Doctor Conrad Murray on trial
A lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged in the death of Michael Jackson, says the pop superstar caused his own death.
Defense attorney Ed Chernoff told jurors in his opening argument Tuesday that Jackson, of his own accord, swallowed several lorazepam pills on the morning of his death and that was enough to put people to sleep.
He also claimed Jackson self-ingested the anesthetic propofol, creating a ‘perfect storm in his body’ that killed him instantly.
Chernoff told jurors it was not their job to determine whether Murray was a good doctor. He said Murray and Jackson were actually friends and Murray was trying to wean Jackson off of propofol. Jackson, however, took a lethal dose before he died – the lawyer said.
At times during Chernoff’s opening statement Murray appeared to be crying and wiped his eyes with a tissue.
The defense’s remarks came after more than an hour of opening arguments by prosecutors who laid out their case against the Houston-based cardiologist with a multimedia presentation which featured an audio recording Murray made of Jackson under the influence of propofol, and an image of the pop star’s pale body lying on a gurney after he died from an overdose on the drug on June 25, 2009.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and he and his attorneys have denied he gave Jackson anything that should have killed the pop superstar.
A number of Jackson’s family members were in the courthouse for opening arguments – including his father Joseph, mother Katherine, sisters LaToya and Janet, and brothers Jermaine, Randy, and Tito.
LaToya Jackson carried a sunflower, Michael’s favorite flower.
Conrad Murray.
Dr. Conrad Murray’s defence team has claimed Michael Jackson “caused his own death”.
The medic – who has been accused of administering the lethal dose of the anaesthetic Propofol that killed the “Thriller” singer on June 25 2009 – is starting his involuntary manslaughter trial today (27.09.11) and his lawyer insists he had nothing to do with the death as Michael took the drugs without the physician’s knowledge.
Attorney Ed Chernoff told the jury at a Los Angeles courthouse – “During the 10 hours on June 25, 2009, while Michel Jackson was frustrated because he could not sleep, frustrated because his doctor refused to give him a drug that he preferred, that he wanted, he did an act without his doctor’s knowledge, without his doctor’s permission, against his orders – he did an act that caused his own death.
“The science will show you that Michael Jackson swallowed eight, 2 mg Lorazepam pills. … He did this when Dr. Murray was not around. … When Dr. Murray left the room, Michael Jackson self-administered a dose of Propofol … that created a perfect storm in his body that killed him instantly.
“There was no doctor … no machine that was going to revive Michael Jackson. He died so rapidly, so instantly – he didn’t even have time to close his eyes. … We will provide to you the science to show you what happened.”
During their opening statement of the trial, the defence team claimed Murray had always been concerned about how much knowledge Michael had of Propofol and couldn’t cope when Murray weaned him off it after two months.
Chernoff added – “The evidence is going to show you that Michael Jackson died when Conrad Murray stopped (giving Jackson Propofol) … for 10 hours on the morning of the 25th Murray refused (to gove Jackson Propofol).”
During opening statements from, first, the prosecution and then the defence, Michael’s brother Jermaine and sister Janet held hands across sister Rebbe’s lap in court, while his mother, Katherine, was tearful.
The voice that echoed through the packed courtroom was low and woozy, but the ambition in the slurred words was vintage Michael Jackson.
“I want them to say: ‘I’ve never seen nothing like this in my life’ ” – he mumbled. ” ‘He’s the greatest entertainer of all time.’ ”
The grand vision to entertain millions died six weeks later with the singer. But it was resurrected Tuesday for an audience of 12: the jury in the manslaughter trial of his personal physician. The recording was the emotional crescendo in the dramatic opening day of legal proceedings anticipated since the singer’s 2009 death.
Before the lunch hour, Dr. Conrad Murray had broken down at the defense table, Jackson’s mother was weeping in the spectators’ gallery and fans had convened a prayer circle on the courthouse grounds.
Images of Jackson were everywhere _ from posters Jackson supporters waved for a throng of news crews to a ‘King of Pop’ impersonator lurking in the courthouse hallway to a crime scene photo of the singer dead on a hospital gurney. Jurors even watched clips of Jackson singing and dancing in rehearsals two days before his death.
But it was in the recording that Jackson seemed most eerily present. Prosecutors (who accused Murray of killing by Jackson by giving him a dangerous anesthetic) waited until opening statements to reveal the tape’s existence, and Jackson’s voice sent a shiver of excitement through the courtroom.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told jurors forensic experts had recovered the audio file from Murray’s iPhone and that it showed the physician had taped his patient ‘highly under the influence of unknown agents.’
In a clip the prosecutor said was ‘a taste’ of the full recording jurors are to hear later, a barely comprehensible Jackson appeared to say he perform charity with the proceeds from his planned comeback concerts.
“I’m taking that money, a million children, children’s hospital. Biggest in the world. Michael Jackson’s Children’s Hospital” – he said.