Michael Jackson's doctor found GUILTY of manslaughter in King of Pop's death

• Jury deliberated for just ten hours over the course of two days
• Trial featured 50 witnesses and 22 days of testimony
• Conrad Murray denied bail and left court in handcuffs
• Sentencing scheduled for November 29

By David Gardner In Los Angeles
Last updated at 12:23 AM on 8th November 2011

Michael Jackson's private doctor Conrad Murray was found guilty today of killing the King of Pop.
Dr Conrad Murray was led out of court in handcuffs after being remanded without bail to await his sentencing on November 29
The 58-year-old cardiologist faces up to four years behind bars after the jury at Los Angeles Superior Court convicted him of involuntary manslaughter.

Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray, seen here as the verdict was read, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Monday in his 2009 death in a rented Los Angles mansion

Murray was handcuffed by officers in the courtroom and led out by bailiffs. He is being held without bail until his November 29th sentencing

Wearing a grey pin-striped suit and a blue tie, Murray looked stunned as the jury's decision was read out after two days and ten hours of deliberations.
Just as he has through most of the trial, Murray remained stoic as Judge Michael Pastor dismissed an appeal for him to be released on bail pending his sentencing hearing.

A sheriff's deputy leaned over while Murray sat at the defence table and handcuffed him before leading him out of the court to the cells.
Jackson's sister, La Toya, screamed out when the verdict was read out and her older sister, Rebbie, held her head in her hands.

Dr Conrad Murray listens as the verdict in his involuntary manslaughter trial is announced in Los Angeles

No one appeared more stunned by the guilty verdict than Conrad Murray himself, who looked understandably distraught as he was put in cuffs. one his daughters sat crying in a row behind him

SENTENCING OPTIONS

Convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Conrad Murray now faces a sentence of up to four years in prison. Below are some of the factors:

• Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor would receive a probation department report on Murray recommending a sentence. Both prosecution and defence lawyers also file recommendations. But the final decision is his and his alone.
• Judge Pastor can consider that Murray is a defendant with no prior criminal record, a circumstance that might mitigate in favor of probation.
• Because of AB109, a recent California prison realignment bill, Murray probably would not go to state prison. If given a prison sentence, he would most likely serve it in the county jail because of prison overcrowding. There has been speculation that he would be allowed to serve a term of house arrest.
• The penal code calls for a convicted defendant to be sentenced in 20 days, but he can waive that time while his lawyers prepare a motion for a new trial and an appeal. He could remain free on bail during that period.
• Murray will lose his medical license

Randy was closest to the jury and 17 members of Jackson family in all were sitting in the court. He massaged mother, Katherine's shoulders as she cried after the verdict was read out.
Outside the court, hundreds of Jackson fans cheered when they heard the verdict, some singing 'Beat It' as passing motorists honked their horns.
Others held signs that read 'guilty' and 'killer'.
Judge Pastor said Murray's 'reckless conduct' meant he was a danger to the public.
Leaving the court, Jermaine Jackson said: 'Justice was served, but it wasn't enough time. Michael is with us.'
Sister LaToya, wiping back tears, added: 'Thank you America, thank you everyone. Everybody was wonderful. Michael loves everybody. He was in that courtroom with us - that's why justice was served.
Older sister Rebbe said: 'I am just happy it's all over. Nothing will bring Michael back but I am just happy that he was found guilty.'
Family matriarch Katherine Jackson said she was confident this would be the outcome of the trial.
'I feel better now,' she said.
Jackson's father, Joe, said as he left the courthouse with her: 'Justice was done'.
'The Estate of Michael Jackson and of 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. In this case justice has been served. Michael is missed on a daily basis but his genius and his music will be with us forever,' an official statement read.
Prosecutor David Walgren thanked the 'diligent' jury. 'Our sympathies go out to the Jackson family for the loss they have suffered. Not as a pop icon but as a son and a brother,' he added.

Michael Jackson's sister LaToya Jackson (C) speaks to the media as she leaves the courthouse with Kathy and Rick Hilton (R) following the guilty verdict

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, is surrounded by police officers as she leaves the courthouse after the reading of the guilty verdict

Michael Jackson's father Joe (L) and brother Jermaine Jackson leave the courthouse after the reading of the guilty verdict

Prosecutors said the conviction meant Murray would automatically lose his medical licence.
LaToya Jackson later tweeted 'VICTORY'.
The Los Angeles Police Department echoed her comments in a public statement.

A jubilant La Toya tweeted 'VICTORY' after the verdict was read

A spokesman told TMZ.com: '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 investigators have worked diligently on this case and were confident throughout the process that the investigation supported the allegation of involuntary manslaughter.'
Murray's lawyers said they weren't planning to make any official statement after the hearing, but Ed Chernoff said he was 'not shocked' at the verdict.
He said he was planning to request another bail hearing to try and get Murray released while he awaits his November 29 sentencing.
District Attorney Steve Cooley said it will be difficult to achieve an appropriate sentence for Murray because of a new state prison alignment law that allows early release for people convicted of nonviolent felonies.
He said his office gave the case the same attention it would give a lower profile case, but conceded that because of the identity of the victim, 'obviously this takes on a viral dimension'.
Murray's mother and his girlfriend, former exotic dancer Nicole Alvarez, refused to comment outside the court.
Murray nodded to them before being led off to jail. It is believed Murray has been deemed a 'keep away inmate', meaning he will be assigned a single cell for his own protection.
TMZ.com reports he will also be assigned an 'escort' in Los Angeles County jail whenever he is moved, and will not be permitted to mingle with the general inmate population.

Randy and sister Rebbie Jackson also arrived before the verdict was announced to honor their brother

LaToya Jackson arrived with Rick and Kathy Hilton, far right. La Toya tweeted that she was 'shaking uncontrollably!' as she made her way to the courthouse and then screamed inside once the verdict was read

Michael Jackson's parents Joe and Katherine Jackson arrived together at the courthouse shortly before the verdict was read

The verdict came after nearly 50 witnesses, 22 days of testimony and less than two days of deliberation by a jury of seven men and five women, who were escorted from the building and not available for comment after the verdict was read.
Announcing the verdict, the judge thanked the jurors for their civic duty.
'I remember way back when in September when we first met, I asked you at that time to accept responsibility of citizenship and told you that I understood that serving on this jury would be a hardship and a burden because you have your own lives and responsibility to your jobs, profession and family.
'You have undertaken the responsibility in a remarkable fashion. You have made sacrifices and had to endures burdens, delays and a case that ran over the time I had told you you would have to serve.
'You have been remarkable in conscientiousness, patience, respect and never been late. For that we are very appreciative. I know that serving on a case of this sort interferes with everyday life and I personally thanks you for your time and efforts.'

Jackson fans and supporters have turned out every day over the months of the trial

The cheers and applause erupted when the guilty verdict was read and could be heard inside the courtroom

Fans of Michael Jackson sombrely wait for the verdict outside the courthouse

In what was billed as the most closely watched celebrity trial in history, a procession of witnesses gave starkly contrasting views of the 58-year-old doctor.
During the trial, prosecutors painted Murray as a greedy opportunist who threw his medical knowhow out of the window to cater to the dangerously bizarre whims of a superstar.
The defence painted him as a caring cardiologist battling against the odds to help his celebrity patient from self-destructing.
But after six weeks of evidence, the jurors agreed on one crucial factor - that Murray was responsible for Jackson's death.
In the end it came down to the fact that the doctor acted with criminal negligence in administering a deadly dose of propofol to the star who was desperate to get some sleep to rehearse for his looming comeback tour at London's O2 Arena.
Murray was accused of botching any hopes of reviving the star by delaying more than 20 minutes before calling 911 for help after discovering Jackson lifeless on his bed on June 25, 2009.

Judge Michael Pastor, A renowned and respected LA Superior Court Judge for 27 years, is handed the verdict

Judge Pastor prepares to read the verdict, which was broadcast live around the world

Dr Murray, his defence team and the prosecution face the judge moments before the verdict is revealed

Michael Jackson fans wait outside the courthouse for the reading of the verdict in Dr Conrad Murray's trial in Los Angeles

Michael Jackson fans outside the Apollo theatre in the Harlem section of New York City react to the reading of the verdict

People react after hearing the guilty verdict in the Dr Conrad Murray trial outside the courthouse in Los Angeles

Michael Jackson fan Felicia Wilson wipes a tear after hearing the guilty verdict

Defence Attorney Ed Chernoff

Mr Chernoff is a relatively little known attorney from Houston, Texas that nevertheless comes with a glowing legal reputation. He works at a firm with three lawyers which mainly handles white-collar cases.
He has fought hard in defence of Dr Conrad Murray, a man he counts as a personal friend. He has temporarily left his Texas home, including his wife and newborn baby, to decamp to an office in California for the trial.
His handling of the case has not always gone smoothly and he can often be seen chewing an unlit cigar. Chernoff was forced to fire the defence's publicist after discovering she had leaked information related to a confidential jury questionnaire to TMZ. He was born in Maryland in 1962 and attended law school at the University of Houston.

Then he lied about using propofol - a powerful drug that is only supposed to be used in a hospital setting - to cover up his guilt, keeping the fact that he used the sedative from paramedics and emergency room doctors.
It was unclear whether the jury determined that Murray had administered the fatal dose of propofol while deciding he was responsible for the death of Jackson.
One medical expert outlined seventeen separate failures in the accepted standards of care in Murray's treatment of the 50-year-old singer, each of which could have possibly played a part in his death.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told the jury they needed to agree on just one life threatening blunder to find him guilty.
He said Murray's use of propofol to treat Jackson's chronic insomnia was an 'obscene experiment'.
Walgren rejected claims that Jackson was falling apart and hooked on painkiller drugs and insisted that the 50-year-old star was excited and optimistic about his future and was planning to buy a new, stable home for his family and end their nomadic 'vagabond' lifestyle.
The trial started sensationally with a photo of Jackson's dead body lying on a hospital gurney shown to the jury during opening arguments. A shocking tape of Jackson's slurred voice was also played in the courtroom on the first day.
Prosecutors then quizzed a series of witnesses who offered damning accounts of Murray's care for Jackson in the final months, days and hours of his life.
As it proceeded, the trial came more down to a battle of the scientists who argued over the dangers and benefits of propofol.
One of the key battles of the experts was between two anaesthesiologists.

NOT PRESENT: Jackson's three children Prince, 14, Blanket, 9, and Paris, 13, have stayed away from the entire trial as well as staying away from the verdict

The jury was sensationally shown this image of Jackson's dead body by the prosecution early on in Murray's trial

Prosecutor David Walgren (Deputy DA)

This is far from his first high-profile case. In 2009, he stopped director Roman Polanski’s effort to have a 1977 child-sex case against him dismissed. Four years before that he jailed photographer John Rutter who was convicted of forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury after he had tried to sell old topless pictures of Cameron Diaz back to the actress.
He graduated from law school at the University of California in 1995 where he went straight into the L.A. district attorney’s office. He began working on misdemeanors and juvenile cases before joining the hardcore gang unit before moving to major crimes in 2005.
His impassioned court room appearances have attracted him some fans - a Facebook page called David Walgren Is Hot has 1,200 followers while Michael Jackson's sister, La Toya gave him a shout out on Twitter: ‘Walgren is doing a great job!’ Mr Walgren is happily married to Deputy DA Nicol Walgren and the couple have two children.

Prosecution star witness Dr Steven Shafer was scathing about the dangers Murray exposed Jackson to by using propofol without the proper equipment or staff, but he was branded a 'cop' by the defence for his zealous testimony.
Dr Paul White, testifying for the prosecution, was lambasted by Walgren for his flimsy research and the 'junk science' he used to try and explain how Jackson could have caused his own death by self-administering propofol while Murray left the bedside to go to the toilet.
The defence insisted Murray was cast as a scapegoat by the authorities who needed someone to blame for the tragedy.
'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?' defence lawyer Ed Chernoff said in his closing argument on Thursday.
Chernoff said Murray was under immense pressure to administer the knock-out drug from Jackson and the promoters of the lucrative sell-out comeback concerts. Jackson himself even threatened to cancel the tour if he couldn't get enough sleep to rehearse.
'He was just a little fish in a big dirty pond,' said Chernoff.
Murray chose not to go on the stand, perhaps fearing he would harm his case still further under harsh examination from the prosecution. He showed little emotion despite being excoriated by some witnesses, but his lawyers sought to show him as a sympathetic figure and summoned a number of former heart patients to vouch for his expertise and generosity.

Jackson was paying $100,000 a month to live this rented Bel Air mansion at the time of his death in one of its many upstairs bedrooms

The Judge: Michael Pastor

A renowned and respected LA Superior Court Judge for 27 years, the New Yorker has made sure that evidence in the trial was limited to Michael Jackson’s final days and hours.
He has presided strictly over the case, trying prevent it from turning into a lengthy media circus. Over the years Judge Pastor has handled a significant number of very serious and complicated felony matters, including charges of multiple murder, sex offenses, and fraud.
In addition, he was also assigned to handle the case involving the photographer charged with attempted grand theft and forgery against Cameron Diaz.
He graduated from Cornell University in 1971 and worked in New York City for a year before beginning law school.

Despite speculation to the contrary, Jackson's children, Prince, 14, Paris, 13 and nine-year-old Blanket did not give evidence and were kept away from the spectacle surrounding the trial.
But Walgren focused on the children's loss in his closing speech to the jury, blaming Murray for robbing them of their father.
'For them, this case doesn't end today or tomorrow or the next day,' he said. 'For Michael's children, this case will go on forever because they do not have a father.'
Jackson's parents, Joe and Katherine, and siblings Janet, LaToya, Jermaine and Randy were regularly in the public gallery on the ninth floor of the Los Angeles Superior Court building while Murray's mother watched from the other side of the public gallery.
Every day, Jackson fans lined the street outside the downtown court waving placards and demanding justice for their musical hero.
At Judge Michael Pastor's instigation, the jury was not allowed to hear much about Murray's tangled love life. Although he is married, he has fathered at least seven children with six different women.
His doctor wife lives in Las Vegas with their two children, but the court heard that Murray lives with mistress Nicole Alvarez, a former stripper, in Santa Monica, California.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2058699/Michael-Jackson-verdict-Conrad-Murray-guilty-manslaughter-King-Pops-death.html#ixzz1d4Lt7ppt

 

 

 

Revealed: Conrad Murray's secret double life as a deadbeat dad and a compulsive womaniser turned doctor to the stars

By David Gardner In Los Angeles

Last updated at 11:13 PM on 7th November 2011

Guilty: Dr Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in LA today

To many of his devoted patients, Conrad Murray was a caring doctor who would offer treatment for free to the poor.

But his secret double life as a deadbeat dad and a compulsive womaniser led him to take a lucrative job as Michael Jackson's personal drug doctor.

Desperate for cash to pay his mounting debts, Murray took the lucrative post injecting Jackson - no questions asked - with nightly doses of the knock-out sleep drug that ultimately killed the world's biggest star.

Murray's $1.2m Las Vegas mansion was about to be repossessed after he fell $96,000 behind with the mortgage in 2009 when Jackson asked him to travel to London with him as his full-time physician, official documents reveal.

His two medical practices in Nevada and Texas faced $631,000 in court judgments and he was late paying a $64,000 personal loan and thousands of pounds in child support.

The Grenada-born doctor's spiraling debts were the reason Murray demanded $4.8m from Jackson when he was first offered the job, said friends. He later settled for $160,000-a-month.

Hours after being convicted of causing the death of the King of Pop, Murray was revealed as the King of the Cads.

Murray, who is married, has fathered at least seven children with six women, most of them out of wedlock.

According to court records, he has also been sued more than a dozen times for claims including breach of contract and unpaid child support.




In April, 2009, Murray was sentenced to 10 days in jail for non-payment of child support and was ordered to spend 25 days behind bars for the same reason in 2007. On both occasions, he eventually paid up to avoid going to prison.

Partner: Nicole Alvarez, 29, told the jury she had been living with Murray for the last three to four years and had a son with him. She said he called her while her was in the ambulance with Jackson en route to hospital

Prosecution witness: Sade Anding was a cocktail waitress who met Murray in Houston was on the phone to him when Michael Jackson's heart stopped

He was also arrested twice on charges brought by former girlfriends, once for fraudulent breach of trust and once for domestic violence, although he was never convicted.

While still living with his doctor wife, Blanche, and their two children in Las Vegas, Murray was also paying the $2,564-a-month rent on a flat in Santa Monica, California, for his 29-year-old actress lover Nicole Alvarez.


Murray met Alvarez when she was working as an exotic dancer at the Crazy Horse Too club in Las Vegas.

He had moved to Sin City after conceiving a child after an affair with a married nurse, Nenita Malibiran, who worked with him at the same San Diego hospital.

During a 1999 child custody hearing, Murray admitted having a history of fathering children and then leaving their mothers.

Murray was born on February 19, 1953 to a poor single mother and was raised by his grandparents on a farm in Grenada, moving to Trinidad when he was seven. When he arrived in the US, he went to university and medical school in Houston and Nashville, before working as a cardiologist in San Diego.

More women: The court also heard from Michelle Bella, left, an exotic dancer Murray met in Las Vegas last year and Bridget Morgan, right, a former girlfriend who testified that she called Murray earlier on the morning of the day Jackson died, but she said that he didn't pick up.

He married first wife, Zufan Tesfai in 1984 and got divorced four years later after having a child with mistress Patricia Mitchell, who accused him of a 'fraudulent breach of trust.'

He had another brush with the law in 1994 when he was arrested for domestic violence against Janice Adams, who also mothered two daughters with him, while he was a cardiologist working at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

He met current wife, Blanche, while both were attending the same medical school.

On the morning of Jackson's death, Murray was on the phone to Sade Anding, a cocktail waitress he met in Houston and two stripper ex-girlfriends, Michelle Bella - from Spearmint Rhino Gentlemen's Club - and Bridgette Morgan - from Cheetah's - testified in court that they got calls from the doctor while he was supposed to be caring for the star.

Dead: Michael Jackson paid Murray $160,000-a-month to be his personal physician

Murray's current mistress, Nicole Alvarez, started dating the doctor after giving him a private lap dance in her strip club's VIP lounge. Her close friend Ben Harris said she later showed him a cheque worth $4,000 Murray had given her and said: 'I've hit the jackpot.'

Sade Anding, 25, who was talking to Murray when he discovered Jackson had stopped breathing, also said the first time she met the doctor he gave her a $110 tip for an $11 drink.

'He told me he was very successful. He said the song 'I'm Coming Up' is them theme of his life - that he came up from nothing to where he was now. But he said nothing about a girlfriend and all these children.'

She said he later gave her a cash gift of $400 and a cheque for $480 on their nights out together. 'Looking back I think he was hoping I'd join him on the bed but I said I had to go,' she added.

Another Vegas model, Maggie Goldstein, claimed Murray flew her on an all expenses paid trip to the Caribbean.

'I was one of 10 models and promotions girls hired by Conrad Murray to fly to a Trinidad and Tobago resort in 2005 to publicize a new energy drink, Pit Bull, that Murray was producing with a partner.

'Conrad had a ball. He was up into the early hours, drinking, having fun and posing bare-chested with the girls. He brought along a girlfriend, Bridget, a black singer from Los Angeles.

'I was shocked to later find out he was married,' she added.

Murray hasn't previously had any blemishes on his medical record, but bad medicine does run in the family.

His father, Dr Rawle Andrews, reportedly had his medical privileges restricted for five years in 1994 in Texas because he was prescribing non-therapeutic drugs.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2058763/Revealed-Conrad-Murrays-secret-double-life-deadbeat-dad-compulsive-womaniser-turned-doctor-stars.html#ixzz1d4Kbj9NI