The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles federal court. Although it has been reported that the lawsuit seeks more than $75,000 in damages, that figure is mentioned only because it is the minimum amount necessary to file in federal court for this type of case.

(If a lawsuit is between parties of different states, the amount at issue must exceed $75,000 to file in federal court.)

Here is the bizarre part about this …. something not picked up by the general media:

In federal court a civil jury verdict must be unanimous.

Joe Jackson could have filed in California state court, where only 9 of 12 jurors must reach a decision.

Moreover, the downtown state courthouse in Los Angeles is known in legal circles as the ‘cash register’ – not just because of how it looks, but how verdicts can be awarded.

Maybe Jackson’s attorney believed he couldn’t get the downtown courthouse because of where MJ lived. But choosing federal court over state court is an odd decision. California wrongful death law will be applied, not federal law.

We’ll see how this turns out.

Conrad Murray is a cardiologist with offices in Houston and Las Vegas and Houston. Murray was supposed to take care of Michael Jackson in preparation for the London “This Is It” tour.

Murray was in Michael Jackson’s home when Michael died. Conrad supposedly tried to revive Michael after finding him unconscious.

The Michael Jackson autopsy found he died from acute propofol intoxication. Propofol is a medication that is supposed to be given and overseen by a medical professional. The only known medical professional present was Conrad Murray.

Michael Jackson’s Death Certificate

The reason this is an initial and incomplete death certificate is that no place of final disposition is listed.

You will see the reference to Forest Lawn and that this is ‘temp’ or temporary.

Per California law, however, this is not a valid death certificate to permit burial or other disposition!

California Health and Safety Code Section 102875(a)(6) states that a death certificate must contain:

“Disposition of body information including signature and license number of embalmer if body embalmed or name of embalmer if affixed by attorney-in-fact; name of funeral director, or person acting as such; and date and place of interment or removal.”

Michael Jackson was embalmed even though this was also a coroner’s case. Some of the embalming information has been blacked out, but the embalmer’s license number has not been blacked out – # 8473.

According to the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau in Sacramento, embalming license number 8473 belongs to Jesus Miguel Ruiz.

No place of interment is listed. A ‘temp’ place could be a church. A ‘temporary’ location is not a proper location on a California death certificate.

California Health and Safety Code Section 7009 defines “Interment”:

“‘Interment’ means the disposition of human remains by entombment or burial in a cemetery or, in the case of cremated remains, by inurnment, placement or burial in a cemetery, or burial at sea [].”

“Temp” is not a valid disposition.

Dr. Conrad Murray is a 1989 graduate from the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine.

He is licensed by the State of California as a physician and surgeon practicing in Las Vegas.

The Meharry Medical College is a historically black medical college in Nashville, Tennessee. The medical college is associated with the United Methodist Church.

Dr. Conrad Murray is licensed by the State of Nevada as a cardiologist. A cardiologist if a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart.

While Michael Jackson’s medical affairs have always been kept private, or as private as possible, the fact that he had a personal cardiologist obviously begs the question of why he would need a cardiologist.

Especially since heart issues are apparently involved in the cause of death.

While an initial AP investigation reveals that Dr. Murray’s company, Global Cardiovascular Associates, has recently had several adverse court judgments (in a total amount of $400,000) and has at least two other pending lawsuits.

However, none of those actions appear to involve medical care.

There is, however, obviously more to this story, as it is now known that Michael was under the care of not just any general doctor, but a cardiologist.

michael-jackson-911-call

Interestingly, it is very ‘dry’ call – no emotional urgency.  No mention of who the call is being made about.

Demerol is a potentially addictive narcotic pain relieve that is similar to morphine.  It is used to treat moderate-to-severe pain.

According to published drug information, an overdose of Demerol can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.

Demerol is the name used to sell what is officially known as meperidine hydrocholoride.  The drug is manufactured by Sanofi-Synthelabo, Inc.

According to doctors Philip Small and Russell Weinstein, an overdose of Demerol can cause death.  They reported this in a professional article published in the September,  1965 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology.

In 1984, a New York jury found a doctor liable for a patient’s death by improperly prescribing Demerol.

David Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy, reportedly died from taking an overdose of Demerol and other narcotics.

As noted at one web forum, on April 7, 2009, “I cannot stress enough that an overdose of Demerol can cause death.  So seek medical attention immediately if you think you’ve taken too much!”

In the November 1997 edition of Playboy, Brett Favre said that he was prescribed Demerol and afterward he had a seizure, which he blamed on a lack of sleep caused by the drug.

Demerol has a long history, over many decades establishing it is a safe drug, when prescribed properly.

The unknown answer to the question at this point is whether Michael Jackson was properly and safely being prescribed with Demerol.