Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Ordered To Stand Trial

Murray faces manslaughter charges in the singer's death; his medical license has also been suspended.
By Kara Warner


Dr. Conrad Murray
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

Dr. Conrad Murray has been ordered to stand trial for manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.

According to The Associated Press, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor made the decision after a six-day preliminary hearing during which witnesses testified that the Houston cardiologist administered a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and other sedatives then left the pop star unmonitored.

During the course of the hearing, testimony was given that Murray ordered hundreds of bottles of propofol in the months before Jackson's death. The AP report also cited the fact that the prosecutors concluded their case with testimony from two doctors who said Murray acted outside the standard of medical care when he administered propofol and failed to provide proper care.

Other damning testimony included that of Jackson's bodyguard, who said that on the morning of the singer's death, it appeared that Murray didn't know how to administer CPR to his dying patient.

Judge Pastor also granted a request by the California Medical Board to suspend Murray's license to practice medicine in the state. Pastor said he made the decision in the interest of public safety and ordered Murray to notify every district in which he practices of the decision within 24 hours. Murray has clinics in Houston and Las Vegas.

Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have argued that he did not give Jackson anything that should have killed him. Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655755/michael-jackson-doctor-conrad-murray-ordered-stand-trial.jhtml

K. D. Aubert Karen Carreno Karolína Kurková Kasey Chambers Kat Von D

Lauryn Hill Announces More Moving Target Tour Dates

Former Fugees frontwoman also launches Twitter account.
By James Dinh


Lauryn Hill

After wrapping up her first outing in years, Lauryn Hill is keeping her comeback momentum going strong by announcing the second leg of her tour, Moving Target: Extended Intimate Playdate Series.

Beginning Wednesday, the former Fugees frontwoman will kick off the 12-date outing in Florida before making her way to the West Coast, then wrapping up in May at the New Orleans jazz festival. More dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Like the first leg of the tour, Hill is making sure to visit smaller venues to give fans a more intimate experience. "One of the benefits of playing venues smaller than the ones I'm used to allows me the opportunity to not only reconnect with my supporters but to expose them to a portion of the musical journey I've been on which the world for the most part has not had access to," the 35-year-old singer said in a statement. "I've never shied away from being musically adventurous, nor am I known for being a lightweight when it comes to lyrical content or musical exploration."

The elusive singer/rapper also opened up about her hiatus from the big stage, admitting that she's still in the process of regaining all of her performance skills.

"Getting back out there to perform is a lot like resuming a strenuous sport after having been away from it for a while, but eventually the muscle memory kicks in, and each day brings progressive strength. It's an exciting and real process which these audiences will get to witness," she continued.

While Hill has remained shy of press in recent years, the iconic MC has launched a Twitter account to keep fans updated on the latest news and updates for the tour. The account hasn't yet been verified.

Lauryn Hill's Moving Target: Extended Intimate Playdate Series tour dates:

» 3/16 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
» 3/19 - Miami, FL @ Jazz in the Gardens Festival
» 3/23 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
» 3/26 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
» 3/30 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
» 4/3 - Oahu, HI @ Aloha Tower
» 4/9 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Hall
» 4/12 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
» 4/15 - Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
» 4/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
» 4/23 - Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
» 5/7 - New Orleans, LA @ Jazz and Heritage Festival

Are you excited to see Lauryn Hill on the second leg of her comeback tour? Tell us in the comments below!

Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659754/lauyrn-hill-tour-dates-twitter.jhtml

Emma Stone Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum

'Prometheus' Star Noomi Rapace Talks Character Details, 'Alien' Connection

Rapace says her character is 'very much her own,' despite sharing similarities to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Noomi Rapace
Photo: Mike Marsland/ WireImage

Despite spin that "Prometheus," Ridley Scott's upcoming sci-fi flick that returns the director to his "Alien" roots, is not a prequel to the franchise he helped launch in 1979, some of the stars of the new film apparently beg to differ. Actor Michael Fassbender told us last month that the new movie shares "a definite connecting vein" with the previous films.

And now "Prometheus" co-star Noomi Rapace has seconded that assessment. When MTV News recently asked the Swedish actress about the definitive "Alien" connection, she answered, simply, "Yeah, yeah."

Yet Rapace emphasized that her character, a scientist named Elizabeth Shaw, is not some knock off of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley — the take-no-crap hero of the original "Alien" movies.

"She's definitely her own," Rapace said of Shaw. "She's a scientist and she's very bright and she's a believer. They have some similarities, but she's very much her own. I don't think people will compare [her] so much to Ripley when they see her. Ripley was a hero for me."

MTV News spoke with Rapace in January on the set of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," a film that will mark a sort of Hollywood coming-out party for the star of the Swedish-language "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" films. After finishing up work on "Sherlock," Rapace was anticipating beginning "Prometheus" in March for a shoot that could run into the early fall, ahead of a March 9, 2012, theatrical release. Before then, however, she and Scott have work to do in simply developing the character of Shaw.

"I have many ideas and he has many ideas, and now we try to find her," the actress told us. "I will step into her shoes in March and be here for six months, so it's quite a long shoot."

Check out everything we've got on "Prometheus."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659340/noomi-rapace-alien.jhtml

Laura Harring Laura Prepon Lauren Bush Lauren Conrad Lauren German

Ronnie James Dio Dead at 67

Today, the heavy metal world lost a true legend. Ronnie James Dio, who most recently fronted the Black Sabbath-without-Ozzy band Heaven & Hell, lost his battle with stomach cancer at 7:45 a.m. PST. He was 67. ?My heart is broken,? said his wife and manager, Wendy Dio in a statement. ?Many, many friends and family were [...]

Source: http://blog.mtvmusic.com/2010/05/16/ronnie-james-dio-dead-at-67/

Nadine Velazquez Naomi Watts Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Portman Natalie Zea