Dr. Conrad Murray is to appeal his conviction for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. The medic - who was sentenced to four years behind bars last week after he was ruled responsible for the 2009 death of the pop superstar - has filed an official appeal to challenge the decision "pro per", meaning he will represent himself. In preparation for the case, Dr. Murray - who is currently serving his sentence at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles - has requested preliminary hearing and trial transcripts, all written motions, and jury instructions, and is said to be "confident" the appeal will see him vindicated for the crime. ...

Michael Jackson had been using Propofol since 1999, according to his former personal assistant. The 'Billie Jean' singer died in 2009 from acute intoxication of the anaesthetic – which is usually reserved for use in hospitals – and his one-time aide Frank Cascio claims he had been taking the drug for a decade. Writing in his new memoir, 'My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship with an Extraordinary Man', Frank claims he believes the pop superstar first started using painkiller Demerol after burning his head while filming a TV commercial for Pepsi in 1984 and that he first noticed him using it on his 'Dangerous World Tour' in 1993, which he believed was to treat a skin disease. ...

Conrad Murray felt "entrapped" by Michael Jackson. The physician - who was found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of the late singer on Monday (07.11.11) – said the 'Thriller' hitmaker was desperate for him to stick by him because he didn't have any other close friends. Speaking in new documentary 'Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship' - which began filming in November 2009, five months after the star's death - Murray said: "I went there to take care of a healthy man, who said he was fine, to just keep surveillance. But once I got in there I was entrapped. ...

Michael Jackson has been named the highest-earning dead celebrity of the past year. The late 'Thriller' hitmaker - who died in June 2009 aged 50 - has topped Forbes' annual list of the Top Earning Dead Celebrities for the second consecutive year after his estate brought in $170 million between October 2010 and October 2011 from sales of his music and his stake in the Sony/ATV catalog. The estate of the 'Beat It' singer - whose earnings dropped from $275 million 12 months ago - is set to take half of the profits from the Cirque du Soleil theatrical production 'Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour', which started earlier this month. ...

Michael Jackson was "an alien", according to Quincy Jones' daughter Rashida Jones. The 35-year-old actress grew up around the late pop superstar because of his close friendship with her father – who produced Michael's three classic albums, 'Off The Wall', 'Thriller' and 'Bad' – and she admits his eccentric personality and kind nature were out of sync with the rest of the world. ...

Michael Jackson's family will attend the world premiere of a new documentary exploring the life of the singer. Katherine Jackson and her children Tito and Rebbie will join David Gest for a special screening of 'Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon' – which comprises interviews with more than 50 of Michael's closest friends and family - at the star-studded event at the Empire, Leicester Square, in London next month. David will also host a special after-party which will feature performances from several soul legends who appear in the film and he will also present Tito and his new fiancee Sonia Galineo with a special gift to mark their recent engagement. ...