Conrad Murray

Conrad Murray in Los Angeles Superior Court during his manslaughter trial,

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011(Credit: CBS) (CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - 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.

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.

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.

Murray arrived holding hands with his mother. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.

Another drug abuser dies and everyone is in all this shock? Jackson is just on the list along with Belushi, Elvis, Anna Nichole, Heath Ledger, etc. He abused drugs for years and weighed 110 at his death. He had only known Dr Murray a month.
Years ago he stumbled into court in his pajamas supported by two grown men so he would walk and years ago it was reported he was even getting prescriptions in his kids names. Even his brother and sister stated on Larry King he was an addict.

I do not know trial you are watching. Listen to facts straight from Dr. Murray's mouth. He admitted giving all those different strong drugs that led to Michael's death. Dr. Murray disobeyed all the Medical Standard Proper Care.Definitely GROSSLY NEGLIGENT!! DEFINITELY GUILTY!!!!

He has no other excuse. This is a man originally wanted 5 million dollars a year to care for MJ since would have to leave his four clinics and 'beloved patients. He left them for a bit less money and never looked back. He was unqualified to care for Jackson who was an admitted addict.

Everyone knows that Michael Loved everything, and would be unhappy to see this good man blamed for something that he had no control over. The hate, finger pointing and blaming will not bring Michael back. What we need is understanding and love, and forgiveness. no wonder the public doesn't have a clue about Jackson, this kind of biased reporting is the reason. terrible article. i watched the trial, this doesn't begin to represent what went on in court today.

Dr. Murray was a greedy b**stard who knew better not to give a surgical anesthesia to his patient but did it anyway because he wanted to get paid $150,000 a month to support his questionable lifestyle. Murray has 7 kids by six different women. He was in debt up to his neck, his home was being foreclosed on, etc. He needed money and didn't care what he did to make money.
I have to look at the actions of the doctor. He gave enough of the pills to Jackson for Jackson to take ON HIS OWN. He was the supplier. He knew Jackson had them. He knew Jackson had issues with sleeping and could take the pills that were prescribed (and probably often did).

And with all of that previous knowledge and knowledge o previous actions, he STILL administered a powerful aesthetic by IV that he was NOT qualified to administer. Yeah, I'm going to go with gross negligent homicide on this one. Thank you, Defense Attorney. You have proven the Prosecutor's case.

He wanted is own doctor for his fix . we lost so many stars music movies etc to drugs . Money power and more money he gets his way . Do not get me wrong he was a great performer . But hearing all today i think he was a junkie to pills . The shame about it the people and his family had to see it .

Dr. Murray was nothing more than MJ's last DRUG DEALER. MJ was obviously into these drug use behaviors LONG before Dr. Murray came into MJ's life.
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