of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of Jackson and faces up to four years in prison.
The doctor, who was hired to care for Jackson as
he prepared for a series of comeback gigs in
2009, denied involuntary manslaughter. Jackson
died in June 2009 aged 50.
The verdict came on the second day of deliberations at a downtown LA courthouse. The jury — made up of seven men and five women — deliberated for about nine hours following the six-week trial.
A throng of Jackson fans were waiting outside
the court to hear the decision. The King of Pop's
sister Latoya Jackson tweeted: "Verdict is FINALLY IN!!! I'm on my way! I'm shaking uncontrollably!" After hearing from nearly 50 witnesses, the jury's verdict hinged on whether it believed it was Murray or Jackson who injected the overdose of the anesthetic propofol that killed the pop icon in his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009.
Both sides acknowledged that Murray had been
administering propofol to Jackson in an attempt
to alleviate his insomnia while he rehearsed for
an upcoming tour. The defence said that Murray was weaning Jackson off the drug, and that the evidence shows Jackson injected himself with the fatal overdose.
Defence lawyer Edward Chernoff said in his
closing argument last week: "They want you to
convict Dr Murray for the actions of Michael
Jackson."
In contrast, the prosecution told jurors that
Jackson died after Murray administered propofol
via intravenous drip.
Prosecutors have characterised Murray as a
doctor who gave in to every demand of Jackson
in order to maintain his $150,000-a-month salary. Prosecutor David Walgren said: "He is an
employee who is saying yes to what is asked
instead of saying yes to what is best for Michael
Jackson's health as any competent, ethical
doctor would do."
TheSun
