People v. Murray

The case of *People v. Conrad Robert Murray* centered on the death of Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009, after receiving a dose of the anesthetic propofol. Murray, Jackson’s personal doctor, faced a charge of involuntary manslaughter. The trial began on September 27, 2011, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, presided over by Judge Michael Pastor. The proceedings were televised, and on November 7, 2011, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Prosecutors David Walgren and Deborah Brazil argued that Jackson’s death resulted from misplaced trust in Murray. In their opening statement, they told jurors that “misplaced trust in the hands of Murray cost Jackson his life.” The defense, led by Edward Chernoff, Matthew Alford, J. Michael Flanagan, and Nareg Gourjian, claimed that Jackson, exhausted and under pressure from rehearsals, had taken eight tablets of lorazepam (Ativan), a sedative. Chernoff stated, “When Dr. Murray left the room, Jackson self-administered a dose of propofol that, with the lorazepam, created a perfect storm in his body that ultimately killed him. The whole thing is tragic, but the evidence is not that Dr. Murray did it.” Testimony revealed that Murray stayed with Jackson at least six nights a week and was frequently asked—sometimes begged—by the singer for drugs strong enough to induce sleep. Murray told authorities that Jackson was especially eager for propofol, a surgical anesthetic that worked when other sedatives failed. Evidence showed that propofol, combined with other drugs in Jackson’s system, was the primary cause of death. After about eight hours of deliberation, the jury found Murray guilty. He was sentenced to four years in prison but was released after one year and eleven months, on October 28, 2013, due to prison overcrowding and good behavior. Both sides delivered opening statements. The jury saw a photograph of Jackson on a gurney taken minutes after his death was declared. They also heard a recording of Jackson’s slurred speech near the end of his life.