Conrad Murray Trial: Michael Jackson Murder Conviction Hangs on Key Witness
The trial of Michael Jackson’s involuntary manslaughter resumes today in Los Angeles, with the prosecution expected to grill the testimony of key defense witness, Dr. Paul White.
The defense of Dr. Conrad Murray, who stands on trial for the manslaughter, hangs on Dr. Paul White, an anesthesiology expert, who claimed that Jackson gave himself the fatal overdose of anesthetic.
The defense also claimed that the pop icon was suffering from Demoral withdrawal, an addiction, which Murray was unaware of and was the result of the negligence of another doctor.
The persecution is expected to heavily grill White, who contended that Murray’s use of propofol was responsible for putting Jackson under a drug-induced sleep – which he never woke up from.
White said in his testimony Friday that he believed Jackson injected himself with propofol without Murray’s approval, which combined with a large dose of lorazepam, was the cause of the singer’s death.
The theory stands in direct contrast to that of Dr. Steven Shafer, who has said that the scientific evidence pointed to the fact that the pop singer was on a constant propofol drip for three hours leading up to his death, suggesting that this was the “only scenario” that adequately explained the situation.
The two conflicting theories come down to the question of whether it was Murray’s disregard that caused Jackson’s death, or whether the pop singer truly did inject himself with the lethal dosages.
Although it has been contested that Jackson might have pushed the catheter into his leg and greatly increased the speed at which the propofol was administered, the prosecution insisted that Murray failed to provide proper precaution when helping Jackson with his insomnia.
The prosecution will get their chance to test White’s testimony this week, and they can call on additional witnesses after the defense rests its case. The cross-examination is largely expected to decide whether Murray receives a guilty verdict, and could wrap-up before the end of the week.
