DA's Office Want Files Sealed

The District Attorney's Office have filed a request with the LA Superior Court seeking to delay the release of fire department and coroner's office records to lawyers handling civil litigation for Lloyd's of London, until after the upcoming trial of Dr Conrad Murray.

Lloyd's of London filed suit against concert promoters AEG Live in Los Angeles in June, seeking $17.5M compensation for the cancelation of a series of London shows Michael Jackson was rehearsing for just before he died.

The DA's office is worried that sensitive records may well leak to the media, if they are released to the insurers' lawyers, before the manslaughter trial of Dr Murray.

Judge Guts Murray's Defence

The Guardian reports that Judge Michael Pastor (the judge in the upcoming trial of doctor Conrad Murray) has "gutted" Dr Murray's defence. That at least is the opinion of Dr Murray's defence team.

For why?

Judge Pastor has rejected over a dozen of their proposed witnesses, and barred "distracting" testimony about Jackson's financial affairs, personal life and aspects of his medical history.

Judge Pastor has also, quite rightly, banned any testimony linked to Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial given that it is irrelevant to the trial of Conrad Murray.

The trial is scheduled to commence in September.