Jackson family drops restitution bid

The family of late singer Michael Jackson have dropped their restitution bid against Dr. Conrad Murray.

Relatives of the 'Thriller' hitmaker - including his parents Joe and Katherine and children Prince, 14, Paris, 13, and nine-year-old Prince Michael II, who is known as Blanket - had been seeking $100 million damages from the medic but have now decided not to pursue the claim because the doctor is close to being broke and his medical license has been revoked.

As a result, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office have cancelled a hearing which was set for Monday (23.01.12),

District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison told E! News: "We informed Judge Pastor that the Jackson family is not seeking restitution and asked that the matter be taken off the calendar."

The Jacksons initially argued that Murray - who was convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of the star in November - should make up for the projected earnings from Michael's 'This Is It' 50-date London residency, scheduled to start just weeks after his death from acute Propofol intoxication in June 2009.

However, during the medic's sentencing, even prosecutors conceded it would be impossible for Murray to repay $100 million and he filed paperwork last month saying he is almost bankrupt and can't pay $1.8 million in funeral expenses.

Murray is currently serving a four-year jail term over Michael's death, but is expected to be released in just over two years due to overcrowding in the California state prison system.

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Tears as court declares Jackson’s doc guilty of manslaughter

Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Monday over the King of Pop’s 2009 death, at an emotional climax to his long-awaited trial.

Crowds of fans outside erupted in joy as the verdict was handed down, while minutes later judge Michael Pastor ordered the 58-year-old medic handcuffed and remanded in custody, pending sentencing later this month.


Supporters of Michael Jackson hold placards awaiting the verdict of his doctor's trial in Los Angeles on November 7, 2011 in southern California. Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the King of Pop's 2009 death, the court clerk said. There was a brief cry in the courtroom, and cheers outside, but Murray himself gave no reaction when the long-awaited verdict was announced after a six-week trial in Los Angeles.

Jackson’s mother Katherine was hugged by one of his brothers, Randy, and appeared to cry into a tissue, after the verdict was announced. Others there included his father Joe, and siblings Jermaine, Rebbie and La Toya.

“Justice was served,” Jermaine said as he and the rest of the family braved huge crowds to leave the building, while Rebbie added: “Nothing will bring him back, but I’m happy he was found guilty.”

“Michael loves everybody out here… we all love everybody,” added La Toya to the HLN television channel, adding: “He was in that courtroom and that’s why victory was served.”

A grim-faced Murray himself gave no reaction when the verdict was announced and judge Pastor ordered him remanded in custody because he was a danger to the public.

Murray faces up to four years in jail and could be banned from practicing medicine after his conviction in connection with Jackson’s death from an overdose of propofol on June 25, 2009.

LA District Attorney Steve Cooley praised his deputy David Walgren, who was widely praised for his masterful prosecution of the case against a defense which some observers thought ended the trial in tatters.

“They put together a compelling case based upon competent evidence. Their presentation of the evidence in the court was superb,” Cooley told reporters after the verdict was handed down.

Outside, the verdict was greeted by joy and relief.

“Joy, justice, relief, finally, that’s it,” Jackson fan Terry Wilson told AFP amid celebratory scenes outside the downtown building where the trial began on September 27.

She began crying as she screamed “guilty!’ to the crowd.

“Of course he’s guilty!” added another Jackson fan, J.B. Jones.

Since opening on September 27, the trial at Los Angeles Superior Court has heard from 49 witnesses — 33 for the prosecution, and 16 for the defense.

In his closing arguments last week, Deputy District Attorney Walgren said Murray caused the star’s death through negligence and greed, depriving Jackson’s children of their father and the world of a “genius.”

Walgren, summing up an “overwhelming case” against Murray, claimed the medic concocted lies to cover his tracks — specifically about the timeline on the day Jackson died, and not telling paramedics what drugs he had given.

The defense, meanwhile, argued that Jackson was a desperate drug addict who caused his own death by taking more medicines while Murray was out of the room at the star’s rented mansion in Los Angeles.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff claimed that Murray was “a little fish in a big dirty pond,” alleging that key witnesses conspired to agree on a story after Jackson died.

Shortly before the verdict announcement, Jackson’s former dermatologist broke his silence to deny the singer was a drug addict, or that he had given him massive doses of painkillers in the months before his death.

“Michael was not a drug addict. .. Michael Jackson did not have a problem with pain killers,” said Dr Arnold Klein, whose office Jackson visited several times a week in the months before his death.

Specifically he denied having treated Jackson with large doses of the painkiller Demerol — 900 mg over three days in one case — during the month of May 2009, as suggested by records from his office shown in evidence in the last week of the trial.

Klein said he was away in Paris for most of the month of May, and other doctors worked from his office.

“I would never give a person those doses attributed to me,” he told the HLN television channel.

“Those doses they said in trial are not my doses,” he added.

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Trial of Michael Jackson's Doctor Begins-death photo shown to jury

LOS ANGELES - The manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's personal doctor began Tuesday with a shocking photo of the singer's dead body and an eerie recording his voice slurring through a purported propofol haze.

The prosecution picture projected in the courtroom showed Jackson's lifeless body on a hospital gurney under the powerful heading "Homicide."

The almost incoherent recording, also presented by prosecutors, was retrieved from defendant Dr. Conrad Murray's iPhone with a time stamp of May 10, 2009 - about a month before Jackson died from an overdose of the surgery-strength anesthetic propofol on June 25.

"When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go,'" Jackson is heard saying in painfully slow, clearly intoxicated speech.

"I'm taking that money, a million children, children's hospital, the biggest in the world, Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital," the labored voice from beyond the grave continued.

"This voice recording documents Michael Jackson highly under the influence of unknown agents," prosecutor David Walgren told jurors during his opening statement.

"(It documents) Conrad Murray's knowledge of what he is doing to Michael Jackson," Walgren said before hammering the Houston cardiologist for his "extreme deviations" from medical standards.

Walgren said Murray pumped Jackson with propofol as part of a lethal cocktail of drugs then abandoned the singer to make calls and return emails the morning of June 25, 2009.

He said Murray did not have the proper equipment to administer the dangerous anesthetic, waited 25 minutes to call 911 when he noticed Jackson wasn't breathing and "deceived" paramedics and emergency room doctors by not telling them about the propofol when "specifically asked."

In short, he said Murray failed to act like a doctor, and his negligence caused Jackson's death.

"Conrad Murray, with his eyes on an anticipated $150,000 (per month) lucrative contract, instead agreed to provide Michael massive amounts of propofol on a regular basis in complete disregard of all acceptable standards of medical care," Walgren said.

Jackson's famous sister Janet Jackson, his parents and several other siblings filled the downtown courtroom for the first day of the long-awaited trial.

The entertainer's three children were not present, but his eldest son and daughter could be called during the trial since they witnessed some of the chaotic resuscitation attempt.

Murray, 58, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces up to four years in prison and a likely loss of his medical license if convicted.

His defense lawyer started his opening statement saying Jackson was responsible for his own death.

Ed Chernoff told jurors that the King of Pop woke during Murray's absence and self-administered enough extra propofol to create a "perfect storm" that killed him "so instantly he didn't even have time to close his eyes."

Murray, who dabbed tears during his lawyer's statements, earlier told investigators that Jackson used propofol for his insomnia - calling it his "milk" -- and that he was trying to wean the 136-pound performer from his addiction over a two-month period of nightly doses.

"Good morning! On way to court. Wish all parties involved were on trial. And not just Murray," Jackson's sister LaToya Jackson said on Twitter before walking through the circus of fans outside the courthouse. "This is DEFINITELY A STRAIGHT MURDER TRIAL!!!!"

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