MJ’s Doctor, Estate Questioned
A Los Angeles County Coroner’s report including toxicology results to determine Michael Jackson’s cause of death was once again delayed as a criminal investigation of his doctor escalated and as Katherine Jackson reportedly demanded access to the performance contract between her son and AEG Live.
On the financial side, one-time MJ spokesman and adviser Dr. Tohme Tohme confirmed he has returned $5.5 million and substantial amounts of personal property to Jackson’s estate, now being administered by attorney John Branca and music exec John McClain.
And just to add to the otherwise circus-like atmosphere of Jackson confidants, current and former, father Joe Jackson and former MJ promoter Leonard Rowe took to the airwaves and issued press releases ensuring they weren’t lost in the continued media coverage.
As the case continued to unfold, law enforcement sources who are unauthorized to publicly comment told the Associated Press July 27 that Dr. Conrad Murray, who was with Jackson when he went into cardiac arrest and died June 25, said he administered the powerful anesthetic Propofol to the King of Pop hours before he died.
Police and Drug Enforcement Agency officials executed search warrants at Conrad’s Houston clinic and Las Vegas home soon after, as Conrad’s attorney confirmed they were in search of evidence to support a potential manslaughter charge against the doctor.
Numerous published reports indicated that Murray’s Nevada practice, Global Cardiovascular Associations, has accrued more than $400,000 in court judgments and, according to MSNBC, Murray “is not board-certified, according to the American Board of Medical Specialties” that certifies, trains and sets standards for medical doctors. His 10-year certification in internal medicine reportedly expired in December and, according to MSNBC, Murray was never certified as a specialist in cardiovascular disease.
AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips has maintained that the company did not “hire” Murray as Jackson’s live-in physician but was making payments to Jackson to cover his salary at Jackson’s insistence.
Meanwhile, attorneys for Katherine Jackson went to court to ask that an L.A. County Superior Court judge order Branca and McClain to turn over numerous documents, including MJ’s contract with AEG.
A judge had previously upheld a 2002 will that named the two as administrators of the estate, ending Katherine Jackson’s temporary control. However, the judge ordered that they consult with her on any major business dealings.
Judge Mitchell Beckloff declined to hold a special hearing on the request but instead included it in a number of other issues to be addressed in an Aug. 3 hearing.
Katherine Jackson attorney Jeryll S. Cohen told the Los Angeles Times that the “cornerstone” of the complaint was her inability to view the contract for the 50 concerts at London’s O2 arena that were scheduled to begin July 13.
An attorney for AEG told the paper her legal team had refused to sign a confidentiality agreement that, among other things, barred them from using the information in the contract in any legal process other than probate court proceedings.
Whether a confidentiality agreement is enough to stop the media juggernaut that is Joe Jackson and Leonard Rowe is another question.
Both appeared on CNN’s “Larry King Live” July 20 to publicize their suspicion that foul play was involved in Michael Jackson’s death and hurl invective at AEG and Phillips, alleging the concert company with being complicit in his son’s death.
Rowe, an Atlanta-based concert promoter and head of the Black Promoters Association, claimed that he’d been muscled out by Phillips and AEG to promote MJ and other members of the Jackson family. During the interview, he repeatedly interrupted Joe Jackson and answered questions for him, though neither could apparently name their favorite Michael Jackson song.
A week after the interview, Rowe issued a statement announcing his availability to speak with audiences, and keynote entertainment industry events, about Michael Jackson and how he “plans to honor his dear friend by adding how-to advice to achieve and maintain Michael Jackson’s super stardom to his keynote speaking platform.
“Rowe stresses that Michael Jackson was an icon and he plans to do everything in his power to make sure that Michael’s legacy lives on.”
