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MJ physician fires publicist for leaking jury
March 24, 2011, 11:42:12 PM
I guess my first and only question at this time is...since when does a physician have a publicist?

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March 24, 2011 |  4:37 pm

On the first day of his trial, Michael Jackson’s personal physician fired his publicist for leaking jury selection information to a celebrity gossip website.

On Wednesday, TMZ.com had posted what purported to be proposed defense questions for potential jurors, a leak that Dr. Conrad Murray’s attorney acknowledged came from their own publicist. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said the questions were “bogus” but that he was concerned about how information on the Internet would affect the answers potential jurors give during jury selection.

Murray is accused of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson a fatal dose of the surgical anesthetic propofol.

Defense attorneys told Pastor in chambers that a media company hired by the defense had leaked six questions the company had suggested for the jury pool. None of the questions ended up in the final questionnaire, which Pastor earlier ordered sealed.

“It is an embarrassment,” Ed Chernoff, Murray’s attorney, told the judge. Chernoff apologized and said the company would be fired.

After the hearing, Chernoff confirmed that the employee was Miranda Sevcik, a Houston publicist who began working for Murray and his legal team two days after Jackson’s death.

Sevcik declined to comment, beyond wishing the defense well.

On Thursday, 159 potential jurors were sworn in and screened for financial hardship. Jury selection is expected to continue Friday. Testimony in the case is scheduled to begin in May.
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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I'm proud to be a child of God and a member of MJ's Army of L.O.V.E.
 
"Press coverage of my life is like [watching] a fictitious movie...like watching science fiction. It's not true." ~Michael Jackson (2005)

"You should not believe everything you read. You are missing the most important revelations". Craig Harvey 3-15-2012

..and Jermaine's comment in regards to the above article:

jermjackson5 Jermaine Jackson
Now the defense's TMZ leak has been plugged, we look fwd to the unhindered process of justice You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
18 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

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Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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I'm proud to be a child of God and a member of MJ's Army of L.O.V.E.
 
"Press coverage of my life is like [watching] a fictitious movie...like watching science fiction. It's not true." ~Michael Jackson (2005)

"You should not believe everything you read. You are missing the most important revelations". Craig Harvey 3-15-2012

*

mdc

You know after reading up on Miranda Sevcik wouldn't it be kind of a career killer to be a known leak for TMZ? She must have gotten a lot of money or had another agenda. I smell a rat somewhere. lol

If you're interested a little info on her can be found here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
She even has a youtube video for her company: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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2good2btrue

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When the questionaire was leaked, I thought TMZ would get their ass kicked, but obviously, they put the blame on her.. :?  :?  :?

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[youtube:1ciiiwcd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqieJ8Ipw_E[/youtube:1ciiiwcd]
Last Edit: March 25, 2011, 01:54:50 AM by 2good2btrue
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Poor woman. I guess the green paper smelled too good...

 "Every man has his price"  ;)
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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“Your life is like a ship. You're the captain of it. The way you steer it is the way that it is going to go.” ~ Michael Jackson

*

pepper

Quote from: "voiceforthesilent"
I guess my first and only question at this time is...since when does a physician have a publicist?

When the physician's lawyer hires the publicist.

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"...The weekend after Jackson's death, Chernoff didn't sleep much. On June 27, Chernoff says, he was too busy with Murray and the police to pay attention to the dozens of emergency text messages he received from his partners in Houston.

By mid-morning June 27, Alford recalls, the rollercoaster started. The Houston Chronicle posted a story identifying Chernoff and his partners as Murray's counsel, Alford says, and within a half an hour, "the top blew off things." His BlackBerry, where calls to the firm's office were forwarded, began ringing every 30 seconds with calls from reporters, Alford says. Local television news trucks parked outside Alford's house. Network news representatives began calling to request interviews with Murray.

Alford needed help. So he called Stradley, who was looking forward to a week of vacation having just finished preparing for trial on another case. Stradley recalls his wife, who picked up the phone, told him that Alford wanted him to put on a suit and go over to his house. Puzzled and not yet up to speed on Murray's situation, Stradley went to Alford's house and they began splitting up the task of returning the press calls. Having talked only briefly to Chernoff, Alford and Stradley attempted to correct what they say was misinformation about Murray that was dominating the 24/7 news cycle. They stressed to reporters that Murray intended to cooperate with the police and that he was not stonewalling. Indeed, they told reporters that Murray was about to meet with the LAPD for a second time, recalls Stradley.

Alford sought additional reinforcements. He called Tammy Kidd, a former Harris County prosecutor who now works with Miranda Sevcik, the founder of Houston-based media consulting firm Media Masters. Alford says he asked Kidd and Sevcik to help them manage the press. By the early afternoon on June 27, Alford, Stradley, Kidd and Sevcik all were busy fielding press calls.

Sometime that Saturday, Alford says, the firm's Web site suffered a blowout from too many hits. He had Sevcik and Kidd work to fix the problem and establish a blog devoted to Chernoff's press statements regarding Murray. Since then, Chernoff has used the blog to provide reporters with updated information about Murray.

During those first days with his client in California, Chernoff knew publicity would factor into his representation of Murray, but he "wasn't fully aware of how crazy it was going to get," he says.

Chernoff and Murray met with the LAPD at the Ritz-Carlton the evening of June 27; Chernoff declines to say what his client told the police. After the three-hour meeting, Chernoff says he spoke with his partners in Houston. "When I finally got hold of them, then I realized the magnitude of the interest and was able to start looking at some of the preliminary press reports," he recalls.

Initially, Chernoff says, he told Alford to stop returning reporters' phone calls. But Chernoff says Alford told him, "You are not going to shut anything down. You don't know what the f**k is happening." Then Sevcik got on the phone to tell Chernoff that a "Dateline NBC" news producer wanted him to appear on the television show. Chernoff taped the show in Los Angeles on Sunday June 28. During the broadcast, Chernoff says he was able to deliver his main messages about his client: Murray was cooperating with police; he did not prescribe Demerol or Oxycontin to Jackson; he had only treated Jackson for a short period of time; and other doctors had treated and prescribed medication for Jackson.

Chernoff didn't get to watch the Sunday "Dateline" broadcast since he was on a plane to Houston when it aired. When he got home, he slept for only a few hours, then he, his partners and the PR team met and decided they needed more TV appearances to get their message out about Murray. The morning of Monday June 29, Chernoff and Alford made their way to a Houston TV studio to appear on all of the network morning news programs, as well as on CNN and Fox News.

Chernoff believes the blitz that Monday helped his client. Sevcik says before the media interviews, she looked at roughly 100 comments posted on 20 different Web sites and only about 25 percent of those comments said Murray was an innocent bystander in Jackson's death. After the Monday media appearances by Chernoff and Alford, that figure rose to 75 percent, Sevcik says.

Chernoff stresses that his client did nothing wrong and Chernoff wants to make sure the public knows that. The message is especially important in case Murray is charged with a crime, because it will improve Murray's chances of an unbiased jury pool and getting a fair trial. "It's different when you are working with an innocent client. If you have a guilty client, you shut up. But we still believe once toxicology is finally and fully done that our client is going to be proven to be innocent," Chernoff says..."

___________

Media Masters is a Houston-based firm that creates strategic communications plans for law firms and lawyers.

At Media Masters we specialize in legal public relations, law firm marketing, high profile case media communications and on-camera media training.

Miranda Sevcik, Principal


Miranda Sevcik is an award-winning journalist, broadcast news producer, anchor, corporate writer and founder of Media Masters. Miranda created the company to address the many missed opportunities for attorneys and detrimental interviews she witnessed as a reporter.

Miranda began her media career in 1990 as a producer for the NBC Capital news bureau while still in journalism school at the University of Texas at Austin. From college, Miranda went on to work as an investigative reporter and anchor for NBC affiliate stations in Louisiana and South Carolina. Miranda then returned to Houston to work for local stations KPRC and KHOU as a special projects producer, news promotional writer and digital editor. Highlights of Miranda's career include breaking the Phen-Fen diet drug danger story, reporting on the Million Man March on Washington and covering the 52-day siege at the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco.

Miranda has worked on many high profile cases serving in the capacity of audience researcher, legal media strategist, media liaison and spokesperson. Some of her most notable cases include working with Ed Chernoff in his representation of Michael Jackson’s Doctor Conrad Murray.

Miranda also strategized with Terry Bryant with the media interest in his representation of the man kidnapped by pirates in Somalia from the Maersk Alabama ship, Richard Hicks. Miranda assisted Terry Yates with media strategy in his representation of Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina.

Miranda is a member of the Legal Marketing Association and a member of the Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

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    * Name Miranda Sevcik
    * Location Houston, Texas  
    * Bio Miranda helps lawyers communicate with the media for high profile cases and marketing plans.


Dr. Murray's arraignment is tomorrow in LA. We are looking forward to a trial date- and finally telling our side of the story.     12:29 PM Jan 24th  via web

Murray's patients scared he will lose his Nevada, Texas license. In Houston he is many folks' only Doctor.     2:16 PM Jan 13th  via web

Pastor's ruling yesterday is no surprise, now the work begins! 8:54 AM Jan 12th via TwitBird

Murray preliminary- week 2 . Team is feeling optimistic. 8:58 AM Jan 10th via TwitBird

TMZ hates Murray's tie. So much for my Christmas gift! 2:48 PM Jan 6th via web

First day of the Dr. Murray prelim, wish us luck! 7:03 AM Jan 4th via web

Is your firm's social media policy in line with the new social media tools out there? Dbl check for 2011     11:53 AM Dec 28th, 2010  via LinkedIn

In LA for Larry King's final broadcast party. Star count starts tonite! 2:00 PM Dec 16th, 2010 via TwitBird

Great way to get a front page listing on Google in 24 hours. It worked great for a client of mine! You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login     Wednesday, December 01, 2010 10:18:23 AM  via LinkedIn  

Someone claiming to be Dr. Murray has a Twitter account- not true folks!     11:24 AM Feb 12th, 2010  via web  

I want to remember MJ as he was in Thriller- height of his talent and star power     6:20 PM Jun 25th, 2009  via web  

_______________

Quote from: "Yambo3003"
Poor woman. I guess the green paper smelled too good...

"Every man has his price"  ;)

Posted by Media Masters
Attorney Media Campaign

"Monday, November 29, 2010
Some (Mostly) Fascinating Facts About Social Media
I gotta tell you- not a week goes by now without a call from an attorney asking me the same question: "How are my competitors ranking so high on Google and why am I on page 20??"

My answer is the same, search engine optimization is not brain surgery, its ditch digging, and your competitors have been putting in the effort and resources so they've pulled ahead of you. Time to get to work.

Here are some facts about the importance of social media and why all attorneys need to take its influence seriously..."

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Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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all4loveandbelieve

This trial will start in July, this is the best clue ever. July is when Michael will come out, Murray is only a scapegoat,he cannot go to prison, because he did not kill Michael. MICHAEL IS ALIVE...
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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I'm happy to be alive, I'm happy to be who I am.
Michael Jackson

*

pepper

Interesting article at this link written by the "fired publicist". The article is entitled Controlling the Media Frenzy Around a Sensational Case - Lessons Learned. The publication is the Spring/Summer 2011 edition of the Texas Entertainment and Sports Law Journal.  So this is recent. Published before she was fired.

Go to page 26 and 27 of the pdf file.
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On page 27 she talks specifically about Murray's case.  She writes that "In the Dr. Conrad Murray case, we produced a short two-minute video of the doctor thanking his supporters and friends."  The video is only one minute long.  Does she have such a short memory? If the video they put up online for everyone to see is only one minute long, why would she state in this article that they produced a two minute video?
This might explain the obvious and unprofessional cut/jump in the video at :38-39.  
[youtube:10o3hwof]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1bjDWRJx9I[/youtube:10o3hwof]
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uploaded by Houstoncriminallaw   | Aug 18, 2009   | 273,135 views
Joined: Aug 13, 2009
Last Visit Date: 1 year ago
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Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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pepper

She is no longer on twitter

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Cached twitter link -

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Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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