Jurors in Michael Jackson Trial Will Not View Concert Rehearsal Clips

Jurors in Michael Jackson’s manslaughter trial will not be watching previously unseen footage of the late pop star rehearsing for a comeback concert just days before he was found dead in his California home.

Judge Michael Pastor ruled Monday that footage showing Jackson rehearsing for a concert that would have launched in July 2009 did not show the singer in bad health.

Defense attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray, accused in Jackson’s death, had argued that watching hours and hours of the footage would have been a “big waste of time,” reports the Associated Press.

The available footage totals 100 hours, and prosecutors wanted to screen 12 hours of the footage while the defense team had asked to show about four hours of the material.

Judge Pastor, siding with attorneys for Sony Pictures Entertainment, noted that the clips are extremely valuable and that none of it needed to be shown to potential jurors. The judge said he found no legitimate reason to screen the footage publicly.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the footage “demonstrated that Michael Jackson was optimistic, engaged, confident, physically well,” the Associated Press reports.

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“There is absolutely nothing in those materials that could have been of assistance to the defense,” Judge Pastor said, agreeing with prosecutors.

The judge, who has ruled that snippets of the theatrical version of “This Is It” can be shown at trial, said it was unnecessary to show other clips.

The footage, owned by Sony, is part of the documentary titled “This Is It,” which chronicles Jackson’s preparation for the would-be concert of the same name.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 just days before the start of his comeback concerts at London’s O2 arena. The pop star, whose career was marred by accusations of child molestation, was 50. He left behind three children: Prince, Paris, and Blanket.

Murray, Jackson’s personal doctor at the time, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Murray gave the pop star, whom he was treating for insomnia, a deadly dose of the anesthetic propofol in his Los Angeles home.

Meanwhile, Murray’s attorneys are expected to argue that Jackson gave himself a lethal dose of the anesthetic while the doctor was out of his presence.

Jury selection for the highly anticipated trial begins September 8.

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La Toya Jackson writes about who killed Michael ‎

“Starting Over” is La Toya Jackson’s new book. In it, you can read more about what her opinions, thoughts and feelings were about her brother, Michael Jackson’s death. She admits that when she heard the news about the pop idol’s death, the first question that came into her mind was “who killed Michael?”

Associated Press announces that La Toya’s book is scheduled to be launched next week. It’s been two years since her brother and “King” Michael Jackson has died from an overdose of sedatives. His doctor, Conrad Murray, the one who prescribed the medication for him, was accused of involuntary manslaughter, to which he pleaded non guilty. The trial is to start in September.

In her book, Michael’s older sister remembers that he often said that he would be someday killed for his success and for his estate. She also says that there were a lot of things that she learned about Michael’s physical and psychological state in his last days, from his children. His daughter, Paris, said that “Daddy was always cold” and that “he would always cry.”

When confronting dr. Conrad Murray to find more about what happened with her brother,, just a few hours after he was pronounced dead, the doctor only gave him evasive answers and excuses.

In the book, she also mentions that suspiciously, Michael’s bedroom was “torn to pieces”, with al the furniture turned upside down and items scattered about, which included notes that she thinks that were written by him indicating that he wanted his father’s help to take “these people out of my life” and that he “only agreed to 10 shows.” His last tour initially consisted in 10 concerts, but after the tickets were all sold out, 40 more concerts were added to the tour.

After reading her book on Michael’s final days, fans have another one to wait for. Michael’s brother Jermaine Jackson will launch a book of his own coming up in September. He will share the story of the Jackson family from a new perspective

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Fan sourced video for Michael Jackson’s ‘Behind the Mask’

June 14, 2011 - What’s a record company to do when it’s time for a new music video but the star isn’t around to make one? That’s the dilemma Sony Music and Michael Jackson’s estate have faced with the posthumously released album “Michael.”

So for the new single “Behind the Mask,” rather than attempting to cobble together something from archival footage, the label and Jackson’s estate invited fans around the world to submit their own clips, which have been patched together into a “crowd-sourced” video premiering Tuesday on YouTube and a Facebook page that’s been set up.

It’s directed by Dennis Liu, who also worked on the Grammy-nominated crowd-sourced video for Johnny Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave” two years ago built on myriad sketches, drawings and paintings of the singer created by fans.

Fans had access to a template video that was posted in March and were asked to shoot video footage of themselves executing a Jackson-like dance step, choreography routine, facial expression or other moves.

They were integrated into a 4½-minute video that incorporates more than 1,600 quick shots selected from among entries submitted from 103 countries. Most are young men and women in their teens and 20s, but there are also snippets from 2- and 3-year-old mini-MJs. Jackson’s reach appears not to be limited to one species, as there’s also a section from fans who shot their pets moving to the music.
Of course, there’s none of Jackson’s own charisma or electric physicality, which some viewers have already noted in comments posted on YouTube.

“This is not the caliber of concept that we have become accustom[ed] to as Michael Jackson fans,” Whitney Getz wrote. “I’m glad this isn’t being considered a ‘Michael Jackson’ video. Because if it were I’d be very disappointed.”

The video for “Hollywood Tonight,” the previous single from the album, was a mini-movie illustrating the song’s story of a young woman pursuing her dreams in Hollywood. It’s since scored more than 12.5 million views on Vevo and YouTube.

The broad swath of fans represented in the “Behind the Mask” video largely seem to be interested only in conveying ongoing appreciation for Jackson, many from within the confines of their bedrooms, others from the streets of their neighborhoods.

Liu calls it “the most exciting and most fun project I think I’ve ever been involved in…. [It] was incredibly moving to see so many people from all over the world join as one, their creative voices, dance and musical talents bound together by Michael Jackson’s spirit and incomparable artistry. We received submissions from the Sahara Desert to Venice Beach, from mountaintops to suburban backyards, with some shots featuring well over 100 people apiece. All who participated delivered brilliantly.”

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