Jackson lawyers head to court ahead of memorial

ArticleData Array ( [Article] => Array ( [article_id] => 1045517 [headline] => Jackson lawyers head to court ahead of memorial [abstract] => The details of Michael Jackson's 2002 will are to be examined in a Los Angeles court room, as authorities ramp up preparations for the music superstar's memorial service. [keywords] => Michael Jackson, death, jacko, king of pop, neverland [content] =>

The details of Michael Jackson's 2002 will are to be examined in a Los Angeles court room, as authorities ramp up preparations for the music superstar's memorial service.

Lawyers for Jackson's family and two men named as executors in the will are to face off in Los Angeles Superior Court, in the first significant hearing to address the tragic King of Pop's multi-million dollar estate.

A judge named Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine temporary administrator of her son's assets on June 29 after lawyers for the musical clan said they were not aware of the existence of a valid will.

However,two days later a will was filed by two respected business associates of Jackson - lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain - naming them as the co-executors of the pop star's estate.

Future uncertain

Lawyers for Jackson's family said last week they were reviewing the document and have not given any indication whether they will contest it.

If they don't, Jackson's mother is expected to be relieved of control of her son's assets and Branca and McClain will assume authority.

The legal hearing comes as Los Angeles police prepare to mount a large-scale operation for Tuesday's memorial for Jackson, who died on June 25 after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest.

Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief Jim McDonnell on Sunday urged ticketless fans seeking to pay to get into the service to watch the event on television.

"Stay home - stay somewhere with a television, with air conditioning, with a friend," McDonnell told reporters.

International interest for tickets

The appeal came after 1.6 million people entered an online lottery hoping to be among 8,750 registrants to win tickets for the service at the Staples Centre arena and a neighbouring arena, where the event will be shown on giant screens.

Fans from around the world have been arriving in Los Angeles since the service was announced and there have been fears of logistical chaos if hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets.

Around 1,400 extra officers are expected to be deployed to police the event, according to law enforcement sources.

Organisers AEG on Sunday began notifying the lucky few who successfully applied for tickets, which are all free.

No details of what Tuesday's service will involve have been revealed, but organisers say the 90-minute event will be a celebration of Jackson's life.

Star-studded memorial

The show's producer told the New York Daily News the service would likely feature performances from stars but would be restrained.

"It will be a celebration of Michael's life (but) we're not approaching it as a TV show," Ken Ehrlich was quoted as saying.

"In the future, there may be a tribute to Michael Jackson. This is really a memorial service. It's not going to have all the bells and whistles. We want to keep it low-key.

"People who are watching it, both live and on TV, can expect to see people who have played a role in his life, who will both be reminiscing about him and speaking to the impact he's made," he added.

Uncertainty over burial

No details of where Jackson will be buried have been released.   

As preparations for Tuesday's memorial continued, investigators probing the circumstances of Jackson's mysterious death are reportedly looking at the role of five doctors who prescribed drugs to the star.

US media, citing unidentified law enforcement sources, said investigators found the powerful sedative Propofol amongst a variety of prescription medications at Jackson's home.

"Numerous bottles" of Diprivan - the brand name for Propofol - were found at the star's home, an unidentified source told the Los Angeles Times.

Toxicology report still in progress

Propofol is commonly used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients before major surgery. Healthcare experts say it should never be used at home and should only be administered by trained anesthesiologists.

Los Angeles coroners have said a final cause of Jackson's death will not be revealed until exhaustive toxicology tests from his autopsy are completed.

The Los Angeles Times reported late on Sunday police have executed at least three search warrants relating to Jackson's medical history and prescription drugs but the results of the searches have not been revealed.

 

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More than one and a half million music fans are set to learn today whether they are among the lucky few to win tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles.

Some 1.6 million US fans registered online for free in the random draw. Just 8,750 names will be chosen, with each person selected receiving two tickets to Wednesday's service.

Michael Roth, a spokesman for AEG Live, the owner of memorial venue the Staples Center, said winners were in the process of being notified.

The tickets will admit 11,000 people to the Staples Center plus 6,500 in the Nokia Theater overflow section next door.

Streets around the stadium will be closed to prevent those without tickets from trying to attend, and organisers have appealed to them to stay away.

No details of what the service will involve have been revealed, but organizers say the 90-minute event will be a celebration of the life of Jackson, who died on June 25 at age 50 of an apparent cardiac arrest.

Private family funeral planned

The show's producer told the New York Daily News the service would likely feature performances from stars but would be restrained.

"It will be a celebration of Michael's life (but) we're not approaching it as a TV show," Ken Ehrlich was quoted as saying.

"In the future, there may be a tribute to Michael Jackson. This is really a memorial service. It's not going to have all the bells and whistles. We want to keep it low-key.

"People who are watching it, both live and on TV, can expect to see people who have played a role in his life, who will both be reminiscing about him and speaking to the impact he's made," he added.

More than 10 days on, the cause of Jackson's death is still unclear; autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.

The pop icon's family is planning a private funeral ceremony at Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills, LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Live TV broadcast of memorial

Tributes and accolades keep coming: Madonna had a Jackson impersonator dance to Wanna Be Starting Something at her concert on Saturday in the same London arena where he was to stage his comeback.

Colin Powell, the former US secretary of state, said in an interview that Jackson had controversy in his life, but in death his art should be celebrated.

"Yes, there were some challenges in his life," the former secretary of state told CNN's State of the Union.

"Yes, there was a great deal of controversy about him. But he's now passed on. Let's celebrate his art."

The memorial service will be broadcast on five US television networks, after NBC executives changed their minds and decided to air the service live alongside ABC, CNN, MSNBC and E!
Entertainment.

Police preparing for huge crowds

Before the ticket drawing, officials of AEG will "scrub" the entries to eliminate duplicates and any suspected of being made by automated systems, Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine said.

Winners receive a unique code and instructions on how to pick up their tickets at an off-site distribution centre. When they pick up their tickets, a wristband will be placed on their wrists.

To prevent ticket scalping, fans must have both the ticket and the wristband to enter Staples Center. Wristbands that have been ripped, taped or tampered with will be voided.

Los Angeles authorities are preparing for huge crowds. Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell would not say how many police would be on the job, but alluded to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the recent championship celebration for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city.


 

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Madonna will perform a special tribute to the late Michael Jackson at her upcoming London show, at the venue where the late singer was due to stage his farewell shows.
 
The Queen of Pop has told the Sun newspaper she's terribly sad about Jackson's death and has revealed she used to love picking his brains about musical stuff.
 
Her show at London's O2 Arena this weekend will feature extracts from Jackson's songs: Billie Jean and Wanna Be Startin' Something as well as displaying pictures of the star. Madonna's dancers will also wear single white gloves one of Jackson's most famous wardrobe accessories.

Jackson had been due to play some 50 sellout shows entitled "This Is It" at the O2 venue starting this month.
 
"I don't know what artist wasn't inspired by him." she said
 
"To be able to do what he did at such an early age was unearthly, everybody grew up in awe of him. To work with him and become friends and hang out with him was exciting for me."

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Fans heading to Los Angeles for Michael Jackson's memorial extravaganza were urged to stay away on Friday as organisers said tickets for the event would be allocated by an online lottery.
  
Pop icon Jackson's sudden death on June 25 sparked a worldwide outpouring of grief and hundreds of thousands of devotees are expected to descend on Los Angeles for Tuesday's memorial at the Staples Center.

Security lockdown
  
However in a clear attempt to deter large numbers of ticketless fans from besieging the venue and creating a logistical nightmare, city officials said Friday the entire area would be put on lockdown.
  
"If you do not have a ticket ... not only will you not be allowed at these venues, you will not be allowed in this area," Los Angeles Police Department chief Earl Paysinger said.
  
The warning came as officials revealed tickets for the event would be distributed via an Internet lottery, with fans registering at the Staples Center's website to enter a draw from Friday onwards.
  
Some 11,000 tickets would be made available for the event inside the main venue while an additional 6,500 tickets would be distributed for fans watching a live feed at the neighboring Nokia Theater. Within minutes of the draw being announced the Staples Center website had crashed.

Rush for tickets

Fearing a stampede for the pop superstar's final sendoff, organisers said they would distribute 11,000 tickets to fans randomly selected through a website. Los Angeles authorities vowed to prevent others from entering.
  
The site received a jaw-dropping 500 million hits -- nearly twice the population of the United States -- in only an hour and a half.
  
AEG, the concert promoters which own the Staples Center venue, also barred residents of the US states of Florida, New York and Rhode Island from applying from tickets due to legal restrictions on raffles.
  
Asked whether fans who flocked from abroad would be accommodated, AEG spokesman Michael Roth said: "I'm not sure it's prudent to invest in a flight until you know tickets are available."
  
No information about where Jackson would be buried or what Tuesday's service would comprise was given.

Neverland burial not ruled out
  
The Jacksons earlier quashed the idea of a public viewing and private service at the singer's Neverland Ranch, which posed headaches due to its remote location in ritzy Santa Barbara wine country.
  
However, Jackson's elder brother Jermaine said he would still like the pop legend to be buried at Neverland, a tribute to Jackson's fascination with childhood that in its heyday had giraffes, tigers and a private amusement park.
  
"I feel his presence because this is his creation," Jermaine Jackson told CNN in an interview Thursday. "I really feel this is where he should be rested because it's him," he said. "It's serene."

Rowe to seek custody of children
  
As planning for Tuesday's memorial continued, legal battlelines were drawn over the fate of Jackson's offspring, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe declaring she planned to seek custody of the star's eldest two children.
  
A court hearing is scheduled next Monday to determine who will administer Jackson's estate, and another hearing is set for July 13 to discuss the guardianship of the singer's three children.
  
Rowe, who has remained largely silent since Jackson's death, told NBC television she would seek custody of Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11.
  
"I want my children," Rowe was quoted as saying in a 90-minute phone interview with the station. "I am stepping up. I have to."
  
Rowe, who was married to Jackson between 1996 and 1999, was omitted from a 2002 will filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday in which Jackson named his 79-year-old mother Katherine Jackson as guardian.
  
Jackson's mother was on Monday appointed temporary guardian of the two children and their seven-year-old sibling, Prince Michael II or "Blanket," who was born to an unidentified surrogate mother.
  
Rowe filed a petition in 2001 to give up her parental rights but later reversed her decision and secured visitation rights.
  
Rowe's lawyer Eric George later told reporters in a conference call Thursday no final decision had been made.
  
The investigation into Jackson's death has zeroed in over the star's possible role of prescription medications.
  
A law enforcement source confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that propofol, powerful sedative commonly used as a general anaesthetic, had been found by investigators at Jackson's home.
 

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