Michael Jackson slurred his speech after visits to dermatologist, aides say

Defense lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray, who is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, contend that Klein addicted the singer to Demerol during those visits, something Murray did not know about.

His withdrawal from that Demerol addiction was what kept Jackson awake despite Murray's efforts to put him to sleep with sedatives the morning he died, the defense contends, arguing that Klein is at least partly responsible for Jackson's death because of the Demerol.

Michael Amir Williams, who worked for Jackson the last two years of his life, was asked by defense lawyer Ed Chernoff whether he went to Klein's office with Jackson.

"At a certain point, it was very regular," Williams said.

Chernoff then asked Williams whether he'd ever heard Jackson talk slowly with slurred speech, as he did on an audio recording played in court Tuesday.

"Not that extreme, but I have heard him talk slow before," Williams said.

"And when he left Dr. Klein's office, have you observed him sometimes to talk slow?" Chernoff asked.

Sometimes, Williams replied, "he would talk slow like that. I never heard it that extreme, but I can definitely say he has come out, and he's a little slower."