Lawyers want grim Jackson autopsy photos excluded from trial

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES | Thu Apr 7, 2011 8:00pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gruesome photos of Michael Jackson's autopsy should not be shown to the jury in the involuntary manslaughter trial of the pop singer's doctor, defense attorneys argued in court papers released on Thursday.

Showing the pictures of the "Thriller" singer's autopsy risk jeopardizing the trial in May of Dr. Conrad Murray, they said. Murray is charged with inadvertently causing Jackson's June 2009 death by giving him the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid, as well as other sedatives.

"These photographs are graphic, gruesome and highly prejudicial," Murray's attorneys wrote in the court papers.

They argued that "admission of these photographs to the jurors will jeopardize Dr. Murray's right to a fair trial because of the significant risk that the jury will base their decision not on the evidence presented, but on emotional grounds which play no part in a criminal action."

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Opening arguments in the trial are scheduled for May 9. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor is expected to rule later this month on the defense request.

Jackson, 50, chose Murray as his personal physician as he rehearsed for a series of comeback concerts in London.

Murray's lawyers also want references to Murray's trips to strip clubs, where he met at least one woman with whom he had an affair, to be excluded from evidence at the trial.

Murray's attorneys, Ed Chernoff and Nareg Gourjian, argued that, "there is absolutely no relevance whatsoever to all of this sexually scandalous information."

Jury selection for the trial has been underway for more than two weeks.

A 29-page questionnaire, publicly released on Thursday, asks potential jurors if they are fans of Jackson or his family. It also asks whether they know anyone with addiction to prescription medication; if they think celebrities are treated differently in the court system; and if they are familiar with the anesthetic propofol and other medications.

Murray's attorneys have suggested in previous court hearings that Jackson had grown dependent on propofol, and plan to argue at trial that the singer administered the fatal dose of the anesthetic to himself.

Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Fergie joins "X Factor" contenders as producers squabble

LOS ANGELES | Thu Apr 7, 2011 5:58pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie is in the running for a judge's spot on the upcoming U.S. version of "The X Factor," but creator Simon Cowell said on Thursday that producers were still juggling dozens of names for the TV talent show.

Latin singer Gloria Estefan may also have put herself in the running by turning up unexpectedly at open auditions in Miami and spending hours mentoring some of the thousands of hopefuls looking for a spot on the show, Cowell said.

So far only the acid-tongued Briton, and record executive Antonio "L.A." Reid have been announced as judges on "The X Factor", which debuts on Fox in the fall with a $5 million prize for the winner and a record contract.

Big names ranging from singers Jessica Simpson and Mariah Carey to Cowell's old "American Idol" sparring partner Paula Abdul have been mentioned in recent months.

But not final choice has been made for the one or two remaining judging spots, nor for the two hosts.

"We are still having nightly arguments with everyone, trying to get everyone to agree. If you asked everyone involved on this show who they would like on the panel, you would have 25 different opinions," Cowell told reporters.

"It does show publicly our complete and utter indecisiveness," he said.

Cowell confirmed media reports that Fergie, who has a solo career as well as being part of the Black Eyed Peas, is a possible contender.

"Her name was put forward. But like with a lot of other people we have spoken to, we have to check out everyone's availability. There is lot of time you have to put into this show. It is not a 2 or 3 day a week job," he said.

The "X Factor" judges will play a major role in mentoring and preparing contestants on the singing show.

Cowell said that Estefan may have been auditioning for a role on the panel when she turned up out of the blue in Miami on Thursday "and apparently did a fantastic job" helping contestants.

More than 20,000 people lined up for initial auditions in front of producers in Los Angeles last month. Cowell said that those unable to make it to major U.S. cities would be able to make video recordings in high-tech audition booths in cities including Honolulu, Anchorage and Kansas City.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Dean Goodman)

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Royal bride Middleton is no Diana, experts say

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON | Thu Apr 7, 2011 1:11pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Few men would feel comfortable hearing their future wife compared to their mother. But that is what Prince William would face week in, week out, had he the time and inclination to wade through the royal press cuttings.

Commentators have been quick to compare and contrast royal fiancee Kate Middleton with William's late mother Princess Diana, whose style, charity and scandalous divorce from Prince Charles made her arguably the world's most famous woman.

Yet the differences far outweigh the similarities, experts and PR gurus say, which could bode well for the young couple's long-term happiness as well as Middleton's relationship with the Queen and her royal brood.

"As a PR person, which is what I have been for 45 years, I would say Princess Diana was a one-off," said Max Clifford, one of Britain's most prominent image makers.

"She (Diana) became just about the biggest star in the world. She became far more popular all over the world than the royal family. I think Kate's going to be far more controlled, she's going to be far more part of William."

Diana was just 19 when she was betrothed to William's father Charles in 1981. He was a 32-year-old veteran and she a timid newcomer to the "goldfish bowl" life of a leading royal whose fashion sense was more "Sloane Ranger" than sophisticated chic.

But as her relationship with Charles and the royal family soured, her confidence, sense of style and stature as a charity figurehead grew, making her a favorite with the public.

NUN'S COMPASSION, SUPERMODEL LOOKS

Arthur Edwards, the Sun tabloid's veteran royal photographer, agreed that Middleton was more likely to see her role as a foil for William rather than a lone star.

"She (Diana) had this compassion of a nun but the looks of a supermodel. We've yet to see if Kate's going that way. I suspect maybe not, I think maybe she'll be more of a support to Prince William and less of an individual in her own right."

The royal family had learned from its mistakes, Clifford added, and William would be desperate to avoid exposing his wife to the kind of media circus his mother had to cope with by the time of her death.

Diana was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 after being chased at high speeds by paparazzi photographers. She was 36.

"The royal family have moved on," he said. "They've had to, to the realities of the media world in 2011. She will be, I imagine, the devoted wife and very much at his side.

"Kate the individual I don't believe will receive a fraction of the coverage that Diana got worldwide and in many ways it's going to be a lot easier for her because the palace and all those around will have learned from what happened with Diana.

"They will be very, very guarded to make sure that doesn't happen again."

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Paris Hilton won't return borrowed jewels: lawsuit

By Ben Berkowitz and Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK | Thu Apr 7, 2011 2:39pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Paris Hilton is holding $60,000 of jewelry that does not belong to her and should give it back, a new lawsuit contends.

A German insurer, Allianz SE, has sued the celebrity socialite and heiress to the Hilton Hotels fortune, saying she has ignored several attempts to recover the borrowed jewels.

According to an April 6 complaint filed in a New York state court, Hilton borrowed the jewelry in 2007 from the Manhattan jeweler Damiani, promising to store it in a safe or vault when she was not using it.

But Allianz said the gems sat unguarded on a closet shelf in Hilton's unlocked Los Angeles mansion when they and some $2.7 million worth of other jewelry were stolen in a December 19, 2008, burglary while Hilton attended a Hollywood party.

Allianz said Los Angeles police found and returned the jewelry to Hilton after it had already paid Damiani's claim under an insurance policy.

It said it began asking Hilton and two eponymously named companies she controls to return the jewelry, but that phone calls and email messages have been ignored.

Allianz's lawsuit accuses Hilton of negligence and breach of contract.

A Hilton spokeswoman said the lawsuit was "not based on fact," and that none of Hilton's representatives ever told Allianz that the stolen Damiani jewelry had been returned. "Only costume jewelry was recovered," she said.

The case is Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG et al vs. Hilton et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 104169/2011.

(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz and Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

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