Ronnie

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Michael Jackson Doctor's Trial Delayed

Judge pushes start of Conrad Murray's trial back to May.
By Gil Kaufman

Conrad Murray
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Though Conrad Murray's lawyers had been pressing for a speedy trial, a judge in the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's doctor ruled on Wednesday to delay opening statements in the proceedings until May.

The Associated Press reported that Murray's attorneys consented to the postponement after they discussed the matter with prosecutors and both agreed they could be ready for trial by May 9.

According to a transcript from the closed-door session, though opening statements will not begin for several months, Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor that he did not want to forfeit his right to a quick trial, but agreed to the delay if screening of prospective jurors begins as scheduled on March 24.

"It is only acceptable to me if this is not strung along over a long period of time," Murray told the justice. "I don't want to lose my constitutional right to speedy trial." Murray — who has pleaded not guilty to the charges — reportedly has been in favor of having the proceedings begin as soon as possible because he is facing financial troubles, but he said he understands that the delay is necessary to allow both sides to prepare for the trial.

Pastor consented because he said he didn't want to lose a jury pool, and believed a month-long delay might let potential jurors shuffle their schedules for the case, which could take up to two months to decide. The judge has reportedly clashed with Murray's defense team in recent weeks, pressing them for answers about why they had not turned over more witness notes and other potential evidence to prosecutors in the run-up to the trial.

Cardiologist Murray was hired to be Jackson's personal physician while the King of Pop prepared for his planned 50-date comeback series of shows at London's O2 arena in the summer of 2009. The doctor told police that he provided the then-50-year-old Jackson with sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol in order to combat the singer's chronic insomnia. He said he did so on the morning of June 25, 2009, when Jackson died of what a coroner deemed acute propofol poisoning.

Murray's lawyers reportedly plan to argue that Jackson was already in weak health before he died, that it's unfair to blame propofol for his passing and that, if the anesthetic was to blame, the pop superstar may have given himself the fatal dose by drinking the drug in a panic.

A status hearing in the case has been set for this Wednesday.

Related Videos

Remembering Michael Jackson

Related Photos

Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

Related Artists

Michael Jackson

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659100/conrad-murray-trial.jhtml

Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz Coco Lee Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru

Friday, April 1, 2011

'The Hangover Part II': Watch The Full Trailer!

Not a prank, not a joke ? though in fairness, you're bound to see a lot of both here.

The full-length trailer for "The Hangover: Part II" has arrived, appropriately enough, on April Fools' Day. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha are back for another round of hung over shenanigans, this time [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/04/01/the-hangover-part-ii-trailer/

Sarah Gellman Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Mutch Sarah Polley Sarah Shahi

Chris Brown Recalls Making Justin Bieber 'Kind Of Mad'

F.A.M.E. singer was late to their 'Next 2 You' recording session.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Rebecca Thomas

Chris Brown
Photo: MTV News

Aside from his latest controversy, Chris Brown is back with F.A.M.E., which stands for "Forgiving All My Enemies" and "Fans Are My Everything." On the new album, Brown has some choice features from stars such as Lil Wayne, Tyga, Ludacris and Justin Bieber.

"Working with Wayne is always incredible," said Brown, whose "Beautiful People" video premiered Tuesday on MTV's "The Seven." "I've had Wayne on every single album I've done. ... Being able to work with these guys is incredible. I build most of my collaborations off of just the relationships that I've built with these guys over the years and then new relationships, like Justin Bieber."

Brown told MTV News that it was awesome getting Bieber on board for "Next 2 You." Brown became interested in featuring the teen star on his album after the duo worked on the remix to Bieber's track "Up," which was featured on Never Say Never - The Remixes.

"Being able to collab with [Bieber] was great," Brown said. "He's a young, energetic cat, so being able to work with him, with the fanbase he has, was incredible. I know a lot of little girls are going to love this record.

"I wouldn't say [he's] my protégé. He's doing his thing at a young age, and I was doing mine at a young age, so being able to see him come up is dope."

Brown explained that the two of them didn't quite get into the studio together, however.

"I actually stood him up on accident," Brown recalled. "He was kind of mad ... I was all the way on the other side of town handling some business, 'girl business,' and I was rushing back, and by that time, he's like, 'Man, I'm leaving, bro. I did it — just check it out.' And I looked at it and listened to it and I was like, 'Man, this is crazy.' ... He's a great kid."

Which F.A.M.E. collaboration are you most looking forward to hearing? Tell us below!

Related Videos

MTV News Extended Play: Chris Brown

Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory

Photos | Best And Worst Grammy Fashions

Best And Worst Grammy Fashions

Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin

Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.
By Chris Harris

Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.

Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.

On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.

"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."

Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.

"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."

DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.

"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."

As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.

"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."

While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?

"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."

Related Photos

Stone Temple Pilots Launch 2008 Tour At L.A.'s Harry Houdini Estate

Rihanna Robin Tunney Rosario Dawson Rose Byrne Rose McGowan

Wiz Khalifa Says Snoop Dogg Advises Him To 'Boss Up'

Rapper opens up about 'High School' collaborator on 'RapFix Live.'
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Wiz Khalifa
Photo: Sohyung Kang / MTV News

Snoop Dogg always walked his own path as a youngin' in the game. And now that the veteran rapper has taken Wiz Khalifa under his wing, his advice to the upstart isn't very different from his own mantra.

According to the "Black and Yellow" star, Snoop told him to keep doing what he's been doing.

"He just always told me to stick to what I know, 'cause I know myself the best," Wiz said during his appearance on MTV News' "RapFix Live." "And [he told me to] boss up in every opportunity that I get. Those are mainly the two key points that stick out.

"Snoop is a big fan of what I do and, of course, he's a legend to me and it's just an honor for him to be talking about me, speaking so highly of me and sharing the same views. I witnessed his career, and there was a time when my dad wouldn't want me listening to Snoop. But as time went on and he got to see who Snoop was as a businessman and other avenues of life, then he really grew to respect him. I feel like, as long as I do me, like Dogg says, in time people will get it."

The two green-friendly rappers joined forces late last year for Wiz's "Black and Yellow" remix and later announced they would be shooting a movie together called "High School."

"We decided to go ahead and say, 'You know what? Let's do a movie and a soundtrack and just become, you know, bosom buddies and do what we do 'cause we love what we do and we love each other and at the same time, we know what the people want,' " Snoop explained. "The people want to see the two generations come together where hip-hop ain't about old school and new school. It's just about good music and making good moves and putting something out there that's classic where people can respect it and say, 'Yeah, so now, this was some gangsta sh-- that really made hip-hop gradually grow to another level.' "

Are you looking forward to seeing Wiz and Snoop join forces for "High School"? Tell us below!

Related Videos

'RapFix Live' With Wiz Khalifa

Karolína Kurková Kasey Chambers Kat Von D Kate Beckinsale Kate Bosworth

Prince Harry Talks Prince William and Marriage in GMA Interview

He's not spilling any details of his brother's bachelor party, but in an interview with Good Morning America Thursday, Prince Harry revealed the royal family's one-time worry: That Prince William would never find a wife!

Either sibling ribbing or perhaps true concern, Harry reveals, "We all thought that it was never going to happen for him. But it has happened and everyone is really proud of him," adding that he hopes their mother, Princess Diana, would be proud of William.

Meanwhile the boys' father, Prince Charles, has been helping William and princess-to-be Kate Middleton with wedding planning.

Harry says their father is "over the moon" about the wedding and is assisting the royal couple with such details as the processional music. "He's obsessed with his music," Harry tells anchor Bob Woodruff, adding that Charles and Kate "have been slaving away, getting everything right."

Woodruff tried to get a candid Harry to talk about William's recent super-secret bachelor party, but to no avail. "I'm not going to talk about that," a good-natured Harry replies, adding, "Nice try getting me to talk about the stag weekend. That was never going to happen." He also wouldn't disclose who his date to the nuptials will be.

But the youngest prince did say that he is excited to welcome Kate into the family, noting that she is a great match for William. "A younger brother or sister wouldn't have been nicer, but to have a big sister is very, very nice," he says, adding, "She's a fantastic girl, she really is, my brother is very lucky. She's very lucky to find my brother. The two of them are a classic match."

Of the April 29 wedding, Harry concedes that it won't be a typical walk down the aisle for the pair. "It's a big deal. It's not just a normal wedding," he says. "It's a really big decision for him to bring Kate into the family."

As for Harry, he still has work to do as best man. "I am doing the speech along with a couple of his friends, so I will take the mickey out of him. I will have a few stories," he reveals. "I think my grandmother [Queen Elizabeth] will be there so I have to be selective, as one might say."

Princely move, that.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/prince-harry-talks-prince-william-and-marriage-gma-interview/1-a-336853

Tamala Jones Tami Donaldson Tamie Sheffield Tara Conner Tara Reed