Judge limits Jackson siblings’ attendance

Katherine Jackson: Michael's mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son's three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson's comeback concerts.Katherine Jackson: Michael's mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son's three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson's comeback concerts.
Prince Jackson: Michael's oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons' case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent -- he now has a driver's license and jobs.Prince Jackson: Michael's oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons' case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent -- he now has a driver's license and jobs.
Paris Jackson: Michael's daughter, who turns 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father's death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers.Paris Jackson: Michael's daughter, who turns 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father's death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers.
Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael's youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be "medically detrimental" to the child.Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael's youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be "medically detrimental" to the child.
Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq.Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq.
Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson's personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son's estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper's death investigation.Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson's personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son's estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper's death investigation.
Marvin Putnam: He's the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is "media in defense of their First Amendment rights," according to his official biography.Marvin Putnam: He's the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is "media in defense of their First Amendment rights," according to his official biography.
Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons' witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion.Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons' witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion.
Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG's president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke's e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson's health are important evidence in their case.Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG's president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke's e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson's health are important evidence in their case.
Joe Jackson: Michael's father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him.Joe Jackson: Michael's father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him.
Randy Phillips: He's president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his "This Is It" comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray's treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson's missed rehearsals and sought Murray's help getting him ready.Randy Phillips: He's president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his "This Is It" comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray's treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson's missed rehearsals and sought Murray's help getting him ready.
Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years.Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years.
Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the "This Is It" shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson's "Dangerous" and "HIStory" tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that "Jackson was frail" at a rehearsal days before his death.Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the "This Is It" shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson's "Dangerous" and "HIStory" tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that "Jackson was frail" at a rehearsal days before his death.
Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson's personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify.Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson's personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify.
John Branca: He's one of two executors of Michael Jackson's estate. Branca was Jackson's lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died.John Branca: He's one of two executors of Michael Jackson's estate. Branca was Jackson's lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
  • NEW: LAPD detective suspected Murray would "do whatever he needed to do to get paid"
  • NEW: Dr. Murray's house was in foreclosure when Jackson died
  • NEW: Paramedic: Jackson "looked like someone who was at the end stage of a long disease process"
  • Judges limits Jackson family to one in court at a time and only if mom if there

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray's "severely distressed" financial situation may have led him to "break the rules" in his fatal treatment of Michael Jackson, a police investigator testified Tuesday.

Los Angeles Police Detective Orlando Martinez testified in the Jackson wrongful death trial that Murray was trying to deal with the large drop in value of his Las Vegas home, unpaid taxes and child support payments for eight children with seven women.

Michael Jackson's mother and children claim AEG Live is liable for the pop icon's death because it hired, retained and supervised Murray, who worked as his personal physician as he prepared for his comeback concerts in 2009.

AEG says Murray was hired and supervised by Jackson, whom they blame for making bad choices because of his drug addiction.

Jackson wrongful death trial under way
Mesereau: AEG arguments may backfire
Jackson family takes on AEG in court

One contention in the lawsuit is that the concert promoter should have known that Murray's financial stress could lead to unsafe treatments for Jackson.

AEG lawyer: 'Ugly stuff' to come

Martinez, the second witness in the trial's first day of testimony, said that after interviewing Murray and after the search of Murray's car four days after Jackson's death, his "thinking at the moment was the crime was negligence."

Inside the BMW -- which belonged to Murray's sister in Texas -- he found a contract between AEG Live and Murray saying he would be paid $150,000 a month to work as Jackson's doctor, along with AEG Live President Randy Phillips' business card and cell phone number, he said.

"That's a lot of money for anyone," Martinez said. "Seeing the scene and talking to him about what he had done and how he did it raised questions."

"Focusing on the financial aspect may have been important for Dr. Murray's willingness to disregard his Hippocratic Oath for financial gain," he testified.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Prosecutors said Jackson death was caused by a fatal combination of the surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives Murray gave him in a desperate effort to treat his insomnia.

Martinez said what he learned about Murray's financial troubles in the weeks after Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, led him "to opine that he may have, for this easy money -- the $150,000 a month -- may break the rules, bend the rules, to do whatever he needed to do to get paid."

His investigation revealed that Murray hadn't paid his mortgage in more than six months, his home was being foreclosed on and he had several liens for unpaid child support and tax debts, Martinez said.

Murray's Las Vegas home, which he bought for $1.6 million, was appraised at barely $1 million in 2009, he said. The Las Vegas real estate market had suffered a major decline in home values up to that date.

Elvis' ghost haunts Michael Jackson death trial

Judge rules: Jacksons can't watch trial without mom

The judge ordered that only one of Michael Jackson's brothers and sisters can come to court to watch the testimony at at a time -- and then only if Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson is present.

AEG Live lawyers argued at the start of the second day of the trial that there was "a risk in allowing any of them in the courtroom."

AEG expects to call Janet, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Rebbie and Randy Jackson as witnesses in its defense. Only brother Marlon Jackson is not on the defense witness list.

AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam said in his opening statement Monday that Jackson family members will testify about their failed attempts to intervene with Michael Jackson's drug addiction and their lack of knowledge about what was happening.

The defense lawyers asked that Randy Jackson, the only one attending the trial Tuesday with his 82-year-old mother, be booted from court.

After that, Jackson lawyer Brian Panish told the judge that Katherine Jackson, who can stay in court because she is a plaintiff, needed one of her children to sit with her each day.

"He can remain, but you cannot have five in the courtroom," Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos said.

Because Katherine Jackson left the courtroom early to avoid gruesome testimony by a paramedic who described Jackson's death, Randy Jackson was unable to watch Tuesday's testimony.

Randy and Rebbie Jackson attended court Monday, the trial's opening day. All of the siblings attended the 2011 criminal trial of Murray at various times.

Having members of the famous entertainment family in court could influence the jury because their seats are just a few feet away from the jury box in the small Los Angeles courtroom.

Paramedic: Jackson looked like "a hospice patient"

The first witness called Tuesday was Richard Senneff, one of the Los Angeles County paramedics who responded to the 911 call from Michael Jackson's home on June 25, 2009.

Senneff mostly repeated the testimony he gave as one of the first witnesses in the Murray trial, describing how he initially "thought perhaps this was a hospice patient."

"He looked like someone who was at the end stage of a long disease process," he said.

"No, no, this just happened," Murray told him, Senneff said.

Jackson was not breathing and appeared to be dead, he said.

An AEG lawyer asked him during cross-examination if he thought Murray was not telling him the truth.

"I don't even go there," Senneff said. "I'm not worried about that."

Senneff's testimony is important to informing the jury about the circumstances of Jackson's death, but the drama that filled the Murray courtroom was not duplicated.

In fact, humor sometimes emerged. Panish even asked Senneff whether he had ever rescued a cat.

"I have not rescued a cat," Senneff, who is also a firefighter, joked. "I rescued a dog that was lying in the street."

He also shared the ironic story of the next emergency he responded to after leaving Michael Jackson at the UCLA Medical Center's emergency room.

His ambulance was called to a west Los Angeles apartment to help an elderly Russian woman, Senneff said.

"When she heard the news on TV that Michael Jackson had died, she fainted," he said. She suffered a minor head injury in her fall.

"She was just deeply emotional when we took her to the hospital," Senneff said.

Martinez will return to court Wednesday to resume his testimony, but the trial will break early so a juror can attend a funeral in the afternoon.

A medical examiner from the Los Angeles County Coroner's office is expected to take the stand Thursday. No court is scheduled for Friday.

CNN.com - Entertainment