Murray Trial - All media reports/articles - Merged - No discussion

MJ Death Trial: This Is It for Conrad Murray

2011-11-04-MJkidspictureathouse.jpg
A very close friend toured Michael Jackson's rented mansion with the intention to make a offer on the $38 million dollar home. I asked him to take pictures for me so I could get a better sense of the home in which Michael Jackson would breathe his last breath. I was surprised to see that vestiges of Michael Jackson and his children remain in the house, untouched. Upon seeing Michael Jackson's handwritten affirmations on his bedroom mirror and reading his children's message to him on a chalkboard in the kitchen, I was moved beyond words. I could no longer just write these articles as one who is not emotionally affected by this trial. I am angry. I am disgusted with Conrad Murray and his unmitigated gall to waste tax payers money and cause additional pain and anguish to Michael Jackson's children and family, when he knows that his grossly negligent actions killed The King of Pop: Prince, Paris and Blanket's daddy.
2011-11-04-MJpicturewritingmirror.jpg
This is it for the Michael Jackson trial. The evidence is no longer being seen by the public on national television or watched live on countless websites, it is locked in the jury room, with the jurors who will decide the fate of Dr. Conrad Murray. It's been a six week trial, wherein the prosecution laid out their case over a five week period. The defense used only one week to present evidence in an attempt to prove the innocence of Dr. Conrad Murray. In total, 49 witnesses took the stand.

The defense, led by attorneys Ed Chernoff and J. Michael Flanagan called 16 witnesses. The attorneys were obviously divided as they tried to rebut the prosecution's overwhelming evidence that Dr. Conrad Murray is guilty of involuntary manslaughter due to gross negligence and the substandard medical care given to Michael Jackson.

It was during the defenses' presentation that Michael's true motivations for embarking on the This Is It tour was revealed. Randy Phillips, the company president and chief executive officer of AEG, who first proposed the concert to Jackson, was called by the defense in an effort to bolster their claim that Michael was ridden with anxiety, and would go to the deadly extreme of giving himself a lethal dose of propofol, in a desperate attempt to sleep before final rehearsals. However, Randy's answers were often in direct contradiction to the defenses' portrayal of Michael. Phillips testified that Michael was excited about restarting his career with the This Is It tour in London and was committed to its unparalleled success.

The tour had the potential to erase Michael's estimated $400 million debt and make him very rich again. At the time of his death, AEG was paying for everything in his life including his rented Los Angeles mansion, his personal chef, his entire staff, as well as, the huge production expenses of This Is It. Phillips testified that Michael would have to reimburse AEG $30 millions dollars for personal living expenses, but this was not a real concern for the contracted parties due to the sold-out status of the tour. In fact, Mr. Phillips had a very intimate conversation with Michael wherein Michael cried. Phillips said, "The primary reason was that he wanted to finally settle down and get a really, really good home for the kids and his family so they weren't in his words living like vagabonds."

To my surprise, the defense's strongest evidence presented was in the form of character witnesses. The former patients of Dr. Murray, all senior citizens, whom he had not cared for in over a decade, attested to his skill as a doctor and his willingness to care for patients who were elderly and/or indigent. The witnesses testified that Dr. Murray was the most attentive and caring doctor they ever had. They told of how Dr. Murray's skill, as a cardiologist, altered the course of their lives in a positive way and in some cases, saved their lives. It was during the character witnesses' testaments to Dr. Murray's humane characteristics and great skill that Murray began to cry. He was touched - it appeared. However, I found it ironic that he was never moved to tears when the naked, dead body of Michael Jackson was displayed on the autopsy gurney. He remained stoic when testimony of Michael's daughter screaming and crying by the side of their dead father's body was given. He was unfazed when Michael's intoxicated, slurring voice was heard detailing his loneliness, his pain as a child and his life-long struggle to fit in. Dr. Murray's tears were sincere but they only seem to fall when the focal point of the story was Conrad Murray.

Throughout the 22 days of the testimony, Dr. Murray appeared somber, vulnerable and despondent as he sat between his two high power attorneys. However, after watching the trial everyday, listening closely to the testimony, reading transcripts, attending court proceedings, speaking to Murray's supporters and most importantly, looking into his eyes from a very close distance, I believe with great certainty that Dr. Murray is an arrogant, self-absorbed, narcissistic man.

The greatest support for my unwavering perception of Conrad Murray's selfish character, were his actions when he entered Michael Jackson's bedroom while speaking on the phone with one of his girlfriends. When Conrad Murray realized that Michael Jackson was dead, he went into "Me First" mode. I have lived through the same type of narcissistic "cover-up" behavior first hand in another high profile case in which I was intimately involved. I am repulsed by Conrad Murray's actions. Similar to the case in which I was involved, Dr. Murray also "pretended" to give CPR to Michael Jackson when the head of security, Alberto Alverez walked into the room. He also put on a charade in the presence of Michael Jackson's assistant when he gave Michael Jackson mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. We now know, from trial testimony, that Michael had already been dead for up to 20 minutes when Alverez and Williams entered the bedroom. We also know, according to Murray's police statement, that he immediately attempted to give Michael CPR when he entered into the room and found him non-responsive. Therefore, his act in front of Alverez and Williams was a disgusting, thought-out sham in an attempt to cover-up his killing of Michael Jackson. What type of man gives CPR and mouth-to-mouth to a knowingly dead victim, just for show: A narcissistic, selfish, sick individual like Conrad Murray.

A long-time friend and supporter of Conrad Murray, who spoke with me outside of the courthouse on more that one occasion, shared a glimpse of the real Conrad Murray with me. He stated, "Conrad is arrogant and nobody can tell him anything. He is my friend but blaming Michael for killing himself is crazy." In light of all that I've seen and heard, I completely believe This Is It Director, Kenny Ortega's testimony detailing his conversation with Murray following a rehearsal in which everyone saw that Micheal was "out of it". Ortega testified, "He (Murray) said I should stop trying to be an amateur doctor and psychologist and be the director and leave Michael's health to him."

As the indisputable evidence showed, Conrad Murray is also a liar. He lied to the pharmacist, he lied to each of his girlfriends, he lied to AEG, he lied to the insurance company, he lied to the paramedics, he lied to the UCLA doctors, he lied to Ms. Katherine Jackson at the hospital, he lied to the police during his two hour recorded statement. But he didn't lie on the witness stand because he exercised his Fifth Amendment constitutional right not to take the stand; how convenient? It would have been suicidal for Conrad Murray to take the stand in his own defense. As brilliant as he thinks he is, he would not be able to withstand the barrage of questions regarding his outright lies. Having listened to every word of testimony and offered commentary for KTLA in Los Angeles and Headline News, I have a very clear understanding as to what really happened on June 25, 2009. Yet, the only question that I have yet to get an answer is "why did Conrad Murray record Michael Jackson in a drug induced state?". What was Conrad Murray's self-serving ulterior motive?

Conrad Murray has lived a reckless life for many years: at least 7 children with 5 women; a trial and eventual acquittal for domestic violence, two child support sentences that almost landed him in jail, dating numerous young girlfriends simultaneously, medical disciplinary measures levied against him; and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. When the trial began, I had an open mind regarding Dr. Conrad Murray and his guilt or innocence. Now, six weeks later and after listening to 49 witnesses, I know that Conrad Murray is guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter and probably other lesser and more serious charges. Conrad Murray's greed, arrogance and reckless character is the direct cause as to why Michael Jackson is not with us today, but more importantly, why Michael Jackson's children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, no longer have their daddy.
2011-11-04-conradmurraynpgcredit.jpg
Conrad Murray chose to spend the day before closing arguments at a very public beach with his girlfriend and his 7th child. It's a luxury Michael Jackson nor his children will ever have again. I believe Conrad Murray was trying to garner sympathy from the jury before deliberations. Unfortunately, I've been where the defense is and I know all the tricks. Conrad won't fool anyone. This is it for him and his career as a doctor. It's curtains for Conrad Murray.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tanya...jackson-trial-dr-conrad-murray_b_1076587.html
 
abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
We have a verdict!!!! Read in 2 hours!

InSession In Session
The verdict should be announced at approximately 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET

@derickwaller
Derick Waller and while fourth women is speaking, there's a verdict in the Conrad Murray trial. news producers heads exploding...


@HLNTV
HLN News and Views @issueswithjvm reporting “an eruption of emotion” outside the courtroom after verdict was reached. http://bit.ly/sJXMIH #MurrayTrial #HLN

latoyajackson La Toya Jackson
by issueswithjvm
Verdict is FINALLY IN!!! I'm on my way! I'm shaking uncontrollably!

RealOBee Omer Bhatti
by mjsunifc
It's with a heavy heart that I'm thanking you guys as we wait for "justice" but the only real justice would be to have him back

InSession In Session
Joe and Katherine Jackson have just arrived at the courthouse.

InSession In Session
Rebbie, Randy and Jermaine Jackson have arrived at the courthouse.


InSession In Session
The jury deliberated just over 10 hours. Compare that to other famous trials.
 
Last edited:
Conrad Murray | See all 102 items
VERDICT REACHED By HLNtv.com Staff, November 7, 2011
NEED TO KNOW
•The verdict will be read at 4 p.m. ET
•MJ's family reportedly staying in hotel
•Jurors return to debate Dr. Conrad Murray's fate
•New courtroom security precautions in place

A verdict has been reach in the Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial. It will be read at 4 p.m. ET.

The seven men and five women began deliberating Friday, then called it a day after seven hours of debate failed to yield a verdict.

Read the jury instructions

They returned to the Los Angeles County courthouse to start it up again at 11:30 a.m. ET and reported directly to the jury room. Security cleared the courtroom each time jurors come or go from the jury room as an extra level of protection aimed at keeping their activities private from onlookers or media during this critical time.

From the time those three buzzes are sounded from the jury room, there will be a maximum two-hour window before the verdict is read to allow everyone involved to navigate L.A. traffic and make their way to the courthouse. It's expected Judge Michael Pastor will go ahead and ask the jury to read their verdict as soon as everyone arrives though, and not use up that full two-hours if he doesn't have to.

It will be a short trip for Michael Jackson's family, who are reportedly staying at a nearby hotel and will head to court as soon as the jury announces they've reached a verdict.

If convicted, Dr. Murray faces a maximum of four years behind bars. However, a new California law sends all those found guilty of a non-violent felony to jail, not prison. And as attorney Ann Fitz has pointed out to us, between jail overcrowding and time already served, it's very possible Dr. Murray may only serve a few months in lock-up if he's found guilty.

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2011/11/07/conrad-murray-trial-jurors-verdict-watch
 
L.A. NOW
Southern California -- this just in
« Previous Post | L.A. NOW Home

Conrad Murray jury signals it has reached verdict in Jackson case
November 7, 2011 | 11:07 am

After deliberating for less than two days, jurors have signaled they have reached a verdict in the trial of Michael Jackson's personal physician.

They signaled the verdict just before 11 a.m.

Dr. Conrad Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's death in 2009 from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.

The seven-man, five-woman jury deliberated about six hours Friday and about two hours Monday. The panel did not ask any questions or request that any trial testimony be read back.

Jurors heard nearly a full day of closing arguments Thursday from attorneys from both sides.

An attorney for Murray told jurors Thursday that his client would never have been put on trial were it not for the pop star’s celebrity.
"Somebody’s got to say it: If it were anybody else but Michael Jackson, if it were anybody else, would this doctor be here today?" defense attorney Ed Chernoff told jurors.
The defense also accused prosecutors of playing on the emotions of jurors by repeatedly showing them a photo of Jackson’s children in an effort to paint Jackson as a victim.

A prosecutor told jurors Thursday that the testimony of a renowned anesthesiologist in Murray's defense was "junk science."
The harsh rebuke of the testimony of Dr. Paul White, a leading expert on propofol, came near the conclusion of the prosecution's closing argument.
White, who was among the first scientists in the United States to study the drug, testified over four days in Murray's defense and said Jackson probably injected himself with the drug, causing his own death.

— Harriet Ryan and Victoria Kim

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-reached-verdict-in-michael-jackson-case.html
 
InSession In Session
Dr. Conrad Murray has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of #MichaelJackson. #MurrayTrial


abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
Judge polling the jury now #MurrayTrial


abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
Judge now reading final instructions #MurrayTrial

abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
Jury has to wait 90 days before being able to exchange information for money #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
#ConradMurray will be sentenced on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
Prosecutor David Walgren is asking the court to remand


InSession In Session
The #MichaelJackson supporters outside of the courthouse are celebrating the guilty verdict. #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
#ConradMurray had no reaction when the guilty verdict was read. #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
Judge Pastor is thanking the jurors for their service. #MurrayTrial

abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
Judge is now thanking jury for their service #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
Sentencing on felony convictions must be scheduled within 20 days of a guilty verdict. #MurrayTrial

abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
#ConradMurray sentence will be on Tues Nov 29, 2011

InSession In Session
#ConradMurray is remanded and taken into custody. #MurrayTrial

abc7MurrayTrial ABC7 Murray Trial
Judge remanded #ConradMurray without bail

InSession In Session
#ConradMurray is handcuffed and taken into custody. #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
The crowd of #MichaelJackson supporters is chanting "Walgren."

InSession In Session
There will not be a jury press conference. #MurrayTrial

InSession In Session
La Toya Jackson tells @issueswithjvm: "Thank you America; Walgren, you were great!"

InSession In Session
#JermaineJackson tells @issueswithjvm: "Justice was served. Michael's with us."

mccartneyAP Anthony McCartney
"Their work serves as a model for others." _ DA Steve Cooley on work of DDAs Walgren and Brazil

MJJNews Michael Jackson Love
Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan told journalists they would appeal. #MurrayTrial
 
Last edited:
Conrad Murray found guilty in Michael Jackson trial
By Alan Duke, CNN
November 7, 2011 -- Updated 2141 GMT (0541 HKT)


Los Angeles (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.

A stone-faced Murray appeared to show no emotion as the verdict was read.

Sentencing was set for November 29, with Murray facing up to four years in prison on the conviction. Judge Michael Pastor ordered Murray to be held without bail until that date, and Murray was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.

Murray served as Jackson's personal physician as Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts, with Murray giving him the surgical anesthetic propofol to help him sleep nearly every night for the last two months of his life, according to testimony.

Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with two sedatives, the Los Angeles County coroner ruled.

The verdict followed about nine hours of jury deliberations, which began Friday morning in the downtown Los Angeles County courthouse.

Fans gathered outside of the courthouse ahead of the verdict with signs of support for Jackson including one banner that read, "We miss Michael." The crowd began celebrating once word of the guilty verdict reached them, chanting "Rest in peace." Passing cars honked their horns.

The seven men and five women on the jury heard 49 witnesses over 23 days, including Murray's girlfriends and patients, Jackson's former employees, investigators and medical experts for each side.

The prosecution, in closing arguments on Thursday, argued that Murray was responsible for Jackson's death because his reckless use of propofol to treat the pop icon's insomnia in his home was criminally negligent.

Defense lawyers contended the matter was a negligence case that should instead be heard by the state medical board.
"If it were anybody else but Michael Jackson, would this doctor be here today?" lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff asked in his closing.

Jurors were left to decide if the propofol overdose was infused into Jackson's blood by a steady intravenous drip, as the prosecution contended, or if Jackson injected himself using a syringe left nearby by Murray, as the defense argued.

"He was just a little fish in a big, dirty pond," Chernoff said, pointing the finger at other doctors who treated Jackson, and Jackson himself.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren attacked the defense for trying to blame "everybody but Conrad Murray, poor Conrad Murray."
"If allowed more time to argue, I am sure they would find a way to blame Michael's son, Prince," Walgren said in his closing rebuttal.

Walgren painted Murray as a selfish doctor who agreed to take $150,000 a month to give Jackson nightly infusions of propofol in his home, something prosecutors argued an ethical doctor would never do because of the dangers.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/07/justice/california-conrad-murray-trial/index.html?eref=rss_us


Jackson's doctor found guilty of manslaughter
Conrad Murray faces up to four years in jail, will be sentenced Nov. 29

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson's doctor was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter after a trial that painted him as a reckless caregiver who administered a lethal dose of a powerful anesthetic that killed the pop star.

The verdict against Dr. Conrad Murray marked the latest chapter in one of pop culture's most shocking tragedies — the death of the King of Pop on the eve of the singer's heavily promoted comeback concerts.

Murray sat stone-faced and showed little reaction at the verdict.
There was a shriek in the courtroom when the verdict was read, and the crowd erupted outside the courthouse. The judge polled the jury, and each juror answered "yes" when asked whether their verdict was guilty.

The jury deliberated less than nine hours. The Houston cardiologist, 58, faces a sentence of up to four years in prison. He could also lose his medical license. He will be sentenced Nov. 29.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009, and details of his final days dribbled out over several months.
The complete story, however, finally emerged during the six-week trial. It was the tale of a tormented genius on the brink of what might have been his greatest triumph with one impediment standing in his way — extreme insomnia.

Testimony came from medical experts, household employees and Murray's former girlfriends, among others.
The most shocking moments, however, came when prosecutors displayed a large picture of Jackson's gaunt, lifeless body on a hospital gurney and played the sound of his drugged, slurred voice, as recorded by Murray just weeks before the singer's death.

Jackson talked about plans for a fantastic children's hospital and his hope of cementing a legacy larger than that of Elvis Presley or The Beatles.

"We have to be phenomenal," he said about his "This Is It" concerts in London. "When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world.'"

Throughout the trial, Jackson family members watched from the spectator gallery, fans gathered outside with signs and T-shirts demanding, "Justice for Michael," and an international press corps broadcast reports around the world. The trial was televised and streamed on the Internet.

Prosecutors portrayed Murray as an incompetent doctor who used the anesthetic propofol without adequate safeguards and whose neglect left Jackson abandoned as he lay dying.
Murray's lawyers sought to show the doctor was a medical angel of mercy with former patients vouching for his skills. Murray told police from the outset that he gave Jackson propofol and other sedatives as the star struggled for sleep to prepare for his shows. But the doctor said he administered only a small dose on the day Jackson died.
Lawyers for Murray and a defense expert blamed Jackson for his own death, saying the singer gave himself the fatal dose of propofol while Murray wasn't watching. A prosecution expert said that theory was crazy.
Murray said he had formed a close friendship with Jackson, never meant to harm him and couldn't explain why he died.

The circumstances of Jackson's death at the age of 50 were as bizarre as any chapter in the superstar's sensational life story.
Jackson was found not breathing in his own bed in his rented mansion after being dosed intravenously with propofol, a drug normally administered in hospitals during surgery.
The coroner ruled the case a homicide and the blame would fall to the last person who had seen Jackson alive — Murray, who had been hired to care for the singer as the comeback concerts neared.

Craving sleep, Jackson had searched for a doctor who would give him the intravenous anesthetic that
Jackson called his "milk" and believed to be his salvation. Other medical professionals turned him down, according to trial testimony.
Murray gave up his practices in Houston and Las Vegas and agreed to travel with Jackson and work as his personal physician indefinitely.
For six weeks, as Jackson undertook strenuous rehearsals, Murray infused him with propofol every night, the doctor told police. He later tried to wean Jackson from the drug because he feared he was becoming addicted.
Jackson planned to pay Murray $150,000 a month for an extended tour in Europe. In the end, the doctor was never paid a penny because Jackson died before signing the contract.

During the last 24 hours of his life, Jackson sang and danced at a spirited rehearsal, reveling in the adulation of fans who greeted him outside. Then came a night of horror, chasing sleep — the most elusive treasure the millionaire entertainer could not buy.

Testimony showed Murray gave Jackson intravenous doses that night of the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam. Jackson also took a Valium pill. But nothing seemed to bring sleep.
Finally, Murray told police, he gave the singer a small dose of propofol — 25 milligrams — that seemed to put him to sleep. The doctor said he felt it was safe to leave his patient's bedside for a few minutes, but Jackson was not breathing when he returned.
Witnesses said he was most likely dead at that point.
What happened next was a matter of dispute during the trial. Security and household staff described Murray as panicked, never calling 911 but trying to give Jackson CPR on his bed instead of the firm floor.
A guard said Murray was concerned with packing up and hiding medicine bottles and IV equipment before telling him to call 911. Prosecutors said Murray was distracted while Jackson was sedated, citing Murray's cell phone records to show he made numerous calls.
Authorities never accused Murray of intending to kill the star, and it took eight months for them to file the involuntary manslaughter charge against him. It was the lowest possible felony charge involving a homicide.
There was no law against administering propofol or the other sedatives. But prosecution expert witnesses said Murray was acting well below the standard of care required of a physician.
They said using propofol in a home setting without lifesaving equipment on hand was an egregious deviation from that standard. They called it gross negligence, the legal basis for an involuntary manslaughter charge.
The defense team countered with its own expert who presented calculations suggesting that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose.
In closing arguments, the prosecutor said the mystery of what happened behind the closed doors of Jackson's bedroom on the fatal day probably would never be solved.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45161548/ns/today-entertainment/
 
Last edited:
Jury: Conrad Murray guilty of killing Jackson
Published: Nov. 7, 2011 at 4:39 PM

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles jury Monday found Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of pop star Michael Jackson.

The verdict came after 8 1/2 hours of deliberation, following a six-week trial.

Murray faces as much as four years in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 29. Murray, who had been free on bail throughout his trial, was remanded to the custody of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department until sentencing.

The doctor was accused of causing the singer's 2009 death by giving him anesthesia and sedatives to help him sleep, and then failing to come to his aid when he was in distress. The cardiologist also has been criticized for not having emergency equipment on hand or keeping records of his treatment of the recording artist.

Murray denied any wrongdoing and his legal team suggested during the trial Jackson may have administered the fatal doses of drugs to himself when the doctor was briefly out of the room.

Jackson's brothers Jermaine and Randy, sister LaToya, and parents Katherine and Joe were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Thousands of the late singer's fans cheered outside the courthouse as the decision was announced.

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_Ne...guilty-of-killing-Jackson/UPI-69471320695989/
 
Conrad Murray guilty over death of Michael Jackson:

By Donna Bowater, Barney Henderson and Raf Sanchez
10:28PM GMT 07 Nov 2011
2011-11-07 22:43:51.0

Dr Conrad Murray GUILTY of Jackson's manslaughter
• Jackson's personal doctor to be sentenced on November 29
• Jury takes eight hours to reach its decision
• Verdict ends six-week trial watched by millions

Latest
22.43 While the Jackson family have yet to make an official statement following the verdict, La Toya Jackson has taken to Twitter to voice her feelings:

VICTORY!!!!!! Michael I love you and I will continue to fight until ALL are brought to justice! Thank you EVERYONE for your love and support! It will ALWAYS be appreciated!

22.32 At the time of his death in 2009, Jackson was $400m (£250m) in debt. But in the two years since his estate has become a money spinner. We follow the story of how the King of Pop's fortunes rose, fell and then rose again.

22.23 The mother of Michael Jackson said she "feels better now" after Murray was convicted. Asked if she was confident of the verdict, Katherine Jackson said: "Yes I was." La Toya Jackson said: "Michael was looking over us."

22.12 Here is the moment that a guilty Conrad Murray is led away in handcuffs.

22.09 We have more details from inside the court as the verdict was read out. Nick Allen said Murray's mother was in court watching the proceedings.

As Murray was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs he cast a final glance at his mother, who whispered the words “I love you” to the doctor.

Judge Michael Pastor said: “The end result was the death of a human being. That fact demonstrates that the public should be protected. Dr. Murray’s reckless conduct poses a demonstrable risk to the safety of the public."

The verdict was unanimous and none of the jurors looked at Murray as they entered the courtroom.

When the verdict came La Toya Jackon gasped and Katherine Jackson began to sob. Ed Chernoff, Murray's lawyer, also began to cry.

Murray was stony faced during the verdict but looked stunned when he was handcuffed.

22.07 US magazine Access Hollywood has heard from Jermaine and Joe Jackson outside court.

Outside the courthouse, Jermaine Jackson and Joe Jackson tell Access that "justice was served."

22.05 District Attorney Steve Cooley said the work of the prosecution team served as a model for others.

We want to extend our personal sympathies to the Jackson family, especially to Prince, Paris and Blanket. There was a homicide, someone lost a life, three children lost time with their father because of someone's negligence.

22.00 Members of Michael Jackson's family are expected to give their reaction shortly. His sister La Toya shrieked in court when the guilty verdict was read out.

21.50 A profile of Conrad Murray reveals a man whose professional record was unblemished while his private life "was in a mess".

21.46 Fans are talking to Sky News and describing their emotions after hearing the verdict. One said: "He [Murray] got a fair trial, the evidence is right there. It should have been negligent homicide."

21.40 More from Nick Allen as the conviction of Conrad Murray for the manslaughter of Michael Jackson sinks in.

Outside court horns blared and one woman fainted and had to be taken away by ambulance.

One Jackson fan said: "I thank God that we have justice today. Michael deserves justice. I'm so happy that rat has gone to jail."

Another fan said: "We are so happy about the handcuffs. That's what he deserved."

There were chants of "Walgren, Walgren" in support of prosecutor David Walgren.

21.36 The case is adjourned for sentencing. Conrad Murray is slow to move from his seat before he is led away in handcuffs, remanded until November 29.

21.31 Our correspondent in the US, Nick Allen was with the crowds outside the courthouse as the verdict was announced.

There was a cheer from Jackson fans outside court following the verdict. Those obsessed with all things Michael Jackson have gathered for weeks to pray and shout their opinions to anyone who will listen.

At the outset of the trial the scene was one of relative calm with happily co-existing prayer circles made up of those seeking justice for their hero, and others convinced of Murray's innocence.

But as the case has neared its conclusion tempers have flared, the chants have become louder, the conspiracy theories wilder, and the messages on placards angrier. Jackson fans have brandished signs such as "Lock up the Doc" and "ConRat." One woman said she planned to press charges after a tussle with a man as they both tried to get their opposing signs into a TV camera shot.

21.30 Conrad Murray will be sentenced in three weeks' time on November 29.

21.29 The judge and legal teams are discussing when Conrad Murray might be sentenced. The verdict filtered through to the crowds waiting outside.

21.25 Looking back at the trial that has resulted in a guilty verdict, the court heard Murray admitted giving Michael Jackson a small amount of propofol.

21.23 Conrad Murray as the jury's verdict is announced. The jurors are being discharged by the judge.

21.20 Judge Pastor is asking every juror if it is their personal verdict. All jurors indicate that it is.

21.18 COURT: We the jury find the defendant Conrad Murray GUILTY of involuntary manslaughter.

21.17 Judge Pastor asks the foreman for the jurors' verdict forms.

21.15 We're seeing the first pictures from the courtroom now as Judge Michael Pastor takes his seat.

21.13 Jackson's brother Randy Jackson has spoken to CNN's Alan Duke:

Just spoke to Randy Jackson, who seemed tense and defense lawyer Michael Flanagan who was surprisingly relaxed, but gagged

21.05 Sky reports the only people missing in the courtroom are Conrad Murray and Judge Michael Pastor.

21.01 The crowd has swelled outside the courthouse as camera crews join the crush with fans.

20.57 We're just five minutes away from the judge and jury returning to give their verdict. Jackson's parents Joe and Katherine Jackson arrived at court earlier. Jackson's brother Jermaine Jackson and his wife Halima Rashid also arrived at the court.

20.43 ITV's Adam Clark reminds us of the dangers of rushing to be first with the verdict:

Jackson verdict due. Fastest finger first on twitter. Wonder if Sky will get it right this time...and don't do an Amanda Knox

20.36 Just a minute ago, La Toya Jackson tweeted that she was close to the courthouse after beng held up on the way:

Accident on the freeway but will be at court in a second.

20:29 Michael Jackson's death was one of the seminal events of 2009 and played out in the full glare of the global media spotlight. Here we chart in photographs how the news of his death broke, the subsequent investigation and the trial of Dr Conrad Murray.

20.26 A crowd is gathering at the Los Angeles courthouse to await the verdict in Conrad Murray's trial. Fans are flocking to pay tribute to the King of Pop while Twitter is being inundated with messages about the superstar and his death.


20.15 Jackson's sister Janet Jackson is on tour in Australia but had to cancel her Number Ones: Up Close and Personal concert at Sydney Opera House last night. A statement on her website said:

Doctors have ordered Miss Jackson to undertake vocal rest for the next 2 days, so she can complete the 3rd and final show of her Australian tour, this Tuesday night at the Sydney Opera House.

20.08 The jury indicated a verdict with three buzzes. The judge is expected to read the verdict letter, which will be passed to the clerk, before the verdict is announced.

19.59 While we wait for the verdict - due in about an hour - we can only imagine what a high-profile televised trial would be like in the UK. The Ministry of Justice has announced it is considering televising some sentence hearings but there has been opposition from legal experts. Criminal defence specialist Jeremy Dein QC said only screening part of the case would be wrong:

The public would switch on and they have got no idea what came before. You have a trial which the public are not in a position to view and then the case proceeds to sentence. They don't have the context, they don't know the issues. It's like going back to the days of the stocks and people watching and laughing at them

19.56 The jury has been deliberating for more than eight hours after paying careful attention to the details of the six-week trial. At one point, a juror was even able to help the judge with the number of an exhibit.

19.52 Michael Jackson's sister La Toya Jackson is on her way to court after hearing a verdict has been reached. She tweets:

Verdict is FINALLY IN!!! I'm on my way! I'm shaking uncontrollably!

19:38 The police interview

Throughout the six-week trial, the jury never heard directly from Dr Conrad as he declined to take the stand in his own defence. They were played a tape of an interview he did two days after Jackson's death, where Dr Conrad claimed Jackson begged for drugs to help him sleep.

19:36 The drug and the doctors

Two of the leading experts in propofol were drafted in as star witnesses for the prosecution and the defence, producing a bizarre sub-plot to the trial. Dr Paul White, the defence expert, was known as the “father of propofol" because of his early research into the drug, while prosecution witness Dr Steven Shafer wrote the guidelines and warnings that come with each vial of the anaesthetic.They clashed in their accounts of the drug's effect and often took shots at eachother's credibility.

19:32 The evidence

Much of the trial was spent going back and forth over complicated medical evidence but at the heart of the case was the question of whether or not Dr Murray was negligent in the way he administered propofol - a hypnotic drug used for anaesthesia - to Jackson.

At the heart of the case against Dr Murray was the fact that he administered the drug without proper safety such as monitoring devices for his heart, breathing and blood pressure. He also failed to call the emergency services for more than 20 minutes after Jackson stopped breathing and told a bodyguard to hide the drugs before calling an ambulance.

His defence lawyers point out that Jackson was already drug dependent and said Dr Murray was in fact trying to wean him off. They also not that the doctor only gave the popstar a 25mg dose of propofol - enough to help him sleep but not to kill.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...ray-trial-for-Michael-Jackson-death-live.html
 
L.A. NOW
Southern California -- this just in

Conrad Murray's speedy handcuffing not unusual, lawyers say
November 7, 2011 | 2:17 pm
At least three legal experts said Monday it was not unusual that Dr. Conrad Murray was handcuffed in the courtroom and led away to jail after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson.

"It is typical in a case with a felony conviction involving homicide to take the defendant into custody. The only unusual thing here is he is a doctor," said Dmitry Gorin, a defense attorney and former prosecutor.

Gorin said the judge referred to the danger to the community and the potential flight risk.

Defense attorney Mark Geragaos said he was not surprised "in the least" by Judge Michael Pastor's decision to take Murray into custody.
"It's standard operating procedure anytime you have a homicide case," Geragos said. "It's not only standard operating procedure, it's a precursor to the fact he won't be granted probation."

Attorney Glen Jonas agreed with the others.
"The decision to remand Dr. Murray into custody was expected," Jonas said.

However, the court over-weighted the need to "protect the community" and Murray's potential as a "flight risk" to reach that conclusion, Jonas said.

Pastor ordered Murray to jail just a few minutes after a jury found the doctor guilty in the death of Jackson.
Murray was ordered held without bail, citing the seriousness of the crime and questions about whether he was a flight risk.

"Dr. Murray's reckless conduct" poses a threat to public safety, he said.

“This is not a crime involving mistake of judgment,” Pastor said. “This is a crime where the end result was the death of a human being. That factor demonstrates rather dramatically that the public should be protected.”
As Pastor was giving his order, a bailiff handcuffed Murray behind his back while he was sitting in his seat. His attorney argued he should remain free until sentencing, noting he had family obligations.
"There is no reason to remand him under these circumstance," he said.

Murray, Jackson's personal physician, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for causing the pop icon's 2009 death by a powerful surgical anesthetic.
The verdict against Murray comes after a jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about nine hours over two days.

The 58-year-old cardiologist, who was charged with the lowest possible homicide offense, faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison and a minimum sentence of probation.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/11/conrad-murray-legal-reaction.html




http://[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/10/trialmurrayhandcuffed.png/][/URL]
 
Last edited:
Jackson fans cheer verdict: 'Oh my God, guilty!'
By the CNN Wire Staff
November 7, 2011 -- Updated 2252 GMT (0652 HKT)

Los Angeles (CNN) -- When Michael Jackson died unexpectedly two years ago, his fans worldwide erupted in a torrent of grief, anguish and -- in tribute to the pop icon -- song and dance.

On Monday, there were hugs, tears and shrieks of joy among his fans packed outside a Southern California courtroom after a jury found Jackson's physician, Conrad Murray, guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death.
"Oh my God, guilty!" one woman yelled out, seconds after the verdict was announced.

Others appeared to almost break out in song; some seemed to start dancing; and a chant soon rose up of "Justice, justice, justice."

The honking horns and revelry were in contrast to the quiet scene inside Los Angeles Superior Court, where Judge Michael Pastor earlier urged people to constrain their emotions.
But there were no such restrictions outside.

Hundreds had packed the streets and sidewalks earlier in the day anticipating a verdict. Many held signs calling for Murray's conviction, like one saying, "Murray, burn in hell." A long banner held out by several people had a simpler, more sentimental message: "We miss Michael."

They were joined by throngs of photographers and videographers. Many flanked a walkway to the courtroom, their flashbulbs popping as Jackson family members, lawyers and others hurriedly walked into the courthouse to learn Murray's fate.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office reported in June 2009 that the entertainer died after suffering cardiac arrest. Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with two sedatives, the coroner ruled.
But Murray was eventually indicted, as prosecutors claimed he was criminally negligent in giving Jackson excess amounts of the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat the singer's insomnia.

When the jury decided in the prosecution's favor, the emotions spilled over on the streets as people yelled out, burst into tears and smiled.

"I'm so happy," one woman, who traveled to California from Memphis, Tennessee, told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell outside the courthouse. "Michael deserves justice."

One of the late singer's sisters, LaToya Jackson, thanked all those involved in Murray's conviction, which she called a "victory."
"Everybody was wonderful," she said as she left the courthouse.

And Kathy Hilton, a friend of the Jackson family and mother of Paris Hilton, said while leaving the courthouse that the verdict was bittersweet, though still satisfying.
"At least they'll feel some kind of relief, some kind of closure," she told HLN, referring to Michael's parents Joe and Katherine.

The reaction was equally swift and emotional online and outside Los Angeles.

Melissa Fazli, a CNN iReporter and student at California State University, Fullerton, said she broke into tears upon hearing the news.
"It's really sad to know that Conrad Murray, because of his negligence, took Michael Jackson away," Fazli said, expressing hope that it might dissuade "doctor-shopping" that might lead people to get more drugs than they can safely have. "That's why I cried."

On social networking sites like Twitter, the reaction was likewise fast, furious and emotional.

"Next time don't be so greedy Conrad Murray! Guilty!" wrote one such commenter on Twitter, former MTV VJ and hip-hop personality Ed Lover.

John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of Jackson's estate, released a statement on Michaeljackson.com in which they lauded the verdict and remembered the deceased as "the greatest entertainer that has ever lived."

"The estate of Michael Jackson and Michael himself has always believed the jury system works and despite the tragedy that brought about this trial we are in agreement with the jury's verdict," they wrote. " In this case, justice has been served."

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/07/justice/california-conrad-murray-reaction/?hpt=ju_c1
 

Stars react to Murray guilty verdict

First posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 03:37 AM EST
 
Lawyer: Dr. Conrad Murray's 'confident' about appeal





By Alan Duke, CNN
November 8, 2011 -- Updated 0936 GMT (1736 HKT)


Conrad Murray's defense team will appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction, but first must deal with his sentencing.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rulings limiting the defense case could be a basis for appeal, defense says
  • The defense will ask for probation and "maybe a little bit" of jail time
  • Prison overcrowding could limit Murray's time behind bars
  • Murray is 'devastated' by his conviction in Jackson's death, his lawyer says
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray, found guilty Monday of causing Michael Jackson's death, begins his new life as an inmate in a section of the Los Angeles County jail where high-profile prisoners are kept, a jail official said.

While it is the "medical area" that houses inmates on suicide watch, Murray is only there because it has a higher ratio of guards, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Harry Drucker said.

Murray's defense team has vowed to appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction, but first they must deal with his sentencing set for November 29.

While Murray was "devastated" by the guilty verdict, he is "confident" he will win an appeal, defense lawyer Nareg Gourjian said.
var currExpandable="expand25";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='bestoftv/2011/11/07/exp-drew-doctor-boundaries-hln.cnn';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/111108025134-exp-drew-doctor-boundaries-hln-00003030-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj;
"What matters most right now is trying to keep Dr. Murray from taking up a prison cell in this community," lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff said. "That's what we're focusing on right now and we'll deal with an appeal after that."

Murray served as Jackson's personal physician as Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts, with Murray giving him the surgical anesthetic propofol to help him sleep nearly every night for the last two months of his life, according to testimony.

Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with two sedatives, the Los Angeles County coroner ruled.

The verdict followed about nine hours of jury deliberations, which began Friday morning in the downtown Los Angeles County courthouse.

Murray could be sentenced to as much as four years in a state prison, but his lawyers will ask for probation and "maybe a little bit" of time in the county jail, Gourjian said.

A new California law aimed at reducing state prison overcrowding and a federal court order addressing county jail overcrowding could combine to significantly reduce Murray's time behind bars.

If Murray's conviction is treated as a non-violent felony he could be kept in the county jail, where he could be eligible to serve some of his time at home under monitored house arrest.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, who will decide Murray's sentence, made it clear when he denied bail Monday that he considered the doctor a threat to public safety.

"This is not a crime involving a mistake of judgment," Pastor said. "This was a crime where the end result was the death of a human being."

Both Chernoff and Gourjian said the defense was not surprised by the guilty verdict.
"I think what went wrong was a lot of the pretrial rulings that were made by the court in reference to some of the evidence that we planned to offer for the jury to consider," Gourjian told CNN's Piers Morgan. "I think that's essentially what denied Dr. Murray a fair trial in this case."

The outcome may have been different had the defense been able to introduce additional evidence -- like on Jackson's past drug use and "financial condition," Gourjian said.

Pastor's rulings to limit the defense case could be the basis for an appeal, he said.

Murray appeared to show no emotion as the verdict was read by court clerk Sammi Benson Monday afternoon or even as deputies handcuffed him and led him away.

A loud celebration erupted among Jackson fans outside of the courthouse, where emotions ran so high at least one woman fainted. Passing cars honked their horns, as people nearby hugged, cried and yelled out in joy.

Jackson's family, including by his parents and several of his brothers and sisters, smiled as they left the courthouse.

An emotional La Toya Jackson on Monday thanked all those involved in the trial, calling the decision a "victory."

"Everybody was wonderful," La Toya Jackson told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell as she left the Los Angeles courthouse.

A statement released by Jackson's estate Monday said that "justice has been served."
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren personally expressed his sympathies to the Jackson family who he said lost "not a pop icon, but a son and brother."

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley thanked jurors "for their hard work and thoughtful deliberation," and expressed gratitude that they recognized the "overwhelming" evidence against Murray in finding him guilty.

The seven men and five women on the jury heard 49 witnesses over 23 days, including Murray's girlfriends and patients, Jackson's former employees, investigators and medical experts for each side.

Defense lawyers contended the matter was a negligence case that should instead be heard by the state medical board.

"If it were anybody else but Michael Jackson, would this doctor be here today?" Chernoff asked in his closing.

Jurors were left to decide if the propofol overdose was infused into Jackson's blood by a steady intravenous drip, as the prosecution contended, or if Jackson injected himself using a syringe left nearby by Murray, as the defense argued.

"He was just a little fish in a big, dirty pond," Chernoff said, pointing the finger at other doctors who treated Jackson, and Jackson himself.

Prosecutor Walgren attacked the defense for trying to blame "everybody but Conrad Murray, poor Conrad Murray."

Walgren painted Murray as a selfish doctor who agreed to take $150,000 a month to give Jackson nightly infusions of propofol in his home, something prosecutors argued an ethical doctor would never do because of the dangers.

"It was a very strong and powerful message that this sort of conduct does rise to the level of criminal negligence, and to the extent someone dies as a result of them playing the role of Dr. Feel Good, they will be held accountable," Cooley said after the verdict.

Murray's license to practice medicine is now suspended, according to the Medical Board of California, which decides if a doctor can legally work in the state.

In the light of the conviction, the board now will open an investigation to determine whether or not to fully revoke Murray's right to practice medicine in the state, spokeswoman Jennifer Simoes said.

The main criteria in deciding whether to revoke, suspend or take other action against any doctor is assessing how substantial a crime is related to the practice of medicine. There is no timeline as to when the board might act regarding Murray, said Simoes.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/08/j...-murray-verdict/index.html?section=cnn_latest
 
Michael Jackson fans to Conrad Murray: ‘Beat it’

<STYLE type=text/css>div.social_count_container {height:20px; margin-top:0px;}.comment_button_container {margin-right:20px;}.comment_button {margin-top: 0px;width: 81px;height: 22px;cursor: pointer;background: url("http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/img/blog-social-btn-comment.png") no-repeat scroll left bottom transparent;}.tweet_container {margin-right:0px; min-width:90px;}.plus_1_container {margin-left:20px;}.social_count_center {float: left;height: 22px;min-width: 15px;max-width:25px;padding-top: 4px;padding-right: 3px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 11px;text-align: center;background: transparent url('http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/img/blog-social-count-strip-2.png') repeat-x left top;}.social_count_left {float: left; width: 9px; height: 22px;background: transparent url('http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/img/blog-social-count-left.png') no-repeat left top;}.social_count_right {float: left;height: 22px;width: 5px;background: transparent url('http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/img/blog-social-count-right.png') no-repeat left top;}</STYLE>November 7, 2011 | 2:41 pm


<!-- sphereit start -->
Michael Jackson's music blared outside the Los Angeles County courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon as the guilty verdict was read in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray.
His fans sang "Beat it" and danced to the beat. And moments after the verdict was read, a Michael Jackson impersonator drove by in a black Volkswagon Beetle with "Billie Jean" playing loudly on his car stereo.

Jackson's family left with little comment. La Toya Jackson stopped and waved, thanking the crowd as she held a bouquet of roses before getting into a Rolls Royce. Jermaine got in a black Cadillac; Joe and Katherine left in a Mercedes sedan. They made no comments.

Candace Juleff, 42, ripped off her T-shirt -- bedazzled with the image of Michael Jackson -- and started waving it around, screaming: "Yes! Yes! Justice for Michael! Justice for Michael!"
"Nothing will bring him back, but at least someone will pay for his death," Juleff said.
She grabbed Annabel Garcia, 37, in an embrace and started sobbing.

"It's a big comfort knowing someone is going to pay for leaving those children without a father," Garcia said.

The fans also took the time to remember Jackson. Juleff called him "magical."

Kiki Stafford, 47, of Tarzana said she believed Jackson was "harshly judged" and "greatly misunderstood."

"He was so alive and did so much for this world and it's hard to let go," Stafford said. " He was a gift and some days I feel we didn't deserve him."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/11/michael-jackson-fans-to-conrad-murray-beat-it.html
 
Michael Jackson's doctor on suicide watch

Published: 9:50AM Tuesday November 08, 2011 Source: ONE News


Michael Jackson's doctor has been placed on a suicide watch at the LA County Jail.
Earlier today, Conrad Murray, 58, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter at a court in Los Angeles this morning.
Murray had pleaded not guilty to giving Jackson singer a fatal dose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol - normally used in surgery - that was ruled the main cause of the singer's death.
After the verdict Murray was led away in handcuffs to be remanded in custody for sentencing on November 29.
An anonymous law enforcement source revealed to the LA Times that Murray has been placed under a suicide watch since he has been in custody.
ONE News US correspondent Tim Wilson said that while Conrad waits for the November 29 court hearing, he will also be kept away from the general population in jail for his own safety.
The jury of seven men and five women reached a unanimous decision following nine hours of deliberation.
However, even if Murray is sentenced to the maximum four years, legal experts say involuntary manslaughter is not considered a serious felony in California law and carries a stipulation that only 50% of any sentence must be served behind bars.
Because of jail overcrowding, officials could release him after only months.
Stan Goldman, a professor at Loyola Law School, said he'd be "surprised if a year from today Conrad Murray was still behind bars".

http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/michael-jackson-s-doctor-could-in-months-4509664?ref=rss
 
Dr. Murray's First Meal Behind Bars

He's barely been locked up a couple hours -- but TMZ has learned, Dr. Conrad Murray has already been offered a delicious sacked lunch behind bars ... including jailhouse-baked cookies.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Murray's first meal contained a cheese sandwich, some fruit punch, a few carrot sticks, and some homemade Oreo-knockoff cookies ... baked in the jail's own bakery.

No word on whether Murray actually ate any of it, but we're guessing he didn't have much of an appetite.


Conrad Murray Trial
LAPD Rejoices
Over Guilty Verdict


The LAPD couldn't be happier with today's guilty verdict in the Conrad Murray manslaughter trial -- telling TMZ, the verdict represents a "victory " in the eyes of law enforcement.

A rep for the LAPD issued the statement -- claiming, the department "applauded" the jury's verdict.

According to the rep, "Today's verdict of guilty is confirmation that the combined efforts of our investigators, criminalists, Coroner investigators and the District Attorney's Office were sound."

The rep adds, "The investigators have worked diligently on this case and were confident throughout the process that the investigation supported the allegation of involuntary manslaughter."
http://www.tmz.com/2011/11/07/conrad-murray-trial-lapd-guilty/
 
Posted at 08:23 PM ET, 11/07/2011
Conrad Murray and the Michael Jackson trial: Why the guilty verdict does not feel like cause for celebration
By Jen Chaney

When the verdict in the Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial came back guilty, some considered it a triumph.
Fans of Michael Jackson &#8212; the legendary pop singer whose death has now legally been attributed to the actions of Dr. Murray &#8212; whooped and cheered outside the Los Angeles County courthouse. The glee was reminiscent of the jubilation that met the not-guilty verdict in another Jackson-related trial, the 2006 one that acquitted the pop star of child molestation charges. Things were slightly more subdued this time. On this day, no doves were released.

&#8220;VICTORY!!!!!!&#8221; tweeted Jackson&#8217;s sister La Toya after the verdict came down. But somehow, to an outside observer who isn&#8217;t a Jackson, victory doesn&#8217;t feel like quite the right word for how this situation feels.

If Dr. Murray&#8217;s administration of propofol truly was reckless and responsible for the death of one of the most revered entertainers in history &#8212; and clearly the L.A. jury thought it was based on the evidence in the case &#8212; then justice was served by putting Murray behind bars this afternoon.

Still, this latest chapter in Jackson lore, even with that guilty verdict, has primarily renewed a sense of sorrow about the death of the King of Pop.

Those who followed the past six weeks of trial proceedings saw photos of Jackson&#8217;s deceased, frail body, heard stories of his children&#8217;s distress during their father&#8217;s final minutes on Earth and considered all kinds of evidence that suggested that Murray was cavalier in the way he administered his meds, but also that Jackson was in a desperate enough place to feel compelled to continue taking them.

Those of us not sitting on the jury didn&#8217;t learn anything significant or necessary, really. We just got more stark confirmation of something we already knew: that for a variety of reasons &#8212; including, but most likely not limited to, a doctor&#8217;s lapses in judgment &#8212; Michael Jackson didn&#8217;t have to die at the age of 50.

As I wrote in another blog post back in September, when the trial first began, this case dredged up a lot of intimate details (see above) that the public probaby did not need to know. Prosecutors obviously felt they had to share those details in order to make their case.

As a result, Jackson&#8217;s family and fans got their justice. But they, and we, also got to revisit a death that is undeniably sad, perhaps sadder now that more of the everyday reality associated with it &#8212; the dimly lit bedroom where Jackson lay in bed, the sound of his slurred speech on those voicemails &#8212; is known.

There was always a mystique around Michael Jackson the Pop Icon. Given his many problems over the years, he arguably lost much of that mystique years ago. But in death, he had gained some of it back, and certainly earned a renewed sense of dignity from a public eager to memorialize him. The trial, in some ways, took away that dignity, reducing Jackson once more from celebrated King to a struggling star who needed heavy medication to get through the day. The justice system might have needed to show us that side of Jackson in order to reach a proper verdict. But I&#8217;m still not sure the rest of us needed to witness it.

How do you feel about the Jackson verdict &#8212; vindicated, mournful or completely ambivalent? ( online poll below.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...1/07/gIQAdZyFxM_blog.html?wprss=celebritology
 
11/8/2011 1:00 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF.
Dr. Murray Tell-All Documentary Reveals Shocking Secrets
TMZ has obtained an excerpt of a never-before-seen documentary starring Dr. Conrad Murray -- in which the good doc reveals some very intimate details about the singer ... some of which are not flattering.

The documentary -- titled, "Michael Jackson and The Doctor: A Fatal Friendship" -- was shot while Murray awaited trial for manslaughter ... and features a shockingly candid look at the preparation of the trial, which includes intense fighting between Murray's lawyers.

The movie is being distributed by a company called Zodiac Rights ... which says it's already pre-sold the rights to air the documentary to "major broadcasters around the world."
Sources tell TMZ ... NBC is one of the broadcasters ... and will air the doc in the United States.

As for Dr. Murray -- he signed on to the project back in 2009, following MJ's death. It's unclear how much cash Murray is set to make from the movie.
http://www.tmz.com/2011/11/08/dr-conrad-murray-documentary-michael-jackson/



11/7/2011 2:22 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF
Dr. Conrad Murray: 'Keep Away Prisoner'

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Dr. Conrad Murray has been deemed a "keep away inmate" -- which means jail officials will be taking special precautions to keep him safe during his stint behind bars.

We're told Murray will be assigned a single cell for his own protection -- and he'll also be assigned an "escort" to keep an eye on the doc wherever he goes inside the jail ... including shower time.

Officials tell us Murray will not be allowed to mingle with the general inmate population -- which is a blessing and a curse for Murray ... who will surely feel safer, but also INCREDIBLY lonely at the same time.

http://www.tmz.com/2011/11/07/dr-conrad-murray-keep-away-prisoner/

Conrad Murray Not On Suicide Watch, Sheriff's Dept. Says
KTLA News

8:33 a.m. PST, November 8, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KTLA) -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says Dr. Conrad Murray has not been placed on suicide watch, contrary to an earlier report from the Los Angeles Times.

Murray is being held in a cell in the medical services building where there is a higher ratio of guards to inmates for his safety, according to Deputy Jeff Cannon.
It is an area where they sometimes keep suicidal inmates, but authorities say Murray is not on suicide watch, Cannon said.

Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of pop star Michael Jackson on Monday. His attorneys say they plan to appeal the verdict.
A stone-faced Murray appeared to show no emotion as the verdict was read by court clerk Sammi Benson, but someone in the gallery let out a loud, but short scream.
Murray faces a maximum of four years in prison on the conviction when he is sentenced on November 29. The minimum possible sentence is probation. Murray could also lose his medical license.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ordered Murray to be held without bail until that date, and Murray was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
"This is not a crime involving a mistake of judgment ... This was a crime where the end result was the death of a human being," Pastor said in explaining his decision to remand Murray to police custody.
"That factor demonstrates rather dramatically that the public should be protected."

Legal experts say that, based on the judge's decision to remand Murray into custody, they expect he will impose the maximum sentence. Due to overcrowding, however, it's likely that Murray would only serve half of a four-year sentence, or about two years.

Murray served as Jackson's personal physician as Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts, with Murray giving him the surgical anesthetic propofol to help him sleep nearly every night for the last two months of his life, according to testimony.

Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with two sedatives, the Los Angeles County coroner ruled.

The verdict followed about nine hours of jury deliberations, which began Friday morning in the downtown Los Angeles County courthouse.
The seven men and five women on the jury heard 49 witnesses over 23 days, including Murray's girlfriends and patients, Jackson's former employees, investigators and medical experts for each side.

The prosecution, in closing arguments on Thursday, argued that Murray was responsible for Jackson's death because his reckless use of propofol to treat the pop icon's insomnia in his home was criminally negligent.

Defense lawyers contended the matter was a negligence case that should instead be heard by the state medical board.
"If it were anybody else but Michael Jackson, would this doctor be here today?" lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff asked in his closing.
Jurors were left to decide if the propofol overdose was infused into Jackson's blood by a steady intravenous drip, as the prosecution contended, or if Jackson injected himself using a syringe left nearby by Murray, as the defense argued.
"He was just a little fish in a big, dirty pond," Chernoff said, pointing the finger at other doctors who treated Jackson, and Jackson himself.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren attacked the defense for trying to blame "everybody but Conrad Murray, poor Conrad Murray."
"If allowed more time to argue, I am sure they would find a way to blame Michael's son, Prince," Walgren said in his closing rebuttal.
Walgren painted Murray as a selfish doctor who agreed to take $150,000 a month to give Jackson nightly infusions of propofol in his home, something prosecutors argued an ethical doctor would never do because of the dangers.

Family members exited the courthouse after the verdict was read to cheers from supports gathered outside.

La Toya Jackson spoke to reporters on the way out of the courtroom.
She says: "Michael was looking over us."

Brother Tito pumped his fist in celebration.

Jackson's mother Katherine told reporters, "Justice was served, I thank the jury for the doing the right thing."

http://www.myfoxspokane.com/ktla-conrad-murray-trial-day-23,0,4840436.story
 
Last edited:
Jackson&#8217;s sister: I have no sympathy for Murray
By Michael Inbar
TODAY.com contributor
updated 11/8/2011 9:34:07 AM ET 2011-11-08T14:34:07

Though Dr. Conrad Murray showed poignant emotion about Michael Jackson in an interview conducted before his involuntary manslaughter conviction yesterday, the singer's sister Rebbie made it clear Tuesday that she has no sympathy for the man she holds responsible for her brother&#8217;s death.

In an exclusive interview with TODAY conducted Oct. 30 that will be part of a MSNBC special, &#8220;Michael Jackson and the Doctor,&#8221; airing Friday, Murray choked up as he told Savannah Guthrie of Jackson&#8217;s last words before his overdose death the morning of June 25, 2009.
&#8220;It was probably when he was pleading, and begging me, to please, please, let him have some milk,&#8221; he told Guthrie. &#8220;Because that was the only thing that would work.&#8221;

But appearing live on TODAY Tuesday, Jackson&#8217;s oldest sister, Rebbie Jackson, told Ann Curry she has little sympathy for Murray or his feelings of friendship toward her deceased brother.
&#8220;I do not (feel sympathetic),&#8221; she told Curry. &#8220;I don&#8217;t, because if you love someone, you&#8217;re going to do what you think is best for them, not what they want you to do.&#8221;

On Monday, Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson, with 12 jurors, after 22 days of testimony, unanimously saying Murray was criminally negligent in administering the King of Pop a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol.

During the two years between the initial charge and the final jury verdict, Murray&#8217;s legal team gave access to a film crew as Murray awaited his legal fate. In footage that aired Tuesday on TODAY, Murray often seemed angry and confrontational on camera, but in quieter moments talked of the bond between himself and Jackson.
(Jackson) said, &#8216;Of all my life, I have found one friend, which is you, Dr. Conrad,&#8217; &#8221; he said.

But while Rebbie Jackson admitted to Curry her brother &#8220;had an addiction to prescription drugs &#8212; I do know that,&#8221; she said she believes Murray went against his professional oath in administrating propofol in a private setting. &#8220;So no matter what the situation was, he was wrong, because he&#8217;s not supposed to do that at all.&#8221;

Murray talks about Jackson's death in TV special
In an interview for the MSNBC special, Murray discussed Jackson&#8217;s drug dependence and his declining state in the last days of his life. &#8220;He really could not sleep,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Have you ever seen the `Thriller&#8217; (video) image when he was made up? He looked (like that) &#8212; hysterical.
&#8220;He lived a life greater than 100 years of pain.&#8221;

Following Monday&#8217;s guilty verdict, Murray&#8217;s lawyers asked Judge Michael Pastor to release the doctor on bail, pending his sentencing. But Pastor ordered Murray to jail, where he spent his first night after being free on bail since charges were originally brought two years ago.
&#8220;Dr. Murray&#8217;s reckless conduct in this case poses a demonstrable risk to the safety of the public,&#8221; Pastor said in court.

While Pastor could mete out a sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison, Rebbie Jackson believes that any sentence would be small compared to her brother&#8217;s death.
&#8220;From what I understand, the jails are overcrowded &#8230; so he might just get house arrest,&#8221; she told Curry. &#8220;And it&#8217;s sad, because my brother is gone and nothing will bring him back, and that&#8217;s for sure.&#8221;
Rebbie said that the emotions she felt in the courtroom when the verdict was read Monday were not what she expected.
&#8220;I thought I was going to feel as though I got a tremendous amount of relief, but I felt really numb, and not only that, I started crying profusely,&#8221; she told Curry.
&#8220;Because the reality of what had transpired really hit me at that point &#8230; it just sort of brought everything back to reality.&#8221;
She added Michael&#8217;s children Prince, Paris and Blanket were in school at the time of the courtroom verdict, &#8220;but I&#8217;m sure they feel a lot of relief.&#8221;

&#8220;Michael Jackson and the Doctor&#8221; will air Friday at 10 p.m. ET on MSNBC.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45205046
 
Ventura doctor Alon Steinberg not surprised at Conrad Murray verdict
By Zeke Barlow Ventura County Star
Posted November 7, 2011 at 8:53 p.m.

Dr. Alon Steinberg wasn't terribly surprised when a guilty verdict came back Monday for Michael Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.
"I think the jury did the right thing," Steinberg said.

Steinberg, chief of cardiology at Ventura's Community Memorial Hospital, was an expert witness for the prosecution during Murray's trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. Murray, a cardiologist, faces up to four years in prison.

Steinberg mentioned many things he said Murray did wrong &#8212; such as doing the job of an anesthesiologist even though he's a cardiologist and improper basic CPR &#8212; that likely led to Jackson's death.
"There were so many levels that were really major deviations from the standard of care," said Steinberg, 44, of Ventura.

Although his testimony was part of a case that made headlines around the world, Steinberg had never been an expert witness in a court case before.
"It was surreal, to say the least," he said. "I was very nervous, but I did what I had to do."

Steinberg serves on the Medical Board of California, reviewing cases to ensure no lapses in the standard of care occurred. After he wrote a report on the singer's death that was based on a long police interview with Murray, the Los Angeles district attorney followed up with him.

Steinberg told the district attorney that as a cardiologist, he couldn't answer certain questions about the drugs Murray was administering to Jackson. That made the district attorney realize Steinberg would be a good witness on why cardiologists shouldn't administer drugs that anesthesiologists spend years studying, Steinberg said.
"It's like me performing surgery on you," Steinberg said. "I could do it, but would you want me to?"

Steinberg testified about errors he perceived with Murray's care, including not having adequate medical equipment and not calling 911 immediately.
"If any of those individual things would have been done, this would not have happened, but there were multiple mistakes made," he said.

Steinberg spent about 80 hours preparing for the case &#8212; he declined to say how much he was paid &#8212; including watching the trial a few days before he was set to testify.

He said it was like a sitcom in which he was a character a few days later. Although he was nervous when the cameras were on him, he tried to remain calm and do his job, he said.
He liked Jackson's music growing up, but he said he put aside Jackson the celebrity when reviewing the evidence and instead focused on Jackson the patient.

"I always try to look at the point of view of the physician, but it was difficult in this case," he said. "There was no way to protect this doctor from what he did."

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/nov/07/ventura-doctor-alon-steinberg-not-surprised-at/
 
Oh No!

Jackson's deathbed, other items, to be sold : Auction will include chalkboard that reads 'I (heart) Daddy'


By SANDY COHEN

updated 1 hour 9 minutes ago 2011-11-09T18:04:11
Print Font: +-
LOS ANGELES &#8212; After Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, the gated mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive where the pop star lived with his three children while preparing for his comeback concerts became part media camp, part Jackson tribute ground.

Hundreds of tearful fans left cards, flowers, balloons and handwritten notes in front of the three-story home resembling a French chateau, while dozens of reporters jumped at any development in the death investigation. Anyone coming in or out of the property was bombarded with questions.

Now, as Dr. Conrad Murray sits in a jail cell awaiting sentencing for involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, the contents of the home &#8212; including the queen-size bed where Jackson took his last breath &#8212; sit neatly on display, just as they were, awaiting the auction block.

"We want to preserve the history of these items," said celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien
, president of Julien's Auctions, which next month will sell the various antique furnishings, paintings and sculptures that surrounded the King of Pop in his final days.

Located on a leafy corner in the posh Holmby Hills neighborhood, the Carolwood home where Jackson lived from December 2008 until his death is separately up for sale. The house and its furnishings were leased to Jackson while he and his family lived there.

A note from one of the children remains on a chalkboard inside the home's sprawling kitchen, where three barstools were lined up against the center island &#8212; a perfect breakfast spot for the kids. "I (heart) Daddy. SMILE, it's for free," the chalk note reads in childlike scrawl. The chalkboard will be sold as-is, and is expected to fetch more than $400.

At the very moment on Monday that Murray was hearing his guilty verdict, reporters were eerily taking a private preview tour of the three-story home where the pop star lived and died.The bedroom shown in evidence photos at Murray's criminal trial was actually considered a "medication room" by the Jackson team. Murray was convicted of supplying an insomnia-plagued Jackson with the powerful operating-room anesthetic propofol to help him sleep as he rehearsed for a series of comeback concerts in London.
The room looked perfect, like a hotel room awaiting its first guest. There was no sign that anyone had struggled there with insomnia or drug addiction, certainly no sign that anyone had died.

Jackson maintained an adjacent bedroom that he regarded as his inner sanctum &#8212; a private place only for him.
It is in this second bedroom that the pop star wrote a message to himself on the mirror of an antique armoire. "TRAIN, perfection, March April. FULL OUT May," it reads. Jackson was to begin his London concert run in July.

His private bedroom included a bathroom larger than most living rooms and two massive walk-in closets.

Among the items for sale in the medication room, where evidence was collected for Murray's trial, are upholstered chairs smudged with Jackson's makeup and Jackson's death bed, which looks out to an expansive backyard surrounded by tall trees. The yard is anchored by a large swimming pool and a pool house, where the singer's son Prince carved his name on a beeswax candle.

The medication room, on the top floor, leads to another walk-in closet and bathroom, where Jackson's makeup still remains on a small silk-covered stool beneath the vanity.
Curving staircases on each side of the mansion's most famous room lead down to the kitchen and the elegant foyer, where a grand piano sits topped with crystal candlesticks.

Katherine Jackson's attorney, Perry Sanders Jr., said he is aware of the Carolwood auction and has "done everything we can to ascertain that items from this address are not being auctioned using Michael's name and likeness to enhance the items' value."

Photos of the house and the items available for sale are featured in a limited-edition auction catalog, which is being sold for $100. But the catalog and auction are discreetly titled "100 North Carolwood Drive" and the words "Michael Jackson" do not appear anywhere in the catalog.

The home and its decor are reminiscent of Neverland Ranch, Jackson's famous estate near Santa Barbara, said Martin J. Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions.
"He loved it because it was like Neverland," Nolan said. "It was a very happy place where he spent his final days."

Like Neverland, the Carolwood house features its own movie theater &#8212; this one outfitted entirely in burgundy velvet with loveseat-style sofas and a fresco of a cloud-dotted sky on the ceiling.
Built in 2000 and designed by architect Richard Landry, the house at 100 North Carolwood is dominated by 18th and 19th century French decor. The walls are lined with various watercolor and acrylic paintings and sculptures fill nooks in the den and family rooms
Although up for sale, the 54,885-square-foot home will not be auctioned. The house has six bedrooms and 10 fireplaces. It also has a wine cellar, fitness center and formal dining and sitting rooms. The price was not disclosed but similar homes in the area are listed at $18 million and up.

Highlights from the furnishings sale will be on view at a free exhibition at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif., beginning Dec. 12. The auction is set for Dec. 17.

Celebrity home tours still regularly pass by the property. On the day of Murray's conviction, a tour guide could be heard telling passengers, "This is the home of Michael Jackson, where he passed away."


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45225923/ns/today-entertainment/
 
Last edited:
Murray Juror Speaks: "He Was the Doctor. He Was in Charge"
"It was stressful," juror Debbie Franklin said about the deliberations.

KTLA News 11:05 a.m. PST, November 9, 2011
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A juror in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray is speaking out about the case, saying that deliberations were intense.

Debbie Franklin, a 48-year-old paralegal and mother of two, is the first juror from the trial to talk to the media.

Jurors were cleared to speak about the case after the verdict was read Monday. California law prevents them from profiting from it for 90 days.

She told ABC News' "Good Morning America" that deliberations were at times heated, and not all jurors believed Murray was guilty.
"We finally took a vote and it was not unanimous," she said, referring to the first day of deliberations on Friday.
She said the jurors agreed to think about it over the weekend.

Franklin also said there was some yelling in the jury room.
"It was stressful. It was a lot of work. Yelling... everybody was talking. We had to keep saying 'Nobody talk while this person is talking. Raise your hand if you have something to say.'"

She said it was not until after some further discussion on Monday morning that all the members of the panel were convinced that Murray was guilty.

Her account seems to contradict what one juror told TMZ -- namely, that the jurors were united on Murray's guilt from very early on in the deliberation process.

Taylor told ABC that it was Murray's actions that convinced them of their verdict, above and beyond the portrait of Jackson painted by the defense as a desperate drug addict who could have injected himself with propofol.

"The three biggest things for us were the 911 call, not calling 911. That was a big issue, and not having the medical equipment in the room to put somebody under sedation and leaving the room," Franklin said.

"Even if Michael Jackson injected himself, which I don't think we believed, but we felt, even if he did, that wouldn't have mattered because Conrad Murray brought the situation there," she added.

"He was the doctor. He was in charge."
Taylor said the panel did not think Murray meant to kill Jackson.
"We think it was something that he was doing that was careless that got out of hand," she said.

Murray was remanded into custody after the verdict until his sentencing on Nov. 29.
He could receive a maximum of four years in jail and a minimum of probation. His medical license -- which is already suspended in California -- could also be revoked.

http://www.ktla.com/entertainment/ktla-murray-juror-speaks,0,882311.story
 
November 9, 2011, 1:43 pm
&#8216;Today&#8217; to Show an Interview With Michael Jackson&#8217;s Doctor
By BRIAN STELTER

Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted on Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, did not take the stand while on trial, but he did defend himself to television interviewers.

On Thursday and Friday, one of those interviews will be shown on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Today&#8221; show, the top network morning news show.
The interview, by Savannah Guthrie, took place before the guilty verdict. &#8220;Today&#8221; obtained the interview in part because its parent company, NBCUniversal, licensed a documentary about Dr. Murray from a British production company. Such arrangements are unusual, but not unprecedented.

The documentary, &#8220;Michael Jackson and the Doctor,&#8221; will be shown on NBC&#8217;s cable news channel MSNBC on Friday night.
It was produced by October Films, which gained the trust of Dr. Murray and his defense team and filmed behind the scenes before and during the trial. The producers also interviewed Dr. Murray repeatedly before the verdict was read.

NBCUniversal paid the documentary&#8217;s distributor, Zodiak Rights, for the right to televise it in the United States. Zodiak has also sold the television rights in the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere, reflecting the worldwide interest in Mr. Jackson and his death in 2009.

&#8220;In connection with the documentary, NBCUniversal had the opportunity to conduct a promotional interview with Dr. Murray,&#8221; NBC said in a statement. &#8220;Neither Dr. Murray nor his legal defense were compensated in any way.&#8221;
The promotional interview will be shown in two parts on &#8220;Today;&#8221; parts were published online on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the main rival to &#8220;Today,&#8221; ABC&#8217;s &#8220;Good Morning America,&#8221; had a trial scoop on Wednesday, the first interview with one of the jurors.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.c...w-with-conrad-murray/?partner=rss&amp;emc=rss


Conrad Murray on 'Today': 'Something happened when I was not in that room'
by Lanford Beard

Just two days after Dr. Conrad Murray was declared guilty in Michael Jackson&#8217;s June 2009 death, the Today show has released a preview of a sitdown between Murray and correspondent Savannah Guthrie. Guthrie&#8217;s chat with Murray &#8212; filmed before the verdict was handed down &#8212; will air in two parts on Thursday and Friday morning in advance of a two-hour special Michael Jackson and the Doctor, which Murray filmed with U.K. Broadcaster Steve Hewlett in November 2009, before he was charged in Jackson&#8217;s death.

The documentary features behind-the-scenes footage of Murray&#8217;s defense team as well as a particularly unsettling set of photos of Jackson&#8217;s disordered home.

In his Today interview, the doctor steadfastly maintained his innocence, essentially blaming Jackson&#8217;s addiction for the singer&#8217;s death. See exactly what Murray had to say and watch the full preview after the jump.
When asked if he thought Jackson had self-injected the fatal dose, Murray said with a coy smile, &#8220;What do you think?&#8221; He added, &#8220;Something happened when I was not in that room.&#8221; Without explicitly blaming Jackson, he insisted, &#8220;Nothing that I gave Michael should have ended his life.&#8221;

In the earlier filmed documentary, not yet bitter about his fate, Murray portrays himself as a helper to the reclusive Jackson, a life coach of sorts. He claims he urged Jackson to clean his home and express his emotions: &#8220;I told him, &#8216;It&#8217;s okay to cry, Michael. It&#8217;s okay.&#8217;&#8221;

Murray&#8217;s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 29. Michael Jackson and the Doctor premieres Friday night on MSNBC. Will you watch?

http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/11/09/conrad-murray-today-interview-michael-jackson-death-trial-guilty/
 
Last edited:
Lawyer: Conrad Murray 'devastated, shocked' in jail
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Miriam Hernandez

Sources close to Dr. Conrad Murray told Eyewitness News that he is "devastated" and "shocked" that he is in jail over the death of Michael Jackson.
Murray is being kept in isolation at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, but authorities say he is not on suicide watch.
Sources say defense attorneys Ed Chernoff and Nareg Gourjian went to visit him around lunch time and spent about 40 minutes with him.

"He was certainly devastated yesterday by the jury's finding. He loved Mr. Jackson, so it was horrifying for him to be blamed to have caused his death. However, as far as the suicide watch goes, those are precautionary measures taken by the sheriff's department due to the high-profile nature of this case," Gourjian said on "Good Morning America."

Murray is awaiting sentencing in his jail cell, and according to his defense team, it could be a short stint.
"Dr. Murray's lack of a prior criminal history, based on that, we would hope that the judge would impose a probationary sentence with a little bit, if any, of county jail time," Gourjian said.

But professor of criminal law Karen Smith said she didn't think that was likely.
"I think that we should be prepared that Judge Pastor is looking at four years," Smith said.
Smith based her prediction on Pastor's ruling at verdict - remanding Murray into custody immediately and pronouncing him a threat to public safety.

"This is a crime where the end result was the death of a human being," Pastor said.
Then there is the state penal code and sentencing guidelines. With a four-year sentence, actual time served is automatically cut in half, Smith said.
Pastor will also hear victim impact statements from the Jackson family at the sentencing set for Nov. 29. Emotional statements on behalf of Prince, Paris and Blanket are expected.

Murray's defense team left the courthouse on Monday making few comments. Defense attorney Michael Flanagan said, "Certainly there will be an appeal."

"I'm just happy it's over with. Nothing will bring him back, but I'm happy he was found guilty," said sister Rebbie Jackson.

Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley extended his sympathies to the Jackson family.
"We want to extend our personal sympathies to the Jackson family, especially to Prince, Paris and Blanket. They have lost their beloved father. Nothing can make up for that loss," Cooley said.

The jury was not asked to determine whether Murray actually gave Jackson the fatal dose, only whether he was primarily responsible for the singer's death.

Jackson was about to mount a series of heavily promoted concerts in London that he hoped would cement a legacy larger than that of Elvis Presley or the Beatles.
"We have to be phenomenal," Jackson said about his "This Is It" concerts in London. "When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world."'

The jury deliberated for less than nine hours over the span of two days before returning with a guilty verdict.
The five women and seven men have remained anonymous during the duration of the trial, but they were caught on tape leaving on Monday after the verdict. They had been shuttled back and forth from a parking lot to the courthouse every day.
None of the jurors have spoken publicly about the verdict.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/entertainment&id=8423144
 
Dr. Conrad Murray Loses A Lawyer Amid Internal Bickering



Posted on Nov 10, 2011 @ 03:45AM
WENN

By Jen Heger,
Radar Legal Editor
Dr. Conrad Murray and one of his lawyers, Michael Flanagan have parted ways, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The cardiologist was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on Monday, in connection with the death of his former patient, pop superstar Michael Jackson. Los Angeles Judge Michael Pastor remanded Dr. Murray into custody, citing security concerns, immediately after the jury delivered the verdict.
Ed Chernoff, Dr. Murray's lead attorney, says they plan on appealing the verdict, but they will be doing now without one of their original team.

"Michael [Flanagan] wants absolutely nothing to deal with the appeal. He will most likely be at the sentencing, but after that, his work on the case is essentially over," a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com. "Ed and Michael aren't even talking to each other right now, and that has been the status quo for at the past two weeks,".

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Chernoff, Dr. Murray's lead attorney, is from Houston, Texas and had been staying with Flanagan to save his client money. However, Ed moved out from Flanagan's posh digs in San Marino, just two weeks into the trial.

"Ed didn't like the way Michael was handling the prosecution witnesses. Ed felt that Michael was too abrasive and caustic with his questioning and that Michael allowed witnesses to clarify points that only helped the prosecution's case. Things were getting very tense and he's moved into a hotel in Santa Monica," an insider told RadarOnline.com about the sudden move.
Another source of strife between the former legal buddies was Flanagan's decision to order a study be done on Beagle dogs. The beagles were given propofol, to try to back up the defense's claim that Michael Jackson died at his own hand after drinking the powerful anesthetic.


"It just didn't make any sense to Ed that Michael would have a study conducted on the dogs. How are dogs and humans the same, if the defense were going to pursue that theory at trial? The D.A. actually had volunteers, including Dr. Shafer drink propofol, and their test concluded that dying from drinking propofol was nearly impossible," the insider tells RadarOnline.com.
After RadarOnline.com's exclusive report about the pooches being given propofol, animal rights group PETA demanded a federal investigation.

Read PETA's Letter To The USDA Demanding A Full Investigation
PETA (the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization) filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging "cruel drug toxicity tests on beagles commissioned by the defense team of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician now on trial for his alleged role in Michael Jackson's death.
"PETA asserts that if attorneys from Flanagan, Unger, Grover & McCool did commission the tests for the drug propofol -- the toxic effects of which have been extensively studied in dogs and humans -- those tests were likely conducted in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act's prohibition against tests on animals that duplicate previous experiments. PETA has filed a complaint with the State Bar of California as well."

Flanagan's fate was finally sealed however when he decided to go on a media blitz after Dr. Murray was convicted on Monday.

Page Six reported that Flanagan was picked up at the courthouse by a chauffeur to take him on a first class flight to New York City to appear on The Today Show. Flanagan appeared on The Today Show during the third hour, for approximately 30 seconds.
Dr. Murray will be sentenced on Tuesday, November 29.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/11/conrad-murray-loses-lawyer-michael-flanagan
 
Did British documentary pay for Murray's costly defense?
Michael Jackson's physician, convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death, was deeply in debt when he began working for Jackson. NBC purchased the film for broadcast this weekend.

By Harriet Ryan and James Rainey, Los Angeles Times
November 10, 2011
The verdict is in, the jury has been dismissed, and Dr. Conrad Murray sits behind bars, but one question about the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor remains: Who paid for the defense?

Speculation about how the cash-strapped physician funded an expansive legal team focused Wednesday on a British documentary made with Murray's cooperation and purchased recently by NBC for broadcast on its cable network MSNBC this weekend. Representatives of Jackson's estate demanded the network cancel the program, entitled "Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship," in part because of unanswered questions about whether Murray was compensated for giving filmmakers interviews and allowing camera crews to follow him and his lawyers.

"We would like to know how much money in total was paid for this privileged 'access,' " estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain wrote in a letter Wednesday to executives at NBC, MSNBC and its parent company, Comcast. "It doesn't matter to us if it was a production company, Comcast, NBC Universal or MSNBC that paid for access to Dr. Murray because all are morally culpable."

Murray was in debt close to $800,000 on the day Jackson died and his financial circumstances worsened in the months that followed as intense media coverage hurt his ability to earn money as a cardiologist. But after signing a deal with a British producer in 2009, he was able to assemble a defense team that included four attorneys, a jury consultant, a publicist, and a host of medical experts. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter Monday.

Those involved in the documentary refused to discuss details of the deal with Murray. They repeatedly reiterated a statement by October Films, the London-based production company, that it paid only a nominal $1 fee to Murray. Left unaddressed, though, were questions about whether the doctor received a portion of fees paid by television outlets in Britain, Australia and at least 10 other countries that will air the program.

The circumstances surrounding the documentary raise a host of thorny issues, including how carefully NBC investigated the provenance of a film that offered exclusive interviews and footage in a highly competitive news story, and whether the doctor violated a court-imposed gag order, even as he shielded from his own lawyers the extent of his cooperation with the filmmakers.

In the final days of his manslaughter trial, Murray sat for wide-ranging interviews about Jackson's death with NBC and a British outlet as part of the documentary package those networks purchased. Murray's criminal attorneys said they were never told of the interviews, given despite their warnings about "the dangers of talking about June 25th" &#8212; the day the singer died
"They just didn't tell me because they know I'd freak out," said lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff, who said he learned of the interviews the morning after the verdict when portions aired on NBC.
Murray, who decided not to take the stand in his own defense, is in jail pending sentencing later this month and could not be reached for comment.

All payments to Murray's lawyers came directly from the doctor, not the filmmakers, Chernoff said. He acknowledged telling Murray shortly after they met that financial resources were crucial to a court case in which the prosecution seemed to have an unlimited budget for forensic experts and investigators.
"I told him early and I told him often that the only way he was going to be able to defend himself was to have money. He had to fund his case or he would never be able to defend himself," Chernoff said.

At the time Murray's Las Vegas home was in foreclosure. He was behind on child support and student loan payments. He owed money to credit companies and a medical equipment supplier. And because Jackson never signed his contract, Murray never received any of the $150,000-a month fee he was supposed to get as the singer's personal physician.

Subsequently, Murray was approached by Leon Lecash, a British photographer turned entrepreneur whose ventures included a butler service that, according to one press report, "promises to solve any problem." Lecash was among hundreds of outlets begging Murray for an interview, but according to the doctor's former publicist, Miranda Sevcik, Lecash's company &#8211; what's it all about? productions &#8211; was the only one willing to delay broadcast until after a verdict.
"This was the only group that approached us that agreed to that caveat &#8212; until all litigation was complete," Sevcik said.

Camera crews began trailing Murray to church, his charity clinic in Houston and meetings with his lawyers. Chernoff said he sought advice from the California State Bar before agreeing to be filmed. The doctor began providing him money, he said, but he never asked about the source.
"It wasn't pertinent to what I was doing," he said. Asked whether he assumed the money came from the documentary, Chernoff replied, "I can't say that because I don't know for sure."

Others on Murray's team said they agreed to be filmed, but purposefully avoided discussions about the documentary and Murray's deal with producers.
"I specifically asked not to be involved in any of the financial aspects," said defense publicist Mark Fierro.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-et-1110-murray-doc-20111110,0,2071722.story?track=rss
 
Producer provided lunches and rides for Conrad Murray and his team
Leon Lecash, producer of the documentary "Michael Jackson and the Doctor," also accompanied Murray on a shopping trip to Bloomingdale's, says the security executive who drove the team to and from court.

By James Rainey and Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times

November 11, 2011
A British documentary film producer provided Conrad Murray and his defense team with free lunches, rides to court and even accompanied the doctor on a shopping trip to upgrade his wardrobe, according to the man who drove the doctor during his six-week trial for manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.

The unusual arrangement gave a London-based production company a close-up view unobtainable by any of the news outlets that swarmed around the high-publicity trial, which ended this week with Murray's conviction.

The support for Murray and his defense also raised new questions about the airing of the documentary, "Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship," this weekend on the cable news network MSNBC because U.S. broadcasters generally frown on giving financial aid to the subjects of news reports.

NBC, parent company of MSNBC, reiterated Thursday that it planned to air the hourlong documentary Friday night and again Sunday, saying the network had not paid the cardiologist or his legal team. One of the production companies responsible for the filming also said it had not paid Murray. But another producer and the distributor of international rights for the film did not comment on financial arrangements.

New details about the filming emerged in an interview with Louis Perry, a Los Angeles-based security executive who drove Murray throughout the trial.
Perry said producer Leon Lecash of what's it all about? productions paid for daily lunches during the trial and for transportation for Murray and his team to and from the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown L.A.

Lecash, a one-time photographer, arranged the exclusive filming with Murray in 2009, even before the cardiologist was charged with administering a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol to pop idol Jackson. The British native, listed as an executive producer on the program, stayed at a West Hollywood hotel during the trial and paid expenses with a "wad" of cash, Perry said.

Lecash, for example, paid $560 a week for a 12-passenger van that carried the Murray entourage and was outfitted with five of the film crew's mini-cameras, which Perry said he routinely turned on to film Murray and company as they were in transit.
Lecash also provided lunch, bringing the food to an empty office in the same downtown building where Perry's Kadima Security Services is based. The defendant, family members and his attorneys would eat in the mostly barren space with windows that look down Figueroa Street toward Staples Center. The documentarian's cameras rolled through the lunches.

Lecash said via email that the transportation and meals provided to Murray's team were "legitimate location production costs." He referred follow-up questions to his London-based publicist, Matthew Robinson, who did not respond to inquiries.

Also not commenting were Murray's legal defense team, the others involved in the production and Comcast, parent of NBC.

In an interview in his office Thursday, Perry also recalled how, near the start of the trial, he rode along as producer Lecash and defendant Murray went shopping at Bloomingdales. The driver said that Murray acquired at least two suits. He could not say for sure who paid for the clothes, which Murray wore in the courtroom.

Perry said he came forward to describe what he saw because he felt sympathy for Murray and was not sure that the documentary would serve the doctor's best interests.
"I think the show is going to do more damage than any money that he might have made," Perry said.

He called Jackson's one-time personal physician "a really good person, who got caught up in this." He said he felt the doctor was "surrounded by sharks," who hoped only to get some financial benefit from their association with him.

Murray at times grew weary of the constant filming, his driver recalled. "He would say, 'I am tired of these guys. I can't wait until this thing is done,' " said Perry.

The driver said that on the day of the verdict, the crew wanted to record Murray en route to the courthouse, but that Perry rebuffed them.

"I wasn't going to be a person that would be that insensitive, that would pull over and let them take that picture," Perry said.

Perry said Murray approached him after he learned about Kadima's extensive work with public officials, athletes and celebrities. Photos of Perry posing with boxers, entertainers and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush cover the walls of his 18th floor office on Figueroa Street.

He said the doctor admitted from the start that he was strapped for cash and could not ensure payment for security and transportation.

"But I knew it was a high-profile case and sometimes exposure is a very important aspect of success for a business," Perry said. He showed a bill for $9,300 in security and transportation but said he never bothered to send it to anyone. He felt his work for Murray might help bring in other clients.

As the trial and production of "Michael Jackson and the Doctor" neared an end, the producers asked Perry to sign a release &#8212; clearing them to make him a part of the program. But Perry declined to sign and his lawyer responded with a letter, saying Perry had not been compensated for appearing in the documentary. A lawyer for October Films answered that the driver would not appear in the finished product.

james.rainey@latimes.com

harriet.ryan@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-et-murray-money-20111111,0,255234.story?track=rss


Conrad Murray Given Alcohol, Tailored Suit and Van By Film Crew:
Louis Perry

LOS ANGELES -- The doctor convicted of causing Michael Jackson's death was given perks by producers of a documentary on his case, a security guard who drove the physician to-and-from court daily said Friday.

Louis Perry, head of Kadima Security Services, said producers often took Murray to booze-filled dinners at upscale restaurants, paid for a 12-seat van outfitted with cameras and may have paid for the tailored suit Murray wore on Monday when he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Perry said he was never paid for his work as Murray's driver and security detail, but the physician gave him permission to talk to reporters about what he saw.
"They paid to have full access," Perry said. "They were shadowing his every move."
It remains unclear whether the perks Murray received run afoul of regulations intended to prevent convicts from profiting from their crime.

Perry said he didn't comply with a request to allow Murray to be filmed right before Monday's verdict was read, and refused to grant the filmmakers the right to use his likeness in the documentary titled "Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship." The documentary has aired in England and will premiere Friday night in the United States on MSNBC.

Perry said he couldn't estimate how much was spent on Murray during the six-week trial. He said he wasn't sure if producers paid for Murray's new wardrobe, but he was told to bring the doctor to an upscale department store where a tailor was waiting for him. The doctor received several suits, clothes and ties after that trip, he said.
He said Murray was wearing one of the suits he received after the fitting on Monday, when a seven-man, five-woman jury convicted him.

Producers took Murray to dinners at high-end Beverly Hills restaurants where they had "elaborate dinners" complete with expensive wines, champagne and tequila, Perry said.
"You can tell when somebody's owned," he said. "They owned him. It was obvious."

Murray's spokesman, Mark Fierro, said he had not seen reports on Perry's account and could not immediately comment on them.

A spokesman for MSNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal, reiterated an earlier statement that it had licensed the project from the Britain-based company Zodiak Rights and the deal included a promotional interview with Murray that has been airing on NBC's "Today."
"Neither Dr. Murray nor his legal defense were compensated in any way," the statement reads.

Zodiak Productions, which announced hours after Murray's conviction that it had sold the documentary to broadcasters in several countries, also did not return an email message seeking comment.

The man paying the bills was Leon Lecash, a British producer whose company &#8211; which is named what's it all about? productions &#8211; secured rights to Murray's story before he was charged with Jackson's death in February 2010, Perry said.
Lecash wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported Perry's account, that transportation and meal expenses were "legitimate location production costs." A spokesman for October Films, which was working with Lecash on the project, declined further comment in an email

In the United States, networks and some tabloid outlets have long paid for images or other media that give them some access to newsmakers. ABC News paid $200,000 toward the defense of Casey Anthony, a Florida mother acquitted earlier this year of killing her daughter.
Bryce Nelson, a longtime journalist and professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, said that entertainment outlets that pay sources have put pressure on news divisions to also pay newsmakers.

"It is becoming more common, but that doesn't mean it's right," Nelson said. "You shouldn't buy news and that's what MSNBC seems to be doing."
He said in situations where money is paid toward getting access to those convicted of a crime could be seen as sanctioning the crime, or lead to other improper practices. "Where does this stop?" Nelson asked. "Do you give money to terrorists if they tell their story?"

Murray also grew to have misgivings about the documentary project, Perry said. He recalled the doctor telling him, "'I can't wait until this is over. I'm tired of having these people around all the time.'"
He said he was sometimes told to turn on the cameras in the van that ushered Murray, his family and others during lunch break throughout the trial. It was the one expense Perry says he can account for &#8211; the van cost more than $3300 to rent for the duration of the trial.

The Houston-based cardiologist criticizes Jackson in the documentary, which aired in England with the title, "The Man Who Killed Michael Jackson."
"I went there to take care of a healthy man, who said he was fine, to just keep surveillance in case my kids get sick or I get the flu, help us to choose right, better foods, and wash our hands so we don't get infected," Murray said in the film. "But once I got in there I was entrapped."

Perry said he feels sorry for Murray.
"I feel very bad for him," Perry said. "I think he was a good man that was preyed upon by people that felt his guard was down. I feel he was led to make some decisions that caused him to be where he is today."

Murray faces up to four years behind bars when he is sentenced on Nov. 29. He also faces a litany of legal woes, including a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson's father and the loss of his medical license in three states.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/13/conrad-murray-gets-free-suit-alcohol_n_1090881.html
 
Last edited:
After conviction, legal woes mount for Jackson's doctor
<!--Updated <script type="text/javascript">document.write(niceDate("11/11/2011 11:25 AM"));</script>
*42*|**Share

-->
<!-- --><!-- This is used to facilitate the embedding of a Video Playlist without a Description as a Topper in XML Editor -->
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jail time is not the only problem looming for the doctor convicted in Michael Jackson's death. Lawsuits, medical licensing issues and possible payments to Jackson's family await.


<MORE>Some of the matters have been on hold since Dr. Conrad Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in February 2010, and the cardiologist's attorneys have so far fended off attempts to end his ability to practice medicine.
Now, with the jury's guilty verdict announced Monday, the efforts to hold Murray accountable in civil courts will speed up and the loss of his medical privileges are all but guaranteed.

The Houston-based physician is being sued by Jackson's father, embroiled in a fight with the provider of his medical malpractice insurance and may be ordered to pay restitution to Jackson's family when he is sentenced for involuntary manslaughter on Nov. 29.

But Murray won't go quietly. His civil attorney said that if the lawsuits proceed, they will delve into territory unexplored during the doctor's six-week criminal trial, including possible culpability by other doctors. Murray's team will also look into options for Murray to relinquish his medical license in Texas — with an eye on trying to return to medicine within a year.

Brian Oxman, who represents father Joe Jackson in a wrongful death lawsuit against Murray, said his civil case "will absolutely focus on what happened before the last few hours of Michael's life."

Oxman is also working with Murray's attorney, Charles Peckham, to possibly expand the case to include other physicians who treated Jackson, namely dermatologist Arnold Klein.
"We are looking at ways to expand the scope and view of this lawsuit to all those who are actually responsible for the death of Michael Jackson," Peckham said Thursday.

Murray's criminal attorneys frequently mentioned Klein to jurors and presented evidence about Demerol treatments that Klein gave Jackson in the months before the singer's June 2009 death, but a judge blocked the dermatologist from testifying.

Peckham said some of Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor's rulings — which were intended to keep the focus on Murray's care of Jackson — "severely restrained testimony that would have pointed to Dr. Murray's innocence."

"There is substantial proof that supports the belief that the insomnia Michael Jackson was experiencing was a result of the overmedication of Michael Jackson with Demerol," Peckham said.

No Demerol was found in Jackson's system when he died, but a defense expert told jurors in the criminal case that some of the symptoms of withdrawal from the drug are similar to those caused by use of the anesthetic propofol, which is what killed Jackson. Murray said he was giving the pop superstar propofol treatments so that he could sleep as he prepared for a planned series of comeback concerts.

Klein's attorney, Garo Ghazerian, did not return a phone message seeking comment Thursday.
Murray's attorneys are planning an appeal of his criminal conviction and he remains jailed without bail until his sentencing. At that hearing, prosecutors could seek restitution for Jackson's family, although his mother and children have received millions in support from the singer's estate since his passing.

In 2009, a judge ordered record producer Phil Spector to pay $26,000 in restitution fees after he was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting cocktail waitress Lana Clarkson. Nearly $10,000 was allocated for a state victims' restitution fund, while the rest was set aside for Clarkson's funeral expenses.

The prospects of recouping any money from Murray are uncertain — he was never paid for his work with Jackson and is being pursued by creditors. It is unknown how much money Murray has or will receive as a result of a documentary project that is to air Friday night on MSNBC.
"As a convicted felon, he is not permitted to profit from his crime," Oxman said. "The family has the right to receive those funds."

The documentary has been sold to broadcasters in several countries and has already been shown in Britain.

Murray has been fighting with his malpractice insurer, Medicus Insurance Co., in a Houston court since August 2010. Medicus is asking a judge to rule that it is not responsible for paying any of Murray's legal bills in his fights with various medical boards, Joe Jackson's lawsuit or his criminal defense. The case was on hiatus until after the criminal trial.

Peckham said he still contends the policy, purchased a month before Jackson's death, should cover Murray's legal bills.

Murray's conviction should mean an end to his medical career, although Peckham said efforts are under way to protect a Houston clinic founded in honor of Murray's father.

"We are working to make sure that Dr. Murray's patients get the same type of stellar health care they got with Dr. Murray," Peckham said.

The attorney acknowledged Murray's medical license will be suspended — an effort a Texas Medical Board spokeswoman confirms is under way. Peckham said he is exploring whether Murray may agree to a revocation of his license to allow him to reapply to become a physician later.

Texas law allows a physician to apply for re-instatement one year after their license is revoked.
Murray's medical license in California has been suspended since January. In Las Vegas, where Murray operates another clinic and where he first met Jackson, the doctor's medical privileges will also likely be revoked as a result of his conviction.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-11-11/michael-jackson-doctor-murray/51166878/1
 
Michael Jackson - Murray: 'I'm Protected By The Holy Spirit'
14 November 2011 08:01

A new documentary about Michael Jackson's convicted doctor has shed some light on the medic's calm, stoic demeanour throughout his six-week involuntary manslaughter trial - he believes he is protected by the Holy Spirit.

In a bizarre monologue as part of TV special Michael Jackson & The Doctor, which aired in America on Friday night (11Nov11), Conrad Murray claims he had a vision as he slept in the weeks following the King of Pop's 2009 death and he was assured all would be well.

Murray, who is facing at least two years behind bars after he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, closes his eyes in the TV interview filmed in the months following his famous patient's death and recalls the moment he was "lifted out of the darkness".

He explains, "As of July 15th, 2009, at 3am, things changed. The Holy Spirit came to me and I could feel the warmth, I can see his face, I can see his garments as he came down to touch me. He lifted me out of that hole of darkness. He brought me to light. He saved me. He protected me.

"He will put me and keep me safely in the secret chambers of his tabernacle."

Clasping his hands as if to pray, Murray adds, "Thank you Father. Thank you... I love you Lord."

The documentary, which aired four days after Murray was convicted in Los Angeles, was screened despite protests from members of Jackson's family and the Jackson estate administrators.

It featured footage from the Murray trial and conversations between Murray's defence attorneys Ed Chernoff and Michael Flanagan, who are now planning to appeal their client's conviction.

He has been found guilty of causing Michael Jackson's death by administering powerful anaesthetic propofol to help the pop superstar battle a sleep disorder.

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/murray-im-protected-by-the-holy-spirit_1260633
 
Back
Top