LOS ANGELES-Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor today excluded more than a dozen of the "Inner Circle" witnesses that the defense lawyers of Dr Conrad Murray intended to call to the witness stand. Murray's lawyers had intended to use those witnesses to show that Jackson was a drug addict who self injected causing his own death. "Discussions of these subject matters are sufficiently convoluted, distracting and detracting as to substantially outweigh any probative value whatsoever," Judge Pastor said.

The Judge also ruled out the use of any witnesses that were connected to Jackson’s 2005 child molestation case of which the Rock Artist was acquitted. This will bar any evidence that was uncovered at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, including the discovery of Propofol found there. Pastor said, “That is no-go territory as far as this criminal trial.”

Edward Chernoff, a lawyer for the defense, intends to file a motion before the court asking the Judge to reconsider his decision. Chernoff stated, “A large point of our defense has been gutted, but if we have to go to a tank battle with a switchblade, that is exactly what we’ll do.”

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren, said of the case, “The People are very concerned about this trial deteriorating into an attack on Michael Jackson.” The prosecution contends that Murray had injected Jackson with the drug pPropofol, and left him unattended. Propofol is a drug used to induce sedation and is rarely used outside of surgery as the patient should be mechanically ventilated when using this drug. This is something that Murray, Jackson’s $150,000 a month doctor should have been aware of, and so he bears the criminal responsibility for Jackson’s death.

Doctor Murray’s trial begins early next month and is expected to last well over five weeks.