title: People v. Murray

text: Shafer demonstrated the set-up of an IV infusion of propofol. The IV line for propofol would need an air vent to allow air into the bottle and an infusion pump to control the dose. Without a pump, it is very hard to control the dose. He testified that he had never seen anything like the cut bag set-up and had never seen anyone do it.


title: People v. Murray

text: Chernoff cross-examined Shafer on his CV and about his relationship with the defense's expert Dr. Paul White.


title: People v. Murray

text: The first witness called was Donna Norris from the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD). She is the manager of the 911 system of the BHPD. It was heard that the 911 call on June 25 at 12:20:18 lasted 46 seconds and was made from a cell phone.


title: People v. Murray

text: The next witness called was Alexander Supall, a police surveillance specialist working for LAPD. He has been in this role for eleven years. It was heard that Mr. Supall went to the Jackson residence on the day to check the surveillance tapes. He said he didn't locate where the cameras were or how many of them there were. The defense then played two surveillance videos involving Jackson and Murray's arrivals at the residence.


title: People v. Murray

text: The next witness to testify was LAPD Detective Dan Myres. He works in the robbery homicide division and has been with the LAPD since March 1994. He joined the investigation of the Jackson death on the Monday after June 25, 2009. It was heard that Myres interviewed Alberto Alvarez on June 25 and August 31. In his initial statement he didn't mention putting away vials or a vial or bottle in an IV bag.


title: People v. Murray

text: The next witness to the stand was LAPD Detective Orlando Martinez. Also in the robbery homicide division, Martinez has been with the LAPD for ten years. On hearing of Jackson's death, he went to UCLA and was present for half of Alvarez's interview. He stated that Alvarez didn't mention putting away vials for Dr. Murray or seeing a vial or bottle inside an IV bag. It was heard that Mr. Walgren had a meeting with Alvarez and Myres in his office in April 2011. Martinez brought (from the case's evidence) a saline bag, a propofol bottle and a pulse oximeter to the meeting. Alvarez didn't recognize the propofol bottle shown to him. Alvarez was asked to draw the saline bag he saw after he described something at the bottom of the bag, it looked to be a port or some kind of apparatus.


title: People v. Murray

text: The next witness was Dr. Allan Metzger. A physician, general internalist and rheumatologist since 1974, based in Los Angeles since 1981. First met Jackson 15–20 years ago. He began treating Michael Jackson in the 1990s for various things. He became close to Jackson through the birth of his children and became a friend. He was Jackson's primary physician in Los Angeles. He received a call from Jackson on June 12, 2008; the conversation was about sleep issues, skin issues, and nutrition. He hadn't spoken to Jackson for five years previously. It was heard that Dr. Metzger was infrequently in touch with the children's nanny over 2008–2009 keeping tabs on the children. Jackson called for Dr. Metzger to come over in April 2009 to review his health issues. It was not unusual for him to visit the house. The three children, Jackson and some security guards were present on visit. The conversation was about medical issues and Jackson's rehearsal schedule. Jackson wanted to do 50 shows but was worried about nutrition. They also talked about hydration before and after performing. It was heard that Jackson had had sleep issues for 15–20 years, particularly after performing. Dr. Metzger had infrequently treated Jackson for his sleep issues over the years on tours. In April 2009, he asked Dr. Metzger about IV sleep medication, when he mentioned 'juice', but he wasn't sure what he was asking for. Jackson did not believe any oral medicine would be helpful; they did not work. He had tried Tylenol PM, Xanax, clonazepam, trazodone, etc. None of it worked. It was heard that Dr. Metzger told Jackson that IV sleep medication was dangerous and should not be administered outside of a hospital. It was heard that Jackson saw other doctors: Dr. Rosen for pain management and Dr. Klein for his vitiligo. Dr. Metzger stated he never provided any intravenous medicine to Jackson. It was heard Metzger did not speak to Jackson between the April 2009 meeting and his death. The prosecution asked Metzger "Would any amount of money persuade you to give propofol?" "No" and "Did you ever give Jackson propofol?" "No."


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Nurse Practitioner Cherilyn Lee. Lee helps entertainers and athletes with nutritional issues. Lee is a board-certified nurse practitioner and is legally allowed to prescribe medications, but she chooses not to. Faheem Muhammad called Lee to treat Jackson's children who had a cold. She told him she wasn't a pediatrician but she was invited anyway. Lee went to the house in Jan 2009 after making an appointment. Jackson asked what she did and he mentioned that he was tired and he wanted nutrition therapy. Lee asked Jackson to fast that night and she went back the next day to do an assessment: Jackson completed a physical test and blood was drawn for testing. Lee wanted to determine the cause of Jackson's tiredness. She noticed he drank Red Bull a lot, which can cause fatigue. He said he would sweat a lot during rehearsals; he could lose 5-7 pounds because of it. Lee said Jackson's vital signs were normal and provided him with high-concentrated smoothies and low dose nutritional IV. Lee stated that after the first IV (amino acid) in early Feb, he felt a lot better and more energized. In March 2009, Jackson said he couldn't sleep and Lee recommended natural sleep products. He said they don't work for him. Jackson said, "when I need sleep I need it right away," when they met on Easter Sunday. Jackson wanted her to see that he did not sleep well. Jackson also wanted to show her that natural supplements were not working. It was heard that Lee wanted to conduct sleep studies, but Jackson said he did not have time for that. Jackson invited her to stay and watch how he didn't sleep. Lee gave him the energy IV and 'sleepy tea' but she observed that he woke up at 3 a.m.. He could only sleep for about 5 hours and he repeated to her that he cannot sleep the whole night. Lee stated that Jackson's veins were very small. Jackson started to talk about getting medication for sleep around Easter.


title: People v. Murray

text: The judge ruled that Jacksons's contract with AEG Live for the O2 gigs would not be admitted into evidence.


title: People v. Murray

text: Nurse Practitioner Cherilyn Lee was still on the stand. It was heard that Lee is a believer of Holistic Health and has a PhD in it. Chernoff began by clearing up some of the dates in her records:


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Amir Dan Rubin, a hospital executive in Stanford, California. Chief Operating Officer for UCLA Medical Center in June 2009. Responsible for operation systems. He explained the layout of UCLA Medical Center, he worked in the administration area. Rubin was paged when "a patient of interest" was brought to the emergency room. He proceeded to secure the area for privacy and security purposes. He was present at the hospital for a discussion about releasing a press release with CEO of AEG Live (Randy Phillips) and Jermaine Jackson. The statement was released by Jermaine Jackson in the basement of the hospital; it was stated that Michael Jackson had died. Rubin said that Murray suggested that the reason for death, "unknown," should be in the press release.


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Brandon Keith Phillips, President and CEO of AEG Live, division of AEG, for nine and a half years. He has worked in the entertainment industry for thirty years. AEG are the owners and operators of the Staples Center in Los Angeles and The O2 Arena in London. Phillips was responsible for profit and loss, booking talent for tours, making sure regional offices function properly as well as festival division. Phillips represented Jackson as an agent/consultant as early as 1993. Saw Jackson next in a meeting in 2007.


title: People v. Murray

text: It was heard that Phillips met Jackson in September 2008 with Jackson's manager (Dr. Tomei) at the Bel-Air hotel about concerts. Phillips laid out plans for a new tour; a residency show at the O2 arena in London, move the "mountain to Mohammed"; this can only happen with such a big star. This was the first phase of a "multi-year" tour. It was apparent that Jackson was motivated, energized and receptive to the idea. They had numerous meetings afterwards. One reason Jackson wanted to do the concerts was to settle down and make a good home for the children and not live like "vagabonds." The contract was drawn up and signed (in mid-Jan 2009) for thirty one shows; Jackson wanted to do ten more than Prince did. Chernoff asked questions about the finances of the contract. All questions were objected to and the judge sustained them. It was heard that ten shows went on sale first and the demand was "over the top." "We had never seen that kind of demand for tickets, it was obvious we would have blown through thirty-one shows in the pre-sale and not had any [left] for general sales." Within twenty minutes Jackson agreed to more shows. Jackson said he wanted to do maximum fifty shows because he didn't want a passport, didn't want to live in London. He asked for a country house estate (16+ acres with running streams) so he and the kids wouldn't be stuck in a hotel in London. He also wanted Guinness World Records to be there at the fiftieth show. It was heard that Jackson was very firm about having his own (24/7) physician (Murray). It was heard that Phillips met with Murray and Jackson in early June 2009 to discuss Jackson's health. Murray assured Phillips he was in great health and that Murray would look after Jackson's diet. It was heard that Kenny [Ortega] told Phillips that he was concerned about Jackson's focus in performances in a production of this magnitude. Phillips started seeing stress and pressure in Ortega towards the middle of June because of this. There was an issue of Jackson showing up for performances. Ortega said he needed to be there because he was the fulcrum; everything surrounded him in the production. Ortega scheduled a meeting for June 20 which would be about Michael Jackson's tardiness and focus at rehearsals. It was heard that, based on Kenny Ortega's email, it was clear he felt this was an emergency meeting. The meeting was with Murray, Jackson, Ortega and Phillips at Carolwood house. Ortega didn't understand why Jackson wasn't as engaged as he thought he would be. "Michael didn't respond immediately. Murray spoke for Michael on the situation, guaranteed us that Michael would get into it." Phillips attended rehearsals on June 23–24 to make sure everything was back on track. On June 25, Phillips went to hospital and stayed there the entire time Jackson was there. "I was there all day into the evening." Murray was in "severe distress."


title: People v. Murray

text: The next defense witness was toxicologist Michael Henson, a tech operations officer at Pacific Toxicology. Defense attorney Michael Flanagan doing direct examination. Henson has known Flanagan since 2009. His company had worked with Flanagan for quite some time. Henson examined urine samples handed over from LA County Coroners Office. He also provided defense testing for stomach content of lorazepam. It was heard that Dr. Shafer emailed Henson about what his standard operating procedure (SOP) for lorazepam results was, but he did not email Shafer back and contacted Flanagan instead. During cross-examination, Walgren asked Henson why the People and the Defense have 2 different copies of lorazepam results. Henson said he did not know.


title: People v. Murray

text: The first witness of the day was Gerry Causey, who lives in Cedar City, Utah. Causey had known Murray for 11 years. They met when he lived in Las Vegas, when Causey had a heart attack. "Murray made me sign some paperwork, some kind of release, then they took me to the operating room for an angiogram." "During my procedure I didn't want to be sedated. I saw everything on the screen. He always explained me everything he was doing." He has been in constant contact with Murray ever since he was in hospital. They have remained friends. It was heard that they have remained friends because of the love Dr. Murray has for his patients. Causey has stated Murray is his "best friend." Causey said that Murray was not greedy and that he never has been. He would treat patients regardless of whether they had insurance or not. Murray broke down in tears when Causey said Murray would spend all time necessary with him, he would call his wife to explain problems. It was heard that Causey had given two TV interviews regarding Murray. He gave them free of charge "to help my friend." During cross-examination, Causey said that Dr. Murray is known for "his compassion, his feelings—you can ask any of his patients; he's the best doctor in the world." "I don't think he did what he's accused of. From what I know, what I feel right now he didn't do it." Walgren asked Causey whether he would come and testify on the Murray's behalf, even if he knew Murray was grossly negligent. He said yes. Causey was excused and as he walked out, he kissed Dr. Murray on the forehead and shook his hand.


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Andrew Guest, also a previous patient of Murray's from Las Vegas. Guest described how he first met Murray during the procedures he went through for his heart. Guest said "that man sitting there is the best doctor I have ever seen" "I'm alive today because of that man." It was heard that Guest did an interview, free of charge, with CNN because he believed Murray needed support and wasn't getting a "fair shake." Walgren asked: "Nothing would change your opinion of that man, would it?" Guest replied: "Correct."


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Lunette Sampson. Another patient of Murray's. She now lives in San Diego, but lived in Las Vegas for long time. Sampson had 2 heart attacks while in Las Vegas, Dr. Murray treated her. "I have never had a doctor that was more caring and thorough." When asked if she thought Murray was greedy or was motivated by money she said: "I know Dr. Murray is not greedy or money-hungry. He is taking care of people pro-bono, people without money." Sampson said Murray never once mentioned he was going to work with Jackson. "He told me he was going to take sabbatical for a year."


title: People v. Murray

text: Next called was Dennis Hix. He had heart problems and got stents (Coronary stent), the last one around 2004–2005. Murray's children's were his neighbors. It was heard that Hix is 66 years old, and he has gone to various other doctors and never had one who gave him the care he did. "I had insurance that didn't hardly pay for nothing (sic); he said he would help. When my brother saw I got the stents, my brother said he wanted some too. He had heart issues but didn't have money for the procedure. Dr. Murray told my brother not to worry about the payment, that he would treat him for free. And he did." Walgren asked Hix: "When did you learn Dr. Murray was going on tour with Jackson?" Hix replied, "I didn't even know it until I saw it on TV."


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Ruby Mosley. She lives in Houston. She's the secretary of Acres Home Citizen's Council, a low income seniors' community. Dr. Murray's father was a doctor in the Acres Home district. Dr. Murray opened the clinic in his father's memory. "He made a commitment to the community to open a clinic in memory of his dad" (Dr. M Snr was there from 1968 until 2003). Upon Chernoff asking if Murray was greedy, Mosley replied "if this man was greedy, he would've not come to work at Acres Home, where 75% of people are poor. He was making less than in Las Vegas." Murray treated Mosley for heart problems.


title: People v. Murray

text: First to take the stand was Dr. Robert Waldman, a physician specializing in internal medicine, Nephrology and Addiction medicine, has been involved in addiction medicine and treating patients who have addiction diseases for 23 years but is not board-certified in it. He described to the court what happens to a patient during addiction and withdrawal, including the tell-tale signs, the symptoms and the drugs that can be involved. Dr. Waldman stated that the side effects of withdrawal of drugs are sweating, increase heart rate, nausea, cramp, insomnia, temperature deregulation and tremendous anxiety. It was heard that the addict's biggest fear is that you're not going to respect the amount of discomfort they'll go through during treatment and detoxing process. It was also heard that rapid detox is not a treatment. It uses high levels of sedation intravenously and it is a process that uses general anesthesia to help tolerate the discomfort. It was heard that Dr. Waldman's opinion is that there is evidence to suggest Jackson was dependent (not addicted) on Demerol (pethidine) due to the frequent high doses he received in May 2009 indicated by Dr. Klein's medical records of Omar Arnold (an alias of Jackson's). It was heard that Dr. Klein's medical records indicate that in April 2009, Jackson received 775 mg of Demerol for Botox and Restylane procedures. During the three days in beginning of May 2009, Jackson received another 900 mg of Demerol for Botox and Restylane procedures. Dr. Waldman said being injected during 6 days with very high doses of Demerol would create opioid dependency in any one of us.


title: People v. Murray

text: Next to the stand was Dr. Paul White, with an interest in intravenous anesthesia, he started working with propofol in 1983; the FDA approved it for general anesthesia in 1989. He has published 435 papers on PubMed. He has written about fifteen books, two of which were major textbooks. Dr. White has written five books on propofol as well as twenty one chapters on propofol in various textbooks. After initial study showed propofol allowed patients to wake up sooner, he went back to the company and asked to do a follow-up study. Dr. White said, "Some people call me the father of Monitored Anesthetic Care (MAC) (anesthesia awareness) sedation." "In January of this year, Mr. Flanagan contacted me and mentioned the name Conrad Murray. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get involved in a high-profile trial involving the death of a celebrity. I was perplexed how experts determined that Murray was infusing propofol. It was not obvious to me." Dr. White met the Shafers in 1981, shortly after arrival at Stanford. They approached him about doing research. It was heard that Dr. White performed a study with animals and found that propofol directly into the stomach has no clinical effect. Regarding the paper, Dr. Shafer testified about a sleep study in China, Dr. White said "My take on the paper was different than Dr. Shafer's. The study showed that propofol was safe and effective for normalizing disturbed sleep but it's certainly not a definitive study."


title: People v. Murray

text: White was back on the stand being examined by J. Michael Flanagan. It was heard that, based on the diagram showing what Dr. Murray told the police he gave to Jackson on the night in question, it would not have presented any danger at all. White said that "the dose of propofol we are talking about here is 25 mg. This is a dose that produces little anxiety, little sleepiness." It was heard that anesthesiologists are obviously trained in sedation. For non-anesthesiologists, most hospitals require certification to use sedation. White was then given a certificate to read. It was Murray's certification from Sunrise Medical Hospital approving him to administer moderate sedation. It qualifies the doctor to administer drugs to achieve moderate sedation; but he must monitor patients carefully. The certification also says the doctor is approved to rescue patients from deep sedation, manage compromised airway, and provide adequate ventilation. Flanagan and White went through simulations that Shafer put together with the variables being dosage and time administered. It was heard that there was some free lorazepam in the stomach, showing that Jackson took lorazepam orally at some point before his death. Flanagan went through different scenarios with Dr. White about what could have caused Jackson's death. Dr. White then demonstrated how to mix propofol and lidocaine inside a syringe and administered it through a saline drip and Y tube. White injected 5 mg of propofol/saline mix into a cup to show that propofol doesn't go up the IV line and propofol sticks to the plastic tubing. He said that this is certainly a very safe way to inject propofol, and it was only 25 mg. "My demonstration was probably close to what happened at the scene. You'd need a mechanism to drip the drug and hold this heavy bottle." Flanagan asked if he could envision anyone using a slit IV bag to hang the propofol bottle when there's a handle on the bottle? "No." White added: "Why would anyone go through the hassle of cutting a saline bag to put the bottle inside when bottle has a handle?" Flanagan then asked how you would mix propofol solution with saline to make it 1–1 mg/ml? "You pull the tab off the bottle, spike the top, then inject all the bottle of propofol into the saline bag, shaking the bag to make it 1-1 μg/ml."


title: People v. Murray

text: It was heard that propofol is extensively metabolized, but some is eliminated in the urine in unchanged form. The autopsy determined an extremely small amount. There was half a liter of urine in Jackson's bladder at the time of the autopsy. It contained very little unchanged propofol. White commented, "I cannot understand a 3-hour infusion theory where there was evidence of infusion set up and elimination of drug in urine." Flanagan then asked: "Do you think it was self injection of propofol nearly 11:30a/12p did it?" "In my opinion, yes." Flanagan then asked: "Shafer said his scenario reconciled with all facts in this case. Does it reconcile with Dr. Murray's statement?" "No." "Does Dr. Shafer's theory reconcile with physical evidence at the scene or urine concentration?" "No." Dr. White said. "My theory reconciles with the evidence found at the scene and the urine concentration at autopsy." Dr. White proposed that, consistent with Murray's claim of having administered a dose of 25 mg of propofol, Michael Jackson would have woken up "after 10-15 minutes max," following which he self-injected 25 mg of propofol while Murray was out of the room. The combination of lorezapam, another sedative, midazolam, and propofol could have been potentially lethal.


title: People v. Murray

text: It was heard from White that administering propofol without careful bedside monitoring could be dangerous. "Do you agree there were instances where Dr. Murray deviated from the standard of care on June 25, 2009?" "Yes." Walgren asked, "have you ever administered propofol in someone's bedroom?" "No." "Have you heard anyone else doing it?" "No." Dr. White agrees Dr. Murray deviated from the 'standard of care' of Jackson but doesn't know to what degree. "Do you disagree with Dr. Shafer's opinion that failure to keep medical records constitutes an 'egregious and unconscionable' deviation?" White doesn't know what the words egregious and unconscionable mean in this case. "Would you administer propofol to a patient without proper airway-opening equipment?" "I would certainly have means for ventilation. Means of ventilation could be an ambu bag and a mask, not necessarily other respiratory equipment." It was heard that Dr. White has received $11,000 so far for his testimony in this case. He usually charges $3,500 per day and any expenses such as airfares. He doesn't think the defense have this much so will not bill them that much. Dr. Safer testified for many days, and performed numerous simulations for both the prosecution and defense for free. "Was Dr. Murray offered money to provide Jackson's propofol?" "It is my understanding that Dr. Murray was offered money to be Jackson's personal doctor." Walgren then asked "If you injected 25 mg propofol, is it ok to walk out of the room?" "25 mg only lasts 15-30 minutes, after that I see no problem in leaving the patient's bedside." "If the patient liked to 'push' propofol themselves, would you walk out of room?" "No." Upon being asked about Murray's actions after he found Jackson, Dr. White said "I would have done things differently. I would have called for help, called 911 and initiated CPR." When being asked about Murray's delay to call 911 he stated "I would have called 911 earlier but do not believe it would have made any difference in this case." "3-5 minutes after finding him I would call 911." It was heard, "forgetting to mention propofol was a detail overlooked. Could it also be a lie?" "Yes." After Dr. White mentioned he believed that Jackson had his own stash of propofol, Walgren asked the judge to insist the witness to respond to the question only. The judge asked the jurors to leave the courtroom. Walgren asked "Do you reject that Jackson drank propofol and that caused his death?" "Yes. I speculated that oral administration may have played a role. I don't reject completely the self-administration theory. The evidence suggests that Jackson did not drink propofol." Flanagan then asked Dr. White: "If the patient died [at] noon, would it matter if help came 5 minutes later?" "Unlikely." Dr. White continued and added, "Propofol does not have a reversal treatment. The only treatment for a propofol overdose is time."


title: People v. Murray

text: During his testimony, Dr. White was fined for contempt of court after disobeying an order by the judge to not refer to personal discussions with Murray in his testimony, instead to only reference statements from Murray's official police report. Dr. White could have been fined up to $1,000, but the judge set the fine to $250. Dr. White told the judge, "I did my best as I was admonished by you to answer the question truthfully and as completely as I could." He also said, "I apologize profusely if I disrespected you. I learned a lot from this experience." A second charge for contempt of court against Dr. White was dropped, after an online report alleged he had muttered "scumbag" as his colleague, Dr. Shafer, approached to testify.


title: People v. Murray

text: After court adjourned, the judge told attorneys he would give them one day off so they could prepare their closing arguments. If done by Tuesday, Wednesday could be dark. The judge said he has prepared to give a full day off, which takes it to Thursday for jury instructions. He says he would not defer that. The judge asked Murray if he's going to testify. Murray replied, "I need more time to talk to my lawyers. I have not made my final decision." Judge Pastor told Murray that he will have until tomorrow morning to decide. Murray said: "It will all depend on how the case progresses." After the defense concludes with Dr. White, they plan on calling Dr. Ornellas, the person who put together the models of which Dr. White spoke. After Dr. Ornellas, the defense is prepared to rest their case. Walgren said he will call Dr. Shafer briefly as a rebuttal witness. The judge then said he expects all the evidence in the case to be concluded tomorrow. The trial was set to resume at 9:30 am with the end of the re-direct of Dr. White.


title: People v. Murray

text: The redirect examination of Dr. White continues with Mr. Flanagan asking the questions about various models that Dr. White had commissioned for the defence. They talked about the level of lorazepam in Jackson's body in the models created by Dr. Shafer and Dr. White's expert. It was heard that there are many possibilities as to how the blood and urine levels got to where they were at autopsy. The models present a few different ideas and scenarios. "We can make models and adjust the time/dose to achieve the concentration of lorazepam found in femoral blood at the time of autopsy." There are great differences between different patients so the models are subject to huge population variability. Flanagan to Dr. White: "we don't know how many lorazepam pills Jackson took, do we?" "No one can be sure." Dr. White said that Dr. Shafer's scenario of a three-hour infusion does not hold up because the urine levels of propofol at autopsy are too low. Dr. White said that, while standards of care are the ideals, standards of practice are different in different situations. Some office procedures, i.e. such as procedures from hospital to hospital, might have different conditions and standards of practice if it is not possible to have the highest standard of care. Dr. White stated that 25 mg over 3-5 minute of propofol would only produce light sleepiness, possibly no sleep at all.


title: People v. Murray

text: Murray decided not to take the stand in his defense. The defense had no more witnesses and rested their case.


title: People v. Murray

text: Prosecution recalled Dr. Steven Shafer. It was heard that there was no suggestion Jackson died at any specific time, only the fact he died with a high level infusion of propofol. It was heard that the propofol elimination in the urine is 0.004+-0.002% of the total dose given. The excreted unchanged propofol found in the urine at autopsy was 82.5 μg. This indicates that more than 2,000 mg propofol was administered to Jackson. This rules out the hypothesis by Dr. White and indicates more propofol than Dr. Shafer's models. Dr. Shafer said that if there were such a thing as bedroom-based anesthesia, the standard guidelines would be a minimum; many more precautions would be required.


title: People v. Murray

text: The jury heard instructions from the judge, both prosecution and defense closing arguments and final post-trial instructions from the judge.


title: People v. Murray

text: On November 7, 2011, the 24th day of the trial, Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Judge Pastor set sentencing for November 29, and ordered Murray taken into custody without bail. On November 29, Murray was sentenced to the maximum penalty of four years of incarceration. According to Los Angeles County sheriff officials, Murray was expected to serve less than two years in the Los Angeles County Jail due to Californian prison overcrowding.


title: People v. Murray

text: Murray was released on October 28, 2013, two years ahead of schedule, due to California prison overcrowding and good behavior. Murray refused to testify in Katherine Jackson's (unsuccessful) wrongful death lawsuit against his former employer, AEG Live, which argued that the concert promoter should be held responsible for Michael Jackson's death. According to the "Associated Press", "Murray's medical licenses remain suspended or revoked in three states where he previously practiced medicine."


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Tony Anselmo (born February 18, 1960) is an American voice actor and animator. He has been the official character voice of Donald Duck since 1985 following the death of the original voice actor, Clarence Nash. He has also provided voices for Donald's triplet nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo formed an early interest with Disney after attending a screening of "Mary Poppins" at the age of four. Anselmo says, "I remember leaving the theater and asking, 'How did they do this? Who did that?' and so on...So a seed was planted there, and from that time on I never wanted to be a fireman, an astronaut, or anything else. I wanted to work for Disney."


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo's family moved to Sunnyvale in northern California when he was seven, and he continued to actively study Disney and animation. He began drawing, utilizing the famed Preston Blair art book, "Advanced Animation", built a light table of his own, and began creating animation with a Super 8 camera.


title: Tony Anselmo

text: He attended Marian A. Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, California. He began night art classes at local colleges and began a regular correspondence with the artists who animated the Disney films, including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Eric Larson, and Milt Kahl. Anselmo says, "Ollie wrote a lot and sent me drawings, advising me to learn quick sketch, life drawing, and design.”


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo studied at the Character Animation Department of California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship from the Disney Family in fall 1978.


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo's career as an animator began in 1980, at age 20. In subsequent years, Anselmo contributed to the animation of 20 Disney animated features, including "The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tarzan" and "The Emperor's New Groove". Anselmo was trained and mentored by the original voice of Donald, Clarence Nash, who passed away in 1985 and Anselmo inherited the role of Donald Duck just as Nash had wished. He first voiced Donald on a 1986 D-TV Valentine special on The Disney Channel.


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Walt Disney insisted on character consistency and integrity. As long as Clarence Nash was alive no one other than Clarence was permitted to provide Donald's voice. Continuing in that tradition, in 1988 Roy E. Disney created the department of Disney Character Voices to insure the continuation of character integrity, consistency, and quality in recording methods.


title: Tony Anselmo

text: During an interview, Tony Anselmo revealed that “Most people believe that Donald’s voice is done squeezing air through the cheek, that is not true. I can’t reveal how it’s actually done, but it is definitely not done by squeezing air through the cheek. The Hanna Barbara character ‘Yakky Doodle’ is done that way. Donald Duck is not."


title: Tony Anselmo

text: “Anselmo is the only person to both animate, and voice Donald Duck in “”, ""Funny You Don’t Look 200"”, “"The Prince and the Pauper"”, and the “"60th Annual Academy Awards"” in 1988.”


title: Tony Anselmo

text: He has voiced the nephews on the TV special "Down and Out With Donald Duck", and the shows "Mickey Mouse Works" and "Disney's House of Mouse" (while Taylor voiced the nephews in DuckTales, Mickey's Once and Twice Upon a Christmas, "Mickey's Speedway USA" and the video game in 2013.) He also lent his voice to minor characters in "The Great Mouse Detective", "Mickey's Around the World in 80 Days" and "Phineas and Ferb".


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo has also worked as a voice actor for the "Kingdom Hearts" series, which features Donald Duck as one of three main characters. He also provided the voice of Donald in the video game "Kinect Disneyland Adventures" in 2011.


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo has been honored with several awards and nominations. He was a winner of the 2014 BTVA Television Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series - Children's/Educational for "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"; as well as the BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game - "".


title: Tony Anselmo

text: Anselmo began collecting Disney merchandise at an early age, and is known for his comprehensive collection of Disney posters relating to the works of Walt Disney. This expertise resulted in a 2002 art book, "The Disney Poster Book featuring the Collection of Tony Anselmo". Anselmo's collection was used in exhibits at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.


title: Star Trek: The Original Series (season 3)

text: The third and final season of the American science fiction television series "", premiered on NBC on Friday, September 20, 1968 and concluded on Tuesday, June 3, 1969. It consisted of twenty-four episodes. "Star Trek: The Original Series" is an American science fiction television series produced by Fred Freiberger, and created by Gene Roddenberry, and the original series of the Star Trek franchise. It features William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy.


text: This is the first season to air after NBC moved the show from 8:30 P.M. to 10 P.M. on Friday nights. The season originally aired Fridays at 10:00-11:00 pm (EST) on NBC. The final episode aired on Tuesday, June 3, 1969, at 7:30-8:30 pm (EST).


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: Jan Carla Garavaglia, M.D (born September 14, 1956), sometimes known as "Dr. G", served as the chief medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties in Orlando, Florida, from 2004 until her retirement in May 2015. She starred in the series "" on the Discovery Health channel which aired in July 2004 until 2012. Repeats of the show are aired on the Discovery Life channel and Justice Network. Garavaglia has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "Larry King Live", "The Rachael Ray Show", "The Doctors" and "The Dr. Oz Show."


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: Garavaglia was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Charles and Jennie Garavaglia. She graduated from Lindbergh High School in 1974. Garavaglia received her medical degree from the St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed an internship in internal medicine and residency in anatomic/clinical pathology at St. Louis University Hospital. She completed a fellowship in forensic pathology at the Dade County Medical Examiner's Office in Miami, Florida. She is board-certified in combined anatomic and clinical pathology and forensic pathology.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: Garavaglia married her first husband in 1980. In 1988, she got her first job as an Associate Medical Examiner in Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida and gave birth to their first son. Garavaglia and her family moved to Georgia in 1991 where she took a job as Associate Medical Examiner for the next two years. In 1993, the family moved once again to San Antonio, Texas where Garavaglia spent the next ten years as a Medical Examiner in the Bexar County Forensic Science Center. Their second son was born during this time, in 1994. Garavaglia and her first husband later divorced in 2006, and in 2007 she married her second husband, Dr. Mark Wallace, whom she had met years earlier while attending medical school. Dr. Wallace has made several appearances on "" as an expert in infectious disease and internal medicine. The couple reside in Mount Vernon, WA.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: One of the first cases Garavaglia worked on as a medical examiner was the Morning Glory Funeral Home scandal, in which 37 bodies, many in advanced stages of decomposition, were found in a funeral home. After several caskets that the funeral director had buried were exhumed, Garavaglia determined that the director had placed multiple persons in single caskets, and pocketed the money he received.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: As an associate medical examiner in Bexar County, Texas, Garavaglia autopsied the body of Tracie McBride at the Bexar County Forensic Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. The case was covered on "Dr. G". McBride was murdered by Louis Jones, who was executed by the federal government in 2003.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: On December 11, 2008, Garavaglia autopsied the remains of a small child that was confirmed to be those of missing Caylee Anthony. Garavaglia testified about her findings during the murder trial of Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: In 2008, Garavaglia authored "How Not to Die", in which she relates her experiences as a medical examiner to educate readers about how to care for their health and avoid premature death.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: On May 18, 2012, Garavaglia delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Science Olympiad National Tournament at the University of Central Florida.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: After more than two decades in the practice of forensic pathology, Garavaglia retired from the District 9 medical examiner's office on May 28, 2015. She and her husband retired to her husband's hometown, 90 minutes north of Seattle, Washington.


title: Jan Garavaglia

text: "How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America’s Favorite Medical Examiner" is a book about safe and healthy living written by Jan Garavaglia. The book was released on October 14, 2008 by Crown Publishing, a division of Random House. Using cases from her 20 years of experience as a medical examiner, Garavaglia identifies some lifestyle and behavioral choices that may result in premature death. She also offers advice on how to be smart and proactive about one's health. The "Library Journal" has called the book "surprisingly entertaining".


title: Line–line intersection

text: In Euclidean geometry, the intersection of a line and a line can be the empty set, a point, or another line. Distinguishing these cases and finding the intersection have uses, for example, in computer graphics, motion planning, and collision detection.


title: Line–line intersection

text: In three-dimensional Euclidean geometry, if two lines are not in the same plane, they have no point of intersection and are called skew lines. If they are in the same plane, however, there are three possibilities: if they coincide (are not distinct lines), they have an infinitude of points in common (namely all of the points on either of them); if they are distinct but have the same slope, they are said to be parallel and have no points in common; otherwise, they have a single point of intersection.


title: Line–line intersection

text: The distinguishing features of non-Euclidean geometry are the number and locations of possible intersections between two lines and the number of possible lines with no intersections (parallel lines) with a given line.


title: Line–line intersection

text: A necessary condition for two lines to intersect is that they are in the same plane—that is, are not skew lines. Satisfaction of this condition is equivalent to the tetrahedron with vertices at two of the points on one line and two of the points on the other line being degenerate in the sense of having zero volume. For the algebraic form of this condition, see .


title: Line–line intersection

text: First we consider the intersection of two lines and in two-dimensional space, with line being defined by two distinct points and , and line being defined by two distinct points and .


title: Line–line intersection

text: When the two lines are parallel or coincident, the denominator is zero. If the lines are almost parallel, then a computer solution might encounter numeric problems implementing the solution described above: the recognition of this condition might require an approximate test in a practical application. An alternate approach might be to rotate the line segments so that one of them is horizontal, whence the solution of the rotated parametric form of the second line is easily obtained. Careful discussion of the special cases is required (parallel or coincident lines, overlapping or non-overlapping intervals).


title: Line–line intersection

text: Note that the intersection point above is for the infinitely long lines defined by the points, rather than the line segments between the points, and can produce an intersection point not contained in either of the two line segments. In order to find the position of the intersection in respect to the line segments, we can define lines and in terms of first degree Bézier parameters:


title: Line–line intersection

text: (where and are real numbers). The intersection point of the lines is found with one of the following values of or , where


title: Line–line intersection

text: There will be an intersection if and . The intersection point falls within the first line segment if , and it falls within the second line segment if . These inequalities can be tested without the need for division, allowing rapid determination of the existence of any line segment intersection before calculating its exact point.


title: Line–line intersection

text: The and coordinates of the point of intersection of two non-vertical lines can easily be found using the following substitutions and rearrangements.


title: Line–line intersection

text: Suppose that two lines have the equations and where and are the slopes (gradients) of the lines and where and are the -intercepts of the lines. At the point where the two lines intersect (if they do), both coordinates will be the same, hence the following equality:


title: Line–line intersection

text: To find the coordinate, all we need to do is substitute the value of into either one of the two line equations, for example, into the first:


title: Line–line intersection

text: Note if then the two lines are parallel. If as well, the lines are different and there is no intersection, otherwise the two lines are identical and intersect at every point.


title: Line–line intersection

text: By using homogeneous coordinates, the intersection point of two implicitly defined lines can be determined quite easily. In 2D, every point can be defined as a projection of a 3D point, given as the ordered triple . The mapping from 3D to 2D coordinates is . We can convert 2D points to homogeneous coordinates by defining them as .


title: Line–line intersection

text: Assume that we want to find intersection of two infinite lines in 2-dimensional space, defined as and . We can represent these two lines in line coordinates as and . The intersection of two lines is then simply given by


title: Line–line intersection

text: The intersection of two lines can be generalized to involve additional lines. The existence of and expression for the -line intersection problem are as follows.


title: Line–line intersection

text: In two dimensions, more than two lines almost certainly do not intersect at a single point. To determine if they do and, if so, to find the intersection point, write the th equation () as


title: Line–line intersection

text: where the th row of the matrix is , is the 2 × 1 vector , and the th element of the column vector is . If has independent columns, its rank is 2. Then if and only if the rank of the augmented matrix is also 2, there exists a solution of the matrix equation and thus an intersection point of the lines. The intersection point, if it exists, is given by


title: Line–line intersection

text: where is the Moore–Penrose generalized inverse of (which has the form shown because has full column rank). Alternatively, the solution can be found by jointly solving any two independent equations. But if the rank of is only 1, then if the rank of the augmented matrix is 2 there is no solution but if its rank is 1 then all of the lines coincide with each other.


title: Line–line intersection

text: The above approach can be readily extended to three dimensions. In three or more dimensions, even two lines almost certainly do not intersect; pairs of non-parallel lines that do not intersect are called skew lines. But if an intersection does exist it can be found, as follows.


title: Line–line intersection

text: In three dimensions a line is represented by the intersection of two planes, each of which has an equation of the form


title: Line–line intersection

text: where now is and is . As before there is a unique intersection point if and only if has full column rank and the augmented matrix does not, and the unique intersection if it exists is given by


title: Line–line intersection

text: In two or more dimensions, we can usually find a point that is mutually closest to two or more lines in a least-squares sense.


title: Line–line intersection

text: In the two-dimensional case, first, represent line as a point on the line and a unit normal vector , perpendicular to that line. That is, if and are points on line 1, then let and let


title: Line–line intersection

text: While is not well-defined in more than two dimensions, this can be generalized to any number of dimensions by noting that is simply the symmetric matrix with all eigenvalues unity except for a zero eigenvalue in the direction along the line providing a seminorm on the distance between and another point giving the distance to the line. In any number of dimensions, if is a unit vector "along" the th line, then


title: Line–line intersection

text: In order to find the intersection point of a set of lines, we calculate the point with minimum distance to them. Each line is defined by an origin and a unit direction vector . The square of the distance from a point to one of the lines is given from Pythagoras:


title: Line–line intersection

text: In hyperbolic geometry, given any line and any point, there are infinitely many lines through that point that do not intersect the given line.


title: Laura-Leigh

text: Laura-Leigh Moser (born January 9, 1991) known professionally as simply Laura-Leigh, is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films "The Ward" and "We're the Millers" and as a series regular on the TV series "The Client List" and season 1 of Vanderpump Rules.


title: Laura-Leigh

text: She graduated from the Juilliard School and upon graduation had a role in the Second Stage Theatre production of "Boy's Life", directed by Michael Greif.


title: Laura-Leigh

text: After guest starring in several TV series', she co-starred as Zoey in John Carpenter's film "The Ward" opposite Amber Heard and Mamie Gummer.


title: Laura-Leigh

text: Laura-Leigh appeared as herself on the Bravo reality TV series "Vanderpump Rules". She was working as a server at SUR, the West Hollywood, California, restaurant owned by former "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member Lisa Vanderpump. She quit her job at SUR and the series for the role of "Kymberly" in the Warner Bros. Pictures comedy film "We're the Millers" opposite Jennifer Aniston. The film grossed over $270 million worldwide.


title: Laura-Leigh

text: Laura-Leigh played the series regular character of "Nikki Shannon" in Jennifer Love Hewitt's TV series "The Client List". She co-starred in the comedy motion picture "Tooken", a parody of the "Taken" film series.


title: Laura-Leigh

text: Laura-Leigh appeared in David Robert Mitchell's neo-noir crime thriller "Under the Silver Lake" opposite Andrew Garfield, Zosia Mamet, and Riley Keough in 2019.


title: Amidah

text: The Amidah Amuhduh (, Tefilat HaAmidah, 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the Shemoneh Esreh ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the "Amidah" at each of three daily prayer services in a typical weekday: morning ("Shacharit"), afternoon ("Mincha"), and evening ("Ma'ariv"). On Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Jewish festivals, a fourth "Amidah" ("Mussaf") is recited after the morning Torah reading, and once per year a fifth "Amidah" ("Ne'ilah") is recited, around sunset on Yom Kippur. Due to its importance, in rabbinic literature it is simply called "hatefila" (, 'the prayer'). According to legend, the prayer was composed by the Rabbis of the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (c. 515-332 BCE). Accordingly, in Judaism, to recite the "Amidah" is a "mitzvah de-rabbanan".


title: Amidah

text: Although the name "Shemoneh Esreh" ("eighteen") refers to the original number of component blessings in the prayer, the typical weekday "Amidah" actually consists of nineteen blessings.


title: Amidah

text: Among other prayers, the "Amidah" can be found in the "siddur", the traditional Jewish prayer book. The prayer is recited standing with feet firmly together, and preferably while facing Jerusalem. In Orthodox public worship, the "Amidah" is usually first prayed quietly by the congregation and is then repeated aloud by the "chazzan" (reader); it is not repeated in the "Maariv" prayer. The repetition's original purpose was to give illiterate members of the congregation a chance to participate in the collective prayer by answering "Amen." Conservative and Reform congregations sometimes abbreviate the public recitation of the "Amidah" according to their customs. The rules governing the composition and recital of the "Amidah" are discussed primarily in the Talmud, in Chapters 4–5 of Berakhot; in the Mishneh Torah, in chapters 4–5 of "Hilkhot Tefilah"; and in the Shulchan Aruch, Laws 89–127. When the "Amidah" is modified for specific prayers or occasions, the first three blessings and the last three remain constant, framing the "Amidah" used in each service, while the middle thirteen blessings are replaced by blessings (usually just one) specific to the occasion.


title: Amidah

text: The language of the "Amidah" most likely comes from the Mishnaic period, both before and after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE). In the time of the Mishnah, it was considered unnecessary to fully prescribe its text and content. This may have been simply because the language was well known to the Mishnah's authors. The Mishnah may also have not recorded specific text because of an aversion to making prayer a matter of rigor and fixed formula.


title: Amidah

text: According to the Talmud, Gamaliel II undertook to codify uniformly the public service, directing Simeon HaPakoli to edit the blessings (probably in the order they had already acquired) and made it a duty, incumbent on every one, to recite the prayer three times daily. But this does not imply that the blessings were unknown before that date; in other passages the "Amidah" is traced to the "first wise men", or to the Great Assembly. In order to reconcile the various assertions of editorship, the Talmud concludes that the prayers had fallen into disuse, and that Gamaliel reinstituted them.


title: Amidah

text: The historical kernel in these conflicting reports seems to be that the benedictions date from the earliest days of the Pharisaic Synagogue. They were at first spontaneous outgrowths of the efforts to establish the Pharisaic Synagogue in opposition to, or at least in correspondence with, the Sadducean Temple service. This is apparent from the aggadic endeavor to connect the stated times of prayer (morning and afternoon) with the Temple sacrifices at the same times (for the evening prayer, recourse was had to artificial comparison with the sacrificial portions consumed on the altar during the night).


title: Amidah

text: The Talmud indicates that when Rabbi Gamaliel II undertook to uniformly codify the public service and to regulate private devotion, he directed Samuel ha-Katan to write another paragraph inveighing against informers and heretics, which was inserted as the twelfth prayer in modern sequence, making the number of blessings nineteen. Other Talmudic sources indicate, however, that this prayer was part of the original 18; and that 19 prayers came about when the 15th prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem and of the throne of David (coming of the Messiah) was split into two.


title: Amidah

text: On regular weekdays, the "Amidah" is prayed three times, once each during the morning, afternoon, and evening services that are known respectively as "Shacharit", "Mincha", and "Ma'ariv".


title: Amidah

text: One opinion in the Talmud claims, with support from Biblical verses, that the concept for each of the three services was founded respectively by each of the three biblical patriarchs. The prescribed times for reciting the "Amidah" thus may come from the times of the public "tamid" ("eternal") sacrifices that took place in the Temples in Jerusalem. After the Second Temple's destruction in 70 CE, the Council of Jamnia determined that the "Amidah" would substitute for the sacrifices, directly applying Hosea's dictate, "So we will render for bullocks the offering of our lips." For this reason, the "Amidah" should be recited during the time period in which the "tamid" would have been offered. Accordingly, since the Ma'ariv service was originally optional, as it replaces the overnight burning of ashes on the Temple altar rather than a specific sacrifice, Maariv's "Amidah" is not repeated by the hazzan (reader), while all other Amidot are repeated.


title: Amidah

text: On Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and other Jewish holidays there is a "Musaf" ("Additional") "Amidah" to replace the additional communal sacrifices of these days. On Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), a fifth recitation, Ne'ilah, is added to replace a special sacrifice offered on that day.


title: Amidah

text: The weekday "Amidah" contains nineteen blessings. Each blessing ends with the signature "Blessed are you, O Lord..." and the opening blessing begins with this signature as well. The first three blessings as a section are known as the "shevach" ("praise"), and serve to inspire the worshipper and invoke God's mercy. The middle thirteen blessings compose the "bakashah" ("request"), with six personal requests, six communal requests, and a final request that God accept the prayers. The final three blessings, known as the "hoda'ah" ("gratitude"), thank God for the opportunity to serve the Lord. The "shevach" and "hoda'ah" are standard for every "Amidah", with some changes on certain occasions.


title: Amidah

text: The custom has gradually developed of reciting, at the conclusion of the latter, the supplication with which Mar son of Ravina used to conclude his prayer:


title: Amidah

text: My God, keep my tongue and my lips from speaking deceit, and to them that curse me let my soul be silent, and like dust to all. Open my heart in Your Torah, and after [in] Thy commandments let me [my soul] pursue. As for those that think evil of [against] me speedily thwart their counsel and destroy their plots. Do [this] for Thy name's sake, do this for Thy right hand's sake, do this for the sake of Thy holiness, do this for the sake of Thy Torah. That Thy beloved ones may rejoice, let Thy right hand bring on help [salvation] and answer me...


title: Amidah

text: At this point, some say a Biblical verse related to their name(s). For example, someone named Leah might say , since both Leah and this verse begin with the letter "Lamed" and end with "Hay". This practice is first recorded in the 16th century, and was popularized by the Shelah.


title: Amidah

text: Many also customary add individual personal prayers as part of quiet recitation of the "Amidah". Rabbi Shimon discourages praying by rote: "But rather make your prayer a request for mercy and compassion before the Ominipresent." Some authorities encourage the worshipper to say something new in his prayer every time.


title: Amidah

text: The many laws concerning the "Amidah's" mode of prayer are designed to focus one's concentration as one beseeches God.


title: Amidah

text: Prayer in Judaism is called "avodah shebalev" ("service of the heart"). Thus, prayer is only meaningful if one focuses one's emotion and intention, "kavanah", to the words of the prayers. The Shulchan Aruch thus advises that one pray using a translation one can understand, though learning the meaning of the Hebrew liturgy is ideal.


title: Amidah

text: Halakhah requires that the first blessing of the "Amidah" be said with intention; if said by rote alone, it must be repeated with intention. Rema (16th century) wrote that this is no longer necessary, because "nowadays... even in the repetition it is likely he will not have intention". The second to last blessing of "Hoda'ah" also has high priority for "kavanah".


title: Amidah

text: When the "Amidah" is said to oneself in the presence of others, many Jews who wear a "tallit" (prayer shawl) will drape their tallit over their heads, allowing their field of vision to be focused only on their siddur and their personal prayer.


title: Amidah

text: Interrupting the "Amidah" is forbidden. The only exceptions are in cases of danger or for one who needs to relieve oneself, though this rule may depend on the movement of Judaism. There are also "halakhot" to prevent interrupting the "Amidah" of others; for example, it is forbidden to sit next to someone praying or to walk within four "amot" (cubits) of someone praying.


title: Amidah

text: The guideline of quiet prayer comes from Hannah's behavior during prayer, when she prayed in the Temple to bear a child. She prayed "speaking upon her heart," so that no one else could hear, yet her lips were moving. Therefore, when saying the "Amidah" one's voice should be audible to oneself, but not loud enough for others to hear.


title: Amidah

text: The name "Amidah," which literally is the Hebrew gerund of "standing," comes from the fact that the worshipper recites the prayer while standing with feet firmly together. This is done to imitate the angels, whom Ezekiel perceived as having "one straight leg." As worshippers address the Divine Presence, they must remove all material thoughts from their minds, just as angels are purely spiritual beings. In a similar vein, the Tiferet Yisrael explains in his commentary, Boaz, that the "Amidah" is so-called because it helps a person focus his or her thoughts. By nature, a person's brain is active and wandering. The "Amidah" brings everything into focus.


title: Amidah

text: The Talmud says that one who is riding an animal or sitting in a boat (or by modern extension, flying in an airplane) may recite the "Amidah" while seated, as the precarity of standing would disturb one's focus.


title: Amidah

text: The "Amidah" is preferably said facing Jerusalem, as the patriarch Jacob proclaimed, "And this [place] is the gateway to Heaven," where prayers may ascend. The Talmud records the following Baraita on this topic:


title: Amidah

text: There is a dispute regarding how one measures direction for this purpose. Some say one should face the direction which would be the shortest distance to Jerusalem, i.e. the arc of a great circle, as defined in elliptic geometry. Thus in New York one would face north-northeast. Others say one should face the direction along a rhumb line path to Jerusalem, which would not require an alteration of compass direction. This would be represented by a straight line on a Mercator projection, which would be east-southeast from New York. In practice, many individuals in the Western Hemisphere simply face due east, regardless of location.


title: Amidah

text: There are varying customs related to taking three steps backwards (and then forwards) before reciting the "Amidah", and likewise after the "Amidah". Before reciting the "Amidah", it is customary for Ashkenazim to take three steps back and then three steps forward. The steps backward at the beginning represent withdrawing one's attention from the material world, and then stepping forward to symbolically approach the King of Kings. The Mekhilta notes that the significance of the three steps is based on the three barriers that Moses had to pass through at Sinai before entering God's realm. The Mishnah Berurah wrote that only the steps forward are required, while the backward steps beforehand are a prevalent custom. It is not the custom of the Sephardim to step backward or forward prior to reciting the "Amidah".


title: Amidah

text: Mention of taking three steps back, upon finishing the final meditation after the "Amidah", is found in both Ashkenaz and Sephardi/עדות המזרח(Edot HaMizrach) siddurim.


title: Amidah

text: One takes three steps back upon finishing the final meditation after the "Amidah", and then says, while bowing left, right, and forward, "He who makes peace in the heavens, may He make peace for us and all Israel, and let us say, Amen." Many have the custom to remain standing in place until immediately before the chazzan reaches the Kedusha, and then take three steps forward. The Talmud understands this as a reminder of the practice in the Temple in Jerusalem, when those offering the daily sacrifices would walk backward from the altar after finishing. It also compares the practice to a student's respectfully backs away from his teacher.


title: Amidah

text: The worshipper bows at four points in the "Amidah": at the beginning and end of two blessings, "Avot" and "Hoda'ah". It is the custom of the Ashkenazim that one bends the knees when saying "Blessed," then bows at "are You," and straightens while saying "O Lord." (At the beginning of "Hoda'ah", one instead bows while saying the opening words "We are grateful to You" without bending the knees.) The reason for this procedure is that the Hebrew word for "blessed" ("baruch") is related to "knee" ("berech"); while the verse in Psalms states, "The Lord straightens the bent." At each of these bows, one must bend over until the vertebrae protrude from one's back; one physically unable to do so suffices by nodding the head. It is not the custom of the Sephardim to bend the knees during the "Amidah".


title: Amidah

text: During certain parts of the "Amidah" said on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (also during on Yom Kippur), Ashkenazi Jews traditionally go down to the floor upon their knees and make their upper body bowed over like an arch, similar to the Muslim practice of sujud. There are some variations in Ashkenazi customs as to how long one remains in this position. Some members of the Dor Daim movement also bow in this manner in their daily "Amidah" prayer.


title: Amidah

text: In Orthodox and Conservative (Masorti) public worship, the "Amidah" is first prayed quietly by the congregation; it is then repeated aloud by the chazzan (reader), except for the evening "Amidah" or when a minyan is not present. The congregation responds "Amen" to each blessing, and many recite ""Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo"" ("blessed is He and blessed is His Name") when the chazzan invokes God's name in the signature "Blessed are You, O Lord..." Some say that if there are not six members of the minyan responding "Amen," the chazzan's blessing is considered in vain.


title: Amidah

text: The repetition's original purpose was to give illiterate members of the congregation a chance to be included in the chazzan's "Amidah" by answering "Amen."


title: Amidah

text: The public recitation of the "Amidah" is sometimes abbreviated, with the first three blessings (including "Kedushah") said out loud and the remainder quietly. The individual's quiet repetition of the "Amidah" is said afterwards, not before. This practice is commonly referred to as "heikha kedusha" (, lit. "high (loud) kedushah"), or in modern Hebrew as "mincha ketzarah" (Hebrew מנחה קצרה, lit. "short mincha"), or sometimes as "bekol ram" (Hebrew בקול רם, lit. "in a high voice"). It is occasionally performed in Orthodox prayers (in some communities it is customary for mincha to be recited in this way), and more common in Conservative and Reform congregations. A variety of customs exist for how exactly this practice is performed.


title: Amidah

text: On Shabbat, the middle 13 benedictions of the "Amidah" are replaced by one, known as "Kedushat haYom" ("sanctity of the day"), so that each Shabbat "Amidah" is composed of seven benedictions. The "Kedushat haYom" has an introductory portion, which on Sabbath is varied for each of the four services, and short concluding portion, which is constant:


title: Amidah

text: Our God and God of our Ancestors! Be pleased with our rest; sanctify us with Your commandments, give us a share in Your Torah, satiate us with Your bounty, and gladden us in Your salvation. Cleanse our hearts to serve You in truth: let us inherit, O Lord our God, in love and favor, Your holy Sabbath, and may Israel, who loves Your name, rest thereon. Praised are You, O Lord, who sanctifies the Sabbath.


title: Amidah

text: On Sabbath eve, after the congregation has read the "Amidah" quietly, the reader repeats aloud the "Me'En Sheva"', or summary of the seven blessings. The congregation then continues:


title: Amidah

text: Shield of the fathers by His word, reviving the dead by His command, the holy God to whom none is like; who causeth His people to rest on His holy Sabbath-day, for in them He took delight to cause them to rest. Before Him we shall worship in reverence and fear. We shall render thanks to His name on every day constantly in the manner of the benedictions. God of the 'acknowledgments,' Lord of 'Peace,' who sanctifieth the Sabbath and blesseth the seventh [day] and causeth the people who are filled with Sabbath delight to rest as a memorial of the work in the beginning of Creation.


title: Amidah

text: On festivals, like on Shabbat, the intermediate 13 blessings are replaced by a single blessing concerning "Sanctification of the Day" prayer. However, the text of this blessing differs from on Shabbat. The first section is constant on all holidays:


title: Amidah

text: You have chosen us from all the nations, You have loved us and was pleased with us; You lifted us above all tongues, and sanctified us with Your commandments, and brought us, O our King, to Your service, and pronounced over us Your great and holy name.


title: Amidah

text: If the Sabbath coincides with a festival, the festival blessing is recited, but with special additions relating to Shabbat.


title: Amidah

text: On the Shabbat, festivals (i.e., on Yom Tov and on Chol HaMoed), and on Rosh Chodesh, a fourth "Amidah" prayer is recited, entitled Mussaf ("additional"). Like the Shacharit and Mincha "Amidah", it is recited both quietly and repeated by the Reader.


title: Amidah

text: The "Mussaf Amidah" begins with the same first three and concludes with the same last three blessings as the regular "Amidah". In place of the 13 intermediate blessings of the daily service, a single blessing is added, relating to the holiday. (The Mussaf Amidah on Rosh Hashanah is unique in that apart from the first and last 3 blessings, it contains 3 central blessings making a total of 9.)


title: Amidah

text: Historically (and currently in Orthodox services), the middle blessing focuses on the special Mussaf korban (sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, and contains a plea for the building of a Third Temple and the restoration of sacrificial worship. The biblical passage referring to the Mussaf sacrifice of the day is recited.


title: Amidah

text: The Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism has devised two forms for the "Mussaf Amidah" with varying degrees of difference from the Orthodox form. One version refers to the prescribed sacrifices, but in the past tense ("there our ancestors offered" rather than "there we shall offer"). A newer version omits references to sacrifices entirely.


title: Amidah

text: Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism generally omit the "Mussaf Amidah" on Shabbat, though it is retained on some festivals.


title: Amidah

text: On Yom Kippur, a fifth "Amidah" (in addition to the Ma'ariv (Evening), "Shacharit" (Morning), "Mussaf" (Additional), and "Mincha" (Afternoon) Amidah is recited and repeated at the closing of Yom Kippur. The congregation traditionally stands during the entire repetition of this prayer, which contains a variety of confessional and supplicatory additions. In the Ashkenazi custom, it is also the only time that the Avinu Malkeinu prayer is said on Shabbat, should Yom Kippur fall on Shabbat, though by this point Shabbat is celestially over.


title: Amidah

text: The Mishnah (Brachot 4:3) and Talmud (Brachot 29a) mention the option of saying a truncated version of the "Amidah" (see Havineinu), if one is in a rush or under pressure. It consists of only seven blessings - the usual first three and last three, and a middle blessing named after its first word, "Havineinu".


title: Amidah

text: The phrase "" ("He [God] causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall") is inserted in the second blessing of the "Amidah" ("Gevurot"), throughout the rainy season in Israel (fall and winter). The most prominent of God's powers mentioned in this blessing is the resurrection of the dead. Rain is mentioned here because God's provision of rain is considered to be as great a manifestation of His power as the resurrection. Rain is not mentioned in spring and summer, when rain does not fall in Israel. Nevertheless, given the importance of moisture during the dry summer of Israel, many versions of the liturgy insert the phrase "," "He causes the dew to fall," during every "Amidah" of the dry half of the year.


title: Amidah

text: The "mention" of rain (or dew) starts and ends on major festivals (Shemini Atzeret and Passover respectively) On these holidays, special extended prayers for rain or dew (known as "Tefillat Geshem" and "Tefillat Tal" respectively). In the Ashkenazic tradition, both prayers are recited by the Reader during the repetition of the "Mussaf Amidah". Sephardic tradition, which prohibits such additions, places them before the "Mussaf Amidah". The change is made on these holidays because they are days of great joy, and because they are days of heavy attendance at public prayers. Therefore, the seasonal change in the language of the prayers is immediately and widely disseminated.


title: Amidah

text: In the ninth blessing of the weekday "Amidah", the words "may You grant dew and rain" are inserted during the winter season in the Land of Israel. Outside Israel, this season is defined as beginning on the 60th day after the autumnal equinox (“Tekufat Tishrei“) - usually 4 December - and ending on Passover. In Israel, the season begins on the 7th of Cheshvan. The Sephardi and Yemenite Jewish rituals, as opposed to just adding the words "dew and rain" during the winter, have two distinct versions of the ninth blessing. During the dry season, the blessing has this form:


title: Amidah

text: Bless us, our Father, in all the work of our hands, and bless our year with gracious, blessed, and kindly dews: be its outcome life, plenty, and peace as in the good years, for Thou, O Eternal, are good and does good and blesses the years. Blessed be Thou, O Eternal, who blesses the years.


title: Amidah

text: Bless upon us, O Eternal our God, this year and all kinds of its produce for goodness, and bestow dew and rain for blessing on all the face of the earth; and make abundant the face of the world and fulfil the whole of Thy goodness. Fill our hands with Thy blessings and the richness of the gifts of Thy hands. Preserve and save this year from all evil and from all kinds of destroyers and from all sorts of punishments: and establish for it good hope and as its outcome peace. Spare it and have mercy upon it and all of its harvest and its fruits, and bless it with rains of favor, blessing, and generosity; and let its issue be life, plenty, and peace as in the blessed good years; for Thou, O Eternal, are good and does good and blesses the years. Blessed be Thou, O Eternal, who blesses the years.


title: Amidah

text: At the "Maariv Amidah" following the conclusion of a Shabbat or Yom Tov, a paragraph beginning "Atah Chonantanu" ("You have granted us...") is inserted into the weekday "Amidah's" fourth blessing of "Binah". The paragraph thanks God for the ability to separate between the holy and mundane, paraphrasing the concepts found in the Havdalah ceremony. In fact, the Talmud teaches that if this paragraph is forgotten, the "Amidah" need not be repeated, because Havdalah will be said later over wine. Once "Atah Chonantanu" is said, work prohibited on the holy day becomes permitted because the separation from the holy day has been established.


title: Amidah

text: During the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, additional lines are inserted in the first, second, second to last, and last blessings of all "Amidot". These lines invoke God's mercy and pray for inscription in the Book of Life. In many communities, when the chazzan reaches these lines during his repetition, he pauses and the congregation recites the lines before him. During the final recitation of the "Amidah" on Yom Kippur the prayer is slightly modified to read "seal us" in the book of life, rather than "write us".


title: Amidah

text: Moreover, the signatures of two blessings are changed to reflect the days' heightened recognition of God's sovereignty. In the third blessing, the signature "Blessed are You, O Lord, the Holy God" is replaced with "Blessed are You, O Lord, the Holy King." On weekdays, the signature of the eleventh blessing is changed from "Blessed are You, O Lord, King who loves justice and judgement" to "Blessed are You, O Lord, the King of judgement." In many Ashkenazic communities, it is also customary to conclude the last Blessing "Blessed are You, O Lord, who makes peace" instead of "Blessed are You, O Lord, who blesses His people with peace".


title: Amidah

text: On public fast days, special prayers for mercy are added to the "Amidah". There are three customs as to at which prayers individuals recite the text of "Aneinu" without its signature in the blessing of "Shomea Tefillah":


title: Amidah

text: In all customs, the chazzan adds "Aneinu" as additional blessing in his repetition right after the blessing of "Geulah", known by its first word "Aneinu" ("Answer us") in both Shacharit and Mincha. The blessing concludes with the signature "Blessed are You, O Lord, Who responds" (some say: "to His nation Israel") "in time of trouble." In addition, according to the original custom, Selichot are recited in the middle of the blessing for forgiveness during the Chazzan's repetition.


title: Amidah

text: At mincha, Ashkenazic communities that say the "Shalom Rav" version of the "Shalom" blessing at Minchah and Maariv say the "Sim Shalom" at this Minchah. The chazzan also says the priestly blessing before "Shalom" as he would at Shacharit, unlike the usual weekday Minchah when the priestly blessing is not said at Mincha; in many communities where the Kohanim recite Birkat Kohanim daily, this is recited now as well, particularly if Mincha is recited later in the day.


title: Amidah

text: On Tisha B'Av at Minchah, Ashkenazim add a prayer that begins "Nachem" ("Console...") to the conclusion of the blessing "Binyan Yerushalayim", elaborating on the mournful state of the Temple in Jerusalem. The concluding signature of the blessing is also extended to say ""Blessed are You, O Lord, Who consoles Zion and builds Jerusalem."" In other traditions, it is said in all the Amidot of Tisha B'av, or not included at all.


title: Amidah

text: On Chol HaMoed and Rosh Chodesh, the prayer "Ya'aleh Veyavo" ("May [our remembrance] rise and be seen...") is inserted in the blessing of "Avodah". "Ya'aleh Veyavo" is also said in the "Kedushat HaYom" blessing of the Festival "Amidah", and at Birkat HaMazon. One phrase of the prayer varies according to the day's holiday, mentioning it by name. Often, the first line is uttered aloud so that others will be reminded of the change.


title: Amidah

text: On Hanukkah and Purim, the weekday Amidot are recited, but a special paragraph is inserted into the blessing of "Hoda'ah". Each holiday's paragraph recounts the historical background of that holiday, thanking God for his salvation. Both paragraphs are prefaced by the same opening line, "[We thank You] for the miraculous deeds ("Al HaNissim") and for the redemption and for the mighty deeds and the saving acts wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in ancient days at this season."


title: Amidah

text: The text of the Amidah was changed by the Hassidic movement in the 18th century. They attempted to fit the Ashkenazic liturgy with the rulings of the 16th century Kabbalist Isaac Luria. The Ari formulated a text which was adapted from the Sepharadi text in accordance with his understanding of Kabbalah, and the Chasidim adapted Nusach Ashkenaz to fit with his rulings, making what became know and Nusach Sefard.


title: Amidah

text: Following the Zionist declaration of the State of Israel, some Orthodox authorities proposed changes to the special "Nachem" "Console..." prayer commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem added to the "Amidah" on Tisha B'Av in light of these events.


title: Amidah

text: Conservative and Reform Judaism have altered the text to varying degrees to bring it into alignment with their view of modern needs and sensibilities. Conservative Judaism retains the traditional number and time periods during which the "Amidah" must be said, while omitting explicit supplications for restoration of the sacrifices. Reconstructionist and Reform Judaism, consistent with their views that the rhythm of the ancient sacrifices should no longer drive modern Jewish prayer, often omit some of the "Amidah" prayers, such as the Mussaf, omit temporal requirements and references to the Temple and its sacrifices.


title: Amidah

text: Reform Judaism has changed the first benediction, traditionally invoking the phrase "God of our Fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob," one of the Biblical names of God. New editions of the Reform siddur explicitly say "avoteinu v'imoteinu" "our fathers and our mothers", and Reform and some Conservative congregations amend the second invocation to "God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob; God of Sarah, God of Rebekah, God of Leah, and God of Rachel." The new reform prayer book, "Mishkan T'filah", reverses Leah's and Rachel's names. Some feminist Jews have added the names of Bilhah and Zilpah, since they were mothers to four tribes of Israel.


title: Amidah

text: Liberal branches of Judaism make some additional changes to the opening benedictions. the phrase "umeivi go'eil" ("and brings a redeemer") is changed in Reform Judaism to "umeivi ge'ulah" ("who brings redemption"), replacing the personal messiah with a Messianic Age. The phrase "m'chayei hameitim" ("who causes the dead to come to life") is replaced in the Reform and Reconstructionist siddurim with "m'chayei hakol" ("who gives life to all") and "m'chayei kol chai" ("who gives life to all life"), respectively. This represents a turn away from the traditional article of faith that God will resurrect the dead.


title: Amidah

text: Prayer 17, "Avodah". asks God to restore the Temple services, build a Third Temple, and restore sacrificial worship. The concluding meditation ends with an additional prayer for the restoration of Temple worship. Both prayers have been modified within the siddur of Conservative Judaism, so that although they still ask for the restoration of the Temple, they remove the explicit plea for the resumption of sacrifices. (Some Conservative congregations remove the concluding quiet prayer for the Temple entirely.) The Reform siddur also modifies this prayer, eliminating all reference to the Temple service and replacing the request for the restoration of the Temple with "God who is near to all who call upon you, turn to your servants and be gracious to us; pour your spirit upon us."


title: Amidah

text: Many Reform congregations will often conclude with either Sim Shalom or Shalom Rav. Once either of those prayers are chanted or sung, many congregations proceed to a variation on the "Mi Shebeirach" (typically the version popularized by Debbie Friedman), the traditional prayer for healing, followed by silent prayer, and then a resumption of the service.


title: Amidah

text: Conservative Judaism is divided on the role of the "Mussaf Amidah". More traditional Conservative congregations recite a prayer similar to the Mussaf prayer in Orthodox services, except they refer to Temple sacrifices only in the past tense and do not include a prayer for the restoration of the sacrifices. More liberal Conservative congregations omit references to the Temple sacrifices entirely. Reconstructionist and Reform congregations generally do not do the "Mussaf Amidah" at all, but if they do, they omit all references to Temple worship.


title: Amidah

text: New Testament scholar Paul Barnett has identified as a modified version of the first blessing ("Avot"). This has also been identified by Martin Hengel in his book "The Pre-Christian Paul", arguing that Saul/Paul was a teacher in the Hellenistic synagogues of Jerusalem prior to his conversion to Christianity.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Facebook is a social networking service that has been gradually replacing traditional media channels since 2010. Facebook has limited moderation of the content posted to its site. Because the site indiscriminately displays material publicly posted by users, Facebook can, in effect, threaten oppressive governments. Facebook can simultaneously propagate fake news, hate speech, and misinformation, thereby undermining the credibility of online platforms and social media.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Many countries have banned or temporarily limited access to Facebook. Use of the website has also been restricted in various ways in other countries. As of July 2022, the only countries to continually ban access to the social networking site are China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. However, since most North Korean residents have no access to the Internet, China, Russia, and Iran are the only countries where access to Facebook is actively restricted in a wholesale manner, although it is possible to access the site through onion services.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Online censorship by Facebook of algorithmic methods raises concerns including the surveillance of all instant communications and the use of machine learning systems with the potential for errors and biases. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO and majority shareholder, published a memo on censorship. "What should be the limits to what people can express?" he asked. "What content should be distributed and what should be blocked? Who should decide these policies and make enforcement decisions?"


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Like France and Germany, Austria has laws prohibiting Holocaust denial. This caused 78 Facebook posts to be banned from the country in 2013.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Bangladesh (like Iran, China and North Korea) had banned Facebook before. The ban operated for about a month, precisely from November to December 2015. The Awami League-led government of Bangladesh announced a countrywide ban on Facebook and other social-network websites. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (in office from 2009) proposed the establishment of an Internet monitoring committee with the help of Bangladesh's intelligence services. Right-wing political parties and groups in Bangladesh protested against bloggers and others they had considered "blasphemous" at the time of the proposal. Extremists in the country had murdered eight secularists, including atheist blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider, who was fatally stabbed in February 2013. National riots over the country's war-crimes trials resulted in the deaths of 56 people between 19 January 2013 and 2 March 2013.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 18 November 2015, the same Awami League government banned Facebook again on the eve of the final judgement of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salauddin Kader Chowdhury. Both the politicians and previous minister have been issued a death sentence by the War Criminals Tribunal and the review board of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has finally given their judgement in favour of the previously given one.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In China, Facebook was blocked following the July 2009 Ürümqi riots because protestors with the East Turkestan independence movement were using Facebook as part of their communications network to organize attacks across the city; Facebook refused to release the protestor identities and information to the Chinese government. Some Chinese users also believed that Facebook would not succeed in China after Google China's problems in 2013. Renren (formerly "Xiaonei") has many features similar to Facebook, and complies with PRC Government regulations regarding content filtering.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: As of 20 August 2013, there have been reports of Facebook being partially unblocked in China. However, according to the "Blocked in China" website, Facebook is still blocked as of 7 December 2019. Facebook is not blocked in Hong Kong and Macau, which are special administrative regions operating under different systems. Facebook is currently working on a censorship project for China, where a third party would be allowed to regulate Facebook and control popular stories that come around. This would be a huge attempt by Facebook to get back into China.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 6 July 2020, Facebook announced that the company would stop reviewing requests for Hong Kong users' data while evaluating the newly imposed Hong Kong national security law by the Chinese government.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Like Austria and Germany, France has laws prohibiting Holocaust denial. Because of this, 80 Facebook posts were blocked in 2013.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In July 2011, authorities in Germany began to discuss the prohibition of events organized on Facebook. This was motivated by numerous cases of overcrowding by people who were not originally invited. In one instance, 1,600 "guests" attended the 16th birthday party for a girl in Hamburg who accidentally posted the invitation for the event as public. After reports of overcrowding, more than a hundred police were deployed for crowd control. A police officer was injured and eleven participants were arrested for assault, property damage, and resistance to authorities. In another unexpectedly overcrowded event, 41 young people were arrested and at least 16 injured.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In 2016, Facebook revealed Germany had blocked 84 posts from its citizens. These posts contained themes of Holocaust denial, which is illegal there.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In 2015, during the European migrant crisis with large numbers of immigrants entering the country illegally, a broad discussion about the problems of mass immigration and government politics took place in social media. Early in 2016, a Bertelsmann company called "Arvato" was mandated to erase comments and contents from Facebook. In the summer of 2016, police in fourteen German states began coordinated raids on the residences of individuals who praised the Nazi regime or referred to refugees as "scum" in a private Facebook group. A law known as NetzDG went into effect starting in 2018 which mandates all websites in Germany, including Facebook, censor such illegal content. A spokesperson for Facebook announced the company's opposition to the law on the grounds that it would lead to overblocking.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In February 2021 Facebook deleted posts and events, imposed 30-day bans on prominent journalists and members of the general public, for posting in solidarity with the 63 year old convict who is on hunger strike since the 8th of January 2021. Koufodinas is serving a life sentence, after having been convicted as a member of the far-left "Revolutionary Organization 17 November" (17N), committing 11 murders in that time. He has been demanding to be returned to Korydallos prison for months with a long hunger strike against new repressive laws.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: The first time Facebook shared how often it allows governments to censor their citizens' content, they stated that India had censored 4,765 posts in their country in the last six months of 2013. Facebook removed these posts in India under the government's claim of unlawful content.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: India imposed a three-day ban on Facebook and other social media sites during the riots in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh after the conviction of Baba Ram Rahim Singh in 2017. Censorship on Facebook increased by 19% in 6 months in 2014; India led the list of content removal in 2014.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Indonesian citizens are familiar with censorship of Facebook content. In 2019, the government (through the ministry of information Rusdiantara) threatened to ban the social network. Soon after the agreement made, the first public known about censorship is on the demonstration that campaigned as riots by government, maybe this is the first-ever plot twist used on demonstration using social media.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In 2020, Facebook censored posts about "FPI". The escalation is in December 2020 when there are 6 civilians killed on purported attach by Police. As soon Police made a press release about resistance it doubted by the public as self-defence procedure. Independent analyst showed the public doubt on Police fact statement in social media post interactions. NGO's urged government to form independent investigations to observe the issue of human-right offenses and extra judicial killing.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: After the 2009 election in Iran, Facebook was banned because of fears that opposition movements were being organized on the website. However, after four years of the blocking of Facebook website, as of September 2013, the blocking of both Twitter and Facebook was thought to have been lifted without notice.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Iranians lost unrestricted access to Facebook and Twitter the next day, leaving many people wondering whether the opening was deliberate or the result of some technical glitch.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In September 2016, the Cabinet of Israel has said to have agreed with Facebook to remove content that is deemed as incitement to violence. This announcement came after top Facebook officials met with the Israeli government to determine which Facebook accounts should be deleted on the grounds that they constituted incitement to violence.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: Critics of Israel's policies are not happy with this move as they claim it is being used as a way to silence outspoken Palestinian activists and journalists. The activists argue that when they post material meant to critique the occupation, Israel sees it as encouraging violence. Some believe that the Israeli government and Facebook have an "informal arrangement" for monitoring Facebook content. Jordana Cutler, who previously was the Chief of Staff at the Israel Embassy in Washington DC and a former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is Facebook's head of policy in Israel. She claimed that Facebook is merely following suggestions. "We receive requests from the government but are not committed to them," Cutler said.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In 2015, Nauru permanently blocked sites set up for "abusive content" such as child pornography and would temporarily block some sites like Facebook. Despite controversy surrounding the ban, President Baron Waqa defended it. In 2018, the ban on Facebook in Nauru was lifted.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In April 2016, North Korea started blocking Facebook, "a move underscoring its concern with the spread of online information," according to The Associated Press. Anyone who tries to access it without special permission from the North Korean government will be subject to punishment.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) of Mauritius, ordered internet service providers of the country to ban Facebook effective immediately, on 8 November 2007 because of a fake profile page of the Prime Minister. Access to Facebook was restored the next day.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 5 February 2008, Fouad Mourtada, a citizen of Morocco, was arrested for 43 days due to the alleged creation of a faked Facebook profile of Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 4 February 2021, access to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram were restricted on multiple internet providers in Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Facebook's usual attempts of not following and challenging the local laws and government led to the current censorship block. The censorship might remain forever and be replaced by similar social media which will abide by the local laws.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 19 May 2010, Lahore High Court ordered Facebook to be blocked. Facebook was blocked until 31 May 2010 after a competition page encouraged users to post drawings of Mohammad. The controversial page named "Draw Mohammad Day" had been created by a Facebook user in response to American cartoonist Molly Noris's protest to the decision of US television channel, Comedy Central to cancel an episode of the popular show "South Park" over its depiction of Mohammed. Noris had however disavowed having declared 20 May "Draw Muhammad Day" and had condemned the effort and issued an apology. The ban, implemented by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, also resulted in a ban on YouTube and restricted access to other websites, including Wikipedia.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 25 November 2017, the NetBlocks internet shutdown observatory and Digital Rights Foundation collected evidence of nationwide blocking of Facebook alongside other social media services, imposed by the government in response to the violent Tehreek-e-Labaik protests. The technical investigation found that all major Pakistani fixed-line and mobile service providers were affected by the restrictions, which were lifted by the PTA the next day when protests abated following the resignation of Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid. Other websites including Twitter, YouTube and Dailymotion were also reportedly blocked by order of the PTA.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In 2014, Russia demanded that all links on Facebook be blocked that supported Russian opposition Aleksei A. Navalny. Facebook users were blocked from any protest supporting Aleksei. This included about ten million Facebook users.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine culminated in Russian-state media being banned from monetizing content on the Facebook platform. Russia therefore decided to impose access restriction on Facebook and Twitter.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: On 27 February 2022, Russia began restricting access to Facebook during the invasion of Ukraine by limiting access to the platform's content delivery network. On 4 March 2022, Internet rights monitor NetBlocks reported that the restriction of Facebook had become "near-total." Regulatory agency Roskomnadzor announced that the restrictions had been imposed to curtail information on Facebook and Twitter which did not align with the Government of Russia's positions.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In November 2020, Solomon Islands' Cabinet planned to block access to Facebook in the country in response to a lack of national legislation on internet usage and cybercrime. The motion to block it was started by the prime minister Manasseh Sogavare and communication and civil aviation minister Peter Agovaka. In January 2021, the proposed ban did not go ahead.


title: Censorship of Facebook

text: In March 2018, Facebook was blocked for 3 days in Sri Lanka due to racial hate speeches being rumored around the country via the social media network, causing many riots in the country by extremist groups. However this decision was not permanent.