Jackson mother gets custody of children

ArticleData Array ( [Article] => Array ( [article_id] => 1041907 [headline] => Jackson mother gets custody of children [abstract] => Michael Jackson's family has secured temporary custody of the superstar's children as they await the results of a second autopsy.
[keywords] => michael jackson, death, tributes, children, custody [content] =>

Michael Jackson's family secured temporary custody of the superstar's children Monday as the first salvos in the legal issues arising from the pop icon's tragic death began to take shape.
  
A day after a family lawyer said the Jackson clan would seek custody of the singer's three children, a judge named the star's mother Katherine as temporary guardian after approving a petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
  
Jackson's family was also reported to be filing a second petition seeking the right to be named temporary administrators of their son's estate.
  
Court officials confirmed a petition relating to Jackson's assets had been filed but would not go into details.
  
A lawyer for the family, Londell McMillan, said Sunday the family had not yet seen a copy of the star's will.
  
McMillan was appointed amid clear signs the grief-stricken Jackson family was seeking to take control of their most famous member's affairs.
  
Members of the musical clan were also expected to meet activist Reverend Al Sharpton at the family compound in Los Angeles on Monday to finalize plans for a fitting memorial for Jackson.
  
"I'm here to make sure Michael gets in death what he never got in life -- he never got credit," Sharpton said Sunday.
  
"He was not a freak, he's a genius," he said. "He was not somebody who was eccentric, he was innovative and that innovation smashed barriers and he should be given a lot more credit than he's been given."
  
A press conference with Sharpton and Jackson's father Joe was scheduled for 11:30 am local time (1830 GMT).
  
Reports have said Jackson's family is considering a series of simultaneous memorial services around the world for the singer, reflecting the huge global reach of an artist who sold more than 750 million records.
  
Family members attended an awards show Sunday dedicated to African-American entertainers which became a star-studded celebration of Jackson's life, featuring an emotional tribute from his sister Janet.
  
"My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful so they elected me to speak with all of you," Janet Jackson said.
  
"I'd just like to say that, to you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family and he will forever live in all of our hearts."
  
Meanwhile family attorney McMillan said the family was "closely watching" the progress of the official investigation into Jackson's death.
  
The family already has hired a private pathologist who has carried out a second autopsy on Jackson.
  
Details from Friday's preliminary examination of Jackson's body were published in Britain's The Sun newspaper on Monday after the daily said it had seen a copy of the autopsy report.
  
According to the paper, pathologists found Jackson's stomach empty apart from partially-dissolved pills. Jackson's body was also reported to have weighed only 50.8 kilograms (112 pounds) at the time of his death.
  
However the Los Angeles County coroner's office strongly rejected the report, describing parts of it as "totally false."
  
"The report that is being published did not come from our office," said Assistant Chief Ed Winter. "I don't know where that information came from, or who that information came from."
  
Meanwhile lawyers for personal physician Conrad Murray -- who was with Jackson in the hours before his death -- went on the offensive, with attorney Edward Chernoff insisting his client was blameless.
  
"There's nothing in his history, nothing that Dr Murray knew, that would lead him to believe he would go into sudden cardiac arrest or respiratory failure," Chernoff told CNN Monday.
  
"There was no red flag available to Dr Murray, which led him to believe he would have died the way he did. It's still a mystery how he died."
  
Speculation has been rife that excessive use of powerful prescription pain killers may have played a role in Jackson's death, but Chernoff insisted that contrary to news reports, Murray "never prescribed nor administered" two particular drugs -- Demerol or Oxycontin -- to Jackson.
  
He also defended how Murray responded to the immediate crisis after Jackson lost consciousness last week, recounting step-by-step the failed effort by the doctor to revive the singer.
 

[start_date] => 30 June 2009 | 06:57:22 AM [comments_allowed] => 1 [source] => AFP [commentCount] => 0 [video] => [image] => Array ( [caption] => Michael Jackson died suddenly last week. (AAP) [useRegularImage] => 1 [media_library_id] => 96381 [site_id] => 1 [media_library_group_id] => 0 [media_usage_id] => 0 [filename] => site_1_rand_1139493005_jackson_handup_2606_b_aap.jpg [title] => jackson_handup_2606_B_aap_1139493005 [description] => file:site_1_rand_1139493005_jackson_handup_2606_b_aap.jpg [type] => [height] => 338 [width] => 450 [source] => [video_hi] => [video_lo] => [section] => [display_order] => 0 [create_date] => 2009-06-26 15:20:47 [active] => 1 [media_usage] => Article Large [usageWidth] => 300 [usageHeight] => 225 ) [imagePath] => http://media.sbs.com.au/news/upload_media/ [audio] => [reporter] => [relatedLinks] => Array ( [3] => Array ( [id] => 191 [label] => How will you remember Michael Jackson? [link] => http://www.sbs.com.au/news/yoursayarticle/1033836/How-will-you-remember-Michael-Jackson [display_order] => 0 [type] => Manual ) [2] => Array ( [id] => album-396 [label] => Michael Jackson dies [display_order] => 0 [type] => Gallery ) [0] => Array ( [id] => 1041711 [label] => Jackson father concerned over death circumstances [display_order] => 1 [type] => Article ) [1] => Array ( [id] => 1041606 [label] => Black entertainment awards honour Michael Jackson [display_order] => 2 [type] => Article ) ) [relatedArticles] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [article_id] => 1041711 [headline] => Jackson father concerned over death circumstances [abstract] => The father of Michael Jackson says he remains concerned about the circumstances of his son's death as the tragic pop icon's personal doctor protested his innnocence. [content] =>

The father of Michael Jackson says he remains concerned about the circumstances of his son's death as the tragic pop icon's personal doctor protested his innocence.

In a surprising first public appearance since the death of his superstar son, family patriarch Joe Jackson appeared on the red carpet of a Los Angeles awards show dedicated to the African-American entertainment industry.

The Jackson family is reportedly angry at the "unanswered questions" concerning the role of doctor Conrad Murray in the final hours of Michael Jackson's life.

Lawyers for Murray insist he has been cleared of wrongdoing.

However, speaking to a CNN reporter at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards, Jackson, 79, said he continued to harbour misgivings about the sudden death of his son at the age of 50.

"I have a lot of concerns. I can't get into that, but I don't like what happened," Jackson said, before directing questions to a family lawyer who declined to comment further.

"We can't talk about that now," lawyer Londell McMillan said. "There is a second autopsy that is underway and we'll let that process take its course at this time. We'll have more detail at a later point."

Joe Jackson said his grandchildren - two boys and a girl - were his first priority now. "They're fine. They're with us," he said.

The children know their father has died, he said. Los Angeles police conducted a second interview with Murray on Saturday but cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing, the doctor's lawyers said.

The 51-year-old cardiologist, who became part of Jackson's staff in March to help the singer prepare for a concert comeback in London, has faced intense speculation amid reports he injected Jackson with the potent prescription painkiller Demerol just before he died.

However, a lawyer for Murray said that reports of an injection were "absolutely false", the first time the allegation has been denied.

"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, a lawyer for Murray was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times, adding that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home.

"(Murray) was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital.

He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Jackson's family have yet to finalise funeral plans and were due to meet activist Reverend Al Sharpton on Sunday to discuss plans for a tribute.

Sharpton was cited in several media reports as saying Jackson's family was considering a series of simultaneous memorials around the world to reflect the huge appeal of the late King of Pop.

"Reverend Sharpton will discuss with the family ideas that people from around the world have sent him about how they would like to memorialise Michael Jackson," a spokeswoman for Sharpton said.

However, an unofficial memorial appeared to already be underway at Los Angeles's famous Shrine Auditorium, where the cream of the African-American music, acting and sporting worlds was gathering for the BET Awards.

A galaxy of stars paid tribute to Jackson as they walked the red carpet, hailing his role as a star who had helped break racial barriers.

While Jackson's incredible influence stretched across genres, races, and cultures, he had a very unique place in the world of black entertainment.

His influence is arguably most visible in urban music, seen in stars like Usher who mimic his dance moves, to Ne-Yo, whose music is marked by its Jackson-isms.

But that influence went beyond music: Jackson was black America's biggest star, who broke racial barriers that allowed for so many other superstars to follow.

Foxx kicked off the show with a re-enactment of the choreography from Jackson's iconic Beat It video in front of the star-studded crowd, on its feet from the start of the show.

Throughout the night, Foxx wore some of Jackson's signature looks, like the wide-collar black leather outfit from Billie Jean.

"You know, my man is the greatest," hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy Combs" told CNN. "He's one of the reasons why Barack Obama's president ... He started the change in the world about how African-Americans are perceived."

"We miss him and we love him and we just feel devastated," said soul singer Alicia Keys, urging people to remember Jackson in a "respectful, positive way".

Asked how Jackson had influenced her, Keys replied: "In every way. How could he not influence us to break the barrier and to think bigger, and to try new things and to break the rules?

"Tonight is a true memorial for him. It's really about honouring him." Thousands of Jackson devotees continued to gather outside the singer's star on the walk of fame as well as the Jackson family's home in Encino, where makeshift shrines of flowers and cards have grown rapidly since Friday.

Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music across the world. British chart officials said a compilation album of the star's greatest hits had rocketed to the top of the charts on Sunday.

A spokesman for music retailer HMV said there had been an 80-fold increase in demand for Jackson's music "almost overnight" after the singer's death -- the biggest one-day rise in sales seen for any artists, including Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

[content_type_id] => 3 [site_name] => World News Australia [articledate] => 29 June 2009 [articletime] => 29 June 2009 [display_order] => 1 ) [1] => Array ( [article_id] => 1041606 [headline] => Black entertainment awards honour Michael Jackson [abstract] => Top black performers paid tribute to Michael Jackson at the BET Awards where his sister Janet Jackson and father Joe Jackson made their first public appearances since the singer's death. [content] =>

Top black performers paid tribute to Michael Jackson at the BET Awards where his sister Janet Jackson and father Joe Jackson made their first public appearances since the singer's death.

The show's most moving moment came in a final tribute when Janet, a pop star in her own right, took the stage to thank the audience for turning out to honor her dead brother.

"To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts," said Jackson, her voice choking as she held back tears. "On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love. Thank you for all of your support, we miss him so much."

She was followed by host Jamie Foxx and R&B singer Ne-Yo singing a tender duet of Jackson 5 hit "I'll Be There," while pictures of Jackson were displayed on a giant video screen.

A member of 1970s brother band the Jackson 5 and a musical sensation, Jackson's 1982 smash "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time, and Jackson was a major influence on R&B, hip hop and many other forms of music for 40 years.

Jackson died suddenly from cardiac arrest at age 50 in his Los Angeles home on Thursday. The BET Awards, which annually honor African American singers, actors, actresses and athletes, transformed into a tribute to the pop superstar.

In the front row, Joe Jackson watched performances by the likes of Beyonce, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and the O'Jays, most of whom either gave testimonials to Jackson or in some way highlighted his influence on their own careers.

'He belongs to us'

Ahead of the show, Joe Jackson told Reuters that if his son were there, "He would have said, 'I love you all,' that's what he would have said. "I love you all," and he would've loved everybody ... I only wish that he could've been here to see all this," Joe Jackson said.

Show host Jamie Foxx put the program in party mode from the start, dancing Jackson's famous moonwalk, singing his hit song "Beat It" and wearing a classic King of Pop costume -- red leather jacket and one white glove.

"We're going to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us, and we shared him with everybody else," Foxx told the crowd.

Two inspiring moments came when Beyonce sang a version of Ave Maria in an angelic white dress, and later when accepting her award for best female R&B artist, she held her trophy up.

"This is for you, Michael Jackson," she said, thanking him for being an inspiration and a "hero" to her. Later in the evening, Beyonce also won the award for best video.

Many performers sang Jackson songs and dressed as he did when he was on stage -- leather jackets, high pants, white socks, uniform-like costumes and a single white gloved hand.

Some of the winners included best male R&B singer Ne-Yo, best actress Taraji P. Henson, best male hip hop artist Lil Wayne, and best male athlete, basketball star LeBron James.

While the 50-year-old Jackson was loved by many, he lived a reclusive life in his final years, and in the 1990s he was twice accused of child molestation -- charges never proven.

His death continues to be shrouded in questions of prescription drug use and, although an autopsy was performed, it will be four to six weeks before an official cause of death can be determined after toxicology tests are completed.

But music mogul and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs set the tone for the night on the red carpet, telling reporters Jackson "is one of our heroes. As African Americans, we are not going to let everybody beat him up."

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; editing by Anthony Boadle)

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