tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post3329720170098172435..comments2023-09-15T04:27:57.129-04:00Comments on Commentarama: Michael Jackson--In Perspective (2nd Saturday Update)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-89664857648347493802009-07-06T18:54:34.061-04:002009-07-06T18:54:34.061-04:00LawHawk: Maybe i'm a naive, mid-western girl,...LawHawk: Maybe i'm a naive, mid-western girl, so, this prescription drug thing has me perplexed. How is it that MJ (among others) gets all of these doctors to write him scripts under all of these ficticious names? Isn't a visit to the office for an examination and an evaluation of the patient's medical records a requirement before addictive, dangerous drugs can be prescribed? And, of course, i would hope if any physician did see MJ face to face, they would recognize him, know his name wasn't "John Smith", and not prescribe an alka seltzer to him in any name but his own. But, LawHawk, that's what is being reported and i just don't see how this kind of "care" is allowed to happen to such wealthy, connected people. Anyone else would be up on charges of prescription fraud, wouldn't they? Doctor and patient. <br />Oh, and you are so right about the hangers-on. The poor kids are going to be the object of the scum now. Can you believe that the CPS stated that they will be interviewing the children today or tomorrow (i can't recall) to ensure that they are not being exposed to any illicit drug use? Isn't the said illicit drug user DEAD? Way to be on the case California CPS!! You've known about possible prescription drug abuse by MJ since 2005's investigation. Perhaps, someone should be pointing a finger at the Santa Barbara's Sheriff Dept. and CPS for not following up on this issue THEN possibly forcing MJ to seek treatment to regain custody of his children that are such a concern of CPS now!! But, i'm sure that the media frenzy surrounding the serving of 2005's search warrant, and the excitement of arresting a twice accused celebrity pedophile would erradicate any concerns about the enormous amount of prescription drugs that were found during the search, or that the small children of the accused pedophile/drug addict might be in danger from suspected drug abuse by the father. Small potatos as far as publicity goes, i guess. It was only prescription drugs after all. No big deal, right?packerfaninbhchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11753285211193205686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-45862286947015324812009-06-28T18:07:01.610-04:002009-06-28T18:07:01.610-04:00Andrew: That black market includes too many kids. ...Andrew: That black market includes too many kids. The public service announcement series I mentioned refers to that. There's a teenage boy organizing and marketing his parents' prescription drugs that he simply took out of the medicine cabinet.<br /><br />AcesAndEights: I didn't get the point of that Big Hollywood column you referred to at all (apparently I wasn't the only one). Starting with the "Exclusive" it went downhill fast. First, it's an exclusive from a source that is about as reliable as Wikipedia. Then he breathlessly announces that Rowe will say that Jackson was not the father of their kids. A lawyer should know better than to publish that kind of salacious gossip when it has no legal value--only "shock" value. That's why I carefully pointed out, before he ever posted that column, that Rowe is the mother under California law, so it doesn't matter what she says about Jackson being the father. And besides, under California law, Jackson's the legal father anyway because the kids were born during the marriage. So what was the guy's point? That was National Enquirer material.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-26102553994931396742009-06-28T16:46:55.446-04:002009-06-28T16:46:55.446-04:00I've been reading yours, Andrew's and Bev&...I've been reading yours, Andrew's and Bev's comments over at Big Hollywood. The last few days I noticed that Commentarama's posts were more on-point and better organized than theirs. The Jackson articles and comments over there were weird and not very well thought out. I commented on the lawyer's post over there because his article just threw a custody issue out that didn't go anywhere or answer anything. Hours earlier, your post had already covered it, and did a better job.AcesAndEightsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-74765048518064056932009-06-27T15:01:24.693-04:002009-06-27T15:01:24.693-04:00Lawhawk,
I don't remeber that particularly, b...Lawhawk,<br /><br />I don't remeber that particularly, but I can tell you that it is a common trick for addicts to use different doctors to keep them in the dark. Moreover, there is a very active "black market" in prescription drugs out there.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-66929332579475153992009-06-27T14:21:26.117-04:002009-06-27T14:21:26.117-04:00Andrew and Packerfan: I just remembered something...Andrew and Packerfan: I just remembered something from the Santa Barbara molestation trial. Three witnesses testified that at the "crime scene" huge amounts of dangerous prescription drugs were found in drawers and cabinets, both in and out of the notorious "kid's room." A large percentage of those drugs were found to have been prescribed by multiple physicians not associated with each other, and <i>prescribed for persons other than Michael Jackson</i>. Now I wonder how much of that type of thing will come up in the current investigation.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-21380049514052130632009-06-27T12:58:30.740-04:002009-06-27T12:58:30.740-04:00Andrew: Please allow me to reinforce what you sai...Andrew: Please allow me to reinforce what you said. It can't be said enough. <b>IF YOU HAVE KIDS, YOU MUST HAVE A WILL!</b><br /><br />In California (and most states), the will cannot determine custody, although some weight can be given to the testator's wishes, particularly if it leads the court to find the other natural parent unfit. But when it comes to distributing the assets of the estate, it can be the difference between inconvenience and disaster. Hire a good estate planning attorney. And <b>set up trusts</b>. The kids in this case are likely going to be the subject of a bitter custody battle, but worse, there's a substantial chance they will also end up destitute if there were no trusts set up for their future.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-4047587035034528792009-06-27T12:50:20.662-04:002009-06-27T12:50:20.662-04:00Patti: From what is coming out right now, it seem...Patti: From what is coming out right now, it seems he wasn't even renting the house. The promoters (AEG) were paying for that. Although the natural mother is entitled to the "rebuttable presumption" of custody, it's no guarantee of it. It will, indeed, be a battle royal. There's even a "surrogate parentage" issue involved.<br /><br />Bev and StanH: Suicide is a possibility, but we're a long way from knowing with any certainty that this, or even an accidental self-administered overdose occurred. We've got a long wait, including the doctor's interview and the final toxicology report.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-63707413432919573752009-06-27T12:40:55.349-04:002009-06-27T12:40:55.349-04:00Packerfaninbhc: The entire mess surrounding this ...Packerfaninbhc: The entire mess surrounding this death is indicative of just how dangerous hangers-on can be. The average guy trusts his own instincts, but celebrities seem to think that they're paying good money for these people, so someone will always take care of them. No such luck. As for prescription drugs, you are so right. That message is finally starting to show up on TV public service announcements. I hope they get that message across.<br /><br />StanH: I think Andrew is probably right. Jackson probably wouldn't even think of life insurance, so what there was is probably owned by AEG to protect their interests (another reason they were paying for an on-site doctor?). As for the debt, we're a long way from knowing how bad it is. The figure that keeps getting thrown around right now is $500 million, and how much of his "future earnings" from the already-soaring sales belong to the estate is entirely unclear.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-66109443787052386772009-06-27T12:29:02.732-04:002009-06-27T12:29:02.732-04:00Bev: I think it does come as a surprise to most p...Bev: I think it does come as a surprise to most people that paramedics are better at emergency treatment in the field than most doctors. This may turn out to be slightly different in that this doctor appears to be a cardio-pulmonary board certified doctor <i>in residence</i> with Jackson. A G.P. with no prior experience with CPR or the particular patient would and should rely on the emergency medical teams. But this doctor was on-site, knew the patient and his history, and yet didn't have a portable defribillator available. Of course, we really don't know any of this for absolute fact, so I guess we should defer judgment for now. My question is "why there was a cardio-pulmonary specialist on-site in the first place?"LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-50322094731149741082009-06-27T11:40:23.702-04:002009-06-27T11:40:23.702-04:00Stanh, Any insurance held by the promoter will not...Stanh, Any insurance held by the promoter will not be part of the estate. As for future earnings, the problem becomes that others may hold the rights. Again, only speculation, but if, for example, Sony owns the rights to his music, then they get the earnings from that music, and the estate gets nothing. We'll have to wait and see what he really "owned", but if he managed his affairs as poorly as it sounds, don't be surprised if the kids get a pat on the head and that's it.<br /><br /><br />Patti, if he didn't leave a will detailing where the children go, they will most likely be given to the mother by the state -- barring some nasty legal fight.<br /><br /><b>If you have kids, always always have a will.</b><br /><br /><br />packerfan, if this doctor was writing him all of the prescriptions I'm hearing about, then this guy is in real trouble. However, it's possible that Jackson was using different doctors to get his prescriptions -- I've had clients who do that. They would even visit ER's looking for pain medication.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-73056657949121349252009-06-27T11:37:13.186-04:002009-06-27T11:37:13.186-04:00StanH - Suicide was my first reaction, but then it...StanH - Suicide was my first reaction, but then it also depends on your definition of "suicide". I think habitual taking a cocktail of lethal prescription drugs is suicidal, but, as one of my friends put it - Narcissists do not commit suicide.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-40239962570191809782009-06-27T10:58:53.162-04:002009-06-27T10:58:53.162-04:00i wondered about the kiddos. knowing little info ...i wondered about the kiddos. knowing little info about the mom, i imagined the jackson's would assume custody. this is going to get ugly fast. <br /><br />i also thought that his estate handlers (there's my sad attempt at legal lingo) must be sorry the house he died in was a rental. no turning it into another graceland. "and here's where he was administered the lethal does....allegedly." or burying him in the backyard.pattihttp://www.notawonk.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-9338979595886181282009-06-27T10:52:11.341-04:002009-06-27T10:52:11.341-04:00I’m not sure of the numbers but Elvis has generate...I’m not sure of the numbers but Elvis has generated hundreds of millions since his death thirty two years ago, and his daughter sold the rights to Elvis recently for a hundred million, less with Hendrix but similar. Also you would guess that concert promotion company in Britain had Key Man insurance to cover their exposure, and I know we are pooling ignorance but, if Sony’s debt is secured with the Beatles catalog, and he has real good life insurance in a sick purely business overview he may be better off dead? One caveat that I haven’t heard is “suicide,” that would muck things up good? Lots of possibilities here.StanHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-59194413443669874192009-06-27T08:11:24.916-04:002009-06-27T08:11:24.916-04:00Another untimely, but not unexpected, celebrity de...Another untimely, but not unexpected, celebrity death. When will these flim-flam quacks be held responsible for these deaths? I cannot fathom how another talented person, such as Michael Jackson, was left in the medical care of a "doctor" who does not even know CPR!! As for all the meds that were allegedly found, I hope they set a precedent here and throw the book at any doctor that may have been over medicating Mr. Jackson because it was financially beneficial to do so. <br />If anything good is to come of this, i hope people finally realize that prescription drugs are just as deadly as street drugs, and the doctors that allow prescription drug dependency or dangerous mixtures, are drug dealers of the worst kind. They are TRUSTED.packerfaninbhchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11753285211193205686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-63980206014051523862009-06-27T07:15:13.719-04:002009-06-27T07:15:13.719-04:00Thanks Hawk. Great article as usual. Shocking as...Thanks Hawk. Great article as usual. Shocking as all of this is, is anyone really surprised at his sudden death?<br /><br />Also I don't want to scare anyone, but you should know that just because someone is a doctor does not mean that they are trained in CPR or how to use an AED (automatic external defibillator). More often than not, they are trained to call 911 unless there are "Good Samaritan" laws in the state. I don't know any doctors (and I know many) who carry around AEDs. Liability risk is too high.<br /><br />I would bet that Jackson did not have any kind of heart condition, but he was taking a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs. His lawyer all but screamed that at reporters in what little coverage I did see.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-28499669152326013592009-06-27T00:25:55.384-04:002009-06-27T00:25:55.384-04:00StanH: As Andrew said, there are so many nooks and...StanH: As Andrew said, there are so many nooks and crannies where money and debt are hiding that it's impossible at this time to decide what his estate is worth--if anything. Take a quick look at the Anna Nicole Smith case to get an idea. Secured creditors. Unsecured creditors. Future earnings. State courts fighting for jurisdiction. The federal courts, including the bankruptcy court making contrary decisions. Custody fights (actually for control of the estate). As Andrew said, I hope somebody somewhere had the good sense to set up unbreakable trusts for the kids, or they are going to find out what true poverty is like. Presley was broke, but Jackson was so far in the hole that any future earnings might also be wiped out by debt. He had the same understanding of economics that Obama has.<br /><br />WriterX: I'm surprised it isn't already written, with just the final chapter to be completed. The vampires will be busy tonight.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-57901606606170372762009-06-26T23:39:45.036-04:002009-06-26T23:39:45.036-04:00StanH, If it was a secured debt (by a lien), then ...StanH, If it was a secured debt (by a lien), then chances are that they will receive the catalog and still have a claim for "the excess debt" against the rest of the estate. If not, they could be lumped with all the other creditors.<br /><br />Ironically, now that he's dead, a lot of his own assets may have shot up in value, which may ultimately help his creditors.<br /><br />In any event, his kids better hope that he had very smart people set up trusts for them, or they could be very poor, very soon.<br /><br /><br />Writer X, I am not surprised. I wonder how long it will take them to write the book?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-71881873202105096712009-06-26T23:25:10.495-04:002009-06-26T23:25:10.495-04:00There was a report today that his debt was in the ...There was a report today that his debt was in the tune of Five Hundred Million, wow. His largest hard asset is the Beatles catalog that he has hocked to Sony Entertainment, I would recon that they would be first in line? If that’s true his real worth will take time to develop like Elvis or Hendrix who were both essentially broke at the time of their deaths. It’s going to be a real mess.StanHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-32393958951518902902009-06-26T23:13:57.032-04:002009-06-26T23:13:57.032-04:00Independent publisher John Blake has already commi...Independent publisher John Blake has already commissioned his biography (thebookseller.com). Has it been 24 hours yet? Sheesh...Writer Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16505411188186283813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-45729923866258463122009-06-26T22:59:33.472-04:002009-06-26T22:59:33.472-04:00Andrew: Thanks. Now I know why reporters get int...Andrew: Thanks. Now I know why reporters get into trouble (well, at least should get into trouble). It's hard to sort through an avalanche of information and glean out only those things that are fact, or subject to genuine speculation preceded by a caveat that "this is just a wild guess." The simple truth is, we've only seen the very beginnings of what this is going to turn into.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-38280513262312662162009-06-26T22:19:56.911-04:002009-06-26T22:19:56.911-04:00Lawhawk, thanks for a very a detailed and intellig...Lawhawk, thanks for a very a detailed and intelligent discussion of the on-going process that we can expect. I haven't seen anyone else outline this. Indeed, the MSM seems more interested in tributes or wild speculation.<br /><br />Nice work.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-71552407726784285062009-06-26T22:06:49.297-04:002009-06-26T22:06:49.297-04:00StlDan: If they held off out of fear of Jackson&#...StlDan: If they held off out of fear of Jackson's financial power, they may come in by the droves. And even when there has been a legal agreement not to talk, an underlying criminal act may void that contract, or modify its terms. I suspect we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-85656969819983822772009-06-26T22:02:51.364-04:002009-06-26T22:02:51.364-04:00Thanks Lawhawk, I also wonder how many claims will...Thanks Lawhawk, I also wonder how many claims will be made on the Estate for past and unreported cases of child molestation?StlDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14962630369585325054noreply@blogger.com