LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Sources "very close" to Michael Jackson's family denied claims by former British child acting star Mark Lester that he could be the biological father of the singer's daughter Paris, People magazine reported.
Lester, who played Oliver Twist in the 1968 film musical "Oliver!" told the News of the World: "I gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids -- and I believe Paris is my daughter."
The 51-year-old Briton, who was a friend of Jackson and is godfather to all three of his children, said he was willing to take a paternity test to establish whether or not he is the father of 11-year-old Paris.
But People, citing sources close to the King of Pop's family, said Lester has never claimed to be Paris's father, although they acknowledged he had donated sperm to Jackson, who died on June 25 aged 50.
"They twisted his words around. He's not claiming to be the father of Paris Jackson," one source told the magazine, which specializes in news about entertainment stars.
The family's lawyer Londell McMillan downplayed the reports, saying "these are just merely claims with no legal standing whatsoever."
The probate court, he added, has no reason to go against its finding that Jackson was the father to Paris, Prince Michael, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7.
The birth mother of the two eldest children is former nurse Debbie Rowe, and the youngest, who is known as "Blanket," was conceived by a surrogate whose identity has not yet been revealed.
Lester "has known Michael (Jackson) for many years and his children play with Michael's children," Brian Oxman, a long-time family friend and former lawyer told the magazine, saying Lester had never hinted he was Paris' father.
Marc Schaffel, another Jackson associate, said the pop star made Lester godfather to all three of his children at a small, private ceremony in October 2003 when they were baptised.
Lester says Jackson first told him he was desperate to be a father in 1996. Both were then aged 37 and Lester already had three children.
Lester suggested the donation and Jackson agreed, with the arrangements being made through a Harley Street clinic in February of that year.
Eight months later, Jackson announced he had married nurse Debbie Rowe and three months later, the couple revealed the birth of Prince.
Paris was born just over a year later, in April 1998.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
'This is It': Jackson film out in October
US pop megastar Michael Jackson pointing to fans during the Sony music awards in 1996 at the Sydney Opera House. Sony studios announced Monday it would release on October 30 a film about Michael Jackson, "This Is It," drawn from hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage taken in the days before he died.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Fans will get to see Michael Jackson's final rehearsals in a film to be released on October 30, just four months after the sudden death of the King of Pop, Sony studios announced Monday.
"This Is It," is drawn from hundreds of hours of backstage footage of Jackson rehearsing and will feature interviews with some of his closest friends and creative collaborators.
It is named after the series of 50 London concerts the star had planned to perform for his July farewell -- before his death from an apparent cardiac arrest on June 25 at a rented mansion in Los Angeles shocked the world.
Sony said the film "will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career and the stage spectacular that would have been."
Most of the footage was shot in June 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, which later became the site for the Jackson tribute watched by millions of people around the world. Other scenes were shot at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
The footage was "captured in high definition with state-of-the-art digital sounds," Sony said, adding that select sequences would be in 3-D.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment will co-produce the film with AEG Live and the estate, while Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide, Sony said.
The pop icon's mother, Katherine Jackson, also gave her approval to the multi-million-dollar deal approved by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Beckloff.
Neither Sony nor the court released figures of the deal reached with Jackson's estate and concert promoters AEG Live, but media reports said Sony paid 60 million dollars for rights to the footage.
AEG Live has yet to give its approval on the sharing of profits from the distribution of the footage.
Kenny Ortega, Jackson's creative partner on the "This Is It" concerts, said, "the world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project."
It, "will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops," he said.
The film announcement came as the Los Angeles County coroner's office said it had completed a "thorough and comprehensive" autopsy but would not release the results until police complete their investigation.
The probe has so far revealed that Jackson had a long addiction to painkillers.
Separately, Judge Beckloff said he was considering appointing a special guardian to represent the financial interests of Jackson's three orphaned children who are now heirs to his massive music empire.
The decision is intended to uphold the interests of Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II -- known as "Blanket" -- independently of the managers of Jackson's estate and their grandmother, who is their guardian.
More than a month after the singer's death, Jackson's family has yet to decide on a burial site.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Doctor gave Jackson drug that killed him: CNN
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Michael Jackson's doctor administered the powerful drug police believed killed the music superstar, CNN quoting a source with knowledge of the investigation reported.
Doctor Conrad Murray has become the focus of the probe into Jackson's death amid reports that bottles of the potent anesthetic propofol were found at the star's mansion after his tragic June 25 demise.
A report on CNN's website did not give further information and a spokeswoman for Murray's legal team refused to comment. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department also declined to comment.
Jackson's cause of death has been deferred pending the outcome of toxicology tests following a June 25 post mortem. Those test results could be released later this week.
The report comes just days after federal agents and detectives swooped without warning on Murray's Houston office, revealing for the first time in a search warrant that Jackson's death was being treated as possible manslaughter.
Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say it should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist and there could be no reason for it to be in Jackson's home.
Lawyers for Murray said in a statement last week the doctor was keen to assist authorities in their investigation and was preparing for a third meeting with police after two earlier interviews.
"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death, we share that goal," attorney Ed Chernoff said in a statement.
Murray is currently in Las Vegas, his legal team said, and Chernoff insisted that "based on Dr Murray's minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson's last days, he should not be a target of criminal charges.
"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Chernoff said.
"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can't operate his practice."
In the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding Murray.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine,'" family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.
"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Doctor Conrad Murray has become the focus of the probe into Jackson's death amid reports that bottles of the potent anesthetic propofol were found at the star's mansion after his tragic June 25 demise.
A report on CNN's website did not give further information and a spokeswoman for Murray's legal team refused to comment. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department also declined to comment.
Jackson's cause of death has been deferred pending the outcome of toxicology tests following a June 25 post mortem. Those test results could be released later this week.
The report comes just days after federal agents and detectives swooped without warning on Murray's Houston office, revealing for the first time in a search warrant that Jackson's death was being treated as possible manslaughter.
Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say it should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist and there could be no reason for it to be in Jackson's home.
Lawyers for Murray said in a statement last week the doctor was keen to assist authorities in their investigation and was preparing for a third meeting with police after two earlier interviews.
"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death, we share that goal," attorney Ed Chernoff said in a statement.
Murray is currently in Las Vegas, his legal team said, and Chernoff insisted that "based on Dr Murray's minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson's last days, he should not be a target of criminal charges.
"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Chernoff said.
"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can't operate his practice."
In the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding Murray.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine,'" family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.
"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Police search Vegas home of Jackson doctor
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - - Police and federal agents swooped on the Las Vegas home of Michael Jackson's doctor on Tuesday as speculation about possible criminal charges in the case intensified.
Local television networks showed several police cars outside doctor Conrad Murray's residence in the Nevada gambling haven, less than a week after authorities carried out a raid on the doctor's Houston office.
Lawyers for Murray said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had executed a search warrant for Jackson's medical records.
"The search warrant authorized investigators to look for medical records relating to Michael Jackson and all of his reported aliases," Murray's legal team said in a statement.
Murray was present during the search and assisted officers who seized cell phones and a computer hard drive, the doctor's lawyers said.
Agents also carried out a search of Murray's Las Vegas office. A red curtain was erected in front of the doorway to the office to prevent outsiders from seeing activity inside, an AFP reporter witnessed.
Officers were combing both paper and computerized records, a source familiar with the investigation told AFP.
Last week DEA agents and police descended on Murray's Houston, Texas practice with a search warrant seeking evidence for the "offense of manslaughter."
CNN reported Monday that police believe Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of an anesthetic Propofol, which is marketed under the trade name Diprivan.
Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say the drug should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist under strict monitoring conditions.
The possibility that Murray gave Jackson the drug intravenously has fueled speculation he may be charged with homicide.
Lawyers for Murray, who have repeatedly insisted he is innocent of criminal wrongdoing, issued a statement late Monday urging calm amid the flurry of reports suggesting the physician faced criminal charges.
"Everyone needs to take a breath and wait for these long delayed toxicology results... Things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well."
TMZ.com reported that Murray had told police in an interview he gave Jackson Propofol via an intravenous drip.
The website reported police believe Murray may have fallen asleep while the drug was being administered, and awoke to find the singer already dead.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office confirmed that results of tests carried out on Jackson's body will be revealed by the end of the week, a move that could enhance the likelihood of criminal charges depending on the findings.
ABC News reported Tuesday that pathologists also discovered a deadly cocktail of prescription drugs in Jackson's emaciated body, including the powerful painkillers OxyContin and Demerol.
In the aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding the doctor's role, citing Murray's failure to call paramedics immediately after discovering the star.
Murray was also criticized for attempting to give CPR to Jackson while he lay on a bed, even though established medical practice calls for the patient to be placed on a hard surface.
"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation," family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.
Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 in Los Angeles as he prepared to make a gruelling 50-date series of comeback concerts in London.
Local television networks showed several police cars outside doctor Conrad Murray's residence in the Nevada gambling haven, less than a week after authorities carried out a raid on the doctor's Houston office.
Lawyers for Murray said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had executed a search warrant for Jackson's medical records.
"The search warrant authorized investigators to look for medical records relating to Michael Jackson and all of his reported aliases," Murray's legal team said in a statement.
Murray was present during the search and assisted officers who seized cell phones and a computer hard drive, the doctor's lawyers said.
Agents also carried out a search of Murray's Las Vegas office. A red curtain was erected in front of the doorway to the office to prevent outsiders from seeing activity inside, an AFP reporter witnessed.
Officers were combing both paper and computerized records, a source familiar with the investigation told AFP.
Last week DEA agents and police descended on Murray's Houston, Texas practice with a search warrant seeking evidence for the "offense of manslaughter."
CNN reported Monday that police believe Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of an anesthetic Propofol, which is marketed under the trade name Diprivan.
Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say the drug should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist under strict monitoring conditions.
The possibility that Murray gave Jackson the drug intravenously has fueled speculation he may be charged with homicide.
Lawyers for Murray, who have repeatedly insisted he is innocent of criminal wrongdoing, issued a statement late Monday urging calm amid the flurry of reports suggesting the physician faced criminal charges.
"Everyone needs to take a breath and wait for these long delayed toxicology results... Things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well."
TMZ.com reported that Murray had told police in an interview he gave Jackson Propofol via an intravenous drip.
The website reported police believe Murray may have fallen asleep while the drug was being administered, and awoke to find the singer already dead.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office confirmed that results of tests carried out on Jackson's body will be revealed by the end of the week, a move that could enhance the likelihood of criminal charges depending on the findings.
ABC News reported Tuesday that pathologists also discovered a deadly cocktail of prescription drugs in Jackson's emaciated body, including the powerful painkillers OxyContin and Demerol.
In the aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding the doctor's role, citing Murray's failure to call paramedics immediately after discovering the star.
Murray was also criticized for attempting to give CPR to Jackson while he lay on a bed, even though established medical practice calls for the patient to be placed on a hard surface.
"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation," family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.
Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 in Los Angeles as he prepared to make a gruelling 50-date series of comeback concerts in London.
AP source: Michael Jackson's inner sanctum chaotic
By THOMAS WATKINS,Associated Press Writer AP - Tuesday, July 28
LOS ANGELES - With towering ceilings and an elaborate facade, Michael Jackson's rented Beverly Hills mansion was the epitome of opulence.
Inside, on the top floor, the scene was less elegant, according to a law enforcement official.
Clothes and other items were strewn about and handwritten notes stuck on the walls. One read: "children are sweet and innocent." And no one working in the house was allowed upstairs to clean up the mess.
The description of Jackson's private sanctum provides a glimpse into how the pop star was living in the weeks before he died. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, also told The Associated Press on Monday that Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug killed the pop singer.
Authorities arrived at the singer's house after his death to find a chaotic scene. The temperature upstairs was stiflingly hot, with gas fireplaces and the heating system on high because Jackson always complained of feeling cold, the official said.
The singer's bedroom was a mess, with items seemingly thrown about and some 20 handwritten notes stuck on the walls.
A porcelain girl doll wearing a dress was found on top of the covers of the bed where he slept, the official said.
The official said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. A doctor would administer it when he went to sleep, then stop the intravenous drip when he wanted to wake up. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug through an IV sometime after midnight, the official said.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
In a more detailed statement posted online late Monday, Chernoff added that "things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well."
Toxicology reports are still pending, but investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said. Jackson is believed to have been using the drug for about two years and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it, the official said.
Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation, and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Using propofol to sleep exceeds the drug's intended purpose. The drug can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is supposed to be administered only in medical settings by trained personnel.
___
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Lynn Elber in Tustin, Calif., Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee, and Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES - With towering ceilings and an elaborate facade, Michael Jackson's rented Beverly Hills mansion was the epitome of opulence.
Inside, on the top floor, the scene was less elegant, according to a law enforcement official.
Clothes and other items were strewn about and handwritten notes stuck on the walls. One read: "children are sweet and innocent." And no one working in the house was allowed upstairs to clean up the mess.
The description of Jackson's private sanctum provides a glimpse into how the pop star was living in the weeks before he died. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, also told The Associated Press on Monday that Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug killed the pop singer.
Authorities arrived at the singer's house after his death to find a chaotic scene. The temperature upstairs was stiflingly hot, with gas fireplaces and the heating system on high because Jackson always complained of feeling cold, the official said.
The singer's bedroom was a mess, with items seemingly thrown about and some 20 handwritten notes stuck on the walls.
A porcelain girl doll wearing a dress was found on top of the covers of the bed where he slept, the official said.
The official said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. A doctor would administer it when he went to sleep, then stop the intravenous drip when he wanted to wake up. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug through an IV sometime after midnight, the official said.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
In a more detailed statement posted online late Monday, Chernoff added that "things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well."
Toxicology reports are still pending, but investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said. Jackson is believed to have been using the drug for about two years and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it, the official said.
Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation, and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Using propofol to sleep exceeds the drug's intended purpose. The drug can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is supposed to be administered only in medical settings by trained personnel.
___
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Lynn Elber in Tustin, Calif., Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee, and Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles.
Experts: Full criminal probe in Jackson case
LOS ANGELES - The odd array of evidence police collected from Michael Jackson's personal physician's clinic and storage unit shows authorities are trying to follow a trail of drugs and looking into the doctor's record keeping as they attempt to unravel what led to the pop star's death.
Search warrants targeting Dr. Conrad Murray's Houston clinic and his storage unit mean authorities have moved into a full-fledged criminal investigation, looking toward the kind of court case they could build against the physician, legal experts said Friday.
"This is no longer a cause of death investigation," said attorney Mark Geragos, who once represented Jackson. "This is about building a criminal case."
Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson said she expects to see search warrants served at more places associated with Murray and for investigators to be interviewing his employees.
"I do think they believe there's high suspicion that he may be responsible" for Jackson's death, she said.
Los Angeles police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed the warrants Wednesday. The language in the documents said the evidence is being gathered as part of a manslaughter investigation targeting Murray.
Authorities have not publicly termed their investigation criminal and still say Murray is not a suspect.
The items seized included 27 tablets of the weight loss drug phentermine, a tablet of the muscle relaxant clonazepam, business cards, storage receipts, notices from the Internal Revenue Service and computer hard drives.
Authorities also took e-mails from and correspondence addressed to Stacey Howe. Records listed Howe as "administrator" at Murray's Las Vegas business, Global Cardiovascular Associates Inc. Attempts to reach her Friday were unsuccessful.
Murray, 51, was hired as Jackson's personal physician not long before he died. He was in Jackson's rented Los Angeles mansion when the pop star was found unconscious the morning of June 25 and tried unsuccessfully to revive him.
Murray has kept a low profile since Jackson's death. He was interviewed twice by police but has not spoken publicly. Doors to his Las Vegas office were locked Friday with red curtains drawn behind them.
Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said a final determination on Jackson's cause of death is not expected until the end of next week, when toxicology reports should be finished.
Jackson had a long history of prescription drug use and was under anesthesia for many medical procedures over the years.
Propofol, a powerful anesthetic that should only be used by specially trained medical professionals, has emerged as an important part of the investigation. Doses of it were found in Jackson's mansion, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who is not authorized to speak publicly.
The search warrants granted permission for authorities to seize items "including but not limited to billing records, medication orders, transport receipts, billing receipts, medical records and computerized medical records."
Geragos said that indicates police are following a trail which involves purchases of drugs by Murray and possible shipment of drugs to Jackson's home.
The documents seized from his clinic included a "suspension notice" from Doctor's Hospital in Houston as well as "papers regarding incomplete chart" at the same hospital. Also on the list was an expired medical board certificate.
"I can hear the prosecution opening statement in this case already," Geragos said. "They're going to talk about a doctor who had privileges suspended at a hospital for poor record keeping, has financial difficulties and now he gets this once in a lifetime opportunity to get a large paycheck and be the live-in doctor to Michael Jackson."
Geragos said he was not implying that Jackson committed suicide but that reckless use of a drug or a combination of drugs may have led to death.
Mike Bullard, chief executive officer of Doctor's Hospital, said Murray was on staff and worked in a cardiac lab. He said because Murray lived in Las Vegas he was at the hospital only a few days a month and last was seen there in April.
Bullard refused to confirm whether Murray had been given a suspension notice. But Bullard said that if a suspension notice is not on file with the state of Texas _ and the state has no such record _ then such a notice would likely be for a minor infraction like a paperwork mistake.
It's unclear whether the seized IRS notices were related to recent financial troubles at Global Cardiovascular. In a 10-month period ending last fall Murray's business was slapped with more than $400,000 in court judgments: $228,000 to Citicorp Vendor Finance Inc. in November 2007, $71,000 to an education loan company in June 2008 and $135,000 to a leasing company last September.
Murray took a leave from his Nevada practice to accompany Jackson to London for a planned series of 50 concerts. He was to be paid a reported $150,000 per month.
Greg Scott, a former U.S. attorney and district attorney in California, said it will take strong evidence to lead prosecutors to make the leap from finding negligence to finding criminal negligence, the basis of a manslaughter charge. Even if a charge is filed, he said prosecutors won't have an easy time at trial.
"Cases against doctors are extremely difficult," he said. "A jury is being asked to second guess the decisions of a trained professional and we usually don't do that. If a doctor tells us to do something, we do it."
He noted that the standard for conviction is beyond a reasonable doubt and, "If the defense finds even one doctor to testify this was proper treatment, that's reasonable doubt."
___
Associated Press reporters Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles, Ken Ritter in Las Vegas and Arelis Hernandez in Houston, and researcher Barbara Sambriski in New York, contributed to this report.
Search warrants targeting Dr. Conrad Murray's Houston clinic and his storage unit mean authorities have moved into a full-fledged criminal investigation, looking toward the kind of court case they could build against the physician, legal experts said Friday.
"This is no longer a cause of death investigation," said attorney Mark Geragos, who once represented Jackson. "This is about building a criminal case."
Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson said she expects to see search warrants served at more places associated with Murray and for investigators to be interviewing his employees.
"I do think they believe there's high suspicion that he may be responsible" for Jackson's death, she said.
Los Angeles police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed the warrants Wednesday. The language in the documents said the evidence is being gathered as part of a manslaughter investigation targeting Murray.
Authorities have not publicly termed their investigation criminal and still say Murray is not a suspect.
The items seized included 27 tablets of the weight loss drug phentermine, a tablet of the muscle relaxant clonazepam, business cards, storage receipts, notices from the Internal Revenue Service and computer hard drives.
Authorities also took e-mails from and correspondence addressed to Stacey Howe. Records listed Howe as "administrator" at Murray's Las Vegas business, Global Cardiovascular Associates Inc. Attempts to reach her Friday were unsuccessful.
Murray, 51, was hired as Jackson's personal physician not long before he died. He was in Jackson's rented Los Angeles mansion when the pop star was found unconscious the morning of June 25 and tried unsuccessfully to revive him.
Murray has kept a low profile since Jackson's death. He was interviewed twice by police but has not spoken publicly. Doors to his Las Vegas office were locked Friday with red curtains drawn behind them.
Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said a final determination on Jackson's cause of death is not expected until the end of next week, when toxicology reports should be finished.
Jackson had a long history of prescription drug use and was under anesthesia for many medical procedures over the years.
Propofol, a powerful anesthetic that should only be used by specially trained medical professionals, has emerged as an important part of the investigation. Doses of it were found in Jackson's mansion, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who is not authorized to speak publicly.
The search warrants granted permission for authorities to seize items "including but not limited to billing records, medication orders, transport receipts, billing receipts, medical records and computerized medical records."
Geragos said that indicates police are following a trail which involves purchases of drugs by Murray and possible shipment of drugs to Jackson's home.
The documents seized from his clinic included a "suspension notice" from Doctor's Hospital in Houston as well as "papers regarding incomplete chart" at the same hospital. Also on the list was an expired medical board certificate.
"I can hear the prosecution opening statement in this case already," Geragos said. "They're going to talk about a doctor who had privileges suspended at a hospital for poor record keeping, has financial difficulties and now he gets this once in a lifetime opportunity to get a large paycheck and be the live-in doctor to Michael Jackson."
Geragos said he was not implying that Jackson committed suicide but that reckless use of a drug or a combination of drugs may have led to death.
Mike Bullard, chief executive officer of Doctor's Hospital, said Murray was on staff and worked in a cardiac lab. He said because Murray lived in Las Vegas he was at the hospital only a few days a month and last was seen there in April.
Bullard refused to confirm whether Murray had been given a suspension notice. But Bullard said that if a suspension notice is not on file with the state of Texas _ and the state has no such record _ then such a notice would likely be for a minor infraction like a paperwork mistake.
It's unclear whether the seized IRS notices were related to recent financial troubles at Global Cardiovascular. In a 10-month period ending last fall Murray's business was slapped with more than $400,000 in court judgments: $228,000 to Citicorp Vendor Finance Inc. in November 2007, $71,000 to an education loan company in June 2008 and $135,000 to a leasing company last September.
Murray took a leave from his Nevada practice to accompany Jackson to London for a planned series of 50 concerts. He was to be paid a reported $150,000 per month.
Greg Scott, a former U.S. attorney and district attorney in California, said it will take strong evidence to lead prosecutors to make the leap from finding negligence to finding criminal negligence, the basis of a manslaughter charge. Even if a charge is filed, he said prosecutors won't have an easy time at trial.
"Cases against doctors are extremely difficult," he said. "A jury is being asked to second guess the decisions of a trained professional and we usually don't do that. If a doctor tells us to do something, we do it."
He noted that the standard for conviction is beyond a reasonable doubt and, "If the defense finds even one doctor to testify this was proper treatment, that's reasonable doubt."
___
Associated Press reporters Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles, Ken Ritter in Las Vegas and Arelis Hernandez in Houston, and researcher Barbara Sambriski in New York, contributed to this report.
Doctor gave Jackson drug that killed him: CNN
Michael Jackson's doctor administered the powerful drug police believed killed the music superstar, CNN quoting a source with knowledge of the investigation reported.LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Michael Jackson's doctor administered the powerful drug police believed killed the music superstar, CNN quoting a source with knowledge of the investigation reported.
Doctor Conrad Murray has become the focus of the probe into Jackson's death amid reports that bottles of the potent anesthetic propofol were found at the star's mansion after his tragic June 25 demise.
A report on CNN's website did not give further information and a spokeswoman for Murray's legal team refused to comment. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department also declined to comment.
Jackson's cause of death has been deferred pending the outcome of toxicology tests following a June 25 post mortem. Those test results could be released later this week.
The report comes just days after federal agents and detectives swooped without warning on Murray's Houston office, revealing for the first time in a search warrant that Jackson's death was being treated as possible manslaughter.
Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say it should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist and there could be no reason for it to be in Jackson's home.
Lawyers for Murray said in a statement last week the doctor was keen to assist authorities in their investigation and was preparing for a third meeting with police after two earlier interviews.
"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death, we share that goal," attorney Ed Chernoff said in a statement.
Murray is currently in Las Vegas, his legal team said, and Chernoff insisted that "based on Dr Murray's minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson's last days, he should not be a target of criminal charges.
"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Chernoff said.
"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can't operate his practice."
In the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding Murray.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine,'" family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.
"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Doctor Conrad Murray has become the focus of the probe into Jackson's death amid reports that bottles of the potent anesthetic propofol were found at the star's mansion after his tragic June 25 demise.
A report on CNN's website did not give further information and a spokeswoman for Murray's legal team refused to comment. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department also declined to comment.
Jackson's cause of death has been deferred pending the outcome of toxicology tests following a June 25 post mortem. Those test results could be released later this week.
The report comes just days after federal agents and detectives swooped without warning on Murray's Houston office, revealing for the first time in a search warrant that Jackson's death was being treated as possible manslaughter.
Propofol is used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients ahead of major surgery. Experts say it should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist and there could be no reason for it to be in Jackson's home.
Lawyers for Murray said in a statement last week the doctor was keen to assist authorities in their investigation and was preparing for a third meeting with police after two earlier interviews.
"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death, we share that goal," attorney Ed Chernoff said in a statement.
Murray is currently in Las Vegas, his legal team said, and Chernoff insisted that "based on Dr Murray's minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson's last days, he should not be a target of criminal charges.
"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Chernoff said.
"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can't operate his practice."
In the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death, friends of the singer's family said the clan had "unanswered questions" regarding Murray.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine,'" family friend and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said.
"(Murray) owes it to the family and to the public to say, 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
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