Jacksons vs AEG - Day 6 - May 7 2013 - Summary
Katherine Jackson and Trent Jackson was in court.
Cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter testimony
Jackson direct
Cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter testifying as an expert witness for Katherine Jackson.
He is a Yale Medical School Graduate and has practiced in Southern California since 1985(ABC7) Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter, who has taught at Yale and UCLA and practices in Santa Monica (LATimes)
During the morning session, Dr. W testified about elements of the contract, including descriptions of med equipment included in the contract(AP)
Murray's agreement to close down his Las Vegas clinic to work full time for Jackson created a conflict, he said. The agreement said Murray could lose his job if the tour was delayed or canceled. (CNN) "It meant that Dr. Murray was entirely dependent on the continuation of the tour for his income," he said. (CNN)
Wohlgelernter also said he was troubled by a section of Murray’s contract that said the doctor was to “Perform the Services reasonably requested by the Producer,” which was AEG. That meant Murray was “responsible and accountable to a third party, namely AEG Live,” Wohlgelernter said, not his patient, leading to a conflict of interest. (LATimes)
Dr. Wohlgelernter testified that Propofol needs to be administered by an Anesthesiologist who is properly trained.(ABC7) Wohlgelernter testified that propofol should be given only in a hospital setting and administered by an anesthesiologist because there is a risk the patient can stop breathing. (LATimes)
Cardiologists, like Murray, “are not competent to administer propofol,” he said. (LATimes)
Wohlgelernter said Murray "was not fit and competent in so far as he administered medications he was not trained and credentialed to administer and administered them in a whole unsatisfactory environment." (LATimes)
Dr. Wohlgelernter said Murray was not the right doctor - not appropriately trained for what MJ had substance abuse, addiction, and a sleep disorder (ABC7)
"Michael Jackson had a history of substance abuse, addiction to medications and sleep disturbance," he said, not heart or cardiovascular problems.(CNN)
Wohlgelernter said Murray did not have the appropriate training to serve as Jackson's physician for the "This Is It" tour. Instead of a cardiologist like Murray, the expert witness said that Jackson needed a doctor who was trained in addiction medicine, substance abuse and sleep disorders.SinceJackson had no evidence of heart disease, Murray was not an appropriate choice to treat him, the witness said. (LATimes)
Attorneys for both sides told the panel last week that Jackson suffered from longstanding prescription drug addiction issues, which Wohlgelernter said Murray had no formal training on how to treat. The former cardiologist was also unqualified to administer propofol, the powerful anesthetic that killed Jackson. (AP)
Wohlgelernter called Murray's treating of Jackson “a mismatch. It’s not what he needs.”(LATimes)
"For Michael Jackson, given that he had no history of heart disease... a cardiologist's experience and skills and credentials would not be appropriate."It's a mismatch, it's not what he needs," he said, adding: "My opinion is that Dr. Murray was not an appropriate choice to serve as Michael Jackson's physician on the 'This is It' tour. It's not the right doctor for this patient." (AFP)
Wohlgelernter said the fact that Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist, shut his practice to care only for Jackson, who had no history of heart problems, “that to me is a red flag,” Wohlgelernter said. He asked why Murray would “leave what he was doing for a patient who doesn’t need his services?” (LATimes)
The physician said he and Murray had received much of the same types of training over the courses of their careers, but that only anesthesiologists should administer propofol and that treating addiction or insomnia requires specialized training. (AP).
Jackson lawyer: Do you believe Conrad Murray was competent and fit for AEG to hire?
Dr. Wohlgelernter: No. (ABC7)
Doctor testified he thought Dr. Murray not up to the Standard of care because of his only admission that MJ had stopped breathing. Dr. Wohlgelernter said Dr. Murray should have opened an airway but instead chose chest compressions. (ABC7)
He testified that Murray gave MJ incorrect treatment when he noticed the singer had stopped breathing as a result of Propofol Murray had administered.(LATimes)
Wohlgelernter told the jurors that Murray improperly focused on Jackson's heart when the singer stopped breathing after receiving propofol and other drugs on the morning of June 25, 2009. (AP). Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter said that Murray used chest compressions when he saw that Jackson was in distress, rather than focusing on getting his breathing restarted.(LATimes)
"My opinion is that Conrad Murray repeatedly failed (to meet) the standard of care in his treatment of Michael Jackson," he said. (AFP)
Wohlgelernter said Murray made repeated mistakes, including using propofol outside of a hospital, leaving Jackson unattended, focusing on his heart rather than breathing when he found him apparently lifeless, and delaying calling 911. (AFP)
"My opinion is that these departures from the standard of care... were a substantial factor in the death of Michael Jackson," said the senior cardiologist, brought as a witness by Katherine Jackson's lawyers.(AFP)
AEG Cross
AEG attorney Cahan tried to get Dr. W. to change his opinion that Murray was unqualified to treat addiction, sleep issues. Dr. W. stuck to his opinion that Murray was unqualified to treat Jackson. He did say Murray was qualified as an internal medicine. (AP)
Under cross-examination by AEG attorney Kathryn Cahan, Wohlgelernter testified that Murray's training and credentials were reputable and he appeared to be a competent internal medicine physician. (AP)
Dr. W. was also asked about Dr. Murray’s training and education. He said Murray studied, trained at respectable institutions. (AP)
Wohlgelernter, however, said Jackson's request for Murray to be his doctor and Murray's desire to leave other patients behind to work with the singer should have caused AEG some concern. Wohlgelernter said the company should have asked why the two men wanted to work with each other.(AP)
The witness also said that Murray’s request for a CPR machine, written into his contract, a device used when patients undergo heart surgery, should have raised questions. “What is this doctor planning to do?” Wohlgelernter asked. “What are his treatment plans in taking care of Michael Jackson?”(LATimes)
Another warning, he said, was Jackson’s request for Murray, considering the singer’s background with drug use. “It’s a red flag to the extent thatMichael Jackson has a history of substance abuse and addiction that he specifically is requesting a given doctor who has no training in any of those areas.… What is the nature of this relationship? Why do these two want each other?” (LATimes)
Cahan asked Dr. W. to testify about Murray’s proposed contract w/ AEG. Doctor said he wasn’t qualified to testify about its elements.(AP)
On Cross - Contract shows that Dr. Murray was hired to be MJ's General Practitioner. (ABC7)
The contract shown was only signed by Dr. Murray not by AEG or MJ. Dr. Wohlgelernter did no know if Dr. Murray was ever paid.(ABC7)
Dr. W. said he has never administered propofol and he’s never written a patient a prescription for propofol. (AP)
Cahan asked Dr. W. about whether he’d heard of different classes of doctors and internists administering propofol. Dr. W. said no each time. Dr. W. also said he’d never heard of an anesthesiologist administering propofol in a residence. (AP)
Cahan Asked Dr. W. similar questions about CPR. He said it was reasonable to expect a cardiologist, internist, etc. to give proper CPR.(AP)
AEG attorney Kathryn Cahan did ask Dr. W. if the company could have asked Murray about Jackson's medical conditions. Dr. Wohlgelernter said they couldn't have because of HIPPA, the medical privacy law. (AP) Jackson's med info could have been disclosed with a waiver, he said.(AP)
Dr. W. concluded his testimony by saying he wasn't aware of any investigation AEG did into Murray's background. (AP)