Police may become focus of Jackson death inquiry

The spotlight in the investigation into Michael Jackson's death may shift to the Los Angeles police and their handling of the scene of singer's collapse last week. Although the inquiry has not been declared a criminal investigation, the failure of police to immediately seal the area around Jackson’s house has raised eyebrows. Some lawyers say police should have assumed it was possible a crime had taken place and taken precautions to ensure the scene was not tainted. Defence lawyer Harland Braun said: "If I was the chief detective on the case, I would have said, 'We don't know what's going on. We should seal the scene'. You always have to think of the worst-case scenario and you have to think fast. I would have sealed the scene just because it was Michael Jackson." Jean Rosenbluth, a University of Southern California law professor, said this could be crucial if it became a criminal case: "If you can get even one juror [to] think, I don't know, maybe somebody fiddled with the medicine before the police came in and collected it, that's reasonable doubt." However, the LAPD says proper procedures were followed. It says its actions were based on the circumstances officers encountered when they were called to the home at 12.21pm on June 25. There was no sign of foul play, and the presence of a doctor reportedly made the situation a medical emergency, not a criminal inquiry. Whether the Jackson inquiry becomes a criminal investigation turns on findings relating to drugs found in the house and their legality. The results of an official autopsy are still pending. The federal Drug Enforcement Agency, which examined the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger, has been called in to investigate. Rosenbluth said this suggests authorities are considering whether drugs came from out of state. Murray is licensed to practise in Texas, Nevada and California.