Nevada Judge Unseals Some Jackson Doctor Warrants
Updated 8:15 PM EDT, Wed, Oct 21, 2009
A Nevada judge released warrant documents Wednesday similar to those previously disclosed in the investigation of pop singer Michael Jackson's death.
However, Clark County District Court Judge Valerie Adair decided to keep other documents sealed for at least 30 more days at the request of police conducting a homicide investigation.
Adair refused to disclose documents relating to an Aug. 11 search of a Las Vegas pharmacy where authorities say Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, bought the powerful anesthetic propofol.
The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Jackson's death a homicide, caused primarily by propofol and another sedative. Murray has not been charged with a crime but is the focus of the probe.
Lawyers representing The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, TMZ Productions Inc. of Los Angeles and Stephens Media LLC, the parent company of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, are seeking the release of all search warrant documents relating to the Jackson case in Nevada.
After reviewing affidavits and hearing closed-door testimony from a police detective, Adair said she was convinced that releasing documents involving the search of Applied Pharmacy Services "could compromise the Los Angeles Police Department's ongoing investigation into the homicide of Michael Jackson."
She ordered a Nov. 18 hearing to determine whether there is continued justification to keep the search warrant sealed.
Adair had been expected to release documents stemming from other raids July 28 at Murray's home, office and storage unit in Las Vegas.
A Clark County prosecutor has said the state wasn't opposed to releasing those records, since the documents contained information already made public after searches at Murray's offices in Houston and Los Angeles.
Murray, a cardiologist licensed in Nevada, Texas and California, was hired to be the pop star's personal physician during a world tour.
Affidavits already made public show Murray told investigators that he gave Jackson propofol as a sleep aid, along with multiple sedatives, in the hours before the 50-year-old pop singer died June 25 in a rented Los Angeles mansion.
A warrant application filed in Clark County District Court following the Aug. 11 search at the Las Vegas pharmacy said detectives hoped to find records including credit card receipts, shipping orders or mailing lists showing Murray or his employees bought prescription medications "including but not limited to" propofol.
After a 90-minute search, investigators seized only paperwork, the warrant said. No details were provided.
Copyright Access Hollywood
First Published: Oct 21, 2009 6:46 PM EDT
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