Posts Tagged ‘ pastor ’

Jury In Conrad Murray Trial Ends First Day Of Deliberations Without Reaching Verdict

November 5, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Jurors considering the case against Michael Jackson’s doctor ended their first day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict or asking any questions indicating how far along they have gotten in their discussions. The seven-man, five-woman panel was given highlighters and blank forms to request evidence after starting deliberations around 8:30 a.m. They recessed around 4 p.m. and were set to resume discussions Monday. The jury must reach a unanimous verdict to either convict or acquit Dr. Conrad Murray of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s June 2009 death. Jackson died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol; Murray has acknowledged giving Jackson propofol to help him sleep. The jury is not sequestered and will deliberate during the court’s regular hours. A verdict will be read the same day it is reached. During closing arguments of the six-week trial, attorneys for the Houston-based cardiologist attacked prosecutors and their witnesses, saying they had over time developed stories and theories that placed the blame for Jackson’s death squarely on Murray. Prosecutors countered that Murray was an opportunistic and inept doctor who left Jackson’s three children without a father. They said that Murray giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid violated standards of care and amounted to a secret experiment in which the doctor kept no records. Media were stationed Friday outside the courthouse and in the courtroom where the jury’s decision will eventually be read. Attorneys handling the case will receive a two-hour notice when a verdict is reached. Murray waived the need for his presence if the panel asks any questions, but he must be present when a verdict is announced. Jurors heard from 49 witnesses and have more than 300 pieces of evidence to consider. They were given lengthy instructions by the judge about how to deliberate. If Murray is convicted, he faces a sentence ranging from probation to four years behind bars, and he would lose his medical license. The sentence will be decided by Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor after receiving input from attorneys for both sides and probation officials, if necessary. A recent change in California law means that Murray, 58, might serve any possible incarceration in a county jail rather than a state prison. A prison term could be shortened by overcrowding. If acquitted, Murray could still be pursued by medical licensing authorities in the states of California, Nevada and Texas. ___ AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report. ___ McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP See the original post: Jury In Conrad Murray Trial Ends First Day Of Deliberations Without Reaching Verdict

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Local News | Comments Off on Jury In Conrad Murray Trial Ends First Day Of Deliberations Without Reaching Verdict

Patch Profile: BHUSD Board Candidate Brian Goldberg

November 2, 2011

At a time of dissatisfaction with local and national government, Board of Education Vice President Brian Goldberg sees his incumbency as an advantage. “I am the only candidate running with proven experience, leadership and the courage needed to continue pushing our district forward,” said Goldberg, one of four candidates running for three Beverly Hills Unified School District school board seats on Nov. 8. His opponents are El Rodeo parent Frances Bilak , educator and producer Lewis Hall and Beverly Vista parent Noah Margo , who is running as a write-in candidate. Goldberg consistently touts his record in his ads and at public forums. Specifically, he points to being an early and vocal opponent of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s proposed plan to tunnel under  Beverly Hills High School as part of the Westside Subway Extension, as well as being the only board member to vote against awarding management of the Measure E bond to Karen Christiansen ’s firm, Strategic Concepts. (Christiansen is scheduled to go on trial next month on four felony counts of conflict of interest related to her management of the Measure E bond.) The candidate also highlights his efforts to transition BHUSD to basic aid status , which generates more funding for the schools. Under basic aid, which BHUSD became in 2010, the district receives its funding from local property taxes rather than on a per-pupil allotment from the state. Being a basic aid district may have helped the board lure Gary Woods to become the BHUSD’s new superintendent; Woods left the state’s top performing district—the San Marino Unified School District—to join BHUSD. The father of three Horace Mann students, Goldberg has been a strong voice for maintaining small classrooms. Earlier this year he successfully encouraged a board majority to vote against a new teacher contract that could have led to larger class sizes at the K-3 level. He also led efforts to end the BHUSD‘s money-losing adult education program . “I have taken stands that are not always popular, but they reflect my commitment to what is right for our children, parents, teachers and residents,” he said.  Still, Goldberg has racked up an impressive list of endorsers. They include City Council members John Mirisch and Lili Bosse; Planning Commissioners Noah Furie and Brian Rosenstein; Human Relations Commissioner Sharona Nazarian; former mayors Nancy Krasne and Les Bronte; and former planning commissioner Kathy Reims. For his second term, Goldberg is running on what he describes as a “four point plan for the next four years.” The plan, which is explained in detail on his campaign website  and includes balanced fiscal policies, a districtwide master facilities plan, curriculum for the 21st century, and integrating technology into every subject and each class. For more information about Goldberg, visit his campaign website. Voters are also invited to attend his last candidate coffee at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 321 S. Bedford Drive. To RSVP, email Julie Gilberg .   Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on  Twitter  and “Like” us on  Facebook . See the rest here: Patch Profile: BHUSD Board Candidate Brian Goldberg

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Local News | Comments Off on Patch Profile: BHUSD Board Candidate Brian Goldberg

Jackson’s Doctor Declines To Tell His Story To Jury

November 2, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Jurors hearing the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson’s doctor will not hear directly from the man whose fate they will soon be asked to decide. Instead the panel will have to choose whether to convict or acquit Dr. Conrad Murray of based on the testimony of 49 witnesses and hundreds of pieces of evidence, including one lengthy police interview with the cardiologist. The seven-man, five-woman panel didn’t get to hear Murray announce his decision Tuesday, but were rather told by a judge after testimony from a pair of medical experts that there would be no more evidence presented to them. They were given Wednesday off, which prosecutors and defense attorneys will use to craft their closing arguments – the final words of the case before deliberations begin. Murray’s decision Tuesday came after 22 days of testimony and serious thought by the doctor, who told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor the day before that he hadn’t ruled out taking the stand. In the moments before the announcement, with jurors still in the room and the judge huddling with attorneys at a sidebar conference, the doctor held his hands in front of his face, as if in prayer. Jurors were excused from the courtroom while Pastor advised Murray of his rights to testify or remain silent. Spectators, including Jackson’s mother, father, brother Randy and sister LaToya, watched from the audience as the judge asked Murray, “Have you made up your mind?” Murray paused, looked at all his lawyers, seemed to sigh and said, “My decision is I will not testify in this matter.” Pastor said Murray had properly weighed his options and added, “I certainly will respect that decision.” Murray, 58, has pleaded not guilty in connection with Jackson’s June 2009 death. He faces up to four years behind bars and the loss of his medical license if convicted. Prosecutors contend Murray gave Jackson a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol in the bedroom of the singer’s mansion. Defense attorneys claim Jackson gave himself the dose when Murray left the room. Jurors were presented with dueling scientific evidence to support each side’s theory, although even a defense expert noted he would not have given the pop singer propofol in his bedroom for any sum of money. Murray told police two days after Jackson’s death that he had been giving the singer the powerful anesthetic nightly for nearly two months. After the singer’s death, police found bags with basic medical equipment and vials of propofol, but not the advanced equipment prosecutors and experts say the doctor should have had to be administering propofol. Pastor and attorneys spent Tuesday afternoon finalizing jury instructions, which will give the panel its guidelines for how to view the case. Prosecutors are saying that while Murray was engaged in lawful practices during his treatment of Jackson, he was criminally negligent in many of his actions. The panel will be told that they can consider whether Murray should have known that Jackson’s death was a foreseeable consequence of his actions. Defense attorneys will be able to highlight the testimony of five character witnesses – which jurors will be told can be sufficient to create reasonable doubt – to illustrate seven traits they claim the doctor has displayed throughout his career: being attentive, informative, skillful, cautious, compassionate, loyal and knowledgeable. They can also consider whether the character witnesses demonstrated that Murray is selfless and not financially motivated. Prosecutors have cast him as greedy and eager to please Jackson, who had agreed to pay the physician $150,000 per month. The singer died before the contract was finalized. Although they won’t have any direct testimony from the Houston-based cardiologist to consider, the jury will be able to review the doctor’s lengthy police statement, in which he both detailed his treatments to Jackson and left out any references to his frequent phone use on the morning the singer died. It is just one of the more than 300 pieces of evidence that were presented during the trial, which so far has lasted six weeks. ___ AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report. ___ McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP More: Jackson’s Doctor Declines To Tell His Story To Jury

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Local News | Comments Off on Jackson’s Doctor Declines To Tell His Story To Jury

Raw Police Video