Syndicate

Father and sonAs much as Michael Jackson's kids were raised in virtual seclusion, they seem to be pretty well-adjusted, perhaps more so than their father was before his death. I've always said that the real tragedy here is that these children had to witness their father's decline and death. I hope Mama Jackson is letting them lead more of a normal life now.

It doesn't seem like the drama is going away anytime soon, though. The Enquirer is reporting exclusively that Prince has offered to testify against Dr. Conrad Murray in his involuntary manslaughter case - he was present when his father went into cardiac arrest. Allegedly it was Prince's persistence that motivated the investigators to press on when an indictment against Murray was in doubt. It's not known whether Prince saw anything that would incriminate Dr. Murray or if his plea for justice comes from his grief but I hope these kids get some closure.

I also hope they yank Dr. Murray's license and throw him in the clink. I can't believe he's still allowed to practice medicine - he is! - at his Vegas office, but the judge did tell him he was banned from prescribing or administering any heavy sedatives. That's like putting a drug dealer on house arrest and telling him he can only sell small packages.

It was a lot worse than it lookedIf anyone has any doubts that Michael Jackson was in a bad way before his death, the Coroner's report released today should erase them. There were anxiety meds, panic attack meds, muscle relaxers, anti-depressants and enough Propofol to sedate the Budweiser Clydesdales, and all of it was supposedly Michael's. He must have been in a drug-induced stupor 24-7. How sad that his children's last memories of him are of a drug-addled bag of bones. I hope at least the nannies had the sense to shield them from Daddy's drug den.

While Papa Joe, Randy and the other Jackson outcasts threw themselves in front of any camera they saw, Dr. Conrad Murray was arraigned and charged with involuntary manslaughter in the superstar's death. He plead not guilty and bailed out with a warning from the judge not to over-medicate any more people to death. Giving Michael Jackson Propofol like that, and then leaving him unattended to go chat on the phone, was horribly negligent. The doctor had to know there were serious risks; otherwise why would he have drugs on hand to counteract the effects of sedatives. You know, to jumpstart his heart again if he needed it.