West Valley Journal December 2011 : Page 4
Page 4 P oint of l aw West Valley Journal December 15, 2011 King Of Pop’s Doctor Convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter normally be administered in a hospital under special conditions. “Providing propofol to Michael Jackson on a nightly basis for almost two months,” contended the district attorney, was so wantonly reckless that serious harm or death was foreseeable, and raised Murray’s conduct to the level of a criminal act (in this case involuntary man-slaughter). The evidence of Conrad Murray’s criminal acts bringing about Michael Jack-son’s death was so “overwhelming,” declared the prosecutor, that a verdict of in-voluntary manslaughter was clearly warranted since an overdose of propofol while under Murray’s care was the direct cause of death, bringing about the unanimous guilty verdict from the jury. In addition to the criminal penalties, of course, there are civil liabilities involved which subjects Dr. Murray to monetary damages to Jackson’s heirs. Lastly, dangerous prescription drugs obtained, legally or not, are the cause of many deaths in the US and one should tread carefully in their usage. (Editor’s note: Former Monterey Park Mayor Manibog i s a contributing Journal columnist offering legal tips and per-spectives on high profile legal cases and events) “Guilty” of involuntary manslaughter, ruled the jury in the case of the People vs. Dr. Conrad Murray for the death of the wildly popular “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor imposed the maximum four year prison sentence on Jackson’s personal doctor who received $150,000 per month to tend solely to his famous patient. Attorney G. Monty Mani bog Medical malpractice cases, many of which we have tried and won, are not criminal cases because they are brought to recovery monetary damages to the patient for a doctor’s falling below the ordinary standard of care expected from the medical profession (such as misdiagnoses, leaving a scalpel in a patient’s body, etc.) However, when a medical doctor treats a patient in a wantonly negligent manner that clearly threatens grave harm or death, this becomes a criminal act which places the doctor into the criminal justice system. It was a known fact that Jackson had a sleeping problem and a drug addition as well, continuously asking for sleeping medication, especially since he was preparing for a multiple world tour concert to revive his career. It was made clear by the prosecutor and medical witnesses that Dr. Conrad Mur-ray so recklessly violated his medical duties by succumbing to Jackson’s continuous demands for dangerous drugs, particularly the anesthetic “propofol” which should Atty. G. Monty Manibog S heila Y onemoto , P.t. by Sheila Yonemoto, P.T. The liver, one of the largest organs in the body, is responsible for detoxification, energy creation and production of numerous chemicals necessary for normal physiological processes. Over 500 chemical reactions occur in the liver daily. It is filled with blood vessels for filtering and can regenerate itself because of the amount of blood it receives. Our bodies absorb many man-made chemicals every day. The liver determines whether these chemicals are nutrition or waste. Sheila Yonemoto P.T. When it cannot decide what to do with them, they are stored, usually in fatty tissue. In some instances, these chemicals irritate tissues enough to cause cancer. Suggestions for improved health: -Avoid toxicity. Minimize exposure to chemicals in food, drinks and household cleaning products. Avoid breathing smoke from tobacco and forest fires. -Eat more vegetables and fruits. The alkalizing effect of plants reduces the damaging effects of acidity in the bloodstream, decreases leaching of minerals from bones and the fiber helps the digestive tract remove waste from the body. -Move more. The muscles pump the lymph fluid moving cellular debris and waste material out of the body. Muscle movement decreases heaviness in limbs caused by lymph edema and helps drive nutrients into cells. -Drink more water. Dehydration causes sluggish movement of the lymph and blood creating stagnation on a cellular level. It may also cause a more acidic environment which damages the cells, blood vessels and organs. -Avoid anger. Chinese medicine believes the liver is related to anger. One episode of intense anger can trigger a stroke. Someone who angers easily may have significant liver dysfunction. -Avoid watching a computer or video screen for a long time. Chinese medicine believes the radiation from electronic devices can enter the eyes and damage the liver. Take a 10-15 second break every 30 minutes. Try watching green, living things. -Avoid glaring angrily into children’s eyes. According to Chinese medicine, children have a more delicate system and looking angrily into children’s eyes can cause liver damage. -Do detoxification cleanses once or twice a year. Give the organs a rest by eating mostly vegetables and fruit, drinking water and taking supplements and protein shakes to support the body while detoxifying. -Practice qigong. Many qigong exercises help improve liver function, decrease stress and aid sleep. Take one step at a time and see if you feel more energetic, happier and healthier. A Little About Liver Health Dear Californians: When I became Governor again --28 years after my last term ended in 1983 --California was facing a $26.6 billion budget deficit. It was the result of years of failing to match spending with tax revenues as budget gimmicks instead of honest budgeting became the norm. In January, I proposed a budget that combined deep cuts with a temporary extension of some existing taxes. It was a balanced approach that would have finally closed our budget gap. I asked the legislature to enact this plan and to allow you, the people of California, to vote on it. I believed that you had the right to weigh in on this important choice: should we decently fund our schools or lower our taxes? I don’t know how you would have voted, but we will never know. The Republicans refused to provide the four votes needed to put this measure on the ballot. Forced to act alone, Democrats went ahead and enacted massive cuts and the first honest on-time budget in a decade. But without the tax extensions, it was simply not possible to eliminate the state’s structural deficit. The good news is that our financial condition is much better than a year ago. We cut the ongoing budget deficit by more than half, reduced the state’s workforce by about 5500 positions and cut unnecessary expenses like cell phones and state cars. We actually cut state expenses by over $10 billion. Spending is now at levels not seen since the seventies. Our state’s credit rating has moved from “negative” to “stable,” laying the foundation for job creation and a stronger economic recovery. Unfortunately, the deep cuts we made came at a huge cost. Schools have been hurt and state funding for our universities has been reduced by 25%. Support for the elderly and the disabled has fallen to where it was in 1983. Our courts suffered debilitating reductions. The stark truth is that without new tax revenues, we will have no other choice but to make deeper and more damaging cuts to schools, universities, public safety and our courts. That is why I am filing today an initiative with the Attorney General’s office that would generate nearly $7 billion in dedicated funding to protect education and public safety. I am going directly to the voters because I don’t want to get bogged down in partisan gridlock as happened this year. The stakes are too high. My proposal is straightforward and fair. It proposes a temporary tax increase on the wealthy, a modest and temporary increase in the sales tax, and guarantees that the new revenues be spent only on education. Here are the details: Millionaires and high-income earners will pay up to 2% higher income taxes for five years. No family making less than $500,000 a year will see their income taxes rise. In fact, fewer than 2% of California taxpayers will be affected by this increase. There will be a temporary ½ cent increase in the sales tax. Even with this temporary increase, sales taxes will still be lower than what they were less than six months ago. This initiative dedicates funding only to education and public safety--not on other programs that we simply cannot afford. This initiative will not solve all of our fiscal problems. But it will stop further cuts to education and public safety. I ask you to join with me to get our state back on track. An Open Letter From Gov. Brown To California Citizens
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