Dr. Conrad Murray Is Charged In The Death Of Michael Jackson

Murray pleads 'Not Guilty' to Involuntary Manslaughter
Monday, February 8, 2010 2:09 pm

At long last, authorities in charge of the Michael Jackson Death Investigation have charged MJ’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray in his death. Murray showed up at court today, as did members of the immediate Jackson family, to face a charge of Involuntary Manslaughter in regards to MJ’s sudden death last Summer. Here are photos of Dr. Murray, Katherine Jackson (MJ’s mother) and La Toya Jackson (MJ’s older sister) arriving at court and deets of the just launched criminal trial proceedings:

Nearly eight months after Michael Jackson died suddenly, his personal physician was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter for providing him with a powerful anesthetic that was ruled a major factor in his death. The filing of the charges capped an investigation that revealed Mr. Jackson’s heavy reliance on narcotics, including propofol, an anesthetic normally used in surgery but administered to Mr. Jackson, 50, as a sleep aid. The doctor, Conrad Murray, a cardiologist with offices in Houston and Las Vegas, had acknowledged giving Mr. Jackson the drug shortly before the singer was found unconscious on June 25 in a rented mansion here, according to police affidavits. The coroner determined that Mr. Jackson had died from “acute propofol intoxication,” combined with other sedatives. Dr. Murray, 56, who arrived in Los Angeles last week trailed by paparazzi, has maintained through his lawyer that nothing he gave Mr. Jackson should have caused his death. If convicted, he faces a possible maximum four-year state prison term. Dr. Murray arrived at the Airport Courthouse here shortly before his arraignment was scheduled to begin, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time, escorted by lawyers and sheriff’s deputies and without handcuffs. At least 24 television trucks and journalists yammering in a multitude of languages were awaiting his arrival, along with a smattering of fans, some bearing signs “Justice for Michael.” A Jackson impersonator did his moves, sometimes prompted, sometimes not. About an hour earlier, some members of the Jackson family had arrived in S.U.V.’s. Mr. Jackson’s father, Joseph — in sunglasses, a black suit and fedora, and red tie — paused by the curb, waiting for the others. Jermaine Jackson, the singer’s brother, and his wife, Halima Rashid, held hands as they walked toward the doors, followed by his sister, La Toya, in a bright pink blazer. The family members were escorted by five sheriff’s deputies, who then clustered by the entrance as they funneled in. The charge came after a week of negotiations between Dr. Murray’s lawyers and prosecutors that one of his lawyers said bogged down over whether Dr. Murray should be handcuffed and arrested, as opposed to surrendering at a courthouse in a more low-key way … Dr. Murray, according to police affidavits, was administering propofol to Mr. Jackson — the singer called it his “milk” — to help him sleep on the morning of June 25. Dr. Murray said he left the room for approximately two minutes to make a telephone call and found Mr. Jackson had stopped breathing when he returned. Efforts to revive Mr. Jackson at the house and a hospital were not successful, and the investigation of his death quickly focused on the drugs he was taking. Dr. Murray had no previous brush with celebrity until he began working as Mr. Jackson’s personal physician in May, after meeting him through an acquaintance in Las Vegas. He was promised $150,000 a month and had planned to accompany Mr. Jackson on his comeback tour, 50 concerts in London that were scheduled for July 2009 through next month.

This charge of Involuntary Manslaughter sounds about right to me. As I said before, I sincerely doubt that Dr. Murray intended to kill Michael Jackson. While it will be up to a jury of his peers to determine if he is guilty of his crime, I still believe that MJ’s death was not intentional. This court case is bond to be a media circus … especially since Michael Jackson is so well-known. After the jump, find out what TMZ has discovered from the final coroner’s report relating to MJ’s death and see what sort of evidence Dr. Murray is up against in this case against him …

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Victoria Beckham & Sons Fly To Italy To Support David Beckham

Benchwarmer
Monday, February 8, 2010 1:46 pm

Victoria Beckham and her sons — Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo James and Cruz David — made their way to Italy this weekend to lend their support in person to hubby/daddy/footballer David Beckham in his AC Milan match-up against rival team Bologna FC. While it was very nice of Vicki B. and the boys to fly halfway around the globe to root for Becks, it’s a shame that he spent the majority of the game sitting on his butt on the bench:

Victoria Beckham was a woman on a mission last night as she flew to Italy in a bid to cheer up husband David. Armed with their three children, the family made the two-hour journey from London to see the AC Milan footballer, who was dropped to the subs bench in a match against Bologna yesterday. Fashion designer Mrs Beckham, 35, was wearing a chic burgundy jumper, her trademark large sunglasses, and, despite reports of her painful bunions, managed to squeeze her feet into four-inch blue heels. The former singer was also wearing dark blue skinny jeans, which are from her Victoria Beckham Denim collection. The mother-of-three also accessorised with her £22,140 burgundy crocodile Hermes Birkin bag which hasn’t left her shoulder in recent weeks. While Mrs Beckham cut a glum figure when arriving at the airport, Romeo, seven, obviously hasn’t inherited his mother’s pouting genes – as he grinned at awaiting photographers. Cruz, four, clutching a Winnie the Pooh bear, cheekily pulled faces as Brooklyn, 10, showed his was too old for toys as he carried a rucksack while leading the way. The Beckham clan jumped into an awaiting car which took them to David, 35, who was commiserating after his team’s 0-0 draw. After the whistle-stop visit, Mrs Beckham will fly to New York for fashion week, where she is showcasing her AW2010 collection. The boys with stay with their father while she is away.

Awww … it’s a shame that the game was a total bust but it was very sweet of the Beckham bunch to fly to Italy to support Becks. It sounds like there will be a lot more travel in Lady Beckham’s future … can’t wait to see where she’ll wind up next.

[Source]

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Jennifer Aniston & Gerard Butler Hit The Pool Together

BFFs or FTFs?
Monday, February 8, 2010 1:24 pm

Yesterday saw photos of Jennifer Aniston chillin’ South of the Border in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with her rumored paramour Gerard Butler and a few other friends. Today we get to see more photos of Jen and Gerard enjoying some “friendly” pool time together at their hotel. HMMMM. Are these two doin’ the do or are they just friends?


As you may recall, Jen jetted down to Mexico with her friends in order to celebrate her 41st birthday (which is this coming Thursday). It has been suggested that just because Gerard Butler is the only single man to accompany Jennifer on her birthday holiday doesn’t necessarily mean that they are romantically involved. I, personally, find it hard to believe that Jen and Gerry aren’t bumpin’ uglies but they could just be keepin’ things casual. One thing’s for certain, these two look like they are having a great time together. But are they doing so as BFFs or FTFs? You decide.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]

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Marc Jacobs Is Suing Christian Audigier

Artist vs. Hack
Monday, February 8, 2010 1:08 pm

Accomplished and talented fashion designer Marc Jacobs is suing tacky, hack designer Christian Audigier for trade dress and trademark infringement of one of his purse designs. Jacobs feels that one of Audigier’s tacky purse designs looks almost exactly like his design for the Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon tote bag. Here are the purses, side-by-side, along with some deets of the lawsuit:

Designer Christian Audigier’s Nervous Tattoo, Inc. is being sued by Marc Jacobs’ company for trade dress and trademark infringement over purse designs. Marc Jacobs designs apparel and accessories, including purses, and has a pending application for its random “Marc Jacobs” scrambled trademark. Marc Jacobs has applied the scrambled trademark to the inside lining of the “Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon” tote bag. And the tote bag’s “size, shape, color or color combinations, product design, texture, and selection and arrangement of materials and accessories” are claimed to serve as its trade dress. Plaintiffs accuse Defendants of selling tote bags that “bear trade dress that unlawfully copies or imitates Plaintiffs’ unique, distinctive, and non-functional Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon Tote Trade Dress and/or that unlawfully bear marks confusingly similar to the Marc Jacobs Scrambled Trademark.” In addition, Plaintiffs assert claims for unfair competition under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 and constructive trust.

I understand the precedent in cases like this holds that if the two designs bear overt product name labeling, then the plaintiff has no claim of consumer brand confusion. It’s evident that the designs look almost identical … I have to say I’m on Team Jacobs here. The Ed Hardy line is so fug IMHO, it’s a shame that a design created by a designer with talent might get confused with a tacky hack like Christian Audigier. What do y’all think … does Marc Jacobs have a case here?

[Source]

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Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Bring Their Lurve To Super Bowl XLIV

Public Display of Affection
Monday, February 8, 2010 12:48 pm

Earlier today we saw a cute photo of Brad Pitt and babymama Angelina Jolie lookin’ all coupley at Super Bowl XLIV last night but right new we get to see a few more pics of Brangelina really showin’ off their lurve. Despite reports to the contrary, the couple are still very much together … and very much in love:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie showed their love for New Orleans – and for each other – at the Super Bowl on Sunday, a historic and victorious night for one of their favorite cities. The couple, who’ve been dogged by rumors of trouble in their relationship, looked in great spirits, cheering the Saints on to victory at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, and stealing a kiss or two along the way. They also brought 8-year-old son Maddox to the big game.

Brangelina are not content to merely let these pictures tell the tale of their committed love, they also plan to sue News of the World — the newspaper that published the report of their split:

A London law firm says Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are suing a British tabloid which reported that they were to split. Keith Schillings, of Schillings lawyers, said in a statement Monday that the celebrity couple had begun legal proceedings against the News of The World newspaper. The newspaper reported Jan. 24 that Pitt and Jolie had agreed to divide their assets and made arrangements over the custody of their children. Schillings, whose firm is representing the unmarried couple, said the report involved “false and intrusive allegations.” He said the tabloid failed to meet a demand for a retraction and apology.

It’s so nice to see Brangelina lookin’ so happy. I honestly believe they are in it for the long haul and these PDA pics are proof that they are happy … and they want people to know it. Long live Brangelina!

[Source, Source, Source]

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The Hauslaibs Are Leaving :(

The TV Guide
Monday, February 8, 2010 12:19 pm

On Thursday David’s oldest sister Lara arrived for the weekend and then his brother Aram arrived on Friday … their sister Eden surprised us all by showing up on Saturday — and Aram’s birthday weekend was officially underway. Unfortch, the Hauslaib siblings have to fly back to their respective homes this afternoon … but, I gotta tell ya, it was very fun having them all here in our home for the weekend:


They are the closet group of siblings I’ve ever met and I count myself as very lucky to call them my new family :) I’m hoping we’ll all be able to convene again for Passover back East in Connecticut in a couple of months.

I’m hoping I can cajole David into going with me to see Dear John later on tonight … I think it will be very nice for us to enjoy a nice movie date together :)

Les News, 020810

Super Bowl XLIV most watched TV show ever, Furtado to act, Richie wedding dress?
Monday, February 8, 2010 11:28 am