Judge in Michael Jackson Case to View Footage at Sony Studios

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said today he will visit Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City by this weekend to review rehearsal footage of Michael Jackson taken shortly before his death to determine whether it should be shown to jurors in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's former doctor who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors say that the 12 to 16 hours of raw footage should be admissible in the case involving Murray, who is accused of administering propofol—a powerful anesthetic—to the singer to help him fall asleep, then failing to properly monitor him. Defense attorneys claim most of the footage is irrelevant, saying that it simply shows the singer performing. They also suggested that Jackson could have given himself a larger dose of propofol while the doctor was out of the singer's bedroom in a rented Holmby Hills estate.

Jackson died of propofol intoxication on June 25, 2009, during a rigorous rehearsal schedule for his “This Is It” tour. 

Murray's trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8. Another hearing is scheduled for the trial on Monday. 

Defense attorneys suggested in court that the jury should be sequestered to prevent the panel from being influenced by media reports—specifically by television pundit Nancy Grace.   

"I just think that there's an overwhelming likelihood of contamination of the court's control of the evidence," defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan said.

Pastor appeared cool to the motion, saying he didn't think such a move was necessary, and the court system likely couldn't afford such a move anyway.

He also said sequestering the panel would be an "extraordinary deprivation" to jurors.

But Pastor told defense attorneys that they were free to file a formal motion making such a request.

City News Service contributed to this report.