Tag Archives: proceedings

Michael Jackson Doctor’s Trial Delayed

Judge pushes start of Conrad Murray’s trial back to May. By Gil Kaufman Conrad Murray Photo: AFP/ Getty Images LOS ANGELES — Though Conrad Murray’s lawyers had been pressing for a speedy trial, a judge in the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson’s doctor ruled on Wednesday to delay opening statements in the proceedings until May. The Associated Press reported that Murray’s attorneys consented to the postponement after they discussed the matter with prosecutors and both agreed they could be ready for trial by May 9. According to a transcript from the closed-door session, though opening statements will not begin for several months, Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor that he did not want to forfeit his right to a quick trial, but agreed to the delay if screening of prospective jurors begins as scheduled on March 24. “It is only acceptable to me if this is not strung along over a long period of time,” Murray told the justice. “I don’t want to lose my constitutional right to speedy trial.” Murray — who has pleaded not guilty to the charges — reportedly has been in favor of having the proceedings begin as soon as possible because he is facing financial troubles, but he said he understands that the delay is necessary to allow both sides to prepare for the trial. Pastor consented because he said he didn’t want to lose a jury pool, and believed a month-long delay might let potential jurors shuffle their schedules for the case, which could take up to two months to decide. The judge has reportedly clashed with Murray’s defense team in recent weeks, pressing them for answers about why they had not turned over more witness notes and other potential evidence to prosecutors in the run-up to the trial. Cardiologist Murray was hired to be Jackson’s personal physician while the King of Pop prepared for his planned 50-date comeback series of shows at London’s O2 arena in the summer of 2009. The doctor told police that he provided the then-50-year-old Jackson with sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol in order to combat the singer’s chronic insomnia. He said he did so on the morning of June 25, 2009, when Jackson died of what a coroner deemed acute propofol poisoning. Murray’s lawyers reportedly plan to argue that Jackson was already in weak health before he died, that it’s unfair to blame propofol for his passing and that, if the anesthetic was to blame, the pop superstar may have given himself the fatal dose by drinking the drug in a panic. A status hearing in the case has been set for this Wednesday. Related Videos Remembering Michael Jackson Related Photos Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos Related Artists Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Doctor’s Trial Delayed

This Guy Ain’t Sh*t: 5 Browns Father Pleads Guilty To Charges Of Sexually Abusing His Three Daughters

After trying to throw himself and his wife off a cliff …this guy is now pleading guilty: The father of the music group 5 Browns pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of sexually abusing his three daughters in the 1990s. Keith Brown’s plea, part of a deal made with prosecutors, means the 55-year-old patriarch will go to prison for at least 10 years. None of the sisters were in the Provo courtroom, but a statement issued to The Associated Press by group spokesman Kimball Thomson said they were satisfied with the plea agreement. “While clearly the current events surrounding the family are painful, the sisters were well prepared for this day, and are relieved and grateful to close this chapter in their lives,” Kimball said. Brown’s three daughters and two sons are part of the classical piano group The 5 Browns, whose albums have topped the classical music charts and who have appeared on “Oprah” and other shows. The group also has been profiled by “60 Minutes.” Brown appeared in Fourth District Count with scratches and bruises on his face but with few other signs of the horrific crash three days earlier in which his Porsche plunged 300 feet into a canyon, also injuring his wife. “He is terribly remorseful for what has happened and for what he has put his family through,” defense attorney Steven Shapiro said after the hearing. “He recognizes that this is the next step in the long road to trying to accept responsibility for something terrible that he did a long time ago.” Brown did not speak further during the hearing and declined to answer questions from reporters afterward. He remained free until his sentencing on March 31, after prosecutors said they do not consider him a threat. Brown chose to enter the plea to bring a quick resolution to the case and did not want to “exacerbate the harm” by dragging out the proceedings, Shapiro said. Utah County prosecutors charged Brown with one first-degree felony count of sodomy on a child and two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child. He could face a sentence of up to life in prison on the first-degree felony and up to 15 years each on the second-degree felonies. Under the plea deal with prosecutors, he will serve at least a decade in prison. The records filed Feb. 10 in the abuse case don’t identify any victim by name or indicate the relationship between Keith Brown and the alleged victims. However, Thomson said the charges involve Brown’s daughters and group members Desirae, 32, Deondra, 30, and Melody, 26. He declined to release further information on the women. Source

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This Guy Ain’t Sh*t: 5 Browns Father Pleads Guilty To Charges Of Sexually Abusing His Three Daughters

Shyne Says 50 Cent Is ‘Desperate,’ ‘Stalking’ Him

‘He didn’t call up saying he’s Curtis Jackson,’ the Belize MC says in response to Fif impersonating a DJ to disrupt live phone chat. By Shaheem Reid Shyne Photo: Gangland Belize-born MC Shyne led a Def Jam-sponsored conference call on Wednesday that was broadcast live on XXL magazine’s Ustream. The call was supposed to have included DJs and journalists, but one of Shyne’s musical nemeses, 50 Cent, decided to crash the proceedings. In a video posted Thursday (August 12) on ThisIs50.com , 50 is seen on the phone claiming to be a radio personality: “Shawn from Radio One.” Fif then poses the question, “What’s your real issue with 50 Cent?” 50’s call was quickly disconnected and he was blocked from calling back. Later on in the video, though, 50 is seen yelling into the phone, pretending to talk to Shyne, spitting Mel Gibson-eque obscenities and declaring “you’re on an island. You can’t go to war on an island.” On Thursday, Shyne, deported last year to his native Belize , responded in a Skype interview with MTV News. “Wow. That’s like an all-time low,” Shyne said. “I didn’t know he was so desperate. He’s gone from confidential informant, witness-protection program dude, getting order [of protection] on muthaf—as. Now he’s a stalker. I was in shock. He called up saying he was ‘Jamal from Harlem.’ He didn’t call up saying he’s Curtis Jackson, Hawaii 5-0. He’s a busta. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe he would stoop to that low. Then again, a guy in the witness-protection program, he has no shame.” Shyne said he wasn’t aware that it was 50 who had called in until after he’d finished his interviews. “You know how it is. When you do these things, you always gotta expect a muthaf—a to call and he might be disgruntled. We took it as another disgruntled person. ‘Cause you know, I don’t know what his voice sounds like. I don’t listen to nothing he do. If we on the yard, and they put his video on, they change the TV in the yard,” Shyne explained, referring to his recently completed prison stint. “I don’t jack that dude on no level. I don’t know what his voice sound like. But somebody at Def Jam caught him. He’s been reaching out to one of my generals in the street begging for peace. He caught his voice too. It was after the fact. “I thought it was somebody who was having a bad day, who wanted to know the situation. It wasn’t until after everything was finished, muthaf—as at Def Jam was like, ‘That was Boo-Boo. That was Hawaii 5-0.’ I was like, ‘No. No.’ Then he put the out, like he was talking reckless. He’s a creep. Any of my comments have been honest comments. These dudes do anything, I don’t give a f—. It never bothered me. The fact that he’s sitting in New York, selling his Vitamin Water, listening to my Ustream. What the f—? You’re stalking me. Go take some steroids. Find something to do.” 50 Cent could not be reached for comment. What do you think of the situation between 50 Cent and Shyne? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists Shyne 50 Cent

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Shyne Says 50 Cent Is ‘Desperate,’ ‘Stalking’ Him

Glenn Beck Compares Obama’s America To ‘Planet Of The Apes’

Glenn Beck compared Obama's America to “the damn Planet of the Apes,” Thursday during a rant against the president's praise for the AFL-CIO. Beck made the comparison while trying to blame union support of strong pensions for the nation's high unemployment rate. He doesn't like that former SEIU president Andy Stern sits on the president's panel on deficit reduction. The segment's accompanying online article omits the Fox News host's Planet of the Apes comparison. added by: TimALoftis

Scientists Observe Fastest Evolution Ever

University of British Columbia researchers have observed one of the fastest evolutionary responses ever recorded in wild populations. In as little as three years, stickleback fish developed tolerance for water temperature 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than their ancestors. The study, published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, provides the some of the first experimental evidence that evolution may help populations survive effects of climate change. Measuring three to 10 centimetres, stickleback fish originated in the ocean but began populating freshwater lakes and streams following the last ice age. Over the past 10,000 years, marine and freshwater sticklebacks have evolved different physical and behavioural traits, making them ideal models for Darwin’s natural selection theory. “By testing the temperature tolerance of wild and lab-raised sticklebacks, we were able to determine that freshwater sticklebacks can tolerate lower temperatures than their marine counterparts,” says lead author Rowan Barrett from the UBC Department of Zoology. “This made sense from an evolutionary perspective because their ancestors were able to adapt to freshwater lakes, which typically reach colder temperatures than the ocean.” http://science.ubc.ca/news/449 added by: ibrake4rappers13

U.S. and Canada Destroyed More Forest Than Brazil Between 2000-2005

Boreal Forests Losing the Most Ground A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) concludes that over a million square kilometers of forest were lost around the world between 2000 and 2005, and that both the U.S. and Canada had higher percentages of forest losses than even Brazil (a country long notorious for deforestation). How does it break down?… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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U.S. and Canada Destroyed More Forest Than Brazil Between 2000-2005

Rick Ross Steals Stacey Dash In ‘Super High’ Video Preview

‘I end up snatching her and spending the rest of the evening with her,’ the MC says of his co-star. By Jayson Rodriguez Rick Ross in “Super High” Photo: Def Jam He might shout out his name as Ricky Ros

‘Harry Potter’ Star Tom Felton Explains How Actors Will Age In ‘Deathly Hallows’

‘I’ve been having some aging training,’ Felton says of film’s epilogue. By Eric Ditzian Tom Felton Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage We’ve been openly speculating about it for far too long: How will the minds behind “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” shoot the story’s epilogue, which picks up almost two decades in the future? Would director David Yates and his team hire older actors to stand in for Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the cast or would he employ special effects to age the familiar “Potter” faces? Now we know for sure. Speaking with MTV News, co-star Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) revealed that he and the rest of the cast will play older versions of their characters. What’s more — achieving those looks will require a mix of prosthetics and CGI technology. “For nearly two months, we’ve all been doing prosthetic tests and all sorts of preparation for the epilogue,” Felton said. “I’ve been having some aging training. You’ve got to walk differently. There’s a slump in your walk.” Those tests must have been successful because a schedule to shoot the scene has already been set. “It’s going to be the last big thing that we do. It’s going to be on location,” he explained, going on to say that it should take three days of filming to complete. Until then, he’s been busy practicing how to play a character on the verge of turning 40. So how exactly does one train to be old? “It’s bizarre,” Felton laughed. “We have a lovely guy who comes in. It was a little weird the first time — imagine you’ve got weights on your arms! There have been a number of times where I nearly laughed and I had to hold it in.” Felton should finally wrap up his decade-long commitment to the franchise in June, about six months before the November release date of the first part of “Deathly Hallows.” And while a bit of sadness has crept into the proceedings at the thought of leaving the series behind, he’s eagerly anticipating the chance to film the epilogue at long last and thankful that he — and not an older actor — will be in front of the camera when it all goes down. “We’re probably at the most exciting bit,” he said. “Certainly the part I’ve been most looking forward to. It’s going to be very exciting.” Did the “Deathly Hallows” director make the right call? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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‘Harry Potter’ Star Tom Felton Explains How Actors Will Age In ‘Deathly Hallows’

Larry King and Shawn Southwick: Back Together!

Nothing says rekindling a romance like divorce papers. Yup, Larry King and Shawn Southwick are going to work it out. He’s just checked out of the Beverly Hills hotel where he was staying and moved back home . As of right now, Larry is back inside the home he shares with the wife and their two kids, and she’s apparently thrilled to have the man of the house back. Larry King and Shawn Southwick said in a statement: “We love our children, each other, and being a family. That is all that matters. We owe it to ourselves and our children to continue being dedicated to each other. We want to thank our friends for their loyal love and support, for being there for us.” If you say so, guys. Larry King and eighth wife Shawn Southwick are making it work! The formerly estranged couple filed dueling divorce petitions April 14, following reports that Larry King had been nailing Shawn’s sister Shannon Engemann . Shawn was also romantically linked to Hector Penate , the kids’ little league coach. This was pretty scandalous stuff and a reconciliation seemed unlikely. But a few days later announced they were suspending the proceedings for two weeks, and attending counseling and attempting to smooth things over. Looks like it worked out. For the time being, anyway.

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Larry King and Shawn Southwick: Back Together!

Lil Wayne’s Sentencing Rescheduled For Monday

Fire at courthouse delayed Tuesday’s scheduled sentencing, which will now take place on March 8. By Jayson Rodriguez Lil wayne Photo: MTV News Lil Wayne’s sentencing has been delayed yet again. Now, the rapper will appear before a judge on Monday and turn himself in to begin his one-year prison sentence. The rapper was scheduled to appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday, but a fire at the New York Criminal Court building delayed his hearing. This is the third delay overall. The rapper was originally slated to be sentenced last month , but his attorney made a last-minute request to postpone the proceedings in order for Wayne to undergo dental surgery . The judge granted the request and rescheduled the proceedings for Tuesday of this week. But when an unexpected fire occurred Tuesday morning at the courthouse, all afternoon cases were pushed back. A spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration told MTV News Wednesday morning (March 3) that Lil Wayne’s case has be rescheduled for Monday, March 8. Wayne is expected to formally enter a guilty plea to attempted gun possession after he and prosecutors reached a deal in the case in November. He will serve a one-year prison term , and it is widely believed that he could be out in as early as eight months later, assuming good behavior. The rapper was arrested in 2007 on gun charges and was facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The MC star is expected to turn himself in immediately after his sentencing. In other states, Lil Wayne could have gotten off with a misdemeanor rap and probation. However, in New York , permission to carry firearms is primarily limited to law-enforcement officials and those affiliated with authorities. The Empire State’s stringent gun laws were originally enacted during former governor George Pataki’s administration. On Tuesday, with an unexpected extra night of freedom, Wayne surprised fans at Madison Square Garden when he appeared onstage with Young Jeezy during Jay-Z’s headlining show. 1633050 While Wayne’s plans for the coming days were unclear at press time, expect to see more exclusive videos from the MC right here on MTVNews.com. Related Videos Lil Wayne’s ‘Road To Rikers’ Lil Wayne Goes To Jail Related Photos Lil Wayne Heads To Rikers Island Related Artists Lil Wayne

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Lil Wayne’s Sentencing Rescheduled For Monday