David Berman takes the stand in MJ trial

"BAD" MEETS "EGREGIOUS": With Randy Phillips' testimony about Michael Jackson's ghost (channeled by a medium who told a psychic who reported to him) still ringing in our incredulous ears, the star's wrongful death trial was haunted by a spirit from the music industry's past on Monday. Former Capitol prexy and music-biz lawyer David Berman took the stand to decry a series of negligent decisions by AEG Live, which in his view stemmed from its lack of production inexperience. Of course, chief among these was the company's "highly inappropriate" relationship with Dr. Conrad Murray and the "egregious" conflict of interest it established with the troubled, cash-strapped physician. Murray, Berman insisted, was enticed to place AEG Live's and his own interests over Jackson's. He likened Murray's role to "the team doctor for a football team, where the quarterback is injured and the doctor comes to the medical conclusion that the quarterback should be taken out of the game for a period of weeks, but the team doesn't want him out." He also referred to Murray's initial fee request of $5 million per month "bizarre." The Jackson family's expert witness, who oversaw The Tower in the late 80s, said he'd reviewed an enormous number of emails, among other materials, before arriving at this conclusion. CNN reported that Berman was paid $500 an hour for his expertise. Jackson's chef, Kai Chase, testifies today; the Jackson team also plans to screen the This Is It documentary (chronicling the rehearsal process just prior to Jackson's death) for the jury. (6/18a)