November 07, 2011

Michael Jackson's Doctor Guilty - Yahoo!

Michael Jackson's Doctor Guilty - Yahoo!:

Michael Jackson's Doctor Guilty

Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

The prosecution triumphed after six weeks of impassioned arguments and witness testimonies.

Murray did not flinch and showed no emotion as the verdict was read.

The Jackson family arrived at the courthouse an hour before the reading of the verdict, led by parents Joe and Katherine Jackson. Randy, LaToya, Rebbie, Jermaine and Jermaine's wife were all in court. Family friends Rick and Kathy Hilton were also in attendance.

Today was the second day of deliberations. The jury deliberated for about six hours on Friday and for less than three hours today before reaching a decision.

If convicted, Murray could be sentenced to as much as four years in prison and lose his medical license.

Murray was accused of causing the singer's death by administering the powerful anesthetic propofol and not properly supervising his patients or taking proper steps after Jackson stopped breathing.

Murray has contended that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose while the doctor was out of the room.

The six week long trial offered a window into Jackson's bizarre and eccentric lifestyle, peeks rarely allowed during the highly-private pop star's life.

The trial began with a shocking photo of Jackson's dead body in a hospital gurney and a photo of his naked body from his autopsy.

It featured a slurred audio recording of Jackson made on Murray's phone in which Jackson is so drugged that he can barely be understood.

The case revolved around Jackson's inability to sleep without the powerful anesthetic propofol, a hospital grade drug, and a battery of other drugs as he was preparing for his "This Is It" concert tour.

Prosecutors contended that Murray was willing to give Jackson propofol, which Jackson affectionately referred to as "milk," in return for a $150,000 a month paycheck. Murray told police that for two months leading up to Jackson's death, he had aministered propofol to Jackson in his bedroom almost nightly.

Murray argued that he was trying wean the king of pop off of the drug.

Jackson's chronic inability to sleep was one of many odd details of his life to emerge from the trial, along with such mundane things like his food preferences to strange medical decisions.

Jackson's chef, Kai Chase, told the court that the notoriously thin star had penchants for beet juice and almond milk. He insisted on healthy food for himself and his three children and wanted lunch served at 12:30 p.m. every day.

Through evidence and testimonies, it was also revealed that Jackson received injections of Botox in his armpits and groin and wore a urninary catheter while sleeping.

Jurors listened to 49 witnesses over 22 days of testimony. Murray did not testify. Back in the jury room, jurors had more than 300 exhibits to look over.

The singer's famous family made regular appearances in court and sat in the gallery, including parents Joe and Katherine Jackson and siblings Janet, Randy, LaToya, Jermaine and Rebbie. LaToya Jackson hugged prosecutor David Walgren in the hallway after his powerful closing arguments.