Attorney J. Michael Flanagan said the televised, involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray could be prejudiced by "final arguments" being delivered daily on TV by Grace and other commentators.
When Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor asked if Flanagan would want jurors sequestered around the clock during the trial, the lawyer responded, "Every time Nancy Grace is on TV."
The judge said he would be instructing jurors not to pay attention to publicity about the trial and the trial will begin on Sept. 8 with prospective jurors being given questionnaires. Opening statements are expected in late September
Meanwhile, Pastor agreed to travel across town to Sony Pictures Studios to view 16 hours of raw footage from Jackson's rehearsal movie "This Is It," which lawyers want to use as evidence.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent two weeks examining more than 100 hours of video and have submitted requests for excerpts. The prosecution wants 12 hours; the defense seeks four hours of video.
LAMediaWatch.com
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