways in which to share a recording. What is even more interesting that he could just continue to record MJ and probably email it to well, whoever he wanted to. Once that was released to the UK tabloids MJ would be ruined again and no one would care that a DOCTOR did that as long as they all made money off it.
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That is what everyone is with that set up confused. Niki said that the IV port was the kind that took needles but most tubing has more than one Y port to attach anther line to. The one in his leg would only have to have one line into it not two. I think the problem is that we have non- medical people trying to describe IV set up. but this is what I think he did.
I think he used the empty bag just to hold the vial. There is something I have called a Clave or short needle that pierces the rubber stopper in the vial on one end and a luer port on the other. A luer port is a blue port that connects to long tubing. Then he could easily have rigged something up where he connected one long tubing to another at one of the Y connections. They make all kinds of connectors for all kinds of set ups.
I do think that Murray took the time before he called anyone to stop the propofol and attach the saline. I think after I listened to the testimony that Murray when everyone left the room picked up the bags with the vials and put them in the top shelf of the closet and then just picked up the tubing, put it in his pocket and threw it away at the hospital where it would go unnoticed as far as garbage goes. His pocket may have looked full but because the kind of baggy pants he was wearing that day have all kinds of pockets and a doctor with a full pocket means nothing.
When he called from the ambulance he called Nichole Alverez his girlfriend whose apartment was used for an address to have the propofol sent to. Why would he call her and tell her that it was about Michael and it did not look good? I think that was her cue to throw away the rest of the propofol which means she was well aware of what was coming from Applied Pharmacy and knew what he was doing to.
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@ Lynette
Ok day 3 Alvarez testimony.
He said he removed the propofol saline bag from the hook on IV stand. Correct?
On other side a full liquid Saline bag was hooked on the stand and also was the 1 attached with tubing to Michaels leg until Murray pulled it out. Correct?
So, did Michael have 2 IV drips at the same time in two different places or was the propofol saline bag attached first then the clear saline bag attached after propofol bag was empty?
If it was the 2nd it could only of been Murray who changed the bags over (at the time Michael would of been dead but b4 he went for help).
Unless Michael jumped out of bed. Cut open the saline bag with Iv in his leg putting 100ml bottle in bag. Then until all propofol was out of bottle into the tube down to his leg. Switched the bags over, layed back down and died in 2 minutes murray out the room. Whilst he already had high concentrations of Lorazepam and Midazolam which would of made his actions clumsy and slow just getting up and out of bed????????
Im confused!
Maybe i missed something please correct it.
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Anybody know who he called in the ambulance?
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For good measure MSNBC had the gall to show that poisonous Bashir mockumentary today, right in the thick of the trial.
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Friends, I’ve added a significant portion of information to the post. Now it fully covers the first four days of the trial. It is mammoth in size of course, but the advantage is that all is kept in one place.
You can read it day by day.
And I highly recommend an awesome site: http://dearconradmurray.com/ which should be added to our blogroll.
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Sara Wiliiams,. agree with you on murray, Not only is he a bad doc.
he also lacks an ounce or less of emphathy.It is outright shameful that he secretly filmed and taped Michael while he was in a semiconcious
state.He is an evil person, crying crokodile tears for his poor patients,all seemed ripe for SSI ,while defrauding the federal Government for 1,250 million $.
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People, WHY did Nancy Grace continuously and LOUDLY state on her show that MJ was lying in his own urine when WE KNOW he had on a condom catheter?!!! This woman needs to be STOPPED from spewing LIES about The KOP!
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I wish the prosecution will not play anymore of that dreadful recording, but they will. Shelly you asked if it was a voice message, or was Dr. Murray in the room. He was in the room and used an iphone app to record MJ. When the prosecution plays the remainder of it we may hear Dr. Murray’s voice.
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Here is Nikki Allygator’s take on the trial so far: http://gatorgirl277.blogspot.com/2011/09/thoughts-from-day-two-of-conrad-murray.html
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The EMT report says that they walked in and Michael was found on floor on his back with his palms up and CPR was in progress by Dr. Murray. I think everyone is more upset by the varying accounts than they should be. Mostly because in a debriefing after an event like this it is a team of people not just one. The reason it is a team is because everyone sees something different and that is why you will be asked what you have seen.
Alberto Alverez, Michael Amir Williams and Faheem Muhammad were asked what they were asked for some reasons and the Paramedics Richard Senneff and Martin Blount were asked what they were asked for other reasons.
First you have to know what the defense is going to argue. In this case Chernoff told everyone that there was this perfect storm of events where Michael “woke up” and swallowed Ativan pills and gave himself a deadly dose of IV propofol in the leg and dies instantly while Murray was out of the room.The reason for that is it is the only way to even partially absolve Murray of the guilt.They argue that Michael would not have been able to be saved no matter when 911 was called. That will be testified to by Dr. Cooper. Personally I have to question if that were the case then maybe he shouldn’t have been administering propofol in that setting or even at all for what he says he was doing it.
Then you have to know something else and that is that when a Doctor declares himself someone’s personal physician he is the Chief Medical Officer of the scene. By law, not ethics, but the law he is the highest medical authority and the responsibility of his patient’s health is his and HE is to act accordingly. Doctors in every state in the United States have laws and rules that are written just for them and they are supposed to follow them. One of those laws is that if they are in a situation where their patient needs emergency assistance they are supposed to make that call. Not the chef, not the security and not the patient’s 12 year old son. The reason for that is that any reasonable person could and would assume that the doctor had already done that unless told differently. Doctors and nurses have different laws that they have to abide by to maintain their license than a layperson. The laws he broke were the laws of medical care delivery by a doctor and he broke them to the point of gross negligence.
One of the reasons the DA asked the people at the scene what they saw was to show that he did not call 911 for Michael. As a matter of fact to date HE still hasn’t called 911 for his patient. In his statement to the police he said that the reason he did not call 911 was because to leave him would be neglect. However I think he thinks that the statement he gave them would satisfy any kind of investigation and the case would have been closed. The problem for him came when Cherilyn Lee came forward and said the word propofol then they asked for extensive toxicology to be done.
With Alberto Alverez we have him in the room with the vials of propofol. It does not matter what time he put those vials in those bags all that matters is that he did. It does not matter if it was 15 after or 21 after as long as Murray had those vials, and was aware of them. HE was responsible for that medication, not Michael, not Kai Chase or Kenya the chocolate lab, Murray was the CMO at that scene and that medication does not belong in the home ever.He bought them and he brought them into the house so he is responsible for them.
That is why the DA asked both paramedics what they had seen. Both of them had pertinent information that he wanted the jury to know. With them it was, what was wrong with the picture when you arrived as to what you thought was wrong when you got the call. Well with them it was Michael was dead for a lot longer than what Murray said and what was in the room.
Second did either of them hear the word propofol from Murray and was it asked more than one time. Yes he asked repeatedly for a history and he was told he was given 2 mg of Ativan and normal saline for dehydration nothing else. It is his legal responsibility to accurately report his patient’s medical condition called full disclosure for the continuation of his care in an emergency. Then there are other vials that Martin Blount saw on the floor, vials of lidocaine, each medication found in those bags can now be placed at the scene prior to anyone else entering. He had full knowledge of what he was doing.
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EMT Med Report: June 25, 2009:
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Have seen this link for Jorrie. Perhaps you find what you’re searching in it VMJ!Tthis is the part one. There is 2 more:
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Here it is MJJCommunity summary about Jorrie’s testimony:
(From the link Deborah Ffrench gave here)
Kathy Jorrie Testimony
Examination of Kathy Jorrie (KJ) is a lawyer with Luce, Forward, Hamilton, Scripps and is in charge of their LA office.
She was contracted by AEG to draft a contract for services involving CM and MJ. She began drafting contract in May-June timeframe after being contacted by Tim Wooley (TM) of AEG. TM sent her basic information. KJ sent first draft of the contract to TM on June 15th. TM forwarded the contract to CM and KJ received phone call from CM about the contract draft.
The start date of Murray’s contract was when all three parties signed the contract. The contract was not valid until this was done.
Initally CM contract had a end date of September 2009. CM called KJ asking to change the end date to March 2010. Kathy queried CM as to whether he asked MJ about getting paid during the hiatus of Oct-Dec and all of the way til Mar 2010. CM said he did and MJ was willing to pay for his services during hiatus and till March 2010.
Final contract was signed by CM and sent back to KJ on June 24th, 2009.
KJ spoke to CM twice about changes to contract. CM requested certain changes, one was for the start of his payment to be retroactive to May, 2009.
KJ said CM did not want his name on the contract but instead wanted the name of his company, GSA Holdings. KJ said she could add the company to the contract but needed to have his name on it as well.
Another change was for a medical professional to be available in London. KJ asked CM why this was needed. CM said it was for if Murray was unavailable or needed to rest, that someone would be there.
There was a right to terminate the contract immediately if MJ no longer wanted CM. Also, if the tour was cancelled. Murray wanted a provision that said if a termination for any of those reasons occurred past the payment date of the 15th of the month, CM would not have to return the payment for that month.
KJ had a conversation on Jun 18th with CM about medical equipment needed to be included as a provision in the contract. KJ wanted to know why he needed this equipment including a CPR machine. CM said when MJ was performing at the O2 arena he was going to be performing extraordinary things. Also considering his age, CM wanted the machine. KJ asked wouldn’t this be at the arena? CM told her he didn’t want to take any chances. KJ was worried MJ might have a heart problem or was unhealthy. CM assured her he was healthy. CM told KJ three times that MJ was in perfect health.
They also discussed where CM was licensed to practice medicine. Murray told Kathy he was licensed to practice in CA, TX, NV, Hawaii.
June 23 conversation: CM had some revisions he wanted. He asked the term to be changed from September 2009 to March 2010. Start date was changed to May 1. Contract said “services requested by the producer” CM asked it to be changed to “artist”. KJ asked CM to help with medical records of MJ to submit to insurer for concert cancellation insurance. Insurer company asked for 5 year of medical history. CM asked KJ to send what is required to MJ’s house.He said that he had only been the physician of MJ for 3 years and since MJ was in such good health, the file would be very tiny. KJ later provided CM insurer company’s information so that he can contact directly.
CM repeatedly told her MJ was healthy, in excellent condition, he was great.
Prosecution presented contract that Murray sent to KJ on June 24th. The only signature on it was CM.
Above where MJ was supposed to sign reads:
“The undersigned hereby confirms that he has requested Producer to engage Dr. Murray on the terms set forth herein on behalf of and at the expense of the undersigned.”
The contract was between Murray, AEG Live, GCA Holdings with the consent of Michael.
Defense cross examination
Contract was not signed and no payment was made to CM – at least by AEG. CM had to provide liability insurance and medical malpractice insurance.
CM told KJ he would need the equipment in London. First time KJ talked to CM was on the 18th. When she received the information from Tim Wooley, the CPR machine was already on the list of machines CM needed.
Kathy: “Murray said he needed the CPR machine for MJ at the venue. He did not indicate home use.”
KJ was not aware of the hours CM would be providing services to MJ. She assumed they would be during the day. She had no hint that the services would be at night.
Records were not provided to KJ. But she requested that medical reords be sent to the broker trying to secure the insurance (Bob Taylor).
According to the contract CM was not prohibited from doing other things at all.
Contract was terminable at the discretion of MJ. CM was not guarateed the next month of employment.
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Helena I found a site that would give me a rough estimate of the cost of the propofol or Diprivan. For a 50 ml vial it would be about $50 dollars. Now the milligram amount that Walgren said was 155,000 mg. In ml that would be 15,500 ml. So it would have cost him $15,500 in propofol alone. I have not added up the cost of the Ativan or the Versed I will go back and try to get that as well.
So now that we know a rough estimate of the cost to Murray I think we can safely say that he had no intention of “helping” Michael to “sleep” or otherwise.
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Courtesy of the excellent team at MJJC:
Full Testimony summaries for Day 4 of Murray trial:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/119153-Murray-Trial-_-All-daily-trial-Summaries-No-discussion-September-30th-Day-4?p=3499318&viewfull=1#post3499318
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Helena when Murray agreed to speak to the detectives on June 27th he was surprised that they had not found the bags yet and told them where they were. Somehow those bags that he loaded everything into got from the bedroom floor and a chair to the top shelf in the bedroom closet. Once he had given them a statement that he had given MJ propofol in front of his attorney he had no choice but to direct them to it.
I am still trying to figure out how much those orders were and will go back and watch that again and try to add it up once I find a price guide and I also asked gatorgirl if she had added up the cost but she hasn’t gotten back to me on that so I will watch it again to get those details and try to add it up. I will look for a wholesale distributor online and get some kind of an idea what the cost is.
Shelly the Vulnerable Adult Violation has a little typo in it. I will correct that and tell you that here in the US we have a Federal Law called the Vulnerable Adult Act. This was written to protect adults in certain circumstances that are unable to care for themselves. One area was our nursing homes, the developmentally disabled adult that was housed in subsidized housing, the mentally ill and in general people that are permanently or temporarily unable to care for themselves or make their own informed decisions. That would include someone that was under anesthesia or under the influence of medication and unable to make their own decisions because of their impaired decision making ability. As a Doctor, Murray has to know this law and actually take CEU’s or Continuing Education Units specifically about the Vulnerable Adult Act and what is a violation of that act in order to continue to practice or have a clinic that caters to a health care population comprised primarily of the older adult. Most of his patients would have been older due to his specialty (cardiology) and therefore eligible for Medicare (government) coverage of their healthcare bill. He could have his ability to care for this population rescinded if he is found in violation of this law. It can also be safely assumed that if he breeched this law once he would violate again or had before.
The actual violation is taping Michael when he was unaware or could make a sound decision if he wanted to be recorded or not. Michael should have been able to say yes to that if he was awake and It is clear from the recording that he was not able to make that decision for himself. He then violated the vulnerable adult act when he recorded him for whatever purpose was his intent. Under that law there is no stipulation that would allow for a surreptitious recording of his patient because it had no benefit to his treatment.
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I heard from Walgren, that Conrad Murray ordered the equivalent of 4.9 gallons of propofol from Applied Pharmacy in Las Vegas lying to Tim Lopez about having a clinic in California.
So if Murray was not stockpiling the propofol and he was going to a country where he was not licensed to practice and could not get it in England how did he think he was going to tell Tim Lopez to ship it there? My thoughts are that he had no intention of Michael ever leaving the USA alive.
Good question. Now Tim Lopez as the key witness is missing according to this article http://www.billboard.com/news/conrad-murray-trial-opens-with-michael-jackson-1005372962.story#/news/conrad-murray-trial-opens-with-michael-jackson-1005372962.story :
Los Angeles (CNN) — “A man who testified earlier that he shipped large amounts of the surgical anesthetic propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray in the weeks before Michael Jackson’s death apparently moved out of the United States and cannot be located for this month’s trial, prosecutors told the judge Thursday.
Prosecutors want to use the previous testimony of Tim Lopez, given at Murray’s preliminary hearing last January, because they’ve been unable to contact him since he moved to Thailand. Pastor said prosecutors must show Monday that they have done everything possible to reach Lopez.
Lopez, the owner of a wholesale pharmacy in Las Vegas, testified that he shipped a total of 15 liters of propofol to Murray in the three months before Jackson’s death”.
In connection with the above here is a couple of questions:
1) who paid for those 15 liters of propofol? what is the price of a 100mg bottle of propofol by the way?
2) could Murray afford it and if he could why did he have the cheapest possible pulse oxymeter as the only equipment available to him?
“he told the detectives that he gave MJ and then only admits to 50 mg a night until he decides that there is a problem. He is surprised when he find out from the detectives that they haven’t found the bags with all that stuff in there.He probably wondered why he ever said anything then.”
Lynette, did I understand you right that the bags into which Murray was packing all those vials WERE NOT FOUND? If so, then another question is simply inevitable:
If Murray did not return to the house as the security guards blocked him from going there, who took the bags?
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What is Vulnerable e Adult Violation?
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Dear Lynette, co-eds and all friends here, please keep up the great job of collecting information and exchanging opinion about the trial (and vindicating Michael). I will be away for a couple of days and will try to fully update this post to enclose there as much information as possible about the first week of the trial. Next week we will have to start a new post about week 2 and if need be can return to week 1 with any information which we could have earlier overlooked.
By now I have fully updated only the testimonies of Ortega, Gongaware and Kathy Jorrie and realized in the process that I cannot find a video of Kathy Jorrie saying that the resuscitation equipment was included in the points outlined to her by Timm Wooley (of AEG). What I mean is that she says she learned about the equipment even before she ever talked to Murray and was instructed about it by AEG.
The only video I found stopped short at exactly the moment I am talking about. This is what I wrote in the post in this connection:
Since the matter of who was the first to ask for the resuscitation equipment is crucial, I tried to find a respective video on Youtube. However all videos stop short at providing this information. The video below came to that point closest of all. The conversation about the equipment starts here at 6:35 but the end – where she admitted that the equipment was on AEG’s list from the very start of it – is missing.
It is surprising as firstly, the information we need comes immediately after this episode and secondly, standard Youtube videos allow up to 10 minutes while this one lasts only 8.32.
If cutting the tape is the doing of those who think that provision of true information about AEG is harming the Prosecution case against Murray they are wrong – because if it was Murray who asked for the equipment first it only makes Murray look caring for his patient. And if it was AEG who knew they were to do it from the very start and never provided it, it doesn’t make Murray any better but shows the true worth of AEG Live.
So if anyone finds the missing part please provide it to us!
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Lynette
I been asking that question 4 along time. Was he even allowed to bring it over here in the uk? I think it is unlikely.
When they would ask why he needs it what would his answer be?
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Some very damning testimonies to Murray from the paramedics and the ER doctor. Alone the fact Murray withheld important medical information from them should be punishable IMO. He never mentioned Propofol to them, he claimed he only gave Michael 4 mg of Lorazepam. He misled the ER doctor saying he was treating Michael for dehydration. He was lying through his teeth. No excuse for that.
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I have been watching this trial every day , I love Michael Jackson , I have supported Justice for Michael , and i have kept up on all that happened to our Angle, and the neglect Of Conrad Murry , but today i realized , Murry did not give a shit about Michael is was completely about the $$$$$ , I mean we all knew money played a Bid roll in all this , But My God there was no friendship here or Love , he neglected everything in the care of him ,it makes me truly sick and Breaks My Heart , It is All lies and on the phone with another patient while Michael was laying there dieing , he couldnt go bye the right equipment ? the hell with AEG go out and get the stuff and send the bill to them , This man had know idea on what he was doing , nor did he care , Michael put all his trust in this Man ,to take care of him and again it was about the $$$$$$ , I pray the Jurors see this , and hit him with the MAX on everything ,. Conrad Murry I hope you burn in Hell !!!! I hope i have not been to hostel for anyone , But we would still have Michael ,If he would of just cared a little bit ,,,,,,
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After the first four days testimony we sure have learned a lot. I also just reviewed the opening statement by the defense for the things that I missed. I had missed the complete circumstances of the ITalk recording and that is critical because in doing that the prosecutor even states no matter what his future intentions were in recording that Conrad Murray knew what he was doing to MJ every night. That is of course another crime altogether because medical personnel are never supposed to record or photograph their patients in a vulnerable position it is a Vulnerable Adult Violation. The fun is going to be in hearing Murray on the same recording. It could only have been done for a diabolical purpose. I think he forced himself (his “medical care”) on MJ I really do and I think he used that recording to do it.
Second he told one patient the name of another he did that in April. He really had no regard for anything but the money in this case. He told Kenny Ortega that he was in charge of Michael’s health and to stop acting like an amateur doctor. Murray cried openly in court when the defense team was talking about how many people would come and tell the jury what a wonderful guy he was. He sat stone-faced when Faheem Muhammad testified that Paris was balled up on the floor crying and when Alberto Alverez said she screamed “Daddy” from the doorway. He only cries for himself and has no feeling for what he has created in those children’s lives.He does have anti-social personality disorder just like Dr. Barry Friedberg said this is commonly called a sociopath. He should go to jail for that alone.
I heard from Walgren, that Conrad Murray ordered the equivalent of 4.9 gallons of propofol from Applied Pharmacy in Las Vegas lying to Tim Lopez about having a clinic in California. The thing that I thought was that he was stockpiling it to go to the UK, but when I listened again it does not sound like it was actually recovered and the DA broke down how much it would have been daily which was 1937.5 mg of propofol per day since the first order. I think Murray must have used it up already over the last two months of MJ’s life or that is at least what the prosecutors think. I think that Murray was hanging it drip with a makeshift connection of tubing, an empty bag of saline a vial of propofol and a connector that I have always called a Clave. They have other names but it is a connector for multi dose vial administration. I think he did it every night at a rate for conscious sedation and used the Ativan and Versed as adjuncts to keep him “asleep” at that level. It doesn’t mean he used 1937.5 mg per night he probably had to waste some of it but he used a whole lot more than 50 mg a night. That means that if there was any kind of dependency it was because Murray started it and we only have Murray’s word for it that MJ even knew about it before Murray. Look at what Dr. Patrick Treacy said about MJ wanting an anesthesiologist when he went under for a couple of procedures. Then there was a conversation with Depak Chopra on Larry King where MJ was asking him about this stuff and he says it was a short time before he dies.
Murray’s statement is that he thought that everybody and his brother were giving this stuff to him. In his official statement to the police he even points the finger at Dr. Cherilyn Lee a nutritionist. He omitted the crucial propofol and finally told someone that he gave Ativan “just a little bit”. He omitted that crucial element from everyone until on June 27th in the company of his attorneys at the Ritz Carlton he told the detectives that he gave MJ and then only admits to 50 mg a night until he decides that there is a problem. He is surprised when he find out from the detectives that they haven’t found the bags with all that stuff in there.He probably wondered why he ever said anything then.
I am not even going to combat any of that silly defense theory about MJ injecting himself when so many better than me have said it is not even possible. Like I said on twitter Chernoff needs my help when he contends that MJ swallowed pills, injected himself with propofol and died instantly which is exactly what their theory amounts to. He can’t have that perfect storm the way he says it and as for his eyes being open everybody’s eyes open and their mouth relaxes when they die. And then they seem to forget that Sade Anding has Murray right in the same room when he says he left for 2 minutes and that is when all of that miraculous perfect storm was supposed to have happened.
And what was up with all that Randy Phillips repeated over and over again. Doesn’t that sort of implicate him in the crime even if it was just for being on Murray’s side.
So if Murray was not stockpiling the propofol and he was going to a country where he was not licensed to practice and could not get it in England how did he think he was going to tell Tim Lopez to ship it there? My thoughts are that he had no intention of Michael ever leaving the USA alive.
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Info on Alford:
http://www.houstoncriminallaw.com/About-the-Firm/Matthew-Alford.aspx
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http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44734395/ns/today-entertainment/t/medic-info-jackson-doctor-didnt-add/#.ToYnK79hMxE.twitter
Medic: Info from Jackson doctor didn’t add up
By GREG RISLING AP
LOS ANGELES — The doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death never revealed that he had given the singer a powerful anesthetic, a paramedic told a jury hearing the physician’s involuntary manslaughter case Friday.
Paramedic Richard Senneff said Dr. Conrad Murray told him that he had only given Jackson the sedative lorazepam. He said Murray initially said Jackson wasn’t suffering from any condition.
Murray eventually told medics that he was treating the singer for exhaustion and dehydration, he said. The doctor did not mention that he had been giving Jackson the surgical anesthetic propofol to help the singer sleep.
Murray appeared frantic when the paramedic arrived in the bedroom on the day of Jackson’s death in June 2009, Senneff said. He had to ask Murray three times about what condition Jackson had before the doctor answered.
“He said, ‘Nothing. He has nothing,'” Senneff said.”Simply, that did not add up to me.”
The veteran paramedic said Jackson was cool to the touch, his eyes were open and dry and had an IV in his leg. Senneff was one of four paramedics who worked to try to revive Jackson.
Murray, 58, has pleaded not \ to involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, Murray could face up to four years in prison and lose his medical license.
Prosecutors contend the Houston-based cardiologist repeatedly lied to medics and emergency room doctors about medications he had been giving Jackson in the singer’s bedroom.
Authorities contend Murray administered a fatal dose of propofol and other sedatives. Murray’s attorneys claim Jackson gave himself the fatal dose after his doctor left the room.
Meanwhile, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ordered prosecutors and defense attorneys not to speak publicly about the case. He didn’t specify the reason for his decision, but said a violation could result in a contempt of court charge.
Pastor had earlier told attorneys not to comment on his rulings. Pastor ordered Houston attorney Matt Alford to appear in court Friday afternoon.
Alford, who is a partner of defense attorney Ed Chernoff, appeared earlier in the day on NBC’s “The Today Show” in which he said the jury was smart enough to know prosecutors haven’t proven their case. “We know that the jury knows, and this is a smart jury, that they know that the state of California has not proven their case,” Alford said on the show.
Senneff was the first paramedic to reach Jackson’s bedroom and said within moments, he and three other paramedics were working to revive Jackson.
After trying multiple heart-starting medications and other efforts, Jackson was still lifeless. Emergency room personnel at a nearby hospital advised Senneff to declare Jackson dead in his bedroom, but the singer was transported because Murray wanted life-saving efforts to continue.
Prosecutors on Friday also called an executive for the maker of a fingertip medical device used by Murray to monitor oxygen in Jackson’s blood. Nonin, Medical executive Bob Johnson told jurors the $275 device was not adequate to continuously monitor patients because it did not have an audible alarm and other features that would alert a caretaker to problems.
Jurors also heard from a former Murray patient who lauded the doctor’s treatment of him, but said his cardiologist became increasingly distant and hard to reach while working with Jackson.
“I felt like I was getting the best care in the world,” said Robert Russell of Las Vegas, before Murray became the singer’s personal physician. After Murray began treating Jackson, Russell said he couldn’t get answers about his own treatment. He called Murray’s office on June 25, 2009 — the day Jackson died — and demanded to speak to the doctor.
The doctor left him a voicemail at 11:49 a.m.
Prosecutors are using records to show that Murray was on the phone in the moments before he realized Jackson was unconscious. Russell told jurors Murray’s message seemed odd because the doctor said he was going on sabbatical, despite telling the salesman and his wife months earlier that he was going to work for Jackson.
Prosecutors are expected to call another paramedic who treated Jackson.
Murray’s trial is expected to last five weeks and is in its fourth day.
___
AP Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report
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Conrad Murray Trial – Day 4, part 1
part 2
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/justice/california-conrad-murray-trial/index.html
Paramedic saw no signs of life in Michael Jackson
By Alan Duke, CNN
September 30, 2011
* This is an updated addition to Mr Duke’s original article of September 30, 2011*
Los Angeles (CNN) — A Los Angeles County paramedic who responded to the delayed 911 call from Michael Jackson’s home the day he died testified Friday in Dr. Conrad Murray’s involuntary manslaughter trial that Jackson was “flatlined” and appeared dead when rescuers arrived.
Paramedic Richard Senneff said that at no time during the 42 minutes he was with Jackson did he see any signs of life in him.
Senneff testified that Murray told responders he had only given Jackson a dose of lorazepam to help him sleep and that he was treating him for dehydration and exhaustion, with no mention of the surgical anesthetic propofol.
Prosecutors contend one of the acts that makes Murray criminally responsible for Jackson’s death was that he misled the paramedics by not telling them he had given his patient propofol before he stopped breathing.
The coroner ruled that Jackson’s June 25, 2009, death was the result of “acute propofol intoxication” in combination with sedatives.
When Senneff asked Murray “how long the patient was down,” the doctor responded “It just happened right when I called you,” Senneff said. Earlier testimony indicated the emergency call was not placed for at least 15 minutes after Murray realized Jackson was not breathing.
“It meant to me that this was a patient we had a good chance of saving,” since the paramedics arrived just five minutes after the 911 call, Senneff said.
The paramedic, however, said it “did not add up to me” because of Jackson appeared dead. “When I first moved the patient, his skin was very cool to the touch, his eyes were open, they were dry and his pupils were dilated,” Senneff said. “When I hooked up the EKG machine, it was flatlined.”
At one point, Murray told paramedics he felt a pulse in Jackson’s upper right leg, but their heart monitor showed no rhythm, Senneff said.
A doctor communicating by radio with the paramedics recommended at 12:57 p.m., a half hour after they arrived, that they cease efforts to revive Jackson and declare him dead, according to a recording of the radio traffic played in court.
Murray then took over responsibility for the effort and continued resuscitation efforts, Senneff said.
The defense appeared to make one important point in their cross-examination of Senneff. The paramedic said when he first walked into bedroom he saw Murray and a security guard moving Jackson off the bed and onto the floor.
That contradicts Thursday’s testimony by Alberto Alvarez, who worked for Jackson, who said he helped move Jackson from the bed while he was on the 911 phone call at least six minutes before the paramedics arrived.
The timing is important because it could call into question testimony by Alvarez about when Murray asked for his help in collecting drug vials from around the bed.
Senneff’s partner, paramedic Martin Blount, also was likely to be called as a witness Friday, the fourth day of Murray’s trial.
Prosecutors argue Murray’s medical care as Jackson’s personal physician was so reckless that he should be held criminally responsible for his death.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Murray abandoned “all principles of medical care” when he used a makeshift intravenous drip to administer propofol to put Jackson to sleep.
Murray acknowledged in a police interview that he gave Jackson propofol almost every night for two months as the singer prepared for comeback concerts that were set to start in London in July 2009.
The device Murray used to monitor Jackson’s pulse and blood oxygen level while he used propofol to put him to sleep was the focus of testimony by the first witness Friday.
An executive with the company that made the Nonin 9500 pulse oxymeter said it was “designed for spot checking of vital signs” and was “specifically labeled against continuous monitoring.”
The $275 device did not have an audio alarm, requiring someone to constantly keep an eye on the tiny screen, Robert Johnson testified. Murray would have been better equipped with his company’s table top version that would cost $1,200, Johnson said.
Prosecutors argue Murray’s lack of professional monitoring equipment was reckless and is one reason the doctor should be held criminally responsible for Jackson’s death.
One of Murray’s former patients testified Friday that Murray saved his life after a heart attack just months before Jackson’s death.
Although Robert Russell was called by the prosecution, his testimony possibly bolstered the defense contention that Murray is a caring and capable cardiologist.
“The advice he gave me saved my life,” Russell said, describing how Murray not only put several stents in the arteries near his heart, but he also took time to help him change his unhealthy habits. “He gave me advice on exercise, on eating, just how to live my life, doing away with pressure and stress that I believe I thrived on in the business world,”
said Russell, a sales manager for an electrical distribution firm.
The prosecution called Russell as an example of how Murray left his patients without a doctor when he went to be Michael Jackson’s personal physician in April 2009. “I was dismayed, flabbergasted, left out,” Russell said. “I did feel abandoned.”
He testified, however, that he was still able to contact Murray over the phone for advice and his clinic staff supported his therapy.
* see CNN article below by Alan Duke for link to original article*
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Today 30/09/2011 judge Pastor issued a gag order and ordered Murray trial attorneys not to speak publicly about the case.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44734395#.ToYgZM1u9Bk
By GREG RISLING AP
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles judge has ordered attorneys in the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor to not speak publicly about the case.
Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said Friday that prosecutors and lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray were ordered not to comment outside of their respective legal teams.
Pastor didn’t specify the reason for his decision. However, he called Matt Alford, a Houston lawyer who is a partner with Murray’s attorney, Ed Chernoff, to return Friday afternoon.
Alford appeared on NBC’s “The Today Show” on Friday, in which he said the jury was smart enough to know prosecutors haven’t proven their case.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson’s death in June 2009.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press
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If someone has not been able to watch the trial here are the notes I’ve made of Richard Senneff’s testimony.
The call was received at 12.22, the distance to the house was 1,5 miles and at 12.26 there were already there (the defense disputed that the call came at 12.20 – as if it could make any difference).
One more minute was taken by entering the house, going upstairs and taking the rescue equipment there.
When they entered the room (altogether there were 4 or five paramedics and firefighters) Murray and security guy Alvarez were moving Michael from the bed to the floor – the torso still on the bed, the feet already on the floor. Michael was wearing pajama bottoms and the pajama top was open.
Senneff tried to gather as much information as possible and seeing an IV stand with one IV bad hanging on it asked Murray about the patient’s underlying health. He asked him three times and three times didn’t receive an answer. Now the defense is trying to prove that he didn’t answer as “he was busy” (as if the paramedics weren’t).
When asked how long the patient had been in that condition, Murray said – since the time the call was made (didn’t get the exact words, but the general idea is correct). This made Seneff think that he still had a good chance to restart the heart.
While he was asking questions all of them were already working on the patient – one was ventilating his lungs (via an apparatus place over mouth and nose to push air into the lungs), another was connecting the ECG machine to determine whether the heart had any electrical activity, another one was making CPR (with two hands) and someone was giving medication to start the heart.
Murray said he had been treating Michael for dehydration and exhaustion and the only medicine he had given him was a “mild sedative, Lorazepam”. NOT A SINGLE WORD ABOUT PROPOFOL.
The ECG machine showed a flat line which means that there was no heartbeat.
When ventilation didn’t produce any result paramedic Blunt started intubation – he placed a tube directly into the lungs to push the flow of air there. Senneff was impressed by how quickly he was doing it.
Senneff noticed numerous inconsistencies between Murray’s story and Michael’s condition – the skin was cold to the touch, the eyes were open and dry, the ECG machine showed a flat line, the carbon dioxide in the air pushed out of the lungs was low (16%), and they couldn’t locate his veins.
Senneff said that veins are significantly more difficult to find when blood has not been circulating for some time.
Very important information – a paramedic made at least 5 attempts to locate the veins USING THE NEEDLE but couldn’t do that. I remember Harvey Levin of TMZ gleefully saying to Klein again and again there were needles marks on Michael’s body – so someone please explain to this beast that at least five of those needle marks on Michael’s arms were due to the paramedics trying to locate his veins.
They made two rounds of medications meant to start the heart but there was no change in Michael’s condition. Senneff agreed with the prosecutor that “essentially the patient was dead”.
However Murray said he identified a pulse in the groin area. Two of the paramedics checked on his words and didn’t find any pulse. The ECG machine was simply showing the signs of the heart movement generated by the CPR compressions. Senneff ordered the CPR to stop to see whether the heart was functioning on its own – but the line was flat. There was no electrical activity.
Murray requested them do a central line and administer magnesium – both of which they couldn’t do. Central line is done only in a hospital setting with special kind of equipment, as to magnesium they had none (evidently it is not in their standard kit of medicine). Murray himself had no medicine to offer them.
He had no equipment whatsoever – no heart monitor, no ECG machine, NOTHING.
During the 42 minutes the paramedics stayed in the house they never saw a single sign of life in the patient. But they never stopped trying to revive him – even on the stairs they kept ventilating his lungs.
When Senneff returned to the room to retrieve his equipment he saw Murray picking some items from the floor into a blue bag. When he left the room carrying the equipment back to the rescue car Murray was left there alone.
He joined them later. While they were driving to the hospital he was talking on the phone. Senneff didn’t notice whether he was making a call or someone called him – he was busy with the patient.
I REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DISCUSS IN THE REMAINING SEVERAL WEEKS.
THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING TO DISCUSS HERE.
P.S. By the way Ms. Brazil of the Prosecution is doing an excellent job. And the efficiency of the rescue system is very impressive. I wish we had anything like that.
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/justice/california-conrad-murray-trial/index.html
Prosecution witness: Michael Jackson’s doctor ‘saved my life’
By Alan Duke, CNN
Los Angeles (CNN) — The device Dr. Conrad Murray used to monitor Michael Jackson’s pulse and blood oxygen level while he used the surgical anesthetic propofol to put the pop icon to sleep was the focus of testimony as the fourth day of Murray’s involuntary manslaughter trial began Friday.
An executive with the company that made the Nonin 9500 pulse oxymeter said it was “designed for spot checking of vital signs” and was “specifically labeled against continuous monitoring.”
Prosecutors argue Murray’s lack of professional monitoring equipment was reckless and is one reason the doctor should be held criminally responsible for Jackson’s death.
A former patient of Dr. Murray’s testified Friday that Murray saved his after a heart attack just months before his last patient, Michael Jackson, died under his care.
Although Robert Russell was called by the prosecution, his testimony possibly bolstered the defense contention that Murray is a caring and capable cardiologist.
“The advice he gave me saved my life,” Russell said, describing how Murray not only put several stints in the arteries near his heart, but he also took time to help him change his unhealthy habits. “He gave me advice on exercise, on eating, just how to live my life, doing away with pressure and stress that I believe I thrived on in the business world,” said Russell, a sales manager for electrical distribution firm.
The prosecution called Russell as an example of how Murray left his patients without a doctor when he left to be Michael Jackson’s personal physician in April 2009. “I was dismayed, flabbergasted, left out,” Russell said. “I did feel abandoned.”
His testified, however, that he was still able to contact Murray over the phone for advice and his clinic staff supported his therapy. Russell’s new cardiologist recently checked Murray’s work on his heart and “He was very excited how my stints have held up,” Russell testified.
A Los Angeles County paramedic who responded to the delayed 911 call from Jackson’s home the day he died took the witness stand later Friday.
Prosecutors contend Murray misled the paramedics by not telling them he had given his patient the surgical anesthestic propofol before realizing he was not breathing.
Paramedic Richard Senneff testified at the preliminary hearing in January that Murray told them he had only given Jackson a dose of lorazepam to help him sleep and that he was treating him for dehydration. No pulse was ever detected with Jackson and the paramedics’ heart monitor showed Jackson had “flatlined” as he lay on his bedroom floor, Senneff previously said.
When Senneff asked Murray “how long the patient was down,” the doctor responded “‘It just happened,'” he said. The paramedic, however, said “it didn’t add up.”
Paramedic Martin Blount will likely also be called as a witness Friday, the fourth day of Murray’s Los Angeles County, California, trial. Prosecutors argue Murray’s medical care as Jackson’s personal physician was so reckless that he should be held criminally responsible for his June 25, 2009, death. Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Murray abandoned “all principles of medical care” when he used a makeshift intravenous drip to administer the surgical anesthetic propofol to put Jackson to sleep.
Murray acknowledged in a police interview to giving Jackson propofol almost every night for two months as the singer prepared for comeback concerts that were set to start in London in July 2009. The coroner ruled that Jackson’s June 25, 2009, death was the result of “acute propofol
intoxication” in combination with sedatives.
Michael Jackson’s chef Thursday defended her decision not to alert a security guard that Murray needed help in Jackson’s bedroom after Murray frantically asked her to do so.
It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later that a guard in a trailer a few feet away from chef Kai Chase’s kitchen was ordered upstairs to the bedroom where Murray was trying to revive Jackson, according to trial testimony.
Murray “was very nervous, and frantic and he was shouting,” when he ran down a staircase near the kitchen where Chase was preparing Jackson’s lunch, Chase testified Thursday afternoon. “Get help, get security, get Prince,” Chase said Murray screamed.
The chef’s response was to walk into the nearby dining room where Jackson’s oldest son, Prince, was playing with his sister and brother, she said.
“I said ‘Hurry, Dr. Murray needs you. There may be something wrong with your father,” Chase said she told Prince Jackson. She then returned to the kitchen to continue lunch preparation, she said.
“He’s asking for help, he’s asking for security,” defense lawyer Michael Flanagan said during cross-examination. “Did you think that a 12-year-old child was going to be able to assist this doctor with a problem with Michael?”
“I did what I was told and I went to get Prince,” Chase answered.
Murray’s lawyers are laying the groundwork to argue that Murray should not be blamed for the delay in calling for help because he relied on the chef to alert security, who then could call for an ambulance.
The prosecution, meanwhile, contends that a delay in calling 911 for an ambulance was Murray’s fault and one of the negligent acts that make him criminally responsible for Jackson’s death.
The Jackson employee who called 911, at least 10 minutes after Murray’s plea to the chef for help, testified earlier Thursday that Murray told him to help gather up drug vials around Jackson’s deathbed before he asked him to place the emergency call.
Alberto Alvarez, who served as Jackson’s logistics director, showed the court Thursday how he saw an empty vial of propofol inside a torn IV bag that was hanging on a stand.
During questioning by the defense, however, Alvarez indicated it was another IV bag with a clear saline solution, not propofol, that was attached by a tube to Jackson’s leg.
Alvarez testified that when he first rushed into the bedroom where Murray was trying to revive Jackson, the doctor asked him to help put drug vials into bags.
“He reached over and grabbed a handful of vials, and he asked me to put them in a bag,” Alvarez testified.
Prosecutors contend that Murray was trying to gather up evidence of his criminal responsibility for Jackson’s death, even before asking that someone call for an ambulance.
Under cross-examination, defense lawyer Ed Chernoff led Alvarez slowly through his steps during a half-minute period, apparently trying to show that his memory is wrong about the sequence of events.
When Chernoff asked him whether all of the events he described could have happened in the 30 seconds, Alvarez answered, “I’m very efficient, sir.” Chernoff also hinted that the defense would argue that Alvarez altered his account of events two months later after conferring with other witnesses.
Alvarez described how Jackson’s two oldest children, Prince and Paris, walked toward their father, who was lying still on a bed with his eyes and mouth open, facing toward them. “Paris screamed out ‘Daddy!’ ” and she started crying, Alvarez said. “Dr. Conrad Murray said, ‘Don’t let them see their dad like this,’ ” Alvarez said. “I turned to the children, and I told them, ‘Kids, don’t worry, everything’s going to be OK.’ ”
After helping Murray place the vials in bags, the doctor asked him to call 911. The recording of the call was played in court Thursday. “He’s pumping his chest, but he’s not responding to anything,” Alvarez told the emergency dispatcher.
Murray appeared not to know proper CPR techniques and attempted it on the bed and not the floor, as recommended by practitioners. Alvarez said he took over while Murray began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Jackson.
“After a few breaths, (Murray) said, ‘This is the first time I do mouth-to-mouth, but I have to because he’s my friend,’ ” Alvarez said. Alvarez said he’s been offered up to $500,000 for interviews about Jackson’s death. He’s turned them all down, despite financial problems and the lack of employment, Alvarez said.
Jackson’s personal assistant and his security chief gave their own emotional details about the chaos in the Jackson home and at the hospital with their testimony Wednesday.
Michael Amir Williams, who was Jackson’s personal assistant, described a frantic series of phone calls that started at 12:13 p.m. the day the pop icon died.
“Call me right away, please; call me right away,” Murray said in a voice message to Williams, which prosecutors played in court Wednesday. “Get here right away; Mr. Jackson had a bad reaction,” Williams said Murray told him when he called him back.
Williams then ordered Alvarez to rush to the upstairs bedroom where Murray was working to resuscitate Jackson. Security chief Faheem Muhammad, who followed Alvarez upstairs, described seeing Jackson on a bed with his eyes open and his mouth “slightly opened” as Murray tried to revive him.
“Did he appear to be dead?” Walgren asked.
“Yes,” Muhammad replied.
Muhammad gave details about how Jackson’s two oldest children watched in shock.
“Paris was on the ground, balled up, crying. And Prince, he was standing there, he just had a real shocked, you know, slowly crying, type of shocked look on his face,” he said.
Chernoff contended that Jackson, desperate for sleep, caused his own death by taking a handful of sedatives and self-administering propofol while the doctor was out of the room.
One defense strategy is to point the finger at another doctor and Jackson as having a large role in his death, while arguing that Murray was blind to what they were doing.
They contend that dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein got the singer addicted to Demerol during those frequent visits to his Beverly Hills office in the weeks before his death, something Murray did not know about.
His withdrawal from that Demerol addiction was what kept Jackson awake despite Murray’s efforts to put him to sleep with sedatives the morning he died, the defense contends, arguing that Klein is at least partly responsible for Jackson’s death because of the Demerol.
Chernoff asked Williams, Jackson’s personal assistant, if he went to Klein’s office with Jackson.
“At a certain point, it was very regular,” Williams said.
Chernoff then asked Williams whether he’d ever heard Jackson talk slowly with slurred speech, as he did on an audio recording played in court Tuesday.
“Not that extreme, but I have heard him talk slow before,” Williams said.
“And when he left Dr. Klein’s office, have you observed him sometimes to talk slow?” Chernoff asked.
Sometimes, Williams replied, “he would talk slow like that. I never heard it that extreme, but I can definitely say he has come out, and he’s a little slower.”
Chief security guard Muhammad, who often drove Jackson, testified that “There were times he would go almost every day” to Klein’s office. Jackson often appeared intoxicated when he left, Muhammad testified.
Jackson once told Muhammad that his frequent trips to the dermatologist were for treatment for a skin disease. “My doctors tell me that I have to go, so I go,” Muhammad said Jackson told him.
At the start of court proceedings Wednesday, Paul Gongaware, an executive with the company promoting Jackson’s comeback concerts, said he noticed that Jackson had “a little bit of a slower speech pattern, just a slight slur in the speech” after a visit with Klein.
Medical records show that Klein gave Jackson numerous shots of Demerol in the weeks before his death, Chernoff told jurors Tuesday.
“Dr. Klein did not do anything that was medically inappropriate,” Klein’s lawyer, Garo Ghazarian, told HLN’s “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell” Wednesday. The last time Klein gave Jackson drugs was more than three days before his death, Ghazarian said.
Jackson’s inability to sleep the morning he died was “one of the insidious effects” of Demerol addiction withdrawal, Chernoff said. Since Murray did not know about the Demerol, he could not understand why Jackson was unable to fall asleep that morning, Chernoff said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor previously ruled that while the jury can see some of the records of Klein’s treatment of Jackson, the doctor would not testify. Demerol was not found in Jackson’s body during the autopsy, which makes Klein’s testimony irrelevant, Pastor ruled.
The trial began Tuesday with prosecutors playing a stunning audio recording of an apparently drugged Jackson slurring his words weeks before his death. Prosecutors also showed jurors a photo of Jackson’s corpse on a hospital gurney.
If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Murray could spend four years in a California prison and lose his medical license.
*Please note: At the link where this article is hosted, lots of video clips are also hosted.*
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That is what the prosecution wants people to know. When Richard Senneff arrived on the scene and assessed the scene it was not in keeping with the 911 report. What he saw was someone he thought because of the scene with the IV lines and medication was someone with a chronic or terminal condition. He saw a man asystolic and dead in other words he knew that the timing was off.
He did not mention Propofol at all on that day to anyone, not to the paramedics, to the hospital, to anyone.That is crucial.
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“Richard Senneff felt there was a good chance they could restart the heart based on what Murray had told him.”
Yes, yes, I know! What I am saying is that if Murray had had the decency to call 911 immediately they would have arrived in 4 minutes (as they did) and they would have saved his life. The way they worked on him they would have surely resuscitated him. Michael would be alive now.
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No problem Helena. Yes, this is a lot of information coming out from everywhere. We basically all need to be eyes and ears.
I would like the prosecution to specifically ask the EMT’s and doctor’s at UCLH if, and how, their treatment of Michael would have differed if they had been told about the administration of propofol.
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Richard Senneff felt there was a good chance they could restart the heart based on what Murray had told him.
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Paramedic Richard Seniff and his colleagues arrived only 4 minutes after the call was made. Can any of us imagine that if Murray had called 911 AT ONCE they could have REVIVED Michael Jackson using their rescue equipment and skills?!!!
He says they had a very good chance of restarting his heart IF MURRAY HAD CALLED 911 AT ONCE.
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For those who cannot translate the video of Thomas Mesereau talking on Joy Behar/HLN on September 29, 2011, here are some of his thoughts from http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/09/30/behar-mesereau-murray-is-guilty.cnn :
“This doctor didn’t know the first thing how to administer this drug safely. The other thing which is horrifying – when Michael Jackson was either dead or close to dead and paramedics and police wanted to revive him this doctor withheld the fact that he had given him propofol”.
“The doctors at the hospital tried to save Michael Jackson and he again withheld that he had given him propofol. That’s going to destroy his credibility, is very suspicious and it suggests that he was only trying to save himself and not Michael Jackson.”
“He should be convicted. He should be stripped of his licence and I think he should do some time. I am appalled by what this man did”
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Oh, Dr. Partrick Treacy has already shattered the defense case!
See what he says:
“why is propofol so popular with anesthesiologists? ”If you give injection of it, there is no antidote, but it only last four minutes and it wears off. So, if he took a 20 mil syringe himself, the most he can give himself a shot of is 200 milligrams, which would only keep him asleep for four minutes and he would wake up again. So, it is almost physically impossible that Michael Jackson could have killed himself.”
http://drdrew.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/29/dr-drew-exclusive-cosmetic-doc-says-he-too-used-propofol-on-mj/
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Deborah, thank you so much for your help! I will try to incorporate some of this information when updating the post. Let me read it first.
There is so much of everything that it seems we’ll need to make a new post covering next week.
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Specific link for interview with Dr.Treacy on Dr Drew:
http://drdrew.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/29/dr-drew-exclusive-cosmetic-doc-says-he-too-used-propofol-on-mj/
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Thomas Mesereau on Joy Behar/HLN on September 29, 2011:
http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/09/30/behar-mesereau-murray-is-guilty.cnn
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Related to the issue that some feel about Murray being ‘undercharged’ in this case:
Former Deputy DA speaks. Part 1:
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ejacobs25?feature=mhee#p/u/0/2FUv_iUSJJw
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Re Alberto Alvarez:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/29/entertainment-us-michael-jackson-doctor_8709049.html
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY , 09.29.11. Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — One of Michael Jackson’s bodyguards had barely stepped into the singer’s bedroom when he heard a scream. “Daddy!” Jackson’s young daughter cried.
A few feet away, the singer lay motionless in his bed, eyes slightly open. His personal doctor, Conrad Murray, was trying to revive him when he saw that Jackson’s eldest children were watching.
“Don’t let them see their dad like this,” Murray said, the first of many orders that bodyguard Alberto Alvarez testified Thursday that he heeded in the moments before paramedics arrived at Jackson’s home in June 2009.
What happened next – after Alvarez said he ushered Jackson’s eldest son and daughter from the room – is one of the key pieces of prosecutors’ involuntary manslaughter case against Murray.
According to Alvarez, Murray scooped up vials of medicine from Jackson’s nightstand and told the bodyguard to put them away. “He said, `Here, put these in a bag,'” Alvarez said.
Alvarez complied. He placed an IV bag into another bag, and then Murray told him to call 911, Alvarez said.
On the third day of the trial, prosecutors tried to show that Murray, who has pleaded not guilty, delayed calling authorities and that he was intent on concealing signs that he had been giving the singer doses of the anesthetic propofol.
Alvarez said he thought Murray might be preparing to take the items to the hospital, but didn’t question him.
The bags never made it to the hospital, and prosecutors claim Murray repeatedly lied to emergency personnel and did not tell them he had been giving Jackson doses of the drug as a sleep aid.
If convicted, Murray, 58, could face up to four years in prison and lose his medical license.
Defense attorney Ed Chernoff questioned whether there was enough time for Alvarez to shield Jackson’s children, survey the room and stow away the drugs in the brief period that phone records show he was in the home before calling emergency responders.
The bodyguard insisted there was, telling the attorney, “I’m very efficient, sir.”
Chernoff was not convinced, questioning whether 30 seconds was enough time for the dramatic sequence to play out. Alvarez assured him it was.
The defense attorney also challenged Alvarez’s recollection, asking whether the collection of the vials happened after paramedics had come and whisked Jackson to a nearby hospital. Alvarez denied it happened after he called 911.
Chernoff questioned why Alvarez didn’t tell authorities about Murray’s commands to bag up the medication immediately after Jackson died, but instead waited until two months after the singer’s death. The bodyguard said he didn’t realize its significance until seeing a news report in late June in which he recognized one of the bags detectives were carrying out of Jackson’s mansion.
The burly Alvarez became emotional as the 911 call was played for jurors. Jackson’s mother, Katherine, appeared distraught and her son, Randy, huddled next to her and put his arm around her. She did not attend the afternoon proceedings,
“Was that difficult to hear?” prosecutor David Walgren asked.
“It is,” Alvarez replied.
After hanging up with dispatchers, Alvarez said he performed chest compressions on Jackson while Murray gave the singer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The doctor remarked it was his first time performing the procedure.
“‘I have to,'” Alvarez recalled Murray telling him, “`because he’s my friend.'”
Alvarez recalled seeing Murray at the hospital where Jackson was taken and sitting next to the emergency room.
“`I wanted him to make it,'” Alvarez quoted Murray as saying. “`I wanted him to make it.'”
Alvarez’s testimony allowed Walgren to present jurors directly with a bottle of propofol that they’ve heard much about throughout the previous two days of the trial.
Jurors intently looked at the bottle, which appeared to still contain some liquid.
When he entered the bedroom, Alvarez said, he saw Jackson’s eyes were open and was surprised to see the singer was wearing a condom catheter, a medical device that allows one to urinate without having to get up.
Alvarez testified that Murray only told him Jackson had a “bad reaction.” Jackson’s personal assistant, who testified Wednesday, said Murray told him the same thing.
Alvarez said it was a stunning scene, a far cry from the night before when the bodyguard stood backstage at Staples ( SPLS – news – people ) Center, sneaking peeks of Jackson performing during what would be his final rehearsal.
“He was very happy,” Alvarez testified. “I do recall he was in very good spirits.”
In another effort to cast doubt on the bodyguard’s testimony, Chernoff asked whether Alvarez, another bodyguard, Faheem Muhammad, and Jackson’s assistant, Michael Amir Williams, colluded before being interviewed by detectives two months after Jackson’s death.
The three men, who were among the first to interact with Murray after Jackson stopped breathing, have denied the accusation.
Jackson’s personal chef, Kai Chase, testified Thursday about seeing a panicked Murray come into the kitchen the day of Jackson’s death and telling her to summon security and send up Jackson’s eldest son Prince. The chef said she sent the boy upstairs, but didn’t call security.
Five to 10 minutes after Chase said she saw Murray in the kitchen, the doctor called Williams, who dispatched security to Jackson’s bedroom.
On Friday, jurors are expected to hear from a pair of paramedics who were dispatched to Jackson’s mansion and tried resuscitation efforts.
The medics believed Jackson was already dead by the time they arrived, but Murray insisted the performer be taken to a hospital for additional resuscitation efforts.
Walgren asked whether anything good had happened to Alvarez as a result of his experience in Jackson’s bedroom.
“No sir,” Alvarez responded.
Media outlets offered him up to $500,000 for interviews, but Alvarez said he always refused. “It’s caused a lot of financial problems,” he said, starting to choke up. “I went from a great salary to hardly anything.”
Associated Press writer Greg Risling contributed to this report.
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http://www.legendarymichaeljackson.nl/?p=6191
Link here provides footage of Thomas Mesereau outside the courthouse unequivocally saying Murray was not a ” slave” to the patient and how he hopes Murray will be convicted.
This is obviously very personal for Mesereau.
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There was a concerted twitter campaign by many to encourage Dr Drew to invite Dr Treacy and Dr Freidberg on to his show. This seems to have worked. As mentioned before, waiting for uploads.
Freidbereg has appeared on In Session previously.
http://t.co/IPsNHO4N
Dr Freidberg, who has been very vocal about Murray’s abandonment of his patient has also recently appeared on. KTLA Channel 5.
On Dr Drew’s show yesterday Sep 29, a crucial statement was made by Dr Patrick Treacy:
“The opening statement by Dr. Conrad Murray’s attorney Ed Chernoff is full of inaccuracies.”
One of those inaccuracies was Chernoff’s statement that:
“25 mg of propofol lasts the same as 150 mg of propofol”.
According to Nikki ( Gator Girl) who will be updating her blog http://gatorgirl277.blogspot.com/2011/09/thoughts-from-day-two-of-conrad-murray.html throughout the trial, there is:
“no … way … 25mg would possibly consciously sedate a couple minutes–150 mg would result in unconsciousness.”
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The court’s site has only the filed motions not the trial transcripts. I am afraid we’ll have to buy them.
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Waiting for key uploads of Dr Treacy and Larry Nimmer who appeared on CNN Dr Drew last night and also Thomas Mesereau who appeared on Joy Behar’s show to be uploaded onto youtube or elsewhere.
On Behar’s show, Mesereau was asked about that recorded tape of Michael’s voice and Mesereau said he believed Murray taped Michael to sell later for $$$.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/09/conrad-murray-taped-michael-jackson-160-times-real-reason-ian-halperin
If anyone sees the uploads of those shows before I do, please add.
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Lynette, I am happy to see you back!
Guys, I am finally beginning to update the post and hope to do it within the next 6 hours or so.
First, here is precise information of what Chief Prosecutor David Walgren said about the tape which Murray evidently made while sitting beside Michael and starting to administer propofol to him (at a stage when he was already half-asleep but not yet fully asleep). Bastard – he was recording him most probably for a further possibility to blackmail! And Michael – even in such a state – is talking about spending his millions on creating the biggest hospital for children!
[Michael Jackson 2009 Audio Tape Heard At Conrad Murray Trial – Sept. 27 2011]
[David Walgren – State Attorney]
The evidence will reveal that this voice recording documents Michael Jackson highly under the influence of unknown agents with Dr. Murray evidently sitting nearby, evidently observing, maybe listening, but recording on his iPhone. What this evidence will reveal to you is Conrad Murray’s knowledge of Michael’s state on May 10th 2009. What this evidence will reveal to you is Conrad Murray’s knowledge of what he is doing to Michael Jackson on May 10th 2009. Over a month and a half before Michael Jackson dies as a result of this very treatment. You will hear the whole recording during this trial but I will play a clip now so you can have a taste of what Conrad Murray knew on May 10th 2009. Listen to the voice of Michael Jackson on May 10th 2009. (9:05 AM)
[Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)]
We have to be phenomenal. When people leave the show, when people leave my show I want them to say, I’ve never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I’ve never seen nothing like this. Go. It’s amazing. He’s the greatest entertainer in the world. I’m taking that money, a million children, children’s hospital, the biggest in the world, Michael Jackson’s Children’s Hospital.
[David Walgren – State Attorney]
That is what Conrad Murray is seeing and observing on May 10th 2009. And what does he do with that knowledge. What does he do with that information, on May 12th he orders another shipment of propofol and midazolam, again he orders 40 (May 12, 2009: 40 X 100 ml vials) of the 100 ml bottles of propofol just 2 days after that recording was made.
Source: http://lybio.net/michael-jackson-2009-audio-tape-heard-at-conrad-murray-trial-sept-27-2011/people/
P.S. Frankly I was so devastated by the prosecution showing that record that I never listened to it properly. Now I see that even this tape is telling us what a great man Michael was. Probably they are right that they disclosed it.
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Transcript or at least motion information is being updated here:
http://tl.gd/dci2t4
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Here is Day 3-click to see the rest of the parts
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The evidence of that IV vial/bag combo of his obliterates the defense theory that MJ injected himself with the fatal dose because it shows that he gave much more than what he says. There was also a sneak peek at some future prosecution evidence from Hamid Towfigh from the DA’s office. He said that the actual evidence shows that the amount that theysay Michael gave himself was from more than one vial and he would have been out before he was able to give himself the rest of it from another vial. He was on JVM. You know kind of a funny thing is happening inspite of some of the people that we were expecting to slaughter MJ they have really turned around today. No one can get over the fact that Murray said to Alverez that it was the first time he had done mouth to mouth and he handed him those vials before he told him to call 911. It is really going to be hard for him to explain when they find out Murray had 2 phones on him at the time.
When he recorded MJ like that all he did was prove he had an entirely different agenda and MJ’s health had nothing to do with it.
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Alberto Alverez won the day with his answer “yes sir I’m very efficient”. He did not get him tripped up and on recross Walgren came out swinging to which Judge Pastor said “slow down your making it hard on the court reporter I can see steam coming off you” and laughter was heard throughout the court. Alberto Alverez was and will be one of the prosectutions strongest witnesses especially when he said that even other celebrities attempted to sell his association with Michael. That says everything about his integrity and the lack thereof in other people. The most damning evidence was that IV vial/bag combination that Murray rigged up. That means he was probably running it in a drip continuous infusion. and way more than what he told the police. That was a 100 ml vial and it contains 1000 mg of propofol. His statement to the police said that he admitted that he gave 25 mg or 2.5 ml. In the end Chernoff didn’t score a thing. Of course everyone in the room got to hear that Murray was cleaning up the scene which everyone is calling consciousness of guilt on Murray’s part. I wonder if his science expert for his theory still wants to testify when he hears this stuff.
Tom Mesereau on Joy Behar says that he thinks that Murray recorded MJ to sell it at a later date.
My problem was a former patient that is all I can say and it is resolved.If he had one or 160 all it matters is that he had no good intentions from beginning to end.He did more than go in there to give him help with insominia he went in there to make money of him. And yes everyone sounds pretty chatty when they are at a certain level of sedation. the best part was the content of even that sedated all he thought about were other people.
@ Dialdancer a plea agreement was never offered.
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“Chernoff is saying to Alvarez again and again – “And you still didn’t call 911?”
This way he is insinuating that it was Alvarez who was to call 911 but delayed with it!
I wonder why Murray couldn’t call 911 himself? He was constantly on the phone, so why couldn’t he use it for its primary purpose?”
Exactly, I think it will come down to this question, Murray contends Michael was alive when he went in to check on him, why didn’t HE make the call before running around looking for help? If Murray had the presence of mind to call and have the storage room cleared after seeing Michael’s condition and if he had the same to instruct and later personally clean up the scene then WHY did he not have the presence of mind to call for professional help? it was and still is my first question.
Why didn’t Murray confess to an accidental death? He had spoken to his attorneys before giving a statement, what is it about this scene that is missing that would have someone like Chernoff let his client go through this ridiculous charade and face the possibility of criminal conviction and a civil suit afterward.
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Trial day 3:
Part one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lNST8BH1Dw
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCYJEqrpBRg
Part 3 or 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9nbuyM6iT4
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You know what gets me about Kenny Ortega? The fact that he allowed Michael to go back on stage and rehearse after the way he was feeling on the 19th. It just makes no sense to me. He should have called an ambulance and MJ’s family right away. Michael would still be alive right now. Had people who thought something was wrong had done the right thing. No, I’m not blaming Kenny for what happened, of course not. It’s Dr. Deaths fault and everyone else involved.
But I’m just saying those who were supposed to be friends could have stepped it up more.
It kills me inside just knowing there were people who could have acted in Michael’s best interests but instead acted like they didn’t know what to do. Ah duh, what would you do in that situation if someone needs help, if someone isn’t feeling well? The right thing to do would be to take the person to a hospital yourself or call 911. God, Michael was a human being for crying out loud!
Sorry for my rant, it’s just very upsetting, as it is for us all.
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Mesereau : “I am outraged at what he did to Michael Jackson” (video)
http://www.legendarymichaeljackson.nl/?p=6191
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Alvarez seems like a great and loyal guy. He was offered big money by tabloids ($500 000 by one, $200 000 by another) to give them interviews but he turned them down. Despite of the fact he is unemployed since Michael’s death. There are still people with integrity!
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@ Alison: “Has anyone seen any interaction between murray and his lawyers? i haven’t seen a single word pass between them, chernoff seems to ignore him, certainly doesn’t try to reassure him as would be part of his job, and murray looked just now as if he feels on his own and its all just happening around him with him having no say.”
I thought exactly the same. It’s strange. They never discuss anything. There doesn’t seem to be a closeness between them. And you would think that normally the defendant would shake his head from time to time or express disagreement if he is of different opinion. But Murray behaves as if he knew exactly that everything is correct what the witnesses are telling.
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yes and chernoff was also implying yesterday that Michael Amir was at fault in the way the calls were dealt with – somehow he was supposed to know the situation even though murray didn’t explain it. anyone would think the doctor would have taken appropriate medical action including calling 911 – doctor’s responsibility more than anyone elses in the situation.
but – has anyone seen any interaction between murray and his lawyers? i haven’t seen a single word pass between them, chernoff seems to ignore him, certainly doesn’t try to reassure him as would be part of his job, and murray looked just now as if he feels on his own and its all just happening around him with him having no say. the grey haired man who i thought WAS chernoff until tuesday, just sits there and stares around, he says nothing to murray. its a bit odd.
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Guys, I absolutely don’t like the way Chernoff is saying to Alvarez again and again – “And you still didn’t call 911?”
This way he is insinuating that it was Alvarez who was to call 911 but delayed with it!
I wonder why Murray couldn’t call 911 himself? He was constantly on the phone, so why couldn’t he use it for its primary purpose?
Why did he prefer such a round-about way for calling 911? Calls Michael Amir first – who then calls Alvarez and when Alvarez runs to the 2nd floor Murray says to him “we need to take him to the hospital”?
He didn’t even tell him to call 911 and passed him vials instead keeping him busy with putting all those bags away!
It was only after that he told him to call 911 and only after the call they put Michael on the floor and Alvarez started making chest compressions and Murray mouth-to-mouth.
And after a couple of breaths into MJ’s lungs Murray took a time-out and started a conversation with Alvarez: ” It is the first time I am doing a mouth to mouth. But Michael is my friend and I have to do it”
He talks instead of doing what is expected of a doctor!
Why are we listening to this at all???
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Helena,
I hate to bring anything other than the authentic, but this may help to explain why the tape was released. If Ian Halperin is telling the whole truth,which is most unlikely then the information concerning these tapes had already been leaked to Halperin and they were to be publicized anyway.
“NY Times author claims Dr Murray taped MJ 160 times
New York Times best selling author, Ian Halperin, revealed exclusively on the inaugural broadcast of Radar Live, the real reason why Dr. Conrad Murray audiotaped his former patient, Michael Jackson. One of the stunning recordings was played yesterday by Deputy District Attorney David Walgren on the first day of testimony of Murray’s involuntary manslaughter trial.”
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/09/conrad-murray-taped-michael-jackson-160-times-real-reason-ian-halperin
“He said he hears his patients talking like that all the time and this means that Murray was probably administering propofol to Michael and recording him when it was beginning to take effect on him!”
According to my doctor the two times I was put under, I was chatty and tend to ramble under totally under.
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Sorry delete the last link, Ortega’s testimony. It’s old. Probably the transcripts will come up.
MOA, it’s okay, I marked it as Ortega’s testimony at preliminary hearings. We also need it, so let it stay. Unfortunately I’ve missed a lot of what was going on at the trial. Will try to catch up in some way.
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I haven’t had the chance yet to go through anything thats going on in the court yet, so I’m going to be behind in all this. I haven’t really had a chance to go through this website yet, but they have Tom Mesereau on board to explain the goings on in the courtroom and answering question submitted by the readers. Sounds interesting and like a good source for info.
http://www.positivelymichael.com
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From Arnold Klein’s Facebook:
My lawyer Garo Ghazarian issued the following statement yesterday based on what Mr. Chernoff said in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray:
“The preposterous allegations made about Dr. Klein by Mr. Chernoff are merely an attempt to whitewash the facts surrounding the death of his friend Michael Jackson while under the management of Dr. Conrad Murray.
Any medical professional who understands Demerol knows that addiction to that drug requires the drug to be repeatedly administered around the clock and the need for increased dosages to maintain the effects of the drug. There were no traces of Demerol in Michael Jackson’s autopsy or toxicology reports.
The Demerol was used to relieve pain during medical procedures and it could not addict Mr. Jackson to the drug, based on the manner it was administered. In fact, the public can see in those released medical records that in the final weeks of Michael’s life, those injection dosages of Demerol actually decreased. This is not consistent with being addicted to this drug.
The public has been misled to believe that the number of doses of Demerol were far greater than were actually administered by Dr. Klein. The absence of any Demerol found at Mr. Jackson’s home indicates absolutely that Mr. Jackson was not addicted to Demerol.
My client’s practice was evaluated by the authorities and he was cleared of any wrong doing related to the death of his friend Michael Jackson.”
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Helena I corrected the June mistake in the post.
Here is Nimmer’s report, Ortega and some parts of day 2. Click the channels to watch the rest of the parts.
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Some links for day 2:
http://www.kptv.com/story/15569857/lawyer-says-jackson-doctor-sought-cpr-machine
http://gatorgirl277.blogspot.com/2011/09/thoughts-from-day-two-of-conrad-murray.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-koifCDJBXg this one and 5 more videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geKlpShISCQ Larry Nimmer’s day 2
Kenny Ortega- trascription testimony January 2011:
http://michaeljacksonfansite.webnode.com/news/kenny-ortegas-trascription-testimony/
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The voice message was a from phone call or were they in the same room.
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“Chernoff pointed out that Williams never told police about Murray’s request until two months after Michael’s death. I don’t see anything odd here as this is a thing which could be easily forgotten in the frenzy of those nightmarish hours.”
yes, and sometimes you don’t realise something is significant straight away. even though they obviously thought it was odd, they reacted mainly automatically doing their job, didn’t mean they thought it could be a criminal issue right away and it wouldn’t necessarily have felt obvious to tell police on the day. its the sort of thing you remember later and gradually realise it might matter. the fact they didn’t say immediately doesn’t make it untrue, it speaks to the shock of what happened to Michael and their need to work out how to protect the children and the property. they also presumably lost their jobs that day? so would have to make their own arrangments too.
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I watched some of each day on sky news.
it all seems quite strange, i am amazed at the amount of detail all of the people so far who were involved, ‘cannot remember’. Ortega, he cannot remember when they moved to staples centre or where things occurred ? really?? he cannot remember about crucial conversations such as the riot act ? and nice as he appears to be Michael Amir Williams cannot remember who he spoke to on the phone (some of the calls), who some of the other people in the car were, or whether he helped get the chidren in the car or if they were already there, and several other things about that day.i know its been 2 years now but it was not an ordinary day! and these were things he was personally involved in. and personally i would have written everything down so i didn’t forget anything. he was also deliberately holding back on some things and altering the phrasing which allowed him to be truthful to the question but also not tell everything, don’t know what they were so cannot surmise why. but he appears very loyal to Michael so i presume the other stuff is personal and not relevant to the case.
Walgren seems OK to me but it is strange he showed the photo and played the tape, i would have to hear his explanation for that as it doesn’t seem to serve Michael, but maybe as you say it is just about winning the case.
as for Chernoff – he appears to stumble over his words but this shouldn’t distract us, not sure if its real or pretend, he is far from a fool and i think he could be deadly in his own time. he is twisting some of the words of the witnesses and saying things to influence the jury in a very subtle way. and he is trying to confuse the witnesses hoping they will lose their guard and say something helpful to the defense or make them and their testimony appear weak. so far Williams was shrewd and did not let chernoff confuse him, in fact he seemed quite irritated, but its what chernoff was trying to do.
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When I saw the picture of Michael laid at the bed at the hospital like that, I couldn’t even think of something!! my mind went blurt,my eyes were teary all the time and I’m so sorry guys I just cann’t think of saying anything else.
I’m sorry for his children to see him on the bed like that helpless, for God sake what kind of doctor Murray is !!??satan from HELL??
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Can someone tell me why does the media always have to interview the craziest Michael Jackson fan. Today I was watching the news when two women being interviewed stated they believed MJ was still alive and was in hiding.Yesterday the news interviewed to MJ impersonators!This is obviously a way to discredit every Michael Jackson fan who wants to defend his reputation.Those “fans” are also to blame because they can’t seem to conduct themselves normally in public and make every Michael Jackson fan look bad!
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I admit that I was initially disappointed when the prosecution played the recording of Michael under the influence. I even found myself close to tears when I saw that picture of Michael dead on a hospital gurney. However looking at the transcript of what Michael said; I was actually touched. Even when he was in that state, he talked about the things nearest and dearest to his heart: performing again, his music, and helping children. I can only hope that it won’t be used as ammo for the defense and media in this case.
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Guys, I am physically unable to stay up the second night following the trial (it is 1 am here), so will you tell me what was there in the second part of the day when you see it?
Or at least show me a place where I can see it later? Please….
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A couple of words about Paul Gongaware’s testimony. As far as I understand he is a co-CEO of AEG Live.
Do you know what this Chief Executive Officer said?
When asked why Murray was engaged for 10 months and what the contract said about the duration of Michael’s tour he said he hadn’t read the final contract with Michael Jackson!
He “had no chance to see the complete contract” and was “not involved in the making of the contract between his company and MJ – and so he “had no personal information about its clauses”.
Funny, isn’t it? Though when he says he didn’t read the final contract I believe him, as there is simply no such thing as a final contract between AEG and MJ.
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“I am totally devastated after this first trial day. A also don’t understand why showing this photo and the audio should be of help for the prosecution. I see only that it makes everything worse. The photo is spreading all over the world as well as the tape”.
Susanne, frankly, I am devastated too. The tape is broadcast every five minutes and the reason why the prosecution introduced it is absolutely not clear to me. Even if they think it will in any way help them convict Murray it shouldn’t have been the first thing they opened their case with.
However if you come to think of it, prosecutors are not obliged to be fans of Michael Jackson – they may be even his haters – their job is to put Murray into jail and the cost at which they will do it doesn’t concern them in the least. What I mean is that if they paint MJ dirty all over but it helps their case (in some way) they will go on doing these incredible things.
“I accidentally saw it on German TV today where they even said that Michael spoke in “Drogenrausch”, which means he was in a purple haze or drug ecstacy, meaning not medication, but real drugs. I complained immediately by email, but I think I can complain now every day, it doesn’t help. It damages his reputation additionally and people who believe he was a drug addict his whole life feel confirmed.”
The media is almost crying with happiness at a remarkable chance given to them. No one looks into the essence of the case as everyone is distracted by that tape. I also noticed that the media is intentionally singling out information which is damaging to Michael and is suppressing everything that could make Murray look the criminal he is.
How do you like them showing him crying all the time? The LA Times said he burst into tears when his lawyer described his “work for the poor” – but they repeat it again and again as if Murray is sorry for what he did.
CNN keeps showing several Murray’s patients who praise him for being selfless and Piers Morgan spends half his time glorifying him and explaining how good he is. He is “misunderstood” and “misrepresented” – as if it is possible to misrepresent a doctor who speaks on the phone while his patient is dying.
Piers Morgan even looked disappointed when Kathy Hilton spoke well of Michael.
Previously I didn’t believe our media only, and now I don’t believe yours either. Same liars.
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I don’t know how this trial is going to end but am not holding my breath. If the prosecution can keep the jurors focused on what this trial is really about, then we ought to get some little bit justice for MJ. As to the tape, he sounds as if he was coming out of sedation or going into it, and it doest not tell me anything other than that. It proves nothing to me. People are allowing themselves to react the way the media want them to react. They made it so sensational! Who knows the circumstances of that time? Frankly I, and I hope others did also, found the silver lining in the cloud with what MJ actually said (see the transcript) and couldn’t help but love him more, if that was at all possible.
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Dear MJ family, I am totally devastated after this first trial day. A also don’t understand why showing this photo and the audio should be of help for the prosecution. I see only that it makes everything worse. The photo is spreading all over the world as well as the tape. I accidentally saw it on German TV today where they even said that Michael spoke in “Drogenrausch”, which means he was in a purple haze or drug ecstacy, meaning not medication, but real drugs. I complained immediately by email, but I think I can complain now every day, it doesn’t help. It damages his reputation additionally and people who believe he was a drug addict his whole life feel confirmed.
I’m very sad that Michael is exposed this way. And I really would like to know what was the matter with Michael on June 19.
Well, I feel on the other side that Chernoff was not really good yesterday, he really was the one stammering around. So we have to keep the faith that something good comes out of it.
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Rockforeveron, Thetis, MOA thank you so much for the additions! I’ll added Jermaine’s statement to the post and will try to add the videos too.
Could anyone find Ortega’s testimony please? We need to have it here for a further detailed analysis.
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Guys, I’ve just heard a fantastic comment on CNN from Dr. Raphael Gershon, Cheif Anesthesiologist of Grady Memorial Hospital.
He said he hears his patients talking like that all the time and this means that Murray was probably administering propofol to Michael and recording him when it was beginning to take effect on him!
The doctor condemned Murray as a criminal and made no bones about it. He said that it is a criminal action similar to leaving a loaded gun to a six-year child. You leave the room and the child kills himself and you say you are not responsible? Murray set the whole thing up ready for this death to take place.
The doctor’s verdict on Murray (the way I memorized it) is: The wrong person did the wrong thing in the wrong way and in the wrong setting.
We absolutely need a video of that interview. Has anyone recorded it?
Hopefully CNN will repeat it. Or is it only Piers Morgan whom they choose to show 4 times a day?
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“So did they say the 2 meetings happened on June 20th or seperate days? I been working missed it all.”
Chris, I haven’t yet been able to find the transcript but put down as much as I could in hand. Here is the outline:
Friday, June 19th – a rehearsal at the Forum (the stage prior to the Staples Center). Ortega noticed that Michael had chills,was very much unwell and sent him home.
Saturday, June 20th – a meeting in Michael’s house. A riot act is read by Ortega (?) according to Karen Faye. He didn’t confirm it though (he sounded confused over that point and I didn’t understand what he replied)
Sunday and Monday, June 21st and 22nd there were no rehearsals as they were moving to the Staples Center. Ortega could not say clearly the date when they moved there.
Tuesday, June 23 Michael appeared at the rehearsal strong, excited and determined to work.
Same on June 24.
Ortega’s email (sent early morning June 20 to Randy Phillips) started with “now that we have brought the Doctor into the fold”. When asked what it meant Ortega explained that Murray had started creating a daily schedule for Michael so that he could attend the rehearsals (so before that he wasn’t). When Prosecutor asked him about ‘tough love” he somehow avoided a direct answer and the matter was dropped to my big surprise – but was resumed by Chernoff whom I didn’t expect to talk about it at all.
During cross-examination it turned out that the schedule was the result of the events a week prior to that –Michael was missing the rehearsals and “someone” asked Murray to make a schedule for him (which he was obliged to observe). Chernoff asked why Michael was missing the rehearsals – was he tired or lazy? Ortega again avoided a direct answer and said he discussed the matter with Randy and Paul Gangaware for a week.
Though he tried not to touch upon the first meeting which should have been approximately a week before June 20, he agreed that his email referred to the resolutions taken at that meeting and that things “got serious at the time about coming to the rehearsals”. He said that it was aware that the first meeting had taken place.
So what do we make of this mess?
Let us read Ortega’s email again and things will become clearer to you:
Randy,
I will do whatever I can to help with this situation. [Phillips is worried about the rehearsals and Ortega is assisting him in every way to ensure that Michael attends them]
If you need me to come to the house just give me a call in the morning.[It seems that he spoke on the phone to Phillips prior to that, but Ortega said to Chernoff he didn’t]
My concern is, now that we’ve brought the Doctor into the fold and have played the tough love, now or never card is that the Artist may be unable to rise to the occasion due to real emotional stuff. [They have declared a sort of an ultimatum to him some time before that, required Murray to take care of his scheduling, but the only result of their effort was that Michael became extremely nervous and unable to work]
He appeared quite weak and fatigued this evening. He had a visible case of the chills, was trembling, rambling and obsessing. Everything in me says that he should be psychologically evaluated.
[Ortega realises that they “overdid” it – MJ is not the guy who obeys to ultimatums like others, he cannot work in such an atmosphere. A more favorable psychological climate is needed]
If we have any chance at all to get him back in the lights it’s going to take a strong Therapist to help him get him through this as well as strong physical nurturing.
[The situation is so bad that they need to replace Murray with a much better doctor]
I was told by our Choreographer that during the Artist’s costume fitting with his Designer tonight they noticed he’s lost more weight.
[First time we hear it – none of them ever admitted that they had noticed the weight loss]
As far as I can tell there is no one taking responsibility (caring for) him on a daily basis. Where was his assistant tonight? Tonight I was feeding him, wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor. There were four security guards outside his door, but no one offering him a cup of hot tea.
[This is an absolutely OUTRAGEOUS situation! No one was attending to Michael’s needs! Ortega even called the doctor but evidently to no avail! There was no doctor, no help, no care, no nothing!]
Finally, it is important for everyone to know, I believe he really wants this.
[ We’ve already heard that Phillips thought Michael was faking illness because he wanted to avoid making concerts explaining it by his ill health, In fact they thought that he was taking so much medicine to “make himself ill” and go to hospital]
It would shatter him, break his heart if we pulled the plug.
[ SO AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE JUNE 20 PHILLIPS HAD ALREADY THREATENED HIM WITH PULLING THE PLUG]
He’s terribly frightened that it’s going to go away. He asked me repeatedly tonight if I was going to leave him. He was practically begging for my confidence.
[This is what I’ve saying all along. Michael feared that he would involuntarily give them a pretext to “pull the plug” and was frightened of such a possibility. It practically paralyzed him and got him into chills].
It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy.
[Ortega is asking Phillips not to be that harsh on Michael]
There still may be a chance he can rise to the occasion if we get him the help he needs.
[ Ortega realises that Michael needs help and asks Phillips to provide it. He is not sure Michael will manage but he might if they stop pressurizing him, find a doctor and give him the necessary care he needs. Probably psychological help too]
So everything in this email refers to the events prior to that June 19th rehearsal. What we see is that approximately a week before that Michael was treated by his “partners” so harshly that he got extremely nervous, began losing weight and practically fell ill.
Ortega sends Michael home and the next day June 20th attends the 2nd meeting where he is reprimanded by Murray. No one pays attention to Ortega’s warnings about Michael needing real help. However what Murray does is prescribing Michael diazepam (Valium) to be taken every 6 hours in order to relieve his psychological pressure (see my earlier comment about the prescription made on June 20th).
Valium is the only conclusion they drew from Ortega’s email message and the dramatic events which caused it.
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Opening statement by prosecution in full
It has 13 parts
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Here is Larry Nimmer’s first day video
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The only supposition I can make is that Murray wanted to show it to someone – let us say his bosses. Probably to prove that he is dealing with a “difficult case”.
I’d guess he was recording it for the same reason Anna Nicole Smith’s people recorded her on drugs, to sell, profit. Or to use against Michael as blackmail because he was not receiving the amount from Michael that he’d demanded.
Michael was paranoid about leaving voicemails, about being recorded, he wouldn’t leave a friend of mine a voicemail when he called her, he was terrified of having people sell and twist it. And this tape proves he had good cause to.
Isn’t it incredible that even on a conscious altering drug he’s still talking about building children’s hospitals? Yet more proof he wasn’t who they said he was.
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I’m glad to hear that Jermaine’s tweet has been circulated in the media:
Today has been very distressing for all of us, and I’d like to thank you for your prayers at this horrible time. I would also like to remind some in the media that the voice recording of Michael does not show/prove he was “an addict” — and this leap to agree with the defense is unfair and inaccurate. The prosecution said my brother “was under the influence of UNKNOWN agents” at the time of that recording by Murray. That some people, Jane Valez Mitchell HLN and Ted Rwlands CNN, make statements saying this shows my brother to be “a drug addict” is not what was said in court re that recording. Events are upsetting enough without correspondents adding their own interpretation (or back-dating events to 1993). No-one can rule out the prospect that Michael was groggy because of something administered to make him relax/sleep. That does noke him an addict. I would also add that Murray was by his side “observing” as well as recording so it can have nothing to do with drug depdency because Murras case is that he was unaware of any drug dependency. One more reason why “addict” is a leap to assumption in these circumstances. Some networks need to make this distinction clear and correct this imbalance. Bottom line: Michael did not kill Michael.
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/dbc67m
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CNN has just said that Jermaine Jackson lashed out at the media misinterpreting the tape.
He said Michael could have been under the effect of some sleeping pills, but the bottom line is: Michael didn’t kill Michael.
Those who are on Twitter please provide the full text of his message. I’ll also try to catch it if CNN reports it again.
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Hearing that tape of Michael does not prove drug addiction as all the pundits are now trying to claim. To me, he sounded like he was talking in his sleep or just waking up. My husband sounds exactly like that sometimes when he is coming out of a sleep.
Susan, yes, it is a very plausible explanation especially considering that his voice (if it is his) is almost a bass here. This happens when someone hasn’t cleared his throat yet after sleep. I also have the same low-pitched and husky voice if a telephone wakes me up.
The prosecution evidently uses this tape as an argument in favour of MJ’s “drug-addiction” (what a crazy way to help Michael’s case!), but this argument is extremely clumsy as under propofol people sleep and can’t talk, and this means that he was under the effect of something different. This way the prosecutors themselves are opening the road to accusing Michael of Demerol or whatever and turning the case from anti-Murray one into an anti-Jackson one.
This was taken May 10, 2009 at 9:05 in the morning, which was a Sunday by Murray and for what purpose. Something is definitely not right here. Was he going to use this for some nefarious purpose? It makes no sense. Does anyone else have any ideas why he would tape his patient in this state?
The only supposition I can make is that Murray wanted to show it to someone – let us say his bosses. Probably to prove that he is dealing with a “difficult case”.
However this tape proves NOTHING. This husky and half-sleepy voice could be the result of the usual sleeping pills and Michael just waking up from them. Joe Jackson’s suit has a list of pills prescribed to Michael by doctors. Here is the list of medicines which were found in Michael’s home in the form of tablets:
Temazepam 12/22/2008 Number issued 30. Number remaining 3. Capsule 30mg. Directions to use – once at bedtime as needed. Physician MURRAY
Clonazepam 4/18/2009 Number issued 30. Number remaining 6. Tablet 1mg. Directions to use – 1 at bedtime. Physician METZGER
Trazadone 4/18/2009 Number issued 60. Number remaining 38. Tablet 50mg. Directions to use – 2 at bedtime as needed. Physician METZGER
Lorazepam 4/28/2009 Number issued 30. Number remaining 9. Tablet 2mg. Directions to use – one at bedtime. Physician MURRAY
Tizanidine 5/7/2009 Number issued 10. Number remaining 8.Tablet 4mg. Directions to us – half tablet at bedtime. Physician KLEIN
Diazepam 6/20/2009 Number issued 60. Number remaining 57. Tablet 10mg. Directions to use – 1/2 to 1 every 6 hours. Physician MURRAY
WIKI says:
Temazepam is an intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine. It is mostly prescribed for the short-term treatment of sleeplessness in patients who have difficulty maintaining sleep
(MURRAY, Dec. 2008).
Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine drug having anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, and anxiolytic properties
(METZGER, April 18, 2009).
Trazodone is an antidepressant of the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) class. It is a phenylpiperazine compound. Trazodone also has anxiolytic, and hypnotic effects
(METZGER, April 18, 2009).
Lorazepam is a high-potency short-to-intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine drug that has all five intrinsic benzodiazepine effects: anxiolytic, amnesic, sedative/hypnotic, anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant
(MURRAY, April 28, 2009)
Tizanidine (Zanaflex) is a drug that is used as a muscle relaxant. It is a centrally acting α2 adrenergic agonist. It is used to treat the spasms, cramping, and tightness of muscles caused by medical problems such as multiple sclerosis, spastic diplegia, back pain, or certain other injuries to the spine or central nervous system
(KLEIN, May 7, 2009).
Diazepam, first marketed as Valium is a benzodiazepine drug. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms, restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal, benzodiazepine withdrawal and Ménière’s disease
(MURRAY, June 20, 2009, or several days before Michael’s death).
So by May 10, 2009 Michael could have been taking at least 3 medicines which had to do with sleep (and some even had a hypnotic effect).
Please note that several days before Michael’s death and immediately after the riot act Murray prescribed Michael Diazepam (Valium) to be taken every 6 hours! He knew that they were turning him into a nervous wreck and decided to treat his anxiety on a full scale. It is probably after Valium taken for two days that Michael didn’t look or sound troubled at the last rehearsals. However he took only 3 tablets in the period June 20-25 though the prescription allowed for 4 tablets a day!
Information about the pills found at MJ’s home is taken from the LA Department of Coroner’s paper provided in Joe Jackson’s amended lawsuit. page 190: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59105659/Notice-of-Motion-and-Motion-for-Leave-to-File-First-Amended-Complaint-FULL-AEG-CONTRACT-P43
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“I am totally confused and upset , Brian Oxman on HLN saying , Murry was not involved with Michael in May”
Andrea, if Oxman is indeed saying it, he is lying because the suit he himself filed for Joe Jackson has Murray’s contract as an attachment to it and the attachment indicates May 1, 2009 as the date when Murray was to start the job. On May 8 the oral agreement with AEG was reached and on May 28 Murray sent an email to AEG reminding them of the payment due because he said he was rendering his services to MJ as they had agreed.
“why is he recording him?”
Oh, this is a very interesting question! And also why was he keeping this record in his phone?
“all the Propofil he ordered going to his girlfriends house”
Yes, propofol was ordered by litres and this absolutely goes against Chernoff’s version that Murray was weaning Michael off it.
“What the Hell , and the Picture of Michael was so wrong to show”
This is why I am wary about the Prosecution. I haven’t been able to hear Walgren make his statement and cannot judge whether he really made good points as Deborah says, but the methods he is using look to me not serving the main purpose of the case at all. This way he can only drown Michael even in case he gets those 4 years for Murray. I really begin doubting that Michael’s dignity will be served in the hands of this man.
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Another site for online viewing: http://www.mjjcommunity.com/the-people-v-s-conrad-murray/
Dial, thank you. I’ve added it to the post as the first link to use. Eventually we will see what is the best source of information for us. Please write your suggestions as to which one is preferable (i.e. provides an opportunity for comment and is free from all that media nonsense).
The way the media speaks of the man who died and was actually a victim is very eye-opening as to how shameless they are! I never thought they would be so gleeful and radiant at the chance to bash Michael again. Now all illusion is gone. That tape filled the air completely and replaced all really meaningful facts and information.
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“A doctor who was trying to ‘wean’ someone off a drug would not be ordering 155,000 mg of Propofol from April 6 to June 2009.”
EXACTLY!
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“This whole thing is going to be draining, I wasn’t expecting to get up this morning and see a photo of Michael lying dead on a gurney”
Tahlia, in fact they started the trial by showing to the jury the picture of Michael dead. What for? The picture was shown on CNN (and probably everywhere too, I can’t say as CNN is the only channel I have).
What was the purpose of showing that picture? To make the jury emotionally involved by seeing the man alive yesterday and dead today? But this emotional effect is not worth the damage it is doing to Michael!
No, something is not correct here. This is not the way to go about this business.
And as regards the media I am totally horrified by their slanted reports. If CNN reports other news this way too from now on I won’t believe even a morsel of what they are saying. Previously I thought they were reliable.
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Guys, first of all I apologize for posting the links from my email to which I received those links.For some reason they underwent some metamorphosis during reposting and were not operative. Now I hope they are okay.
Please inform me if something is not working and forgive my mistake – it was middle of the night when I was doing it.
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So did they say the 2 meetings happened on June 20th or seperate days? I been working missed it all.
Also Michael said “can I?”
When Ortega said “do you want to go home” which is even more leading to believe he had to ask permission to leave or didn’t think it would be ok at the hearings in January.
If he had the riot act read to him b4 that it would explain his eagerness to stay at all costs.
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And even Murray seemed to roll his eyes a couple of times at the performance of his own attorney.
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@ Gabriela
“Also, I was dismayed to see that Walgren, the prosecuting attorney, seemed less than confident, stumbled over words and appeared wooden, while Chernoff, Murray’s attorney, was eloquent, passionate and smooth.”
I’m surprised you saw it that way because everybody else’s opinion, which I saw, was the complete opposite. Chernoff sucked big time actually, he was anything but “eloquent” and “smooth”. Are you sure you didn’t mix up the two sides?
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Gabriela,
Actually it was Chernoff the defense attornery that was the less confident one & stumbling all over himself. Walgren the prosecution side presented a strong opening statement.
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Here’s a few ladies on twitter I recommened everyone keep tabs with @gatorgirl (Nikki of course) & @liesrunsprints they provide great information from the medical aspect. @room_downstairs & @mjjjusticeprjct have updates of what was said in court today. Also @imt4justice has a great perscepctive since she was able to go inside the courtroom today.
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Deborah Ffrench – A doctor who was trying to ‘wean’ someone off a drug would not be ordering 155,000 mg of Propofol from April 6 to June 2009.
Exactly! The defense’s entire case is garbage.
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Hearing that tape of Michael does not prove drug addiction as all the pundits are now trying to claim. To me, he sounded like he was talking in his sleep or just waking up. My husband sounds exactly like that sometimes when he is coming out of a sleep. This was taken May 10, 2009 at 9:05 in the morning, which was a Sunday by Murray and for what purpose. Something is definitely not right here. Was he going to use this for some nefarious purpose? It makes no sense. Does anyone else have any ideas why he would tape his patient in this state?
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I am totally confused and upset , Brian Oxman on HLN saying , Murry was not involved with Michael in May , or his doctor so why is he recording him,second all the Propofil he ordered going to his girlfriends house ,but Murry wasent Michael Doctor yet ??? What the Hell , and the Picture of Michael was so wrong to show ………
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Another site for online viewing:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/the-people-v-s-conrad-murray/
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A doctor who was trying to ‘wean’ someone off a drug would not be ordering 155,000 mg of Propofol from April 6 to June 2009.
This incredulous claim by Murray’s Defense will be pointed out by Walgren as the nonsense it is. The prosecution made a very strong case today for an IM charge/
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This whole thing is going to be draining, I wasn’t expecting to get up this morning and see a photo of Michael lying dead on a gurney 😦
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That audiotape may backfire. Why would the prosecution want to show MJ to be under the influence and out of control like that? Yes, it shows Murray knew of MJ’s use of propofol, but it also seems to bolster the defense’s claim that Murray was doing a good deed, trying to wean MJ.
Also, I was dismayed to see that Walgren, the prosecuting attorney, seemed less than confident, stumbled over words and appeared wooden, while Chernoff, Murray’s attorney, was eloquent, passionate and smooth.
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